Saturday 31 March 2012

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
(The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
4 out of 5 stars

Published by Scholastic

Usually when it concerns a book like Shiver, there are two teams. There is the "OMGZ THIS IS THE BEST BOOK, SAM IS HOT<333" team and the "this sucks. i'd rather die than read this shit again" team. They're both pretty self-explanatory. But right here, right now I will make a third team. I will call it "We Like Shiver". Because that's how I feel about this book. I don't love Shiver, I like it. I like the main characters, I like the romance, I like the werewolf lore, I like the story, I like the ending. But there's no passion for me here, there are no "oh my god" moments.

Well, except for the animal torturing part. If you read the book, you will probably know what I'm talking about. Yuck. Seriously. I had to put the book down for two days, it put me off so much.

Shiver is basically a classic young love story, with the big obstacle being that one of the two is a werewolf. The writing was pretty good, it was quite rich with some beautiful descriptions. There were a lot of little details to this book that tells you that a lot of time and effort went into this book to make it as good as possible. For example, the colour of the letters match the blue on the cover. Every chapter states the temperature, which is pretty relevant to the story. Overall it felt like a very polished effort.

But maybe it felt a bit too polished for my tastes. It felt like every real and raw emotion has been polished out. Shiver is just a big string of poetical moments. If you have one of them, they can be strong and memorable, but if you have too many, they just turn into a blur. What am I trying to say? Maybe the relationship between Grace and Sam was too easy.

That doesn't mean this isn't a very enjoyable book. But I never really swooned over Sam, even though I usually love a tortured hero. Conclusion is, I liked Shiver. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Who's with me?

Blurb

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.

Other reviews you might be interested in
More links

Blogads - Looking for Advertisers!

After a very long while of contemplating whether or not I wanted to feature paid advertisements on my blog, I decided to try it for a few months. I'm talking about that little box down there on the right that says Paid Advertisement. Right now it's still empty, but hopefully some authors or fellow bloggers will want to advertise there soon!

Where will the money go to?
The money will be used to pay for the giveaways I have on my blog. I would love to give more books away, but it's a pretty expensive hobby. The money I make from the advertisements will go directly to shipping expenses and more Book Depository prizes.

Will your blog turn into one of those annoying add-filled abominations?
Well, if it's turning into that, please shoot me! I love the clean look of my blog and I'm not looking forward to stuff it with ads just so I can make some more money out of it.

That's all good and interesting, but what are we paying for?
Past month, my blog had over 5,000 pageviews. This month that number is climbing towards over 6,000. About 80% of my audience is from the USA, the other 20% from about every country across the world. If you have other questions about my audience, don't be afraid to shoot me an email (:

What does it cost?
For a 160x200 image (in a jpg, gif or png format) you pay $15 for a week. For a flash or video advertisement, that is $18. You can order to run your ad up to three months - after that you will have to make a new order.

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You can find more information on the pricing and ordering of my ads here. If you are a follower of Nyx Book Reviews and you would like to advertise, let me know through email or Twitter. I'll give you a 25% discount coupon, because all of my followers are awesome (:

Friday 30 March 2012

RCC Challenge: Love Will Find a Way


Hello everyone, and welcome to our fifth and final Review Copy Cleanup Challenge! Yes, the Review Copy Cleanup is coming to an end. Last week's winners have been chosen by Random.org and are announced here. If you're on the list but we haven't contacted you yet, don't worry, we will!

In the Love Will Find a Way Challenge we're sharing our all-time favourite books. If you were stuck on an island, or in a cave, which books would you bring? We're not limiting you to bring a certain amount of books, so give us your best!


As this is the final challenge, we're going out with a boom. There are four prize packs to win, containing these awesome books:

Prize pack 1 (Jennifer @ Some Like It Paranormal)
  • A bath/soap basket, courtesy of Shannon Mayer (US only)
  • An ebook copy of Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
  • An ebook copy of Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: Warriors of the Heynai by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Lawless Justice by Karina Kantas
  • An ebook copy of All's Fair in Vanities War by Karina Kantas + matching bookmarks

Prize pack 2 (Sweet Marie83 @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer)
  • A signed paperback copy of American Girl by Tony Talbot
  • An ebook copy of Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
  • An ebook copy of Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: Warriors of the Heynai by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Lawless Justice by Karina Kantas
  • An ebook copy of Justice by Jade Varden

Prize pack 3 (Erica @ Ink Spots And Roses)
  • A signed paperback copy of Over the Mountains by Tony Talbot
  • An ebook copy of Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
  • An ebook copy of Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: Warriors of the Heynai by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Lawless Justice by Karina Kantas
  • An ebook copy of Crystal Shade: Angeni, Volume 1 & 2 by István Szabó Ifj

Prize pack 4 (Marina)
  • A signed paperback copy of Taken by Tony Talbot
  • An ebook copy of Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
  • An ebook copy of Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of Jake West: Warriors of the Heynai by M J Webb
  • An ebook copy of All's Fair in Vanities War by Karina Kantas + matching bookmarks
  • An ebook copy of Blind Sight Through the Eyes of Aniela Dawson by Eliabeth Hawthorne + an ebook copy of Blind Sight Through the Eyes of Leocardo Reyes

We would like to thank everyone that has participated in our event, it was awesome to read all of your posts and to clean our review piles with you! Also a big thank you to all the authors that make these giveaways possible.

