Hi Guys! Hope you’re having a great weekend. Here’s the low down on what happened at BCC this week…

GUESTS

• Angie Fox, author of, Immortally Yours, lists her top ten news stories you never see for our Authors Top 10 feature. She’s also giving away a copy of Immortally Yours (ends 29/08/12).
• Our Debut Author Spotlight is on paranormal romance author, J. T. Giessenger. Her debut novel, Shadow’s Edge, was released June 2012. JT is also giving away an amazing prize of either a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch (ends 01/09/12).

REVIEWS

• 5 Star Review – The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
• 4 Star Review – Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
• 4 Star Review – Hunter and Fox by Philippa Ballantine
• 3.5 Star Review – The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
• 3.5 Star Review - Rebel Heart by Moira Young
• 3.5 Star Review – The Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepan
• 3.5 Star Review – The Bourne Legacy (Friday Film Review)
• 3 Star Review – Tremble Part 2 by Toshba Learner (Alternative Romance Review)
• 3 Star Review – Dark Magic by Rebecca York
• 2.5 Star Review – The Seduction of Phaeton Black by Jillian Stone

LAURA’S ROUNDUP

This week I have finished reading J.R. Ward’s LOVER UNBOUND and oh boy, did I love it! A 4.5/5 for me, sooo good. It’s always hard to move onto your next book when you have loved the previous book so much I find. So, I decided to pick up James R. Tuck’s SPIDER’S LULLABY, no major feat for an arachnophobe like me! But I am fast becoming a fan of this series, which has meant reluctantly admitting that Charlotte the were-spider is not only a pivotal character, but surprisingly one of my favourites *shudder* ;-)

My driving to work audiobook continues to be VISION IN WHITE by Nora Roberts and despite a too early love declaration (in my opinion) from the hero, I’m very much enjoying it. But… I do have a bit of a dilemma about what one to listen to next as I have quite a few stacked up on my iPod. Perhaps ANGELS’ BLOOD by Nalini Singh, or INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE the Anne Rice classic, or a bit of light fun with Sophie Kinsella’s TWENTIES GIRL … Any recommendations?

I am still being very restrained about buying any new books as I have yet to have had my first pay cheque since returning to work, but I did get a very awesome delivery of review books this week which got me very excited! Including THIRTEEN by Kelley Armstrong, TIME UNTIME by Sherrilyn Kenyon and quite a few more books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward *does a happy book dance* :-D

BECS’S ROUNDUP

I have not had a great reading week I’ve only managed to finish EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington, it is a twist on fallen angels and half angels, at first it was a little slow going, however, it did improved, review to come soon. I have now picked up THE LAST MAN STANDING by Davide Longo.

I was very excited when a package came from Mira Ink with two advance reading copies of SPELLBOUND by Cara Lynn Shultz and ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND by Gena Showalter and I can’t wait to read them both. I also picked up THE MOTH DIARIES by Rachel Klein as it was a daily deal on Kindle and sometimes I fail to say no when it comes to books on my wishlist.

Next week I hope to get stuck into my ARC’s, SPELLBOUND and ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND followed by THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE by Rhiannon Frater.

GEMMA’S ROUNDUP

Well, finally finished THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK and if you haven’t read my review then you won’t know how disappointed I was with it. It’s shame because I thought it looked really cool. Oh, well! As it says in the Age old Proverb, “Never Judge a Book by Its Cover.”

Thankfully, the book I’m currently reading, WOLFSBANE by Gillian Philip, is blooming amazing. I have no fingernails left and I’m losing sleep over devouring it. I’m about half way through and still have no idea what’s going to happen!! Look out for my review soon. Next I am definitely going to read THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I know I said I was going to read it ages ago, but with the “All Hallows Eve” event fast approaching I need to get my butt into gear.

I didn’t manage to go to the cinema this week, but I am going Tuesday to see an advanced Screening of TOTAL RECALL, with Colin Farrell. Again a review will follow.

This week I went to my first book launch. Funnily Enough, it was for WOLFSBANE. So, a big thank you to the author, Gillian Philip, for inviting me. I had a great time and now have more authors to look up.

By the time you will have read this post, I will have been to an event at the Edinburgh Book Festival. I’m going to see Stuart McBride, a Scottish crime writer. He isn’t my usual cup of tea, but I am chumming my mum, who is. Did find out he has written a futuristic crime novel called HALFHEADS, which I have bought.  It looks really different and my mum says he is an awsome writer, so we will see. Hope to get it signed after the talk.

