Weekly Update for July and BooktubeAThon Update

Hello :)
I know it's been long but I was on vacation in London and... well you know me! I'm still not sure if I want to keep up blogging or just continue reading...
But I read a lot in the last couple of days so I still have some reviews I want to write and post here (and some Netgalley reviews I have to make).

Anyway here is the weekly update which will be a little longer than normal since there is also a BookTubeAThon update at the end :D (And it's been a long while since the last Weekly Round Up)
I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too. It is a nice way to keep you updated with my reading :)

Love Exactly Blog Tour

Hey everyone!

Today I'm honored to be part of the Love Exactly Blog Tour! And there is even a great giveaway as part of the release tour. So don't forgeet to hit each blog on the tour each day for extra entries by searching for the bold term and entering it in the rafflecopter.
You remember the fabulous Cassandra Giovanni from some of my earlier posts, don't you?
Well today I am hosting a guest post by her in honour of her new release Love Exactly.
And without further talking from me here is the guest post, the topic is Making Sparks Fly:

It’s the fourth of July over here in the US today, and fireworks will be everywhere. I thought it would be a great chance for a post on romance-- Making Sparks Fly. The thing about making sparks fly is sometimes people just think of that animalistic attraction; it’s something I’ve grown used to in YA. There just seems to be no rhyme or reason and BOW all of a sudden the characters are in insta-love. It’s more like insta-attraction. They can’t pull their eyes off one another. They want each other so badly! Sometimes I struggle to understand exactly why. Sure, he’s got muscles, but does he have a brain? When I make sparks fly I want it to be more than about the sexy tattoos Evan has all over his arms--it’s about the way he looks at Emma...and I don’t mean like he wants to eat her! The way he listens to her talk and takes an interest in who she is on the inside. Sparks traditionally are thought of as physically created--he’s hot--there’s the spark. I however, think that sparks should fly in all kinds of ways-- like fireworks you put on yourself (something I am again, not looking forward to) they are uncontrollable, sometimes unreasonable, but there’s something more to it than the beauty. It’s about the emotions that come with those fireworks (in my case, fear that my husband’s hand is going to get blown off) and it’s beautiful to watch. I love making sparks fly for my characters as they learn about each other, grow with each other and eventually fall in love. That’s something beautiful to read (and much less dangerous than fireworks). So if you want to see some sparks fly that won’t take out your eye sight--take a look at Love Exactly!

And of course the book info:

Book Description:

Emma Walker was a writer who'd lost herself to someone else's anger--who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
Evan Levesque was a rock-god--the one all the woman wanted, but he'd never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they'll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan's fame while dealing with her own demons? Emma's checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they'll destroy my soul--Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she's become because of it?
GENRE: New Adult>Contemporary Romance

Mild to moderate sexual content

E-BOOK only $1.99

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Paperback $12.99

Signed Author Direct (US-Free shipping + Free Bookmark + Free Swag)

Amazon

Author Biography:

Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1).Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Just One Cup, in the Spring of 2013.

Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company's photography. She is currently studying to receive a degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

And here's the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now go and check the book out! It's worth it!
Love and words
KJ

Short review of: Cypher the Mountain Giant

Cypher The Mountain Giant by Adam Blade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this is a very short review, more like a comment on the book:
My nine year old nephew gave me this one to read since he loved it so much. It is a good children's book and a fun and easy read.
I liked the whole concept of the story, monsters that were under an evil curse and had to be rescued.
I have to agree with other reviews that this book does not have a strong female character, just a clichee like girl that always gets in trouble. But the main character Tom is really lovely and the setting nice and picturesque.
Oh, and this book made me realize that I kind of miss books with pictures *ahem*

What was the last children's book you read?
Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First of all I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book in ebook format in exchange for an honest review. (Woar, what a long sentence!)

I love the story of Hades and Persephone so I was eager to read a modern retelling of this story.
I really liked this book. The characters were interesting and their actions understandable. I personally liked Thanatos the most.
I liked the setting and the whole concept of a "friendly" underworld since that stayed true to the original greek concept of the afterlife. Which brings us to another pro point for this book: The mythology. The story had it's unique touch while always staying true to the original myth of Persephone. ( I especially liked what the author did with the whole Orpheus myth, since I always thought of this one as my favourite)

The romance though felt a little rushed and I could not really understand the (view spoiler)[change Hades went through (hide spoiler)]. The ending itself was maybe a little too much romance for me, but that is just a subjective thought and may be (or definitely is) because of the fact that I am not that much into romance stories.

Over all the writing style was redeable and the pace very good. I just sometimes felt that I "outgrew" the whole genre which made me read slowlier. I am really sorry that this book was the one that made me figure this out, since I would have really enjoyed and loved it had I read it 2 years ago. But that is definitely not the fault of the book! The book was really good and had a great story.

Oh and one thing that was really great about this book? That twist at the end? I definitely did not see that coming and it was a great cliffhanger!
A recommendation for all YA paranormal romance fans out there!

Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

Weekly Update June #2

Hello everyone :)
Sorry for the long silence but as usually I had a lot to do these days. Anyway since it is Sunday it is now time for our weekly wrap up:
I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too. It is a nice way to keep you updated with my reading :)

The Valkyrie Profiles by K.S. Daniels

The Valkyrie Profiles by K.S. Daniels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read a book that I really love the first thing after finishing it is normaly heading straight to Goodreads in order to write a review. But after finishing this book I felt I had to step back a moment and let everything sink in before starting my attempt at describing this book.
I am not sure I waited long enough.

First of all I have to say: Thank you to K.S.Daniels for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review. It owned itself a special place on my shelf!

As you have probably guessed I loved this book! I am normaly not that big of a SciFi reader but this book proved to me that there is a whole genre waiting for me to discover. I would have read this book within one sitting if I had the time to read it.