If you have a moment, could you please fill out this form? We would like to make our events even better in the future (:

Challenge Guidelines:
  • Be signed up in the Linky here
  • You have to follow both this blog and Books, Biscuits & Tea in order to compete for the prizes
  • Leave us a direct link to your challenge post in the Linky below (this is not the same Linky as the sign-up one!)
  • You only have to enter your name into the Linky on one of our blogs
  • The challenge ends on Tuesday, April 4 - the winners will be contacted by email and announced on our blogs

Leave us a link to your challenge post in this Linky:

Thursday 29 March 2012

What Does a 3 Star Rating Mean? (3 Star Rating Blog Hop)

Hi guys! When I saw a call for bloggers to talk about the dreaded three star rating on Bitten by Paranormal Romance, I decided to step up and share my own view on the subject. You can find more about the event and the hop on their blog here.

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So what does a three star rating mean for me? When I rate a book, I consider two things: how good the book actually is and my personal enjoyment of the book. These put together form my rating from one to five stars. When I give a book three stars it can mean one of two things:
  • It's a really good book, but I just didn't enjoy it that much
  • The book itself is not that exciting but I loved it anyway
Usually I make it very clear in my review of the book which of those two is the case. For example in my review of The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice I point out that the book is quite good, but it just wasn't for me personally. I had the same issue with Graceling by Kristin Cashore. On the other hand you have books like Katana by Cole Gibsen (technically a 3.5 star rating - just because it was that much fun to read). I loved the whole thing, but objectively I know a lot of people won't.

In my quest to write perfectly balanced reviews I try to incorporate both my own opinion and the facts. If I would give a book that has bad editing and consistency problems a rating only based on my personal enjoyment (which could be up to five stars) I would feel like I am misleading people. Five stars indicates that the book is near flawless and amazing.

I know quite some bloggers that don't use a rating system for various reasons. Some don't like to put a label on a book. Others just can't decide how to rate a book. I'm a big fan of rating systems - I love to be able to see in a single glance what the reviewer thought of the book. Did they love it, or did they hate it? Sometimes I specifically search for bad reviews of a book before deciding on buying it. Low ratings help me to find these.

So should authors be worried when someone gives their book a three star rating? Well, of course not. Three stars doesn't mean your book is bad and we hated it all. For most bloggers it means that they liked the book. They didn't want to put it on a shelf and honour it for the rest of their lives, but they didn't feel the inclination to ritually burn it either. Sometimes you just like a book. If you exclusively receive thee stars, you might want to reconsider if there is something missing in your work. That something that makes your book special and engaging.

Overall, I think three stars is a pretty damn fine rating.


I would love to hear from you guys on this subject. What do you expect of a book when it gets three star ratings in reviews? And what do you think of a book when you give it three stars yourself? Or are you team No-Rating? Leave a comment below!

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Waiting On Wednesday


Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait for.

One of my most anticipated releases is the spin-off series of the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. I'm currently reading the last book, Shadowfever and after I'm finished I'm sure that I will want more. Moning has a very engaging writing style, and I'm already planning on buying her Highlander books even though they're not my usual genre.

Iced by Karen Marie Moning
Expected publication October 30th 2012 by Delacorte Press

"I'm currently working on a trilogy that features Dani, Christian MacKeltar, Ryodan, and the mysterious 'Dancer,' set primarily in Fever-Dublin. Each installment in the trilogy is a stand-alone mystery, however there are larger plot arcs unfolding in the background...

..For those of you who have been worrying—the trilogy is not YA. If I had to categorize it, I would say it straddles the line between YA and adult uneasily. ...Many of the questions I left unanswered in the FEVER series are addressed in this new series.

Exciting news: I’ve agreed to write two more books after that. Once the new trilogy is complete, I’m returning to the core story begun in the FEVER series, and will resume writing about Mac, Barrons, V’lane, Cruce, the Unseelie king, the concubine, the Song of Making.

All in all, there are five more books coming about the Fever World!"

Karen Marie Moning

What are you waiting on? Leave a comment to your post!

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Review: Generation by William Knight (Blog Tour)

I am writing this review as part of a Novel Publicity book tour. The layout of this post will be slightly different from how I usually format my reviews to make it stand out from my regular posts. Make sure to check all the other awesome blogs in this tour out too, and read the Tour Notes below (you can win stuff!)

Review

Generation by William Knight
4 out of 5 stars

Published by Standing Hare
Review copy received as part of the tour

When I started reading Generation I was expecting full horror with a little bit of crime mystery. The first page did nothing to change those expectations; we begin with Patient SW0112 who feels how his own body is decomposing in graphic detail. I got quite a strong stomach for this kind of story; but I was very glad that this book is more than just three-hundred pages of gore.

Hendrix Harrison is a journalist for the Strange Phenomena magazine. When he gets sent to a small village to do research for a story, he comes across something way bigger than just a ghost sighting. There are bodies disappearing from a university facility, and it looks like they were used for testing genetic modification drugs by a pharmaceutical company. People are noticing that Hendrix is digging in stuff he isn't supposed to and some people are getting very, very annoyed.

