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Tuesday 7 August 2012

A few recent reads.

I'm a huge book fiend, I'm sorry to say that I've recently been buying ebooks simply because I save so much cash compared with buying the paperback versions. It's not the same holding plastic and glass instead of bound paper, you don't really get that 'ooh I'm this far through' feeling like you do when you pop a bookmark in a heavy tome and you don't get those lovely inky new book smells either. Yes, I really am a book 'geek'!
I am actually reading one paperback at the moment, with two on standby that I've left at the wayside unfortunately, and I have several patiently waiting for me on one of my bookshelves. The paperback I borrowed from work, so I have to pay a weekly charge, I would normally have read it well within a week but I'm sad to say I'm now on the second week and I haven't picked it up again as I've just got into another ebook (I know, I know!)
Anyway, here are my current and most recent reads....

Trylle trilogy

It took me like three days to read the entire Trylle trilogy, I was hooked! The books are Switched, Torn and Ascend and are written by Amanda Hocking. They were first self published but have now been published by Pan Macmillan this year. The main themes are: fantasy, adventure and romance. Please note that there is violence and also sexual themes in the series. I'll give you the official synopsis for the first book, but I refuse to do the same for the others! There is nothing worse than having bits and bobs revealed accidentally. All I need to get me into a series is to hear about the first book, then if I like it I'll read the others, I don't want to know what happens until I read them!

Switched is the first book in the series and introduces us to Wendy, a seventeen year old girl whose never felt like she belonged...

'When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.'





















To visit the authors blog and find out more about the Trylle trilogy, watch the book trailers and read about her other novels then please click here.

Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue.

Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue form a trilogy of sorts written by Kristin Cashore. Graceling is her debut novel, Fire is a companion stand alone prequel and Bitterblue is a companion to both and is set eight years after the events in Graceling. The themes are pretty much the same as for the Trylle trilogy, adventure, action, fantasy and romance being the major themes, with violence and sexual themes thrown in as it is again aimed at young adults. Again, I'm only going to give you the briefing for the first book, though I'm going to leave one piece of information out, it's fairly apparent that this event will happen once you get reading, but I just hate giving too much information about a book, otherwise you don't even need to read the thing!
There seem to be two covers available for each book, so I'll provide you with both.




















'Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight-She's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king she should be able to live a life of privilege, but graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. She never expects to learn the truth behind her grace-or of the terrible secret that lies far away...A secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.'




































To visit Kristin Cashore's blog page regarding these books please click here.

Rescue me: My life with the Battersea Dogs.

Rescue me is Melissa Wareham's memoir chronicling her life at Battersea Dogs Home which spanned 15 years. This is a topic very close to my heart, and after seeing the front cover I just couldn't help but take it home with me. It's a frank, often funny and moving story of the lost souls that end up in Battersea, and the colourful collection of people wanting to welcome them into their homes. A real eye opener for those that haven't worked with animals as to what really goes on in our dog shelters behind the scenes. Having worked voluntarily for two years in a well known dog rescue centre myself I can relate to many of her tales, and I've found myself laughing, shaking my head in disbelief and almost in tears at some of the stories I've read so far.

'Melissa Wareham always wanted to work with dogs. After failing her O-level she realised she'd have to start at the bottom, cleaning out kennels at Battersea Dogs Home.

The first dog Melissa fell for was Tulip, a sweet, elderly and somewhat dotty mongrel who decided a solo bus ride into the west end might be fun. Next up was Roscoe: found by the ambulance team with his dead owner, he was rehabilitated with a little help from his master's hat. And then-many, many dogs later-there was Gus. With his owner in jail, Melissa finally found the dog she was to take home as her own.'


To read the author's profile, biography and view a photo gallery then please click here. You can buy Rescue me at any good book retailer or online store such as Amazon.


So there you have a few current reads, I'll add some of my all time favourite reads in time, I have so many though I might have to break them down into a few separate posts! Happy reading!

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