Doorstep Delights Book Haul (also STS)

I may have mentioned some of these but hauls take a while to build (at least for me... XD)

Anyway, I'm doing 'Doorstep Delights' today. This feature is hosted by Hawwa (or Hawaii if you prefer, jokes- 
I'm not on my kindle atm) @ itwaslovelyreadingyou. Please don't eat my books Hawwa...
Besides Hawwa, there's STS (Tynga's Reviews): Saturday book haul meme. Enjoy this random haul please!

For once I haven't hauled any library books, I don't want Hawwa to eat library books because it'd be hard explaining that to the library. No, a dog didn't eat the books- it was a human. She's a book blogger. I no longer volunteer in the library (holidays have to end) but I do other volunteering/youth work instead now
it's schooltime, sadly no books are involved...
Here are books which I acquired ;) It was over like, 3 months... DON'T JUDGE (that includes laughing at me...)

 
The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1) by Jonathan Stroud - For Review @ Once Upon A Series*
Harry Potter books (does it count as hauling if you just nick them from your brothers shelf?) 

*Once Upon A Series is not cited for receipt of TSS (L&C #1); I'm one of the team behind that blog & Chrissie was  the middle (wo)man who passed it on from Random House. Thanks RH & my lovely co-blogger there! :D

Other books for review:

Physical

Cruel Summer (Thanks FierceFiction team @ Orion/Indigo Publishers)
Diamond Thief (thanks Curious Fox, see below)

Red Rock (ditto CF, I also wrote when I'd read the sampler, at the time I was reading Diamond Thief for SRS, Charlie's Letters- they are about Red Rock & I decided recently to write some more from Charlie's letters & leave it hanging until I've read more of Red Rock- you can see the page which is going to be part of the next installment poking out of Red Rock!)

The Soterion Mission (ditto thanks)
Shown: Diamond Thief & Amber (last Curious Fox book, I didn't expect this one but hopefully once TSM is read & Red  Rock  reviewed as well then I'll be able to get to this one too- sampler in other image)
SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE (also courtesy of Orion's Indigo imprint).

Ebooks (thanks to the authors)

 

Bought-

A series you may recognize. Book pushed
by... well, you know Rita!

Where I Belong by Gillian Cross is one of my first blogger friends favourite books & when I see that and a 5* rating, I get intrigued. At first I was just going to get it from the library but when I saw it for only £2, no lie, I was like... Why not? So it doesn't matter whether Char likes it or not, or why really... It was like so cheap, for physical books anyway. I'd had enough coffee too so I could afford to spend what may buy two coffees, and occasionally three XD
Shimmer - Series
Geek Girl - You don't need to ask. Just ask me what I think when I've read it & fingers crossed...
Halifax I just bought as it was discounted... By a lot. I think it was 49p (which is less than a Wispa)? It still might still be!

What do you think of these books? Read & reviewed any? Link reviews of these books if you so please, then we can convince other readers to get them... Maybe I'd even get to buddy read (hopefully am for Soterion Mission soon anyway!) some of them... YAY!

Soon going to read Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban

Not Pretty Enough

Page 99 Test (for reference Not Pretty Enough here, my fourth Page 99 Test). 

I assume you saw that post & know about my verdict on the 99th page of this book...

Reviewing... [44]Author: Jaimie Admans (as I've remembered to you, we are buds*) Source: Review copy for tour*

*does not affect my opinions.

Recommended for: Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary YA comedy suitable for ages 13+

So, yes... Jaimie returns again! You know Jaimie... Just a recap of the bare bones of one Welsh author who has written another stunning YA! : Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

What was my verdict from page 99 before?    A light dusting of humour there, some good character introduction and things to read the book for the whole picture. Oh and, Chessie, sometimes a hot guy needs his ego crushing. Atta girl. I asked you... "What do you think? Has it intrigued? Caused a LOL perchance? Primark or Prada?"

And after?

