The Gifting by K. E. Ganshert (2015)

Title: The Gifting

Author: K.E. Ganshert

Series: The Gifting #1

Pages: 322

Published: Jun 1st 2015

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

OMG, I just read an amazing book. Like really cool. I'm dying. So I was looking for free books on iBooks and I found this one. For free! I was shocked because I\it looked pretty serious, like you know, not one of those free books on iBooks that are rubbish. Never judge a book by its prize!!! So well, it looked so intriguing. Again don't judge a book by its cover. But really this book looked like it met my standards. I know think I really would have wanted this book to have a place on my shelf in my bedroom, but when it's free and you don't have too much money to spend you have to convince yourself that in the end it's about the content.

So it was wicked. It almost scared me at places (I'm really easily scared), but more like creeped me out. Not like horror. Just creepy. Abnormal. Literally.

The book was very well written. Chapters ending at the right point. The characters had the right attitude. I really  felt attached to Tess. Like she was a really good friend and I was intrigued. Furthermore, Luka was perfect. What else can you wish for. Don't have anything else to say about that. I love the relationship between Leela and Tess. I think it's really cute and real. Leela is kind, caring and fun, she's human and I think that's vital. I think often in books, the friends are not paid enough attention to or rather they are not really given a personality. They are either really girly in order to make the protagonist not girly at all (because somehow that makes them more special) or just vague somewhere in the background in order for the protagonists to appear to have a high school life. But Leela is given a personality, whether it's girly or not, she is still human, and I really appreciate that.

Plot Summary:

In a world where no supernatural excises, Tess Eckhart is convinced she's going crazy. After her complete freakout at a high school party, her parents worry she might be right. So much that they pack their bags and move across the country, next to nationally-nenown facility for the mentally ill.

Tess is determined to fit into her new school, despite the whispers and stares. But when it comes to Luke Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she's unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches starts, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries harder to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something - that he might somehow be responsible.

But what if she's wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness to terrifying to fathom?

Favourite Quote: 

"Just because a lot of people believe something doesn't make it true"

My Rating:

10/10
Guys, I was hooked. If anything, this reaches the standard of The Hungergames and Divergent. It might just take some time for people to realise.

Other Books In These Series:

The Gifting (The Gifting Series Book One)

The Awakening (The Gifting Series Book Two)

The Gathering (The Gifting Series Book Three)

The first book only came out in June 2015 so I'm surprised that all the books are already out, but that doesn't matter, cause that just means I can finish them all ASAP.

Get the first book on iBooks now for free while you can! The rest are just £3.99 which, tbh, isn't a lot at all cause that means you can get both books for the price of one at Waterstones.

Christmas wishes!!

Hey Guys!!

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I celebrate on Dec 24th so I don't have time to get on my laptop and make a proper post (I'm in my iPad) because I'm "socialising". 

I did get books from Father Christmas and I will show you, cause I'm so excited. And a sec ago finished a book, while socialising of course. So another review for you is coming up. And a film review and some fitness.

I've been into books so recently because I've finally had time to read that I have posted a single fitness post, or recipe, or travel (I'm not even in England at the moment so I suppose I should update you on my journey). 

So I have some fresh material for you, but now I need to find out which book to read. Start a new free book or buy the sequel to The Gifting. We'll see.

Merry Christmas to you all and a a Happy New Year!!

Airel: The Awakening by Aaron Patterson and Chris White (2012)

Title: Airel

Author: Aaron M. Patterson, Chris White

Series: The Awakening #1

Pages: 186

Published: Aug 31st 2011

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

As you know from my previous post two days ago I downloaded loads of free books from iBooks to have something to read during Christmas without having to bring loads of heavy hard covers. Most of the free ones are the first book in a series where the following books cost money (obviously). Most of them are also paranormal. So I thought, why not. I haven't read paranormal in a while so lets give that a chance. Just because they're free on iBooks and I haven't seen it at Waterstones doesn't mean they are real books. Plus this one had gotten pretty good reviews on Goodreads, and people on Goodreads tend to read a lot so why not?

The book was well, not the best one I've read. Definiately. But I read it in two days and in that time I had time to study and go skiing from morning to afternoon so I've got to get myself some credit. Ok, the book wasn't very long, so I guess I don't deserve as much credit, but the book wasn't amazing. I've read far better books, but maybe that's because I'd never heard about the book and didn't take it as seriously.

