tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994125110686820732024-03-18T09:48:15.540+00:00Delightful Book ReviewsThoughtful book reviews, interviews, and general ramblings from an aspiring writer. Freelance blogger. Book lover and coffee addict. Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.comBlogger341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-84923495404859746122019-08-10T11:49:00.002+01:002019-08-10T11:58:37.677+01:005* BOOK REVIEW | '"I Will Not Be Erased": Our stories about growing up as people of colour' by gal-dem <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Saturday! I know it's been a while since I've written on here but trust me, bigger and better things will be coming your way soon...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, though, what better way to come back on my blog than to review a truly excellent and powerful book, to start your weekend off with a bang?! Today I will be reviewing <i>I Will Not Be Erased": Our stories about growing up as people of colour </i>by gal-dem, which is a bloody amazing online and print magazine created by women and non-binary people of colour. <i>I Will Not Be Erased</i> is a collection of essays by gal-dem's writers, which explore growing up as POC, and reflect on their experiences with tender, touching hindsight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Many thanks to gal-dem and Walker Books for kindly sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Fourteen joyous, funny and life-affirming essays from gal-dem, the award-winning magazine created by young women and non-binary people of colour.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>gal-dem, the award-winning online and print magazine, is created by women and non-binary people of colour. In this thought-provoking and moving collection of fourteen essays, gal-dem's writers use raw material from their teenage years – diaries, poems and chat histories – to explore growing up. gal-dem have been described by the Guardian as "the agents of change we need", and these essays tackle important subjects including race, gender, mental health and activism, making this essential reading for any young person.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch832l_B7IszkYNn6gc5X7_MBqFhSn6sz9VVlaEbpJaGdo-zLRMetEKtCToViOyQBhyphenhyphen3fESeq1hxq3njP6-hjvKSZ_vW5lJv7yDcQ49QZ1l4NLrZhGV6L5ucr-aakm4TQPZsTx6IJMys/s1600/Gal-dem-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1194" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch832l_B7IszkYNn6gc5X7_MBqFhSn6sz9VVlaEbpJaGdo-zLRMetEKtCToViOyQBhyphenhyphen3fESeq1hxq3njP6-hjvKSZ_vW5lJv7yDcQ49QZ1l4NLrZhGV6L5ucr-aakm4TQPZsTx6IJMys/s320/Gal-dem-team.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whilst I am clearly not the target audience for this book (being a cis, hetero, white woman for those who don't know the face behind the blog!) I was completely taken in with the gorgeous writing inside this book. I love personal essays, and each essay in this book had its own treasure that I felt very fortunate to be able to explore. Although it would be wrong of me to say I could relate to every experience in this book, I believe it is really important to submerge yourself in other people's experiences (especially as a cis, hetero, white person) as told by themselves, and not written by, say, other cis, hetero white people. The fact that these personal essays included snippets from the writers' childhood diaries, poems and online messages made the whole experience so much more poignant for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought all of the essays were brilliant, but there were a few that particularly stood out for me: '"You Speak Well for a Black Girl": Black is who You Are' by Niellah Arboine, 'My Cousin Medyaï' by Kuchenga and 'The lesson of Dance School: The Dream that Wasn't a Dream' by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff. The illustrations in the book that accompany the essays are as beautiful as the writing... the drawings convey so much joy, and for me represent what the whole book is really about: celebrating POC, taking up as much space as possible, space that for so long has been reserved for a select few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reading these essays were such a rich experience, and it was a huge priviledge to read them. It made me reflect a lot on my life growing up, and the people I knew surrounding me, and how I had a totally different experience to maybe, some of the girls in my West London school. I had within me and surrounding me so much priviledge that I didn't even recognise, let alone appreciate. Thank you, writers of gal-dem, for this extraordinary book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Not-Be-Erased-stories/dp/1406386375/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JXMFIG4SB567&keywords=i+will+not+be+erased&qid=1565433887&s=gateway&sprefix=i+will+not+be+%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1">Buy <i>I Will Not Be Erased</i> here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://gal-dem.com/">Check out gal-dem here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-6119040716638079162019-06-12T07:23:00.000+01:002019-06-12T07:23:26.068+01:00London's BIG READ 2019 | 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' by Katherine Webber <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Tu35u9uA7hyphenhyphenwXynkMh3Lf3dNaxxVX_bwPtM9HhB9vw6HcaNxVl1UNmcs7j_IgPMWFEIHtXzRMFs-z6djdazBXdrMjxsp9gJQryF3xvA3cqMByBh4RuZdO0zsSC5CNkHOL5DvE29NIm0/s1600/Logo-red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Tu35u9uA7hyphenhyphenwXynkMh3Lf3dNaxxVX_bwPtM9HhB9vw6HcaNxVl1UNmcs7j_IgPMWFEIHtXzRMFs-z6djdazBXdrMjxsp9gJQryF3xvA3cqMByBh4RuZdO0zsSC5CNkHOL5DvE29NIm0/s320/Logo-red.