Thursday 25 September 2014

Blood Island-A Book Cover Reveal||❤

Release Date: 2015
Cover Designed by: Najla Qamber Designs

Summary from Goodreads:

COMING SOON IN 2015, THE SEQUEL TO BLOOD OATH:



With Elizabeth on the loose and Byron free to roam the halls of headquarters, the Siren community is on edge, waiting for the impending first strike.

And it comes when three Elders are found dead after they go out for their monthly hunt.

Now, for the protection of the soon to be heir to the throne, Raya and her friends are sent to an unmarked island where Sirens walk in the sunlight without fear. It's their island.

And it might just be the key to a dark plan.


Sequel to:
(cover linked to Goodreads)

Available from:

About the Author
Samantha Coville is an editor and literary critic at her website, Sammy the Bookworm. She’s been writing short stories for six years and has appeared in magazines, both in print and online. When she’s not doing something book related, she is singing in her church choir or enjoying one of the theme parks in her home state of Florida.

Author Links:
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Wednesday 24 September 2014

Waiting On Wednesday||❤

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Week is......
Under The Painted Sky
By Stacey Lee
Publication Date: March 15th 2015


Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.

Why I Am Waiting This Wednesday?


I love how it set in the 19th century and is not the typical type of musician who wants to winter the Xfactor. As always I say I do like the cover and the font of the title. Last but not least, cowboys? I'm in!!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
(I am so sorry for not posting this week, too many observational drawings and still lifes to be set up!)


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Friday 19 September 2014

The Perks Of Being A Bookworm||❤

Hi guys,
As you know my blog name is The Perks Of Being A Bookworm. After having this blog for a couple months, I've decided to tell you guys what the perks of being a bookworm actually are!

Now, I must say I have been a bookworm since Reception in Primary School (I think that would be kindergarten in other countries) I was around 4/5 years old. I was always sent home with those books which were massive and I had absolutely no interest. My teacher would expect me to read it in a week but I would come back all the time saying I had read and finished the book, so I moved up to the books into the year 1 classroom. This had me excited and I have loved books ever since. I would say my best book achievement was that in year 3 I was one of the first people to progress into reading 'rainbow books' which meant I could select any book in the library and finally stop reading Biff and Chip. Anyone else remember the Biff and Chip series?? Anyway, I was allowed to read the books which the older juniors could read and I was thrilled! To finally be approved of reading more advanced books like Artemis Foul, but I never liked those type of books and buried my head into the Roal Dahl series instead!



Classic starter book isn't it? Well now I will actually get onto the perks of being an actual bookworm.
  • It is fun!! Being a book geek means that you can escape into a story, you can connect with characters, create different endings and find you perfect book boyfriend (I mean , who hasn't done that!)
  • You become more imaginative! Fiction books aren't in the real world and what makes things better is that you can picture the book the way you want it to be pictured. Like I imagined the hunger games arena would be way different to what the directors of the films visualised it as.
  • You learn new vocabulary! This sounds more like a one a teacher would tell you at school but seriously, by reading more then your english grades might go up and you will have a better understanding and will find it easy to quickly get to know books because you are an avid read.#
  • They are just amazeballs!! I know, I said amazeballs (woops). Books are amazing and are the greatest things in the world. What saddens me is that most people have stopped buying paperback books which is so  ad. Although I do have a kindle and sometimes I do buy a couple books on it but nothing beats a good old paperback. Hands up if you like the smell of new books *raises hand* am I the only one, yep, urmm, I think I should stop now........
So guys, I hope I can connect with all you proud bookworms out there and I will see you next Monday I think!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx



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Wednesday 17 September 2014

Waiting On Wednesday||❤

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Week is......
My Other Black Heart
By Jasmine Warga
Publication Date: February 10th 2015

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner. 

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

Why Am I Waiting This Wednesday?

This is quite a sad book and touches on a tough topic, suicide. I just want to see how the author will translates the topic of depression and how the characters felt. I have seen a group of 5 stars on goodreads so I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx


        
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Tuesday 16 September 2014

Allegiant-A Book Review||❤

Hi guys,
Today is going to be my review on the last of the Divergent series, Allegiant. I had mixed feelings about the book and it actually made it to my DNF pile and I am quite disappointed about that!
Synopsis:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

I was fighting with this book. I was hoping for the third and last instalment to the whole series to wow me and to blow my mind completely but it just didn't do it. I desperately wanted to finish the book, I attempted to grit my teeth whenever something I didn't like came up but I just couldn't. You are probably wondering now why I didn't finish the book. First off, the plot was horrible, it wasn't really dystopia to me and more of me seeing through Tris&Tobias' relationship problems, the points of views were written like a 10 year old, I found myself practically sleeping whilst reading the book. It was like I felt a pain whenever I turned a page only to not be excited at all. 