The book was written by two authors, Aaron Patterson and Chris White, and I was pretty impressed by how well they'd written it. It can be hard to write a book together with someone else I can imagine. I believe (and if you know the correct facts please correct me) that Aarone Patterson wrote the chapters about Airel in present day and that Chris White wrote the chapters about the Gods in Arabia. Why? Because Patterson's name is written first on the cover in bigger letters and the first chapter is about Airel and there are far more chapters about her. I have the feeling that the book is more about her than the fallen angel Kreios in Arabia 1250 B.C.

So what did I think and why? It was vague. I felt like Airel's personality wasn't properly explored and I didn't get a chance to know her. She's the average girl. Fine. But there needs to be something that stands out. All I really know about her as a person is: she likes coconut latte, she drives a Civic and her best friend is called Kate. I felt like she wouldn't tell the reader about herself and almost like the author didn't quite know her but wanted to make her seem like a underestimated teenage girl that the reader should like. I didn't feel that way. As a matter of fact I didn't really feel anything towards her. The only thing that seemed special about her was that she felt that she was stupid for falling for a boy so quickly and for throwing up all the time. I just didn't buy it. She didn't seem real enough for me.

She met prince charming in the first chapter. The FIRST chapter. I felt like I didn't get an introduction, no chance to bond with her. And Michael and her. They didn't have a problem to fall for each other. In my opinion a good romance (and every book needs a little of it) needs to build up, and it needs chemistry. But this romance didn't have that. Michael practically announced to Airel that he liked her and Airel pretty much fell head over heels for him at first sight. It felt, fake, artificial. Well, not real.

However, I can't say that it wasn't fun to read their chapters. I mean, yes I enjoyed that they went to the mall together and had lunch and that they spoke in the car, but I found the killer even more interesting. That is what caught my attention (and I really like romances) so I was shocked to find that the whole she-is-changing-and-a-killer-knows-"what"-she-is much more thrilling than the rest of the book. Why she left the theatre to go the bathroom in the middle of the movie when she saw the killer I don't understand. Stick to your friends mate! Scream, call 911, I don't care, but don't go to the bathroom. Sometimes characters do decisions that are dangerous and I wouldn't have done, but this. This is just pure stupidness. But I guess that added to the thrill. I don't know.

Furthermore, what I don't get is why she didn't tell her parents. Maybe I'm the only one, but when I unexpectedly break a glass and cut myself to them miraculously heal in a sec I would freak out. Like actually freak out. I would rush into my parents room and tell them. Maybe I'm really attached to my mum and the rest of you agree with Airel or she's being stupid. However, I suppose part of reading is to get away from parents where characters make their own choices and are not influenced by them all the time, but well, I don't know.

So about the dual narrative. I liked it, and I hope it will make sense in the end. My conclusion is that the Kreios' infant daughter has something to do with Airel why else would she had gotten born. If the daughter wash't meaningful in some way we would have just followed Kreios on his journey. I felt it was harder to keep concentrated on these chapters because there wasn't much dialogue (which bored me a little) and it seemed so far off. Although I felt that Airel was vague I sill connected with her better than Kreios and I enjoy fantasy. I really do.

Plot Summary:

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there is Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous... and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of the Light, and the struggle against an evil so evil, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew that change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begins to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

Favourite Quote(s):

"How would I know? Thanks a lot. I'll tell you how. It's because I watch lots of movies. It's love at first sight. You and Michael are like Maria and Tony in West Side Story" - Kim

Her confidence is so enjoyable.

My Rating:

4/10

All books can't be great. If the crazy good ones deserve 10s then I'm afraid this one has a bit to go.

I don't know if I'll buy the rest of the books. There are six books and I can get the whole series for £5.99 (which is less than one hard copy book from the store). I don't know if it will be worth it and I'll be positively surprised or if I'll get disappointed. So I think I'll read the other books I've got downloaded and then choose the series which seem the most promising.

I've written loads. Sorry. I suppose it's easier to write when you have something to evaluate and explain your feelings about.

The White Rose by Amy Ewing (2015)

Title: The White Rose
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #2
Pages: 310
Published: Oct 1st 2015
Publisher: Walker Books


So when I finished The Jewel I without question bought The White Rose on iBooks. I was absolutely addicted. It's crazy good. I have the feeling that this will become one of the series to fit in with The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and the really famous book series that most fangirls (and boys hopefully) have read. You get addicted. Again I read this so quickly that I got surprised when I had reached the end. I'm usually not a very fast reader (but these iBooks allow me to read when I've got a minute to spare so I suppose it adds up pretty quickly) so I was almost shocked when I realised that this is it. No more to read.

It's not too often that I read a series before all the books have come out. It's only really happened with The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and Divergent. So now I'm in agony. I have to wait. And I have no idea when the third book comes out.

