The Mountains of Instead

Championing fiction as an escape from pandemics, politics and bad TV.

Atropina Belladonna (Review: Nightshade; A. Cremer)

Nightshade Andrea Cremer Atom 2010
This was a book that I thought might be a tad on the predictable side. Werewolves? Pack mentality? Love triangle? I've seen it all before. And then some. However, Nightshade turned out to be a much darker, more thrilling, more original tale than I would have…

Death Is One Moment (Review: The Deathday Letter; Shaun Hutchinson

The Deathday Letter Shaun Hutchinson Simon Pulse 2010
I added this to my wish list earlier in the year when I was picking books for my 2010 Debut Author Challenge list. I thought that it had an interesting premise and the cover made me both laugh and shiver. It's taken me ages to getting round …

Wereworld Blog Tour

At the beginning of January I will be one of the (many) posts on what is shaping up to be an excellent blog tour promoting the also excellent Wereworld: Rise of The Wolf.  I am delighted that author Curtis Jobling will be writing a guest post for my spot on the tour and will also post my own review…

Grey Wolves Grey (Review: 13 To Life; S. Delany)

13 To Life Shannon Delany St. Martin's Griffen 2010
When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet anoth…

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

I'm finally getting round to blogging about the lovely gift that I got from my Secret Santa!  I received a beautifully wrapped package that contained the following:

There were also some lovely cinnamon biscuits but I...er...ate them before I remembered to take a picture.  Thank you Secret Santa …

How Cruelly Sweet Are The Echos That Start (Review: The Body Finder; K. Derting)

The Body Finder Kimberly Derting HarperCollins 2010
I actually read this book quite a while ago. I won a copy from the author herself at about the time the book came out in the US. I intentionally didn't review it then so that I would have a good excuse to go back and take another peek at this hug…
A very Merry Christmas,  from The Mountains of Instead

In Which I Talk A LOT About The Books I've Read in 2010

I love it when questionnaires and surveys appear on blogs. I'm eternally nosy so when this end of year number from The Perpetual Page Turner started circulating I was delighted. I had originally planned to take part in Persnickety Snark's Five challenge, but computer and internet issues hav…

Death Cab For Sam (Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Lish McBride)

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer Lish McBride Henry Holt 2010
I have been wanting to read this book since I first set eyes on the title. For a while I didn't actually know anything about Hold Me Closer, Necromancer but I didn't care because it had the best title I'd ever heard. Later I learnt…

We Face The Final Curtain (Review: Last Sacrifice; R. Mead)

Last Sacrifice Richelle Mead Razorbill 2010
Last Sacrifice is the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy.  This review contains spoilers for all the previous books in the series so if you've not read them then please go away.  It also contains very minor spoilers for Last Sacrifice itself, al…

School's Out Forever (Review: Spirit Bound; R. Mead)

Spirit Bound Richelle Mead Razorbill 2010 (this edition)
Spirit Bound is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series.  If you have not read the rest then be assured that this review contains spoilers for the previous titles.  If you have read the rest, then read on without fear.
Well....where to begin…

British Books Challenge 2011

As a UK blogger, I often feel that I should be reading more British books.  It's all to easy, particularly when reading a lot of YA to find myself reading mainly American titles and I don't think that I'm alone in this. In fact, I know I'm not and am excited that the lovely Becky at…

IMM (#27)

In My Mailbox is a meme created and hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren with inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture JunkieAll book titles link to further info at Goodreads. All books in this IMM post have been received for review/bought/gifted/loaned/UK Book Toured/acquired through nefarious m…