Showing posts with label Maggie Stiefvater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maggie Stiefvater. Show all posts

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Books That Make Me Go Oooooh (48) The Raven Boys By Maggie Stiefvater

Waiting On Wednesday is a brilliant book blog feature hosted by Breaking The Spine 
 


The Raven Boys By Maggie Stiefvater
Published In The UK By Scholastic
Due For Release September 2012
Amazon LINK
Goodreads LINK

"Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey's spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why - either he is her true love or she has killed him. Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower - a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can't imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them"  taken from Amazon

I'm sure many of you will know I am a HUGE Maggie fangirl, so the promise of new writing from her is enough to get me going Oooooh.  But then with synopsis' like that I know I am in for a treat!!

Friday, 25 November 2011

Review - The Scorpio Races By Maggie Stiefvater

"Stay alive, stay astride, stay out of the water... Every November, the Scorpio Races are run beneath the chalk cliffs of Skarmouth. Thousands gather to watch the horses and the sea that washes the blood from the sand. The mounts are capaill uisce: savage water horses. There are no horses more beautiful, more fearless, more deadly. To race them can be suicide but the danger is irresistible. Sean Kendrick knows the dangers of the capaill uisce. With one foot in the ocean and one on land, he is the only man on the island capable of taming the beasts. He races to prove something both to himself and to the horses. Puck Connolly enters the races to save her family. But the horse she rides is an ordinary little mare, just as Puck is an ordinary girl. When Sean sees Puck on the beach he doesn't think she belongs. He doesn't realize his fate will become entwined in hers...."

UK Cover
I've had an ARC of this for quite sometime now, thanks to my lovely friend Jenny at Wondrous Reads.  She knows what a huge Maggie fan I am and how eager I was to get this book.  I finally got round to reading it!!

I LOVE the UK cover.  It goes in really well with Maggie's other UK books, but still keeps its individuality.  I approve greatly and bought the book as soon as it came out partly for its prettiness!!
The US cover is also beautiful and has much more of an adult look to it.  Quite a great cover for adults to have a sneaky read of YA!!

At first I did have some difficulty connecting with the story.  I had never read or even thought of rabid / zombie / evil horses from the sea before and so took me a while to grasp the idea.  I did get there though and enjoyed it when I did get there.

I was kind of expecting to read this epic story set in an American style landscape, so I was suprised to discover it definitely wasn't in America.  You are never really told when it takes place, but I felt the names were very Yorkshire like so my mind kept taking me there.  I've since read some of Maggie's notes and think she was going for more of Irish / Scottish style.  I was kind of close!!

US Cover
There are so many relationships in the book and I loved reading of the developments.  Even the human / animal relationships were beautifully formed.  As an animal lover this was something I could really relate too.  Feeling isolated, but finding friendship with a faithful companion.
I even began to think of Puck's horse Dove like I do my dog (Tilly) She like Dove is small and sweet and rather scared.  I began to feel even more worried about Dove because of that.

This had your usual villan.  I HATED this character!!  I seriously wanted to inflict pain on them.  This either shows I am rather violent minded or Maggie is just THAT great a writer.  I'm going for the latter!!

I loved that this book had kind of short chapters.  For me it really built tension and made me want to devour the book even quicker.

I was so happy with the outcome of the story.  It was wonderful to know that this is a standalone story and so no more harm could come to characters I had become so fond of.  I felt really heartwarmed and satisfied!! 
This is a great new tale from Maggie and hope Shiver fans will give this a go, even though it has a different theme.

Rating 4 Out Of 5

This Is Published In The UK Scholastic

This Can Be Purchased HERE and from good book retailers

Sunday, 6 November 2011

In My Mailbox (37)

In My Mailbox Is An Awesome Blog Post Idea Hosted By The Story Siren
Book links will take you to Amazon

Mainly my week has been looking after my Mum.  She finally had her gall bladder removed, so is feeling all kinds of sore.  Means I get to put my nurses hat on and try and care for her as best as I can.  I just hope I don't poison her with my cooking!!!
Had a much quieter week bookwise.  But did buy myself a couple of gorgeous additions for my TBR pile!!

Not much need be said about this, just LOOK at it - so stunning and sounds wonderful too!!

I'm currently reading my ARC copy of this, but I love the finished copies cover so much I had to treat myself to that too!!

Hope you guys had a great week??

Leanne 
xoxo

Saturday, 20 August 2011

Review - Forever By Maggie Stiefvater

"In SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. An love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing" 

Beautiful cover as always with this series of books.  Very similar style, although the colour scheme went a bit out of the window as they had already used the only black & white combinations that they could.  The silver is nice and shiny though - I like a lot!!

Possibly the most exciting book release for me this year.  I've been addicted to the Sam & Grace love story from the beginning.  I even bought the US hardback editions, I am that much of a fan!!  Then book twos introduction of Cole had me a giggling school girl.  I tell you, what I feel for him is true love!!!

The story starts of with a rather big scene - amazing way to start the book.  You're then left wondering how long as passed since the end of the last book.  It doesn't feel like long, but that is soon answered.