But now let's stop the fangirl and start with a real review:

First of all the setting: The book takes place in the not so distant future on Earth. Of course technology is well advanced and robots and nanobots are part of every day life. I loved the fact that the author showed not just the positive aspects of more technic but also how that changes humanities view of technical things. I felt like the book was asking ethical questions about the use of roboters, how "human" they are, and what that means for us without really voicing it. (And come on, you just have to love Rehel!)
I loved the whole concept of the Valkyries and their norse names. It is such a completely different setting than the normal stories or legends with norse elements I encounter. It felt just right.
The worldbuilding was solid and enjoyable.

But the more important part of the story were the characters: Oh, I just loved them! All of them!
The different characteristics, thoughts, and attitudes were greatly portrayed and the characters therefore three dimensional and their actions understandable. More important though is the fact that the characters were so interesting. I found myself more than once thinking about changing sides during the story. (And I even fancasted the characters because I liked them so much. I usually never do that, but I just had to this time.)
The only negative point was that I do not really know how old the characters are during the main events (which made fancasting not easy). It is said how old there are at the begining but years pass by and I wasn't that sure of their age when the main plot started to evolve. I tried to do the math, but it did not really work.

The plot was well paced and had just enough twists and turns that I could not foresee to keep my little brain occupied. Even when I wasn't reading but showering or eating, you know the normal things you have to do that keep you from the important reading you want to do, I found myself thinking of different outcomes and twists. I did not see the ending coming though.

This story felt unique and new, which may to some extend be because I do not read this genre very often. It definitely left me wanting more.
So this is a recommendation to all those SciFi fans out there and even more to those that never read SciFi before.

Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

The Immortal Circus Book Blast! (With Giveaway)

I am so excited to be participating in the book blast to celebrate the release of A.R. Kahler's THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO today!

To help spread the word about its release in Kindle serial format, I have a GUEST POST from Mab, Ringmaster of the Cirque des Immortels, some information about this second book in the series and a couple of awesome giveaways to share.

With its stunning cover, its description which hints of dark things to come in this sequel and the even darker things that Mab alludes to in Vivienne's past, I am so unbelievably excited to be able to share this book on my blog.

Now let me turn things over to the Ringmaster...

***

GUEST POST from Mab – Ringmaster Extraordinaire and Circus Fashionista

Hello loves,

A few months have passed since we did our last tour, and oh, how I've missed you all.

This week, I am pleased to announce the next installment in our little show. Although it pains me to admit that we will not be doing a full blog tour, I am sure the tale ACT TWO weaves will keep you entertained. So many of you were dying to know more about Vivienne's past. In fact, many people seem to be dying when it comes to Vivienne's past but...I'd hate to spoil her surprise. Needless to say, this will be a show she will never forget.

And for those of you who need more than pretty words to tempt them, I am also hosting a giveaway. Five winners will receive Immortal Circus trading cards and a signed bookplate. One lucky winner will also get a signed copy of book one.

Six prizes, six winners. Six is my favorite number.

Step right up, loves. ACT TWO is just beginning....

Kisses, Mab

***

About the Book

Title: THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO (The Immortal Circus #2)
Author: A.R. Kahler
Publisher: 47North
Release date: June 11, 2013
Format: Kindle serial eBook (current). Paperback edition to be released.

Vivienne is almost content with her new life in the Cirque des Immortels. She has moved up from selling cotton candy to telling fortunes, she has a gorgeous, magical boyfriend, Kingston…and no one has been murdered since the clash between the otherworldly Courts. Her life under the faerie big top would be perfect, in fact, if not for the nightmares and visions that compel her to seek and confront her half-remembered past. But for Viv, not knowing her past may well be a blessing. There's a reason she ran away. But can she truly escape herself?

The second act of the fantastically evocative Cirque des Immortels series, The Immortal Circus: Act Two draws readers further into a world that’s at once wonderful, seductive…and deadly.

Step right up…

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON | GOODREADS

***

About the Author

Most little boys dream of running away to join the circus.

Alex didn't just dream it: he did it. But then, he rarely lets a good dream pass him by.

In the past six years he's toured and trained across America and Europe. He's performed in Amsterdam, taught trapeze in Madrid, studied in Glasgow and even had a stint as assistant to Holly Black and Cassandra Clare in New England. He's constantly on the lookout for new places to explore and new worlds to invent. He's a Sagittarius fueled by full moons and espresso. The way to his heart is a latte and fan art. Just for the record.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, book one in his Cirque des Immortels series, is now available from 47North. ACT TWO releases today, June 11, 2013.

MARTYR, the first book in his post-apocalyptic YA fantasy series, THE HUNTED, is set to be published October 28, 2014 by Spencer Hill Press.

TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TUMBLR

***

About Book One

Title: THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS (The Immortal Circus #1)
Author: A.R. Kahler
Publisher: 47North
Release date: December 4, 2012 (serial eBook); January 29, 2013 (paperback)
Formats: Kindle eBook, Paperback

Murdered contortionists aren’t exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.

Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.

The show's just beginning.

Step right up…

GOODREADS | AMAZON

***

The Giveaways

Mab’s Giveaways (US ONLY):

GRAND PRIZE – A signed copy of book one, THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, The Immortal Circus trading cards and a signed bookplate. (ONE WINNER)

PRIZES – Trading Cards and a signed bookplate. (FIVE WINNERS)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***

Rockstar Book Tours Giveaways (International to anywhere that can accept eBook gifts from Amazon US)

A Kindle Serial eGift of THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO. (FIVE WINNERS)

(All winners will be announced in the Rafflecopter and contacted by email.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Challenge Day 20: Lucy in the Sky

Hey folks :)
Just a quick Book Challenge Update :) Today's prompt for the Book Challenge was to write about My Favourite Romance.
I am not really into romance stories. But there is one romance book I really did enjoy:

Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon! Here is what I thought about it, back when I first read it:

Lucy in the sky is a wonderful book about friendship and love that makes you chuckle. It is the perfect reading for souls harassed by lovesickness. I rarely enjoyed another book as much as I enjoyed this one. It made me happy and sad equally.

Following Lucys' struggle for happiness and her interesting relationships was a fantastic adventure and really delightful.
Paige Toon is able to bring her character to life, something I apreciate most about an author.

