Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for The Sky is Everywhere is...UK!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

**The US cover is the cover for the paperback, and not the original hardback cover published last year.**

Title: Fire & Flood
Series: Fire & Flood #1
Author: Victoria Scott
Publisher: US -Scholastic, 320 Pages, (27th January, 2015), UK - Chicken House Books, 366 Pages, (March 6th, 2014)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA:Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK:Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella's brother is dying. He's got cancer, and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn't think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements.

About the Author:

Victoria Scott is the author of TITANS (Scholastic, Spring 2016), the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic), and the DANTE WALKER trilogy (Entangled Teen). Her latest novel, SALT & STONE, received a starred review by Kirkus Reviews, and the first book in the series, FIRE & FLOOD, has been nominated as a YALSA Teens' Top 10 book for 2015. Victoria's novels have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets, and she is represented by Sara Crowe.

The author lives in Dallas, and loves cotton candy something fierce.

Find Victoria Online: Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa I haven't read these books yet... however I DO love Victoria Scott's Dante Walker series, so I should probably remedy this ASAP!

As for the covers, I've seen the US covers in person and they are pretty amazing. I like that there's so much more to the US cover than the UK. I mean look at them side by side. There's no doubt in my mind that the US cover wins this round. The UK cover is nice but it's a bit too plain for me. Plain can be good, but in this case, eh... not so much.

So, with my vote going to the US cover this week I'm eager to hear which will get YOUR vote! Click on a cover below to cast your vote!

Michelle This is an easy choice for me this week. Both of these covers are amazing in their own way, the US one is very eye catching and draws you to it, but the UK is simple but also intriguing. I've not long finished reading the book, and while I do think the US one has some aspects of the story in its cover, my vote goes for the UK one this week. It's simple but the feather plays a mysterious role in the story, one that I hope to discover in the next book. Don't forget to vote for your favourite cover, and you can check out my review of Fire & Flood here.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott NOW!

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau is...UK!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: US - Bloomsbury, 320 Pages, (March 26, 2013), UK - Scholastic, 304 Pages, (April 1st, 2013)
Add to Goodreads:USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA:Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK:Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

About the Author:

Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present day writer/mom to three (mostly) adorable little girls. She is married to her high school lab partner and lives in Las Vegas. She is the author of the PRINCESS FOR HIRE series (www.princessforhire.com), SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD and GOING VINTAGE Visit her on the web at www.lindseyleavitt.com

Find Lindsey Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week is pretty easy for me. I'm really drawn the UK cover. It's light, airy and feels "vintage" to me. The US cover feels to quirky. And while I like quirky there's something kind of special about the UK cover.

So, this weeks vote for me goes to the UK! Which one will YOU be voting for in the poll below?

Michelle I like the UK cover. I like the whimsical effect it has and the vintage look of it. However I LOVE the US cover. I love the retro vibe of it, the funky bold colours and the general appearance of it. To me this represents the ‘vintage’ part of Going Vintage much more than the UK one does. Take a look at my review to see what I thought of the book.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt NOW!

QuestionPro

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Overruled (The Legal Briefs #1)
Author: Emma Chase
Publisher: Gallery Books, (April 28th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Emma Chase, New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled Series, returns with the first installment of the Legal Briefs Series.

As a DC defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don’t call him the Jury Charmer for nothing – with his southern drawl, disarming smile and captivating green eyes – he’s a hard man to say no to. Men want to be him and women want to be thoroughly cross examined by him.

Stanton’s a man with a plan. And for a while, life was going according to that plan.

Until the day he receives an invitation to the wedding of his high school sweetheart and mother of his beloved ten-year old daughter. Jenny is getting married — to someone who isn’t him.

That's definitely not part of the plan.

***

Sofia Santos is a city raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defense attorney in the country. She doesn’t have time for relationships or distractions.

But when Stanton, her "friend with mind-blowing benefits" begs for help, she finds herself out of her element, out of her depth, and obviously out of her mind. Because she agrees to go with him – to The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Mississippi – to do all she can to help Stanton win back the woman he loves.

Her head tells her she's crazy...and her heart says something else entirely.

***

What happens when you mix a one stop-light town, two professional arguers, a homecoming queen, four big brothers, some Jimmy Dean sausage and a gun-toting Nana?

The Bourbon flows, passions rise and even the best laid plans get overruled by the desires of the heart.

Title: The Return (Titan #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press, 335 Pages (February 17th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…

It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.

Title: All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1)
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic, 304 Pages (January 27th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

*covers are always subject to change.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1)
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic, 304 Pages (January 27th 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

Title: Hero
Author: Samantha Young
Publisher: NAL, 384 Pages (February 3rd, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

*covers are always subject to change.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3.5)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 368 Pages (July 1st, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy. 

