Wednesday 26 February 2014

OCD, the Kindle and Me



Lately I’ve noticed that more and more publishers are relying on websites like Netgalley to get early proof copies to book bloggers. Recently I’ve been receiving more emails with a direct link to download an e-galley than I have with offers of a physical proof to read and whilst I think this is fantastic for a lot of reasons I couldn’t help but wonder if this is the way publicity is going in the future and how bloggers who don’t own or dislike e-readers feel about this new digital approach.

Personally I like my Kindle Paperwhite but I LOVE my physical books and really can’t see that ever changing. I have so many exciting books on my Kindle right now but they often get neglected in favour of physical books. In fact I’ll often be excited about an early e-proof for all of a day and then decide that I’d actually much rather wait and buy a finished copy which some people might think is a little crazy when I’m given the chance to read these books sometimes months in advance which brings me nicely on to a realisation I made the other day.

After thinking about this topic a lot over the last few weeks I realised that a large part of why I prefer not to read on my Kindle is because of my OCD. Part of my condition means that I have to do things as thoroughly and correctly as possible and when I’m reading on my Kindle I don’t feel like I’m getting the full reading experience. This is kind of silly when I’m quite happy to read proof copies that are subject to change but try telling my OCD that. I don’t get it either.

So after a lot of thought I have decided to make this year Project Learning to Love My Kindle. At the moment I tend to read one Kindle book per month (if that) and I’d like to start trying to up that to two or three books a month. I’m tired of not reading the books I want to read because I have this irrational fear of not reading the book properly. There are lots of pros for me personally for reading more on my Kindle and it’ll also help tackle an aspect of my OCD which can only be a good thing. I’m not saying that I want to become a full on Kindle advocate but if I can get to a stage where I feel like I can happily read what I want to on my Kindle that would be great.

If you’re a blogger who doesn’t own or dislikes e-readers I’d love to know how you feel about the rise of websites like Netgalley? Do you ever feel like you’re missing out on the latest thing? If you’re a publisher is there a future for paper proof copies? Or are you a reader who hates missing out on exclusive e-book short stories from your favourite authors? If for whatever reason you’ve ever missed out on reading a book due to a dislike of e-readers I feel your pain.

Friday 21 February 2014

Early Bird Review for Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern

Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern 
Publisher: Macmillan
Release: 27th March 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review





Goodreads Summary: 
"Amy is unflinchingly honest about her limitations. Born with cerebral palsy, she can’t walk or talk without help. But trapped inside this uncooperative body lies a brilliant mind and a luminous spirit – a girl capable of truly loving and worthy of being loved in return.

Matthew has his own set of challenges – a mind consumed by unwanted repeated thoughts, obsessive rituals and a crippling fear that he can't explain. But underneath all of the anxiety lies a deep seed of hope for someone to come along who believes in him…

This is the story of Amy and Matthew. It may not be a fairy tale romance or set in an imagined world far from our own. But the love they share is real. And yes, there's magic in it."

Review 
My favourite kind of Contemporary YA books are the kind with real and imperfect characters, so this love story about a girl who has Cerebral Palsy and a guy with OCD sounded right up my street. I myself have suffered with OCD since my late teens so from a personal level I was looking forward to seeing how Cammie McGovern handled the illness in her story. Turns out this author really knows her stuff!

Amy and Matthew are two troubled teens who find each other just when they need someone the most and I loved following their evolving relationship. At its heart this book is about friendship which I found really refreshing to read. I loved how Amy and Matthew bettered one another and brought each other out of their shell. The mutual respect, trust and understanding of each other and their illnesses was really beautiful to read.

Matthew for me was a really relatable character. Cammie McGovern perfectly captures the anxiety and panic behind compulsive thinking and clearly has a solid understanding of what someone with OCD goes through on a daily basis. I found myself nodding along with Matthew and sympathising with his fear of everyday tasks that take a lot of mental strength to overcome.

I absolutely loved getting to know Amy - she’s incredibly bright and positive and has so much to offer if only people had the patience to see past her disability. Amy’s personality practically leaps off the page to the point where I’d often forget she had CP and how others perceived her because to me she was just Amy. Despite loving her positive attitude it was actually Amy’s more fragile and honest moments in the book that made me really admire her strength of character.