I still need to read about a quarter more of the book (around 50 pages!)
There is a real sense of character development, most definitely. Obviously, Chessie was a klutz then & her mistakes continue, going from bad to worse- sometimes her mistakes are forgiveable. Her Mum isn't a total dragon just not a money-making machine, I understand the Primark thing now. Chessie, being the teen chick she is, obviously loves a range of stores- H&M when she has the money! Snap! Chessie hasn't turned from slight idiot to genius but really, that'd be taking the fun out of the story. I loved the humour; it had me in fits of REAL laughter at certain points. Thank goodness I don't take my kindle to English lessons (a curse for a reader that we can't sometimes) or I would have half the dignity I used to...
I’m glad at least it made her a bit more extroverted. Let the girl out of wallflower kingdom & make her into one of those girls you actually cannot fail to notice!
She doesn't do enough to annoy Lloyd on purpose... He deserves the annoyance, but not all the attention. Sure, he turns out to be slightly above average so her taste isn’t entirely skewed- he likes campaigning for a certain charity you’ll find out about- yet is genuinely not a guy I’d obsess over that much. I can’t imagine him equalling book boyfriend material; he’s more like the boys I know, or a mix of them. Lloyd is, plainly put, tall, rich, a bit up himself and has very little in common with Chessie. Why does she like him despite all his flaws I won’t go into?
She just decided to get him to notice her. When that’s just achieved- and the antics all played out (thankfully not involving streaking- the blurb didn’t let you in all that)- she’s still not happy; in fact it’s fair to say, “talk about obsessed!”. It's a laughing matter and a frustrating matter. Can't she just accept that people like her friends Ewan & Debs are right? There's nothing special about Lloyd.
Well, it wouldn’t have been half as funny if she’d played hard to get so maybe I get it. Somewhere, it makes sense. I know it happens in real life. I know this has been written about as a whole text of hyperbole, romance (*cough* attempts at it which Chessie really should not recommend *cough*) & laughter! It is ideal for many teenage girls... Forget teenage, I think anybody with a smidgen of girliness would love this. You end up forgetting that actually she’s too ridiculous, she is making bad decisions and start putting yourself in her shoes (that’s the main thing so I can’t really complain). They aren’t the worse decisions but I’m glad I’ve never had to go through such, utter humiliation! I’d die with red cheeks. Well, he knows who he is. Not sure they’re the best ways to be remembered, it all amounts to something along the lines of “Crazy stalker girl”. Will it work out in the end? How many times can Chessie brush herself off after a disaster only to mess up in another way?
Maybe I should have been a bit more awkward in Year 9? Too late. I didn’t want to be an awkward fourteen year old? Do I have to be an awkward anything-teen? You may not understand how she can just laugh at herself so often in good fun but I hope you’ll still find her as likeable as I did :P
I hope you enjoy Admans writing- it always get the point across & I admire how she can write such funny stuff. I hope Chessie continues to be a joy to write and continues to develop to more mature measures for Book 2.

(Remember, I do say this while still reading! Awkward way to review I know, but I bet the book will still be EPIC).

Not Pretty Enough is awaiting a rating but you will notice I'm still saying I'm enjoying it & the blog tour is giving away Not Pretty Enough... Enter if you like:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks,
Amy Bookworm x

Reviewing... [43] Cruel Summer

Reviewing... [43] Source: Recieved for review, thanks Indigo! Author: James Dawson  Recommended for: *sobs and wishes for some machine to duplicate it so she can have unlimited copies to shove at people*