I really started to like Garnet in this book. I admit it. I thought Violet was going to end up with Garnet when we first met him during the dinner in The Jewel. Who didn't. At the moment he was the only book of her age in the palace. Until we met Ash. So nooooowww, I hope Raven ends up with him because they seem really nice together and every time I read about him I just feel like they should skip the teasing and get on with it. One book left for them to prove themselves worthy of my attention.

Plot Summary:

Violet, Ash and Raven have escaped the palace of the Duchess of the Lake, but Regimentals are hunting them across the city. Nowhere is safe, and they are dependant on Lucien and his secret society for survival. If they can reach the safety of the White Rose then Violet may be able to help Lucien in his plan to rescue more surrogates. For one surrogate, however, it is already to late. Violet's best friend, is pregnant. And in the Jewel, surrogates cannot survive giving birth.

- Waterstones

Favourite Quote: 

"You have the poer to connect with every blade of grass in this field, every drop of water, every branch on every tree. They will react to you. But, remember, you do not have power over this force. You are only ever its equal. You must be worthy of that. You give yourself to the element, as it gives itself to you" - Sil

"Right now, the united front seems to consist of three surrogates, one lady-in-waiting, a companion, and a royal son. It's a pretty ragtag bunch" - Violet

My Rating:

10/10

No regret.

Other Books in these Series:

The Jewel (The Lone City #1)

The White Rose (The Lone City #2)

The House of the Stone (A  Lone City Novella #1.5) - from Raven's point of view

Book Update December 2015

So I thought I wouldn't read to much this month because I had school books to read. I guess I was wrong. I started reading the iBooks I had when I was in the car or waiting at to get picked up in order to 1) I was getting bored of playing 1010! 2) I wanted to spend my time a little more wisely and 3) I don't get the time to read as much anymore.

So I got The Jewel for free because it was the book of the week and I loved it. I read it more than when just in the car. I read it before sleep although I don't really have time to read before sleep.

Then I just bought the second one without a second thought. Then, when I had finished it (on the train station waiting for Mum) I couldn't stop thinking about it. So without a second thought I bought 'House of Stone' which is a Lone City Novella. It was only £1.99 so I bought it even though I'm not a big fan of short stories.

When I finished that (which took like a day) I started downloading books. So a lot of book series on iBook offer the first book in the series for free and then charge normal price like £5.99 for the rest of the books. So I thought, whats the harm of downloading a few book #1s and then see which book I really fancy and then possibly buy the second book in that series. As long as all the books are eBooks and I don't end up with like one as a proper book and then one iBook and one Kindle book in the same series. That is suicide. Also, with all my study stuff, I found it hard to find room for books.

So I downloaded the following:

• The Gifting by K. E. Ganshert
• Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White
• Bound, An Arelia LaRue Novel by Kira Saito
• The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan (although I really would like this series as hard copy because I've heard good things about it) 
• Forbidden, Book I of the Arotas Series by Amy Miles
• Alone, The Girl in the Box by Robert J. Crane

I started with Airel because well, I had to start with something. I know I won't finish them all, if any. I  have to study loads, but there is the journey that takes hours to the ski resort so lets hope I get some reading done.

Tell me if you've read any of these books and if so what you thought. Have I chosen absolutely terrible ones or should I give them a go.

So that's what I've been and am currently reading. Hopefully I'll have some books to review for you during and after Christmas!!

Harry Potter Illustrated Edition

This isn't really a review to be honest, it's more like news. Although most of you must already know. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has come out as a an illustrated book. Now it probably came out about three months ago because I went to the Making of Harry Potter in October this year for the third time and found it there and guess how much it cost? £30!

My natural reaction would probably have been 'I'm buying it anyways, it's Harry Potter and what did you expect?', but somehow I was convinced that the book would be cheaper on Amazon and I'm quite careful when it comes to my money.

Was I right in saying it was expensive? Uh, yes. It was half the price on Amazon. Then I walked into WHSmith a wonderful day and it was £15 so I bought it. For my friend. She has talked about it since we saw at the studies (she was the one who went with me) and my English teacher talks only of it. So Holly keeps on saying 'it's at the tip of my Christmas wish list', 'I wan't it so badly', 'Mum better give me that one if anything this Christmas'. So I bought it, for her. Initially it was meant as a birthday present because her b-day is on New Years Eve, but then we were gonna do a group present (I'll tell you when we've given it) so I made this into the Christmas one.

When I got home I went through every page really carefully just to look because I knew that it would take some time before I got my own copy and I was dying. Literally DYING of curiosity. It was like a piece of treasure. I handled it really gently because it has that smooth paper cover alongside with the actual binding and I kept stroking it because the letters are gold. So I bought it about three weeks ago and I've never looked again in it since. After all, it wasn't my book.