A recommendation for everyone who likes reading books about love and even for those who prefer darker reads. But most of all for everyone who needs a encouragement considering their own love-life.

Have you read the book? Tell me what you think of the story in the comments :)
Love and Words
KJ

Cover Reveal! Warrior + Her Dark Curiosity

Have you read The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd or Prophecy by Ellen Oh? They both debuted this year and now the sequels have covers!
YA Books Central revealed the covers today and they are both so beautiful that I had to share them with you guys.

Here are my thoughts on the covers:
I love the colours of Warrior. It's such a beautiful red and the little nine taled demon just looks pretty (and dangerous). I really enjoy the fact that it does not have a model on it but only a beautiful detailed dagger. This way it is somehow unique and very very beautiful :)

Her Dark Curiosity reminds me of the cover for The Madmen's Daughter, since the models look alike and they kept the little red sash but changed the cover of the dress. I always love it when the covers for a series share a motive.
The girl looks really pretty and her dress is just gorgeous, but the London Skyline in the background is what makes this cover so haunting.

It has a really dark and mysterious tone, I cannot wait to find out more about the book.

I will not share the synopsis of both stories because some of you may not have read the books yet. If you want to find out more about the authors and the books head over to YABookCentral. They revealed the covers first and included every information you need (and two messages by the authors!). There is even a Giveaway of both books!
What are your thoughts on the covers? Tell me about it in the comments :)

I am beyond excited for these two books. But I have to admitt I look forward to reading Her Dark Curiosity. The blurb says that it was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. I just loved that book! I am a huge fan of gothic novels in general so I cannot wait to get my sweety palms on this one.

Love and Words
KJ

The Eagle (of the Ninth) Book to Movie

Hey there :)

While I still have to watch the second Labyrinth movie I thought we might want to take the time to talk about another good book to movie adaption:
The Eagle Of The Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff (or The Eagle as the movie is called) is about the young Roman Marcus who tries to restore the honor of his family. Years ago his father was the leader of the ninth Roman legion that was destroyed behind the hadrian's wall in the unknown lands of the dangerous picts. The eagle, the standard of the legion, was lost and with it the honor of said legion and it's comander.
Now Marcus sets out to find the missing eagle, accompanied by a slave called Esca, who knows the land.
I did a full review on the book. I loved it, it was amazing, and I gave it five out of five stars.

So know let's talk about the movie starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell as Marcus and Esca. Beware of spoilers ahead! (If you do not know the whole story you may not want to read on)

Weekly Wrap Up June #1

So the TBR-thingy is now officialy called "Weekly Wrap Up". But everything else stayed the same.
I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too. It is a nice way to keep you updated with my reading :)
The last one was really long so this one is rather short:

1. What is new on your shelf?

I am still on a book buying ban... So nothing new on my shelf *quietly sobbs*
And I started reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I know there are like three other books on the June TBR before it but I just wanted to read it so desperately! The first pages are really good, it is way more interesting than the begining of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoi. I just cannot get really into this book :(

2. What have you just finished on your shelf?

I did not read a lot this week, which is more than stupid since I need to read 4 books till Sunday in order to keep up with my TBR. It sounds really impossible but there is no way I am failing my challenge! I just cannot...
Anyway, I finished Labyrinth by Kate Mosse and am about to watch the first movie tonight (instead of reading *cough*) so you can expect a book-to-movie post on the weekend. The review is already up (4 of 5 stars)

3. What is the most anticipated book you want to read next?

When I was younger I read three awesome books by Joseph Delaney. The first one was called The Spook's Apprentice and I thought it was a trilogy. Now, thanks to the amazing CassJay Tuck I know that it is a series with more than 10 books! I am so freaking out right now! I want to read the other books so badly :D (Heard there is a movie adaption, gotta check that out! :) )

How would you answer these questions?
Love and Words

KJ

Book Challenge Day 18: Breaking Dawn

All right so I probably talked about this book before whenever it came to "bad" books. And I thought it is time to tell you why I disliked this book that much.
The Prompt for today's challenge was "A Book That Disappointed You" and of course Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer was the first one that came to my mind. But I have to say it is not the only book that disappointed me. Masque of the Red Death which I read last week (or the week before) really disappointed me too, to give you another example.

City of Bones Character Posters and Trailer

It's fangirl time! I hereby apologize for me using to much "amazings" in the following post...

It has been a little while since I last completely fangirled over the cast for the The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie. A lot has happened since that time...
I was browsing the interwebs a few minutes ago and I just realized that I am still desperately excited for this movie. I cannot wait. I want it!!
So I thought it would be time for another quick post about it, just to get us all a little more desperate for it.

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

So I thought I would do another Waiting on Wednesday. I cannot remember the last time I did one of these (I looked it up, it was last year)...
For those of you who don't know what I am talking about: Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme featured on Breaking the Spine were we highlight the books we cannot wait for.

This week I am waiting for:

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. Just look at it for a moment. Isn't it pretty? Well I heard that it is like one of those old Gothic-novels I love so much, so I really really cannot wait!!
Here is what it's about:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch

The book will hit the shelves on on August 15th, which isn't that far away.
I already told you something about this book back when I first heard about it and I am still waiting very patiently for it... No seriously, can I get it already? Pretty please?
What are you waiting for this week?

Love and Words
KJ

Summary and Cover are taken from Goodreads, all rights not mine :D

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I told you you would get the review soon, you did not expect to get it so soon, did you? Well I did not expect it either...