Words are supposed to be powerful, aren't they? Wow. They bloody are. As James correctly said, it's all about the feels. There's nicer feelings, obviously, but certain feelings aren't really going to leave such a... mark. I've never read anything that could be compared to Cruel Summer. There's obviously books which may share a smidgen with Cruel Summer but really... there aren't books like this published frequently. This book will make your jaw drop; it will then precede to hang there for a few minutes & just when your jaw has returned to its normal position, it's going to drop again. Literally. The pace... it's... like it must have been so much fun, even though it's kinda serious. Thrillers, a kick for authors too. My suspicions danced around like crazy fireflies or something, who killed who? I did guess the circumstances around Janey's death but was so confused by other factors I literally considered so many possibilities. None of them had it all cracked. You may guess the killer but... you won't have cracked the mystery entirely. There is no way anyone could get within even a mile of predicting the ending. Admittedly, I didn't expect the characters to be quite as old as they were- all around 19- but it did help that in "TV & movie land" I'm fairly used to those ages being surrounded by a suitable story for people not at that age yet. In fiction, there's that whole NA palaver and I'm so glad this was YA. It might be enjoyed by NA's but anyway... The characters were just so, so fantastic. You have jock with bad girl twin and new girl, good girls buddying up with a character and a half and of course... my personal favourite, the hot geek (forget coke, I'll take you up on that lukewarm Dr Pepper)- literally categorized like that by Ryan, one of the characters taking centre stage. If I'm honest, I preferred Alisha's excerpts as they were much more down to earth. The book still had its 'pretend it's TV' theme but she wasn't comparing her life to anything else- she was just realizing that it was happening around her. Ryan, on the other hand, converted everything to TV and early on, he even made everything sounded scripted (Scene 1 especially!). I didn't really like that- a book is a different medium. It can have similarities but it's annoying. In books, characters don't convert their lives to books- nobody converts their life to a book :P So, movies? It's slightly annoying, but maybe not for everyone, at the end of the day. It's more the concept than how it was done. The writing is just amazing!

If they burst into song, Kurt would probably think it was a musical...

You'd think it would be more cliched than it was, though. The concepts should be unoriginal at some points but someone they managed to seem refreshing & new. Obviously, these things you will know are so NOT going to happen to you, but you will be left thinking. It was more realistic than I thought it could be- I cried at one point. Real tears.

Page 99 Test: Not Pretty Enough

Page 99 Test (for reference my first was here, this is my fourth). 

This test was created by Ford Madox Ford. The test makes complete sense- 99 pages is often about a quarter/third of the way through (give or take a little percentage of the novel).
Today, however, I am testing a kindle book so perhaps its more like the 'randomly drag the location bar on your kindle until you think you've chosen a fair bit of the book less than half, and roughly a third...
Yup. That's my method. I was thinking of doing it properly with maths but that's just not doing it for me & would also mean it's very close to halfway through. That's just not cutting it.

Was RELEASED 1st August!

Series: ☑   Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary YA comedy suitable for ages 13+

“New Year’s Resolutions: 1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs. 2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.” Those are the words that begin her mission. Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence. Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it. As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?

What Amy Thinks
I've got to admit that I'm surprised it gives little reference to things mentioned in the synopsis- it's made me think:
a) Over-dramatic blurb right there. I bet Lloyd is really not boyfriend material! But even so, did she wrap herself in a web of lies? How spoilery was that?
b) Umm, oh well? If anything, Chess' was wrapped in a web of klutz... All the best people have those moments frankly!
Really, she's just being an average girl. Taking dislike to one guy and loving another, but kicking his ass when he deserves the wallop.
Chessie is clearly down to earth but isn't entirely "earth knowledgeable". If she was, she'd probably try and - scratch that, mothers just love Primark. Anyway, you've got to know her mother, you also get to know her crush who clearly is... Lloyd. You may not know what's implied by that name but I can inform you: the only Lloyd I've ever encountered was tall, a bit of an idiot and charismatic, sometimes in that whingey way, too. Is the first step realizing that Lloyd is a cloud with a dim lining?
I do want to know the circumstances involving an apparently punctured trainer, and Lloyd's scratched foot.

Extract sampled (filling in for the 99th page):
Not Pretty Enough (Kindle Locations 1608-1623).

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike Darren? It’s not that he’s overly horrible, it’s just that he’s completely indifferent. Like Lloyd, but less hot.
Lloyd goes to pick up his bag and leave when he sees me, which is very unlike Lloyd because this old archway is his territory.
“Wait,” I call, running up the steps and almost tripping over my own feet.
Almost. That’s an improvement.
“I hope you know that I can barely walk today because of you,” Lloyd says to me.
“What? It was just a scratch.”
“It hurts.”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”
Lloyd looks quite surprised. Nowhere near as surprised as I am. Did I really just say that to Lloyd Layton? That’s the sort of thing I would say to Ewan or Debs, certainly not to Lloyd Layton.
Debs snickers behind me.
I glance at his feet. He has on trainers that are clearly brand new. I wish I had money like that. If I got a javelin through my trainers, my mother would either patch the hole up with sticky tape or buy me a pair of three quid plastic plimsolls from Primark.

