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Posts by angelreads

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ARC Review: Tape by Steven Camden

Jan 24, 2014

Tape

Expected Publication: January 30th 2014
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
Publisher:  HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 0007511205
Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU 

Synopsis

Record a voice and it lasts forever…

In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother’s death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn’t even know he exists.

In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy’s voice on it – a voice she can’t quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her.

Ryan and Ameliah are connected by more than just a tape.

This is their story.

Tape 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, it in no way influences my review.

I have seen mixed reviews for Tape, but I loved it. It was fresh, different, new, and emotional. It took me on a ride full of emotions.

The first thing that grabbed my attention about Tape was the cover, it is just so gorgeous. Then I read the synopsis and I needed to read it. It sounded so intriguing; I just didn’t know how everything would fit. I also was intrigued by Steven Camden, when I heard about the book, I just learnt about Spoken Word Poetry, which might I say I love, and then I found out that Steven is a spoken word poet, I just could not say no to it.

At first it was hard to grasp the concept of the novel, I was really confused at times but then everything just fell into place and I understood what was going on.

I liked both our main characters, Ryan more than Ameliah. I would have loved a little more characterization, as I felt it lacked a little here and there.

Ryan was really down to earth and his emotions were very raw and on show for everyone, which is unusual for a male character. I felt so sorry for him at times, he missed his mum so much and I feel that his dad, yes he cares, but I just feel there is something is lost between them.

Ameliah pissed me off at times, especially when she is trying to find out who Joe is, just the way she went about it, she was so focused on finding out, that nothing else mattered that much. But other than that I really liked Ameliah she was very strong minded. I loved the relationship between Ameliah and her grandmother, even thought yes they ‘fight’ here and there. They have this strong relationship. I let a few tears fall, a few times when Ameliah’s mum was talked about.

I liked there was flashbacks here and there, it was cool and it just added to the book, it made it more emotional. I loved how everyone seemed to intertwined with each other, in one way or another. We find out how everyone knows each other. It was a little predictable, but I still found it interesting and it put a smile on my face that it worked out.  I liked that we got to know the characters back stories; who they were, why they did things, and it was really intriguing and sweet at the same time.

In my copy of Tape, when it’s in Ryan’s time it is a different writing style then when we are in Ameliah’s time and I found that pretty awesome. It was cool and different and you could tell the difference between who was who. I also find when there is dual POV’s that both voices come into one and you cannot tell the difference but in Tape by Steven Camden, it wasn’t like that, even if it was the same type of writing you could tell the difference between who was who.  I felt that the chapters were really long and I am not sure If I liked it or not. For me, when I read, I read chapter by chapter so when I want to stop reading I stop at the end of the chapter, but with Tape I just could not do that.

I also liked that fact that music was incorporated into book.  It was interesting and new, and I love music so it was fun. Some songs that remind me of the book are; A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope, Unconditionally by Katy Perry and Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

Overall I really liked Tape by Steven Camden, it was original as well as touching enough that it pulls at your heart. I think a younger audience will like it, as our main characters are on the

I Give Tape 4 Stars out of 5 

ARC Book Review: The Moment Before by Suzy Vitello

Jan 22, 2014

The Moment Before

 

First Published: January 14th 2014
Pages: 216 (paperback)
Publisher: Diversion Books
ISBN: 1626811679
Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU 

Synopsis

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved my sister. I never, not once, wished her dead.”

Brady and Sabine Wilson are sisters born eleven months apart, but they couldn’t be more different. Popular Sabine, the head cheerleader dating the high school hunk, seems to have all the luck, while her younger, artsy sister “Brady Brooder” is a loner who prefers the sidelines to the limelight.

After Sabine dies in a horrific cheerleading accident, grief unravels Brady and her family. Once recognized for her artistic talent, 17-year-old Brady finds herself questioning the value of everything she once held dear. Her best friend betrays her. Her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And the boy everyone blames for the accident seems to be her only ally in the search for answers in the wake of her sister’s death. As an unlikely friendship emerges, Brady learns more about Sabine – and love – than she bargained for.

Review 

After having so much trouble of being able to read my eARC, I finally got to read The Moment Before and I am very happy that I did.

The Moment Before was a very heartfelt, emotional read.  We start reading and we already see and feel the emotions that our main character Brady, has with the death of her sister, Sabrina. She is in a rough place. She can’t seem to concentrate at school, she can function but she really isn’t there.

