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Favourite Books of 2016…So Far

Jun 21, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that members at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. All bloggers are then welcomed to join. This week’s topic is Top Ten Favourite 2016 Releases So Far This Year

I’ve read quite a few books this year so far, I mean I have just hit the 50 mark and for me that is quite a lot. Last year I managed about 80 books, I am trying to get to at least read that much. So trying to pick 10 of my favourite books that have come out this year was a little hard, but then at the same time it wasn’t.

Anyway here are my Top Ten Favourite books that have come out in 2016…so far. This list will change for sure in the coming months because so many books are coming out and as you can see from the books I am looking forward for the rest of the year – it’s going to be full of books.

Salt to the Sea bu Ruta Sepetys: Beautiful, captivating, extraordinary. Salt to the Sea is a gorgeous novel that brings to light a catastrophe that seems to be forgotten. With stunning writing and intriguing characters Ruta Sepetys brings a novel that tells a story that everyone needs to read | Full Review

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: Cassandra Clare brings the magic of the shadow world into a new light, in a gripping first novel of a new series, Lady Midnight is dark, fun and full of ups and down, it is going to rip your heart apart | Full Review

Ruined by Amy Timtera : I loved Ruined. The world was fascinating, the characters, both intriguing and entertaining. Ruined explores what people would do for revenge, how our thoughts are created by our surroundings and how our feelings can change for people they you think that you hate. It was a brilliant, high fantasy and I am ecstatic to read more. | Full Review

When Michael meet Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah: Such an important book that explores explores racism, standing up for what you believe in and making decisions on your own. Full Review to come.

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: The Girl from Everywhere is about friendship, family and love, about what would you do for those that mean so much to you, and that sometimes you have to give up one thing for another | Full Review

The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski: The Winner’s Kiss is about love, betrayal, friendship and what would people do to do for their empire. The Winner’s Kiss takes you on a journey like no other, it captures your heart, but wreaks your emotions, and it will break you and put you together over and over again until the last page | Full Review

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson: I loved The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. It is a tale of friendship, family, love and unexpected adventures that all feels real. The Unexpected Everything is for every author, book lover and reader alike. It’s a beautiful story of friendship, heartbreak and family. Morgan Matson brings together a beautiful contemporary novel that makes you smile, laugh and cry | Full Review

And I Darken by Kiersten White: And I Darken tells a story of the lengths people would go to for love, approval and just the thought of being forgotten. It was captivating and dropped you into a vivid and brutal world that you might not want to get out off | Full Review

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry: I loved Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry. It has a steamy romance, dark issues, sweet love and protagonists that pulls you right in. Walk the Edge is a brilliant second novel in the Thunder Road series that is for lovers of YA Contemporary and anyone else who loves romance in dark times

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza: Frankie by Shivaun Plozza is a brilliant debut novel that captured my heart. It’s a story of heartbreak, belonging, finding yourself and what it is to be a family. It captures Melbourne as Melbourne from the language to the setting, it brings to light that sometimes when you think that you are alone, you are not alone and all that you need to do is let them in | Full Review

And that is it! Here are my favourite books so far for 2016. Do we share any favourite books, what is on your list? Let’s Chat!

I love talking so talk to me over on my twitter @angel_reads, Facebook, instagram, tumblr and Goodreads. You can also follow Angel Reads on Bloglovin and via email

Book Review: Ruined by Amy Tintera

Jun 19, 2016

Ruined by Amy Tintera

Pages: 355
Publish date: May 1st 2016
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 9781760290641
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks – Publisher

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war; her parents were killed and her sister was kidnapped. Even though Em is only a useless Ruined – completely lacking any magic – she is determined to get revenge.

Her plan is simple: She will infiltrate the enemy’s kingdom, posing as the crown prince’s betrothed. She will lead an ambush. She will kill the king and everyone he holds dear, including his son.

The closer Em gets to the prince, though, the more she questions her mission. Her rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life – and her family – on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Ruined:

I received a review copy of Ruined by Amy Tintera from Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

A couple of years ago I read Reboot by Amy Tintera and enjoyed it, I was fascinated by the world that she builds and how unique the characters were so when I heard she was writing a high fantasy, I knew I had to read it, and I was not disappointed. Actually I was quite surprised with how much I liked it. It’s been hit or miss for many people so I was nervous going into it, but like I said I was so surprised by how much I did like it.

Ruined follows protagonist Emelina Flores as she begins her revenge on the kingdom that murdered her parents and kidnapped her younger sister. She infiltrates the royal family, impersonates a royal and marries Prince Casimir, the next in line for the throne.

Ruined is told in a dual point of view, one being Emelina who is thirsty for blood, ready to deceive and kill anyone that stands in her way. And then Casimir, who is sweet and sometimes naive, but as the story goes on he sees that everything isn’t always what it seems and maybe things that you were taught aren’t always true.

I adored the world of Ruined, it was captivating and I wanted to know more and more as the story went on. The magic was fascinating, but also terrifying. There is no real ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in Ruined. The Lera Kingdom kills a ruined they see on site or hold and torture them, they have basically persecuted them. However the Ruined have such strong powers that they have tortured the humans of the world.

Emelina is a ruined, but without powers and even she does some pretty horrible things throughout the novel, and even thinks about doing some more, yet you sympathised for her as the story goes on and you understand what happened.

And even though Emelina is full of revenge, I loved being in her point of view. She was intriguing and I wanted to know more and more about her. She cares for all the ruined and wants to be able to make them proud, and nothing will get in the way. When she was dancing with Casimir at their wedding, she thinks of ways to kill him and I could not help, buy laugh – because of the contrast.