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

I love Maggie. I love her books. The Mercy Falls Trilogy is one of my FAVORITES! So, this was a HUGE no-brainer for me. Can't wait!!! Only a few more weeks for this one too!!!

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for White Glove by Holly Black is....... the UK COVER!  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: US - Scholastic Press, 360 Pages (July 13th, 2010) UK - Scholastic, 416 Pages (July 20th, 2010)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: The astonishing #1 New York Times bestseller.

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.

All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki. 

Find  Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa I LOVE these books! LOVE these covers! And as mentioned in a previous Book Wars for Shiver, in the US version the text in the book matches the color of the cover. So this time around the text is green and I LOVE IT!

Choosing a favorite for this weeks Book Wars is easy - US gets my vote. While I do love the US covers they are a little dark for my liking and the US covers are a bit more artistic which just adds a lot of depth to the covers when you see them in person. How about you? Which cover do YOU like this week?

Michelle I have to say this is an easy one for me too my vote goes for the UK one.
I don't know what it is about the green cover for the US edition, but I just don't like it, although the fact that the font colour matches the book cover is a great idea and I wish more books did this.

I do like how the UK one feels mysterious and we have the wolf part represented with the paw print.
It's a UK win for me

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of  NOW!

online surveys

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for The Look By: Sophia Bennett is....... the UK cover!!!  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Parallel

Author: Lauren Miller
Publisher: US - HarperTeen, 432 Pages (May 14th 2013) UK - Sholastic, 381 Pages (June 6th 2013)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

About the Author:vvI grew up in Atlanta.  I went to college at Yale and law school at Berkeley, then I got married and moved to Southern California to practice law.

I liked it.  But after about a year, I got the itch to be doing something more creative.  The itch got stronger.  I found myself typing out random bits of dialogue on my Blackberry (remember those?) and pitching story ideas to my co-workers.  One of those ideas became a script for a TV pilot.  When it didn’t sell, I wrote another one and another one.  Soon, I was ducking out of work to go to pitch meetings at studios and networks.  It felt like I was getting somewhere.

Then I got pregnant. Unexpectedly.  This freaked me out.  Not because I didn’t want kids (I did), but because I was afraid (ok, convinced) that motherhood would zap my creative potential.

To prove myself wrong, I resolved to write a novel in the first 100 days of my child’s life and blog about it, an experiment I called “embracing the detour” (if you’re looking for an embrace the detour fridge magnet, I’m your girl.  If you’re looking for old embrace the detour blog posts, click HERE).  At the time, it seemed like a brilliant idea.  Looking back, it makes me laugh at the childless version of me.

Then again, she’s the reason the current version of me ended up with a two-book deal at HarperTeen.  And my very first script sale (but that’s a whole other story).

Thanks to to Kristyn Keene at ICM and Sarah Landis at HarperTeen, my debut novel, Parallel, hit bookstores on May 14th.  My second novel, Free to Fall, will be out next Spring.

Find  Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week we're featuring a book that I haven't read yet so I'm choosing my favorite this time somewhat blind. I'm not sure which one fits the book better... so, with that being said I think this round my vote goes to the US cover. It's beautiful and maybe a bit understated but I love it. The UK cover feels a bit on the younger side of YA while the US cover feels a bit older, which the main character is within the YA age range.

I'm looking forward to reading this one, I hope soon. Don't forget to cast your vote!

Michelle I have read this book and loved it, but when my copy arrived I was somewhat disappointed with the cover. I much prefer the USA cover as I think it represents the two side of Abby perfectly the way it is split down the middle with a slight difference on the colouring. The UK one I feel doesn't represent the book that much.
My vote is for USA this week

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of  NOW!

online survey software

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for U To Me by: M. Leighton is... the US cover!!!  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: The Look
Author: Sophia Bennett
Publisher: US - Scholastic Inc, 336 Pages, (March 1st 2013), UK - Chicken House Books, 328 Pages, (March 1st 2012)
Add to Goodreads: The Look USA | The Look UK
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Can she be a supermodel and a super-sister? She finds her answer in just one look.

Two sisters, both beautiful in different ways: Fifteen-year-old Ted has got "The Look." That's what the scout for the modeling agency tells her, and she can't believe her luck. But just as Ted's jet-setting off on her new career, Ava is diagnosed with cancer. Can Ted be a supermodel and a super-sister? Or will she have to choose between family and fame? With their worlds turned upside down, the girls have to look past appearances, look deep inside, to figure out what really matters.

About the author:

I’ve wanted to be a writer since early childhood. Either that or an air hostess (great uniform), Olympic gymnast (also great uniform) or a playwright. I would have liked to be a top fashion designer, but my stick figures, despite years of practice, were never going to make the cover of Vogue.

