TEEN: Mortal Kiss and Mortal Kiss: Fool's Silver - Alice Moss

Release Date: 26/04/12  
BOOK BLURB:  
How much would you sacrifice for just one kiss ...When smouldering Finn and sexy Lucas arrive in Winter Mill, life starts to get very complicated for Faye McCarron. But two boys battling for her heart is just the start. Soon there's a dead body in the woods, a motorcycle gang on the prowl, and the snow just won't stop falling. Something evil is at work, and only Faye and best friend Liz can stop it. As Hallowe'en draws near they must uncover the dark and sinister secret ...before it's too late. Love paranormal romance, werewolves and ethereal spirits? Then this book is for you!  

REVIEW:  
This is one of those books that sat on a back burner for a bit and I have to admit that I sadly left it alone for quite some time. So much so that I only found it again recently when the second title landed and I thought, “Eeeekk, I haven’t read the first one yet.” Pulling this from my TBR shelf was more an effort of will as I’d forgotten that the cover didn’t inspire me so I sat down and read. What unfurled within at times felt like genius, the twists that the author added worked wonderfully from the curse to the links with the Devil. Yet for all that, at times it felt like the book was akin to pulling teeth as you had to wait for something to happen to keep you enthused. This became the pattern throughout and sadly for me whilst average, didn’t allow this book to stand out on its own. It could be that this is more an introduction than anything else so with the second title on hand I was more than prepared to give it another go just to see if it would improve.


 

Release Date: 26/04/12  
BOOK BLURB:  
Could you chose between the ones you love ...? A gorgeous boyfriend and a long summer in Winter Mill to look forward to - things are good for Faye McCarron. Then her friend Lucas disappears without a trace. But nobody seems to care - until two strangers arrive in town ...Faye and Finn leave Winter Mill to try and find Lucas. But with Finn struggling to adjust to his new role as leader of the wolf pack, and unknown evil forces working against them, will they save their friend before it's too late? Love paranormal romance, werewolves and immortal villains? Then this book is for you.  

REVIEW:  
Having just finished the first book I immediately started the second hoping that after a lot of the world building that the overall arc would pick up pace and work a lot better for me as a reader. Sadly it didn’t feeling just as convoluted and slow in pace as the original. Don’t get me wrong some of the idea’s within did come over very well, in much the same way that it did with the original but overall it just wasn’t a novel that stood out from the crowd for me as a reader. All in I was disappointed as I felt that it could have been an absolute cracker had the pace picked up as the characters had something within for all tastes yet overall when a book lacks pace and seems to stop as well as start, it won’t keep very many glued to find out the kicker at the end.

   

8+: DreamWorks Puss in Boots: 3D Movie Guide - Tim Spotlight

Release Date: 10/11/11

BOOK BLURB:

Puss In Boots tells the swashbuckling tale of Puss's early days: his life in the orphanage, his friendship with Humpty Dumpty, how he meets the feisty feline Kitty (voiced by Salma Hayek), and their search for the Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg.

This purr-fect film 3D movie guide features 3-D images throughout plus a pair of 3-D glasses!





REVIEW:

I’m one of those people who whilst I love the ideas behind things as well as watching them come to life, cannot see 3d, it was the bane of my childhood and sadly it’s still the bane of my adult life as all I see is the image clearly through the coloured glasses. (That said, I’ve yet to try the new 3d experience at the cinema so it may have changed now.)

So this review is really based on what my nephews saw when I showed them this title. Not only were they delighted but they kept removing the glasses to see how it worked only to look puzzled. They looked from the left, they looked from the right and then they demanded that they be allowed to wear the glasses and wanted the book put on their walls so that they could enjoy the whole experience again. Its fun, it gives a great sense of wonder and for that alone, it’s well worth the price. Add to this of course that you get the DreamWorks magic thrown in and it’s a great product all round. Now my nephews are demanding to see the film and my name is mud in their parent’s houses.

