Book haul!

Book Haul #1

I have such a problem, it's time to confess, I have a book buying issue,

So after getting 23 books for Christmas, I decided to buy another 7 today....

Here's a sneak preview..

So first off I went into WHSmiths as I had a £15 voucher to spend,

all of the kids books were 3 for 2, so naturally I picked up 3, as I was approaching the till I came across a section that had reduced books and there I picked a book up for only £1!!

Here are the books i got...

As you know, I absolutely loved this book, but here's the thing, I read it on my kindle. I decided it was about time to add it to my collection of Sarah Dessen books. This was in the 3 for 2 offer.

I've heard nothing but good things about this book, what initially drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. After reading the synopsis and checking it out on Goodreads I was set to buy it. This was also in the 3 for 2 offer.  

 After reading Tempest and rating it 3 stars, I had no intentions to carry on with the series. But lately my curiosity has been getting the best of me and I now want to carry on with the series and see how it plays out, this book is the second in the trilogy so I am anxious to see what its like, will it have the same second book fate most books have? This was also in the 3 for 2 offer.

This book was a bargain, £1!

As you know from my top ten books from 2013, I really enjoyed a book by Jodi Picoult and ever since then I have been accumulating more books by her. After seeing this for a pound, in very good condition I decided to add it to my ever growing TBR pile.

I then popped into the works.

If you don't know what the works is, it's an extremely cheap book and stationary shop here in England, I like to pop in there as they have a deal '3 for £5' on most books and I often find some proper gems. 

Here are the books I got from the works...

I love Maria V Snyder's work so this was a must buy for me.
It is the second book in the glass series. I picked this up as I already have the first in the series, although I am not that sure whether I have this book already.

 I couldn't believe it when I saw quite a few Abbi Glines books in the offer, I picked up this one as I have the first one already and now I can marathon the duo.

Last but not least, I picked up the second in the blood of eden series by Julie Kagawa, I received the first for Christmas and now I have the second.

What books did you buy this weekend? 

Let me know in the comments:)

Thank you for reading,

Much love,

Jessie x

Friday reads

So it's time for my Friday reads!

I am aiming to finish The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. 

I have around 295ish pages left to read.

I have made no plans book wise for Saturday and on Sunday I am participating in a 24 hour read-a-thon, you can see what books im reading here: http://aphroditereads.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/24-hour-read-thon-pre-update.html

Thanks for reading,

Much love,

Jessie x

24 Hour Read-a-Thon PRE-Update

24 hour read-a-thon PRE update

I must be mad, in fact I am now officially mad. I have decided to take part in Brianna (bribookishconfessions) 24 hour read-a-thon. Why? I have a lot of time on my hands, i'm off school, have a huge TBR pile and  it seems fun. However, I don't know my plans yet for Sunday so i have kept my pile of books to the minimum and have cheekily involved smaller books.

I am going to try to read at least 7 books. although 2 are novellas. Here's the books and the order im reading them, plus a page count.

1- The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
I thought this would be nice to set the tone of the read-a-thon as it is a well loved book of mine. The pages in this book total to 551, so that starts the page count off nicely.

2- The book of shadows by Cate Tiernan.
This book seems like a fun little read, it is about witches so it should be fun.The book is 176 pages long so that brings the page count to 727.

3- Girl in the mirror by Cecelia Ahern. 
This is a cute little novella to pace my reading. It is only 89 pages long so that brings the page count to 816.

4- Legend by Marie Lu. 
Yet again another re-read.This re-read will prepare me for Prodigy and then Champion.The book is 295 pages long so this brings the page count to 1121.

 5- The demigod files by Rick Riordan
This book is like little novellas that take place around the time of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians.This book is 171 pages long so this brings the page count to 1191

6- Peter Pan by J M Barrie.
This book is only 205 pages long and is also a well loved book of mine.This brings the page count to 1396

7- The coven by Cate Tiernan.
I hope to finish the read-a-thon by reading the next book in the sweep series. This book is 185 pages long so this brings the page count to 1581.

For anymore information on the read-a-thon, visit Brianna's blog here: http://bribookishconfessions.wordpress.com/

I will be posting updates throughout the day on my instagram (Jessiereadsbooks) using the hashtag 24hourreadathon.

You can also tweet updates on twitter using the same hashtag.

For any more query's or if you want to take part, you can contact Brianna on twitter which is @bbookishconfess or on her instagram which is @bribookishconfessions.

Thank you for reading,

Much love,

Jessie x

The moon and more by Sarah Dessen~review

Goodreads synopsis:

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer

My review:

Meet Emmaline,the perfect girlfriend and daughter. She lives in a little beach resort and practically knows everyone who inhabits it.

This summer is her last summer at home before college so she plans to make it a big fun summer with her best friends daisy and Morris and her perfect boyfriend luke.

Suddenly, Luke cheats on Emmaline and she gets with a guy called Theo, could this summer be fun? 

She has daddy issues,her dad hasn't been a dad to her and up until recently,she had only met him the once. So when her dad moves to Colby for the summer with her little brother Benji,will she be along for the ride? This summer could give her the moon and more.

