Wee Shubba's World

Wee Shubba's World

Single Mum, Book Blogger, Amateur Photographer.

Creator of Wee Shubba's World

Reading progress update: I've read 12%.
Firstlife - Gena Showalter
*Cover Characteristic*
 
This is a meme hosted by Sugar & Snark. It came about when Sugar was wondering which cover to use for her #70 Cover of the Week post. Sugar kept on thinking of more than one, and they all seemed to have a theme/characteristic. So she decided to switch things up a bit!
 
Each week they will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite covers with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit). You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great! Don’t forget to stop by the other participants!
 
 
Today’s cover characteristic: Circus
 
*Book Review* The Crown's Game

Title: The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1)

Format: e-Arc

Pages: 416

Published: 17th May 2016

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Source: Edelweiss

Genre: YA, Historical, Fantasy

Shelfability: Covet

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Wordery

 


Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

 

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

 

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

 

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

 

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

 

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

 

 

I first started this book a few weeks ago and I just couldn't get into. I pushed myself to read a good bit and for the life of me I just couldn't connect with the book. So I decided to give myself a wee break from it and go back at a later date. The other night something just compelled to pick the book up again. So I started reading from the beginning again and well....the next thing I knew it was 2am and I had finished the book. It was magnificent, exciting and breathtaking. My only problem now is waiting for the book two to be released next year!!!!! I don't think I can wait that long.


 

  

See more at: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/book-review-crowns-game-by-evelyn-skye.html

*Book Review* Hope and Red

 

Title: Hope and Red (The Empire of Storms #1)
Format: Arc Paperback
Pages: 598
Published: 30th June 2016
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher for Review
Genre: Fantasy
Shelfability: Covet
 

ONE SEEKS POWER. THE OTHER VENGEANCE. TOGETHER THEY ARE REBELLION.
 
HOPE, the lone survivor of a village massacred by the emperor's forces, is secretly trained as a warrior and instrument of vengeance.

RED, an orphan adopted by a notorious matriarch of the criminal underworld, learns to be an expert thief and con artist.

Together they will take down an empire.
Perfect for fans of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson and Peter V. Brett, HOPE AND RED is destined to be the next fantasy blockbuster.



Oh My Freaking Gawd!!!!! I went into this not expecting too much. Adult fantasy novels tend to be a hit or miss for me. So if I don't have expectations I don't get too disappointed when it's not good. However, on the flip side it also means I get to be pleasantly surprised from time to time. And let me tell you, Hope and Red blew my socks off. It was absolutely outstanding. It was quite simply freaking epic!!

 

Read My Full Review: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/book-review-hope-and-red-by-jon-skovron.html

 

 

 

Don't forget to Like, Comment and Share, if you enjoyed this post!!

 

Reading progress update: I've read 19 out of 272 pages.
Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo
Reading progress update: I've read 26%.
The Crown's Game - Evelyn Skye
*Book Review* Flawed by Cecelia Ahern.

Title: Flawed (Flawed #1)

Format: e-Arc

Pages: 400

Published: 24th March 2016

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Netgalley

Genre: YA Dystopian

Shelfability: Borrow

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo / Wordery

 

The stunning YA debut from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

 

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

 

But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

 

In this stunning novel, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society in which perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.

 

 

 

I have started this review about three times and I just can't decide what I really feel about the story. On one hand I sat up until 3.30am to finish because there was something that I can't quite put my finger on that just kept me reading. However, on the other hand, I found the main character just so annoying. I found idea of the story intriguing and it had great potential yet I feel it just wasn't executed all that well.

 

See more at: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/

Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/book-review-flawed-by-cecelia-ahern.html
*Book Review* The Affiliate by K.A Linde

Title: The Affiliate (Ascension #1)

Format: Ebook

Pages: 339

Published: 15th Sept 2015

Publisher: K.A Linde Inc

Source: Bought

Genre: YA Fantasy

Shelfability: Acquire

BuyAmazon UK / Amazon US

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland—an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks.

