Bookabuy.com.au Review & Giveaway!!

Bookabuy.com.au is an online book subscription service established in 2015 by Chris and Melissa Tantchev, who both have a huge passion for books (my favourite type of people!) :)

I was fortunate enough to be given a one-month subscription for this service, and best of all, I will be giving away a 3-month subscription to one of my followers!

So, what is Bookabuy.com.au?

Basically, you

A: visit the website, opt for your subscription preference (you have a choice of 3, 6, or 12 months)

B: choose your book subscription category (options include fantasy, chick lit, autobiographies, crime & thriller, YA, classics, and even kids, plus more!)

C: provide a little bit of information about yourself (or the person the subscription is for) just to help tailor a book to you or your recipient's particular tastes.

And that's it!!

You will receive a lovely gift-wrapped book in the mail, like this:

In my subscription package, I received the book 'The One We Fell In Love With' by Paige Toon.

I was delighted with it. Chris and Melissa chose this book for me based on the information I had provided them regarding my reading habits, and they made a great choice. This definitely would have been a book I would have chosen for myself. 

I think that Bookabuy.com.au is a fantastic concept, whether it be for yourself or to give as a gift to a friend or family member. 

Bookabuy.com.au have offered my readers a special discount code that entitles you to 10% off your order. Just enter THEGOODBOOKSBLOG at checkout. 

And I am so glad that I get to give away a 3-month subscription to Bookabuy.com.au!!!!

To Enter: 

You MUST be a follower of my blog (either by liking my Facebook page/twitter/Instagram, or following via email or bloglovin' - I don't mind which one you opt for but you must do at least one please)

Answer:

What genre would you choose if you won the 3-month subscription, and why? (You can check out the choices here: https://www.bookabuy.com.au/shop-books/subscriptions/)

**Please include your email with your answer so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner!**

Terms & Conditions:

1. This giveaway is open to residents of Australia only  Total prize pool $120.

2. Giveaway closes on Friday 12th August, 6 pm; winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours. Failure to receive a response from the winner will mean the prize is forfeited and a new winner  will be chosen.

3. Winner will be selected on a basis of skill, not chance - the most creative and/or interesting answer deemed by the judge/s wins

4. The prize is not redeemable for cash.

5. In  The Good Books blog will not be responsible for postage of the item, or for any prize that is not delivered by the third party.

6. This promotion is not associated or endorsed by Facebook.

7. Those who 'unlike' or 'unfollow' after the giveaway ends will be disqualified from entering future giveaways.

Disclosure: I was gifted  a one month subscription to Bookabuy.com.au in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

All Is Not Forgotten - Wendy Walker 

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker is a novel filled with a lot of mystery and suspense.

However,  firstly just a warning, this book  contains graphic sexual content.

It begins with Jenny Kramer, a 15-yr-old girl, who is brutally raped and assaulted one night when she is out at a party and heads off into the woods after drinking a little too much alcohol.

Directly after the attack, she undergoes a new treatment to remove any trace of the harrowing experience from her memory. 

It works, but Jenny struggles with the mystery of not knowing what happened that horrible evening, finding it almost too much to bear.

She becomes a client of psychiatrist, Dr Alan Forrester, (he is the narrator of the story).

He  treats Jenny, as well as her parents (and a few other characters too). 

Using various methods, Dr Forrester tries to help Jenny uncover what went on, and who it was that caused her harm.

By doing so, we are introduced to various characters, all of whom may or may not have had some involvement on the evening of Jenny's attack.

I don't want to reveal too much, but I will say that this book really held my attention the whole time I was reading it, and I think that it is written brilliantly. 

Even though the focus of the entire story is on Jenny's attack, which at times doesn't make easy reading, there are a lot of twists, and it is certainly entertaining. I stayed up late turning the pages because I was really drawn to the story and wanted to find out who Jenny's attacker was. 

The ending threw me a little, and even days later, I still can't make my mind up about whether I liked the way it ended, but that could just be because it wasn't what I expected was going to happen. Nonetheless, it's a clever ending.

I'd  highly recommend this book, especially for those readers who enjoy dark, intriguing stories.

I'm really interested to watch the film version when it is released to see how it will compare with the book.

I was given an uncorrected proof copy of this book through http://beautyandlace.net/ in exchange for an honest review.

Broken Pieces - Kathleen Long

Broken Pieces by Kathleen Long has just been released this week,  and I can tell you that it is such an emotional book!
The main character is Destiny Jones, a 30-yr-old woman, who is a successful carpenter, and who has mastered the art of being an independent person.
After the death of her mother when Destiny was just 10 yrs old, her father left her in the care of her grandmother so he could pursue an acting career on Broadway, only visiting once a year at Christmastime. Destiny learnt to be content with her own company and not let anyone get too close to her. 
However, when her father shows up on her doorstep with his life's belongings, he gives her the surprising news that he wants to be a part of her life, as well as dropping a huge bombshell which leaves Destiny shocked, and turns her entire way of living upside down. I don't want to divulge the secret so as not to spoil it for others, but the way Destiny takes on this news is so heart-warming, and I really felt for her.. 
This book is very sad in parts, but the message of hope shines through in abundance.
The author's dedication and acknowledgements are so touching too, as they have a personal message within them.
This book raises awareness of important issues too, and for that alone, it is worth recommending.
But just be warned that you may need to have the tissues handy for this one!

* I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review through netgalley.

*Don't forget that there's still time to enter my first ever giveaway here:  http://inthegoodbooksblog.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/lost-my-name-book-review-my-very-first.html
 Good luck if you decide to enter, and have a lovely weekend!

Getting Life - Michael Morton

Getting Life is a biography which was released in 2014. I borrowed it recently from the library, and I thought it was a great book.

