ARC Review: Five-Seven-Five

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book.

Thank you to C.E. Wilson!

Title: Five-Seven-Five

Series: The Boy With Words #1

Author: C.E. Wilson

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, mystery

Publication Date: November 20th 2015

Pages: Unknown 

My Rating: 5 stars

Take what you can, Take what won't be missed and Take what can be used. 

Because the creators are watching...They're always watching...

White Frost lives in a community that doesn't know what the outside world looks like, all they know is the grey that surrounds their everyday lives. Except for the chosen ones, who get to venture outside of the community to the outside, where the Creators live, to scavenge for supplies. But the stories her cousin, Shade, has told her, has her hopes and dreams aimed for becoming a chosen one. 

She wants to see blue skies, she wants to see clouds. And she wants to find out more about the words on the pieces of paper that Shade brings her back.

When a girl from the colony goes missing, the Chosen Ones are sent to look for her in the outside world, but when Shade dies, White's world shatters around her. 

But with the help of his friend, Salt, she learns even more of the outside and she takes it into her own hands to get there. But when she does, she finds out that everything she has even known is a lie. When she meets a being who she believes is a creator, he shows her colours she could never have imagined, light that blasts from the sky...

He shows her a life she never knew, and it leaves her questioning her own. 

I won't lie, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. 

From the get go, I was enchanted by the world. I wanted to know more, why had White never seen the outside world? What was going on with the government in her world? 

What happened to Shade?

I was so obsessed that I read this book in one sitting, something I struggle to do with ebooks, as the screens give me a headache. But I needed to get to the bottom of this book that reminded me of Legend by Marie Lu, in the aspect of her only family member dying and her taking matters into her own hands. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, in the aspect that they'd never seen the world outside and knew nothing more than the blank, grey world around them and finally The Borrowers or The Secret Life of Arrietty. 

The twist in this book was something that I did not have any idea was coming. Everything seemed so normal until that point, and then when it hits, you have to react to it in shock! It was so imaginative and unhinted at! 

I think this book is brilliant, and honestly it's worth the read, it's quick and easy and so enjoyable!

You can find it on Kindle here: x (it's £1.99 or free for Kindle Unlimited users)

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Reading Challenge Update!

As mentioned in my last reading challenge post, over the months of November and December I'm taking part in a Series Reading Challenge in an attempt to finish as many series as possible to carry into the new year on a cleaner slate. 

This is how I've done so far:

• Total Number of Books read in November as of (27/11/15): 34
• These are; 
• Betrayed (House of Night 2)
• Chosen (House of Night 3)
• Reunion (Mediator 3)
• Darkest Hour (Mediator 4)
• The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9)
• The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)
• The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11)
• The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12)
• The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13)
• Eclipse (Twilight #3)
• The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight #3.5)
• Blue Blood (Blue Bloods #1)
• Masquerade (Blue Bloods #2)
• Revelations (Blue Bloods #3)
• Fall of Night (The Morganville Vampires #14)
• Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires #15)
• The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia #1)
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #2)
• The Horse and his Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3)
• Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia #4)
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia #5)
• The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia #6)
• The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia #7)
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #1)
• Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1)
• Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3)
• Abby and the Cute One (Backstage Pass #5)
• Dark Flame (The Immortals #4)
• Night Star (The Immortals #5)
• Passion (Fallen #3)
• Fallen in Love (Fallen 3.5)

• Books not in a series: 
• The November Criminals
• Rain Saga 
• Completed Series: 3 (Narnia, Morganville Vampires and A Series of Unfortunate Events)

How is your reading month going? 

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ARC Review: Rain Saga

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book. 

Thank you to Riley Barton!

Title: Rain Saga

Series: As of now, a stand alone

Author: Riley Barton

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, adventure

Release Date: May 22nd 2015

Pages: 288

My rating: 4 stars

The year is 2119. 

The world has changed. 

And not for the better. 

Ravished by storms, floods and disease; including the deadly Blister Wart Disease, millions have died. 

Luna's parents were among the small amount that lived and now 18 years later, Luna is researching a cure for Blister Wart Disease, not only to save millions of people's lives, but her own as well. When she discovers an enzyme with the potential to eliminate this disease, she has to go into one of the dangerous swamped areas to collect another sample. 

But things don't go to plan, and Luna is left to consider that the people she once trusted, maybe aren't as trustworthy as she'd like to believe, and maybe things aren't as they seem. 

The future beckoned like the first light of the new day. Her rain saga was over, but her life was just beginning. 

I went into this book completely blind. 

