Faking It by Gabrielle Tozer {Giveaway AUS only}

Author: Gabrielle Tozer
Release Date: January 1st 2015
Publishers: Harper Collins 
Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Harper Collins

Things are looking up for Josie Browning. Her boyfriend, James, is crazy about her, and she's scored a writing job at indi. Now the pressure is on for Josie to prove she's got what it takes to help plan indi's launch. Plus, she's battling with flatmates, frenemies and confusing feelings for travel writer Alex.

High on the perks at indi, Josie's doing a pretty good job of faking her way in the industry - even though she still hasn't mastered her hair straightener. But when Josie is invited to a media junket, she accidentally sets off a string of lies that threaten to ruin her reputation, love life and career forever.

So I guess after reading that summary you want it right? Well you have the chance to win BOTH The Intern and Faking It by Gabrielle Tozer. If you're still unsure of whether this is your sort of novel, don't hesitate to check out my review of The Intern from earlier this year. If you're stuck on what to read this summer, then this is the best chance for you.

Guidelines:

• AUS Residents only
• Contestants must be over 13 years old
• Winner must respond to email within 38 hours or a new winner will be chosen
• All false entries will be disqualified (I will check them all!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Review} Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Series: Standalone 
Release Date: October 7th 2014
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 390
Genre: Thriller
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Book Depository | Amazon | Simon & Schuster

Britt Phieffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex-boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trip with her and go trekking through the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming.

But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, and find two knights in shining armour, Shaun and Mason, who are also hiding out.

But all is not as it seems, and Britt quickly discovers that the guys are there for reasons other than hiking…dangerous reasons that mean they need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, Britt is forced to guide them down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to get out of this alive is to pretend she is on their side.

But playing nice is hard, especially when Britt is unsure whether Mason, gorgeous and sexy, is the enemy or an ally. And as she begins to lose track of who is in control it is only a matter of time before things turn deadly…

*I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me this for review, it does not influence my opinion.*

Oh. My. God. I cannot even express in words how much I loved this book! It was so different from Becca Fitzpatrick's other series Hush Hush and in no way should you compare these novels. It was a completely new experience for me since I haven't ever read a thriller (I love thriller movies though) before but lets just say it was great exposure to this genre.

Summer break is approaching and Britt Phieffer wants to do something adventures at least once in her life. Britt and her best friend Korbie take a trip to the mountains where Korbie's family own a holiday house. Britt has been preparing for this vacation all year so she was well prepared. So she thought. An unpredicted snow storm hit the two girls on the way up the mountain leaving them stranded in Britt's car. Knowing they couldn't survive sitting in the vehicle, they make the decision to try and find shelter. Finally they found two men who were willing to take them in but soon Britt realised they made the wrong choice in trusting these men. Their motives were tainted. In a battle to save their lives, Britt leads the men through the mountain range in an attempt to keep out of harms way.

The plot in this novel was something you never want to find yourself in. The whole time I could just picture myself in this dire situation and thinking, "What would I actually do?" It's like everyone's worst nightmare; being stuck in the mountains where you could freeze to death and on top of everything you're trapped with two guys who could kill you. You're low on supplies and the possibility of dying due to starvation or dehydration is high. What else could posibbly happen? This is what you think when you're halfway through the book but somehow Becca Fitzpatrick manages to create even more plot twists.

If 'page turner' had a definition, the cover of this novel would be the picture beside it because the whole time I was on the edge of my seat. I could not put it down once and I read it all in one sitting. The things that Britt had to do to survive was crazy, there were so many situations where I thought, this is it for sure! But she still managed to push through.

Britt was a great protagonist and I could clearly see her character development throughout the novel. Prior to the dangerous trip (that will soon change her life), she was that sort of person who relied heavily on the people around her. She wasn't very independent as she had always been babied by her brother and her father. But since they weren't there to protect her, she had to rely on using her own intelligence to get out of the situation. I have to say that Britt wasn't a stupid character. She had great instinct and common sense which I value so much when it comes to main characters nowadays. She continued on even though there were so many situations where a normal person would give up.

A lot of the plot surrounds heavily on the topic of her ex-boyfriend who dumped britt a while ago. She clearly wasn't over him which got a little annoying at times but this helped add to her character development. It also added depth to the story as there were many flashbacks to Britt's childhood. Her ex-boyfriend was her best friend Korbie's older brother so it put a little strain on their relationship. I really didn't like Korbie's character as I didn't think she was a loyal, trustworthy friend. She was incredibly whiny and useless but thankfully she wasn't there for majority of the novel. I don't even know how Britt considered her to be a friend!