When a book has an average rating of over four stars on Goodreads I get sceptical. It's impossible that everyone loves the same book, right? In the case of Generation I have to admit, this book is of a very professional standard. It's very well written with just the right amount of suspense, conspiracy, gruesomeness and science. I really liked how the virus that turns people into some kind of concious zombies was developed. Some authors take the easy way out and leave the details unexplained; Mr Knight on the other hand gives us a solid foundation so we can believe in his story.  

Generation is a very engaging book. Slowly you discover together with Hendrix what is going on at the university and the pharmaceutical company. For me personally it was too slow. I knew what was going on about halfway of the book, and the main characters took several agonizing chapters until they finally wanted to admit the "big secret". I did like the big conspiracy though, so I wasn't that annoyed. The characters were pretty lifelike and layered, but it turned out they just weren't people I very much liked. It's hard for me to identify with a single ex-military turned journalist. There was also a little romance that I didn't understand at all. I couldn't find any reason for them to be attracted to each other.

Luckily these were just minor problems and they didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I think a lot of lovers of thrillers will adore Generation. I would definitely recommend it, on the condition that you can handle a little bit of gore!

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes

> You can get your own copy of Generation on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

> Please vote for Nyx Book Reviews in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a $50 Amazon gift card (which is totally awesome). You can vote in the poll by visiting the official Generation blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.

> Be sure to enter for your chance to win an autographed copy of Generation

Author Bio

William Knight is a British born journalist and technologist currently living and working in Wellington, New Zealand. He's chased a varying career starting in acting, progressing to music, enjoyed a brief flirtation with handbag manufacturing and was eventually wired into technology where he's been since 1989. In 2003 he published his first feature in Computing magazine and has since written about the many successes and failings of high-tech for the Guardian, Financial Times and the BBC among many others publications. He continues to maintain a lively IT consultancy. Connect with William on his website, blog, Facebook, Twitter or GoodReads.

Release Day: Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill

Maria is the younger daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs to be a glassblower herself, glassblowing is not for daughters—that is her brother's work. Maria has only one duty to perform for her family: before her father died, he insisted that she be married into the nobility, even though her older sister, Giovanna, should rightfully have that role. Not only is Giovanna older, she's prettier, more graceful, and everyone loves her.

Maria would like nothing more than to allow her beautiful sister, who is far more able and willing to attract a noble husband, to take over this role for her. But they cannot circumvent their father's wishes. And when a new young glassblower arrives to help the family business and Maria finds herself drawn to him, the web of conflicting emotions grows even more tangled.



> Read my review of Sisters of Glass

Goodreads | Author | Publisher | Amazon | Book Depository

Monday 26 March 2012

Sign Up: Bloggiesta!


Although I frequently participate in readathons, I've never done a blogathon before. The Bloggiesta is an event from March 30th to April 1st where you work on your blog, interact with other bloggers and basically just get those things done you've been dreading to do. There are a lot of mini challenges, so it all sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to meet fellow book bloggers!


Here are some things that I would like to do during the Bloggiesta event:
  • Make a to-be-reviewed schedule
  • Organise my hardback review copies
  • Fix my blog header & button 
  • Count my unread books (I'm scared... but it's time)
  • Learn about Wordpress and how to move there eventually
If you're interested in participating too, you can still sign up for the event. If you're joining, leave me a comment! I'm looking forward to it (:

Sunday 25 March 2012

In My Mailbox

It's time for In My Mailbox, a weekly meme by The Story Siren!

After my very full mailbox of last week, I'm glad that this week is a lot more quiet. I only got one book for review in the mail (I'm to lazy to make a picture). Maybe I can get through the best part of my books for review this week, who knows (:

Click on the cover to go to the Goodreads page.





For Review: 


It looks like lately I'm getting a lot of contemporaries for review, even though that isn't really one of my preferred genres. I've been reading some very good ones though, so I'm giving The Earthquake Machine a try to. Thanks to the author for sending me this book!

What do you have in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment! (:

Saturday 24 March 2012

Review: Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings

Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings
4 out of 5 stars

Published by West Virginia University Press
Review copy received through the author & publisher

Ugly to Start With is a collection of short stories that describe Jason's life growing up in 1970s small town West Virginia.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. With a title like Ugly to Start With I expect some kind of bizarre semi-realistic romp through childhood. What I got was a well thought-through string of stories that all highlighted a little part of Jason's personality. They were all very well-written and polished. There were no loose ends or stories that I didn't understand the meaning of, which is quite an accomplishment in this genre.

A LOT is wrong in Jason's life, from his highly dysfunctional family to the racism that raged through the States and everything in between. Yet Ugly to Start With is a hopeful book that shines in some passages. It was nice to see that meaningful books don't have to be depressing but can be enjoyable to read.

I liked reading about all the different characters that make up the little town of Harpers Ferry, all strange in their own way. At moments I was disappointed that the story ended so quickly, I wanted to know what would happen next.

Ugly to Start With is a great little book, and I would love to read something from Mr Cummings again.

Blurb

Jason Stevens is growing up in picturesque, historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in the 1970s. Back when the roads are smaller, the cars slower, the people more colorful, and Washington, D.C. is way across the mountains—a winding sixty-five miles away.