This book was ok, it was a typical Sarah Dessen novel, a girl trying to find out who she is. I really liked Morris, he was hilarious.

I think I loved this book because it was set in Colby and featured Clyde. The constant references to places like clementines, abes bike shop and tallyhos made me giddy and in a few chapters we would hear from characters in along for the ride. As along for the ride is one of my favourite books I loved the fact this book was set in Colby and featured Clyde.

I wouldn't hesitate to re read this book

stars: 4/5

thank you for reading,

much love,

Jessie x

The goddess test by Aimee Carter~Review

The goddess test by Aimee Carter~Review

Goodreads synopsis:

Every girl who had taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

If she fails..

my review:

This book follows Kate Winters and her story. Forced to move back to her mother's home town, Kate has to start again, new house, new school and possibly New friends?

Her mother is growing sicker by the day and Kate will sacrifice everything for her mum to get better, even her life. So when tragedy strikes, Kate is forced to make a decision that will not only change her life but change the world as she knows it. 

Can this stranger Henry offer her what she wants? He has the answers she needs, Kate just has to trust him,but with a lot of secrets and a history that shouldn't be unearthed, can Henry open up? Is this the start of a beautiful love story or a tragic ending...

wow,this book was fab. I love all of the Greek mythology in this book, it is a fresh take on a Greek myth, Persephone and Hades is what it's all about.

If you like Percy Jackson and a good love story, then this is the book for you.

I totally recommend this book.

stars: 4/5

thank you for reading,

much love,

Jessie x

noughts and crosses by malorie blackman~review

Noughts and crosses by Malorie Blackman~review

Goodreads synopsis:

Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.

Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?

In this gripping, stimulating and totally absorbing novel, black and white are right and wrong.

My review:

'Dear God, please let him have heard me, please, please. If you're up there somewhere'

This book takes place in a world where Crosses(The Blacks) are racist against the Noughts(The Whites). The Crosses aren't supposed to integrate with the Noughts, it's frowned upon. The Crosses are superior, the Noughts are inferior, they simply can not mix. So when the daughter of a famous Cross mixes with a nought, you can imagine what happens.

Sephy and Callum have been best friends since they can remember, they have always been part of each other's lives. But, Sephy loves Callum and Callum loves Sephy. Callum's family are involved with the terrorist organisation the 'Liberation Militia'. When the organisation plants a bomb and someone from Callum's family is charged with the offence, Sephy and Callum are left to pick up the pieces.

First off, i absolutely adored both Callum and Sephy, they where both very strong characters and i immediately grew attached to them. 

When reading this book, i was a mess, always sobbing, always smiling. The death of Lynette and Ryan left me devastated, and then to top it off the ending just ruined me.

WOW,What a book. I love this book. I must read knife edge as soon as possible.

I'd recommend this book to everyone and anyone. 

Stars: 4.5/5

Thank you for reading,

much love,

Jessie x

top ten books of 2013

                       Top ten books of 2013

1~ Tiger lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. If you’re a big fan of Peter Pan or fairy tale retellings, you will love this book. It is full of magical moments that will leave you wishing you could have your own Peter. It is told from Tinkerbell’s point of view and she narrates the ‘love’ story between Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. I whole heartedly loved this book and I cannot wait to re-read it and re-live all my thoughts and feelings again.

2~ 13 reasons why by Jay Asher. If you liked the perks of being a wall flower then this book is for you. This book is about a girl called Hannah who sadly committed suicide. She lives behind a box of tapes, 13 tapes, 13 reasons why she did what she did. Narrated by Clay Jensen, the next person to have the box, you finally get to find out what part he had in Hannah’s suicide and also, if things can be mended or if they are broken forever. This book is beautiful, it takes a very controversial topic and portrays it perfectly. If you read this book, you can go to the blog for this book where you can hear narrations of the tapes.

3~ The tenth circle by Jodi Picoult. This book follows yet another controversial topic, rape. 14 year old Trixie thinks she’s in love, she thinks she has the perfect boyfriend. One night with her boyfriend takes a turn for the worse and the next thing you know, she believes she has been raped. When all the pieces come together you will realise why ‘he’ said that and why ‘they’ did that. Did Trixie get raped or is she making it up? I really connected with this book, I love how the controversial topic has been represented and how the story planned out.

4~Noughts and crosses by Malorie Blackman. Wow, yet again this book takes on a controversial topic. This time, racism. The racism is against whites, not blacks. The book follows Sephy and Callum, they are best friends but different races. Their friendship is forbidden. What happens when their friendship is put to the test? Will they fall in love? This book, wow. I love it. Callum is such a good character, he’s everything and more.

5~Between shades of gray by Ruta Sepetys. This book is set in Lithuania during the war. It follows Lina and her family as they get sent to a work camp in Siberia. It follows their struggles, love, betrayal and of all most, discovery. Lina documents everything that happens by art, she hopes her drawings will find their way to her dad so he knows they are alive. It is a long journey, 6,500 miles to be exact, but along the way we find out the true Lina and so does she. This book made me sob, it was perfect. The emotions captured in this book were so raw and beautiful. This is a must read for anyone/everyone.