I really liked this book.
It centers around to women, Alice and Aläis, who live and love in two different times and are connected through the ancient and secret trilogy of the Labyrinth.
When Alice visits, in 2007 one of her old friends in France and helps out at a archaeological excavation she finds the entrance to an old cave. Things are send in motion that will lead Alice to the discovery of a century old secret and she has to finish something her ancestor Aläis started in the 13th century when war and betrayal brought her life in great danger... (Just read the summary on Goodreads, I am bad with summaries :D)

I love history. I really really love history. And this was a book that, for the half of it, was "real" living history. The part that took place in the 13th century was so vivid and well researched that I did not only learn a lot about this time period in France I also felt like I was really there.
The part that took place in 2007 was action packed and left me turning the pages desperately wanting to find out what happened next.
The characters were really well written I just had the feeling that the antagonists were not so three-dimensional than the protagonists. Though some parts of the story were told through their point of view I could not understand a lot of their motivation and background. I for example did not know why (view spoiler)[Oriane even knew about the Labyrinth trilogy. Her father never told her, how did she come to know all those things? Why did Francoise betray his own master? (hide spoiler)]
But that is really the only bad thing that comes to mind when thinking about this book.

The plot was well developed and the brakes between the different time periods were at the right places for most of the book. One of the reasons the ending was so exciting was that the story kept switching between Aläis and Alice whenever the storyline hid a high.
The romance story of Aläis was romantic and understandable, the romance of Alice felt more forced and rushed, but only a little :)

Everything, plot, characters, setting, action, love, was good and well written :) I enjoyed the writing style it was readeable and pictoresque in the same time.

Though this book was so good and had many pages my review has only some paragraphs. There is not much to say about this book besides that it was able to leave me with that good feeling I have whenever finishing a lovely book and wanting more. I will definitely pick up the second volume and encourage everyone who is interested in historical fiction to pick up this book as well.

Love and Words
KJ
View all my reviews

June TBR

Hello again! :)
I thought I would start to use the TBR thingy as a weekly Wrap-Up and start doing Monthly Wrap-Ups and TBRs for each month.
So here (four days late :D) is my TBR for June :

Book Challenge Day 17: Favourite Quote

Hòla!
So I thought while I figure out my life a little I continue the 30 Day Book Challenge in order to get myself into blogging regulary (again).
The prompt for Day 17 is:

Favourite Quote From Your Favourite Book

Picking one book as my favourite was pretty hard so I decided to pick my favourite quote from my favourite classic novel, which is Faust I by Goethe, since I just love almost every line from that book.
And here is my favourite quote:

I am the spirit that negates.And rightly so, for all that comes to beDeserves to perish wretchedly;'Twere better nothing would begin.Thus everything that that your terms, sin,Destruction, evil represent—That is my proper element.”

 This is how Mephisto introduces himself, I will leave you hanging with it, since you simply cannot explain poetry (but I have to add, that it does sound a little better in the original German version ;D)
Love and Words
KJ

That TBR thingy...

So I thought while I am trying to sort my life out I give you a new TBR post! Welcome to that TBR thing!
I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too. It is a nice way to keep you updated with my reading :)


1. What is new on your shelf?
My best friends brother was nice enough to lend me his copies of Anna Karenina and Hadji Murad by Leo Tolstoi. I cannot wait to read Anna Karenina! I wanted to watch the movie so badly when it came out and now I can finally watch it after reading this... giant book :D
I counted all the books on my shelves that I yet have to read and I ended up with a total of *cough* 83 books. So I guess I have to go on book buying bann again :(

My mom things I am buying to many books so do not tell her that I just got a new one: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo! I wanted to read that book since I watched the movie earlier this year, I just love the story and I cannot wait to find out more about these amazing characters. (Another big plus was the fact that it was only 10€ :) )
And I purchased a book for my friend's birthday next week: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab.
See, there is this thing with me and my friend (it's not Rachelle though, she got a book for her birthday, too :D) if we find a book we would love to read but we cannot buy it in the moment (for many reasons) we talk the other into buying it so we can read it after them. "That book sounds awesome, you should buy it so I can read it!"
I always wanted to read a book by Victoria Schwab since I read a Sneak Peak of The Archived. The Near Witch sounds great and I am sure my friend will love it, I cannot wait to read it, too :) Another great plus is that gorgeous German Cover. Just look at that beauty! :D
And Victora Schwab is such a nice person! She is always so lovely on twitter ;)

Marie Lu lands new book deal!

I just heard that Marie Lu, author of the Legend trilogy which comes to a conclusion this November, signed a new book deal and I wanted to share the news with you!
Why?
Because the new series sounds amazing! Like, really really amazing!

Here is what legendfandom.net had to say about it:

The new series, set in what Putnam described as a “Renaissance-like world,” is called The Young Elites. It follows three rival societies with supernatural powers battling for supremacy. The first book in the series is set for fall 2014.

Marie Lu herself said on her twitter that it would be more fantasy than history.
To get all the infos released visit this tiny little link.
So, who else is excited? I am freaking out! Fall 2014 cannot be here fast enough!
Love and Words
KJ

Book Challenge Day 16: Favourite Female Character

All right so for today I have to pick one female character... That's is hard. But so far the whole challenge consisted of pretty tough decisions...
First off all I would like to say some things about female characters in books. They do get a lot more hate than male characters. No matter what, someone always disliked the actions of female characters. They are too bossy, they are too ladylike, they fight too much, they fight not enough... Something is always wrong.
I think a lot of fictional heroines deserve a lot more love than they are actually getting...

But anyway, this wasn't about defending all but picking one...
You may remember that I once made a list called "My Favourite Heroines Of All Time", you can find that list here. Back then Arya Stark from the A Song Of Ice And Fire Series. But I am pretty sure she does not hold that throne any longer...
Which great character throw her down, though? Of course it was another ASOIAF character. I do not know what is going on with G.R.R Martin, but he writes great characters!

I just adore Ygritte. I love the way she speaks and acts, I love the way she is able to love and hate so purely. And "You know nothing, Jon Snow" was definitely the best thing that happened to this fandom.
And she made me cry. I do not want to spoiler... oh forget that!

ATTENTION SPOILERS!

I cried so hard when she died! And Jon just wanted to save her and she never got to see a castle *sobs*
They really should have stayed in that damn cave!
She was so brave and fought for what was right in her opinion, no matter what. She was a strong female character. I would have loved a POV chapter from her. Just to know how she was dealing with Jon's betrayal... And now I will curl up in my little cave an sob because of that terribly sad character death.
Yes, that is the reason I read G.R.R. Martin. He always makes me cry...


