Book Review #81: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (and Giveaway!)

Hey guys! First of all, thank you to the lovely people at Rock the Boat for giving me this opportunity to review this book and host a giveaway! Now I read ILLUMINAE last year and fell in love with it's new style of telling an epic tale filled with twists and turns, and it is my privilege to bring for you today, my non-spoiler review of the second instalment in the ILLUMINAE Files, GEMINA.

Hang around because Rock the Boat has also given me the opportunity to give away some finished copies of GEMINA, with the added bonus of the books containing signed bookplates! Yes people, you heard it right - you can be in with the chance of one of three SIGNED copies of the book, scribbled in by the lovely Amie and Jay themselves! I understand your jealousy, but read through the review and then to enter - fill in the form at the bottom of the page!

Please note that before you read this review that I am reviewing this publication for Rock the Boat. I received an advanced readers copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. In no way is my opinion influenced by the fact that I received this free of charge, now onto the review!

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Title: GEMINA
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Rock the Boat Publishing
Format: ARC
Publication Date: October 20th 2016
Pages: 672
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Purchase: The Book Depository / Waterstones

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

After becoming totally absorbed in the Illuminae Files world from ILLUMINAE, GEMINA was a refreshing reminder of just how epic this series is turning out to be. Amie and Jay are the total dream team who have crafted a fast paced and thrilling pair of novels, crafted in a unique way not yet explored in the YA industry. GEMINA spins it's tale in a similar way to it's predecessor, with it's use of audio transcripts, official documents, instant messaging conversations and many other notable mediums used to tell this journey.
The story contained within GEMINA's pages tells of the story on the space station, Heimdall, during the events of ILLUMINAE, and with it brings a new epic saga of events that drive the forefront of modern Science Fiction. After the worldwide success of ILLUMINAE, GEMINA brings its readers refreshing twists and turns that will leave them gripping the edge of their books in rapid anticipation. Kaufman and Kristoff definitely know the delights of their readers, bringing devastating delight that will cripple their readers with intense emotion and enjoyment.

GEMINA, similarly to ILLUMINAE, introduces us to two main focal characters. Hanna and Nik are both feisty and dynamic characters who are just as refreshing and kick-ass as their predecessor characters were. Whilst not unusual to expect new characters from Kaufman after the alternative perspectives found in her previous Starbound series, it was, dare I say it, illuminating to see a new twist in events in this epic new universe.

Whilst an enjoyable and pleasurable read, don’t take GEMINA for granted. Kristoff and Kaufman are masterminds in disguise, and provide GEMINA readers with thrilling new jump scares hiding around every turn. Leaving no victims living in their bloodthirsty trail, GEMINA takes a whole new twist of gruesome, providing it’s delicious readers with a slight element of horror, so much so that you feel your heart beating tenfold in your chest.

GEMINA shines bright in light of it's predecessor, providing interwoven storylines filled with endless wonder and surprise. Whilst I could easily ramble for ages on how amazing it is, it's only best that you discover it all for yourself. I easily award GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff a 5 out of 5 on my classification scale - a truly magnificent piece of literature, told in a refreshing new style that will take the YA world by storm!

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In order to assist in exposing you to the wonderful world of GEMINA, the lovely people from Rock the Boat have given me the opportunity to give away three signed copies. Yes, signed copies of GEMINA could be yours! (Bookmarks in the picture not included*)

All you have to do, is follow me on Twitter (@theblogbookshop) and keep your eye out for the giveaway post which will be posted at some point today! As soon as you see it, retweet it! You will be entered into my giveaway, which will last 2 weeks, and be in with the chance of winning a lovely signed edition of the book!

Good luck!

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And that is everything we have time for here at The Blogger's Bookshop for this lovely review and giveaway of GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff! If you haven't read ILLUMINAE and you're wondering what on earth we are talking about, then definitely go and check it out and enjoy your entrance to this phenomenal new series thats exploding into bookstores worldwide as a number one best seller! And heck, whilst you're about, check out Amie and Jay's previous series too, they're pretty amazing!

Stealing Snow Blog Tour: Danielle Paige's Top Six Fantasy Worlds

Good day everybody! My, oh my hasn't it been a while! A few months I'd reckon! Well to kick things off a bit as a revamp here on The Blogger's Bookshop (The Blogger's Spookshop if you want to be Halloweeny!) I have the lovely New York Times Bestselling Author, Danielle Paige, who is here to celebrate her new release, Stealing Snow. Imagine Disney's Frozen meets YA! If you thought Frozen was popular, then wait until you see what treats Stealing Snow has in store for us!