I wanted to be a writer so much that I didn’t dare actually do any serious writing for many years. Instead, I got a couple of literature degrees. Reading was so much easier than writing. Then I was an earring packager, tour guide, lobbyist, management consultant, web project manager and many other fun things that are now known as my ‘gathering material’ phase. As opposed to my ‘sitting down and doing it’ phase, which is what I’m happily in now.

Over those years, I also acquired a husband, four children and a house near Wandsworth Common, where there are trees, ducks and swans and you’d hardly know you were in South London, except that I happen to have loyalty cards for at least six nearby excellent cappuccino joints.

I’ve written for The Times and The Guardian, and also four unpublished detective stories, but my breakthrough was winning The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition with Threads. It’s about fashion, celebrity watching, being a teenager in London, conflict survival and, above all, friendship. Basically, it’s my manifesto and I’m amazed and thrilled that the likes of Barry Cunningham, Amanda Craig, David Almond and Jonathan Douglas liked it, understood it and didn’t think it was too weird.

I’ve also written two sequels to Threads – Beads, Boys & Bangles, and Sequins, Stars & Spotlights. My latest book, The Look, is about a girl who's scouted as a model and has to choose between fame and family.

Occasionally, people ask me what my advice would be to aspiring writers. Check out my writing tips page, on my website. Write every day, and rewrite even more. Follow your heart.

I did, and it got me here. Yay!

Find Sophia Online: Website | News | Twitter | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Sophia The UK cover of The Look is one of my favourites. I think it's strong, it was fun to develop with Steve, my illustrator, and I had more input into it (I think!) than any of the others. I love the strong expression in the model's eyes and the bright use of colour against the pale skin. Of all my book covers, it's the one that's been taken on the most by other countries, too, and booksellers tend to like it. The US cover was a bold idea, and very brave to use the shaved head for the Ava side (they are two different girls, in case you were wondering). I like that aspect of it a lot. But the lavender colour and the title down the middle didn't work so well for me. If they'd just gone with the Ava side ... well, that's a cover I'd still love to see.

Lisa Today we're voting on another book that's new to me and just reading the synopsis I'd love to check this one out. As far as the covers go... the US one looks like it fits the story extremely well. How it gives you a chance to see the face of both sisters. The UK cover looks so smooth and flawless and from what this story looks to be I'd say it's anything but. For me this week I think my vote is going to the US version based on the fact that for someone who hasn't read the title yet it looks like it fits the story pretty spot on. My vote is US, what's yours? Vote below!

Michelle I have the UK version waiting to be read, and I love how dramatic it is and how you are drawn to her face, her eyes and how piercing they are. I love how the US have gone in a completely different direction and has made it more dramatic in a different way, making you think about the cover and it's meaning. I love the shaved head effect and how they have two different versions on the cover. My vote this week goes to the USA version for how dramatic it is and how it really makes you think about the book and what it means.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of The Look NOW!

online surveys

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Shiver is... the US Cover!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: The Wolf Princess
Author: Cathryn Constable
Publisher: US - Scholastic Inc, 320 Pages, (September 24th 2013), UK - Chicken House Books, 288 Pages, (October 4th 2012)
Add to Goodreads: The wolf Princess USA | The Wolf Princess UK
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository (UK cover) UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Alone in the world, Sophie dreams of being someone special, but she could never have imagined this. On a school trip to Russia, Sophie and her two friends find themselves on the wrong train. They are rescued by the beautiful Princess Anna Volkonskaya, who takes them to her winter palace and mesmerises them with stories of lost diamonds and a tragic past. But as night falls and wolves prowl, Sophie discovers more than dreams in the crumbling palace of secrets.

About the author:

After reading Theology at Cambridge University, Cathryn Constable went on to work in magazine journalism, writing for Vogue, W, Elle Decoration, Elle, The Independent, Tatler and The Sunday Times, before realising her dream of blending a love for all things Russian with a story for children. Her magical and enchanting debut novel is called The Wolf Princess. Cathryn is married with three children and lives in London.

Find Cathryn Online:

Website | Blog

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Cathryn I love both the British and the American covers for The Wolf Princess: although very different in tone, they both do an effective job of describing the elements of the story. The British cover gets admiration for being purple and sparkly (I haven’t met a girl who hasn’t loved it). But the wolf on the American cover is so fluffy and wise, I can’t imagine that anyone could walk past that book and not want to pick him up! There was a very beautiful cover for the hardback edition with a wonderful paper cut out detail which made me think of an old-fashioned fairy story. I loved that one, too.

Lisa This week’s book is new to me and when looking at them side by side they have some similarities to them. The girl, the snow, the wolf... This is a hard choice this week but I think I'm going to choose the US version only because it looks a bit more ethereal, more fantasy and as Michelle mentions dreamlike as this title projects. US cover has my vote.