6~ The moon and more by Sarah Dessen. This book is set in Colby and follows Emmaline. She is the ‘perfect’ girlfriend and friend. Suddenly Theo turns up, a city guy. He isn’t used to being out in the ‘middle of nowhere’ so Emmaline takes it upon herself to be his guide. Will love be lost? Will it be made?  This book is the typical Sarah Dessen novel, a girl finding out who she is. This book is perfect for along the ride fans as it is set in the same town and prominently features a few of the same characters, one mainly being Clyde. The constant mentions of tallyhos etc made me giddy and I couldn’t put this book down. I really like this book.

7~ The goddess test by Aimee Carter. This book is based around the story of Hades and Persephone and as it features Greek mythology it was an obvious read for me. The protagonist, Kate, has a sick mum, her mum is dying and she needs to find away for her mum to live, she is willing to sacrifice everything, even her life. Kate is forced to make a decision that will not only change her life but change the world as she knows it.  Can this stranger Henry offer her what she wants? He has the answers she needs, Kate just has to trust him,but with a lot of secrets and a history that shouldn't be unearthed, can Henry open up? Is this the start of a beautiful love story or a tragic ending... If you’re a fan of the selection then this book is good for you. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

8~ One hundred names by Cecelia Ahern. This book follows Kitty Logan as she makes one crucial mistake that ruins her career. Kitty is a journalist and she falsely accuses someone of being a paedophile. Kitty has one last chance to save her job, she is given a list of names and is told to make an article using it. What she finds out will change many lives, bring people together and ultimately will help Kitty find her calling. If you’re a fan of cute reads then give this a try.

9~ The fault in our stars by John Green. Need I tell you more? I think not.

And finally,

10~ Ketchup clouds by Annabel Pitcher. Zoe is absolutely desperate to share her secret with someone, someone who won't judge her. She decides to send anonymous letters to Stuart, a murderer on death row. through these letters, she reveals her biggest secret, she killed someone… throw in a love triangle and self-discovery and you have yourself a very good book.

Thank you for reading,

Much love,

Jessie x

Along for the ride,Sarah Dessen~Review

Along for the ride ~ review

Goodreads summary:

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect

 Review:

Okay, so I know many people have said this book is too cute, too sappy and far too cliché. I think you’re totally wrong. This book is by far the best book Sarah Dessen has written, it is full of the quirkiness and sappiness I need.

The story starts off with Auden taking the decision to go and stay with her dad in Colby, her dad is writing a book and has no time for her and her step mother has just give birth to Auden’s little sister, they have no time to be watching a 16(I think) year old. Yet she goes and stays with her dad. This is the best decision she has made. So she is staying with her dad for the summer and within a few days, she is roped into working at her step mums shop. Her step mums shop is everything Auden isn’t, girly. It soon becomes clear that the co-workers like Auden and she feels comfortable with herself and her new friends. Whilst all of this is going on, her mother keeps trying to get in touch and she’s the reason Auden came to her dads, to be away from her mum for a while. To cut a long story short, Auden crosses paths with a totally hot teenage boy called Eli and they fall for each other, Eli brings Auden out of her shell and it’s something that she really needed. Throw in a jealous ex, some turbulent issues and you have yourself a sappy, cliché contemporary book that you will dearly love.

I have read this book so many times I have lost count, yes I know the plot inside out and yes, I can quote it. This book is by far my favourite book I have ever read. The characters are amazing, there is a drool worthy hot Eli and a quirky brother Ellis who will leave you laughing so hard tears will be rolling down your cheek. The plot is amazing, the writing style is amazing. I just love this book so so much. If you’re looking for a cute summer read then this is the book for you, it’s very hard to put down and I know I will be re-reading this sometime in the upcoming month.

Star rating: 5/5

Thank you for reading,

Much love,

Jessie x

Just a little introduction...

Just a little introduction...

It had suddenly come to my attention that if I loved books, why didn't I have a book blog?

So this is what I'm doing, I'm venturing out into the big wide book world.

I decided on the blog name 'Aphrodite Reads' as I absolutely love Greek mythology, it captures me in a way nothing else has before. Oh and I absolutely love anything beauty related, so the name was also quite fitting to me.

So who exactly am i?

I am a 15(16 next month) year old girl who lives in England.

I am currently studying for my GCSE's and then i am going on to college.

Books are my passion,my life in fact, I couldn't imagine a single day without a book.

My other interests involve make-up and films.

I'm quite a quirky person, many people would class me as eccentric which is fine with me,because being normal is being boring and I don't want to be boring.

I am 100% honest, so any reviews I post will be my honest opinions on the book.

My favourite colour is blue.

My favourite film is Tangled.

My favourite book is Along for the ride by Sarah Dessen.

I look like this:

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy my blog:)

Lots of love,

Jessie x