Lucy-Anne Holmes: 50 WAYS TO FIND A LOVER

SUGGESTION! Did you have a bad day? Need cheering up? Pick up this book and get reading!

50 WAYS TO FIND A LOVER is a modern novel written by Lucy-Anne Holmes. Lucy-Anne is a british writer, actress,  founder of No More Page Three and an author of Just A Girl Standing In The Front Of A Boy I recently read.


I must say, I am a big fan of Ms Holmes writing. Her heroines are always very down-to-earth and very relate able. Of course, her writing never fails to put a smile on my face. And I cannot forget the fact, that all her stories take place in England, my home. This book has not been an exception.


Straight from the beginning, I have been in stitches, laughing out loud. The story is girly, english and true to the every day life. Every single girlfriend I have, can find parts of her life in this story. Seriously, this book is hilariously entertaining until the last page. I have been so impressed with the book, that I bought it as a birthday present and given to one of my girlfriends. And her reaction: THIS BOOK IS BRILLIANT! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

Let's meet Sarah Sargent. Sarah is an actress, currently working as a waitress in a horrible diner. She hasn't had a relationship for over four years and hasn't slept with anyone in the last year. Oh not to mention, that she is turning big THIRTY soon and her life is just one big disaster. She shares a flat with her best friend Simon. Her parents and friends are worried about her attitude towards love, so they register her for a reality show where she can find Mr One. But even that goes to hell, so Sarah decides to start a blog and document all her misfortunes of finding a lover to its readers. 50 ways to find a lover is born. 


Firstly, let's talk about the edition - package, which holds this story. Paperback. Pastel colours. Illustration of a girl with a laptop (MacBook if I'm not mistaken - plus points). Nice, standard edition. Wouldn't normally catch my eye, but I have loved the previous book so much, that I decided to give it a go.




The story and writing itself is very entertaining, easy to follow, packed with oh-my-gosh-this-story-is-like-a-copy-of-my-life moments. Hilarious. Down-to-earth. Smart. I am confident in saying that anyone who reads it, will find it very funny. I promise you, you won't be able to put it down. You will find so many similarities with your own life, that you won't be able to count them. It's brilliant. 100% guaranteed satisfaction which will put a smile on your face. And that smile will only grow to full blown giggling... when you think that it cannot go any further, boom, there is another set of giggles. Straight until the end.






As I mentioned before, Sarah is one of the most relate able characters, I've read so far. Every single of my girlfriends, every single girl or a woman, can find some piece of herself in this story. Either it's the embarrassing moments, cheating boyfriend or not so satisfying love life. And of course, you will fall in love with Simon. He is just a babe. So sweet. And the friendship between him and Sarah is the cutest. He holds her hair when she is sick, he knows her moods and how to cheer her up.. it's just the sweetest and I am finding myself hoping that somehow these two will end up together... I don't like Paul, there is something shady about him, which I cannot put my finger on...YET.


The story is great. I love the ups and downs of Sarah's single life and her journey to find Mr Right. I love the idea of incorporating a blog (which is so popular at the moment) and I love the whole idea of different quests to find love and how everything interlocks within certain circle.

I have absolutely adored reading this story and there were occasions when I was laughing out loud as I couldn't contain it any longer. But my favourite part was near to the end. I am not going to tell you which one,  you need to work it out yourself, but I give you a hint - it's written by a blogger behind A Bachelor's quest (wink-wink). This part made me tear up a little bit. You know my romantic soul. 


All in all, I was very satisfied with another book written by this wonderful author. It has been an incredible journey filled with laughter. Thank you Lucy-Anne for writing another hilarious, down-to-earth story, every girl can relate to. You are quickly becoming one of my favourite british authors. 

Autumn Reading Challenge : 12 Books of YA genre

Autumn.. My second favourite season.. Yes, I am a Spring Gal, but I was born in Autumn. And I love it. What is not to love? Great fashion. Nature in its best. Beautiful colours. Warm drinks are mandatory. Butternut Squash makes appearance in every type of meal. Candles illuminates every room. Spices like cinnamon & nutmeg are in every kitchen cabinet.

Love ... Adore... Absolutely enjoy autumn...

With more time spent inside, I have more time to read. After Summer Reading Challenge, it's time for the AUTUMN READING CHALLENGE. And this time, its all about YA genre. I found myself craving this genre recently. Every time I pop to Waterstones or visit Amazon website, I end up buying lots of books written in this genre. I enjoy it the most. So, why not to give in to those cravings? Let's sit down, pour ourselves a cup of Soya Mocha (although I wish Starbucks would start to sell Almond milk!) and get reading. Here is the plan.

AUTUMN READING CHALLENGE:

SEPTEMBER :

Sarah J. Maas: HEIR OF FIRE

Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can't bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back...

The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king - for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?