Action. That was what I was after, I wanted to be hanging off my chair and sneaking my book in class just to finish off the pages, I wanted to be connected with the characters after 3 blooming pages, that's all I wanted! I can't always get my own way but with a book that badly written and I haven't even past halfway yet I do want to say some word personally with the author (not in a violent way). It felt like a task reading this book and reading to me is meant to be fun not something where you are banging your head of the table wanting it to end. 
Allegiant and the whole Divergent series has completely put me off dystopia. I used to be obsessed and would jump at any book but this series murdered my love. I always though dystopia would be just action and not mention the love stuff like The Maze Runner, or something exhilarating happens near the middle like The Hunger Games but it just didn't tick all my boxes. Being an extremely picky person, one minor mishap will put me off completely and that was Divergent. 

My overall verdict? Well, I didn't like the book, I didn't finish the book, I don't want anything to do with the book and I am basically just a hater. I'm sorry for all my hatefulness but I am generally not a very positive person. Seeing that the negatives overpower the positives I will give this book 1/5 stars.

Keep Reading (Just not divergent),
Naomi...xxx 


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Friday 12 September 2014

This Weeks Books||❤

Hi guys,
So today I will be sharing with you the books I have started to read or continuing to read this month!

4070493

My First Pick- The cover wasn't very appealing to me but I really did like the blurb! I like how it is about phobias and I have learnt a few whilst reading the first parts of the book like, 
Phobophobia- The Fear Of Phobias
Nelophobia- Fear of Glass
Frigophobia- The Fear Of Becoming Too Cold
I am actually getting quite good at naming phobias now. An interesting find and I hope to finish it when I have time because you know, I have a lot of work to do.


Another book I have started but not finished this week is (I know, two books at once, crazy right?) is The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones. I have heard mixed reviews on this book, some calling it awful and some people raving about how awesome it is. I haven't read enough of the book to judge it but at least I got past the first couple of pages without slamming my head against the table.



And the last one for this week is Allegiant. I might have a review on this on Monday so keep your eyes peeled! Enough of my promotions, I just couldn't carry on with this book. I started it off but I just can't see myself finishing off the books. I am cringing so much that I just want to bury the series 6ft underground and let its pages soil and crinkle until there is nothing more of it, that is how I genuinely feel about this book. I stare at the cover endlessly, hoping that one day I would be able to finish it but I just can't. Maybe if I just forget about everything I think badly about the book and just picture Theo James in my head all the time, then maybe I would be fine!

That is it for this Friday's random post thing but I hope I didn't bore you to death completely! Yes people, I am cheating on my books and reading so many at once. I only do this so I can keep my mind busy on books and it has me spending more of my free time actually doing something productive instead of sitting there watching Dance Moms and The Xfactor.

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx





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Wednesday 10 September 2014

Waiting On Wednesday||❤

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.


Why I'm Waiting This Wednesday?
Well err hello,...... DRAGONS!!!! Am I the only person who wants the paperback version of this book to be textured like scales. Oh my gosh I would be stroking the book all the frigging time!!!! It is just so appealing and I just want to through my money out of the window in exchange for this book.
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Monday 8 September 2014

The Reflections Of Snow White-A Book Review||❤

*I was kindly sent this ebook by the author in exchange for an honest review*
The Reflections Of Snow White by David Meredith
Synopsis:
What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone? 

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing: 

The king is dead. 

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old. 

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means? 

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

I was extremely excited to receive this book after reading the synopsis and fell in love with it completely. The book is cleverly written and uses such mature vocabulary that is striking and gives you a better insight of the actual book. I love how it is based many years into Snow White's life and we get to know if she still has her gorgeous pale and smooth skin and her luscious dark hair, or if her seven dwarfs still serve her well. Although a short story it feels like a full on novel to me and I felt connected to the characters more than I do sometimes in a whole series of book. The author explained every detail of the book, I felt like I could visualise all the characters just by reading the first chapter of the book.
 I had a better understanding of the book since I have watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarf many times so I knew who the characters were. If you don't know the story of Snow White then you might end up feeling a bit lost and clueless when you get into the book. Also just to warn any people who love to keep it clean it does involve teeny tiny bit of violence and sexual content so watch out for it and don't be so surprised, I warned you!
Overall I would rate this book a 4.5/5 stars because this book is just beautiful! It has you spellbound the minute you lay your eyes on the first words and you would carry on reading until you reach the end, wishing  there were more! I honestly love the book it was a whirlwind of amazing, touching and zestful (I love that word! Click on the links below and grab yourself the book and enjoy it as much as I did! 
Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx

LINKS:


Also the author has a twitter!