Overall I enjoyed this book immensely! I liked reading the familiar writing of Becca Fitzpatrick but like I said before, you shouldn't compare the novels. If you like suspenseful thrillers with a strong protagonist then I think this is the book for you! If you're new to the genre like me, this is great novel to introduce you to it. I ended up finishing the novel on the bus and I think I was grinning like an idiot. (People gave me weird stares haha!) The ending is so sweet and I like that this novel isn't rushed.

Have you read anything by Becca Fitzpatrick before?

Do you like thrillers?

TBR Book Tag

It seems to be tag season since all these tags are floating around the blogosphere at the moment. But hey, at least it gives us blogger something to do other than the usual memes and reviews. So I was tagged by Kelly over at Diva Book Nerd and Jeann and Michelle at Happy Indulgence. (Make sure to check out their awesome blogs)

For those of you who don't know, TBR stands for to-be-read!

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

I mainly use Goodreads since it's just so easy to keep track of all your books. Especially when your tbr gets so large that it's over a 100 novels. Physical book wise, I tend to keep all the books that I haven't read in one row on my shelf just so it's easier when I want to pick out my next book. 

(Pssst, I'm debating between World After and Heir of Fire, is there a chance you can help me out?)

Is your TBR mostly printed or eBook?

eBook for sure. There are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of books I want to read but obviously you need money to fund this. Which I don't have...But things are starting to look up as I have a job now!

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

That's a hard question because there is no specific answer. It usually depends on my mood and what genre I feel like. Also whether I have the book or it's in the library depends on it. I try to stay away from eBooks because I don't have a kindle and reading on your iPhone is not ideal!

A book that's been on your TBR list the longest?

Let's take a quick trip to Goodreads. Drum roll please!

I no longer have the desire to read this as much as I did a year and a half ago.

A book on your TBR strictly because of it's beautiful cover?

Honestly I was scrolling through my tbr and I couldn't find anything! It's a great reminder that there are some shocking covers out there for really great stories. I don't know why I really like this colour but I really like the gold and blue together.

A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading?

I received Zac & Mia for review last year but it got so many negative reviews that it turned me off. I don't think I'll ever read it now and also I lent it to a friend and they never returned it.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for?

That would have to be Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I have been anticipating this for a whole year and my excitement still hasn't died down. It's the final instalment to The Heroes of Olympus series and I've already pre-ordered it in hardcover!!! 

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read but you?

I swear everyone has read this book but me! Apparently it's every fangirls bible. Can you guess it? Yep it's the one and only Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I bought this a while ago and I still haven't read it, I'm putting it off because I'm worried that the hype will ruin it.

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends you?

A novel that I get recommended quite often is Pushing the Limits. I haven't read this series but definitely want to. It's just a matter of buying the books.

A book on your TBR that you're dying to read?

Heir of Fire. It's weird I received this book a while ago from Bloomsbury Aus but I always put off reading this series. I know it's amazing and the Throne of Glass series is one of my faves but it always takes me a while to read the novels. I don't doubt Sarah J Maas's abilities to bring yet another action packed novel.

How many books on your Goodreads TBR shelf?

394 (Lol! Turn to page 394...only some will get that reference) Ahhhh I think my TBR shelf needs a little cleaning out. (Just a little :P)

I'm Tagging

Sunny @ A Sunny Spot Blog

Kayla @ The Bookish Owl

Cambrie @ ...and so the Book begins

Rachel @ Booktastic Reviews

The Bookshelf Tag

I've been tagged by the awesome diva, Kelly at Diva Book Nerd. The rules are easy, I answer all the questions and then tag 5 other people.

1. Is there a book you really want to read but haven't because you know that it'll make you cry?
Not any that I can think of. I don't really cry often in books so I'm never afraid to pick up a novel despite the many reviews from people who have balled their eyes out while reading it.

2. Pick one book that helped introduce to a new genre
Anna and the French Kiss helped introduce me to contemporary. I was never one to read contemporary because I thought it would be extremely boring because who wants to read about real life right? Past me was so wrong!

3. Find a book that you want to re-read
Oh my gosh, for the past few weeks I have had the craving (can you crave a book...?) to re-read the whole Percy Jackson series! I think its because I am anticipating the release of Blood of Olympus which is coming out this October!!! I've already pre-ordered a hardcover of the book! Who else is excited?

4. Is there a series you read but wish you hadn't?
To be honest no I haven't! I've always had trusty bloggers to help me choose what to read next. Even before I entered the community, I would always find a second opinion whether it be a librarian or a friend.