Jason dreams of going to art school in the city, but he must first survive his teenage years. He witnesses a street artist from Italy charm his mother from the backseat of the family car. He stands up to an abusive husband—and then feels sorry for the jerk. He puts up with his father’s hard-skulled backwoods ways, his grandfather’s showy younger wife, and the fist-throwing schoolmates and eccentric mountain characters that make up Harpers Ferry—all topped off by a basement art project with a girl from the poor side of town.

Ugly to Start With punctuates the exuberant highs, bewildering midpoints, and painful lows of growing up, and affirms that adolescent dreams and desires are often fulfilled in surprising ways.

Other reviews you might be interested in
More links

Interview: T.P. Boje (Beyond)

Today I'm interviewing Therese, writer of the Afterlife series (starting with Beyond).

The Interview

Nyx Book Reviews: Hi Therese, welcome to Nyx Book Reviews! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Therese: My name is T.P. Boje and I am a writer of mystery novels, young adult fantasy and paranormal romance novels. Originally I am from Denmark but three years ago we moved to Florida with my husbands job and that was when I began to write in English.

Can you tell us some more about your book, Beyond?

It is the first book in the series I have called Afterlife. It is about a young girl Meghan who dies and wakes up on a steamboat on her way to The Academy. It is a school where you have to go after you die in order to learn how to handle your new body and new powers and your new life. At the school she meets Mick who is really nice to her and helps her out in this difficult time of her life in a world filled with heavenly magic. One day she goes through a magic mirror and ends up on earth where she meets Jason and falls in love with him. Now she is torn between two worlds.

What makes your series stand out from other young-adult series?

I guess the settings are pretty unique. Plus there are no werewolves or vampires.

Where and when did you decide to become a writer?

I have always been writing. Ever since I was a small child I have always told stories to whoever would listen. In school I remember sitting in class during recess and telling stories to my friends making them forget that they were about to go out and play. Even my teacher would often listen in as well. Later I would write stories for my teacher and he loved to read them. I kept writing short-stories in high school and then I became a journalist. For many years I worked at a Danish TV-station, and it was then I came up with the idea for my first novel. A Danish truck-driver had been found dead in Poland and I was sent there to cover the investigation for the TV-station. Two years later that story became my first mystery novel. Since then I wrote two other mystery-novels that has been published in Denmark, Norway and Germany. I write full-time and that is the only thing I ever want to do.

When I moved to Florida I started writing in English and published another mystery-novel called “One, Two … He is coming for you” but then I wanted to try something new. I wanted to write for a younger audience and that was when I wrote the fantasy-novel “The Eye of the Crystal Ball” that came out last June. But something was missing, I thought. I needed some romance. So I started reading some paranormal romance and loved it. I knew right away that I wanted to write that too. Now I have written three novels in this series. I am planning on writing a new series soon, so I will be busy for awhile.

What do you like best about being a writer?

The fact that I can just spend all day in my own worlds that I create. I can finally use this huge imagination that I have to create something that people can enjoy. I love to get letters from readers who liked my books.

What are your plans for the future? Any more books coming up?

Right now I am writing a Danish mystery-novel for my publisher over there, but afterwards I will begin a new series called "Daughters of the Jaguar". I think it is going to be really wonderful and I can't wait to begin writing it.

Thank you for answering my questions! (:

Bio

I am a Y/A Paranormal Romance, fantasy and mystery writer. I am originally from Denmark but currently living in Florida, USA. I have written several mystery novels that are published in Denmark, Norway and Germany. They are all published under my maiden name and no they are not translated into English yet. I hope they will be one day, though.

I am also the author of several books in English. Latest I have begun a series called Afterlife. It is a Y/A Paranormal Romance-novel for the young reader with a twist of both fantasy and mystery in it. Currently I have released three books in the series, Beyond, Serenity and Endurance. They are both available on Amazon.com, Smashwords, Barnes and Nobles, etc. and as paperback if you prefer that.

You can find more information about T.P. and her work on her website.

Friday 23 March 2012

RCC Challenge: Mysterious Meetup


Hello everyone, and welcome to our fourth Review Copy Cleanup Challenge! As all of you know, the sign up for the Review Copy Cleanup are closed. Last week's winners have been chosen by Random.org and are announced here. If you're on the list but we haven't contacted you yet, don't worry, we will!

In the Mysterious Meetup Challenge you can have that conversation with your favourite book character of all times. Who would you want to meet? What questions would you ask him or her? Share your Mysterious Meetup with us!

And once again, we have some books to give away to those of you who complete the challenge. Here's what's up for grabs:


1x ebook copy of Covert Dreams
by Michael Meyer
1x ebook copy of  The Keeper of the Stones by M J Webb
1x ebook copy of Warrior of the Heynai by M J Webb
1x ebook copy of Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst
1x paperback copy of Quicksilver by Joy Spraycar

Five lucky winners will get to choose from the five prizes listed above. It's first come, first serve - which means that the first winner will get to choose first, the second winner chooses next, and so on.

Challenge Guidelines:
  • Be signed up in the Linky here
  • You have to follow both this blog and Books, Biscuits & Tea in order to compete for the prizes
  • Leave us a direct link to your challenge post in the Linky below (this is not the same Linky as the sign-up one!)
  • You only have to enter your name into the Linky on one of our blogs
  • The challenge ends on Thursday, March 29 - the winners will be contacted by email and announced during next week's challenge

Leave us a link to your challenge post in this Linky:

RCC Challenge: My Mysterious Meetup

This is my own entry for the Mysterious Meetup Challenge (find the challenge here).