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am stoked to be talking to you about a really exciting event coming up - London's BIG READ - a brilliant initiative that is designed to bring the capital together through reading books that expand our understanding of our community and express the diversity of this great city (I may live in Oxford now, but London will always be the place I call home!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A range of titles including poetry, middle grade and YA, have been selected to be part of London’s BIG READ 2019, the winter will be announced at a gala fundraising dinner in September. The shortlisted books are all available to buy from the LIBRARY members club, with £1 from each sale going to the Children’s Literacy Charity and a further £1 going to the Ndoro Children’s Charity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Londoners will be able to vote for their favourite book online at <a href="http://www.londonsbigread.com/">http://www.londonsbigread.com</a> from World Book Day through to 30 June. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> You can check out all of the brilliant shortlisted books on their <a href="http://www.londonsbigread.com/">website</a>, but for now I'm going to be reviewing one of the fantastic YA books on the shortlist - Katherine Webber's <i>Only Love Can Break Your Heart</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a copy of this book by Literally PR, in exchange for an honest review and sharing with you all this great initiative! <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out the blurb below...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4NnmIn6_rL1wAPCPTCOauv4iLVUXa8jHnHaWFhXVvhvY5_Y0C1RA0Dn0SBaA61RSdNTcseMPsCydL5ByB0RQnHzXp0tAJAJ8O3Cdb55gksJfbtb3pzDiIRsAS4XQFelvuWlzs9rQets/s1600/14164671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4NnmIn6_rL1wAPCPTCOauv4iLVUXa8jHnHaWFhXVvhvY5_Y0C1RA0Dn0SBaA61RSdNTcseMPsCydL5ByB0RQnHzXp0tAJAJ8O3Cdb55gksJfbtb3pzDiIRsAS4XQFelvuWlzs9rQets/s1600/14164671.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>From the author of the acclaimed Wing Jones comes a 'break-up' book about a Japanese-American teenager, set in the Palm Springs desert, California. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything and Sara Barnard's Beautiful Broken Things.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Sometimes a broken heart is all you need to set you free…</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Reiko loves the endless sky and electric colours of the Californian desert. It is a refuge from an increasingly claustrophobic life of family pressures and her own secrets. Then she meets Seth, a boy who shares a love of the desert and her yearning for a different kind of life. But Reiko and Seth both want something the other can’t give them. As summer ends, things begin to fall apart. But the end of love can sometimes be the beginning of you.. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Only Love Can Break Your Heart </i>is a beautifully written, intensely heartbreaking novel about falling in love, family and heartbreak, set against a backdrop of the mysterious and haunting Californian desert. It follows Reiko, who is struggling to put back the pieces after her sister's death, alongside trying to figure out who she really wants to be. She knows that everyone at school and her family expect her to be Homecoming Queen - she is Reiko Smith-Mori after all - but no crown can fix what happened to her sister, who was <i>supposed</i> to be the one who had it all...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I loved the main character Reiko; she was authentically teenage and made lots of mistakes, but also a lot of good choices. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her parents and her little brother, Koji, and her best friend Dre. I loved the dynamics between these characters so much that I think we could have actually gone without Seth, who was the other principle character in the book, but then again their relationship did a lot in terms of shaping the plot and who Reiko turned out to be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Webber's writing is flawless; I loved her style with <i>Wing Jones</i> and it got even better than this. Her writing smelt like long, hot summers and cold starry nights. I thought the desert backdrop really added to the magic of the story, and drew me into the book even further.