I have Danielle here today to talk about her Top Six Fantasy Worlds! So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are Danielle's Top Fantasy Worlds!

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Taking Cinderella to space was a feat that I could not have imagined. It totally inspired me when writing my Dorothy and again in writing Stealing Snow. She gives happily ever after a new landscape while still maintaining the heart of the story we grew up loving.

Wonderland

Every detail was magic. Lewis Carroll takes us down the rabbit hole and plays with perspective, taking us eye level with Caterpillars and making us tower over Wonderland! 

The Land of Oz

From L. Frank Baum's original to Gregory McGuire's Wicked, I wanted to go over the Rainbow and meet the witches and munchkins and all of Dorothy's friends. And I got to go to Oz in Dorothy Must Die, but I may have dimmed the technicolor a bit!

Westeros from Game of Thrones

The map of Westeros may as well be a chess board. From Winterfell to the wall to Lannisport, each land is distinct and each people prepared to battle! And there's magic and dragons!!!

A Galaxy Far, Far Away from Star Wars

Star Wars was my first introduction to a space opera, and I will be forever in love with George Lucas' world building! From the Death Star to Tatooine, Lucas creates lands filled with machines, aliens, and creatures! 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Collins' thirteen districts have to fight in a constructed game of death. The architecture of the game changed with each book as Katniss tries to redraw the map, save herself, and save the people.

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And there we have it! The Top Six Fantasy Worlds by Danielle Paige! It's really phenomenal to see where Danielle got her inspiration from, as some of these worlds are absolutely fantastic. I know the world of The Lunar Chronicles is beyond ridiculously cool and the way Meyer spins it is unique! However, that being said, Danielle does a pretty fantastic job at weaving her own worlds as well - I know that whilst reading Dorothy Must Die for the first time, how impressed I was at just how dark and sinister Danielle made The Land of Oz. That being said, the world she crafts in Stealing Snow, whilst being a complete contrast to the alternate version of Oz she creates in Dorothy Must Die, is still just as brilliant and I can't wait for you all to visit it.

I just want to put out a special thank you to Danielle for having me host her fantasy worlds and to the lovely people at Bloomsbury for organising it! Don't forget to check out the final stop in the Stealing Snow Blog Tour over at Emily The Book Addict's blog!

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Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all.

Blog Tour Book Review: A Malmont Summer by Joshua J Johnson

Hey guys! I'm here today as part of the A Malmont Summer Blog Tour and today I have my review of the first book in what looks to be quite a promising series! 

Title: A Malmont Summer

Author: Joshua J Johnson
Publisher: Amazon 
Format: eBook
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 320
Source: Digital ARC from Author
Rating: ☆☆☆
Purchase: Amazon Kindle

Set in Santa Monica, A MALMONT SUMMER follows four girls who attend St. Malmont—a boarding school for the teenagers of the extremely rich, located between golden sands and sparkling waters, raving nightclubs and fast cars—as they go about enjoying their summer.

But when a difference in views arises between Heidi and Danielle, their typical summer they had been expecting is turned upside down—almost literally, as they end up flitting to the other side of the globe to Australia, where their summer truly kicks off.

With their two other friends, Lottie and Hannah, the four girls make a plan to follow two very different bucket lists, based on two very different sets of opinions, in order to be able to settle their argument once and for all.

Along the way, however, their summer becomes much more eventful than they ever anticipated—secrets are revealed, love lives are tangled, and crimes are committed…and that’s just the start.

Because, when you’re the daughters of extremely rich families, the sky is the limit when it comes to proving your points…

I have to openly admit that I had been rooting for Joshua ever since he announced his new YA contemporary novel 'A Malmont Summer.' It sounded like such an interesting concept and it looked to be a combination of elements that I've really enjoyed in some of my favourite books. What I didn't expect out of a YA debut was the level of depth Joshua goes into in terms of discussing social classes and the morals that are usually associated with them. Did I enjoy this book? I really did. It was really stunning and I thoroughly enjoyed it but few books can be without flaws and unfortunately this was not one of them, but enough of the brief overview - what did I think about it?

Blog Tour: A Guest Post from Joshua J.Johnson!

Hey guys! Today I'm here as part of the A MALMONT SUMMER Blog Tour and I am very excited to be hosting the author, Joshua J. Johnson on my blog who is here with a wonderful guest post that talks all about locations and the settings for his debut YA novel! I've had a read through it and its brilliant, so without further ado I'll pass you over to Joshua!

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Hello! First of all, thank you so much to Daniel for having me on his blog. It's an absolute pleasure and I'm so excited!

Basically, I'm here today to talk about LOCATIONS, and why I love using different places as my settings in my books, especially in A MALMONT SUMMER, which came out yesterday!