My book buying ban took a wee bit of a hit this week as I did buy MIDNIGHTS MASTER by Donna Grant and SIMPLY SEXUAL by Kate Pearce. It was a moment of weakness, but I hope to get back on track soon

Laters Peeps!

MELANIE’S ROUNDUP

Well I was less than productive on the reading front this week. This was due in part to having my Kindle replaced. I had lovely organised collections and after a signficant amount of time on Amazon chat I now have several empty collections and a lot of books in my archive. It did give me the opportunity to go back and re-read some books I haven’t read in a while. I re-read GUNMETAL MAGIC as I am planning to review it and wanted a refresh. While I was doing my Kindle re-org I came across a couple of Ilona Andrews shorts that I quite liked and subsequently re-read including ALPHAS: ORIGINS and SILVER SHARK. I am really impressed that this author (or really authors) are so adept at writing both UF and Science Fiction. I have always had a bit of love hate with Sci Fi but Andrews really knows how to pull it off.

I also started to read not one but two books recommended by fellow reviewer Gemma  - FIREBRAND by Gillian Philip and RIVERS OF BLOOD by Ben Aaronovitch. I don’t normally like to read two books at once but FIREBRAND has me so tense I can only read a few chapters at a time. Gemma will be sent the manicure bill after I have bitten off all my fingernails in the process of reading this book. Aaronovitch had me laughing out loud on public transport which isn’t an easy feat.

Writing this has made me realise that I have read barely anything this week. Embarrassing! Must do better next week.

REBECCA’S ROUNDUP

This week has been a fairly busy reading week for me, as I’ve been trying to reduce my TBR pile as much as possible! I started off by finishing THE IRON DUKE by Meljean Brook (review), which I enjoyed as I’m falling in love with all things steampunk!

Next up was MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs, which I had seen recommended on the internet, and I loved how the book integrates vintage photographs into the storytelling. Review to come.

I then read a book that I had been very excited about starting (and which I received for my birthday in July), GOD SAVE THE QUEEN by Kate Locke. I admit that most of my excitement was for the cover, as the covers for this series are beautiful and the book really did live up to my expectations.

I’m now reading HARBOR by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and I’m only around 200 pages in (out of around 500) but I’m liking it so far, as I find that Swedish writers often excel in writing crime and horror! Can’t wait to review this as part of BCC’s All Hallows Eve event!

VICKIE’S ROUNDUP

What have I been up to since you last heard from me? I have been a good girl and read four books over the past 2 weeks, so not bad going for me really. Yes yes, ok, two of them were rather short ebooks, but they still count, right?

The first two books were both by a new author for me, Rebecca York. DARK MAGIC and SHATTERED MAGIC take place in a world where magic is shunned as something evil and destructive. So much so people that have magic have moved away, creating for themselves a new home, away from those that would persecute them. The first book, DARK MAGIC, is Devon’s story, the Princess of Arandal, and how she is betrayed by her father who wishes to send her off with the local barbarians to ensure his kingdoms safety. A handsome stranger finds her in her room, and teaches her naughty things, and reminds Devon of a legend, inspiring her to run away, to try and help her fathers people by giving her virginal body to a dragon. SHATTERED MAGIC continues the story with Devons brother Grantland, and how he has had enough of his father’s domineering ways, so takes a walkabout to think about the future. Of the two I preferred Dark Magic, and you can see my review here.

After that I moved on to DRACULA’S SECRET by Linda Mercury. The idea is that Dracula was really a girl, and his/her family covered up from the moment s/he was born, as they needed a boy to carry on the family line, so rather than killing the infant as they had done with the previous girls, they dressed her as a boy, and told no-one. A few hundred years later and Dracula is fed up of who s/he has become, and so switches to a female identity. I am just about to start writing the review on this and I think I am going to confuse myself with all the his/her business!! Check out the review and see what you think, but definitely a new take on an old name!

My last book was a horror for a change, THE EVERLASTING by Tim Lebbon. I think I may try and get in a horror once a month from now on, as it makes a refreshing change from all the romance (which I love but a change is always good right?). It really did make for an interesting read and you will be able to see my review on it during our All Hallows Eve event coming up in October. I am now going to move on to ASSASSINS IN LOVE by Kris DeLake, another new author for me.

Outside of books, I have been to see Brave with my hubby and two kids. We all loved it except for the odd scary bit which the youngest wasn’t too keen on. I have been really good and stayed away from the book shops as I haven’t made a dent in my TBR pile!

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