A Tiger Tale by Holly Webb

‘I just keep thinking about him,’ Kate’s mum smiled. ‘The stupidest things. Like him always complaining that the tea wasn’t strong enough.’

Published by Scholastic in September 2014

Pages – 109

Summary

Kate loves her toy tiger, Amos. He was a present from Granddad, and holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away.

But she doesn’t expect Amos to turn into a real tiger! A big, comforting, friendly tiger who looks a bit like Granddad, and sounds like him too.

*******

I feel like I’ve been spoilt, as this is one of two reviews this week, for  books written by Holly Webb. If anyone can set me adrift on a sail boat to my childhood, it is most definitely Holly Webb. Her writing has a natural classical feel to it, with aromas of Enid Blyton escaping from each paragraph.

I adored this book, even though it did make me cry. In this beautifully, poignant tale, Kate is struggling to cope with the death of her beloved, Grandfather. She misses him so much and worries that her Mum will wipe out all traces of him from her life. Luckily she still has Amos to remember him by,  the toy tiger he once gave her. However, Kate’s grief filled mind is playing tricks on her and she is convinced that her Grandfather has sent a real life tiger to help her through her grieving process.

This book brought a lot of strong memories back for me. I can remember losing my great grandmother, who lived across the road from me when I was young. It reminded me how I kept all my grief to myself as I didn’t want to upset my parents or my grandmother by talking about it. In this book, we witness Kate doing the same. She doesn’t feel she has anyone to share her grief with. So she keeps it all bottled up, until eventually it all explodes out of her. She also struggles to see how she can ever be happy again, when she has lost someone so central to her life. It made me realise how important it is, for children to be able to talk about their loved ones that have passed. Even if a parent finds it hard to discuss with their child, they should always make sure there is someone there who could help the child learn how to grieve.

I think the author, has dealt with the difficult subject of death and bereavement extremely well. Although their were parts that made me feel sad, I don’t think this book came across as morbid or depressing. If anything, it felt enlightening to see a child learn how to cope and move on.

This book would be an ideal gift for a child who has recently lost someone they love deeply, as it gives the child  a starting point on being able to talk about it, open up and learn to carry on in life without them, but not having to forget about them.

11 Days To Go - The Maze Runner by James Dashner

There are only 11 days to go now until the release of the The Maze Runner movie. As part of the blog tour to celebrate this, I have written my review of the book below. The book has been republished with a new cover to tie in with the movie and is out now in paperback (£7.99, Chicken House)

 

He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.

Republished by Chicken House Books in 2014

Pages – 371

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Everything is going to change.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run

******

If I’m honest, I really struggled to get into this book. I found it really difficult to connect to a character who didn’t have a clue who he was or where he was from, finding himself in an unnatural environment.

However, due to the high amount of praise this story had already received, I persevered and  I am grateful that I did. Once you find your bearings in this book, you are caught up in a sinister, gripping and fast paced escape which sends your blood pressure through the roof. 

Thomas is a strong, independent character and right from the start, you get the feeling there is more to him than being just another newbie to the Glade. He has that Neo from The Matrix vibe running through him. He is special, but we only realise just how important he is on the arrival of Teresa, the only girl to ever enter the Maze.

Once this story really gets going, it sets off at a frightening pace. The Glader’s lives are under threat; everything they have ever known is about to disappear. There are extremely frightening encounters with Grievers, where I found myself holding my breath.

The book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, which leaves the story open to the sequels which have been written.

I think the best way I could describe this book is perhaps as a futuristic version of The Lord of the Flies. If you are looking for a new dystopian world to enter, then this book is definitely for you. Though you need to be prepared to cope with the uncertainty at the beginning of the book.

After reading it, I definitely want to see the movie and I will be queuing up like everyone else when it opens to see this fast paced thriller in real life action.

The Write Way with Holly Webb

I am a huge fan of Holly Webb, so I was absolutely delighted to be asked to take part in the blog tour for A Tiger Tale. Thankfully, the lovely ladies at Scholastic, let me interview Holly, to find out all her writing secrets.

1) A Tiger’s Tale is about to be published, can you tell us a little bit about it to whet our appetites?

Kate’s grandfather has died, and she is missing him terribly. He took her to school, chatted to her, cooked her cheese on toast. And he loved tigers just like she does. He gave her Amos, her toy tiger, and Kate is almost sure that Amos is more than just a toy.

2) Where did the idea for the book come from?

I’d noticed how many children at my sons’ school were being taken home by grandparents, and I wanted to write about the grandparent and grandchild bond. I also had much-loved toys in my head as a theme. Then one of my lovely readers sent me a photo of her handsome tigerish cat…

3) Being an experienced writer, do you find the process gets easier with each book you write?

Sometimes, but not usually. This book was very difficult to write, as it was so sad. I didn’t want it to be a miserable book, but at the same time, Kate is devastated. It was hard to balance that.

4) Do you try and aim for a daily word target when writing?

Yeeees. Somewhere between 1500 to 3000 words. But I often don’t get there! And I do a lot of reading which counts as work as well. So I tell myself.

5) Do you edit as you go along or do you wait until the first draft is finished?