5. If your house was burning down and all your family and pets were safe, which book would you go back inside to save?

I'm sort of copying Kelly's answer here but she has a valid point. I would go back inside and save all my signed books. Especially my copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

6. Is there a book on your shelf that brings back fond memories?
I have fond memories for all my books but to name one it would have to be The Sight which contained book 1 & 2 of Premonitions. This was a book I loved in primary school and I've probably re-read 3 times! If you saw what condition it is in you'd be appalled. The spines all cracked and the pages are bent!

7. Find a book that inspired you the most!

I think Inkheart inspired me, especially as a child because it taught me the power of words. Funnily enough, I never continued on with the series after the first book. It was daunting look at the size of the next ones.

8. Do you have any autographed books?

1. Teardrop by Lauren Kate - The publishers at Random House were nice enough to give me signed copy of this novel!
2. The Intern by Gabrielle Tozer - I wasn't able to go to the book signing, so my good friend Sunny got it signed for me!
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - At the last event at Hachette headquarters, (I have yet written a recap post for that...ooops) we had none other than the awesome Laini Taylor as our guest speaker. Nearly every blogger got their book(s) signed by her.
4. The First Third by Will Kostakis - Back at the Penguin Teen Live event last year, they had Will Kostakis speak to us and sign our books.
5. Friday Brown by Vikkie Wakefield - This was one of my first Aussie YA's, it is such a good read and I recommend it if you haven't already read it.

9. Find the book you have owned the longest.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is definitely the oldest. I've had this since I was a small child and I haven't parted ways with it yet and I don't plan to anytime soon.

10. Is there a book by an author that you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

I did not expect to like Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. I randomly stumbled upon this book with a friend and we had never heard anything about it or the author before but it was a great surprise!

And to end this tag, I have to post a photo of my bookshelf!

There's no particular order to my shelf but I do like to have everything in height order so it's slanting down. The last two rows are dedicated to review books and books I've gotten from events and the rest is sort of random novels I've collected over the years.

So that was the bookshelf tag! I'm tagging

Sunny @ A Sunny Spot Blog

Kayla @ The Bookish Owl

Rachel @ Booktastic Reviews

Laura @ Laura Plus Books

Belle @ Fangirling Misses

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me Tag

It's been a while since I did a tag (or anything blog related...) and I've been tagged by the lovely Belle from Fangirling Misses. I like the idea of this tag because it's not necessarily focused on books but on the people behind the blogs. So let's get to know each other! 

1. How tall are you?

*Pulls out tape measure* Hmmm the last time I checked I think I was 5'7 but I'm pretty sure I've grown since then, so probably 5'8. Yes, I'm pretty tall for a 15 year old girl.

2. Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?

*Thinks really hard* Oh I know! I can do this awesome thing with my eyes...but obviously you have to be in person to see it. *sighs* If only I could show you.

3. What's your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

Plagiarism. Thank god it's never happened to me but just the thought of it gets me angry. It's one thing getting inspiration from someone and it's a completely different thing to blatantly copy someone's work, word for word.

4. What's your biggest non-blog related pet peeve? 

I hate being late so therefore I hate it when I'm meeting people and they're late for no good reason other than, "Oh sorry, I slept in." And what I hate even worse is when people make me late such as my family. *takes deep breathes* 

5. What's your favourite song?

Ugh did you really just ask me this question? I don't have a favourite song but I love most genres. I'm not going into detail of my fave singers because the list will go on forever. But the song I'm really digging at the moment is She Came To Give It To You by Usher ft Nicki Minaj. I've always liked Usher and I like the fact that he hasn't gone for the mainstream approach. 

6. What's your favourite Etsy shop that isn't yours?

??? Is it a bad thing that I don't know what an Etsy shop is? 'Cause I've never heard of it before. >_<

7. What's your favourite way to spend your free time when you're alone?

Besides from the obvious (reading) I love to redecorate/clean my room. (Is that weird?) There's nothing like that satisfied feeling after your room is clean. I also like to watch a lot of youtube videos (I could spend hours doing this) and watch TV shows. (e.g. Supernatural, Doctor Who, Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries/The Originals, The Walking Dead, Teen Wolf, Game of Thrones, etc)

8. What's your favourite junk food?

Ah there's so many! Doritos, Ben & Jerry's, Chocolate - Boost, KitKat (most Cadbury), Grainwaves and heaps more.

9. Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?

Nope I don't have any pets sadly. I had a rabbit called Chestnut once...

10. What are your number one favourite nonfiction and fiction books?

I don't ever read non-fiction unless you count a textbook and I can assure you have no favourites of them. Fiction wise...there's so many. (I take it you can already sense that I am a very indecisive person) I love books such as Percy Jackson, Throne of Glass, Shatter Me, Starcrossed and many, many, many (is that enough many's?) others. 