It was very hard to choose between these two to meet up with, so I'm stealing Vicky's idea of picking more than one (ha!). Here are the characters I would love to have a conversation with...

Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series

I would love to meet with Luna! I think she's a great character and just the right amount of crazy. I would ask her all about magical creatures and being a wizard. Secretly I'm still waiting for my letter from Hogwarts. Maybe she can learn me some magic tricks for Muggles! We would have an awesome time :D

Astrid from the Killer Unicorn series

I love love LOVE this series and I would love to meet the main character Astrid. She is super kick-ass (she kills unicorn-monsters for a living) and she's a nice person too. I would love to meet her, so she could show me unicorns without me fearing for my life. I might even be able to give her some boyfriend advice, as she isn't that good in that department.

Which characters would you like to meet up with? Leave a comment with your post (:

Movie Trailer: The Host (Stephenie Meyer)

It seems like today is a good day for movie things on my blog. Another book of Stephenie Meyer is getting a movie adaptation, and this time it's of her lesser known (as of yet) standalone The Host. Here is the official teaser thing (it doesn't contain any actual footage of the movie).





My thoughts so far:
  • Is it me, or does this trailer look pretty cheap? Especially with the first people with alien eyes, it reminded me more of a fan-made video
  • The face we see of lead character Melanie looks a bit strange, and nothing like Saoirse Ronan, who plays her. Is it her, or someone else? I'm a bit confused
  • I'm a bit afraid that the movie is going to be too gooey and fluffy. I liked the book of The Host because it contained a tiny bit of social commentary, in a dark way. The voice at the start of the trailer is so sweet it makes my teeth ache
  • Overall I'm not very convinced yet that this movie is going to be awesome, so I'm looking forward to see the real trailer closer to the release date
  • I also found the poster movie thing, but I had to three-double take to make sure I had the right one. They look more like people dressed up in squeaky leather, not remaining humans trying to survive in the desert (update: it's most certainly fan-made)
  • It just struck me that Stephenie does love shiny things; these aliens don't sparkle in the sun, but their eyes do
What do you guys think? Are you excited about this movie?

    Thursday 22 March 2012

    Movie Review: The Hunger Games

    Guess what I did last night.

    That's right, I saw The Hunger Games in the cinema!

    For some reason it is already in premiere here in the Netherlands, while you US people have to wait until tomorrow. For once, living here makes me get to things earlier rather than later!

    Now on for the review. Seriously guys. You all must see this movie. It is way better than I was expecting. I absolutely loved the book (read my review) and I was afraid the movie would be like Eragon's movie adaptation. Which was bad. Very bad.

    So when the movie started I was a bit sceptical. The camera was a bit shaky during the opening scenes, and it took a while to get used to it. Both Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) were very different from how I pictured them in the books.

    I shouldn't have been worried because Jennifer Lawrence's performance blew me away. This is the first time I've seen her act, and I'm a complete fan. She is an amazing Katniss. Katniss is a complex character; she doesn't always show her true emotions and can change moods in a second. Jennifer did a wonderful job, and I believed every second of it.

    Even though the Games are pretty gruesome, the producers decided to keep the gore to a minimum. There is blood, and you know what's happening, but the camera shakes so much that you don't get to see any details. I'm very glad they chose to film it this way, otherwise the movie would be reduced to a science-fiction gore-fest.

    There are some amazingly strong scenes in the film, just like in the book. The Hunger Games stays very close to the book, with just some minor adjustments to increase the watch-ability. All of the great moments in the book are in there, and they do not disappoint.

    For those of you that have not read the book: this movie is perfectly enjoyable for the Hunger Games newbies. I took a test-subject (my boyfriend) with me, and he loved it too. I elaborated for a few little things that felt like plot-holes to him, but overall there was nothing that threw him off.

    I recommend this movie for everyone that loves dystopians and movies that keep you on the edge of your chair.

    The Awesomeness Giveaway Winner!

    Hi guys! Today I'm going to announce the winner of my Awesomeness Giveaway. It's amazing how fast time has flew by, it feels like yesterday when the giveaway started. I would like to thank everyone that entered and commented and followed, it's all very much appreciated! <3

    The book of her choice goes to...

    Congratulations Holly H!

    Wednesday 21 March 2012

    Review: Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

    Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan
    (The Saga of Larten Crepsley #1)
    4 out of 5 stars

    Published by HarperCollins Children's Books

    A prequel series to his Cirque du Freak books, The Sage of Larten Crepsley follows the life of vampire Larten, who will play such an important part in the later books featuring young Darren. Set three hundred years ago, we meet Larten as a human. We see the world through his eyes, and learn how he has become the person he is.

    The thing that stands out first is the writing style in Birth of a Killer. It is so different from how Mr Shan has written his Demonata series, which I've read before this one. The language in Birth of a Killer is slightly more formal, richer, more detailed. Especially the more formal part worked really well with the historical feel. It was nice to see that he has such a diversity of writing.

    Another thing that is remarkable in comparison with his other work is how little action there is in this book. Usually you can count on some kind of big fights at least three times throughout his books, but it felt like Birth of a Killer was way more mellow than his other books.