A bit of both. I usually start off by reading what I wrote the day before.

6) When is your ideal time to write? Morning, afternoon or evening?

I don’t have an ideal time. I don’t think I’m a lark or an owl, more a sort of sloth. I still write well in the evenings, though, as when I worked full-time as an editor, evenings were my writing time.

7) Which authors inspired you whilst growing up?

CS Lewis, I loved the Narnia books. Also Betsy Byars, Michelle Magorian, and I adored A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8) What are you working on right now?

Lots of things! A book about a mouse that looks like a chocolate truffle. A series with some very greedy guinea pigs, and a book set during the Second World War that’s a sort of sequel to The Secret Garden.

9) What advice would you give unpublished authors?

Don’t stop writing, read and read, and never throw away any ideas.

Summary

Kate loves her toy tiger, Amos.

He was  a present from Granddad, and holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away.

But she doesn’t expect Amos to turn into a real tiger! A big, comforting, friendly tiger who looks a bit like Granddad, and sounds like him too.

Author Biography

Holly was born and grew up in south-east London, but spent a lot of time on the Suffolk coast. As a child, she had two dogs, a cat, and at one point, nine gerbils (an accident). At about ten, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying Latin and Greek, and eventually to reading Classics at university. She worked for five years as a children's fiction editor, before deciding that writing was more fun, and easier to do from a sofa. Now living in Reading with her husband, three sons and one cat, Holly runs a Girl Guide group.

If you want to follow the blog tour for Holly Webb, then check out the dates and blogs below.

Spies in Disguise: Boy in a Tutu by Kate Scott

I'm doomed. There's nowhere to go, nowhere to hide – I'm trapped like a rabbit in a cage.

She looms over me, her hands in plastic gloves. She's holding a bottle that has something foul-smelling in it. Any second now, that eye-watering gunk is going on my head. I lean as far back into the chair as I can go.

Published by Piccadilly Press in June 2014

Summary From Piccadilly Press

Joe and Sam put their spy skills to the test against a new villain, in a new mission and in . . . tutus?!

The only way to find out who is scheming to steal the World Cup memorabilia exhibition at the local leisure centre is to sign up for ballet lessons there. Joe and Sam land the lead roles in the end-of-term show – but Sam's playing the male lead, and Joe's the prima donna!  Can Joe hold it together (and Sam stop laughing) for long enough to find the clues and figure out who's really behind the next Great Robbery?

Review by Liss Norton

This is the second book in Kate Scott's Spies in Disguise series. Like the first book, Boy in Tights, it's lots of fun, with plenty of spy gadgets to intrigue and entertain. The

book is fast-paced and exciting, as well as being funny, especially when Joe (or Josie as he's now called) finds himself enrolled in a ballet class and having to wear a tutu because a leotard would be a bit too revealing. 

The characters are well-drawn, especially Joe and Sam who are embarking on the first spying mission of their very own. While the gadgets involved are ingenious, the plot seems a bit disappointingly weak here. Their spying mission doesn't really feel like something that spies would involve themselves in. Joe and Sam are tasked with preventing the theft of valuable football memorabilia from their local sports centre and there's no satisfactory explanation of why what is clearly police work is being handled by the security services. Maybe I'm being a bit nit-picky but this did spoil the book for me to some extent. 

However, a real spy mission crops up in the midst of it all and Joe and Sam, despite coming close to falling out, triumph in the end. 

The book is well worth reading if you don't mind the fact that it's more about detective work than the defence of the realm and I'm looking forward to the third in the series which, hopefully, will find Joe and Sam involved in a plot with a bit more of a secret service feel.

Run by Gregg Olsen

Cash: $17.00 Dinner: My turn, spaghetti?

Days at this school: 155

Texts from Caleb: 15 so far

Plan: Find a Way to Tell Him the Truth

MY NAME IS RYLEE AND I AM A LIAR, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I WAS RAISED TO BE

I hear the water running in the bathroom sink and I know my mother will bitch at me for leaving it on. Even thought I didn’t. I just got home from school. Mom has been critical of me, while praising my brother, Hayden – despite the fact he doesn’t do much to deserve it. If he remembers to flush the toilet after a late night pee, she practically does handstands the next morning. Mom has always been harder on me. She says that it’s because I have so much potential. Which really means that whatever I’ve done so far has disappointed her.

Published by Hot Key Books - May 2014

Pages – 245

Summary 

This is the story of 15 year-old Rylee’s’s desperate attempt to save her mum. She has come home from school to find her step-dad dead on the floor and the word ‘Run’ written in blood beside him. This is the moment Rylee has been trained for all her life, she instinctively knows that her mum is missing - abducted by the man who has been on their trail all her life.  But until now she’d had no idea he was an evil serial  killer. With no money and no idea whom she’s looking for, Rylee must try to outwit a murderer who always seems to be one step ahead of her – and who, she discovers, has a terrible link to herself.

*****

Reviewed by Elizabeth Dale

When I began to read this, I thought it was going to be another story about a family on the run from a criminal. But Run  is very different - for a start, Rylee is completely on her own, there is no-one she can turn to for help, especially not the police.  But she is tough and extremely resourceful and every step she takes is prompted by an unswerving  desire for deadly vengeance. 

