As the new year has rolled around, and we got plenty of new books for Christmas, it was about time to re-evaluate some of the books on our shelves, and which ones were itching to find new homes via our local charity shop. We wanted to go through some of the reasons we decided to get rid of these books, and questions we’ll now ask ourselves when considering whether a book is worth keeping or not! Continue reading “Our First Book Unhaul!”
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Anderson Press
Pages: 272
Format: ARC Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Note: I received this book from Anderson Press in exchange for an honest review
I really, really liked We Are All Made of Molecules, it was an astonishingly good read that I wasn’t expecting. So, when Optimists Die First came through the letterbox – also unexpectedly – I was really looking forward to seeing whatever Nielson wrote next. And while I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as WAAMOM, it was still a delightful read full of quirky characters and plenty of intrigue!
Continue reading “Mini Review: Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson”
We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Genre: Verse, Contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s
Pages: 320
Format: ARC ebook
Rating: ★★★.5
Note: We received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As you can see from the cover, these authors are critically acclaimed. Sarah Crossan won the Carnegie Medal for her verse book about conjoined twins, One, which Maddie adored in 2015. We also knew we desperately wanted to read this because we’re going to meet the authors at an event and this is the book they’re promoting. All we knew before going in was that it’s written in verse and the poems are from two perspectives: Jess, a mild kleptomaniac and is forced by her mother’s partner, Terry, to film her mum whenever he beats her, and Nicu, a refugee that has to start going to school where he is bullied to a horrifying extent.
Continue reading “Review: We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan”
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 320
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
On the cover of a sampler I received of this book, is the little sticker ‘The YA Debut of 2017′. That’s a big claim to make and a lot to live up to, but I definitely see how The One Memory of Flora Banks lives up to that claim, after finishing the whole thing and needing to sit in silence for a second to absorb what I’d just read. It was powerful, it was special and one I can’t wait for other people to read! Continue reading “Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr”
Today’s the day that the beautiful, wonderful A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard is released to the world! 🎉🎉 and to celebrate, Pan Macmillan contacted early readers to attempt to imagine what it would be like to be silent for a day and struggle the same way Steffi does with her selective mutism.
Here’s a list of Steffi’s worst scenarios to be mute for:
5. When you need the toilet
4. When you’re bleeding
3. When you need a new pencil
2. When you look a bit suspicious
1. When your best friend needs you
I don’t think there’s any arguing that those are the worst scenarios to be in (although, I can’t help but giggle that needing a new pencil is a higher priority than when you’re bleeding, so I’ll assume these aren’t in a particular order!) But it really got me thinking, what would be my worst scenarios? So, here goes… Continue reading “A Quiet Kind of Thunder’s Release Day!”
The Memory Book by Lara Avery
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Hachette
Pages: 357
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of the books that everyone was hauling at YALC, so when it came up on Netgalley, it was an instant request! The premise sounded so intriguing but somehow it both exceeded and didn’t meet our expectations.
The Witch’s Tears by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr
Genre: Fairy tale, Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 320
Format: ARC e-b00k
Rating: ★★★★
Note: We received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
After loving The Witch’s Kiss, and getting to meet the Corr sisters, the sequel was something I was dying to get my hands on, and I’m happy to report that I loved it just as much as the first book! While the fairy tale theme that drew me to the first book isn’t as prominent, there are lots of things that bubble to the surface in its absence and I really loved. Please tell me there’s a third book coming?
Continue reading “Review: The Witch’s Tears by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr”
Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 320
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★
After not loving the sequel to the Embassy Row series, See How They Run, I was a little nervous to how I’d take the final book! But, it was still one of my most anticipated books, because I feel like Ally Carter will always have my loyalty, no matter what. So, with rocky expectations, I dived into The the Key and Lock Her Up, but was pleasantly surprised to have a solid conclusion to a series that started with a bang and ended with a knotted bow. Be warned, I’m going to be talking about the ending, so if you haven’t read the series yet, or are just interested, there will be spoilers!
Continue reading “(Spoiler) Review: Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter”
Born Wicked, Star Cursed, Sisters’ Fate by Jessica Spotswood
Genre: Supernatural (Witches), Romance. Sisters = buzzword
Published by: Speak. Pages: 352, 384, 368 respectively
Rating: ★★★★
This series has quickly become one of my absolute favourites. It’s the story of three sisters who are all witches in a society where if you’re rumoured to be a witch you’re either imprisoned or hanged. There’s also a prophecy that claims one of the sisters will either be the undoing of witches or will help them rise. I loved the drama and the the way every single relationship is written! For a series that was recommended to me by a friend in my Lit class almost four years ago, I’m surprised I didn’t pick it up sooner, because it’s really not one to be missed!
(Warning: As I’m going to be discussing all three books in one post, you might find the reviews of books 2 and 3 spoiler-y since I’ll be noting how the plot progresses.)
Continue reading “Review: The Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood”
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 400
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
After quite liking Eric Lindstrom’s debut Not If I See You First, I was really intrigued when his second book came up on NetGalley. The premise sounded so interesting, and I’m always geared up to add another book about mental health to my TBR. But, it turned out that Mel’s bipolar disorder was the only thing that kept me reading the book, and there were a few other things that almost caused me to DNF…for the first time ever. Continue reading “Review: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom”
Heart Full of Books 