8+: DreamWorks Puss in Boots Colouring and Activity Book

Release Date: 10/11/11

BOOK BLURB:

Get ready for the swashbuckling tale of Puss's early days: his life in the orphanage, his friendship with Humpty Dumpty, how he meets the feisty feline Kitty and their search for the Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg.


REVIEW:

OK, so you want something to distract your children or your nephews and nieces at Christmas but not sure what will do the job? Christmas coming on a little too fast? Is their noise and excitement getting to you? Well in that case you need an activity book to keep them occupied and what better way to do that than give them this one based on the Puss in Boots film that the odds are you’ve already taken them to see (or bribed someone else to do it for you. LOL)

It has a lot of puzzles, a lot of distractions and of course will allow the recipient the chance to think their way through things as well as have lot of fun with all those new coloured felt tips that someone bought them for Christmas.) All in a very nice book with enough to give you more than a few hours of peace and quiet at the most hectic time of the year. Magical.

5+: DreamWorks Puss in Boots: The Cat, The Boots, The Legend - Tina Gallo, Ill. Ovi Nediecu

span style="font-size:130%;">Release Date: 10/11/11

BOOK BLURB:

Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Young readers will love joining Puss on his swashbucking adventures, with this fully illustrated colour storybook of the film.


REVIEW:

The picture book of the script for younger readers and one that is fun although to be honest my main gripe is that the artwork isn’t directly from the film, it seems a little silly that they didn’t use stills to help bring the story over, but then again I do wonder if this might have been the case because if they had, perhaps the overall experience would be lost on the young reader with so much detail to take in.

It’s fun, it has all the elements to entertain and of the two story books I prefer the novel (which I read to my nephews to gage reaction) the younger reader will get a lot of fun from this as their attention span can often wonder.

8+: DreamWorks Puss in Boots: The Novel - Lara Bergen

Release Date: 10/11/11

BOOK BLURB:

Way before Puss ever met Shrek, our suave and furry feline hero goes on a swashbuckling ride, as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Join in Puss on his swashbuckling adventure, in this purr-fect novel for young readers. Based on the film, it includes 8 pages of colour photos to help you re-live the fun!




REVIEW:

When you’re talking about a film to book translation, it’s often a fine line between giving the reader the experience that they want and getting the story over. Lara has done this not only extremely well but allowed the magic and fun of the Shrek Universe to creep through in the adaptation.

It has all the hallmarks that I look for as an adult, a fun script, cracking characters (in some cases more than others, yes I mean you Humpty), and a plot that moves at a steady pace to allow the whole experience to be enjoyed time and again by those who love a good story as well as a good film. Add to this a wonderful sense of pace alongside prose which makes this title a great adaptation and will allow the owner to have a lot of fun in the world of books. I really can’t wait to see it now.

12+: Harry Potter Film Wizardry

Release Date: 11/11/10

BOOK BLURB:

Immerse yourself in the world of the spectacular Harry Potter film series, and learn why Yule Ball ice sculptures never melt, where Galleons, Sickles and Knuts are really minted , how to get a Hippogriff to work with actors, about the inspiration behind Hogwarts castle, and why Dementors move the way they do. Written and designed in collaboration with the cast and crew that brought J.K Rowling's celebrated novels to the silver screen, Harry Potter: Film Wizardry delivers an enchanting interactive experience, transporting readers to the wizarding world by sharing filmmaking secrets, unpublished photography and artwork, and exclusive stories from the stars. Full of removable, facsimile reproductions of props and paper ephemera from the movies, this collectible volume offers a privileged look at the Harry Potter films and the talented group of Muggles that has made true movie magic.


REVIEW:

With the written series having completed a good few years ago, the films are fast coming to the climax with the soon to be released first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. What Transworld have done is take some of the movie magic, added their own blend of wizardry alongside the film’s innovators and created this magical offering.

Contained within this title is a whole set of facts, some great pullout/accessories alongside some almost magical film memorabilia like the Quidditch World Cup programme, the education decree as well as catalogues from places such as Borgin and Burkes Auctioneers and the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Add to this Harry’s Hogwarts invite and you know that it’s going to be a title that will delight fans both young and old. Great stuff.