Verdict 
A light dusting of humour there, some good character introduction and things to read the book for the whole picture. Oh and, Chessie, sometimes a hot guy needs his ego crushing. Atta girl.

What do you think? Has it intrigued? Caused a LOL perchance? Primark or Prada?
By the way, I would be interested in the answers to only 3/4 of those questions.
(Hint: 2 of them can be answered with 'YES' and if they were... Look!
a Rafflecopter giveaway)

Enjoy reading,
Amy Bookworm x

Reviewing... [42] Not Of Our Sky

So, who likes this series? It has sounded great since day 1 to me. It's kind of well known that after reading Sky Song, Sharon went from being this novel thing, and it seemed a weird concept I didn't know of, just an indie author trying to get her books read (and I was like, I've got to help really... I'm sure I'll like it!) to actually being, "LIKE? I did not just like that. It was a great book!" (not a quote from the Sky Song review, just a short wrap-up) & Sharon became an author I would adore, whose books I would want to read... I'd just wait until the TBR was manageable or until I'd almost ran out of patience of waiting, so Young Moon got read & now Not Of Our Sky.

Reviewing... [42] Rating: 5 out of 5; it was (sooooo) amazing! Recommended for: Oh, just bloody well read the first books please & you'll know why Not Of Our Sky is good? If you haven't read them, I have reviews for them- just click on Sharon's label below (on blog). (incase you're unsure/blind/not the brightest spark- please don't take that too seriously-) Author: Sharon Sant Source: Believe me, this one I actually bought (ha Sharon! I said I would, getting the whole series for free is greedy & whatnot).

It was not a disappointment. Duh, it was a last book but it lived up to every expectation I had, met wish after wish & turned out absolutely stunning. It just fits with the series so much & I love how they've flowed and the series has now been wrapped up. I can't argue with that ending, Sharon just so happens to be a genius.
That's not too kind, but Sharon needs to answer me this- Where did you learn to plunge a knife into a reader's heart so effectively? When did you learn how to take the step from annoying to actually torturing? WHY? Just, why? Some characters deserved things which happened to them, others... Such cruel happenings for some young, innocent souls (and no, I'm not just talking about our golden trio).
It's what makes a good book, you say. Reading novels full of suspense is... lovely. No, exhilarating, exhausting & sometimes stressful. You get to the point where you're so consumed by a character's story that the pages seem to turn themselves! Ellen, especially, had my heart in her hand straight from the start. She's obviously been one of the main characters in the book. If I had to pick 4, she'd be one of them. How I adore her, even when she's not exactly as I remembered her. She seemed to rely more on Jacob as he faced a battle that even Ellen found hard to comprehend, she most certainly joined everyone else, human or not, in sitting around waiting & not being able to help. This was the most boring part: the first quarter or so was slower-paced than the rest, or its previous book- Young Moon. For good reason, it laid the foundation & made sure the reader knew what was going on (as if I could have forgotten! Anyone recall, or know of, the cliffhanger in Young Moon?)
I loved how focal the prophecy became & how characters which have taken a back-seat, even Makash (who you should call Maka-Paka to annoy him... Or would it be lost on him? It still sounds condescending, right?) were developed more & their motives, plus much more, explored. We kept learning about him & boy, I hate him. How could a Successor like him? He's manipulative & could be your poster villain... Just stick on fangs & you're good to go!

^ When Makash opens his mouth, and sometimes it applies to Alex too...

I'm not sorry for those GIFs. Feel the evil! You will if you read so much a page of Makash...
You may also feel like laughing in this book, you never know if this is true... ‘Yes, Luca, your hair is sculpted by the gods themselves.’
‘Perhaps I come from a special race of beings with fantastic hair…’
Why, of course. It explains everything!

