Sunday Post (15) & Showcase Sunday (7)

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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

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This week has been a pretty meh week on the blog front, though I’m not sure why. I just didn’t feel motivated to read, or blog, or even be on Twitter – although on the Twitter front that was partially out of my control as I had some trouble with my mobile contract.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 22nd August – Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi
  • 19th – 25th August – Bout of Books 8.0 posts

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

This week the penultimate book from the six books I ordered from Amazon arrived :)

  • Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas [Goodreads]
  • Mutton by India Knight [Goodreads]

A huge thank you to Catherine Ryan Howard who sent me a copy of Mutton on behalf of Penguin.

That’s it from me this week. I hope you’ve had a good week; let me know how your week went in the comments below.

Review: Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent

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Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent

Title: Oath Bound (An Unbound Novel, #3)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Mira (30th April 2013)
Blurb:

The Tower Syndicate will fall…

THE SECRET DAUGHTER of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage – including a rare Skill – and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.

If he can figure out how…

Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He’s fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he’s never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get…

And if they can survive

Neither is used to trusting. But there’s something between them that can’t be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can’t figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is…

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

In OATH BOUND Rachel Vincent brings to a conclusion her adult series UNBOUND. Like the previous two books, OATH BOUND introduces us to two new main characters and narrators – although there is a link to the previous books, and we get to see some of the characters from them again. OATH BOUND tells the story of Sera the eldest daughter of the late Tower Syndicate boss, and Kristopher who is trying to rescue those caught under the oaths of the syndicates.

Continue reading →

Top Ten Tuesday (29)

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Favourite Books Set In Real Life*

* By which I mean, we could pass the characters on the street.

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins [Goodreads]

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2. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Piccoult [Goodreads]

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3. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan [Goodreads]

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4. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins [Goodreads]

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5. Ink by Amanda Sun [Goodreads]

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6. Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson [Goodreads]

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7. The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen [Goodreads]

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8. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks [Goodreads]

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9. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling [Goodreads]

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10. Die For Me by Amy Plum [Goodreads]

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The last two are a little bit of a cheat BUT they both start off in the “real” world, so I think they count 😉

Those were my top ten favourite books set in real life. What are your top ten books in x setting? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

A to Z Bookish Survey

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So I saw this on a LOT of blogs on Sunday, and thought it looked kinda fun.

On the 9th August Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner posted a meme called ‘A to Z survey’. It’s a bit of fun where she poses a series of questions which correspond to the letters of the alphabet.

I’ve also provided Goodreads links in case you want to look up any of my choices.

Author you’ve read the most books from: Laurell K. Hamilton – I’ve read 30 books by her. [Goodreads]

Best Sequel Ever: Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin [Goodreads]

Currently Reading: Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck [Goodreads]

Drink of Choice While Reading: Whatever is close to hand, which most often would be Coca-Cola.

E-Reader or Physical Book? Physical Book I’m afraid, even though they do take up a lot space.

Fictional Character You Would Probably Have Dated in High School: Harry Potter. Need I add more?

Glad You Gave This Book a Chance: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien [Goodreads]; I didn’t think it would interest me at all.

Hidden Gem Book: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede [Goodreads]

Important Moment in your Reading Life: Being read to by my Mum every night when I was little.

Just Finished: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith [Goodreads]

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: Stuff that potentially contains gratuitous violence. Don’t mind the psychological stuff, but too much violence and gore is a definite no for me.

Longest Book You’ve Read: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien [Goodreads] as I read it as one book.

Major Book Hangover Because Of: Don’t think I’ve ever had one of these. Or, at least I can’t recall it. That’s good, right?

Number of Bookcases You Own: 3, although one of them contains my manga and comic collection.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce [Goodreads] Yes, I know it’s a series rather than a single book, but you can get it in a single bind-up (or at least you could).

Preferred Place to Read: Funnily enough, in front of the TV.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: The Sandman [Goodreads] has a lot of great, interesting quotes. But my favourite in a lot of ways is probably:

People think dreams aren’t real because they aren’t made of matter, or particles. Dreams are real. But they are made up of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes…- The Sandman Volume One Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, p. 148

Reading Regret: Almost all the books I was forced to read in school, at sixth form and university. I’m sure there are some I would have liked had they not been required reading.

Series You Started and Need to Finish (all books are out in the series): The Temeraire [Goodreads] series is probably the only one, but I’m a bit nervous to continue it as I LOVED the first book so much.

Three of Your All-Time Favourite Books: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [Goodreads], The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks [Goodreads], & Temeraire by Naomi Novik [Goodreads]

Unapologetic Fangirl For: Tamora Pierce [Goodreads]

Very Excited for This to be Released More Than Any Other: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead [Goodreads]

Worst Bookish Habit: Probably the fact that I will use anything as a bookmark. I have been known to use tables, the remote, another book, plates, drinks, food… The list is endless.

X Marks the Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll [Goodreads]. My shelves are organised alphabetically, with some of my faves having their own bookshelf.

Your Latest Book Purchase: That would be my last Amazon order, of which 4 books have arrived – Tiger’s Curse [Goodreads], I Hunt Killers [Goodreads], Biting Bad [Goodreads], & The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden [Goodreads].

Zzz-snatched Book (The Last Book That Kept You Up WAY Late): Erm… Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton [Goodreads] I think.

I might not have written/designed this meme but if you decide to answer it/have already answered it please leave me a link so I can read your answers too.