 

When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have...

 

King Edric himself.

 

Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new Ascension series.


 

I bought this a whim! It was only 99p on kindle and well that cover is amazing!! YA Fantasy is not a genre I usually read a lot. However, lately I have been finding the YA Fantasy is becoming a very strong genre within the YA books and the ones I have read are usually fantastic. The Affiliate is by far one of the more unique and fast paced ones. I can't wait to for next one.

 

 Read Full Review http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/book-review-affiliate-by-ka-linde.htm

*Book Review* Kingpin by Lili St Germain
 

Title: Kingpin (Cartel #2)

Format: eArc

Pages: 336

Published: 14th De 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Publisher for Review

Genre: Dark Romance, Erotica

Shelfability: Covet

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depository

 

photo aboutthebook_zpsd7y74drs.png

The second scorching novel in the USA Today bestselling Cartel trilogy from the smash-hit author Lili St Germain.

They say love conquers all.

It's a lie.

Five days a week, I dressed in smart business clothes. I painted my face, and went to work as an accountant. But nothing about my life was normal.

For eight years I had been the property of the Gypsy Brothers Motorcycle Club. I laundered their money so well they'd never let me leave. My only glimmer of light was the man I loved. The man who had saved me.

Dornan.

His love had been the only thing that kept the demons at bay. But he'd become so immersed in the cartel's brutal business that I hardly knew him anymore.

Dornan had been my salvation, but he was also my undoing.

Would he pull me down into the darkness until he destroyed me? Could I save him?

Did I even want to?
 
Kingpin was the last book I read in 2015 and I have been so confused about how I feel about it! It was freaking amazing! Lili St Germain knows exactly how to create an extraordinary tale of sex, love and violence. You are sucked into the story, falling in love with the characters and then you are stabbed in the freaking heart. Left completely heartbroken. Yet finding yourself needing more and more.
 

- See more at: Wee Shubba's World.

Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk
*Book Review* Cartel by Lili St Germain

Title: Cartel

Format: eArc

Pages: 336

Published: 27th Jan 2015

Publisher: Harper Collins

Source: Publisher for Review

Genre: Dark Romance

Shelfability: Covet

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

 


How much is a life worth?

 

Mariana Rodriguez is the eldest daughter of a Colombian drug lord. Growing up in Villanueva, Colombia, she has never wanted for anything. Private schools, a lavish lifestyle, and the safety of the Cartel that her father works for.

 

At nineteen, she's got her entire life mapped out, and what a good life it's going to be: graduate from college, move to America, and finally be free from the stifling grip of the Cartel.

Only, her father messes up. A shipment of cocaine - a very large, very valuable shipment - is seized by the authorities whilst under his care and he becomes liable for the debt. Half a million dollars' worth of cocaine.

 

Half a million dollars he does not have.

 

But he has a daughter, a very smart one, a daughter who would give up her very existence and offer herself as payment for her father's sins, to ensure her family survives.

 

But falling in love with the man who owns her isn't part of the plan ...

I had never read any of the Gypsy Brothers books before. So I had no previous knowledge when I started reading the spin off series. I don't think you need to read the other books to enjoy this though. I devoured this. I was drawn in by the darkness of it. It was twisted and sick, yet I bloody loved every single second of it.

 

Read Full Review: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/book-review-cartel-cartel-1-by-lili-st.html

 

*Book Review* Stealing Light

Title: Stealing Light

Format: eArc

Pages: n/a

Published: Dec 2015

Publisher: Self Published

Source: Author for Review

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Shelfability: Covet

Buy: Links Coming Soon!!

 

 
 
**About The Book**
 
"Tonight, everything could change. I wasn’t ready to let go of anyone just yet."
 
If you could change what you know is coming, would you? Cecelia Walker discovers an amazing ability deep within herself that gives her the power to change the future. When mysterious outsiders enter her life, she begins to question everything and everyone she once knew.
 