Please don't read on if you haven't read the other books:
Alex is snappy & kick-ass sometimes, I don't always scream at her when she appears to zip her lips (if you know her I think you may get this entirely), "Forgive me, but there wasn’t a local Watcher school in downtown LA where I could brush up my skills."
Oh, how strange. And brilliant. The sarcasm embraces me & I adore it all. So much of this book was so well written I was like, "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

Jacob didn't know *high fives*... So, I spoke of the build-up & I should explain. When a young Watcher's body is in storage he has no idea what is happening- all the action surrounding him, both planets which are in his normal awareness etc. he is completely blind to- he has to get his powers back, you see. I won't lie, it's a slow wait & it seems a long time (suppose that's realistic) until anything starts happening & he shows readers he has hope & yes, he's really unlikely to die now. Sure, people want him dead but he's so vulnerable. Hero, he has been but in this book one could almost forget what a major character he is & that he started all of this. There was so much worldbuilding even though he was on Earth, Ellen was on Earth & Luca was (probably) busy trying to fight off his almost-out-of-this-world sisters & their demands...
I felt I already knew Luca quite well from his US trip but then, he shared the book with Jacob. This isn't Luca's book though- it's Ellen's. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do & in this case it's stealing the spotlight & having a book written about you. Did I mention I love Ellen?
She's like Hermoine but dare I say, better? If I'm not allowed that comment I'll just say a) Ellen probably doesn't mind end of the year exams being cancelled b) (book quote) 'Little-Miss-Cant-Be-Wrong.   Doesn’t it get tiring being smart about everything?’
‘Nope.’
Exactly.
The amazing sharing of character's perspectives being delved into, overall throughout the series, is unique & I highly recommend Not Of Our Sky. Well, I recommend all of them but I trust you heeded my warning & didn't read up to here without reading Sky Song & Young Moon first, right?
Not Of Our Sky is the BEST of the trilogy so pick it up. Got that?

Good. Now go have a good day & all that...

Reviewing... [41] Out of the Darkness

Reviewing... [41] Source: Purchased Author: Nigel Hinton Recommended for: It sounds odd but thinkers. Not just people that can think but people that like to think or think so deeply naturally. If you've ever thought about how science & things like religion go together, read this.

Despite my recommendation, this isn't really a book about religion. It's more than that- although Lelia definitely has a faith & this affects her actions (which is interesting to see but can I point how bored I am that I've only ever seen one YA regarding a christian just y'know... doing anything fictional, like Lelia?). It is interesting to see the mix of her serene attitude as she trusts in a "greater power" as Liam struggles to find peace at all & understand the implications of what Lelia says & the fact, at least a little, seems to have some truth to it. Lelia is a special girl, who has been treasured & has huge burdens. She copes with the burdens as she is still clearly cared for and appreciated for the lovely daughter she is to the Khan's. Liam has burdens but being around Lelia he realizes that some burdens & troubles are part of a plan, to be accepted & are good to have. Lelia is at peace with her path & the many troubles- she looks to the future. I get the feeling that Liam is not the only one weighted by his path. Lelia knows it too (she knows a lot, a bit of a Mary Sue but she's got reasons to be that way & isn't actually the one with the biggest destiny) & so do we.
I consider it probably the right amount of lead up to the main plot (make up your own mind, it's 25% of the book & definitely pretty gripping even though it's nothing compared to the other 3/4)- which occurs probably a year after we hear the contrast of their thirteen birthdays- but we come to understand way more about Liam & how he developed. I don't get the full picture of Lelia accept she's travelling because she's in danger. I came to pity her more when the story opened up & she met the boy whose life was entwined with hers- you guessed it- he's called Liam.
I felt so sorry for Liam almost non-stop. It didn't stop, even when the worst was over (that quarter is just torture to read if you're an empathetic reader, but it's a torture I appreciated & had to put myself through cos there was something rewarding about it, I also knew I'd see the light soon- aka. Lelia).
I don't know how I feel about there being such an obvious contrast between a light & dark character. Obviously, as the title may hint at, Liam came out of his "darkness" (not self-inflicted so he's not 1D/2D or anything) but really... Lelia didn't have far to go. She relied on Liam a lot and was a lot less 3D, or should I use a more traditional term, dynamic than Liam. Therefore, I love Liam more.
He made me want to cry, laugh, sob dramatically, smile, cry tears of joy and tears of... WWWWWWHHHHHYYYY?