I really like Brady as a character; she isn’t stuck up, or thinks she is the best in the world. Brady is very much down to earth, but at the same time she is broken inside. I really feel for Brady, she doesn’t really know how to deal with the lost of her sister. And as the book goes on, we see her come to terms with everything as well as become stronger. I love that she is an artist; she sees the world differently then everyone else and that just makes it that more interesting. I feel so much for her, she has gone through so much and she just can not get a break. I also found at times that Brady is so sassy, I loved it. Suzy Vitello created so much emotion throughout the whole book.

Conner, is the boy that is being blamed for Sabrina’s death. I just feel for him, his back story with Sabrina is heartbreaking. He is not only being blamed, he believes that her death is his fault and I just want to go and comfort him and tell him it’s not his fault. I think the fact that he also cared alot for Sabrina makes me feel so much more. The way that Conner and Brady connect, helps them both with their grief and also with themselves.

I really disliked Brady’s parents, yes I understood that they were grieving their daughter’s death, but during that time they pushed there other daughter, Brady, away and it affected her. I disliked Brady’s mum more than I did her dad for some reason, even though what her dad did was bad, just the way her mum treated her, I wanted to scream in her face.

I though the plot behind this book, would be pretty straight forward, but it wasn’t and I loved it. It had twist and turns and it was pretty damn awesome. There is something, more like alot of things that Brady doesn’t know about her sister, and they all came to play a part in her death in one way or another. My heart hurts for her.

I really disliked Nick, Sabrina’s boyfriend before she died. I had this bad feeling about him from the start; I just could not connect with him at all. He is just a d***. He is a Scio. I wanted to hit both him and Martha for what they did.

I don’t understand why Brady keeps on going to Martha, she is just a bitch and so stuck up, she does not care about anyone but herself most of the time. She doesn’t understand what is important. I just found her to be really shallow. At the end she kind of redeems herself, but not that much. It just to made me tolerate her.

I really liked the way that Suzy Vitello set up of the novel, the way that we get flashbacks of time between Brady and Sabrina, I think it’s cute and emotional and showed their relationship with each other. I found it interesting that sometimes Brady heard Sabrina talk to her, I think Brady found comfort it in some of the time.

I didn’t like the ending that much. I think it lacked something, especially between Conner and Brady, it was like “okay, there done”.  I wanted something more. It was just so good until then last few pages. But overall I really liked The Moment Before.

I Give The Moment Before 4 Stars out of 5 

Quote;

‘Mad? Oh, Martha, that doesn’t even approach how I feel about you. And him’

Waiting on Wednesday #13

Jan 22, 2014

waiting on wednesday

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spin, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly  anticipating.

 This Week my Waiting on Wednesday is Panic by Lauren Oliver 

Panic_HC_JKT_des4.indd

 

Expected Publication: March 4th 2014 
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Format:
Hardcover (416 pages)
Series:  –
Genre:
Science Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy  
ISBN13: 
9780062014559
Add to Goodreads Shelf 

Synopsis

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

 

Why am I waiting? This sounds soo good and really interesting. It sounds intriguing. I have a love hate relationship with Lauren Oliver, I loved Delirium, then like Pandemonium and then I found out what happened in Requiem and just could not read them. Put I am really liking this. it sounds awesome and I haven’t read much Sci-fi so it will also give me a chance to get into that genre as well.

What are waiting for this Wednesday?

 

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angelreads

book blogger 💻| romance books 💜| bookseller 📖
💌 angel@angelreads.com
📚53/150

April was a very good reading month for me, especi April was a very good reading month for me, especially after last month. I had some really fantastic reads in April. I did do a lot of re-reading this month but I had such blast. I re-read Caught Up and Play Along and the first 4 books in the Ironside Academy series. 📚

I read some books that I’ve been waiting for including the new book from Kels and Denise Stone, as well as the new Tessa Hale. ✨

Overall it was such a good month, lots of binge reading series and starting on some new authors. I’m so excited to see what May brings. 🖤

What was your favourite book that you read in April? 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #romancereads #angelreads #bookblogger #spicybooks #romancereader #romance #smut #recentreads #aprilreads #aprilwrapup
IT’S RACE WEEK! 🏎️ If you didn’t know al IT’S RACE WEEK! 🏎️

If you didn’t know already I love F1, have ever since I was younger and decided that this year it would be fun to combined my love for F1 and reading together. 📚

After a week off we are back at it. We are in Miami this week’s and things are only just heating up. This week I’m reading Falling Off the Cliff  Kanitha P.