Years earlier, CeeCee’s life changed forever the day her parents were killed in a horrific car accident. Suddenly extraordinary people and bizarre events began to seep into her very small world. Surviving for years on her addiction to coffee and running, life suddenly deals her a game-changing wildcard and all bets are off. Her magnificent Gift of Light awakens a tremendous dark power wanting to steal what is hers.
 
Will Cecelia be able to change what she’s seen and set a new course? Has she met her otherworldly match against evil and found her true soul mate? Or, is nothing is as it seems as the power of darkness threatens to consume her and those she loves.
 
 
 

 
Oh My. What can I really say about Stealing Light?!? It was outstanding, mind blowing, freaking amazing and captivating!! I was asked by the author to give an honest review of her new book. And like all her previous books I always have high expectations because I know this lady is incredible. However, this one is on a completely different level to her previous books. It's more mature, more serious and a lot darker!!
 
*Book Review* All The Rage by Courtney Summers
Title: All The Rage
Format: eArc
Pages: 336
Published: 13Th August 2015
Publisher:  Macmillan Children's books
Source: Netgalley
Genre: YA Contemporary
Shelfability: Borrow/Acquire
 
**About The Book**
"My dad used to say makeup was a shallow girl's sport, but it's not. It's armour."

Kellan Turner is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. But when she speaks up, she is branded a liar. Telling the truth has cost her everything, because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town. But when news of Kellan assaulting another girl gets out, the cost of staying silent might be more than Romy can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All The Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women in a culture that refuses to protect them.

May contain slight spoilers. 
 
I have mixed feeling  about this book. On one hand the story is very powerful and beautifully written. However, on the other hand I felt like the ending didn't give the readers any kind of conclusion to how things end up. And it ruin the book slightly for me.
 
Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/book-review-all-rage-by-courtney-summers.html
*Book Review* On the Edge of Humanity by S.B Alexander
Title: On the Edge of Humanity (Vampire SEALS #1)
Format: Kindle Ebook
Pages: 325
Published: 28th Dec 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Source: Bought
Genre: YA Paranormal
Shelfability: Acquire
**About The Book**
How far would you go to save a loved one?
Natural-born vampires are born not made. Some humans, who roam the earth, are not even aware they carry such DNA
 
Sixteen-year-old Jo Mason is lost in a world where traipsing from one foster home to another is normal. She hates her life, she hates school and on most days, she hates living.
 
Her normal world shifts when she discovers her twin brother Sam has gone missing between Anger Management class and History Class.
 
She’s called to the principal’s office to meet Lieutenant Webb London, a Navy SEAL who is part of a secret team of natural-born vampires. His mission is to protect the twins from an evil cartel, but he’s too late. With Jo now under his protection, his team searches for Sam.
 
However, finding and rescuing Sam from the evil cartel may be the easy part. Jo learns she carries a dormant vampire gene that, if activated, could save him. As her normal world fades even more, pushing her closer to the edge of humanity, Jo must decide if her human life is more important than her twin brother
 

 

 
After reading Dare to Kiss by the same author I was looking for more of her work and found this  FREE on amazon! That is right! You can grab this currently for free and I highly suggest getting because it was such a quick and enjoyable read. It's not perfect but overall a really good story.
 
Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/book-review-on-edge-of-humanity.html
*Book Review* Dare to Kiss by S.B Alexander
Title: Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series #1)
Format: Ebook
Pages: 325
Published: 30th Sept 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre:  Older YA, New Adult
Shelfability: Acquire
**About The Book**
When tragedy tears down everything she loves, his touch will give her a second chance.
 
Like most 17-year-old girls, Lacey Robinson loves her family. What makes her unique is her unmatched talent for baseball. With an unhittable fastball and a killer slider, it's no wonder Arizona State University wants to talk about a scholarship for its boys' team. She's living out her dream, until life throws a nasty and deadly curveball.
 