11. What's your favourite beauty product?

I'm not a huge make-up person but I love my Studio Fix Mac foundation as well as my Mac False Lashes Waterproof mascara! I also have to say I love my Super Liner Blackbuster eyeliner by L'oreal.

12. When were you last embarrassed? What happened?

Hmmm...to be honest I don't get embarrassed often. I can't really remember the last time. Sorry guys, no funny stories.

13. If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I think it would have to be Lemon Lime and Bitters. I absolutely love that drink! My second option would be pink lemonade.

14. What's your favourite movie?

*sighs* Enough with the favourite questions! Obviously I can't answer these!!! My favourite movies are most Marvel movies as I love anything and everything to do with Avengers. 

15. What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist prep etc.?

I don't really know how to answer this question because we don't really have this in Australian schools. I feel like American movies make such a big deal out of social class when really it's not actually like this. Since I like books so much I would be put in the nerd category right? But I am friends with a lot of people so I don't know.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

I would love to live somewhere in America simply because it seems like all the good authors live there but I love Australia so much! I wouldn't mind trying out Melbourne but it gets so cold there!!!

17. PC or Mac?

Mac for the win! I used to have a Toshiba but my school is Apple friendly so lets just say I've converted!

18. Last romantic gesture from a crush, day, boy/girlfriend?

*chokes on water* Romantic gesture? Oh no no no no! I've never really had a crush either. I'm just fine with my lovely book boyfriends!

19. Favourite celeb?

I'm not into following the whole celeb craze but I have to say that one of my top faves would have to be Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Have you seen him? Who can resist that?

20. What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with?

I'm already best friends with Sunny @ A Sunny Spot Blog that's no secret there. But I secretly want to be best friends with Jeann @ Happy Indulgence, Laura @ Laura Plus Books, Vivienne @ This Book Saved My Life, Joy @ Thoughts by J , Kelly @ Diva Book Nerd and Mands @ The Bookish Manicurist. Also I'd love to BF's with the girl who tagged me, Belle from Fangirling Misses!

I tag all of you lovely ladies!

So this was a bit of a long post but I'd love to hear what you think? Do we have anything in common?

Stacking the Shelves

It's been a while since I've done one of these and I want to share with you what I recently bought. Have I made good choices?

I am so excited to start reading Isla and the Happily Ever After, I am such a major Stephanie Perkins fan and I don't doubt her ability to produce another amazing novel. Although I have an issue!!! It's not the same size as my other two in the series, it's a lot smaller!!!

I saw Eleanore & Park for only $12 in K-mart! Obviously I couldn't walk past it without buying it so this is another book I can't wait to get into. I haven't read a Rainbow Rowell novel yet.

Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me this, my excitement for Heir of Fire has not dulled down yet! I'm going to try and take this slow as I hate having to wait a whole year for the next one. It literally kills me!

Gayle Forman receives so much praise and Just One Day was quite cheap on the Book Depository so I just had to buy it. I'm not really sure what to expect but I'm really trying to get into more contemporary's.

Another author I love is Becca Fitzpatrick who wrote the Hush Hush series but this time round it looks like an intense thriller. Black Ice looks extremely suspenseful and it'll be interesting how the author goes with this sort of storyline. Thank you so much Simon & Schuster for sending me this, can't wait to post a review.

Currently on it's way in the mail!

You can see my review for Angelfall here

So tell me, did I make good choices?
Have you read any of these novels? If so, what's your opinion?
What's on your shelf this week?

{Review} Angelfall by Susan Ee

Author: Susan Ee
Release Date: May 21st 2011
Publishers: Feral Dream 
Pages: 283
Genre: Apocalyptic, Angels  
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Book Depository

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Review

I was not expecting this novel to be so damn kickass! I randomly picked up this novel in my school library just to 'pretend' to read during a reading lesson. Lately I've been feeling very uninspired to read but from page 1 I was hooked. My plan to not read ended up failing!

The apocalypse has begun and who humans once admired as being harbingers of peace, soon changed into messengers of hell. Angels have descended upon earth but not in the way we expected. War has broken out, and humans have to resort to anything just to survive. Even if that means partnering with an enemy angel. Penryn's younger sister has been taken and she will do whatever it takes to get her back.

Susan Ee has created a perfect apocalyptic story-line where you cannot help but be drawn into the war-torn world. It was so awesome reading from the perspective of the main protagonist, Penryn. I swear she is in my top favourite characters because not only was she kick-ass but she had the smarts. She knew how to survive and she had common sense...to an extent. Penryn had a goal and she made sure no one got in the way of her plan, not even a smoking-hot angel. This is so rare in YA now days because main character are always the damsels in distress and they rely on the "overly-attractive" male too much.