Rick Yancey: THE INFINITE SEA

How do you rid the earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Cassie Sullivan and her companions lived through the Others' four waves of destruction. Now, with the human race nearly exterminated and the 5th Wave rolling across the landscape, they face a choice: brace for winter and hope for Evan Walker's return, or set out in search of other survivors before the enemy closes in. Because the next attack is more than possible - it's inevitable.

No one can anticipate the depths to which the Others will sink - nor the heights to which humanity will rise...

James Dashner: THE MAZE RUNNER

When the doors of the lift crack open, the only thing Thomas can remember is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade, an encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible maze.

Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there, or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to find out.

Josephine Angelini: STARCROSSED

When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton meets Lucas Delos for the first time, she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has seen in her life, the second, that she wants to kill him with bare hands.

An ancient curse means Lucas and Helen are destined to loathe one another. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen next...

OCTOBER:

Hugh Howey: WOOL

In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo.

Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulation. But some people choose not to conform. These are the people who dare to hope and dream. These are the dangerous ones. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.

Kody Koplinger: DUFF

Seventeen-year-old Biance Piper knows she's not the hottest girl at school, but when school jock and resident moron Wesley casually refers to her as a DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - the gloves are off!

If there's a thin line between love and hate then Bianca has crossed it. She just never thought she was capable of breaking anyone's heart...

Holly Black & Cassandra Clare: THE IRON TRIAL (The Magisterium Series)

Think you know magic?

Think Again. 

The Magisterium awaits...

Most kids Callum's age dream of having the natural talent for magic needed to get into the Magisterium - that's where they will learn to hone their skills and control their power in order to pass the first year's Iron Trial. Not Calum Hunt. Call has been told his whole life that he should never trust a magician. And so he tries his best to do his worst - but fails at failing. Now he must enter the dreaded Magisterium. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister. And Call realises it has dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. 

The Iron Trial is just the beginning. Call's biggest test is still to come...

Michael Grant: GONE

299 hours 54 minutes

Suddenly it's a world without adults and normal has crashed and burned. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes. 

A small town is southern California: In the blink of an eye everyone over the age of 15 disappears. Cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there's no help on the way. Chaos rules the streets. Now a new world order is rising and, even scarier, some survivors have power - mutant power that no one has ever seen before...

NOVEMBER:

Cecilia Aherm: THE BOOK OF TOMORROW

This story is about how the future can change the present...

Tamara Goodwin has had everything given to her. She has never wasted a thought on tomorrow. But when tragedy turns her world upside down, she has to leave her comfortable life behind, abandoning an affluent existence for the charity of relatives deep in the countryside. When a travelling library arrives in the village, it offers an escape into the pages of the books on its shelves. One of them, a heavy leather-bound volume locked with a padlock, draws Tamara to it. And what she discovers within its pages starts to change her life in the most unexpected of ways...

Alexandra Adornetto: HALO

Is love a great enough power against evil?

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel the warrior, Ivy the healer, and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone - especially herself...

Tahereh Mafi: SHATTER ME

I have a curse. I have a gift.

I'm a monster. I'm more than human.

My touch is lethal. My touch is power. 

I am their weapon. I will fight back.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestalishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time - and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever. 

Teri Terry: SLATED

Kyla's memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever.  She's been SLATED. The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

There you have. 12 different books. 12 very different stories. Which one are you looking forward to read the most? Or have you already read them? If so, please let me know which one you would recommend, if not let's start from the beginning together. I am so excited to enter the world of YA genre and get lost within its pages. Wouldn't agree?? 

Laura Jarratt : SKIN DEEP

WARNING! Prepare for major feels. 

SKIN DEEP is a contemporary YA novel written by LAURA JARRATT. Laura is a little bit of a newbie in the YA genre. I only know about three novels which she has written and two of them are a part of my library.  As a part of my recent reading cravings for the YA genre, I have decided to dive in a find out if she is a good writer.  And guess what I will be buying for September Book Bonanza? ;-)


First impression. Let's talk about the edition. Paperback. Beautiful photograph of two people who are clearly in love. The Blur on the back has an extract  of one of the first chapters plus a brief description of the story. 

Fourteen-year-old Jenna hasn't been having the greatest luck in the world. She has been recently in a car accident which left her with a permanent scar on her face and her best friend dead. So she has a bit of a trouble to deal with the outside world. Thanks to her scar, people stare at her and doesn't look past it to see the real Jenna. She hides from the world and the cruelty of people. That is until a young man, Ryan, and his mum come into the town. Ryan and his mum are volunteering travellers. They spend their lives living on a boat, travelling from town to town and this time they end up in Jenna's little village. Let's say that Ryan & Jenna's first meeting doesn't go that well. So Ryan makes sure to make up for it every chance he gets. Slowly their start to share a wonderful friendship and fall in love. But will they make it at the end? Or will the troubles they both have divide them and end their sweet romance?


I will be honest, I have been a little bit sceptical about this story as I expected it to be cheesy like a camembert. Maybe even cheesier than that. I expected to not be able to relate to the characters as they are so young, but I have been pleasantly surprised and found myself enjoying this book very much. 