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Friday 5 September 2014

Insurgent-A Book Review||❤

                                                       

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I haven't done many book reviews lately this is mainly because I have been quite busy preparing for school as the post on Monday said. So today I will be reviewing the book after Divergent which is Insurgent. After reading the first book in the series, I had very high expectations for it all and I must say that I was actually quite disappointed.
Goodreads.com-One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.


The description seems alright. It was good enough to fool me into reading the book! Did my usual checks, loved the cover but it is all about what's inside the book. I found that it dragged on a bit too much, it just went on and on and on. I just wanted to grab a button and fast forward the whole book. It was mainly set around the Tris and Tobias (Four) relationship and was about nothing else really. All I could see was 'Tris kisses Tobias' yay to their relationship. I read the book for the action, to be at the edge of my seat through the whole thing like the Hunger Games but it just didn't happen for me. Sorry for favouring the Hunger Games during this review but at least something exciting was going on through all of the books!! At ,least the Hunger Games wasn't all about them making out all the time. It was ridiculous! I came here for a good Dystopia book which is fast paced and exhilarating but I was given a lovesick story in return. I fell in love with the characters in the first book but ended up finding them pointless and boring in the next. This didn't feel like a dystopian book to me but more of a teen fiction. I was very disappointed and it has even put me off seeing the films in the cinema. Oh dear Veronica Roth, you have failed me this time. I mean it is good but compared to other books it just looks stupid.

Overall I would give this book a 2/5 and I don't even need to explain why! Way overrated and is completely off the dystopia radar.

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx





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Wednesday 3 September 2014

Waiting On Wednesday||❤

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I can't wait to be published is.......
When My Heart Was Wicked
by Tricia Stirling
Publication Date: February 15th 2015
"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins.



But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good."

16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.

Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface.

But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?

Why I am Waiting This Wednesday?

The cover is just makes me want the book even more (I always go on about book covers) and the name just drew me in instantly. It is just so intriguing!


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Monday 1 September 2014

My Crazy Life||❤

Hi Guys
I just want to warn you guys that this week my blog might be a bit hectic. Mainly because school is starting this week and moving up a year means a whole load of workload.  I have to be way more organised than I already am which is kind of tough for a person who ends up doing homework on a Monday morning, yep that is what I do. Anyway, school means an excuse to read like 3 books at once. Plus I can get access to books which I can't find or am not bothered to find in Waterstones in the library (I have a phobia of public libraries they just scare me!). I think I am going to ditch my blog on Mondays because;
 A) My violin lessons are often after school on these days. Carrying a pe kit, instrument and a whole lot of books puts me in a bad mood when I get home so I will be moving it to Tuesday to do TBR piles and book reviews on Fridays and Saturdays. I will be posting quite late and my posts might become a bit messy because I will write them up all in advance so all I have to do it press the publish button.  B)It is Monday, the worst day of the week for me!
I would love it if you guys would point out my typos and stuff so I can correct them right away and not look silly. I'm doing Art as one of my main subjects and homework/workload we are going to be given is going to hard and would have to be detailed. So basically my weekends will be spent trying to scrape through maths, yawning through science work (I despise that subject so much), slaving over music I forgot to learn, flicking through a history textbook and laying in bed exhausted! That is school life people for such a lazy person like me. I am also doing music more this year which is flicking through music theory books, I have 2 ABRSM examinations in December which will take from now till then for me to squeeze in extra practice. I have never had issues of falling behind in class but doing my blog and school work will be tricky. It is a challenge I am willing to face! Hello to stopping off at Starbucks/Costa every morning before school for some coffee to boost myself to the end of the day and multiple cups of tea and biscuits. Not that I have problems with the odd Hobnob.

Basically this is what I want to do!!

Me at the table eating breakfast;

And myself all the time;

Also, my posts will be later than usual and will be more into the evening than my ususal lunchtime posts.
See you guys on Wednesday when I offically begin this dreaded school year!!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx





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