I probably looked a bit like this:

(Nope, don't know who I've got a GIF of this time either...)

Well, if feeling sorry for Liam wasn't an occurence all the time I was never going to feel like I was on the same wavelength as Lelia. There were points I could've felt sorry for her but I just hadn't reached out to her, I felt sorry for Liam when there was reason to & sometimes he was upset because Lelia was, or something to do with Lelia. I completely gave my sympathy to Liam even though I knew most would, or should, be like 'Poor Lelia' instead. Tough. Liam turned out to be the one, who while miles apart- a gender & lifestyle apart- from me seemed more relate-able than his soulmate who seemed to use him. She used him, they didn't fit each other but they had a connection & he was the one that really showed that he was 'manning up' even though he hadn't yet touched adulthood by law. That's just so sad.
They both had to grow up so early & as only 14/15 year olds it's heartbreaking, and weird, how they take a journey across continents- traversing various countries in Europe first (the scope of different places & cultures is an amazing feature & this happens to be one of the books I've seen this best executed in), shortly into the main story... But it's believable. As a teenager, I related to their actions & the plot was pretty great. Lelia shares very little with me, but a gender at least, and she seemed a nice character. One that was created to like & give Liam things to think about, she was a better character than I've previously suggested. But she didn't seem the same age as Liam & I think that's why I pitied Liam. He was more of a victim & a character the reader has to focus on. Simply put, he's not just likeable. He's a lot more- flawed but forgiving, confused but determined.
The novel is often intense, there's a clear sign of right & wrong (but still sometimes quite grim reading). It's totally suitable for YA's & I do recommend it!... Shame the kindle edition went from 99p, when I bought it, to another £4* on top! I'm not sure if you'd buy it for that (I probably wouldn't) but I suggest that you keep an eye out in case you see it on a bargain or in a library.
Hope you liked this review!

((*It looks like older paperback editions can be bought for less than £3... I bet you'd prefer that! Check it out here at Amazon))

Amy Bookworm rated Out of the Darkness:

...and I wish you a good day! May 4*s be with you, and find you...

Reviewing... [40] Red Rock (ARC)

Red Rock, reviewed as an ARC!

Reviewing... [40] Source: Received for review. Thanks Curious Fox... Publisher: Raintree - Curious Fox Publication Date: September 12th 2013 Paperback - 221 pages Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi Author: Kate Kelly Rating: 4.5 out of 5; I really liked it. Recommended for: "roadtrip" fans, it's really got those elements clear & also, if you ask me, UKYA-ness is clear too!