An important theme that was present throughout the book was the importance of family. Penryn's mother was a bit on the crazy side (maybe a little more than a bit) but Penryn didn't allow this to deter her from her mission. I think the mother was a really interesting character because it is not often you get a character like this in YA. (It's sort of avoided) Since Penryn was young, her mother had been battling her own "demons".  No one knows what exactly she sees but she talks to "them" frequently. Because of her fear of these demons, she enrols Penryn in many self-defence classes which has actually become useful in the situation they find themselves in. I really want to read a novella in the mums perspective as I think it would be really interesting seeing the destroyed world in her eyes. 

Susan Ee is an amazing writer. She doesn't shy away from adding graphic detail which I think is important for a novel like this. In so many scenes, I felt like cringing but it made it so much more realistic. I think this book could be translated really well on the movie screen as the whole time I got such vivid imagery of what everything looked like. All I know, is that I never want to be in a situation like this. (Obviously it's an apocalypse!) 

To say I was surprised by Angelfall is an understatement. I was greatly surprised and as soon as I finished this novel I bought the first and second one. I cannot wait to begin the next one as I'm sure the next will be even better. If you haven't already read this and you like apocalyptic based novels then you better find the time too. Angelfall has a courageous (and sometimes stupid) protagonist that doesn't let up on the humorous lines. It is action-packed with scenes that get your heart racing, and basically everything you need in a great faced pace novel.

If you missed my last post, click here to see my review for The Maze Runner movie!

{Movie Review} The Maze Runner

Just wanted to let you know that my hiatus is OFFICIALLY OVER!!! Wooooh *throws streamers* All my assessments are over and holidays are in a week so lets hope I'll be able to read heaps.

The Maze Runner was ah-MAZE-ing!!! (You see what I did there?) But to be honest I didn't have high hopes (except for the fact that it had
DYLAN OBRIEN!!!) because the producers didn't really advertise it that much. Luckily I was able to attend an advance screening last Friday but the cinema was so full!

The movie almost followed the book exactly but obviously there were changes. But it wasn't those type of changes where you're like, "WOAH! Back the f*ck up, this doesn't happen in the book!!!" No it was more like, "Ooooh I'll roll with this." I'm not going to tell you what changed just in case you haven't read the book but definitely keep an open mind.

The characters were portrayed really well!!! It was amazing being able to watch Dylan O'brien on full screen and he played Thomas perfectly. I felt like they could have focused a little more on the character development and not so much on the maze aspect of the book. I think they could have portrayed Minho and Gally a lot better since I felt like they were more secondary characters in the movie. (Until the end) Gally needed to be depicted more as a bully! In the movie, he was more of an as*hole than anything.

The pacing was alright...it went too fast for me but I think it was the perfect pacing for a movie. Prior to watching the movie, I was really interested as to how they were going to portray the actual maze. I was worried it was going to look a little fake but I have to say they did a pretty good job. The whole time throughout the movie I was entranced with the twists and turns and the different levels! I was really impressed and I think it was better than how I imagined it. I was expecting just basic walls but it actually was pretty high tech.

The grievers didn't look completely realistic but it didn't stop from scaring the crap out of me. The whole time I was on the edge of my seat and I'll admit with one scene I may have screamed a little. (Just a little...) The whole time throughout the maze, I felt like getting up and running with Thomas. It was so suspenseful and boy did it get my heart racing.

I have to admit, at times it was really cheesy but I can move past that. If you haven't read the book, I encourage you to beforehand since my friends who hadn't found it really confusing. They didn't really explain a whole lot and besides, you don't want to get spoiled. I was really happy with how movie turned out but of course there could have been changes.

{Discussion} The Rating System

It's discussion time!!!

*Cough* sorry it's been a while since of done one of this. As some of you know I put up a hiatus notice a couple weeks ago but this post isn't signifying the end (sadly) but I just wanted to give you something so you know I exist. 

So this "topic" has been weighing on my mind for a while and I've been thinking, thinking, and yes more thinking over whether to take out my rating system. So for those who don't know what a rating system is, it's basically like on Goodreads where you rate your book something out of 5 stars.

For example:

If you're a regular on my blog, you'll know that on average I tend to give out 4 stars. But I was thinking the other day that all the books I've rated 4 stars aren't necessarily on the same level. Some may have been really good but not good enough to be a 5 star, and then there are those that have been not great but not bad enough to be a 3 star. (That probably made no sense...)Do you see my dilemma? 