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I guess it's no suprise to you guys that I will definitely be voting for <i>Only Love Can Break Your Heart </i>for London's BIG READ - but what book will you be voting for?! Let me know in the comments below or over on my <a href="https://twitter.com/long_alix">Twitter</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don't forget to check out London's BIG READ here: <a href="http://www.londonsbigread.com/">http://www.londonsbigread.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-78080716519217043572019-06-07T07:28:00.000+01:002019-06-07T07:28:11.556+01:00BOOK REVIEW | 'We Are Not Okay' by Natália Gomes (****)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStFcTyx2qcWSk6uYoFUgu_J9WTfJs2DJSNsuw-EQQj6Yj5W44LPBtUcR-rlEc0WvmUn0p1PpExVwNrJ8UOgeVwRj8-McKe2b3hVfLMSe9fZMs2semal4rlvBK99UBzXuaHvm1e3ChKEs/s1600/x298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStFcTyx2qcWSk6uYoFUgu_J9WTfJs2DJSNsuw-EQQj6Yj5W44LPBtUcR-rlEc0WvmUn0p1PpExVwNrJ8UOgeVwRj8-McKe2b3hVfLMSe9fZMs2semal4rlvBK99UBzXuaHvm1e3ChKEs/s320/x298.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Friday! Today I am thrilled to be bringing you another book review, this time a review of a book I have wanted to read for a really long time - <i>We Are Not Okay</i> by Natália Gomes. As soon as I read the blurb I knew this book was right up my street - and it totally lived up to my expectations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>We Are Not Okay</i> is about growing up, shame, secrets and the danger that keeping them can bring. The novel follows four very different girls with very different problems, but it all comes circles back to the pressures that we put on young girls in our society today, and the harm that this pressure can do. Faultlessly told and worryingly authentic, <i>We Are Not Okay</i> is a powerful reflection on our society, and how rotten it is beneath the surface. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent <i>We Are Not Okay</i> by Nina Douglas, on behalf of HQ Stories, in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>13 Reasons Why meets John Green and Jennifer Niven in We Are Not Ok - a powerful novel about what happens when girls are silenced.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">If only they could have spoken out.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Lucy thinks she’s better than the other girls.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Maybe if she’s pointing fingers at everyone else, no one will see the secret she’s hiding.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Ulana comes from a conservative Muslim family where reputation is everything. One rumour -</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>true or false – can destroy futures.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Trina likes to party. She’s kissed a lot of boys. She’s even shown her red bra to one. But she didn’t consent to that</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>night at Lucy’s party. So why doesn’t anyone believe</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Sophia loved her boyfriend. She did anything for him, even send him photos of herself. So why is she the one being pointed at in the hallways, laughed at, spat at when it was him who betrayed her trust?</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYDGbEohFuItWuM0ZsqLhMu9e2O_2fEZqr4Q0G-SxdBt-tIgIO_9rftaoBlvPef544pDSWdKw7ka0yJlHMRszt6xFm1EBleyhb_oYilUxzhn8Slu6dIixT7Q07SZFiHA6lMzmhDWE2_s/s1600/N.D.-Gomes-profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYDGbEohFuItWuM0ZsqLhMu9e2O_2fEZqr4Q0G-SxdBt-tIgIO_9rftaoBlvPef544pDSWdKw7ka0yJlHMRszt6xFm1EBleyhb_oYilUxzhn8Slu6dIixT7Q07SZFiHA6lMzmhDWE2_s/s320/N.D.-Gomes-profile.jpg" width="238" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought the characterisation in this book was excellent, and the different narratives worked really well. I love stories that share multiple viewpoints, especially when they are all diverse. <i>We Are Not Okay</i> is an excellent and powerful mouthpiece for girls' voices, on issues that plague our society such as peer pressure, slut-shaming, sexual assault and body image. I found it really powerful, and wish I had it to hand as a teenager, although I had a better time at school than these characters!