If you enjoyed Eleanor and Park, The Fault in Our Stars and The Perks of Being a Wallflower then I couldn’t recommend this book to you more. It certainly deserves the same recognition which is not something I say lightly with the books mentioned above being a few of my favourites. Amy and Matthew are certain to open reader’s eyes to the world of both physical and mental illness and work their way into reader’s hearts with their beautifully broken love story.

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Review for Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott 
Publisher: Chicken House
Release: 6th March 2014
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Goodreads Summary:
"Tella's brother has cancer, and she is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for her 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. But Tella will be facing more than the elements..."

Review 
Fire and Flood is one of the only dystopian books to hold my interest in a long time. It would be fair to say that I was growing tired of the genre and although Fire and Flood follows a similar formula to other dystopian books out there it also has its own unique flare that had me turning the pages wanting to know more about this world.

The book begins on a very contemporary note which made me instantly connect to Tella and her situation as we get to know her and her family. The layers of the plot slowly begin to unfold as we’re introduced to a world within our own and before you know it we’re in a life or death survival story that has you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved the way this book was told, it had so many elements rolled into one plot.

Tella was a really interesting character to read about – she was not what I was expecting! Instead of the unflinchingly brave martyr to the cause type heroine that I’ve become accustomed to in dystopian fiction we’re offered an incredibly normal heroine with a contemporary voice. Some of the early reviews that I’ve read have labelled Tella as vain but I found her very human and believable. Tella is very much a girly girl but she was tough and strong when it mattered so I actually found her really refreshing to read about. If I’d gone days without so much as a shower in the jungle with a hot guy around I’d want a mirror and my cosmetics too! I loved the message that you can be tough and girly at the same time and that it isn’t an either/or situation.

Another aspect of this book I really loved was the Pandoras. Oh how I want my own Madox! I’m a huge animal lover so the idea of having an animal sidekick with super cool powers was an idea that I loved and I came to love some of the Pandoras just as much as the actual characters. Speaking of characters there is a wide and diverse cast here some of whom I loved and some I hated with a passion! My favourites were Harper and Jaxon – I really hope we get more from them in book two!

Overall I was really impressed with Fire and Flood. My only small complaint is that I was left with a lot of questions still regarding the world building in this book but since it’s the first in a series I’m hoping to learn more in future books which I’ll definitely be reading after enjoying this book so much.

Sunday 16 February 2014

Letterbox Love (37) Books From The Past Few Weeks



Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

Hi lovelies! Here is my haul for February so far and it's pretty exciting! I received so many books from all different genre's some of which I've already read and were absolutely brilliant. My TBR is full of fantastic books right now and I feel like a kid in a sweet shop. In other bookish news I was delighted to find I had been quoted in another book and I also received a Valentines card from one of my favourite book boyfriends - not many people can say that right? But more on that later...Here is my book haul for February so far.


Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Proof Copy)
This one dropped through my letterbox yesterday and I didn't know what it was at first 1.) Because I didn't recognise the cover and 2.) Because I didn't realise it was being published in the UK. And then I read the synopsis and did a happy dance when I realised it was one of my most anticipated books of 2014 in disguise. This sounds like a brilliant thriller and I can't wait to read it!
Sweet Damage by Rebecca James
This one sounds like another brilliant thriller! I've wanted to read something by Rebecca James for such a long time so this looks like my chance!
A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke (Proof Copy)
The Sea Sisters by the same author is a book I really wanted to read last year and just didn't have time to get around to so I'm hoping to read both A Single Breath and The Sea Sisters this spring because Lucy Clarke sounds like an author I'd love!
The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
I'm SO excited for this book guys! It recently won the Costa Book Award and has been labelled 'one of the best books about mental illness' by Jo Brand a former mental health nurse. I believe that the author himself has also worked as a mental health nurse so I'm expecting good things from this one.