This is a dark and sometimes unflinchingly brutal story - full of very clever twists and turns, and horrifying secrets from the past that shock Rylee to the core. As she discovers that her whole life has been one big lie, but not the lie she thought she had been living, as she learns more about the sadistic evilness of her mum’s captor, and the true, horrifying  motive for his attack, she becomes more determined than ever not only to find him before it’s too late but also to confront the mother who has deceived her at every stage of her life. 

This book is fast-paced and well-written, and Rylee is very much a heroine to admire, as she cleverly  manages to uncover more about the killer and all his previous possible  victims.  She is smart, feisty and spirited and It is easy for the reader to empathise with her. The other characters are well-drawn, as much as we see of them, but the book mainly focuses on Rylee. I had suspected as I read it that I knew how it would end, but I was wrong. It’s always great when a book surprises you to the final page, but I have to say I was slightly disappointed by the final twist. But that’s simply a matter of personal taste, and Run is certainly an edgy, riveting read that will shock and surprise you and keep you turning the page.

Extract from After by Anna Todd

With the publication of Wattpadd sensation, After by Anna Todd, imminent. I am pleased to be able to offer you a taster of what’s to come. Check out the extract below to whet your appetite.

Page – 13

The next morning Steph is not in her bed. I would like to get to know her, but that might be difficult if she’s never around. Maybe one of the two boys that she was with was her boyfriend? For her sake, I hope it was the blond one. 

Grabbing my toiletry bag, I make my way to the shower room. I can already tell that one of my least favorite things about dorm life is going to be the shower situation—I wish each of the rooms had their own bathrooms. It’s awkward, but at least they won’t be coed.

Or . . . I had assumed they wouldn’t be—wouldn’t everyone assume that? But when I reach the door, sure enough, there are two stick figures printed on the sign, one male and one female. Ugh. I can’t believe they let this kind of thing happen. I can’t believe I didn’t uncover it while I was researching WCU. 

Spotting an open shower stall, I skirt through the half-naked boys and girls quickly, pull the curtain closed tight, and undress, then hang my clothes on the rack outside by blindly poking one hand out of the curtain. The shower takes too long to get warm and the entire time I’m in there I’m paranoid that someone will pull back the thin curtain separating my naked body from the rest of the guys and girls out there. Everyone seems to be comfortable with half-naked bodies of both genders walking around; college life is strange so far, and it’s only the second day. 

The shower stall is tiny, lined with a small rack to hang my clothes on while I shower and barely enough room to stretch my arms in front of me. I find my mind drifting to Noah and my life back home. Distracted, I turn around and my elbow knocks into the rack, knocking my clothes to the wet floor. The shower pours onto them, completely soaking them. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I groan to myself, hastily cutting the water off and wrapping my towel around myself. I grab my pile of heavy, soaked clothes and rush down the hall, desperately hoping no one sees me. I reach my room and shove the key in, instantly relaxing when I push the door closed behind me. 

Until I turn around to see the rude, tattooed, brown-haired boy sprawled across Steph’s bed.

Want to know more about the book?

Tessa Young is an 18 year old college student with a simple life, excellent grades, and a sweet boyfriend. She always has things planned out ahead of time, until she meets a rude boy named Harry, with too many tattoos and piercings who shatters her plans.

If you haven’t worked it out already, this is a One Direction fan fiction novel. Ideal for all the One Direction fans out there.

Pre-order Links

Ebook links:

Kindle: amzn.to/1D9Yj6w

Google Play: bit.ly/1pgjfOW

Kobo: bit.ly/1uzvUDc

iTunes: bit.ly/X5Dd87

Paperback links:

Amazon: amzn.to/1Da0OWI

Waterstones: bit.ly/1oOrMt3

WHSmith: bit.ly/ZmpHPt

Foyles: bit.ly/1qYb27M

Childhood Daze with Kim Hood

As part of the Finding a Voice blog tour, I am pleased to welcome the author, Kim Hood, to the blog to talk about her reading habits as a child.

As a child, as soon as I was able to read a chapter book on my own, my life was transformed.  I‘d liked picture books quite a bit, but I was in love with novels!  I didn’t just read stories, I was instantly transported into another place the minute my eyes scanned the first words.  The world around me dissolved and there I was in the story; I was the character in the book.  I could read anywhere—in the car, in the school yard surrounded by the usual noise of games and quarrels, trail after my mum in the grocery shop.  I’d be so far from the real world that I no longer heard anything but the voices of the characters, and it was only when someone was shouting or shaking me that I would remember where I actually was.

It wasn’t just the fantastical that drew me either.  I wanted to see life through other people’s eyes.   I was constantly questioning what would it be like if I were that person?   So I devoured stories of kids from different places, different times, different cultures and life circumstances to my own.  I especially loved the extreme emotions: sadness, passion, terror.

Those worlds were so real to me.  Even after finishing a book, the people and the places could dominate my life for weeks.  I’d pretend to be the characters, making up new stories and playing them out in my imagination.  Half of my memories of being a child are things from books and not my real experiences.  I only need to see the cover of a favourite book from my childhood to have the sights and feelings, and especially the characters, of the story flood my memory.