Sunday Post (14) & Showcase Sunday (6)

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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

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This week I started the one review a week schedule. It’s really taken some of the pressure off. Unfortunately, it is also the only post that went up this week – opps!

Lucky (my border collie) was shorn last Sunday for the summer, and he still smells clean which is a bonus! 😀

This week has been a quite, but good one.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 15th August – Oath Bound (An Unbound Novel, #3) by Rachel Vincent

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

This week four of the six books I ordered from Amazon arrived 🙂

  • Tiger’s Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck [Goodreads]
  • I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga [Goodreads]
  • Biting Bad (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel #8) by Chloe Neill [Goodreads]
  • The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence #1) by Jessica Sorensen [Goodreads]

That’s it from me this week. I hope you’ve had a good week; let me know how your week went in the comments below.

Review: A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton

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A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton

Title: A Witch Alone (Winter Trilogy #3)
Author: Ruth Warburton
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (7th February 2013)
Blurb:

Where do you go when your heart has been ripped out?

For Anna there is only one answer; into her past, where the truth about her mother, her power, and her real identity lie hidden.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

A WITCH ALONE brings Ruth Warburton’s WINTER TRILOGY to a conclusion. After the events of A WITCH IN LOVE (review), Anna is left adrift, but the desire to know more about her mother – does she still live? – draws her forward and into a series of events that threatens everything – and everyone.

Continue reading →

Sunday Post (13) & Showcase Sunday (5)

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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

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This week I came to the rather sad conclusion that I won’t be able to publish two reviews a week on the blog and will instead have to return to one review a week. My “reading slump” has totally destroyed the two month cushion I had built myself, and I can no longer keep up with two reviews every week. This makes me sad, but hopefully things will improve.

Apart from that, this week has been a good one.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 8th August – A Witch Alone (Winter Trilogy #3) by Ruth Warburton

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

I popped into Waterstones yesterday and I had to buy this book. It sounded really interesting.

  • The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith [Goodreads]

I know this book is really by J. K. Rowling (who doesn’t by now?), but that’s not actually the reason I picked it up. I picked it up because I heard two great reviews about the book from people I trust (a blogger and a vlogger, who will be thanked in the review) and I fancied something a little different to shake things up.

Bout of Books 8.0

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Bout of Books

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I really enjoyed taking part in Bout of Books 7.0 earlier this year, so I’m looking forward to taking part again later this month.

Hopefully, it will help me catch up with my reading pile.

Review: Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi

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Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi

Title: Angel Dust
Author: Sarah Mussi
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Hot Key Books (2nd August 2012)
Blurb:

One look into your dark eyes was all it took. You were the one. You were my temptation. The one whose soul I had to collect. And you were young, and you were beautiful, and you were flowing with energy. And my body trembled. I didn’t want to see you die.

Serafina, one of God’s brightest angels, is tasked with collecting the soul of gangsta Marcus Montague. He is bound for Hell, and is showing no signs of repenting. But one look at him undoes her – how far will she go to save the boy she loves?

Rating: ** (2 stars)
Review:

ANGEL DUST by Sarah Mussi tells the story of an angel called Serafina who, during the course of her duties, is sent to collect the soul of Marcus Montague – a gang leader whose time is up. Collecting Marcus’s soul doesn’t go according to plan for Serafina, and things rapidly spiral out of control from there.

Continue reading →

Top Ten Tuesday (28)

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Nine Favorite Beginnings/Endings In Books

I’m going to focus on the beginnings side as the endings could be kinda spoiler-ish, and I want to encourage people to try these books. As well as not potentially spoil the ending for anyone reading them now. Some of these will probably be quite popular, but oh well. Oh, and I’m not limiting myself to middle grade or young adult or adult or “modern” or “classics”. It will be a mix.

Quotes are in no particular order. Enjoy 🙂

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling (MG) [Goodreads]

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they didn’t hold with such nonsense.
(Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury (London: 1997), p. 7)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [Goodreads]

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
(Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Oxford Children’s Classics (Oxford: 2010), p. 1)

White Cat by Holly Black (YA) [Goodreads]

I WAKE UP BAREFOOT, standing on cold tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.
(White Cat by Holly Black, Gollancz (London: 2010), p. 1)

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton [Goodreads]

TWENTY-THREE STORIES UP AND ALL I COULD SEE OUT the windows was grey smog. They could call it the City of Angels if they wanted to, but if angels were out there, they had to be flying blind.
(A Kiss of Shadows, Bantam Books (2001), p. 11)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point.
(Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury (London: 2012), p. 1)

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (YA) [Goodreads]

THE PIPE UNDER THE SINK WAS LEAKING AGAIN. IT WOULDN’T have been so bad, except Nick kept his favourite sword under the sink.
(The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Breenan, Simon and Schuster (London, 2009), p. 1)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.
(The Raven Boys, Scholastic (London: 2012), p. 1)

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs [Goodreads]

I didn’t realize he was a werewolf at first. My nose isn’t at its best when it is surrounded  by axle grease and burnt oil – and it’s not like there are a lot of stray werewolves running around.
(Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, Orbit (2008), p.1)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amélie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is.
(Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Speak (2010), p. 3)

And just for a bit of fun, if you’re thinking about picking up The Raven Boys here are 10 more reasons why you should!

Those were nine of my favourite opening lines. What are your top ten beginnings/endings in books? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.