The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman
This is another book that I'm ridiculously excited to read! All of my blog friends who have read it have absolutely loved it and I've spoken to the author Hannah on Twitter and she's so lovely. This is her debut novel and is about a woman who is dead who has to go through the stages of grief and watch her family move on without her. It sounds like such an emotional and beautiful read and I'm going to be picking it up very soon!
Sleuth or Dare by Robin Benway
Okay, so I haven't read the first book in this series yet but now I have the second one I can read both back to back. Robin Benway is one of my favourite authors and I seriously have to check this series out already!
Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's about a girl with Cerebral Palsy and a guy with OCD and their beautiful friendship. I'm going to have a review for this one up soon but if you're a fan of Eleanor and Park you want this book.
Cress by Marissa Meyer
This one arrived as a belated birthday present from the lovely Ellie and it was belated because she had it on pre-order for me. Needless to say I devoured this one pretty much straight away and it is my favourite of the series so far! Roll on Winter!



Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
I just finished reading this book last night and I really enjoyed it! People seem to either love or hate this book but it's actually one of the only dystopian books that has held my interest in a very long time. I couldn't put it down and now really want a Pandora! I'll have a review up for this one soon.
Half Bad by Sally Green (Proof Copy)
Two copies of this actually arrived for review by mistake and so I'm giving away my spare copy on the blog now if you want to go and enter. This is another one of my most anticipated books of 2014 and the early hype has been through the roof with comparisons to J.K Rowling! I'm going to be reading this one very soon.
Where the Rock Splits the Sky by Philip Webb
I haven't heard too much about this one so far but the synopsis sounds interesting.
Shattered by Teri Terry
I'm so excited for this! My lovely friend Cait who works at the publishing house sent me out a copy of this for review. I really love this series and can't wait to see how Kyla's story ends. When I opened it up there was a little surprise on the first page but more on that a bit later...


 E-books For Review

 

Once again Netgalley and Edelweiss had too many tempting titles to resist. And that is all I have to say about that.


 Bookish Things


In case you missed my super subtle hint earlier on in this post I got quoted in another book! My quote is in the last book of the Slated Trilogy Shattered and I had no idea until I opened the book. This is the 11th book I've been quoted in now and it's still as exciting as the first time it happened.


I also received a lovely valentines card and chocolate heart from Mal from The Grisha Trilogy and I felt really special until I realised that he'd sent a card to all of the girls in the #GrishaArmy *sighs* I suppose I will just have to share him. Seriously though, massive thanks to Nina at Indigo for this it was such a lovely Valentines surprise! Publishers are awesome people.

As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

Thursday 13 February 2014

Giveaway: Win an Early Copy of Half Bad by Sally Green!

As some of you may know I’m hugely excited for UKYA author Sally Green’s debut novel Half Bad so I was beyond thrilled when, not one, but two early proof copies dropped through my letter box to review. I contacted the publisher to let them know I received two by mistake and asked if it was okay to give away my spare copy to one of you guys and they said yes! The book is out next month in the UK and I’m really excited to be able to give one of my readers the chance to read it before it hits bookshops! The publishers are really excited for this one and the early praise for it has been through the roof so if you like Paranormal YA at all you’re going to want to check this book out. Here’s a little bit more about it…



Synopsis: You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Sounds fantastic right? Before you enter please read my giveaway rules first and good luck to you all! 

 Giveaway Rules 
 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 
 Open to UK residents only 
 End date: Friday 21st February 2014 
 One winner will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected. 

Monday 10 February 2014

Review for The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes 
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 27th February 2014
Genre: Fiction, Family, Romance, Chick-Lit
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Goodreads Summary: 
"One single mum
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it's hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn't. Because you have to...

One chaotic family
Jess's gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she'll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess's teenage stepson, can't fight the bullies alone. Sometimes Jess feels like they're sinking...

One handsome stranger
Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it's like to be lonely. And he wants to help...

One unexpected love story
The One Plus One is a captivating and unconventional romance from Jojo Moyes about two lost souls meeting in the most unlikely circumstances."

Review 
Jess Thomas lives with her talented young daughter Tanzie, troubled teenage stepson Nicky and the large and loveable family dog Norman in a small seaside town but their life is far from the idyll that you’d imagine. Tanzie is a child genius who’d rather spend hours pouring over maths problems than playing with other children her age and Nicky is badly bullied for his love of mascara and skinny jeans. Their small town is one that is equally small minded and labels anybody who’s a little bit different a freak and for Jess and her family life is a daily struggle. That is until one day when wealthy business man Ed Nicholls comes into their lives and offers a helping hand and so they set off on a whirlwind road trip adventure that will change not only Jess’s life but Ed’s life for the better.