When she loses her mother and sister to a home invasion, baseball and her dreams die with them. Stricken with nightmares, panic attacks, and even blackouts, Lacey is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Upon recommendation from her psychiatrist, the former baseball phenom moves across the country and tries to pick up the pieces from her life.
 
Now, only two things matter to Lacey--overcoming her PTSD and making the Kensington High baseball team. When she meets the tall, sexy, and drool-worthy Kade Maxwell, his magical touch awakens her feminine side, and his kiss erases her nightmares. As her symptoms start to fade, her sports dreams take a turn for the worse, as baseball captain Aaron Seever doesn't want a girl on the team.
 
But when Kade's arch-nemesis returns to town to settle an old score, Lacey's PTSD comes back with a vengeance. She'll need to learn how to push her demons away or she'll lose everything good she has left.
 
Strong language. Sexual content. Intended for audiences 17 years and older
 
I had never heard of this series until I was contacted to review book two "Dare to Dream". However, since I hadn't read this one I was kindly offered a chance to read and review this as well. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did because Dare to Kiss is fast paced, exciting, emotional and hot!
 
Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/book-review-dare-to-kiss-maxwell-series.html
*Book Review* Drive Me Crazy
Title: Drive Me Crazy
Format: Ebook
Pages: n/a
Published: 24th June 2015
Publisher: Carina UK
Source: Author for Review
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Chick Lit
Shelfability: Covet
**About The Book**
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime...
 
In reality it was a business trip, prettied up as a romantic mini break, but the man behind the wheel was meant to be Candice Hart’s boss and (married but separated, I swear!) lover. Not Danny the new guy!
 
Not only is Candice faced with a new driver, but the office’s far too handsome hipster expects her to share the cramped space inside his “fully” restored VW Beetle, aka The Love Bug, and put up with his constant opinions about her life…
 
Before long she is tired of playing the ‘good girl’ and, with Danny’s help, is determined to finally show the world the real Candice Hart!
 
Don't miss this hilarious new novel from bestselling author of Bad Bridesmaid
 
 
Drive Me Crazy was just Perfect! It's such a fun and quick read that I devoured within two sittings. (Around 8 hours all in). Lately I have been in a slump and this little gem was the perfect fix!!
 
Candice has been having a secret relationship with her boss for a year. They had planned to go on a "business" trip together to figure out their future. However, things don't go to plan and soon Candice is on her trip with Danny, the new guy. Danny brings out the real Candice and takes her on a journey discovering herself and realising she worth so much more than being a "secret".
*Book Review* Incarcerated by Inger Iversen

Title: Incarcerated (Love and War #1)
Format: Ebook
Pages: 342
Published:  27th Sept 2014
Publisher: Inger Iversen Books PLC
Source: Author for Review
Genre: Adult Romance
Shelfability: Acquire
Buy: Amazon UK I Amazon US I

 
 
**About the Book**
One of the few white kids in a rural Kentucky town, Logan Whyte always kept to his own kind out of self-preservation. He never considered himself racist, but that didn’t stop him from falling in with the wrong crowd—who celebrated hate as much as he fought it—or from ending up in prison for eight years on an armed robbery charge.
A successful, educated black woman, Katie Andreassen was tired of being accused of betraying her own race. Her lonely isolation, coupled with her grief over losing her mother, inspire her to create a new pen pal program at Capshaw State Penitentiary, where her father is a warden.
The program brings the unlikely pair together, but Logan and Katie soon find themselves forced to overcome past fears and prejudices. Their friendship doesn’t come easily … threatened by a crooked lawyer with a grudge and a best friend who betrays her promise to help.
When faced with a world that forces them apart, Logan and Katie must show everyone else what they have discovered: that love is, in fact, colorblind.

 

Incarcerated had me intrigued as soon as I read the blurb. I knew the authors writing so I had high hopes and I was not disappointed. It's a very interesting story that takes you on an emotional roller and stays with you long after you finish it.
 
Source: http://weeshubbasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/book-review-incarcerated-by-inger.html

currently reading

Progress: 12%
Progress: 19/272pages