"Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever."
Caraval follows the story of sisters Scarlett and Tella, Scarlett is determined to go through with her wedding with a mysterious Count she has been writing letters to, yet she doesn't know his name and hasn't ever seen him. She believes this is her way of escaping the island she and Tella have lived on their entire lives and to escape from their abusive father.
Yet when she receives tickets for the Caraval, from "Legend" the master who she has written a letter two every year, her sister tells her she must go even with her wedding only 10 days away. This book has a little bit of everything, mystery, action, drama, death, romance and of course a little bit of magic. ``Even at the end I was trying to keep up with all the twists and turns not knowing who to believe. IT only took me an afternoon to read the entire book but I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that there is going to be a sequel as there where quite a few ends left untied!
Let me know if you have read Caraval and what your thoughts are on it.
THanks for Reading, Sam x
"Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?
Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom." - Geekerella, Ashley Poston
Geekerella follows the story of Elle, a modern day Cinderella, after her father passes away she is left living with her step-mother and twin step-sisters. With a less than happy home life Elle uses her blog as an escape, writing about her all time favourite TV show Starfield, which she is a major fan off. When she finds out teen heart throb Darien Freeman has been cast in the lead role Carmindor, she is less than impressed and you bet she is going to write about it. The book alternates between Elle and Darien, Darien also a huge fan of Starfield himself is worried he's not going to do the role justice, especially when he reads a blog post criticising the casting which has got thousands and thousands of views. Both will be attending ExcelsiCon, a convention started by Elle's father, Darien to promote his role as Carmindor and Elle who is determined to enter the Cosplay contest, and well you'll have to read the book to see what happens when the two bump into each other.
I really enjoyed reading Geekerella is captures the feeling of being part of a fandom/s and attending conventions and manages to keep it realistic all whilst capturing the nostalgia of the cinderella story where all so familiar with.
Geekerella is released on 4th April in the UK, you can read more about the author Ashley Poston
here, and more details about the book
here.
Thanks for Reading, Sam
"Carys and Max have ninety minutes of air left.
None of this was supposed to happen.
But perhaps this doesn’t need to be the end…
Adrift in space with nothing to hold on to but each other, Carys and Max can’t help but look back at the well-ordered world they have left behind – at the rules they couldn’t reconcile themselves to, and a life to which they might now never return.
For in a world where love is banned, what happens when you find it?"
The book opens with Cary and Max, they have had to abandon their space shuttle and are adrift in space, with no way back to the ship and with only 90 minutes of air left. The book flicks back forth retelling the story of how the pair met and what led them to being on board the ship and them counting down the minutes of air left trying to figure a way back to safety.
For me this is the best book I have read this year, at its heart it's a love story, of forbidden love. Carys and Max have met and fallen in love in a world that doesn't allow settling into committing relationships until you are established at age 35. As we follow the story via their memories we read how they met, the ups and downs of their relationships as they broke guidelines and how it led them to where they are now.
I read this is one sitting, I couldn't help it as much as I didn't want the book to end, with the counting down of the minutes I kept turning the pages having to know what happened. I thought the ending was very well done and unique.
I highly recommend reading this book, and if you already have let me know what you thought of it. You can purchase Hold Back The Stars
here.
Thanks For Reading,
Sam x
"Fiction is the best kind of reality"
Bookishly Ever After is the first book from the Ever After trilogy by Isabel Bandeira. This is a book about a girl, Phoebe Martin who loves books, and as I am a girl who loves book what a great thing to read about. Pheobe or "Feebs" is a full on fiction fan girl who takes her love life and flirting advice from her books (who doesn't ;) ) in particular she looks to her heroine Maeve from her favorite book 'hidden' who as well as being helpful for love life advice is also a skilled archer just like Feebs. Her friends tell her fellow band member Dev has a crush on her initially she doesn't believe it and well you'll have to read the book yourself if you want to find out what or even if happens between them.
I thought this was a really cute book and it was nice to see a main character who was unashamedly different really into her knitting, archery, band, and of course her books. The excerpts throughout the book from 'Hidden' were a nice touch as well.
For me the books starts of a little slowly but once it got I enjoyed reading it and will definitely be checking out the next installment when it is released. If you interested in reading Happily Ever After you can check it out
here.
Thanks For Reading
Sam x
The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste.So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.
I'm a fan of Graham Norton, and so when I saw he had released his debut novel I thought it was worth a read. I have to saw I really enjoyed this book. Set in Duneen, a small Irish Village, the novels centres around a set of bones found on a building site in the village. We meet Sergeant Collins, who at 53, overweight and with having no lasting relationships feels he has become a bit of laughing stock, we follow him as he tries to deal with his first murder case, as well as the arrival of Detective Superintendent Dunne from Cork who has taken control of the case. We follow the story from person to person as more details of the case emerge and the secrets of the villagers are set to be revealed.
It may be a crime novel but I don't feel that is what draws you into this novel, Norton has done a great job at setting up the scene of village life and you get drawn in by the characters and their secrets and more importantly how they react and how they cope when their secrets are revealed. Overall I thought this was a really good debut novel and I hope their are more fiction books from Graham in the future.
If you're interested in reading Holding you can buy it HERE.
Thanks for reading, Sam