The One Plus One is a character driven read told from Jess, Ed, Tanzie and Nicky’s points of view. After a few chapters I quickly became immersed in this story, so much so that I devoured this 500 plus page book in two days. The Thomas family are such underdogs and I felt every emotion alongside them as we watch them struggle through life. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and I desperately wanted things to change for them. This book is about family, misfits, hope and the random acts of kindness from strangers that can make someone’s day a hundred times better. The One Plus One shines a light on those struggling with poverty in the UK and I loved seeing how wealthy Ed’s views regarding money gradually changed throughout the book as he got to see how the other half live.

I completely fell in love with every character in this book but I just have to give a special mention to our heroine Jess who not only is a wonderful mother but such an inspiring lady to read about. Jess is such a kind and hopeful character – when life knocked her down she’d get right back up again and I admired her so much. For all you romantics there is also a lovely slow simmering romance between Jess and Ed that develops throughout the book. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted two characters to get their happily ever after more!

Simply put The One Plus One is the best book that I’ve read in 2014 so far. If you like books about life changing road trips with a bright and eccentric cast of characters and a loveable furry companion to boot then I couldn’t recommend this book to you more! I laughed, I cried and a week after finishing I still can’t get the Thomas family out of my head!

Saturday 8 February 2014

Guest Post With Paige Toon: From Chick-lit to YA

Today we have the lovely Paige Toon on the blog talking about her new book (and first venture into YA!) The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson. Paige is a bestselling author of Women’s Fiction whose books include The Longest Holiday, Johnny Be Good and Pictures of Lily to name a few. The Jessie Jefferson series is a YA spin off from Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine featuring rock star Johnny’s estranged daughter Jessie. I recently read and really enjoyed The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson (check out my review here) so I’m excited to have Paige on the blog today discussing her journey from Chick-lit to YA. Without further ado please give a warm welcome to the brilliant Paige Toon!

From Chick-lit to YA by Paige Toon


A lot of people have asked me how hard I found it trying to get into the head of a teenage character. The truth is, it was easy. I have to get into the heads of all of my characters – how old they are isn’t usually a factor. Jessie was like my naughty, younger alter ego – I’m quite fond of her and I can’t wait to write part two of her story. This is the first time I’ve started writing a book which I know there will be a sequel to. Baby Be Mine is the sequel to Johnny Be Good, but it wasn’t until I was writing the final page, and an idea jumped out at me, that I thought, there could be more to this story. My fans demanded a sequel in the end – so many of them were cross at me for leaving it on that cliff-hanger. I do try not to do that with my books these days, so it was a bit of a challenge making the ending of The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson feel satisfactory for the reader while still leaving a lot of scope for the next book.

I decided to write young adult books after a friend and fellow author, Ali Harris, suggested it. I’ve dedicated Jessie to her. Ever since writing my debut novel Lucy in the Sky, I’ve written my books quickly. I wrote Lucy in two and a half months with a full-time job at heat magazine and I enjoyed every single minute. When I found myself with a whole year to write Johnny Be Good, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I ended up writing most of it in the last three months – with a newborn baby to boot. I just write better under pressure – and shorter deadlines help. Now my son is in school and my daughter is in nursery, I have so much more time on my hands. Why not fill it by doing something I love? I thought about releasing two adult books a year, but wasn’t sure if you guys would get bored of me. I love reading YA myself – especially sci-fi series, it has to be said (but isn’t Twilight effectively chick lit with vampires and werewolves?), and the idea for Jessie seemed to work even better as a YA series. I first had the idea to write about Johnny’s secret daughter when I was writing Baby Be Mine, and the idea came back to me when I was toying with YA.

At the time of writing this blog, The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson has already hit the shelves and lots of my amazingly lovely, loyal readers have been telling me how much they enjoyed it. After writing Lucy in the Sky, I was absolutely terrified about everyone I know reading it and passing judgement, but then I relaxed slightly and told myself that if anyone else feels the way I felt while writing it, then they’re going to love it. I can’t tell you how happy I was to get those first Amazon reviews from brand new readers. I still count it as one of the high points of my life. It’s been the same with every book since, so I felt quite chilled about Jessie because I was pretty certain my regular readers would enjoy it if how much I loved writing it was anything to go by. Now I’m dying to hear from some new teenage readers, so please let me know what you thought of the book on Twitter @PaigeToonAuthor and facebook.com.PaigeToonAuthor. I’ll be waiting with baited breath!