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The writing was fresh and authentic and the dialogue was also spot-on. Gomes is excellent at representing teenagers and bringing them, and their voices, to the forefront. Every character had a distinct voice, and I liked the dynamic between the characters as well, particularly one friendship that blossomed towards the end. I will definitely be checking out Gomes' other books now; her writing style is flawless, and I'm a sucker for a character-driven, emotional, brilliantly-told story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>We Are Not Okay</i> here: </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Are-Not-Okay-Nat%C3%A1lia-Gomes/dp/0008291845/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L24BS2B4JKRI&keywords=we+are+not+okay&qid=1559491419&s=gateway&sprefix=we+are+not+okay%2Caps%2C344&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Are-Not-Okay-Natália-Gomes/dp/0008291845/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L24BS2B4JKRI&keywords=we+are+not+okay&qid=1559491419&s=gateway&sprefix=we+are+not+okay%2Caps%2C344&sr=8-1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Natália Gomes here: <a href="https://twitter.com/nd_gomes?lang=en-gb">https://twitter.com/nd_gomes?lang=en-gb</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-44407479667710079382019-06-04T07:08:00.000+01:002019-06-04T07:08:11.252+01:00BOOK REVIEW | 'The Deepest Breath' by Meg Grehan (****)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija7W-sP12sIKWYJk8jsHhJabBnt6mAY92H8ITysn2vOD2ShIlK24xRR-LOrZipxruJYmwz_Fd4HBdYzr2oFQmbw_RxoBoQ9P1dpJ887alVYDdhsDjc5g8W_V4Cwq6vg4ySN7sqEmvKHA/s1600/9781912417186-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1023" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija7W-sP12sIKWYJk8jsHhJabBnt6mAY92H8ITysn2vOD2ShIlK24xRR-LOrZipxruJYmwz_Fd4HBdYzr2oFQmbw_RxoBoQ9P1dpJ887alVYDdhsDjc5g8W_V4Cwq6vg4ySN7sqEmvKHA/s320/9781912417186-1.jpg" width="204" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Tuesday! I am back from my adventure in New York and ready to share more book reviews with you guys! Today's review is a lovely little book I devoured before I went away - <i>The Deepest Breath</i> by Meg Grehan. <i>The Deepest Breath</i> is a gorgeously written story, told in verse, following eleven-year-old Stevie and her discovery that she likes girls, specifically her friend Chloe. Stevie always shares everything with her Mum, but will she understand this secret?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you to Nina Douglas, on behalf of Little Island Books, for sending me <i>The Deepest Breath</i> in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here..</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Stevie is eleven and loves reading and sea-creatures. She lives with her mum, and she's been best friends with Andrew since forever. Stevie's mum teases her that someday they'll get married, but Stevie knows that won't ever happen. There's a girl at school that she likes more. A lot more. Actually, she's a bit confused about how much she likes her. It's nothing like the way she likes Andrew. It makes her fizz inside. That's a new feeling, one she doesn't understand. Stevie needs to find out if girls can like girls - love them, even - but it's hard to get any information, and she's too shy to ask out loud about it. But maybe she can find an answer in a book. With the help of a librarian, Stevie finds stories of girls loving girls, and builds up her courage to share the truth with her mum. Written in accessible verse 'chapters' and in a warm and reassuring style, The Deepest Breath will be of special relevance to young girls who are starting to realise that they are attracted to other girls, but it is also a story for any young reader with an open mind who wants to understand how people's emotions affect their lives.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This was a stunning and beautifully-written story that really captured my heart. I think the story-telling medium of verse worked really well with Stevie's voice, and her exploration of herself that took place in this book. Grehan writes in a way that is remarkably tender and honest, and Stevie's childlike reflections on herself were realistically written. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I share Stevie's facination (and terror!) of sea creatures and the sea, so I very much enjoyed these musings and they added to the whimsical beauty of the book. Another part I loved was the relationship between Stevie and her Mum - one of honesty, of friendship and care. Reading these parts were very emotional, in both senses of the word. The ending was perfect and tender and real, and brought everything I loved about the book together for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The Deepest Breath</i> is a perfect LGBTQI+ read for anyone of any age, but particularly young children as it perfectly captures that sense of confusion that young people feel at understanding their identity. It also advocates trusting, safe relationships between children and the adults that care for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>The Deepest Breath</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deepest-Breath-Meg-Grehan/dp/1912417189/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+deepest+breath&qid=1559488159&s=gateway&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deepest-Breath-Meg-Grehan/dp/1912417189/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+deepest+breath&qid=1559488159&s=gateway&sr=8-1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Meg Grehan here: <a href="https://megcathwrites.wordpress.com/">https://megcathwrites.wordpress.