I’ve never lost my love affair with stories, but I suppose like all great romances the euphoria fades, and reading is never quite as magical as with the first books I read as a child.  With so many competing responsibilities, I don’t have the guilt free time I did then—to just think of nothing but the particular book-of-the-moment.  But it is more than that, I think.  Adults are not supposed to get lost in their imagination.  Certainly pretending to be book characters while cooking dinner is frowned upon, especially if it involves talking to other imaginary book characters—not that I do that, of course I don’t (much).

Luckily for me, I can still get away with living in my imagination.  I call it writing.  When I feel the urge to pretend, and talk to characters, I do it through the keyboard or the pen.  Jo and Chris and everyone else in Finding a Voice came out of pretending in my head.  The great thing about being an adult and pretending is that I have so many more experiences to draw on than I did as a child.  The emotions and experiences I craved as a child—I’ve lived those now and so I can spill them onto the page for others to explore.  Real life entwines with the imagination and the possibilities for stories are infinite.  

Finding a  Voice was published in August by O’Brien Press.

Summary

Jo could never have guessed that the friendship she so desperately craves would come in the shape of a severely disabled boy. He can’t even speak. Maybe it is because he can’t speak that she finds herself telling him how difficult it is living with her eccentric, mentally fragile mother.
Behind Chris’ lopsided grin and gigantic blue wheelchair is a real person — with a sense of humour, a tremendous stubborn streak and a secret he has kept from everyone.
For a while it seems life may actually get better. But as Jo finds out just how terrible life is for Chris, and as her own life spirals out of control, she becomes desperate to change things for both of them. In a dramatic turn of events, Jo makes a decision that could end in tragedy.

To find out more about Kim Hood:

Website / Twitter

Top Ten Robots

To celebrate the publication of Frank Einstein by Jon Scieszka, I have been asked to write a post about my top ten robots. Now I am an 80’s child, so you are going to have forgive me if you don’t know some of chosen robots. So here goes – my top ten robots!

1) Bicentennial Man

In the wake of the suicide of Robin Williams, this film has been on my mind a lot, so I thought it was only fitting that Bicentennial Man should take the Number 1 spot. This is one of my favourite films and the character’s quest to be human is simply heart breaking.

2) Metal Mickey

Metal Mickey was a TV series from the early 80’s and one I remember fondly. Every Saturday night, I would also sit down before dinner to watch the hilarious antics of this robot, who lived with a perfectly English family, after their son created Mickey to help him around the house.

3) C3PO

I love the Star Wars films. I don’t know how many times I have watched them. So C3PO most definitely had to be on this list.

4) R2D2

And you can’t have C3PO on the list without having his sidekick, R2D2.

5) Twiki

Twiki from Buck Rogers was definitely one of my favourite robots growing up. He used to make me laugh with his ‘Bedeep bedeep bedeep’ as he shook his head.

6) KITT

Now who didn’t want a car like KITT from Knight Rider? With a computer module set in an extremely advanced car, he was the most intelligent robotic automobile around at the time.

7) Transformers.

And then the Transformers stole his crown - alien robots that turn themselves into every day machinery

8)C.H.E.E.S.E

Being a huge Friends fan, I couldn’t resist this one. Who could forget the episode with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E where Joey auditions for a new show with a rather difficult sidekick?

9) Lisa from Weird Science

I told you I was an 80’s girl and this was definitely one of my favourite robot films. Inspired by Frankenstein, Lisa, played by Kelly Brook is created when two rather bored teenagers decide to make the perfect woman on their computer.

10) The Terminator.

It would be wrong not to include The Terminator – this cyborg assassin sent back from the future to kill Sarah Connor. I wouldn’t say he was my favourite but I have watched the movies endlessly.

So there you have my top ten robots of all time. If you are following the Frank Einstein blog tour, then make sure you pop over to Library Mice tomorrow for the next installment.

Summary

Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. After an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm and flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions—the robots Klink and Klank—to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his Antimatter Motor . . . until Frank’s arch nemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan! Using real science, Jon Scieszka has created a unique world of adventure and science fiction—an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers.

To find out more about Jon Sciezka:

Website

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge

The first things to shift were the doll's eyes, the beautiful grey-green glass eyes. Slowly they swivelled, until their gaze was resting on Triss's face. Then the tiny mouth moved, opened to speak. 'What are you doing here?' It was uttered in tones of outrage and surprise, and in a voice as cold and musical as the clinking of cups. 'Who do you think you are? This is my family.'

Macmillan 2014

409 pages in paperback.

Summary from Frances Hardinge’s website

When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family – before it's too late…

*******

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

I could merely write ‘extraordinary’ and leave it at that. 

‘Cuckoo Song’ is not just exquisite writing but better still a fabulous story – in both senses of the word. All the lovely phrasing and imagery in the world will not correct a poor tale – but this shadowy fairy story is built upon a strong blackthorn skeleton.