    Even though there might not be that much action, this book can still classify as horror. Not because there are demons or vampires in it, but because it describes the horrors of what some human beings can do to each other. You know, the true evil in the world. There was quite some heavy stuff going on in the first part of the book, so I was glad there were also some lighter parts to give some relief.

    Birth of a Killer is a very quick read, even though it doesn't rely on action to keep it moving. You should see it more like some kind of diary of Larten's childhood and the beginning of his vampire life. Not everything is told; just some key elements that have formed the way he is.

    For lovers of the Cirque du Freak series, I would definitely recommend Birth of a Killer. Larten is one of the most interesting characters in the series, and he deserves some books of his own. If you haven't read any Darren Shan yet, I wouldn't recommend this book to start with. Especially the mechanics of the vampire society will probably go completely past you if you aren't familiar with the world.

    Birth of a Killer is different, but not a bad different.

    Blurb

    The highly anticipated prequel to the New York Times bestselling Cirque Du Freak series!

    Before Cirque Du Freak...
    Before the war with the vampaneze...
    Before he was a vampire.
    Larten Crepsley was a boy.

    As a child laborer many centuries ago, Larten Crepsley did his job well and without complaint, until the day the foreman killed his cousin/bestfriend as an example to the other children. In that moment, young Larten flies into a rage that the foreman wouldn't survive. Forced on the run, he sleeps in crypts and eats cobwebs to get by. And when a vampire named Seba offers him protection and training as a vampire's assistant, Larten takes it.
    This is his story.

    Other reviews you might be interested in
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    Tuesday 20 March 2012

    Vote for Nyx Book Reviews!

    Hi guys, as you might have noticed I'm in the The Day of First Sun Whirlwind Recruitment. That means that as a blogger participating in this tour, I have a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card if I get most votes. It would mean the world for me if I could win this contest (:

    So head over to the tour page and vote in the Blogger Traffic-Breaker Poll for Nyx Book Reviews!

    Everyone that votes for me is so awesome <3 I will do a personal happy dance for you!

    Monday 19 March 2012

    Review: Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill

    Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
    3.5 out of 5 stars

    Expected publication March 27th
    Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
    ARC received through Netgalley

    I will preface this review by saying that I know absolutely nothing about poetry. When I hear about famous poets I say "I must read those some time!" but as you all know, I never do. I know they're those strange people that don't fill the page like normal writers do, and sometimes just put maybe two or three words on a single page. They can ramble on about an old shoe and their work will be called a masterpiece. I don't get poetry at all.

    That being said, I enjoyed reading Sisters of Glass. The book is a young-adult historical romance set in Venice, and all written in free verse. For those of you that don't know what free verse is, here's a quote from Wikipedia: "Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern".

    It was an interesting book and I enjoyed reading about Maria, the youngest daughter of a Venetian glass-maker. Her father's last dying wish is that she should marry a nobleman. Her beautiful older sister, who is way more suitable to navigate the world of nobility, is condemned to work in the furnace. With the arrival of Luca, a skilled glass artist, Maria is getting even more confused whether or not she should obey to her father's wish.

    I'm a sucker for everything historical, and I loved the Venetian setting. It has a certain charm with the gondolas and the piazzas and even the floodings, although maybe not that much fun, add to the credibility of the story. I very much enjoyed the descriptions Ms Hemphill has weaved carefully. There is a lot of attention to detail in this story which was great to read.

    Although I liked how the romance progressed between the different characters, I still felt like this story could have been a little longer. Maybe it's just because I'm not used to this format, but at times I wanted more. I wanted more emotions, more of the interactions, more of everything.

    Overall Sisters of Glass was an interesting little book and I would recommend it for people that are in love with Venice or historical settings, and that like a flush of romance in their reads.

    Blurb

    Maria is the younger daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs to be a glassblower herself, glassblowing is not for daughters—that is her brother's work. Maria has only one duty to perform for her family: before her father died, he insisted that she be married into the nobility, even though her older sister, Giovanna, should rightfully have that role. Not only is Giovanna older, she's prettier, more graceful, and everyone loves her.

    Maria would like nothing more than to allow her beautiful sister, who is far more able and willing to attract a noble husband, to take over this role for her. But they cannot circumvent their father's wishes. And when a new young glassblower arrives to help the family business and Maria finds herself drawn to him, the web of conflicting emotions grows even more tangled.

    Other reviews you might be interested in
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    Guest Post: Sheryl Steines on Strong Heroines (Blog Tour)

    It's been a while since I participated in a blog tour, but today I present to you Novel Publicity's Whirlwind tour of Sheryl Steines's book, The Day of First Sun. Read on to see how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour (including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire and more).

    The Guest Post

    The Strong Female

    I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters. It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along. Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into. As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch. I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out--a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities. Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex. We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

    When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn't read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn't help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives. Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves? It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress. Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

    As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw in Buffy a strong character. Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons. She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week. But she wasn't uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved. She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

    The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype. She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen. She falls somewhere in the middle. She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

    When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own. But she didn’t feel genuine. As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact. I gave her feelings, gave her stress. I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support. I melded two halves into one woman--a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary. We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be? Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

    Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, "Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters," Theron said. "We usually don't get to play bad hookers or bad mothers -- or anything in between."

    Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.

