A Quick Introduction and Explanation of Librarything

So since a lot of the books I've been reviewing lately came from Librarything, I thought I would do a quick post on it.

For those who don't know, Librarything is a book review website. Anyone can sign up (and yes it's free) and anyone can post reviews. Now, here's the best part. Every month they have a batch of books (hundreds of titles) up for grabs (in what they call the Early Reviewers section). All you do is go to the page and then you can request any books you're interested in. There is no limit to how many you can request, but be aware that you may have to review a lot of books if you win them (this is mostly true for the member give ways- more on that in a second). All they ask in return is that you review the book. You have 2 months to do so after you've received it. Reviewing the books will give you more chances of winning books in the next batch, but the content of your review will not. In other words, honest reviews. As long as you follow their guidelines -such as, no bad language, no one word reviews, etc- it won't matter to them if your review is positive, negative or neutral. You don't get paid for your reviews, you just get the satisfaction of a free book and (hopefully) a good read. What more can you ask for really.

Now onto the member giveaway section. It works in much the same way, except this time those giving away the books are members. A lot of the time it will be authors wanting to share their newest books or sometimes it will just be members who want to get rid of books or just want to give back. These books will each have their own closing date, so you can check back regularly for new giveaways. From personal experience I have found that I win more from the member giveaways than from the early reviewers. This is probably just because the member giveaways are more frequent and don't generally last as long.

The format of the books you can win will be either; physical; e-book or audiobook (though these are few). Most of the early reviewers section consists of physical books, but I have yet to win one. That doesn't stop me from requesting them, but I also make sure I put in requests for e-book copies too. Sometimes a book you want in physical form will also be available in e-book form, so you have two chances at winning a copy. Member giveaways tend to vary depending, but I would say they lean more towards e-books. However, for all those out there who are not a fan of e-book (I definitely prefer the physical thing) you have much more chance of winning them than the physical books for one simple reason- numbers. Yes, e-books are generally cheaper and there are no shipping costs involved in sending them out, so publishers/authors can giveaway more copies of that book than those giving away physical copies. So, e-books win that argument I'm afraid.

Anyway, if you're interesting in the website the link is www.librarything.com. But remember, this isn't just a site for free books, you do HAVE to review them.

Librarything is also a great community for book lovers. It is a fantastic way to find out about great books, to meet like-minded people and to meet authors as well. If you have any other queries just ask me and I'll do my best to answer any and all questions. And just for the record, I am not affiliated with Librarything (just obsessed), this is not a sponsored message, all opinions are 100% my own.

Delicious Food, Romance and a Sardinian Mystery

First Paragraph:

"Clara had long suspected that Paolo was going to propose soon. They'd been together for four years, and recently he'd been trying to tell her something, but always postponed at the last minute. He would get nervous, his hands would go cold and sweaty, and his words would get tangled. This was a clear signal that what he wanted to say was important, but perhaps, he didn't quite know how to say it. Clara had decided to make things easier for him, so she's suggested, on this occasion, that they ought to go for a romantic walk by the mountains. He loved being outdoors, and particularly hill walking."

  Amazon /Amazon.co.uk 

A Deal with a Stranger by Marina Munzittu is set in Sardinia, in the city of Cagliari, we follow the story of 25 year old Clara, as -day by day- her world destabilises a little more, starting with meeting an old man in a forest.

The plot is an interesting one, varying between predictable and completely new. Or rather there are elements that are predictable. I would say the romance was a little, just because we've seen it a million times, but that doesn't mean the plot or writing is bad. I'll come back to this in a second, but I want to talk about the plot itself first. The concept is fantastic. I think the idea of a stranger coming into your life and making this kind of deal with you (not giving anything away) is original and thought-provoking and this mixed with the consequences (and some bad luck) lead to an unusual turn of events. The nonsensical logic and unlikeliness of it all are still realistic and kept me hooked.

Back to the romance. Anyone who loves a good, light romance novel will like this. It's nothing new, but mixed with the plot it works. And no one says it has to be new to work. There's a reason the old formulas are used.

The characters themselves- I have to admit, I didn't like at the start. They seemed a bit stereotypical and could sometimes be unnecessarily cruel and harsh, but they do grow on you and become more human as the story progresses and more is revealed about them and we see them deal with the good, the bad and the ugly.

Something of a side note here, but I also enjoyed the description of the foods mentioned. Our protagonist had a bit of a weakness for delicious food and doesn't spare the details when describing them. But be warned, you will want something delicious to munch on when reading this book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I wasn't immediately pulled in, but I'm glad I kept reading as I got a good read out of it. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Italy or a lover of romance novels. If you're travelling to Italy soon and want a light, holiday read, why not try this one out.