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-62099134442129486722019-05-23T07:10:00.000+01:002019-05-23T07:10:03.056+01:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Dry' by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman (****)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaJLsfytMpAHFHQvSEiInjU0axVqdptmbe7Dz5YqgfASFSbJlasnPlBKNhcZEWNwGihRiNXr5hPsogYQhFxdV21q48p8Q8hDgniclSyA9wD7Q5a9WXpo_QbLeI295-7PUFhXu_YokqKE/s1600/dry-9781481481960_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaJLsfytMpAHFHQvSEiInjU0axVqdptmbe7Dz5YqgfASFSbJlasnPlBKNhcZEWNwGihRiNXr5hPsogYQhFxdV21q48p8Q8hDgniclSyA9wD7Q5a9WXpo_QbLeI295-7PUFhXu_YokqKE/s320/dry-9781481481960_lg.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Thursday! Today I am happy to be bringing you another book review, this time <i>Dry</i> by father and son duo Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. I have read the first two books of the <i>Arc of a Scythe</i> trilogy and am eagerly (note: chomping at the bit) awaiting the final book - so I was super excited to hear about this book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Also - a father and son writing a book together! How cool is that?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent <i>Dry</i> by Walker Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Dry</i> is a powerful, suspensful, rip-roaring novel that is terrifingly too close to reality. California's water has run out. The 'Tap-out' is here. It started slowly at first - short showers, no sprinklers, no overindulgence. Now indulgence is a thing of the past. The water is gone, and Alyssa finds herself suddenly with the responsibility of her and her brother's lives, when her parents leave in search of water, and don't come back. It is on their journey that Alyssa sees for herself what desperation can do to humanity, and how hard it is to remain humane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>This story really put things into perspective for me</b>. The idea having something we need so much, yet take so much for granted, suddenly being taken away... it was sometimes too hard to read about. Make sure you read this book with a tall cold glass of water! It is undeniable that Shusterman is a master storyteller, and now it is clear that his son holds the same power! Everything from the plot to the characterisation was perfectly crafted, alongside the undertone that we as the readers should take everything in this book very seriously. We are holding onto our planet by a thread. Everything is dangling on a knife edge. If we don't protect our planet, it will no longer continue to protect us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHahXgZPkux7TpJTKn564_f1SbvesNlEkxIHtS0dD4kJE4Tl8BndiAn7fRzfl8jjkuyyokwJSbrmpfz1QVFrZGBtAoA4rpI3jYgswgRgbds0tmgDnkIMYmvzSsfhXFTnibnwyWUgxDPNs/s1600/54726-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHahXgZPkux7TpJTKn564_f1SbvesNlEkxIHtS0dD4kJE4Tl8BndiAn7fRzfl8jjkuyyokwJSbrmpfz1QVFrZGBtAoA4rpI3jYgswgRgbds0tmgDnkIMYmvzSsfhXFTnibnwyWUgxDPNs/s320/54726-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I loved Alyssa, and felt like she was a very realistic depiction of a teenage girl. I have read reviews where readers have criticised her for 'making poor choices' and... <b>what?</b> I would like to see what these people would do if they were in the same position. I, for one, would not have survived as long as Alyssa, Garrett, Kelton and Jacqui. I thought this group had such a great dynamic and all the intricacies in the group were so well described. I think the different narratives definitely added to this - it was really interesting to read about their different reactions to the horror that they were faced with. The authors did a particularly good job (as Shusterman does with <i>Scythe</i>) at showcasing the various moral difficulties to the reader, and revealing the philosophical aspects. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpBwrnW29DEM_GCdaBCx8VteS22bWqK2GuMnTfM6m8sLSKle021rfzs4UeEdOFFBuAOQKV5hr0wYX5hyMGC_90ak0l7VW1l0sxiZnTXFPxOcTmHf_19K-qF0wuaADKcRya3AeyEFsiL4/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpBwrnW29DEM_GCdaBCx8VteS22bWqK2GuMnTfM6m8sLSKle021rfzs4UeEdOFFBuAOQKV5hr0wYX5hyMGC_90ak0l7VW1l0sxiZnTXFPxOcTmHf_19K-qF0wuaADKcRya3AeyEFsiL4/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alyssa and Jacqui were by far my favourite characters, and I found their 'frenemyship' facinating. Shusterman is really good at writing female characters. The dialogue was characteristically Shusterman-sharp, and the plot brilliantly fast-paced. As I could have expected, there was a plot twist near the ending, and everything ended up coming together in a way better than I could have expected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once again, Shusterman has proven his mastery in storytelling, and now we know that his son can step up to the plate as well! I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for them...