Frances Hardinge tells her strange story with all the many-layered depth of a folktale retold. It is rooted in the period just after The Great War. It reflects the changes in society we know

from history as well as the unsettling wonders and inventions readers of her work have come to expect. There’s family conflict deep in the heartwood of this powerful drama – lies, self-deception and sibling rivalry. But the leaves and branches are hung about with galls and cobwebs and the remains of small dead things.

It is not for the faint-hearted or those in search of a quick, easy read. It will delight confident readers willing to immerse themselves in a parallel historical world full of disquieting beings. They also need to be able to keep track of a moderately complex though fully resolved plot - and a quirky sense of humour would help.

I have only one reservation – which has nothing to do with the writing: the cover. The crackle glaze effect is good- and the haunted look of the girl matches the subject. But I deeply dislike photographs of the key character’s face. It limits what that person can look like in the reader’s imagination. It is not inclusive – publishers take note. Give me art work any time. Something like this would reflect my perception better...

Detail from album cover of Never Forever Kate Bush – by Nick Price

Back to the book. It is her most moving work so far – simpler and stronger than earlier stories. It is one of those tormenting books where on one hand I was desperate to find out what happened next to Triss, but on the other I didn’t want it to end. I shall be reading it again.

If you love Neil Gaiman’s’ Coraline’ or any of Catherynne Valente’s ‘The Girl Who...’ series, do give this a go.

Secret Serendipity Seven with Daniela Sacerdoti

 Being a huge fan of the Sarah Midnight books, I am pleased to welcome the fabulous author, Daniela Sacerdoti, onto the blog, to tell us seven secrets about herself as the final stop on the Spirit blog tour.

1) I used to be a Primary teacher. I love children and I miss teaching, though writing is better! 

2) I am a Libra. Very, very much of a Libra. My birthday is on the 19th of October. I’ll be 41.

3) I recently took up running, and I love it. I’m very slow and horrifically unfit, but it makes me feel so good (after I catch my breath, that is).

4) My dad was Jewish, and his great grandfather changed the family name from Cohen to Sacerdoti to make it more Italian and less ‘foreign’, so to speak. Both Cohen and Sacerdoti mean ‘priest’, in Hebrew and Italian respectively. 

5) I adore Halloween and everything that’s dark and spooky. I decorate the whole house and my children and I do a lot of art and baking and Halloween-related fun. Halloween doesn’t exist in Italy, it was a completely new thing for me when I moved to Scotland, and I have wholeheartedly embraced it! 

6) I am a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon. In Watch Over Me, the hero is called Jamie after Jamie Mackenzie Fraser of Outlander fame.

7) My claim to fame is that I wrote an episode of Nina and the Neurons on Cbeebies.

Spirit, the final instalment of The Sarah Midnight Trilogy, is published this September by Black and White Publishing.

To find out more about Daniela Sacerdoti:

Website / Goodreads

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

The rusted Chevy pickup truck clanked to a stop, and when Lauren Huntsman’s head thumped the passenger window, it jolted her awake.

Published by Simon and Schuster in October 2014

Pages – 392

Summary

Britt Pfeiffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex-boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trekking trip with her. But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, where they find two knights in shining armour. Or so they think.
Britt quickly realises that the girls need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, she is forced to guide the boys down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to escape with her life is to pretend she is on their side. But is gorgeous, sexy Mason an enemy or an ally? Tension mounts, and it's only a matter of time before things turn deadly . . .

*****

I honestly feel like I have to defend this book, as after reading it and rating it a five, I realised there wasn’t a lot of love for the story. I was surprised by the amount of people who really disliked it and how many couldn’t finish it.

I have read the other reviews and I could see why people didn’t necessarily gel with the main character, Britt. They believed she was a spoilt brat, but I didn’t see this. Yes, her friend, Korbie, had the spoilt brat image down to a fine art, but Britt, didn’t come across like that. If anything, she was rolling along on Korbie’s money rollercoaster. She was also struggling with her emotional attachment to Calvin and her feelings were continually swaying in different directions.

When considering the theme of the book, I kept thinking it was about being self reliant. Britt starts off by relying on everyone around her to help her. She acts the innocent, highly dependent character perfectly, but as the book progresses you witness the real Britt shining through. No one is about to hold her back, least of all Calvin, Korbie or Jude.

I also felt the book explored friendship quite deeply. This book shows that if you are in competition with the people closest to you, then you are cohabiting in a fake friendship. Friends don’t keep scores on everything you do.

I can’t tell you anything about the plot without giving the story away. All I can say is watch out for Jude, because he is one hell of a character.

This is completely different from Becca Fitzpatrick’s best selling paranormal series, Hush, Hush. It must be difficult for an author to embrace something new, but I think she has done exceptionally well in writing such an intense, romantic thriller.

If I had to have any quibbles about it, I would only have one. It might’ve been nice to have a dual perspective within the story, as sometimes it was difficult being just in Britt’s head when so much was going on around her.

However, I can put my hand on my heart and say I really loved this book. I was glued to the pages from the very beginning. If I had to sum it up in one sentence it would be – Expect the Unexpected!

I Can Do It! By Tracey Corderoy and Caroline Pedler

 

Baby Bear had a new rucksack. It was brilliant, but the big green button was tricky for little paws!

All morning, Baby Bear tried and tried to open and close it.