And I was actually pretty shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Starting with the characters, I liked Luna as a main heroine. She wasn't whiny about her illness and she continued going in her research, not letting the fact that it may kill her, stop her. She seemed a lot less selfish than many main female leads and I liked the fact that she didn't need any love interest to make her strong. She was strong in her own right. 

The only character I had an issue with was Bridget, for no other reason than she was annoying. I understand that everyone has that person in their lives but she gave me a bit of a headache, poor Keith (read the book and you'll get the reference.)

The plot was something that I'd never heard of before and the dystopian vibes were really prominent in the story, but also in a way that made you feel like you wanted to know more about the world. It interested me how whole cities lay in ruins. I was just imagining a worldwide Chernobyl sort of situation the whole way through the book. 

The writing was fast paced and interesting, enough to keep your focus on the book and it is the type of book that you can read in one sitting!

The reason this book was a four star book and not a five star book was because I wasn't grasped immediately, it took me about a chapter to really get into the flow of this book, but the chapters aren't long!

I really did enjoy this book, and I think that it is an excellent debut. 

Check out the book on Amazon Kindle here: {x}

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Review: Game of Thrones

Title: Game of Thrones

Series: A Song of Fire and Ice #1

Author: George R. R. Martin

Genre: Fantasy, adventure

Publication Date: August 6th 1996

Pages: 805

Can you really sum up what Game of Thrones is about?

I mean, really, it has a very complicated plot about a lot of complex characters. 

Summer won't last forever. 

And winter is coming. 

That's the one thing that the Stark's have always said. And now that it is approaching, the race for the Iron Throne is upon us. With the threat of the white-walkers coming closer to the wall that protects them, the country must come to action, with the King, Robert calling people to war, including Ned Stark. 

But not everything in the court is as it seems. 

Nothing in Westeros and beyond is what it seems.

When you play a game of thrones...You win or die. 

I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS BOOK. 

I bought this series about a year ago, coming from the city where the TV show, Game of Thrones is filmed, it was almost criminal that I knew nothing about this series. So many people had ranted and raved about it too me, but it always just sounded too dark for my liking. 

But one day, I decided to do it. 

And I loved every moment of it!

From the get go, I was so intrigued by the world of this book. Many fantasy writers claim to do something original, but I believe that Martin has done that! I have never in my life read something like this! I immediately loved the majority of characters, I hated who I was supposed to hate and for some characters, I was able to make up my own conclusions. 

My favourite characters are: 

• Jon Snow
• Ned Stark
• Bran Stark
• Arya Stark
• Daenerys Targaryen

My least favourite characters are: 

• Catelyn Stark
• Cersei Lannister
• Sansa Stark
• Joffery Lannister
• Jaime Lannister
• Viserys Targaryen 

And yes, that is in order. 

I really hate Catelyn Stark. 

But yes, I am completely obsessed with this world and I can't wait to read more of it! I've also started the first series of the TV show, and so far, it's pretty accurate to the books!

(*I also had to use a photo of my own edition of this book because it was so pretty. No other reason. Just aesthetic.*)

QOTD: Have you read/watched any of the Game of Thrones world?

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Cover Appreciation -How I Found You by Gabriella Lepore

As a lot of people know, especially book lovers on Instagram, How I Found You by Gabriella Lepore was re-released this year by OfTomes Publishing. With this release brought the beautiful new cover, and it is definitely something that deserves it's own post. 

my copy with a bookmark that came too

This book was one that I had read earlier on in the year, around May I think, and when I saw the new cover, I knew it had to be mine as I'd absolutely adored the book. 5 star worthy! The inside is formatted beautifully as well: 

taken from my instagram @conniedalt

There are some amazingly beautiful books out there, and this is just one of them, so expect to see more cover appreciation posts in the future. Go and check out How I Found You on Amazon (here: x), it's also available on Kindle too, and check out OfTomes and Gabriella Lepore's other works as well!

Let me know about any other books you think are beautifully designed! Also if you'd like to see a full review of this book! 

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Reading Challenge Goal Setting!

I am a huge believer in Goal setting, I think very methodically and I think writing down my goals and putting them out into the world is a very important way to stick to them! 

Every month, I try and take part in a reading challenge in some form, usually on the YA Buddy Reader's Corner group on Goodreads. This month, and next month's, challenge is a series to finish any series you've started to go into the new year with a clean slate! 

Below is a list of series that I hope to finish and at the end of November and December, I'll share my progress!

• House of Night by PC and Kristen Cast
• The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
• A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
• Fallen by Lauren Kate
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine 

These are the main series that I aim to finish in the next two months, I'm basically half way through all of them so far, so hopefully this is an achievable goal!

QOTD: Do you have many unread series? 

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