A MALMONT SUMMER follows four girls who live in Santa Monica and attend a private boarding school there who proceed to flit across the world to Australia to figure out their issues and attempt to settle their dispute.

One of the biggest things readers of the book so far have commented on is the descriptions of these settings—in fact, I've even been asked if I've been to Santa Monica or Australia, which is a huge compliment that I am very thankful for, as I never been to either of those places!

As somebody who enjoys traveling and would love to see more of the world, as much as of it as possible, within my life (after all, don't you think that the world is too big of a place to stay where you are forever?), it only seems natural to me that I would explore the world within my writing and live and explore vicariously through my characters!

In my free time, I often find myself just looking at pictures of places abroad anyway, so writing them is something that I was able to put this to. I decide on the locations of my novel by simply choosing the places I would enjoy to go to the most, and then I look at pictures and maps and research the nightlife and the attractions in the day, and essentially everything you would try your best to find it if you were going there.

After all, in a way, you are going there! Myself and my characters spent day after day wandering around Santa Monica and various locations in Australia, even it was only by imagination! 

Looking at pictures definitely helped—you can literally write what you are seeing then. I also think about senses—if you walked down Ocean Avenue (one of the main roads in Santa Monica), what would you smell on the air? What would that air feel like? What could you see as to where that is coming from? Just thinking about these things and breaking it down helps make it more convincing.

Essentially, pick places that excite you as your settings, whether they're places you've made up or places that exist. You might not be able to get there right now, but you can spend time there through your characters, so choose places you're genuinely curious about, and that curiosity and excitement will reflect in your writing! :)

I definitely plan on having my characters visit more of the world in the next few books in The MALMONT Quartet! It would be a pleasure if you picked up Book 1 and came along for a quick flit around the world with my characters and I! :)

Thank you very much for taking your time to read, and again, a massive thank you to Daniel! :)

See you soon!
Joshua J. Johnson

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Well there you have it folks! Wasn't that an awesome guest post? I loved it, especially how vividly Joshua talks about his inspirations for locations and how his writing process is simply formed from pictures! I've read the book and I have to say that Joshua's descriptions of Santa Monica are extremely detailed and to know he's never been there is outstanding!  If you're itching for an adventure abroad but from the comfort of your own living room then I would definitely recommend this one! You can pick up Joshua's novel by clicking following links! Click here if you're in the UK and click here if you live in the USA! For a self published novel I doubt you'll regret the splurge! If you do buy either the eBook/Paperback of Joshua's book then drop him a DM on Twitter letting him know and he will send you a personalised postcard of the cover design!

Thank you to Joshua for being such a wonderful guest host here on this blog, I definitely look forward to working with him in the future and I hope you guys will look forward to a future reoccurrence! Joshua you are welcome on this blog anytime! So if Joshua's guest post has intrigued you and you're looking for that little bit more information about the book, but are hesitant to dash right ahead and purchase it then I have a full review of the book coming up tomorrow so look forward to that! But be warned, it's a little bit spoilery, so if you're conscious of what I'm going to say then don't venture below the warning! I hope to see you guys there!

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About the Author:

Joshua J. Johnson currently lives in England with a serious case of wanderlust and a wardrobe full of books.

He started writing as soon as he discovered that book didn't randomly appear, and that they were actually written by people. After growing up writing short stories by hand for his brother and his family-- including a weekly family newspaper-- he created a blog where his writing has been captivated, treasured, and enjoyed by thousands of people in nearly eighty countries around the world.

You can check out Joshua on Twitter @JoshuaJAuthor , through his blog http://joshuajstories.com or through his Youtube page!

Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author by Wendi Nunnery

Hello everybody! Today I have a very special post for you because its my stop on the blog tour for 'The Best Kept Secret' by Wendi Nunnery. Wendi has very kindly provided me with a guest post to share with you guys, so without further ado I'll pass you over!

"Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author."

Thank you for having me today, Daniel! It’s an honor to be on this tour and connect with so many awesome bloggers.

I thought I’d keep this light and fun, so I want to share my Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author. I’m a big fan of lists, so thanks for humoring me.

Alright, let’s do this, starting with #10.

10) Being a published author doesn’t always mean financial security. Keep your day job.

I think Carrie Bradshaw ruined this for a lot of writers. I mean, the woman wore $500 designer heels and lived in a rather spacious apartment in New York City, but she was just a columnist at a small paper. Call me pessimistic, but there is no way she could have afforded that lifestyle if she were living in the real world. Unless your book was a New York Times bestseller, plan on keeping that 9-5. And please don’t feel badly about it. Why? Because it means you get to be a writer and still pay your bills. I call that a win-win, people.