"Mummy! Look!" he cried at last. "I can do it!"

Summary From Little Tiger Press

If your toddler thinks they can do just about anything, then you’ll love the third Baby Bear book from the talented author and illustrator team, Tracey Corderoy and Caroline Pedler. Determined little fingers will love touching the soft, fuzzy textures, while bold, simple illustrations and a gorgeously warm story will help small children learn why it’s ok to accept a little help from Mummy sometimes. It’s a big day for Baby Bear. He can now do up buttons all by himself – even the tricky one on his new rucksack! He is so happy. But now Baby Bear wants to do everything himself...

*****

Review by Liss Norton

This is a well-illustrated, colourful book about endearing Baby Bear, a typical toddler, and his determination to do things for himself. It imparts an important message for young children – that perseverance and having a go pay off, but that it's okay to ask for help with the things that are just too difficult to achieve alone.

The story has an every day feel, with Baby Bear doing things that any toddler might, such as playing with his new rucksack and his favourite soft toy, visiting the library and listening to a story. Children will be able to relate to Baby Bear's experiences and see how perseverance could work in their own lives, but the story is very far from being a stiff moral tale; it's full of warmth and gentle humour. There are also a few funny surprises in the illustrations that are worth looking out for. Baby Bear manages to button up his own coat, but he doesn't get it quite right. And his soft toy, Barnaby, has a few unexpected changes of facial expression.

It's a lovely book, good for bedtime or anytime reading. Don't miss it!

The Baking Life of Amelie Day by Vanessa Curtis

There was this poem Mum used to read to me when I was six.

Boys were made up of slugs, snails and puppy-dog tails. Girls were made up of sugar, spice and all things nice.

You would have thought that I’d give Mum the evil eye when she read that bit out.

Published by Curious Fox in September 2014

Pages – 168

Summary

My name is Amelie Day and I live to bake. Cupcakes, biscuits, bread, tarts and muffins - flour power! Now I've got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win the Teen Baker of the Year award. But it looks like my stupid cystic fibrosis might get in the way. Will my mum let me go to London to compete?

*****

I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. In fact, I was completely bowled over by it. Where do I start with the abundance of praise I have for it?

Let’s start with Amelie. She is one feisty girl who won’t let her medical condition stand in her way. Even though she is constantly putting her life at risk. Amelie has Cystic Fibrosis. I have to be honest and admit to knowing very little about the illness. Before reading this book, I was aware that it had something to do with the lungs and involved a lot of physio. This book really opened my eyes to the condition and I was surprised by how much I learned while reading.The effects of the disease on the lungs and stomach were eye opening. Poor Amelie, spent most of the book, constantly trying to find enough energy to keep going. Everything we do we take for granted and this book made me appreciate my health.

The story is well written and goes off at a steady pace. There are touches of humour mixed in with moments of sadness, that really bring the book to life. I basically read this book in two days.  I found myself constantly creeping back to it to read it.

I felt the book was extremely in fashion with the interests of society today. With The Great British Bake Off still as popular as ever, it was easy to imagine Amelie being picked to enter a baking competition for kids. I loved the recipes scattered between the chapters. I found myself constantly drooling. This book should come with at least one cupcake, to make reading it easier.

This is the first book I’ve read by Vanessa Curtis but I am positive it won’t be the last. A beautiful blend of humour and sadness.  A book that will have you reaching for your spatula before you know it.

Our Lady of the Streets by Tom Pollock

Published 7th August 2014 by Jo Fletcher Books

435 pages in hardback

Cover art by Ghost

Summary from Publisher’s website

Ever since Beth Bradley found her way into a hidden London, the presence of its ruthless goddess, Mater Viae, has lurked in the background. Now Mater Viae has returned with deadly consequences.

Streets are wracked by convulsions as muscles of wire and pipe go into spasm, bunching the city into a crippled new geography; pavements flare to thousand-degree fevers, incinerating pedestrians; and towers fall, their foundations decayed.

As the city sickens, so does Beth – her essence now part of this secret London. But when it is revealed that Mater Viae’s plans for dominion stretch far beyond the borders of the city, Beth must make a choice: flee, or sacrifice her city in order to save it.

*****

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

This final book in the Skyscraper Throne Trilogy is even more enjoyable if you have read I and II, but it works alone. Re-acquaintance with characters such as the gender-changing litter-spirit Gutterglass and the oily Johnny Naphtha just adds to the pleasures of this YA adventure in an alternative London.

Usefully for both newcomers and those who don’t recall too well, there are quick recaps here and there as characters need to be briefed themselves. This is just as well with a fairly complex plot to follow. You might also appreciate the interactive map on the Jo Fletcher site.

As with the other two, this is a story to exercise your mind’s eye. Full of lively and sometimes gruesome invention, amongst the fast-paced action there are striking images that will stay with you. It’s the sort of story you have to run with, accept on its own terms and revel in the exhilaration. Parkour for the imagination.

Nonetheless, there is a strong emotional storyline involving the major characters – it’s not all verbal SFX. There is a definite and moving resolution to the whole trilogy – but I can’t say more for fear of spoilers.