Of course your solution might be, "But Francoise, there's aways the half star ratings!"

Believe me I've tried to give these out, and occasionally I've given out a 4.5 but it still doesn't satisfy me! I just think the rating system is so inaccurate and this brings me to my last question...

Should I take out the rating system from my reviews?

My reasoning is that you should be able to tell whether people liked a book from their review, not the rating. I've seen some blogs that don't have ratings and some others that have a different way of expressing their opinion on novels. 

If you have any suggestions or opinions please let me know in the comments below.

Hiatus until further notice!

Hi guys I'm sorry for being a bit MIA lately and to be honest this is going to continue for a while. So this means yet another hiatus! I'm pretty sure I did one the same time last year because it gets difficult with all the school work around this time of year. I haven't been reading any books lately but if I do in the next couple weeks I might post a review.

I'm sorry I haven't been commenting lately and I'll try to make an effort but it's just a little difficult at the moment so sorry for the lack of comments. I hope to be back in about 3 weeks but this could even be extended so no promises.

Thanks
- Francoise

{Review} Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier

Author: Kylie Fornasier 
Release Date: July 23rd 2014 
Publishers: Penguin Australia
Pages: 304
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book

It's the Carnevale of 1750 and Venice's ballrooms, theatres, palazzos and squares are filled with delicious gossip, devilish fun and dangerous games. In this glittering masked world, everyone has a secret...

Set in an age of decadence made famous by Casanova, Masquerade uncovers the secrets of seven teens, from the highest aristocrat to the lowest servant – their dreams, desires, loves, loyalties ... and betrayals.

All the world's a stage. Let the show begin.

*I'd like to thank Penguin Australia for sending me this for review, it does not influence my opinion.*

Review

Orelia travels to Venice in search for answers about her mother who recently passed away. She is welcomed by her uncle who is part of a well known aristocratic family and has two daughters, Veronica and Angelique. Soon enough Orelia is just another sister and is quickly swept up into the life of fancy dresses, masks and secrets.

As much as I hate to say it, the first thing that drew me to this novel was the brilliant cover. It's been a dream of mine since I was young to attend a masquerade ball and lets just say this novel is the closest thing to it. From the first page I could tell so much research had gone into writing this novel and it paid off. The imagery was flawless! Prior to reading this novel I got to meet and talk to the author, Kylie Fornasier. She is the most loveliest person and it was clear she was passionate about her novel.

Masquerade is filled with deceit, betrayal, loyalty and romance. Every character had their own secret that was bound to be let out in one way or another. The one thing I loved about this novel was that it was so easy to immerse yourself into the world of venice. Kylie Fornasier puts these tidbits of Italian in it that was easy to follow along with. Also in the back of the book there's this glossary so if you get totally lost you don't have to resort to the internet. You could tell a lot of research was put into this novel because it was so easy to imagine yourself as part of the Venetians.

Orelia was a great protagonist but I feel like her story isn't finished yet. A lot of the novel was focused on her interactions with the characters around her and not enough on her backstory. The premise was based on Orelia finding herself in the city of masks and that was great but for some reason I wanted to know more about her past. I liked her character though, her uniqueness and naivety to the world of Carnevale made it feel like I was seeing everything from her eyes. At the start of the novel I was so confused as to how everything worked but as the story progressed I felt like I was accustomed to the Venetian way of life just like Orelia.

I thought the romance was going to be incredibly cliche but it was the exact opposite. Usually I like a little cliche in stories like these but the ending came to me as a shock and it took me a while to process what happened. I absolutely love it when authors surprise me because then it completely smashes my expectations.

I extremely enjoyed Masquerade and I hope there will be a sequel. Apparently it's not a definite and I think I might die if I didn't know how the story properly finished. Ill miss Venice and the interesting characters in it and if you haven't read it I hope you do because you know you want to! Even if you're not a historical fiction fan, Masquerade is a perfect novel to ease you into it.

Favourite Quote: 

'It was like a song; you didn't need to understand the words for it to touch you.' 

- Page 101

Do you like historical fiction?  

Do you share my fantasy of going to a masquerade ball?

{Review} Four: a Divergent Collection

*If you have not read Allegiant, I advise you don't read this review because it may contain minor spoilers*

Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: July 8th 2014  
Publishers: Harper Collins
Pages: 185
Genre: Dystopia
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling divergent series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to have the chance to win a copy of this and a signed book plate from Veronica Roth! Giveaway ends at the end of this month, enter while you still can!!! AUS & NZ only.