Thanks for stopping by the blog today Paige! I'm looking forward to seeing where Johnny and Meg's story all began and picking up Johnny Be Good soon! The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson is available in all good bookshops now.

Thursday 6 February 2014

Review for The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon

The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 30th January 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, UKYA
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review





Goodreads Summary:
"My fifteenth birthday was the worst day of my life, and it's inconceivable to think that any single day in my future will ever be as bad. My mum was killed in a freak accident on her way to pick up my cake. Even when there was still no sign of her after two hours later, and my friends started to arrive at our house, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be coming back.

That was six months ago. My mum died without telling me who my real dad was. And for a while I hated her for it. I thought she's taken the secret of my father's identity with her forever. But she didn't. Holy hell, she didn't. Because three weeks ago I found out the truth. And I'm still reeling from the shock of it. My dad is none other than Johnny Jefferson, mega famous rock star and one-time serial womaniser. And now I'm on my way to LA to meet him and his family. My tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger…"

Review 
Jessie is a teenage wild child who’s been acting out ever since her mum’s unexpected death on Jessie’s fifteenth birthday. I have to be honest and say that Jessie didn’t make a good first impression with me – in fact I thought she was a bit of a brat with the way she treated people. But my advice is to stick with her folks! It soon becomes apparent that it’s all just a tough girl act to mask the pain and guilt she feels over her mum’s death and the fear that she doesn’t really belong to any one now that it’s just her and her stepdad Stu. Paige Toon did a fantastic job of capturing a young girl’s grief and those weaker moments with Jessie when her mask would slip and she’d let us in were some of my favourite moments in this book.

With Jessie’s behaviour spiralling out of control stepdad Stu thinks it would do her good to learn the truth about her real father who is none other than famous rock god Johnny Jefferson. When Jessie flies out to LA to get to know Johnny and her new family is where the fun really begins. There are A-list parties, designer clothes shopping, and yes, a cute boy. Whilst all this is really fun and glamorous to read about there are also some really touching moments as Jessie starts to bond with her family.

My favourite thing about The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was how every character felt realistic. I could understand every characters thoughts and feelings over this big change in their lives and I loved that this book wasn’t all fun and smooth sailing in Jessie’s new life. Seeing how everyday things would trigger Jessie’s memories of her mum brought a tear to my eye on several occasions. And Jessie’s gradual character development was spot on to the point where I closed the book feeling really proud of how far she’d come.

Overall The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. I’ll definitely be continuing on with this series to see what happens to Jessie and her family next and I also want to pick up ‘Johnny Be Good’ Paige’s adult series to find out how Johnny and Meg’s story all began!

Monday 3 February 2014

January Round Up and Book of the Month!


January's Book of the Month is Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy



Side Effects May Vary was a book that despite its March release date I just had to read as soon as I received an e galley for review and as soon as I read it I just had to talk about it so I posted an early bird review here. Side Effects May Vary is the best cancer book that's not actually all that much about cancer since The Fault in Our Stars. This was an absolutely beautiful debut novel about life and second chances and if it's not already on your radar it should be!

Read in January 
1.) The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (4*)
2.) Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller (4*)
3.) The New Hunger by Isaac Marion (4*)
4.) Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken (3.5*)
5.) Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (4.5*)
6.) A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey (3*)
7.) The Wish List by Jane Costello (4.5*)
8.) Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas (4*)
9.) The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon (3.5*)
10.) The Unbound by Victoria Schwab (4*)

Ten books read is an excellent start towards my 2014 100 books reading challenge on Goodreads and I'm two books ahead of schedule! I read some fantastic books this past month but am still waiting for my first 5 star read of 2014!

Monthly Book Awards 
Best Plot: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Best Writing: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Best Cover: Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Best Characters: The Wish List by Jane Costello
Best Ending: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
Best Romance: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Most un-put-down-able: Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
Most Memorable: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Best Moral: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Side Effects May Vary, The Wish List, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in February 
Echo Boy by Matt Haig
The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman
A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Banished by Liz de Jager

What was the best book you read in January? And what are you looking forward to reading this month?
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