The Skyscraper Trilogy is ideal for older confident readers with a taste for baroque urban fantasy. All three books feature strong female characters and richly reflect the diversity of contemporary London. Well worth reading – and reading again.

Come Back To Me by Mila Grey

A whorl in the glass distorts the picture, like a thumbprint smear over a lens. I’m halfway down the stairs, gathering my hair into a ponytail, thoughts a million miles away, when a blur outside the window pulls me up short.

I take another step, the view clears, and when I realize what I’m seeing, who I’m seeing, my stomach plummets and the air leaves my lungs like a final exhalation.

Published by Macmillan in June 2014

Pages - 373

Book Summary

Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.
But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.
What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.
When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.
Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.

*****

Wow! What a scorching tale of romance mixed with a topical, contemporary situation. I loved this book from the beginning until the end. For those of you who don’t know, Mila Gray is the pseudonym for Sarah Alderson, an extremely talented YA author. Well,with this New Adult novel, Mila (Sarah) has shown she can turn her hand to anything.

The story is told from the dual perspectives of Jessa and Kit. Jessa lives under the strict eye of her military father. She can’t even breathe without his say so. She is fairly innocent when it comes to love and romance, but she can’t hide the feelings she has for Kit.

Unfortunately Kit just happens to be her older brother’s best friend and the least popular person on the plant, according to her father, so any kind of romance will be hidden from the prying eyes of her family. The element of forbidden love, really added to the spiciness of the novel. Kit was oozing with hotness and yet gentlemanly in every way.  The sparks  of electricity between these two characters almost melted my Kindle! They really are a  hot couple.

I loved the plot to this book. Both Kit and Riley, Jessa’s brother, are Marines and are due to be shipped out to a war zone very soon. In today’s society, this really is a topical subject and I felt the novel gave an insight into what it really is like to be in love with a soldier during such uncertain and dangerous times. Not knowing when your loved one will return, of if they ever will return, must be so hard to live with on a day to day basis. At times this novel is very gritty and realistic, reminding you of the unstable times we live in.

In this book, the title, Come Back To Me, really captures the theme of the book. Not only is Jessa praying for Kit to come back to her safely, there are times when Kit is hoping and praying that Jessa will return to him. Each character is yearning the return of someone into their lives and some are struggling to deal with the fact that their loved ones may never return to the person they once were.

I really loved Sarah’s first New Adult novel and I hope it will be something she will quickly be returning to again.

Baby Bright and Baby Shine by Samantha Meredith

Published by Tiger Tales in March 2014

Summary From Little Tiger Press

Baby Bright: This high-contrast baby board book is packed with baby’s first words! Every page has an eye-catching shiny gold finish and a simple illustration of one of baby’s favourite things. The black and white pages, with a bright colour and shiny gold foil, are designed with baby in mind. 

Baby Shine: This high-contrast baby board book is packed with baby’s first words! Every page has an eye-catching shiny green finish and a simple illustration of one of baby’s favourite things. The black and white pages, with a bright colour and shiny green foil, are designed with baby in mind.

*****

Review by Liss Norton

Two lovely board books for young babies! Each contains simple, shiny foil illustrations of things that babies are likely to recognize. The pictures in Baby Bright use gold foil and those in Baby Shine use green. Each double spread has no more than three or four words in bold type.

The small size of the books is perfect for little hands, and the pages are cut away, with each getting a bit bigger as you go on through the book. This makes turning them easy, as well as making the books look appealingly stripy when viewed from the front.

One of the things I particularly liked about these books is that the two objects illustrated on each double spread are largely related to each other in some way,

giving something to talk about. For example, sun and hat (when it's sunny we need to put a hat on) or leaf and caterpillar (caterpillars like eating leaves). The only one which gave me pause for thought was book and drum in Baby Shine. I know they're both toys, but I struggled to find something to say about them which would link them together. In the end I decided that books are quiet and drums are noisy, but with lots of interactive books on the market nowadays, I'm not sure that's quite true.

These are definitely books I would recommend, though. And at only £4.99 each, they'd make a perfect present for a newborn (or an older baby, of course). Terrific! 

Black Ice Trailer

So everybody is talking about the book. And now the trailer has just gone live.  What am I talking about? Black Ice of course.

Following on from her world wide success with the Hush Hush series, here comes the new book from Becca Fitzpatrick. Black Ice will be published in October by Simon and Schuster.

Click here to be one of the first people to see it.

Isn’t is AMAZING? I can’t wait to read it. Also check out the fantastic new site for Black Ice here.

Book Summary

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.
Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.
In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.
But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

To find out more about Becca Fitzpatrick:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Blog

Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler

It was during a Friday afternoon double geography lesson that I first discovered I had superhuman powers.

Published by Orion Children’s Books in August 2014

Pages – 256

Summary

Jessica Jenkins is missing...
Jessica Jenkins has always thought she was a perfectly ordinary girl, until the day that part of her arm vanishes in the middle of a Geography lesson! Her best friend Izzy is determined to help Jessica realise what a great opportunity the power to turn invisible could be, but where has her new ability come from? Does this mean she's a superhero? And, when her friends are threatened, can Jessica use her superpower to help?