9) You’re almost 30 and you wrote a YA novel? That doesn’t make you a dork.

I’ve had more than a few people look at me sideways when I tell them I wrote a young adult novel. It’s like they don’t understand that I was once a young adult (I’m only 29, so maybe I still am?) and I remember what it’s like. I remember feeling out of place and uncertain about the world around me. In fact, that still happens. Often. So why wouldn’t I want to write about it? I don’t have to be fifteen to write from a fifteen-year old’s perspective. I just have to be a human.

8) Your coffee consumption will increase.

Blame it on heavily-filtered Instagram photos or just blame it on Starbucks. I don’t blame anyone because I love coffee, but if you find out your book is getting published, get ready to fall in love with iced lattes. They’re going to be your best friend when it’s editing time.

Speaking of which…

7) Deadlines will frighten you at first, but eventually they will feel like gold stars.

My first content edit, where I had to go through all the big, heavy story changes, made me feel like I was in a game of emotional Tug-of-War. On one hand, I couldn’t wait to see how much better the book would become. But on the other hand, I almost didn’t know how to get started. And, in my opinion, getting started is the hardest part. Once I did, though, I found a nice pace and the changes came easily. Also? There is almost nothing better than reading these words: “The book is done!”

6) Not everything in your life will be about the book.

I think about The Best Kept Secret constantly, but I’m a wife and mother, too, and my husband and I are very active in our community. We live close to our families and friends, we volunteer, and we love to go out and discover new places in our city. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but that doesn’t mean everything else in my life stops because my book got published. In fact, some of my hardest work is just beginning.

5) Your hardest work is just beginning.

I know, I know. This one is a downer, right? You’ve spent years writing and crafting an incredible story. You just found out your book is being published. It’s time to celebrate! Yes, please do. But also remember that authors need to connect with their readers in more ways than one. And that means blogging, tweeting, emailing, instagramming, pinning, and every other -ing under the sun (well, not every other one…). It’s the age we live in. And it’s really kind of awesome that we, as authors, can get to know the people who read our books. So even though this part can be slow-going, it’s going to pay off eventually.

4) Your publisher might not care what you think.

I know, RIGHT?! What is this about?

Money. It’s about money.

Fortunately for me, I got published by a small press and a couple of the staff are authors, too. They know how important this whole process is and, even better, they care about it on a personal level. I hope your publisher is the same way, but just know that they might not be. It’s their loss.

3) You wouldn’t mind a world where P.A. stood for “published author” and you could use it as a title on your business card.

I’m just saying…

2) You will read and probably obsess over bad reviews. So, Beloved Reviewer, please don’t be a troll.

The internet is a great place. And book reviews are pretty awesome, too. But I’m going to request on the behalf of every author that you don’t use your anonymity to write unkind things. If you don’t like a book, just say so. There’s no need to be a jerk about it.

1) The world actually keeps spinning after you find out someone wants to publish your book.

I was sitting on my couch, wearing my pajamas, drinking coffee, and binge-watching Gilmore Girls when I got the email about my book. And after I stopped laugh-crying in the bedroom with my husband, I sat back down and kept watching my show. It was a little surreal how normal it all felt. But I guess that’s what makes it fun, that an ordinary moment can suddenly become an extraordinary one.

Well thank you very much Wendi for stopping by and providing us with that wonderful guest post! You can find Wendi on Twitter (@ladynunnery) and you can find Wendi's lovely book on Amazon by clicking here. It's a journey of discovery. It touches on truths, the meaning of real friendship, the ignorance of struggle and the lesson that the best kept secrets are truly the ones that create an impact on us. To read more about this amazing novel, then you can read by full in-depth review here!

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Wendi Nunnery is the author of The Best Kept Secret. She writes about the messiness of life, and sometimes uses colorful language. She's a sucker for historical romance novels, is also a big fan of Jesus, coffee, and Harry Potter. Wendi lives, loves, and mothers in Atlanta, Georgia.

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In high school, everyone has secrets. Even well-brought-up Emma Fraser.

Emma’s sophomore year started out all wrong. First, her best friend Andy confessed to losing his virginity leaving Emma all alone in the V-Club. Then the rest of her friends got weird and suddenly Emma finds herself feeling like the people she knows best have become total strangers. And total strangers are becoming friends.

When Deegan Burke, a rich, gorgeous senior, asks Emma to be his date for the prom, Emma thinks her luck has begun to change. But rather than being able to bask in this newfound glory, her whole world starts to unravel. And when secrets that once seemed so innocent start to take a very dangerous turn, Emma discovers that true friends are friends no matter what…and some secrets aren’t worth keeping.