Disclaimer: This was sent to me by the author through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Shadows, Fear and a Lust For Freedom

  First Paragraph:

"I can tell you nothing about my mother's death. Not because I didn't see it, but because I did. I sometimes say, when people ask, that she died of the sickness. But that is a lie and I don't want to lie to you. What I will tell you is that just before she died she told me to be brave and in my childish way I decided that she meant I shouldn't cry. I didn't. Not then, nor in all the years that have passed since her death. Not once have I cried. I no longer know how."

   Amazon /Amazon.co.uk

"I am Anya and I am nothing."

Girl in the Glass is a story about two girls, Anya and her Shadow Eva. In this world, Shadows are people who aren't human, but look mostly like us. As far as I can interpret, they look human, but give of an air that makes it obvious they aren't. They are a little reminiscent of the demons from Philip Pullman's Northern Lights series. However, not everyone in this world has a Shadow and a lot of prejudice follows them around. The main similarity is that Shadows are like a  conscience, always doing the right thing and ever practical, but with no emotions to cloud their judgements. This makes for very interesting reading, watching the differences between how the two girls react and change depending on the situations they're presented. Eva is always steadfast, but Anya (in a very human way) is corrupted and can sometimes even be unlikable and cruel.

Set in the desert town of Darkan, the story starts with a 12 year old Anya and spans a few years. It's broken into three parts and in each one of these the two girls have a new identity. In the first part, Anya is dealing with the deaths of her parents from the plague and now lives with a very abusive family, with her aunt at the head. We follow her through her journey of not only growing up, but also watching her try to find her freedom and happiness.

One of the main praises I have is the writing style, specifically the descriptive writing. The scenes are laid out so well, the imagery is fantastic and the emotions weaved in are amazing. This is one of the few books I have read where I could feel the tension throughout. Whether it be from fear of a person, fear of discovery or even something as simple, but terrifying as poverty. As well as this tension, there is also a constant feel of defiance throughout, against the people who hurt her, against harsh environments and against life itself. The unwillingness to give up or give in that makes Anya such a great character to follow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It is the first in a trilogy and the second (Love of Shadows) came out this month. You can bet I will be following the progress of this series to its conclusion.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the author through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

"Lies, Damned Lies and Prophecy"

Today I'm reviewing Marie Brennan's "Lies and Prophecy".

     First Paragraph:

"Arguing with my advisor over my class schedule was a familiar ritual. We'd done it six times before, like clockwork, once for every quarter of my freshman and sophomore years, and without it, my junior fall at Welton would not have been ready to start."

Amazon /Amazon.co.uk

Set in Minnesota, in a world containing magic of many varieties- from sorcerers and wiccans to diviners and wilders. Wilders being one of the main themes of the story. I won't say much about the plot because that would be spoiling, so here are a few basic details.

We read the story from the point of view of Kim, a student studying at Welton Academy. At the start, I was reminded of the basic premise of Harry Potter. Some people are normal and some have magic.  As in Harry Potter, it can appear suddenly, only in this series it can be lethal too, with a chance of developing psi-sickness.

The writing style is fast-paced and captivating and the characters are believable and individual. Towards the second half of the book we begin to get brief flashes of events from Julian's point of view. Never for very long and used sparingly. At first, they felt a little shoehorned in perhaps, with no real point to them. Until I began to realise the cleverness of them. Julian as a person is naturally reserved by nature and due to his existence as a wilder. Showing us his side of the story is letting us into his mind and allowing us to briefly see his thoughts and emotions that he rarely ever shows otherwise. Not only does this make him more relatable, but also more human.

The story and writing style remind me of a mix of the Harry Potter series and the Morganville Vampire series, both of which I enjoyed. While similar to both, this story has it's own essence and makes a great read. The ending was fantastic and left me craving more.

I look forward to the next instalment in the Wilders series and would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of magic, fantasy or adventure.

Disclaimer: I received this book through LibrayThing (www.librarything.com). I am not being sponsored. All my opinions are my own. LibraryThing is a free website and anyone can sign up.

"Set a fox to catch a Fox"- German Proverb (Kitsune-Tsuki)

      First Paragraph:

      "Tsurugu no Kiyomori bowed low over the polished floor. "I am at your service, tono."

Amazon / Amazon.co.uk

Kitsune-Tsuki is a short, interesting read by Laura V. Baugh. The main plot revolves around protecting the emperor from the kitsune (or fox spirit).
The characters are well written and we follow them through a very Japanese folklore spun tale.

I enjoyed reading this short story and was left wishing there was more. I think a collection of short stories by Laura Baugh would make a fantastic book.

The only criticism I have is with the use of Japanese words within the writing. A glossary at the back would easily fix this however, but I can see people becoming frustrated with not understanding certain words. I myself am very fond of the Japanese language, legends and culture, so I was able to figure out a few alone, and a couple words are translated in text, but it would be wise to do so to the rest. According to the author, the newer editions will be published with a glossary to make this easier. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in folklore, Japan or just has an hour to kill.

Disclaimer: This was sent to me by the author through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.