*****
I love the premise of this book. Who wouldn’t want the power of invisibility? Just imagine the trouble you could cause if you could make your body disappear with just a thought.  What a fabulous idea and one that seems rare within the Middle Grade market.

I enjoyed the pacing of the story and I was quick to follow Jessica as she came to terms with all the changes and revelations occurring around her. Jessica’s friends made excellent secondary characters as they each came to terms with their own problems while learning to deal with their new situation.

I know some reviewers found the connection between the super powers and gem stones difficult to believe, but personally I thought it was a brilliant idea. I could see the scientific potential and how this could actually happen.  Gem stones have always fascinated me, especially with each one having it’s own meaning and purpose in connection with our bodies. So it seemed perfectly feasible to me, that they could be used for a wider purpose.

I think a little shout out is needed to the illustrator, Emily Twomey , as the illustrations at the start of each chapter are simply gorgeous and not forgetting the awesome cover.

I do have one little niggle with the book. I wasn’t completely sure I agreed with the way the antagonist was dealt with in the story. However, I do feel that the way the book ended, the plot left it open for perhaps a future book in the series.

At times I wasn’t always sure of which age group the book was aimed at. It had a strong, young, Middle Grade feel to it, however these kids were all about sorting the problems out themselves without adult intervention, which tends to stray into the YA genre. On reflection, I think this book would  definitely suit the younger end of the  Middle Grade bracket and I think anyone who loved Liz Kessler’s last two standalone books will really enjoy this one too. An enjoyable read with a twist of Heroes in it for the younger market.

Secret Serendipity Seven with Sophia Bennett

I am so excited to be the first stop on The Castle Blog tour. The Castle was published by Chicken House on August 7th and is written by the mega-talented Sophia Bennett. I will pass you over to Sophia, who has been kind enough to share some of her secrets.

Seven things you might not know about me and my new book, The Castle …

1. Appropriately enough, when I was about six The Secret Seven was my absolute favourite series. I was obsessed and read every book I could get my hands on. Lots of girls my age had mothers who disapproved of Enid Blyton books because they weren’t ‘literary’ enough, but luckily mine always let me read anything. Quite possibly it was The Secret Seven that kick-started my interest in adventure, mystery and detection … which ultimately led to the writing of The Castle. So thank you, Enid Blyton. And thank you, Vivienne, for thinking of such a great idea for this theme.

2. The story is inspired by my father, and the fact that he spent 35 years in the army and I grew up surrounded by soldiers. He was very useful in the fight scenes. I could just call him up and say ‘How would you disarm someone who’s standing with their foot on your chest?’ Growing up, though, his advice to me was generally to avoid dangerous situations. (Advice Peta’s dad has handed on to her, too, not that she seems to take much notice.) My father also created the full military CV for Peta’s dad. I’ve only mentioned bits of it in the book, but it’s all there …

3. Peta’s school is based on the one that Stella McCartney went to, because it happened to be in the right place. I love that the McCartney kids just went to the normal local state school – although Stella has said she was bullied and didn’t enjoy it. Bullying can happen anywhere, of course. As is does to Peta, in the book.

4. Although the main arc of the story never changed from the time I wrote my chapter plan, lots of the details did. In fact, almost every single one. There’s a central escape episode, and until the last draft of the book I wasn’t certain who would make it. My editor, Bella Pearson, was brilliant at making suggestions and helping me to decide who went and who stayed. Looking back, I’m sure she was right. 

5. Peta has to solve a code in the book, which turns out to be a computer password. She mentions how her dad taught her to create strong passwords, and as I got the idea from an expert in the field, I recommend her method. It’s easy to remember and hard to crack, so it works!  

6. Just before the book went to the printers, I was proof-reading it and realised that the penultimate chapter was unnecessary. It had a couple of jokes that I liked, but all the important facts were repeated in the epilogue. So we took it out. It’s basically one long list of spoilers, but I might l publish it on my website one day so that readers of the book can decide for themselves if I made the right decision or not.

7. It may not seem it, given that my books so far have been about fashion, music and celebrity, but I think of myself very much as a feminist writer. I like to explore how girls can exert their power for good in a world where they are often still belittled and ignored, if not downright subjugated. All the girls in my books are underestimated at some stage, and come out fighting. The Castle turns the classic fairytale on its head: girl rescues (or tries to rescue) boy from castle. So I was fascinated to see Disney’s Frozen, which is all about girl-power too – even if its main character still has to look like a beauty queen. If even Disney is putting girls in charge of the action at last, you know that something’s changing. And that has to be good.   

Thank you Sophia for sharing all these brilliant secrets.

Book Synopsis:

A search for the truth about her father’s death takes schoolgirl Peta Jones to a dangerous place ...
It's not just the bridesmaid's dress that Peta has a problem with - it's the whole wedding. How can her mum remarry when her army-hero dad isn't dead? When Peta receives clues that seem to prove he's alive, she sets out on a crazy mission. Somewhere across the sea, her father's being held in a billionaire's castle. Dad would do anything to save her - and now it's her turn to rescue him.

To find out more about Sophia Bennett:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Check out the rest of the stops on The Castle Blog Tour.