Michelle This is such a difficult choice fro me this week. I have the UK version and what you don't see in this picture is the purple edging around the pages which fit the cover perfectly. However I do like the US version for the more mystical feeling it gives off and how more dreamlike it feels, like what you see doesn't feel real. After much deliberation I am going for the UK cover this week, and that is purely because I own this copy and know how amazing it looks in real life.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of The Wolf Princess NOW!

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Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Crash By: Nicole Williams is....... The US COVER!  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: US - Scholastic Press, 390 Pages (August 1st 2009) UK - Scholastic, 437 Pages (October 5th 2009)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.

All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki. 

Find  Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa I'm really excited about today's book. This is one of my FAVORITE OF ALL TIME titles. I LOVE everything about this one including the cover, which the US gets my vote for this week. One thing I'm not sure everyone knows is that for each of these titles in the Mercy Wolves Trilogy, the color of the cover is also the color of the print INSIDE of the book. Just a little added bonus.

So, for me this week, I LOVE the blue, I LOVE the art work on the outside and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! US wins for me this week. Oh, also.... I'm really excited about the spin-off title Sinner that'll be released later this year. 

Michelle Before I get to my vote I never knew that fact about the colour of the print linked to the cover, but I do have the UK version's which don't differ in their print colour.

Anyway, now for my vote. I have to go for the UK one this week. While I do like the US version I like how the UK version is darker and fits with the mystery and darkness surrounding the wolves, the US one seems too girly for me.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of  NOW!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Inhuman (Fetch #1)
Author: Kat Falls
Publisher: Scholastic, 368 Pages (May 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In a world ravaged by mutation, a teenage girl must travel into the forbidden Savage Zone to recover lost artifacts or her father’s life is forfeit.

America has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.

Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught.

Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy.

Title: Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 304 Pages March 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

This week I picked two books that couldn't be more different from one another. Mutations and Savage Zones... and Summer camps, kisses and love. See what I mean. However both are oh so "must read" worthy and I can't wait to get them in my hands.

*covers are always subject to change.

Title: Want to go private?
Author: Sarah Darer Littman
Publisher: Scholastic, 336 Pages (August 1st 2011)
From: the Publisher & Amazon Vine

Synopsis: Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.


Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

Review: 5 Stars - Want to go private? By: Sarah Darer Littman is more than just a shocking story. It’s realistic, emotional and very well written.

Abby’s a young teen that’s just started High School. She’s scared of all the changes going on around her and worries about all the normal teen things when facing the jump from middle school to high school. Her best friend since second grade is there for her, but in Abby’s eyes, her best friend is pulling away, making her own mark with new friends and the drama club. Abby’s home life is somewhat strained, with her dad always gone working late as he continues to keep his business going and a younger sister who knows just how to push her buttons.

So when Luke finds Abby online and they start chatting, she thinks she’s found someone who finally gets her, who finally understands all she’s going through. But Luke isn’t a good guy and Abby doesn’t see it. Luke isn’t who he claims to be, but Abby doesn’t question it. And when their online relationship changes Abby’s instincts are pushed aside and she quickly goes along with it to make Luke happy, because Luke loves her. Luke gets her, Luke understands and, no, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her or anything that’s wrong or bad.

The story quickly broke my heart. And Abby’s choices made turning the pages even harder. Littman has taken such a serious problem as Internet predators and written a shocking tale that could be anyone, even the girl next door. This is such a seriously dangerous thing that sadly kids and parents have to worry about and I commend Littman for writing something that I can only imagine was hard to write, yet harder to research.

All in all, Want to go Private? was very hard to read at times, I didn’t want to keep turning those pages because my heart was breaking and my stomach was twisted in on itself. But sometimes you have to push through and I was glad that I did with this one. It’s a book that has without a doubt left its mark on me and one I won’t be forgetting about anytime soon. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I highly recommend this one. Characters that’ll pull hard on your heart strings, and others you’ll want to… do not so many nice things to and writing that is so realistic that you’ll picture every little thing vividly while reading… if these are things you look forward to, than this is surely the title for you.

Note: Parts of this book are somewhat graphic and I would only recommend this title to older teens and adults. Some of the story I wasn’t quite prepared for and I think Abby’s story has a stronger affect on me because of this.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Small Town Sinners
Author: Melissa Walker
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 259 Pages (July 19th 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble,
The Book Depository

Synopsis: The story of Lacey Anne Byers, a small town girl who is excited to star in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, until a childhood friend reappears and makes her question her faith.

Title: Ashes, Ashes
Author: Jo Treggiari
Publisher: Scholastic, 352 Pages (June 1st 2011)
Preorder here: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble,
The Book Depository

Synopsis: A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.


Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

Both of these titles sounds great. While Small Town Sinner isn't something I'd usual read, but it just sounds really interesting and I really love the cover. Then we have Ashes, Ashes, which for me sounds like a must read Dystopian. Two great books to look forward to this week, very different from each other. Anyone else looking forward to either or both?

*covers are always subject to change.
*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.