Ms Jarratt's writing and story-telling managed to surprise me. I love the fact that she wrote the story from the point of view of both characters. We have a perfect view into Jenna's and Ryan's life separately. I have fallen in love with both of the characters. They both have their own baggage which sometimes stop them to move forward with their lives, but together they helped each other to discover that there is more to enjoy in their lonesome lives. Their relationship is so sweet, even when they are so young. They fell in love unexpectedly and completely.


I love the fact that there was a murder incorporated to the story, and who and why did it,  was very entertaining and made the story a little more different.

Actually, the whole book was very smart, enjoyable, actually very relate able, funny and heart-warming. And it is very truthful. Laura managed to capture the human judgemental behaviour in its true glory with her writing. We have some types of prejudice against others based on the way of life or what they look like, and it's shameful. And I like the fact that the author of this book weren't scared to point at it in this story. I also have to mention the fact that Ryan's mum has a bipolar disorder which is beautifully and truthfully captured within the story. 



This book has been captivating. I have enjoyed it straight from the start and weren't able to stop reading it. It was an emotional roller-coaster and I have fully enjoyed the ride. (At least It didn't make me sick like the real roller-coaster.)


I am now looking forward to read the other two books written by this wonderful writer - BY ANY OTHER NAME & LOUDER THAN WORDS. Well done Laura Jarratt, you have written a great story which is easy  to read and makes an impact, in a wonderful way. 

E. Lockhart : WE WERE LIARS

WARNING! Every so ofter you come across a book, a story, an inspiring adventure, which will surprise you in the most unexpected way. WE WERE LIARS is just one of those books. It sneaks up on you and it will never let go. 

WE WERE LIARS is a contemporary YA novel written by one of the recently most talk about and praised authors - E. LOCKHART. I have purchased this book when spending a bulge of my hard earned cash on Amazon as it caught my attention.


With a blur like the one on the back of this book, nobody would be able to resist the temptation to read this book.


WE ARE LIARS. WE ARE BEAUTIFUL, PRIVILEGED AND LIVE A LIFE OF CAREFREE LUXURY. WE ARE CRACKED AND BROKEN. A STORY OF LOVE AND ROMANCE. A TALE OF TRAGEDY. WHICH ARE LIES? WHICH ARE TRUTH?

I have been caught in this book immediately. It looks like it could be one of those books which makes you think all the way through and after you read it, it might stay with you for a while. And I haven't been wrong.

Candice is an heir to her family's fortune. As the oldest grand child, she is brought up in a luxury. Her grandfather owns a private island near Martha's Vineyard and her whole family spends there every summer. Candice and her three cousins called themselves Liars. They spend every single waking minute together. Then in The Summer Fifteen, Candice has an accident she cannot recall, which leaves her with painful migraines and a short amnesia. So after two years, she comes back to the island to try to figure out what has happened in the those faithful months of Summer Fifteen. 


Firstly, let me start with the edition itself. Paperback with a lovely summer image on the cover. When you open the book, there is a map of the island at the beginning to help you to visualise the environment of the story. The story itself is divided into 5 parts which slowly tells you important parts of Candice's lost memories. 


As far as the plot goes, this book is brilliant. It gets under your skin straight from the start and you will not be able to put it down. You will want to continue reading it more and more with every secret revealed. It might be confusing to start with. Hell, it too me a while to work out what is going on, but once you start to discover more and more secrets, you find yourself invested in the story and you start to make your own theories of what has happened that faithful summer. Don't give up on the book, when you feel like it's confusing! I promise it will be worth it. At the end, it will all make sense. The ending will explain it all. 


The major twist is excellent. I did not expect that! It actually blew my mind and left with a mouth opened wide. It's genius. It's heart-breaking and it makes you cry, but at the same time it's unexpected, original and fantastic. 




The characters of the story are real, loveable, down-to-earth, very relate able and the author makes them come alive.


The writing is very modern, easy to follow, entertaining, keeps you in suspense and makes sure that you are glued to the pages of the novel. Lockhart's story-telling is smart and beautiful. She wrote a story of such a major loss and its unique way of coping with it. I've never read a similar story to this one. It's one of a kind in the YA genre. I absolutely fell in love with WE WERE LIARS. It made me laugh. It made me cry. And it absolutely broke my heart. 


I haven't read such a great book in a while. This is the only book this year, which holds a story within its pages, what wasn't what I expected. It was more. It made me think. Hard. All the way through I was hurting my head with various ideas, but even I didn't expect the ending. It's one of those books, which will stay with you for a long time after you read the last page. It had on me the same effect as WARM BODIES I have read last year. It seriously blew my mind.

WE WERE LIARS was a very unique, entertaining, mind-blowing and absolutely fantastic story to read. One of the best I've read in the contemporary YA genre so far. 

Beautiful. This story makes me want to read more of E. Lockhart's writing. I cannot wait to get lost in more stories by this wonderful writer. Ms Lockhart, Thank you for writing this beautiful tale of love and loss.