The author, Michael Morton, was jailed for 25 years for a shocking crime that he didn't commit. 

The day after Michael turned 32 years old, his beautiful wife Chris was brutally  murdered as she lay sleeping in bed; their 3-year-old son Eric, close by.

Michael was suspected, then later charged with her murder.

He lost everything when he was convicted - his house, his son, and his freedom.

He was unfairly trialed, found guilty, and sent to prison.

Throughout his incarceration, Michael kept journals, and those journals form the basis of this story.

Michael never gave up trying to prove his innocence. 

His story is truly heart-breaking, as he suffered a lot, and missed out on so much. 

Michael's courage and hope kept him going through the darkest of days. 

I was shocked that it took 25 years for Michael to prove his innocence, with the help of a team of workers from the Innocence Project who managed to re-open the case. 

Lost My Name - Book Review & My Very First Giveaway!!!

Lost My Name is a company that was formed in 2012, after four male friends put their ideas together to come up with a totally unique personalised children's book.

Their first book is The Little Girl (or Boy) Who Lost Their Name; their second is The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to create a personalised book for each of my three daughters, and I am so excited to announce that I also have one to give away to one of my lucky followers! Read on to see how you can be the winner!

I chose The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name for my youngest daughter, Kayla.

This book tells the story of the little girl who has lost her name, and sets out on a brave journey to find it. As the girl travels along, she meets some wonderful creatures, who each give the little girl the first letter of their own name, in order to spell out her name.

I simply went to https://www.lostmy.name/home, chose the book, entered in my daughter's name, language, gender, and character, and then I was taken to a preview of the book.

For each letter of my daughter's name, I was given an option to choose between a couple of characters.

For example, for the first letter of her name, K, I was able to choose between a Knight or a Koala.

I would've liked to have a couple of more characters to choose from just to have a bit more option. For example, for 'Y', there is only one character (a Yeti). It would've been good to have perhaps a Yak, or another creature beginning with Y to choose from.

But this is the only teeny, little criticism I have, because I couldn't be happier with all other aspects of the book.

One of my favourite things about being able to personalise this book is the option to create your own dedication.

I chose The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home for my other two daughters, Penni and Nikki.

This book tells the story of the child returning back home after an incredible journey through space, with some very cute characters along the way. The book includes a map of your child's city, as well as their place of residence in a bird's eye view map!!
It is fantastic!!

In much the same way as the other book, you are able to choose the gender and character, as well as add your own dedication.

Both books are A4 sized, with beautiful, colourful illustrations, and lovely rhyming verses.
Although they are soft-covered books, the pages are thick and durable.
All three of my daughters were thrilled with their books. 
I think they would make a great gift for a birthday or Christmas.

And now for the best part - I have one book valued at $39.99 to give away!
The winner will be able to choose from either title, and be able to personalise it too!

TO ENTER:

You MUST be a follower of my blog (either by liking my Facebook page/twitter/Instagram, or following via email or bloglovin' - I don't mind which one you opt for but you must do at least one please)

Answer in 30 words or less:

Which book would you like to win, and why?

Please include your email with your answer so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner!

Terms & Conditions:
1. This giveaway is open to residents of Australia only (excluding ACT) Total prize pool is $39.99
2. Giveaway closes on 31st July, 6 pm; winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours. Failure to receive a response from the winner will mean the prize is forfeited and a new winner  will be chosen.
3. Winner will be selected on a basis of skill, not chance - the most creative and/or interesting answer deemed by the judge/s wins
4. The prize is not redeemable for cash.
5. In  The Good Books blog will not be responsible for postage of the item, or for any prize that is not delivered by the third party.
6. This promotion is not associated or endorsed by Facebook.
7. Those who 'unlike' or 'unfollow' after the giveaway ends will be disqualified from entering future giveaways.

Disclosure: I was gifted voucher codes to redeem for each of my children's books in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins

I'd heard so much about The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, so many comparisons to it being the next Gone Girl, (one of my favourite books of all time), and I waited months and months for this on the list at my local library. 

I finally picked up my copy, and finished it within two days.

The Girl On The Train is a psychological thriller, and in my opinion, so very clever. 

Is it the next Gone Girl? 

No, but it is very enjoyable!

Rachel is the main character. She's a very heavy drinker who can't seem to get over her relationship breakdown with Tom, her now ex-husband. 

Even though Rachel lost her job months ago thanks to the alcohol, she continues to catch the same train into the city, and return home on the same train line every evening, in order to keep up the pretence to her flat-mate that she still has a job.

Every day, she passes the street where she and Tom used to live (he now resides there with his new love, Anna, and their baby daughter). On the same street, a few houses down from Tom and Anna's, Rachel often sees a couple sitting out the front of their home. They appear to be in love, and Rachel often creates stories about this couple in her head - the jobs they might have, their interests, etc, even naming them "Jess and Jason".

Without giving too much away, we learn that this couple (their real names are Megan and Scott) aren't as perfect as Rachel envisions. 

It happens one morning as she is on the train - she sees something shocking that immediately changes her perception about this couple.

She then becomes embroiled in their lives, but is that a good thing?? 

The story has three narrators - Rachel, Anna, and Megan, and the way these three character's roles interweave with each other is pieced together bit by bit as we read on in their alternating chapters.

I have to say that all of the characters in the book aren't very likeable and that did grate on my nerves more than once, but I think it did add to the emotional experience of reading this.

This book did keep me guessing right until the end, so it's definitely suspenseful. 

I would recommend this book, and would go so far as to say that it is one of my top 5 books I've read so far this year.

I'm curious to see how the movie compares to the book (the movie adaptation is due for release later this year).

If you've read it already, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.