Then, last Friday I got an offer from University of Hertfordshire (that's a whole different story) and my parents took me for lunch and guess what I got? HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE ILLUSTRATED EDITION!!!!

I got my own copy. I GOT MY OWN COPY. This is major. Truly major. I was so happy. It's beautiful. I hope they come out with the rest. I hope millions around the world are so happy with it that they choose to make a second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh because I want them all and if they're just gonna be £15 each and I got the first as a gift I'll just spend... £90 on the whole series, because I can totally afford that. Not really. At the moment. But they wouldn't come out all at the same time anyways. *Desperately trying to reassure myself that I'll sometime in the future have all of them*.

Anyways, I'm crazy about it. I'm thinking that if I start reading from it to my sister maybe she'll start reading them. I started reading when I was 9. She's 9. My mum said once that if she bought it for her in Christmas she would started read it but I emphasized how much I wanted it that I think I won cause here I'm sitting with my own copy.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing (2014)

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #1
Pages: 362
Published: Sep 4th 2014
Publisher: Walker Books

I got this book for free on iBooks as it was the book of the week about three weeks ago. I hate actually reading e-books. I don't think it is as charming and cozy and personal and also, as you know, I love having my own copy of the book. And worst of all is when you borrowed the first book at a library or of a friend so you don't have it but continue to buy the other books in the series so you're standing there without the first book. Like wth. Same thing when u get the first book on e-books. Such a trick. But I couldn't help myself, because it was free and a YA book and sometimes book of the week is not interesting at all. I also got a little tricked because I had The Jewel on my to read list on Goodreads but with a different cover so I didn't get that I had wanted to read it. So when I looked it up I already had it clicked in. Wonderful.

I read and read and read and I loved it. Because the setting was a bit Victorian in lifestyle, fashion and culture, but they did have advanced medicine and cars. Strange, yet believeable. I didn't doubt it at all. She must have done some serious planning and research (although the idea of the book is fictional.

I didn't really like Matched but if you did this is a perfect book. It's something between Hunger Games, Divergent and Matched I suppose. Wicked. Truly. I say I like a lot of books and I do. Most are 10/10.This is another one of those. The tension was unbearable! The chapters would either end and then resume at the same event or continue days or weeks later which made it an absolute page turner.

If you read e-books you will know that it gives you page out of so many pages or a percentage. Well, it doesn't mention that the last few pages are acknowledgements and notes from the author etc. So I'm sitting there, thinking I've got 12 pages left because it was right at the climax and as I scroll I reach the acknowledgement and I'm like nooooo. Not another cliffhanger. Like Divergent, but worse. I was devastated.

I'm really critical as to what to spend my iTunes money on so I'm sitting there with 22 pounds and I'm not even hesitating as I buy the second book. Yes, I know. I hate it. But looking from the bright side: the second book had a matching cover to the first one (which was free) and it was only 5 pounds, unlike most physical books that are like 8 or 9, and since I already had the first book on there, why not the second. AND, it mean I can read more often cause I can just pick my phone up when in the car which is really convenient or when I'm waiting. It's harder to bring a book everywhere if you know you will only get a minute or so scattered through the day.

Anyways, I bought the second book. So over to the usual stuff.

Plot Summary:

Violet lasting is no longer a human being. Tomorrow she becomes Lot 197, auctioned to the higher royal bidder in the Jewel of the Lone City. Tomorrow she becomes the Surrogate of the House of the Lake, her soul purpose to produce a healthy heir to the Duchess. Imprisoned in the opulent cage of the palace, Violet learnt the brutal ways of the Jewel, where the royal women compete to secure their bloodline and the surrogates are treated as disposable commodities. Destined to carry the child of the woman she despises, Violet enters a living death of captivity - until she sets eyes on Ash Lockwood, the royal Companion. Compelled towards each other by a reckless, clandestine passion, Violet and Ash dance like puppet in a deadly game of court politics, until they become each other's jeopardy - and salvation.

Favourite Quote:

'I look at you and I feel human again. I look at you and I feel whole' - Ash Lockwood

'Mama always said that it isn't who you are but what you do that is important' - Carnelian

My Rating:

10/10

Please don't let the others disappoint me. I've got really big hopes.

More in these series:

The Jewel (The Lone City #1)

The White Rose (The Lone City #2)

The House of the Stone (A Lone City Novella #1.5) - From Raven's point of view

Oh dear. I've written so much. It's easier to write a lot about a book that you've just read. That's still got clear deep footprints on your mark that hasn't necessarily had time to fade a little yet. I explained my love for it my friend and I think possibly that she may want to read it. I hope so.