Make sure to check the Challenges Page in order to read all my answers!
Who is your favourite female character?
Love and Words
KJ

Just a quick update: COVERFLIP!

I am really sorry for the radio silence in the last few days. I have been really busy with real life and did not have time to read a lot. I know that's crazy, right?
Well since I am currently catching up on beeing a responsable adult while  my mom's away, keeping the house clean and mown the lawn and all that boring stuff, I have to neglect this blog a little. But I am trying to get back to posting regulary once a day before the weekend hits. Thanks for sticking around :)

But now the important update: Have you heard about the Coverflip movement started by the amazing Maureen Johnson? I do not know if it already is a movement but I think we should call it one because it deserves to be one.
The idea behind Coverflip is pretty easy: The author Maureen Johnson thought that book covers are often gender based. Books for girls look like books for girls and books for boys look like books for boys. But most books are not simply girl- or boybooks. You can read whatever book you want no matter the stereotypes. So Maureen Johnson thought someone should do something about the gender biased covers. And she started Coverflip.
Long story short: Follow this link to find out more about, because I am really bad at explaining this.
And then do the Coverflip!

What have you been up to the past week? Have you ever read something though the cover did not look like something you would like to enjoy?

Love and Words
KJ

Cover Revealed: Allegiant and What's

Just a quick update:

Two gorgeous YA covers have been revealed in the last few days.
The first one is Allegiant by Veronica Roth. It will be published in October and is the last book in a triology that started with Divergent.
I am not posting the official summary because of spoilers for those that haven't read the first two books yet. Here is the scoop on Divergent, for those that haven't heard about it before (Seriously are you living on the moon? This book is everywhere! If you live on the moon, can I come and visit?):

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I am really looking forward to read Divergent this summer. It is already waiting on my shelf. So expect a review, soon :)

The second one is Once We Were. It is the sequel to What's Left Of Me and the second book in The Hybrid Chronicles. It will hit shelves on
Summary for What's Left Of Me:

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't. . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable—hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

I adored the cover for the first one but I think the second one is even better. And the story sounds really interesting, it is definitely on my TBR pile.
Both books will be published by HarperCollins
I really like how both books fit in with the covers of the other in their series. I just think that you need to see which books belong together.
What do you think of these two covers?
Love and Words
KJ

All covers and summaries taken from Goodreads

Book Challenge Day 15: Jace vs. Aaron

Argh. I have to pick my Favourite Male Character for today. How am I supposed to pick ONE? There are sooo many swoon worthy men in YA it's unbelievable!

For a long time Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments was my favourite fictional male character. But Aaron from Pretty Dark Nothing is unbelievable great, too. I would tell you why he is so great, but I cannot, since that would mean telling you everything about the ending. And we do not want that, do we?

Let's just say he is great and you better go and read the book by Heather Reid like right now! 

What are you still doing here? Go and read it!

I loved Jace because he was so funny and smart. He had that kind of a Bad boy attitude and was a really tortured soul. I love tortured bad boys. I have a thing for them :)

But I am slowly (like really really slowly) growing up  and I know realized that being a tortured bad boy is great when you are 16, but not that great when you are getting older and want to settle down. 

So Aaron is not an average bad boy. But he is really tortured... That poor guy!

And there is a similarity between those two, I am not telling you what, though! We do not want spoilers...

Who is your favourite male character?

Love and Words
KJ

Cover Love: Masque Of The Red Death

So I recently started reading Masque Of The Red Death by Bethany Griffin. I am really enjoying it so far and no matter how  hard I try I cannot find something bad. Which made me stop trying to find something.
I looked at the book the other day how it was sitting there on my nightstand and I knew: It is time for another Cover Love post.
The thing is, I really think the English cover is beautiful. But I bought the book in my local bookstore which means I have the German copy. And I just love the German Cover! It is so gorgeous!

The German title is Die Stadt des roten Todes - Das Mädchen mit der Maske, which translates to City of the red death - The girl with the masque.
I really love the font and the tattoo of the girl, the colours look beautiful together and the whole atmosphere is intriguing. I love the ruins of the city in the back. The cover captures the story.
The only thing I dislike: There are too many models on YA covers. What happened to the good old fonts? And the cover makes the book look like a romance story. Which it might be. I haven't read much so I do not know anything about the romance going on between the pages...

Let's compare it to the original American Cover:
The model stayed. The colours stayed, which is a great thing since does colours look amazing together! I just don't get why it looks like she is standing in a swamp... Well maybe I get to that part of the story when I keep on reading :)

Which cover do you prefer?
Love and Words
KJ

Book Challenge Day 13: Hobbit, Thief Lord and Blood Promise

Today's prompt for the 30 Day Book Challenge:

Favourite Book Of Your Favourite Author

I already told you that I can not decide who my favourite author is in the last post. So I am telling you my three favourite books  by my three favourite authors!

1. The first one was Richelle Mead and I already told you that Blood Promise is my favourite book by her. I really think I should read her other series, too, so my answers will get a little variety :)
I loved Blood Promise because of all the great character interactions. Some of the best scenes of the whole series go down in this book. And let me not get started on all the tragic...

TBR News...

So here is our weekly TBR update, a little earlier than normaly. I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too.

1. What is new on your shelf?

I went book shopping with my best friend yesterday (yes, I did it again :D) and I bought Masque Of The Red Death by Bethany Griffin, I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark, and How Nature Has Changed History by Erik Durschmied. I am really looking forward to reading all of these three. I already started with Masque and I am enjoying it so far. So expect a review soon :)

2. What have you just finished on your shelf?

The last book I finished was Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. I really loved it. I watched the movie which was fabulous. You can find a review for both here on the blog just follow the tags.

3. What is the most anticipated book you want to read next?

Definitely, hands down, Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier. I really need to find out what happens next but I unfortunately already spend all my money on books for this month :D

How would you answer the questions this week?