Review

*I'd like to thank Harper Collins Aus for sending me this for review, it does not influence my opinion.*

Four ended up being such a great surprise! Allegiant somewhat left a bad taste in my mouth and I was a little hesitant about reading this. I've never been crazy when authors continue writing in their own world (when the series is clearly over) but this novella collection actually worked! I wouldn't say it's up to Divergent standards but I still enjoyed reading it. 

In Allegiant, one of my main issues was the changing perspectives between Tris and Four. I generally don't like it when there is more than one POV so Allegiant was a struggle for me to get through. In fact I found the Four chapters so boring that I had to fight the urge to skip them. Four was such an improvement and I actually enjoyed seeing into Four's mind and I feel like I got more of a connection with him. More depth was added to his character and there was more of a backstory as to how he became 'Four'. 

Not only did we get more of a background on Four but also on the Dauntless way of life. For some reason I feel like we didn't really get to see that from Tris's perspective so it was like I was being immersed into the Dauntless world all over again. I really recommend reading this because it answers all your questions about how dauntless changed and how it became to be this way. 

This novel made me miss reading Divergent for the first time and I wish I could go back in time and read it again. (A re-read of the series may occur soon) I wish it went for a lot longer it was way to short for my liking. I was able to read it in about 2 sittings and it was hard to put down. (I was reading it during class instead of Shakespeare...ooops) 

{Review} If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This image does not belong to me

Author: Gayle Forman
Release Date: April 6th 2010 (first published April 2nd 2009)
Publishers: Speak
Pages: 262
Genre: Contemporary 
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Book Depository

On a day that started like any other,

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

*I'd like to thank Random House Aus for sending me this for review, it does not influence my opinion.*

Review

If I Stay was a riveting novel exploring the power of family, friendship, love and the challenging choices we make. I had heard a lot of Forman's books beforehand but this was my first experience with her writing and she does not disappoint. For some reason I found If I Stay slightly slow paced but it worked. I read little bits at a time and I think I enjoyed it a lot more than if I had sped read it 

I think the main factor that made me love this novel so much was the large amount of character development. Each and every character had such depth and personality to them. They each held some importance to the story and it was almost like there was no secondary characters. I was impressed because a lot of novels lack in this department and Forman did it so effortlessly. 

Mia was a perfect protagonist and her voice really shines through in the story. I admire her as a character because she faces a decision that no one should ever have to make. I don't want to spoil anything for you but lets just say there are challenges to each choice. Not only was the novel based on friends and family but it was also centred around music. Forman's knowledge of classical music was portrayed in Mia's character and it gave the story more of a backbone. 

I wish I was a part of Mia's family. Her parents were so supportive and I feel like they're an image of the ideal parents. They held such a passion for music and it was obvious this passed on to their children. Mia's boyfriend - Adam - was so down to earth and his love for her was so evident. I can't wait to this translate onto the movie screen and I really hope it's done well. 

The whole novel was based on flashbacks and I wanted to see more of what happened in the long run. I guess that's what's going to happen in the sequel but I also felt like the novel was too short (that's how much I enjoyed it). All I can say is that if you're looking for a light and happy read, this is definitely not the sort of book to go for. I'm a bit hesitant for recommending this book to friends because I know this isn't everyones cup of tea. 

If I Stay was an emotional novel and I'm so glad I got around to reading it. I'm excited to read Where She Went and I feel like it'll take me on an even more emotional ride so I'm mentally preparing myself. I really recommend you read it especially before the movie comes out and I think if you like strong characters then this is the book for you.

Four: a Divergent Collection Giveaway

Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: July 8th 2014  
Publishers: Harper Collins
Pages: 208
Genre: Dystopia
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling divergent series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy

Giveaway Conditons

• You must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway 
• This giveaway is open to Australian and New Zealand residents only
• Winner will receive both prizes
• Giveaway ends on the 31st of July
• Winner will be emailed and must respond within 48 hours or another contestant will be drawn. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves

It's been a while since I've done a post and I've accumulated quite a few books recently.

Review books:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - I'm so excited to read one of Forman's novel as I've heard so much about her writing. I also have to make sure I read this as I've heard there's going to be a movie!!!

Thank you Random House for giving me this to review!

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan - I haven't read many reviews on this so I'm not really sure what to expect but I have seen quite a few Aussie bloggers receive it as well.

Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan - I'm excited to read this! It's sounds like a cute novel which will be filled with humour.

I Won:

Spark by Rachael Craw - I'm really excited to read this (partly because I won it at a giveaway on Joy's blog) because I've read some good reviews - but not too many - so I don't have any expectation. Also look at the cover! It's so pretty!!!