I'm grateful for this opportunity but it hasn't altered my opinion in any way; I just truly believe this is a 4.5 book (in other words an amazing one). The sense of place, particularly, is outstanding. I feel like this book has such strong elements of this that, in fact, it could have been written to show people that there are very interesting places outside of America. There's so many places in England mentioned, Greenland and as it says Malta, sinister monasteries et al. I was so interested by it all, whether (like on page 82) I knew the places that were travelled (oh yeah, I know East Anglia, Cambridge is one of them!) or I was completely unaware of a place's appearance outside of the description given in this book.
So many scenes were done really effectively because of the surroundings, the ice caps & Danni's lack of phone signal. We emerged there in just the third chapter after so much action has already taken place. Danni has lost another relative, besides her parents, and is distraught when following her Aunt's death she has a huge burden. It involves a red rock, Mars Exploration Agency (MEXA) & seemingly, many of her family. It's a huge burden for Danni & it sounds mean, but I loved reading about how she dealt with it. This book was just awesomeness contained inside 221 pages & you will love the scientific elements, the very realistic contemporary elements & just, I hope, everything. No pressure to enjoy it as much as me or anything ;)
The characters were of course, very intriguing. From the confident Gracie, awe-struck Danni to her living Uncle, Robert, whose job is much more than archaeology. One of the worst things for Danni is lack of contact with Issac & he was definitely in the background for most of the book- even when he begun to surface I still don't feel we got to know him- not as much as Danni would know him. All she knows is, well, there's something more intense between them now.
In my opinion, it wasn't worth saying it was intense when everything else was too, Gracie & Danni were proper intense together, MEXA just might be a smidgen intense & frankly the plot? It's not slow-paced, that's for sure. If I've ever read a book that is easy to get into & then read through rapidly it's Red Rock, which is Kate Kelly's debut. Curious Fox once again managed to snap an author that has had writing talent from page 1 of their debut novel (or published one, at least).
What makes this book different though, you ask? When something seemed convenient there were consequences. That's not exactly a spoiler, don't worry, it's just the lay of the land (or book, rather). I love seeing this, it shows me that actually the book hasn't dissolved into fictional pulp. It adds realism knowing that actually- all is not as it seems, the reader doesn't know everything & there's no telling what will happen next... That's all I can say!
The only bit that was unrealistic, at least a tad even now, was Danni & Gracie's relationship. That was definitely different to what I thought but there quick friendship was later explained, yet still- didn't they seem a bit too close? It sounds odd but I was almost expecting them to start kissing even if there was no hint of their sexuality- it's not that type of book (it'd be interesting if it was, I mean it involves the global warming issue one, why not add some very human internal ones?).
You should definitely pick up Red Rock, if you hadn't guessed I'm totally for this book & am excited to see what happens when it goes out into the big, wide world...

(Just to tease you even more as part of my SRS Challenge I wrote this & even while I was reading I decided to write more... What can I say? I'm weird.)

Have a great day all!

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm) rated this book: 

3 Things: (An Entertainworm Edition) Cat Thursday

I said ages ago I'd seen some pretty awesome meme's & here's one of them- it's actually:

A weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! 

I totally admire Michelle @ The True Book Addict, she's created a meme for the love of cats... Thanks for hosting Michelle! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). 

Today is one of the days this week that I'm back at school after what has been an almost 6 week holiday (our school is stingy compared to others, my brother for example got just over 2 months!), I have a cat called Caleb & now I'm back to school he'll see less of me; more of Mum & Dad. These holidays have been busy but even so- it's less time with my adorable cat so I decided today was the Thursday to participate & show you all my little bundle of joy who I definitely love a lot... I'm posting 3, the title told you- I know I could get carried away though...
Some I'm told are funny & others just plain "Aww". That's definitely my cat! Does he count as a "guest"? Well, say hello anyway! Or Meow. Both work.

He was once really small, he's almost 6 months here, giving us a really weird look (normal even now he knows who we are- we just are strange I guess). He hasn't yet learnt how to get in the way...

As you can see, he eventually did learn how he could get in the way. Sometimes he knows just how to annoy us & when I'm doing Art I'm not prepared, or in the mood, for Caleb to come along & plonk his butt down on a sketchpad or something... But a cat will do what a cat wants.

Most definitely a weird young cat... But at least we can tell what he's thinking! I don't know what he was shocked about & I confess to wondering also why his tongue is almost poking out but eh- he's a weird one & still very cute, even though he's 3 now!

In case you're wondering, Caleb turned 3 on August 27th this year & we fed him treats, stroked him & some of us, who didn't care how it looked, sang happy birthday to him. Obviously, as a cat, he cannot have a birthday cake (Mum says on Blue Peter they used to, out of pet food of course but still... yuck! Can you imagine baking that or whatever? Definitely a food your cat would nick while you're preparing it...) Hope you like my post about Caleb, I know it's different to my normal posts but surely you still like it at least a little? I mean, you may be a dog person... So, I'll tell you what Caleb's name means: DOG. My cat is called Dog, I think it's nicer than calling him "Book". And who would want to yell "book" when calling their cat in? If you would, you're a weird.
Have a great day! -Amy Bookworm