When Maggie says that she quite likes to induce tears in her readers she is not joking.  From very early on in the book, I was left feeling so sad.  I must say parts were in 'The Time Travelers Wife' style for me - yep that sad!!!

As with the other books Maggie kept writing from different peoples perspectives.  I love that.  You really can see the change in speech and thought.  Its really fun for your mind to adjust from one person to the next in quite short spaces of time.

I was left questioning some of the processes in the book at times and felt a little confused, but this was generally cleared up quickly and so I wasn't left scratching my head too much.

Towards the end the book takes quite a dramatic turn, which was expected seeing as its the last book in the series.  I really enjoyed the 'BIG' scene.
Sadly I have to say the conclusion to the book wasn't quite what I was hoping for.  For me there was rather a large question still left unanswered.  I have read and enjoyed other books that have done similar things, but with this book I really wanted a thorough ending and so felt some what cheated of that.  None the less this is a great finale and I'm still and always will be a huge Maggie fangirl.  I'm itching to read The Scorpio Races!!!

Follow-up
Since writing this review it seems there has been lots of speculation as to whether Forever ended on a cliffhanger or not.  Maggie has stated that it doesn't, but still for me there was a little too much speculation.  I really do think everyone should read this & then tell me their thoughts on it!!!

Rating 3 1/2 Out Of 5

Published In The UK By Scholastic

This Can Be Purchased HERE and at good book retailers

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

In My Mailbox (24)

In My Mailbox Is An Awesome Blog Post Idea Hosted By The Story Siren
All links will take you to Amazon

Firstly I am really sorry for the lateness of this!  I was at a True Blood convention with my brother over the weekend and just didn't have time.  I need to sort my time managment out!!

Gift

My oldest & best friend sent me this beauty for my Birthday.  I really do love these HB editions & am hoping to get it signed when Maggie is in the UK again!


 

Handmade bookmark from my lovely friend Becca, once again for my Birthday - How cool are my friends???

Won

I won this cool 'The Immortals' goodie bag from the awesome people at My Kinda Book  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

I hope you all had great book weeks too?!

L-L
xoxo

Sunday, 10 July 2011

In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox Is An Awesome Blog Post Idea Hosted By The Story Siren
All links will take you to Amazon


This week it looked like I'd get hardly anything special to share with you guys on here, but I was very happily wrong!!  One of them rare instances that I enjoyed my wrongness!!

Bought
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This beauty I got from a charity shop can you believe it??  I've been intrigued by it for a while now, so got it to the till straight away

You would not believe the fangirl squeal I did when I saw this on the shelf at my local supermarket.  I was shocked that they had put it on the shelf early - but so THRILLED!!  Can't wait to see how this trilogy ends!!


Given

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I'd seen this on a few blogs and was already lusting after the cover, but knew there was no way I was going to be getting a copy anytime soon - WRONG!!!  Hodder books were attending London Film and Comic Con this weekend, which I went to on Saturday.  My Mum won me this beauty in their raffle and I won the following book.


OK so technically this is a younger readers book, but 1. its by Lauren Oliver, 2. It sounds fab, 3. Look at that cover - I think that is enough reasons to give it a go!!!


Won 

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This I was lucky enough to win from the awesome Ink Scratchers.  The book was even signed by Mary!  Thank you to Both of you!!!

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I'm hoping you have all had lovely weeks too?

L-L
xoxo

Thursday, 23 June 2011

Books That Make Me Go Oooooh (5) The Scorpio Races By Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races By Maggie Stiefvater
Due For Release 19th Oct 2011
Published In The UK By Scholastic
Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

"With her trademark lyricism, Maggie Stiefvater turns to a new world, where a pair are swept up in a daring, dangerous race across a cliff--with more than just their lives at stake should they lose"

So I am a HUGE Maggie fangirl and am literally jumping in my seat about this book.  Yes we don't know a great deal about it yet, but it by Maggie, its gotta be good right??!
What I do know is I will be first in line to get this beauty!!!

Thursday, 6 January 2011

Book covers Galore


Wow, so not only is today the official UK release of Lament By Maggie Stiefvater, Scholastic were amazing & decided to finally release the cover of Forever, the expected finale of Maggie's awesome The Wolves Of Mercy Falls series. I literally could not be more excited for that book. Maggie rocks my socks in every way :D

I read Lament last year & loved it! Its a highly recommended read, not to mention a stunning cover!!





And how beautiful is Forever?? I love the designs used for these books. Its so simple, but hugely effective. They always make me wonder what the back story is, & how the red parts of the covers are going to effect the story. This time being the rose - whats going to happen???

Also ScholasticUK have some amazing Lament giveaways going on, on there twitter page, so go have a look!!! http://twitter.com/#!/scholasticuk

Also on a slightly different thread the cover for Passion by Lauren Kate has been revealed. OMG how stunning is this??? I absolutely adore these covers. I'm not always such a fan of seeing people on covers, but these are done is such a gorgeous, effective waay how could you not fall in love with - plus those dresses....WOW!!!! Another read I am dying to get round too!!! You can find the image here