2010 was a pretty good year for books, but not brilliant (well, the ones I read anyway). There were a few stand out books for me such as the ‘Downside Ghosts‘ series by Stacia Kane and the ‘Vampire Academy‘ series by Richelle Mead, but very few made the rating of 10/10, 9/10, or even 8/10. I know, I’m so harsh! But 2011 looks like it’s going to be a bumper year for outstanding books, I hope they all meet my expectations. Some of the one’s I’ve listed may have already…
BLACKLANDS by Belinda Bauer PUBLISHER: Corgi RELEASE DATE: 2nd Jan 2011 FORMAT: Paperback, 346 pages GENRE: Crime/Thriller Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. Every day after school, while his classmates swap football stickers, Steven goes digging to lay to rest the ghost of the uncle he never knew, who disappeared aged eleven and is assumed to have fallen victim to the notorious serial killer Arnold Avery. Only Steven’s Nan is not convinced her son is dead. She still waits for him to come home,…
‘Where Stories Are Made‘ is a regular feature here at Book Chick City. It’s where the author takes us on a tour of their writing place, be it an office, coffee shop or park and tells us about their writing day and rituals. My guest today is science fiction author, Jaine Fenn… ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I write in a garret. Okay, technically speaking it’s a loft conversion, but it’s under the eaves, lit by a skylight, and – most importantly of all – it can only be accessed by wooden ladder. That’s…
In 2010 I read over 25 YA novels and throughly enjoyed most of them. There are quite a few coming out next year (mainly spring/summer that I know of) and I think it’s going to be an exciting year for YA. So here are my top ten UK picks for 2011! 1. ‘I Don’t Want To Kill You’ by Dan Wells (Headline, 13th Jan 2011) Sixteen-year-old John Wayne Cleaver has always known he’s different, but not because he only has one friend (and doesn’t much like him) and not because…
Darkness Divine by P. C. Cast, Maggie Shayne, Gena Showalter & Rhyannon Byrd Mira Books (Sept 2010) | Paperback, 432 Pages Paranormal Romance Darkness Divine is a compilation of short stories from four popular authors in the paranormal romance genre. There has been a trend for compilations of this nature for a while and for the most part I’ve avoided them. There’s a sceptical part of me, that thinks that they’re a bit of a marketing ploy. I also often struggle with short stories and find myself wanting a bit more detail…
Carolyn’s Top 10 Reads 2010 Normally trying to pick ten out of a whole year of books is difficult, but I must say that it was a lot easier this year. Out of the 70+ books I’ve read there weren’t many that really stood out for me, but there were a few that blew me away and I just loved them. My list isn’t as varied as Laura’s, as most of mine come from a series. I have added a quote to each book from my reviews, which sums up…
2010 has been an amazing year for covers – some you may recognise but some are a little different, however, they all have something special, whether it be the vibrant colours, the illustration itself or they just have that fun factor. So, without further ado, here are my favourite covers for 2010… 10. Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton 9. Knight Angels: Book of Love by Abra Ebner 8. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion 7. Alien Tango by Gini Koch 6. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce 5. Archangel’s Consort by Nalini…
Wolf Fever (Heart of the Wolf #6) by Terry Spear Sourcebooks Casablanca (Dec 2010) Paperback, 448 pages | Paranormal Romance Terry Spear has been on my ‘to-read’ list for a while, and I’m not ashamed to admit the half-naked men accompanied by a wolf on the covers swayed it for me. Even though it was slightly superficial to want to read a book based on the abs of a faceless man, I was quickly invested in the story and it’s the writing and the characters that kept me interested. Carol, a newly…
UPDATE: Jo no longer reviews for BCC As you may know, two months ago Book Chick City welcomed Zosia as part of the reviewing team, unfortunately Zosia is no longer with us. I very much enjoyed having her here on BCC and will miss her fab reviews, but I know I can always pop on over to Goodreads! However, I have the pleasure of introducing Josephine (Jo) to the team. Jo is a Brit chick (like moi) and has a voracious appetite for books. She’s bubbly and friendly and I…
Hello! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas yesterday – I now feel suitably stuffed and yet keep going back for more! I have a few winner’s to announce from my Christmas Week giveaways… The Spy Who Saved Christmas by Dana Marton 1. Victoria Z Angels in the Snow by Sarah Morgan 1. Ruth H (USA) 2. Stella (Ex Libris) (Hungary) 3. Martha L (USA) 4. KimvA (Netherlands) 5. Debbie H (UK) Congratulations! To CLAIM YOUR PRIZE please fill out THIS FORM. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• This Week on Book Chick City!…
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where I list all the books I desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own ‘On My Wishlist’ post. If you want to know more click HERE. Welcome to the Christmas Edition of On My Wishlist! Merry Christmas!! I hope you…
Yay! Christmas Week has arrived! Christmas Day is fastly approaching *woo hoo* and there’s lots to look forward to here on Book Chick City. So sit back with a glass of mulled wine and a delicious mince pie and enjoy! To celebrate Christmas Week I have the pleasure of welcoming Mills & Boon author Sarah Morgan to Book Chick City. Sarah is the author of ‘Angels in the Snow‘ which I reviewed this morning and she’s here today to give her top tips for keeping your romance healthy over the…
ANGELS IN THE SNOW by Sarah Morgan PUBLISHER: Mills & Boon RELEASE DATE: Oct 2010 FORMAT: Paperback, 376 pages GENRE: Contemporary Romance Have yourself a very magical Christmas, full of romance and sparkles! Stella Martin has come back home to the Lake District for Christmas. But is she brave enough to face the man who proposed, then immediately dumped her two Christmas Eve’s before? Daniel Buchannan is not looking forward to Christmas – and even less when Stella reappears in the village. But this year will be different! Patrick Buchannan…
‘Where Stories Are Made‘ is a regular feature here at Book Chick City. It’s where the author takes us on a tour of their writing place, be it an office, coffee shop or park and tells us about their writing day and rituals. My guest today is Penny Watson, author of paranormal romance… ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Carolyn, thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog today! Christmas is my favorite time of year. Lights sparkle, the scent of cinnamon and cloves fills the house, presents pile up under…
Yay! Christmas Week has arrived! Christmas Day is fastly approaching *woo hoo* and there’s lots to look forward to here on Book Chick City. So sit back with a glass of mulled wine and a delicious mince pie and enjoy! I have the best Christmas memories!! Christmas has always been fun, exciting, and full of wonderful family moments. Except for one year. In Christmas 2003, I was seven months pregnant with my first child. We had just spent the morning with my inlaws where I received tons of baby stuff….