I also enjoyed Casimir as a point of view – he is the total opposite of Emelina, but they click with each other in a way. Casimir has been brought up to think that the ruined were horrible people, but with the help of Emelina and a few others he sees that might not be the case.

There was many twists and turns in Ruined and I was kept on the edge of my seat, you didn’t know what was going to happen next and I managed to read it in a couple of hours.

I disliked Casimir’s family with a passion all of them. They are controlling, annoying and I wanted to hit them all across the head. They never took anything Casimir said into account and anything that he said or did was automatically wrong.

The romance in Ruined was slow burning and sweet and even then they didn’t truly get together. They both are so strong and as the novel goes on we get to see them care for each other even when secrets were revealed.

The ending – holy moly. It was so intense, I was turning page after page. I cannot believe the way it ended and I am in so need of the next book – like now. I need to know what on earth is going to happen.

Overall, I loved Ruined. The world was fascinating, the characters, both intriguing and entertaining. Ruined explores what people would do for revenge, how our thoughts are created by our surroundings and how our feelings can change for people they you think that you hate. It was a brilliant, high fantasy and I am ecstatic to read more.

#LoveOZYA Interview: Steph Bowe

Jun 17, 2016

I love Aussie YA. I love reading books from authors that live in the same country as me, that know things that people out of Australia might be so confused about. I love how sometimes they can incorporate this into their book and it is fabulous.

So in saying that, I have decided to start a new feature on Angel Reads spotlighting Australian YA Authors. Each Friday for the next couple of months, I am going to interview an OZYA Author. I thought it would be a fun way to share my love for Australian Young Adult authors with not only fellow Aussies, but everyone around the world. I want more Australian YA books to be read, because they are amazing.

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then Shivaun Plozza, and Gabrielle Tozer, followed by Jay Kristoff and Kylie Fornasier, A.J Betts, Megan Jacobson and last week Christopher Currie. This week we have Steph Bowe author of Girl Saves Boy (2010, Text) and All This Could End (2013, Text)

Hi Steph, and welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Steph Bowe! I’m the author of contemporary YA novels All This Could End and Girl Saves Boy! My first novel was published when I was sixteen, and I’m twenty-two now. I live in Queensland with my family. I’ve blogged about YA fiction for seven years. I speak in schools and deliver creative writing workshops. I read a lot. I am a big fan of tea and cake.

What has your writing journey been like? Where did you start? Why?

When I was seven years old, I vowed that I would become an author and buy a house. I was a very serious seven-year-old. I’ve written for as long as I can remember – when I was a tiny kid, I would type stories out on the computer, then erase them as soon as I was finished. Obviously, I don’t do that now. My love of writing was born out of my love of reading – the first book I remember loving was The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I’ve loved escaping into stories ever since then. I think I started writing because I loved being able to create my own universes and having absolute control over what occurred – with limitless possibilities. I just kept writing, until the rambling, bizarre, always unresolved stories I wrote as a kid turned into the complete, resolved, still-a-bit-weird novels I wrote as a teenager.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

I finished writing GIRL SAVES BOY, completed a perfunctory edit (my skill as a self-editor is far better – and more in-depth – now!) and sent the manuscript to critique readers I had met through blogging. Based on recommendations from one of my critique readers, I sent queries to a few agents and entered into a first-page contest. I signed with my agent a few weeks later. After working on an edit with my agent, the manuscript was submitted to publishers here in Australia and I was fortunate enough to get a two-book deal. The process leading to publication involved several rounds of editing with an editor, input on the final title and cover design, and, at publication time, doing speaking appearances, attending festivals and being interviewed.

Was it different when getting your proceeding books published?

I got a two-book deal with my first novel, so the process of publishing my second novel was similar to the first – but without the uncertainty. It was easier in that I was familiar with the process (none of the mystery of the first time around!) and knew who I was working with. It was trickier in that once I’d had a novel published I had experienced criticism and perfected the voice of my inner critic, and the pressure to measure up to my first novel (even in my own head) made the process of writing the novel longer and more difficult than it might otherwise have been.

What was the difference between getting your books published here in Australia and internationally?

In publishing my novels here in Australia, I’ve gotten to work very intensively with an editor on the novels, as well as having some input on the cover, publicity, and so on. GIRL SAVES BOY was translated into Spanish (as LA CHICA DEL LAGO), Catalan (as LA NOIA DEL LLAC) and Dutch (as GERED DOOR EEN MEISJE). It’s very exciting to have my novel published in other languages and read internationally, and I get a lots of emails from readers overseas but I had very little involvement with getting the foreign editions ready for publication– each of the publishers employed a translator to translate the novel, and the deals were organised by foreign agents who work with my agent.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

I especially love contemporary Australian YA fiction – I think it’s some of the best in the world. I love Melina Marchetta’s novels – On The Jellicoe Road is my absolute favourite. Fiona Wood’s work is amazing – Cloudwish, her latest, is (in my opinion) her best. Laurinda by Alice Pung is authentic and gorgeous. Simmone Howell’s novels are always honest and real and wonderful – I love Girl Defective. Kate Constable, Penni Russon, Vikki Wakefield and Cath Crowley are some more favourites. And I do love some more supernatural YA – Leanne Hall’s This is Shyness, Rebecca Lim’s The Astrologer’s Daughter and the Rephaim series by Paula Weston are all awesome.

I have yet to read Steph Bowe books, but I hope to soon. You can find Steph on twitter at @stephbowe, her website and you can add her books to your goodreads.

Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

Pages: 288
Publish date: August 30 2010
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 192165659X
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.

Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?

No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…

But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?

With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.

But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.

Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.

***

Thank you Steph for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Steph and her books? Let’s Chat!

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details. Also if you have any Australian YA authors that you would like to see me interview, just let me know and I can see what I can do.