…

Formula 1 legend in the making and rising star Thiago Valencia is chasing redemption as well as his second World Champion title. With a tarnished reputation and an undetermined future in F1 that hangs by a terribly loose thread, he can’t afford to lose his seat. Thiago is ready to do anything to redeem himself and erase his past mistakes. When a mysterious woman intrudes on his private party in Monte Carlo, he is certain the universe has brought his polar opposite into his life as salvation. He is sunshine, she is moonlight; he is a bright star and she is a moonbeam.

Destiny takes the wheel, steering Kamari into Thiago’s orbit, but her open disdain and closely guarded heart warn her to stay away. Enchanted by her charms, Thiago is intent on melting her freezing barriers and tearing down the walls shielding her heart.

When Kamari agrees to help him save his future by being his fake girlfriend, the unexpected happens, triggered by a game of lies, secrets and desire.

As they plunge towards the finish line, the race veers offtrack and neither of them are ready to fall off the cliff.
… 

How Race Week Reads Will Work 

On Monday of race week I’ll announce the book I’ll be reading for the week, then throughout the week I’ll be posting stories and my thoughts. And then on Sunday, race day my review and final thoughts will go up.

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #romancereads #angelreads #bookblogger #spicybooks #romancereader #romance #f1 #formula1 #ausgp #raceweekreads #f1romance #sportsromance #fallingoffthecliff #kanithap #fullthrottle
A little late but I am finally getting to share Ra A little late but I am finally getting to share Race 5’s Race Week Reads review. This week I read, Downforce (Pit Lane #1) by Hannah Lily.

🏎️ Review 🏎️

I had so much fun reading this book. I knew I was in for a ride as soon as I started Downforce. It was entertaining, fun, and I just had a good time reading it. And while it does explore some heavy topics, I don’t think it took away from the fun nature of the book.

Right from the start, we can see the tension between F1 Presenter, Olivia Fraser and F1 Driver, Jonah Scott. And while silly at times, it was fun seeing them interact together. Both really didn’t like each other. They both had said things about and to one another that sometimes it caused chaos. And I was here for it.

I did find that at times, just silly things happened. I am not a massive rom-com reader, and there was a lot of falling into one another, and arguments stemmed from nothing. This is honestly just because I don’t like these types of scenes, but it didn’t really make me dislike the book at all.

I loved the whole road trip aspect of the book, it’s different from other F1 books I’ve read so far this year and just made for some interesting banter and lust. I do wish that the road trip was a little longer than it was because I did feel like the romance moved pretty quickly here, but again, it didn’t really affect how much I was enjoying the book.

The romance was this combination of being slow burn and full of angst right at the start, to the road trip happening and then bam. But I loved it, though. The banter between Olivia and Jonah was fantastic. I loved seeing them grow not only with one another but with themselves as well.

Overall, I had a great time reading Downforce and will be continuing the series for sure when the other books come out. The romance was angsty and just felt right. The found family aspect really worked well here, and the F1 aspects were pretty okay. Not the best I’ve seen, but not the worst either. If you are looking for a fun read that has a great romance and a little rom-comy, then pick this one up.
I’ve already had a pretty amazing reading year. I’ve already had a pretty amazing reading year. There have been so many books that I have enjoyed but there are some that I have just loved. 🖤

I didn’t realise before I put this post together that all of these books are from authors I’ve read and loved before. There hasn’t been a Rebecca Yarros book that I haven’t rated under 4 Stars. Elsie Silver is just making me love everything that she writes. Wild and Wrangled may be my favourite in the series. 📖

Three rereads also made it to this list. Binding 13 still makes me gasp and smile all at the same time. And Caught Up and Play Along just hit every time. 📚

I’ve honestly had a great year so far and since making this post a few more books I’ve read I’ve ended up loving. It’s going to be hard to pick my favourites at the end of the year that is for sure. ✨

What books have you loved reading this year? Are any books that made my list on yours? Let me know! 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #romancereads #angelreads #bookblogger #spicybooks #romancereader #romance #smut #recentreads #2025favourites #onyxstorm #wildside  #binding13 #caughtup #wildandwrangled
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