PTA Live

At the start of PTA Live, the whole audience got to choose out of 3 books they could take home .(For FREE!!)

The Choices were:
Half Bad by Sally Green
The Cinderella Moment by Jennifer Kloester
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

I also got the chance to by Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell at a discounted price of $13.50!!!! I'm so excited to read this as basically everyone's labelling it as every fangirls bible. (Yes I've literally heard people take it that far) I'm a little worried that the hype will ruin it for me.

So these are the books I've gotten lately. What's new on your shelf?

{Review} This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Release Date: April 2nd 2013
Publishers: Headline
Pages: 404
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Buy the book

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review

I want to start off by saying sorry for my sudden disappearance. I haven't had the time to blog at the moment let alone read and yada yada yada [insert bullsh*t excuse] 

This novel certainly lived up to the title by inducing such happy and fuzzy feelings inside me. In one word it would be cute! Everyone always talks about how well Smith writes and I have to say she is such a good contemporary romance writer. I am so excited to start The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Such long titles!) and I have to buy The Geography of You and Me. I want to own ALL her books!

Let's start off with the story-line. From the first page I knew I was going to enjoy it but I also knew it was going to be cliche. It's both sort of cliche and non-cliche at the same time. Cliche because of the whole 'middle of nowhere' town and a celebrity comes bringing unwanted paparazzi but not cliche in terms of the characters. Jennifer E. Smith creates such vivid imagery of what the town looks like and I feel like I could just a walk around the town. Usually I don't like reading in third person but in this case it worked really well. It changed POV between Ellie and Graham and it worked so well because there was a huge distinction between each characters.

The characters were really unique and I love how Smith portrays Graham (Famous movie star) as not the typical rude boy who's a rebel because he has fame but the caring kid who just wants time away from all the cameras. She puts a different light on what being a celebrity really means and it made me think that it's not as amazing as they advertise it to be. Ellie, our main protagonist, was such a down to earth character and didn't allow Graham's fame effect anything. It didn't give him the upper hand and in her eyes he was another ordinary kid. The one thing I liked about this story was the fact that each character had their own individual story. Weirdly enough, I found myself wanting to know more about the mother's past even though she's a secondary character.

There's nothing more I can really add because I know I can't do it justice. Trust me when I say that this is a book you should consider when you feel like a light, summery romance. Its a good length novel - 400 pages - so I felt like it ended on a good note and there were no potholes. This book made me so happy but the only negative thing I can say about it is that I want summer to arrive a lot sooner!

{Movie Review} The Fault in Our Stars

*I advise not to read this review if you have not read the book!*

The Fault in Our Stars movie has been all the talk for weeks and I finally got to watch the movie yesterday. After declining an offer to watch the pre-screening a couple weeks ago, I finally got the chance to watch it for a birthday party!

I'm not saying the movie was better than the novel but it was probably one of the best book to movie adaptations so far this year. This movie broke my heart again! I was always the odd one out because I never cried in the book but somehow I knew I would in the movie. Let's just say I did not bring nearly enough tissues for me and my group of friends.

It was just so exhilarating watching the movie with a whole cinema of fangirls. I think they needed to turn the audio up a little because I could barely hear the dialogue over the sniffling of girls (including me) ranging from all ages. It was kind of funny though because my friend was already bawling her eyes out from half way through the movie and things hadn't even gotten sad yet. The whole cinema ended up laughing because at every happy moment she would cry harder because we all knew these moments wouldn't last long.

Now onto the actual movie! Words cannot explain what a top job the producers did. There were obvious changes but it fitted in with the movie so well. They did such a good job of every scene they put in that it didn't matter so much. Prior to the movie I wasn't a huge fan of the casting. I thought I wouldn't be able to keep the image of Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as brother and sister but surprisingly I did not think of that once.

Ansel played the perfect Gus and every scene he was in I was just grinning. He portrayed the humour perfectly and every time he smiled I couldn't help but do the same. I thought that Shailene wouldn't do a very good job of Hazel because she is a very down to earth character but I actually loved her as Hazel. I actually think she did a better job of Hazel than Tris. For some reason I really liked the parents in this movie, I feel like their emotions were displayed better in the movie than the book.

I don't think I can say anything else. You have to watch the movie to get the feels. All I can say is that even a girl like me who doesn't cry very often was brought down to a mess. It was kind of funny because every girl that exited the cinema would make a bee-line to the bathroom to fix up their ruined make-up. This movie receives an obvious 5 stars and I cannot wait till it comes out on DVD. They say The Notebook is the ultimate movie to make you cry...I'd say this beats it by a long shot.