Love and Words

KJ

Book Challenge Day 13: Favourite Writer

Your Favourite Writer

I seriously do not have a favourite writer... I mean I love so many writers that it is more than hard to pick just one! So I tried to nail it down to three:
I really love Richelle Mead. Her writing style is great and the worlds she creates are wonderful. Unfortunately I never had the chance to read anything other than her Vampire Academy series.
J.R.R. Tolkien would be another author on my all time favourite list. I am sure that you cannot love High Fantasy without at least trying to read Tolkien.
Finding a third one is really hard because I have so many authors on my mind that I love and that would be a great addition to this list.
But I go with Cornelia Funke because I love reading her stories since I was around the age of 10. Her Inkheart trilogy showed me how mighty words can be and I am more than sure that she and her books are one of the reasons I want to be a writer myself.

How would you answer this prompt?
You can find the full 30 Day Book Challenge on the Challenge site of this blog :)

Love and Words
KJ

Book to Movie: Ruby Red

So I promised I would tell you what I thought about the Ruby Red movie.
First of all I have to say two things:

1. I really really hope that this movie will be translated into English. It is really a good movie and the actors and production company would deserve it. And the fans would deserve it, too!

2. I started to watch this movie with really low expectations. I can name at least three bad movies based on books and only one or two good ones. But I was really excited to see it anyway.

Most of the actors did not look like I imagined the characters. Not at all. But I do not care about such things since I always think that the actors need to be able to act and not look good or as I expected the characters to look. And I have to say the amazing actors are the main reason why this movie was so good.

The whole atmosphere was sometimes to girly for me or they tried to hard to be scary with lightning and criptic movies (I mean what was up with that strange ritual at the begining?). But the actors embodies the characters so good that I did not care about some really strange scenery things. 

At first I really disliked Jannis Niewöhner as Gideon since he was so different from my imagination. After seeing the whole movie I now have to say that he played a great Gideon, he got the sarcastic and cold side as perfect as the caring moments.
They casted two of my favourite German actors, Josephine Preuß as Lucy Montrose and Kostja Ullmann as James the ghost, which made the whole movie even better for me. And aunt Maddy was, hands down, a perfect casting choice as well as Charlotte.
I think it was a little sad that they cut Caroline completely. I did not see the sense behind that.

I really liked the fact that they changed the begining and Gwen's second and third jump through time. She actually meets someone familiar which gave the whole thing more flair.
It was a little strange that she knew exactly nothing about the time traveling gen in the begining. It made the first part of the movie seem really rushed and her actions and motivations were not completely clear for me.

Aunt Maddy's vision and Gideon's first appereance were in my opinion over done and made the whole movie look like a movie for little girls that tried to hard at being spooky/romantic.
The only thing that I really really disliked was the fact that they did not stick to the cronologic plotline of the book and that they added so much from the second book into it.

Over all the negative parts were definitely smaller than the positiv ones and the actors were just great. Their perfect performance made me really like this movie.
So I do recommend it! This movie gets a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is definitely a great based on a book movie.
Love and Words
KJ

"Review" of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPOILERS! Seriously if you have not read the book do not read this review!
I would really love to write a spoiler free review of this book, but I cannot do it because that would mean I am not allowed to talk about all these awesome things that happened. And it is one of these hard to write reviews where all I want to say is: It is awesome, go and read it!
And before I start to completely fangirl over this book and the fact that I can now see the movie (yay!) let's get some facts straight:

The writing style was good but I sometimes felt it was a little too casual. That on the other hand made sense since it was told from the point of view of a teenager. And maybe it put me off from time to time because I just outgrew this kind of thinking...
The idea and plot was really great. I loved the whole trust-no one-thing. Usually plots like this are really forseeable for me but I have to say that when it comes to this book I have no single clue who to trust. They all do not seem trustworthy enough for me.
I really adored the characters! Especially Lesley the lovely side kick :) She was so cute and tried to help as best as she could. My friends are amazing but I would not mind having her in our clique, too.

And now: May the fangirling begin! (This is where the descent review ends)

I just love the first kiss scene! Not the one at the end of the book where they are in the church. But the first one, when she jumps through time the second time and sees herself kissing Gideon. It was clear from the begining that these two would end up together. And I really hate it when a romance story is so obvious to the reader but the main characters just do not get it. Because of that little scene the awkward I-kind-of-no-who-you-will-end-up-with turned into actual knowing which, in my opinion, turned the whole thing around and I really liked that.

I have a very great theory about Gwen's heritage and the whole mystery about Lucy and Paul.
For me it is really clear that they are the true parents of Gwen. Lucy stayed with Gwen's mum until she gave birth to her and then ran away with Paul. We already know that those two are in love and that they want to stop the Circle from completing the ritual. It would definitely explain why Paul is so protective over Gwen, why she is the only girl in her line with black hair (Ned Stark's rule of hair colour based gen tests always works!), and why Lucy says she looks like him.
It makes perfect sence. And i just love Lucy and Paul together. The whole "Marrying on the Titanic"-thing was drop dead gorgeous.
I just love the book. Therefore I am more than desperate to get my hands on the next book and find out how their story continues. The ending had a really mean cliff hanger that was not really a cliff hanger.

The only thing that got me really confused was the fact that everyone was talking about Gwen having magic and she said she does not have magic though she is the only one that can see ghosts. Does that not count as magic? But if I am alowed to speculate about the next two books: I am sure it is a good thing no one knows this detail.