    The Tour

    As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including: $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

    All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes you can find here. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

    To win the prizes:

    > Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99
    cents

    > Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
    > Visit today’s featured social media event

    Help Nyx Book Reviews win:

    The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. (That is one hell of a big gift card!)When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to vote for me! <3

    Book & Bio

    About the book: When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

    During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun? Get it on Amazon.

    About the author: Sheryl Steines’ mind is chaotic and surprising and it shows in her writing. Never one to sit back and see what may come, Sheryl is driven to write everyday. Somehow, amidst the chaos, she finds the time to volunteer and give talks to book clubs and students about her writing. She even walked the Avon Breast Cancer walk two years in a row.

    Sheryl’s series Annie Loves Cham is full of surprises and mystery. Refusing to be restricted by genre Sheryl has taken the characters she loves and set them in new situations which test them and their friendships. The second book in the series is set to release in late summer 2012.Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

    Sunday 18 March 2012

    In My Mailbox

    It's time for In My Mailbox, a weekly meme by The Story Siren!

    This was a great bookish week - I received three books for review and went book shopping with a good friend. The Selexyz book store in Maastricht is amazing. You can see a picture here. It's built in an old church and even though their English selection is tiny, they got some very surprising books there.

    Click on the cover to go to the Goodreads page.



    For Review: 


    A big thank you to Cedar Fort! It's a young-adult shifter book, and it looks pretty good. I'm looking forward to read it.


    I was invited by Bold Strokes Books to read this title, and of course I can't say no to that. I've read one book by them before, Me@you.com. They mainly publish LGBT books which I think is awesome. Even though Love Life doesn't really look like my thing, I'll give it a try (:


    This week this huge manuscript came into the mail. It's a review copy printed on A4. It's a first, but the book looks interesting!

    Bought:


    I heard so many great things about this book, so when I found this cover (it's so pretty! it has these awesome red swirls around the title) I knew I had to buy it. The size of it is pretty intimidating though... I hope I can find the time to read it soon


    I was so surprised to find Cinder here in the Netherlands! Usually we don't get the new young-adult releases. I wasn't planning on buying it, but that cover kind of forced me to take it home anyway. I'm really looking forward to read this, it sounds awesome (:


    What do you have in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment! (:

    Saturday 17 March 2012

    Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

    The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
    4 out of 5 stars

    Published by Razorbill

    The Replacement has this eerie fairy-tale feel. It's really hard to describe this book, it's different from the average young-adult novel. I'm having troubles reviewing this book (which is quite rare for me), but I'll do the best I can.

    Mackie lives in Gentry with his parents and sister yet he is not their real family. He comes from a place no one talks about. He is something no one talks about. Evil lurks in Gentry, and this time it might get personal.

    The setting of The Replacement reminds me of a young-adult version of Derry, the town Stephen King has created. It has the same foreboding feel to it, the same sense of evil. And even though everyone feels it, and everyone knows, they don't move to another town. They are used to the fear.

    Horror is one of the hardest genres to write in. To make a story truly scary you need more than just some gore and bloodshed. You need true evil, something that sends shivers up your spine. I love how Ms Yovanoff sets the ambience. Although it really isn't that scary, I refrained from reading this book in bed. I'm very prone to nightmares, and I don't want to meet any of her monsters in my sleep.

    In The Replacement it evil isn't just black and white. It has many shades of grey and the main character's perception changes throughout the story. Mackie really undergoes a transformation. From a shade of a person that only wants to disappear he turns into someone that looks problems into the eye.

    To be very honest this was a strange book. At times it felt dreamlike, fairy-tale like while at other times it felt like a contemporary paranormal novel. I'm still not sure what to think about The Replacement, and I'm not sure yet whether or not I will read it again. I am curious to maybe read some of Ms Yovanoff's other works. She has an interesting voice that I would love to see more of.

    Blurb

    Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

    Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

    Other reviews you might be interested in
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    Friday 16 March 2012

    RCC Challenge: Don't Be Such a Tease!


    Hi everyone, and welcome to our third Review Copy Cleanup Challenge! As of today, the sign up for the Review Copy Cleanup are closed. Last week's winners have been chosen by Random.org and are announced here. If you're on the list but we haven't contacted you yet, don't worry, we will!

    The Don't Be Such a Tease Challenge is all about being the biggest tease possible. We are all reading books that aren't published yet, and what is more fun than showing other readers how awesome your current read is! The challenge is to share a few sentences from the RCC book you are reading right now, so we can all get a little taste.

    And once again, we have some books to give away to those of you who complete the challenge. Here's what's up for grabs:


    1x ebook copy of Promise Cove
    by Vickie McKeehan
    1x ebook copy of  Just Evil by Vickie McKeehan
    1x ebook copy of Vampires Rule by K.C. Blake
    1x paperback copy of Thank You for the Flowers by Scott Nicholson
    1x ebook copy of Paradox - Special Edition: The Angels Are Here / Progeny Of Innocence by Patti Roberts + postcards

    Five lucky winners will get to choose from the five prizes listed above. It's first come, first serve - which means that the first winner will get to choose first, the second winner chooses next, and so on.