If I were CEO of Micronsystems by Deborah Install

Hello everybody! Today I have a very special post for you because its my stop on the blog tour for 'A Robot in the Garden' by Deborah Install. Deborah has very kindly provided me with a guest post to share with you guys, so without further ado I'll pass you over!

"If I were CEO of Micronsystems…"

Early in the novel Ben finds a lead to where Tang comes from, which he thinks is a Californian company called Micronsystems. So it got me thinking: if I were CEO, into which projects would I be ploughing our resources?

An obvious answer is defence and security systems, for which there is already a precedent in real life. To be able to send AI in to protect humans to minimize loss of life seems like a noble cause when put like that, but it does have the knock-on effect of potentially taking jobs from humans. Also, if we’re involving sentient robots, is that any more fair that sending humans in?

So as CEO perhaps we would look at caring occupations instead. Caring for relatives unable to look after themselves takes a huge emotional and financial toll, so might it be nice to be able to send in a kind, friendly robot to offer some support and respite? I think so.

On a fun note, I think I’d have a gaming division, too. As a gamer myself this is dear to my heart, and I quite like the idea of having a robot gaming buddy to play against. It needn’t be restricted to video games either. What do you do when you fancy a game of chess but you’re the only one you know who likes it? Robot gaming buddy.

I have put in ‘Cyberdrivers’ into ARITG, and I also think this might be a runner for my fictitious AI corporation. Rather than develop driverless cars, perhaps a driver with the capacity to understand the car, the road conditions and the potential for human error around it might be a very helpful addition to modern life.

The novel also has a little incident with a robot washing machine, which I thought at the time I could definitely find a use for and stand by this now. The machine in question is contracted to go from motel to motel offering a washing service to guests, so is a sort of mobile launderette. I definitely think there’s a market for this.

So if you were CEO of Micronsystems what would you create?

What a wonderful post, and such a thought provoking question! It's definitely a tricky one with all of the possibilities to consider! If I were CEO I think I would agree with Deborah and look in the direction of personal care, possibly even taking it a step further and looking into the medical benefits that Artificial Intelligence could provide? Am I the only person thinking that if I was CEO I'd pretty much order for an army of Baymax? I hope not! A Tang would be cute too though! Feel free to answer Deborah's question in the comments below or over on any of our social medias! 

Also, to add my own spin on this blog tour, if you scroll down to the bottom of this post you can watch a video on how to make your very own Tang! (Well, a paper robot.) I had too, it's a teacher's prerogative to provide lots of arts and craft activities! I hope you enjoy making your own Tang's! Upload your pictures to Twitter and tag me and Deborah in them, I'm sure she'd love to see them!

Well thank you very much Deborah for stopping by today and providing that lovely article! Deborah's novel 'A Robot in the Garden' is available online and in stores now, so I highly suggest you run out and grab yourself a copy - it's witty, lighthearted and a great adventurous read! I'll leave a link to my review here, but in case you aren't yet convinced, here is a bit more information about Deborah herself and her wonderful novel 'A Robot in the Garden.' 

Keep up with all of the updates for the blog tour by following Deborah here (@DeborahInstall). Tomorrow's host is The Bookish Universe so look out for her post and hopefully I'll see you guys soon! 


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Deborah Install has been writing fiction since childhood, submitting her first book to a publisher at the age of eight. Though ‘Sammy the Squirrel’ never saw the light of day the love of writing persisted, leading to a number of jobs, including web journalism at university and her most recent role as copywriter at a design and marketing agency. This role morphed into maternity leave, which turned out to be more closely associated with writing than expected. Deborah’s debut novel – A Robot in the Garden – came about whilst caring for her new baby.

Deborah has turned her hand to a peculiar range of hobbies, including martial arts, lead singing in a band, sewing, following rugby and directing and acting in an am-dram company. These days, when not writing or being with family, her time is spent in the pursuit of books, films and games (dice, board and video). She lives in Birmingham with her husband, toddler and affectionate but imperious cat.

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What would you do if you found a robot in your back garden? For 34-year-old Ben Chambers the answer is obvious: find out where it came from and return it home, even if it means losing his wife in the process. Determined to achieve something for once in his life, Ben embarks on a journey that takes him and the robot to the far side of the globe...and back again. 

Along the way he begins to change, subtly at first, and then in ways that only become clear on his return to the house he’s always lived in. Funny, touching, charming, and with things to say about, well, being a man and being sentient, A Robot In The Garden is a gem of a first novel, perfect for Book Clubs; perfect for anyone, male or female, who has ever found it difficult to connect with the world.

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How to make a Tang! (A Paper Robot)