Fun Fact: When Gwen's mom tells her about the wardens for the first time she mentions Karl of Hessen-Kassel as one of it's former members. That may be not important for you and I am only bringing it up because I lIVE in Hessen-Kassel :D

And I just have to say: I am a little proud that this is a German book that got turned into a movie. You know I do not know many German authors that are succesful abored. Two would cross my mind right now: Kai Meyer and Cornelia Funke, maybe even Wolfgang Hohlbein. But the majority of these worldwide bestsellers you hear about in the blogosphere are Amercian or English. And do not get me wrong I think one of the great things about globalization (maybe the only great thing)is the fact that I am able to read all those amazing books. It is just nice to know that a few people are holding up the flag of my hometime, too :)

And now I am off to see the movie so I can give you guys a full book to movie review :)
Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

Book Challenge Day 12: The Twilight Series

And again it is time for another part of the 30 Day Book Challenge! Today the prompt was:
A Book You Loved But Don't Anymore
And for me this is definitely Twilight.
When I first read the book years ago I really loved it. My friends loved it and when we were talking about it a lot, an we talked almost every girl in our class into reading it, too (even some boys).
The second book was not so great but I loved the third and I definitely was really desperate to get my hands on the last one. Breaking Dawn was actually the first book I read in English outside of school. I wanted to find out how the story ended so badly that I purchased it online.
And it was a huge disappointment. I really disliked the ending and how a lot of things were handled in the book. This let to me and another friend to look back at the other books more critically and we found out that the writing style and the whole story was not as great as we thought it was on first glance.
I am still really thankful for the great time I had during the first read, but I am sure I will never pick them up again. I know how the story goes and I do not think this is a book I could finish twice.

And do not get me started about those terrible movies! I did not even watch the last two movies...
What's your opinion on Twilight?
Love and Words
KJ

Vampire Academy Movie Casting

Well I already told you who is going to play the leads in the upcoming Vampire Academy movie (I am so excited, I can't breath :D) in this previous post. Here is a short round up:


That's Zoey Deutch as Rose Hathaway,  Danila Kozlovskiy as Dimitri Belikov, and Lucy Fry as Lissa Dragomir.

Last monday the news were released that Olga Kurylenko would be playing the headmistress of the school Mrs. Kirova.
My first thoughts were something in the line of this:

(I am Sam and the casting director is Dean :D)

(Gifs are not mine! If it's yours and you want credit mail me :) )

Then I thought a little more about it I realized that Olga Kurylenko is nothing like I imagined Kirova when I read the books. She was a headmistress of an academy, always cold and I kind of imagined her as an old lady. Like professor McG in the Harry Potter movies.
And hands down Olga Kurylenko is just gorgeous!
So I could be sitting here and cry about the fact that she looks so much different than I wanted her to look. But of course I am not doing that. You know why? Imagine they cast a actress that looks exactly like the Kirova of my imagination. I would be thrilled! And then I would maybe find out that she sucks at acting and gives a terrible performance.

I know that Olga Kurylenko is, at least in my opinion, a great actress and can pull of a fierce performance, as seen in Centurion. I am sure she has all an actress needs to play the headmistress of a school that trains teenagers to fight vampires.
If a character is supposed to have blonde hair and the actress has brown hair, or pink hair, I am fine with it as long as she plays the character in a good way.
I am sure the movie will be great! This will be fangirl-heaven!
Oh, please do not let them disappoint me :D

What are your thoughts on the casting?
Love and words
KJ

PS: I just love gifs :D

Book Challenge Day 11: On "Hating" Books

In order to complete the challenge for today I need to write a post about A Book You Hated.
I skipped day 08 because it was about the in my opinion most overrated book. I skipped it because I do not like bashing books on the internet for various reasons. There is a small line between giving a critical nevative review of something, stating your opinion politely and bashing something.
It is very easy to cross this line especially on the internet. It is such a anonym place and you easily forget that real people are behind the usernames and websites. I thought about skipping this day, too, but I think stating my motivation on this once and for all would be a better way:
A book is an authors baby and even if you hated it you should always be polite. I already said that on my post about Day 08.
I just have a feeling that the more I get involved with the blogging community the more "constructive critism" turns into "bashing".
Let us just take tumblr as a example. I am part of that community since a few months. I think it is a great place to find other people who like the same things as you do and to share creative work and opinions.
But I get more and more the feeling that you cannot join a fandom without having to deal with hate.
It is normal and completely understandable if you hate the things I love. You can even tell me that you hate these things without making me angry. I may try to convince you how great those things are but I will never judge you based on your opinions. But I will judge you on the way you talk to other people on the internet.
I will never get why there are so many fights going on on tumblr. Every fandom has its own fight.
The Game of Thrones fandom fights about Sansa or the Lannisters.
The Spartacus fandom fights over Gaxa vs. Gannibyl.
The Les Mis fandom fights currently over Enjonine.
If you search the Harry Potter tag you will always find someone fighting over Dramione.
And the list goes on and on and on...

I for one example disliked Sybil while watching Spartacus, too. I disliked her because I thought she was blind for what made Gannicus really himself.  There I stated my opinion nicely and no one got hurt. Now I will continue my life and stop being obsessed over a fictional character.
Seriously sometimes I just want to scream "SHE IS FICTIONAL GET OVER IT!" at people through the internet. We can discuss Sybil in a normal way but at the end of the day I have to admitt that there are more important things for me than her. It is not like we are discussing politics or animal abuse. We are talking about fictional things.

And here comes the important part: The people you are talking to on the internet, the authors behind the books, and the authors of tumblr posts are not fictional. They are real. They are real persons with a life, a family, hobbies, and maybe even a dog. Words can hurt.
We have a saying here: "If you do not have something nice to say, say nothing at all"
Hate is a really strong word. I for an example hate it when people hurt animals, I hate it when my friends lie to me (which end-friends them automatically), and I really hate the fact that I was mad at my father over something stupid when I last talked to him before he died. That was something I can never take back and it will always cloud the memory I have of the last moments with the most important person of my life.
That is something you can hate, something important, something that matters and stays with me for the rest of  my life. It changed the way I treat other people.

But fictional characters? Books? A book I dislike turns into something I do not care about. I may be angry for spending money on it and I may tell my best friends "No don't buy it!". I will even give it a bad rating on Goodreads. But I will not spend my time writing a post about how much I disliked it.
Because I can spend my time with more important things. Things I like and love. A book, as hard as it sounds, is not worth the time you spent hating on it. It is not worth the energy you spent bashing it.
At the end of the day it is only a book.
(It is different with "evil" books people write to affect other people or if a book is discriminating a minority. These are valid points to hate it and if something like that happens we as a community need to state our discontent with such books. That counts as important but negative feedback and has nothing to do with bashing a book).