    Challenge Guidelines:
    • Be signed up in the Linky here
    • You have to follow both this blog and Books, Biscuits & Tea in order to compete for the prizes
    • Leave us a direct link to your challenge post in the Linky below (this is not the same Linky as the sign-up one!)
    • You only have to enter your name into the Linky on one of our blogs
    • The challenge ends on Thursday, March 22 - the winners will be contacted by email and announced during next week's challenge

    Leave us a link to your challenge post in this Linky:

    RCC Challenge: My Teaser

    Here is my entry for the Don't Be Such a Tease Challenge (find the challenge here). I'm being a bad girl again, since I'm reading a non review book (I try to alternate between owned and review books to avoid burn outs). But I will start Sisters of Glass in a few days, so I thought I would share the first chapter of the book, to give you a taste! It's all written in this kind of poetry style. Click on the cover to find out more about the book.


    Second Daughter

        I feel Giovanna's fire
    as Mother prepares me for suitors, polishes me
    while Giovanna polishes glass.
        Though I am the younger daughter
    and rightfully should not marry
    into Venetian nobility,
    my father declared
    the day I was born,
    the week he invented cristallo,
    that I was his
    baby of good fortune,
    and good fortune would be mine.


    It sounds like a really interesting book, definitely something I haven't read before. I'm looking forward to read your teasers!

    Wednesday 14 March 2012

    Waiting on Wednesday


    Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait for.

    After finishing A Witch in Winter (my review) I've been really craving some nice witch books. I've been listening to Born Wicked on audio which kind of helps, but it turns out I just want to know how the story between Anna and Seth continues! I'll have to wait until July for the sequel...


    A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton
    Expected publication July 5th by Hodder Children's Books


    Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what.

    But magic – like love – is uncontrollable. It spills out with terrible consequences, and soon, Anna is being hunted.

    .

    What are you waiting on? Leave a comment to your post!

    Tuesday 13 March 2012

    Review: Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

    Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
    (Habitat #1)
    2.5 out of 5 stars

    Published by Dragonfairy Press
    Review copy received through the author

    You know the feeling when every single person you know loved a book, but you don't? And you wonder why people don't see it? That is how I feel about Fire Baptized.

    Supernaturals are being forced to live in cages the size of small cities. Here they live in poverty and suppression. But things are even worse if you are a Mixbreed. They are second-class citizens, even in the Habitat. When she witnesses a gruesome murder on the way home, Lanore is determined to find the killer. But then he starts targeting people around her, and the killings get more personal.

    The best way to describe Fire Baptized is an Anita Blake novel merged with a dystopian with social suppression themes. Think pre-orgy Anita Blake here. It's graphic urban-fantasy. There is a high level of gore and sex scenes that leave very little to imagination. I wouldn't recommend this for the sensitive reader. But for those of you who like it gritty - you might like this.

    I admire the idea behind the story. It's different from what we're used to. There are Shifters, Vampires, Fairies, Pixies, Half-Demons and Witches; about every supernatural creature you can think of. They live in a caged city, cut off from the world. It's a highly original concept, and I just wish the execution was better.

    The thing is, when you make this fantastic world with countless creatures that inhabit it and even make a whole religion for them, I want details. I want to know who built the cage. How does it look. What kinds of supernaturals are there, and what are their powers. When did supernaturals come out of the closet, so to speak? My main problem with Fire Baptized is that these details aren't there. There are pixies flying around, but I don't even know what they look like. Trolls make an appearance, but I have no idea whether they're black, green or orange. I get that you have to avoid info-dumps in books, especially in genres like urban-fantasy, but I sense a new phenomenon here. I'm calling it info-voids.

    One of the biggest info-voids is why the supernaturals are even in a cage. Who put them there? Didn't they put up a fight or something? It mustn't be easy to put witches inside of a cage. The elements that make this story unique are just hinted on. Too much information is bad for a story, and it bogs it down. But too little makes it senseless.

    Another thing that bothers me is inconsistencies. At one point in the novel, a law is mentioned that says vampires can't grow older than the age of a hundred. A few chapters later, we meet some vampires that are about two hundred years old. Maybe there is an explanation for this, but it isn't mentioned in the book.

    My biggest annoyance in the book is the language Ms Wright has created. I think it's admirable to create your own language; I think it's great that Rebels speak some kind of dialect. You can even call it Lib Lib if you want to. What I don't like is that the Rebels talk like Yoda on a trip to Jamaica. As an illustration, I will quote some of the Lib Lib sentences spoken by a Rebel.

    "Me no like this place already," Nona complained. "It's full of oppressors. We sit in the front."

    "Me understand, but he can't harm you. You're Zulu's breeder."
    And this is a response from heroine Lanore.

    "Rest your... um, mouth, Nona," I said, straining to think of the few Lib Lib phrases I knew. "Him good."
    I'm willing to believe in magic. But I am not willing to believe that this person cannot understand basic English. She SPEAKS basic English, only like a three-year-old. It just wasn't credible at all and turned into something that annoyed me every time it came up.

    If you like stubborn (not necessarily smart) heroines, love triangles, alpha males with rock hard abs, gruesome murders and grown-up bullying, I think you might like Fire Baptized. It really isn't a bad book, and a lot of people have enjoyed and will keep to enjoy it. As of now I am the only person here on Goodreads not to like it that much. Try it, and see for yourself.

    Blurb

    Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.

    Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

    Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend MeShack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention.

    While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

    Other reviews you might be interested in
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