So as you can see we have a slight re-design of the front page. I wanted to bring the reviews into more focus, along with our columns, in the big slider at the top.  The whole look is more visual. We have so many great sections, I wanted them to be better represented. My book carousel has now moved to the bottom of the page. Let me know what you think!

Twin sisters Ashyn and Moria are the last hope for the survivors of the enraged souls of the damned. One a Seeker, one a Keeper, they must race across a monster-infested wasteland to alert the Empire that evil is on the loose.

Sounds enthralling doesn’t it? As with every Kelley Armstrong book I’ve read, it certainly delivers.

Her world-building and monsters are detailed and vivid. Her dialogue is snappy and witty. Her characters are able to be pictured in your mind like a film.

Think Indiana Jones crossed with The Mummy as well as however many other adventure films you may have seen. But, instead of the simpering women screaming to be saved and the sweaty masculine hero, picture these girls front and centre in all the fun stuff. They stand shoulder to shoulder with the shady, mysterious men they’re travelling with; just the way I like it.

The character arc progresses quickly, and it will be exciting to see what Kelley intends to throw at them all into next.

Empire of Night, book two of the Age of Legends, isn’t due out until April next year, so I will be waiting a little longer to see if and how the twins manage to outsmart the political manoeuvrings going on around them.

If you liked Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, this will be right up your alley.

http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Paperback, 406 pages

Published April 8th 2014 by Atom

ISBN 0751547816 (ISBN13: 9780751547818)

Most Australians have heard of this young woman who has overcome not one but two serious accidents in her almost fourteen years of life.

In December 2003, she survived a car crashing into her childcare centre. She sustained burns to 85% of her body and it took six months of recovery before she could go home. Keep in mind she was two years old at the time and ended up losing both her feet, one hand and her right ear.

Seeing a gap in the system to support parents and families of kids who survive serious accidents, Sophie’s parents founded the Day of Difference foundation.

Not to be held back, Sophie started school in January of 2006. Five months later, while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing in her wheelchair with her Nanny and assistance dog, Tara, Sophie was hit by a car. She sustained injuries including, but not limited to, a broken shoulder and jaw, and she suffered a heart attack.

She was back at school in July of the same year. What a champion effort by her family, friends, specialists and therapists.

Nine years on and Sophie has been on numerous TV shows talking about her road to recovery, she has a book called Sophie’s Journey written by Sally Collings, and is taking an active role in her family’s foundation.

In loving memory of Sophie’s assistance dog, Tara, Day of Difference is giving kids in hospitals the chance to have a fluffy cuddle buddy thanks to the generous donations from the public. For more information head here

Here’s a clip from Studio 10 of Sophie talking about the Tara hug buddies

There is also a bike ride coined Distance for a Difference Tour, happening in March of this year.  For more information go here. I think you’d all agree Sophie is an incredibly courageous young woman and should be recognised for beating the odds.

Sophie’s Journey

By Sally Collings

Paperback, 432 pages

Published May 1st 2008 by HarperCollins Australia (first published May 1st 2007)

ISBN 0732285534 (ISBN13: 9780732285531)

I thought it seemed appropriate that I did a Red Carpet Killer Outfits post because of all the red carpet events around this time of the year. Below, I choose my favourite 5 from 2014.

Model, Cara Delevingne looks totally stunning in this metallic dress at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival. I think glittery dresses are sooo popular at these award shows because the dress takes on a whole new look depending on where they are! If they’re on the carpet, it’ll have a reflective red sheer. If they’re sitting down in a brown theater, it’ll have a brown hue to it. The possibilities are absolutely endless with this incredible dress.

Singer, Taylor Swift rocks an incredible pairing of a low-cut crop top, and a high-rise skirt with a slit up the side at the ACM Awards. The cut shows off her rocking legs and toned tummy. She looks great in an easy white on black outfit, and her signature red lip adds a little pop to her otherwise bland outfit. She’s also killing beach waves which accentuates her very pretty doll-like face.

Singer, Rita Ora is also wearing a silver dress. This one has the unique cut – off the shoulder, one long-sleeve, one no-sleeve, ankle long maxi. Her stylist clearly knows what (s)he is doing because the smoky eye adds a bad girl look. I don’t totally agree with the braided updo, quiff style because it makes her look a little boyish. However, her tanned skin totally stands out in the mi, and I love it. Blond, tanned, and glittery. Nothing wrong with that!

Actress Jessica Alba wears an incredible haute-couture gold shimmery dress to the 2014 ESPY Awards. The dress cuts right around the knee, and the shoulders remind me of something that would be worn by a Tribute in ‘The Hunger Games’. I think the thing that is wrong with this outfit is the lip. The colour is too light, and should’ve been a plum, or even a black? It’s a little risky, but I think it would work out in the end.

Finally, last but not least is the glamorous Katy Perry at the Grammy Awards. This dress is totally AH-MAY-ZING!!!!!! It starts out like any regular dress, but as it goes down, music notes are added to this flowy number. I cannot get enough of this dress! I wish it was socially acceptable to wear a red carpet dress multiple times because this would never get old. This dress is fun and whimsical! It’s totally dreamy.

Remember to visit my personal blog at www.christophersfashion.com!

I’ve redesigned the whole site, and I’d love to hear everyone’s feedback!

Chris

Belinda reviews Into the Woods.

Disney finally pokes fun at itself.

Jack and the bean stalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel get a surprising makeover when intertwined with a fresh story of a couple who want a baby badly enough to work with the witch next door.

There is more corn in this film than the entire state of Iowa. So many great moments that made me face plant, or gape open-mouthed at the screen. There was an mix of young and not-so-young in the cinema with us. The adults snickered and groaned in all the right places and, though the film was rather long (2 hours and 5 minutes), I’m sure we all walked away smiling.

The cast is star-studded to say the least: Johnny Depp, Christine Baranski, and Meryl Streep are just some of the more well known actors. The entire cast blends beautifully, and each actor brings their own oomph to the plot.

My favourite scene has to be the duet between Chris Pine (Cinderella’s Prince)- and Billy Magnussen (Rapunzel’s Prince). The song, called Agony, tells how both of them have it so tough when it comes to their respective love lives. I’d love to know how many takes it took them to complete the scene, but I imagine that the cutting room floor was littered with golden bloopers.

I don’t know what other reviewers have said about this musical film, and to be honest I would love it if people made up their own minds. I still haven’t decided if I want to own it on DVD, but as a one-off in the cinema, it was definitely worth the entry fee.

I thought this was a wonderful outing for the last few days of the school holidays!