A book is only a book to you. But to the author who wrote it the book means a lot more. It represents a time of their life, they channeled their feelings to write it. They care for the characters and the story like someone cares for their children.
And then they go online, and let's face it we live in a world were a almost all authors are conecting with their fans online, and they read all those things people write about their books. Especially debut authors read a lot of reviews online. And hearing that something you love so much, something that is a part of your life, is bashed and called trash really hurts does authors.
Just imagine you walk down the street and you run into a woman with a newborn baby. And it is, in your opinion, a really ugly baby. Do you take the time and stop to tell the woman: "Wow, your child is the like the ugliest baby I have ever seen!" No you don't say that. (If you say that you are a really bad person! Shame on you!). That woman loves her baby after all!
Authors love their babys, too. And their babys are books.
If an author writes a book and publishes it he gives you a part of his soul. Remember that when you write a bad review.

Do you want an author you love and admire stop connecting with his/her fans because of people bashing her? Do you want an author you love feel bad about the things they love because of something an idiot wrote online? Do you want them to stop writing because they are hurt by what people say?
No?
Then don't bash authors other people love!

So to answer the question for today's challenge: Yes there are books I dislike, there are even books I would rather spent the whole day working in a mine in District 12 than reading them again, but there are no books I hate. Simply because I do not waste my time on hating books.

And do not get me wrong. I love making fun about things I dislike, stupid movies, and terrible books. But there is a difference between making fun about something when you're alone with your friends and shouting it out loud on the internet. I created this blog to talk about the things I love with other people and to celebrate those things. I will not turn it into the opposite.

Love and Words
KJ

Time for a new TBR!

So I am trying to do that TBR thing every week now. I will answer three questions that the people over on the Penguin Teen Australia Blog answer every week, too.


1. What is new on your shelf?

Today I got Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier and I already started reading it. The begining is really good and there is a lot of buzz going on about it. I hope I am not disappointed. I picked up this book because a lot of people told me that it is great. The movie hit theatres here in Germany a few months ago and the trailer looked really interesting. So I am definitely going to watch it and give you a full review of the book and the movie.
I do not know if the movie will be available in English... If you are a fan of the book you may want to check out the trailer anyway, just to see your favourite characters come to life:

2. What have you just finished on your shelf?

The last book I finished was Demonic Dora by Claire Chilton. I did not like it that much, but it was pretty good. The full review is already on here somewhere... Just follow the tags :D

3. What is the most anticipated book you want to read next?

As you already know if you have read my previous post I spend my day desperately trying to find a copy of Erin Bowman's Taken. So this is definitely the book I am most anticipating this week. I want to read it now!
But I have so many other books to read first...
So I am off reading, you have a nice day!

How would you answer these questions?
Love and Words
KJ

My adventures in the bookstore...

So today I went bookshopping. (Yeah, I know I was on some kind of a book buying ban but I just love bookstores!) And know I am telling you a little story. I will call it The worst treasure hunter in history. I got carried away by the whole fairytale thing so just bear with me here :D

Our little heroine lived in a small village in the middle of nowhere. Well to be honest it was more like the middle of Germany (as in the exact geographical middle of Germany). She lived a happy life with her dog and lots of books. She loved to read books. And even more she loved to write about the books so other people could read them. 

One day she looked at her magic looking glass called the Internet and found out that a covenant of good witches, known as the publisher Piper, would publish the German translation of the book Taken by Erin Bowman. A book our little heroine wanted to read since she once heard about it months ago. 

The heroine could have told the looking glass that she wanted the book and it would show up magicaly on her doorstep. But she just loved the scent of bookstores so she decided she would go on a treasure hunt to find the book in the wild. 

But before she started her adventure our heroine told a little blue bird named Twitter that she was so excited about the German release. And Twitter brought back a message from the author Erin Bowman herself! Our little heroine was so joyful about that. Because everyone knows that authors are like superheroes and superstars combined, pure little bundles of awesomness.

And Erin Bowman said: Take a picture of it if you see it somewhere.

So the quest was clear. Our heroine had to find Taken, take a picture, and read the book imediatly.

As I sad before our heroine lived in a little village. There was no supermarket, not even a tiny one. And definitely not a bookstore. 

So she had to embark on a dangerous journey into the next big city. To go not alone she brought two of her friends with her. The lovely giant Martin, who was hands down twice as large as our heroine, and her lovely fairy Mary. And since our heroine is a sucker for fantasy stories she made a little war speech before they entered the big city. I can tell you that Martin and Mary were kind of annoyed...

She went into the first book store and searched for Taken while Martin got lost in the world of words and Mary was just kind of bored. She searched on the fantasy shelf, she searched on the shelf for YA and Teens, but no Taken could be found.  She asked the good fairy of the store and the fairy said: "No we do not have it in stock. But we could get it by tomorrow"

Our heroine was really sad. She could not make the dangerous journey again on the morrow. So she sent Mary to search for Martin and they continued on their quest. 

They had to survive some adventures in several fashion shops and a restaurant until they finaly found the entrance of another bookstore. "No we do not have it hear. But we can request it for you", the lovely bookstore fairy said when our heroine asked. So she had to leave without a picture or a book, again. All the while the other books in the store whispered of the great stories within them, trying to get our heroines attention. But she stayed strong and carried on. 

At the end of the day Martin was still a giant, Mary was really tired of runing around in bookstores and our heroine had searched five different stores without getting the book she wanted. 

So the treasure hunt failed, but this is still a happy ending. Because our heroine requested the book in the end from a little indiependent bookstore and she surely will get that picture and find out how the story of Taken ends...

...And yeah I admitt it, I bought another book, too. Do not judge me! Try walking through five bookstores without buying something and you will fail, too :)

Love and Words

KJ