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Dry</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dry-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1406386855">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dry-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1406386855</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Neal Shusterman here: <a href="http://www.storyman.com/">http://www.storyman.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Jarrod Shusterman here: <a href="http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/Jarrod-Shusterman-22189.aspx">http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/Jarrod-Shusterman-22189.aspx</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-34009882760503580682019-05-20T07:22:00.001+01:002019-05-20T07:22:35.226+01:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Chinglish' by Sue Cheung (****)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! Today I am very excited to be reviewing an excellent book I read over Easter (please excuse my late blogging, it's been a hectic couple of months!) But this past weekend was the first calm weekend in a while, and what better way to spend it than blogging! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi0hpWveqHd5ekmQaDP6q2olgFlxqL_R_2v-8eLOs8EFs63rsYIy36d87czx5HAGdrTGR7f86ILQuxUUENvmPcQHPWLa2Z_QpszjpDaj3XrU8NJRw-rKbpv0dJd62tuTcHVdWWyqZ5S4/s1600/D3nVqC7WsAAq1qU.jpg-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi0hpWveqHd5ekmQaDP6q2olgFlxqL_R_2v-8eLOs8EFs63rsYIy36d87czx5HAGdrTGR7f86ILQuxUUENvmPcQHPWLa2Z_QpszjpDaj3XrU8NJRw-rKbpv0dJd62tuTcHVdWWyqZ5S4/s320/D3nVqC7WsAAq1qU.jpg-large.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This year has seen the UKYA industry thinking a lot about #ownvoices and diversity in its books. It's something I'm really passionate about, and there are so many books I have on my TBR and wishlist that are written by and champion BAME voices. I want to make a conscious effort to diversify the books I read, not only because these books are <b>bloody brilliant</b> regardless, but because it's so important to familiarise yourself with different cultures and backgrounds to your own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Along these lines, I was super stoked to receive a review copy of <i>Chinglish</i> by Sue Cheung, kindly gifted to me by Andersen Press. This book sounded so interesting and I couldn't wait to read it, and I'm pleased to say I was not disappointed. <i>Chinglish</i> follows Jo Kwan and her new life in Coventry - it's 1984, and Jo is growing up in a crazy world with her crazy family. Her brother was sent to live with her grandparents (Jo doesn't know why), and that's not the only thing that's bothering her. This was meant to be a new start, but her family's new flat is right above the Chinese takeaway her parents run. Jo's new school has it's fair share of bullies, but her art classes keep her sane. Can Jo achieve her dreams even when it feels like everything is getting in her way?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>It is difficult trying to talk in our family cos: </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>a) Grandparents don’t speak English at all</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In other words, we all have to cobble together tiny bits of English and Chinese into a rubbish new language I call 'Chinglish'. It is very awkward. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Jo Kwan is a teenager growing up in 1980s Coventry with her annoying little sister, too-cool older brother, a series of very unlucky pets and utterly bonkers parents. But unlike the other kids at her new school or her posh cousins, Jo lives above her parents' Chinese takeaway. And things can be tough – whether it's unruly customers or the snotty popular girls who bully Jo for being different. Even when she does find a BFF who actually likes Jo for herself, she still has to contend with her erratic dad's behaviour. All Jo dreams of is breaking free and forging a career as an artist.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Told in diary entries and doodles, Jo's brilliantly funny observations about life, family and char siu make for a searingly honest portrayal of life on the other side of the takeaway counter.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Chinglish</i> is one of the best #ownvoices stories out there in UKYA right now. <i>Chinglish</i> was belly-achingly funny, heartbreaking, tender and unflinchingly honest all at the same time. I couldn't put it down; I cared deeply for Jo, and loved hearing about her life through her diary entries (often accompanied by wonderful sketches). From the 2011 consensus 0.7% of people living in England and Wales are chinese, but I feel like the British Chinese are astonishingly under-represented in books, movies and TV (particularly YA!) So <i>Chinglish</i> was a really interesting read for me, and it was great reading about this perspective. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_uYx27uYfo7PmwIfkPQaPiJR2JIU-WcciP-PM9JKBHMJVCcg5-pPUsKX9l63OcS_jUr-qFuH1W2a_Ct0BG2O6ip_g944XbSFpFCHMFdzEswo6vIUg2U2RNQzTScndDc9EHALMpNMqPo/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_uYx27uYfo7PmwIfkPQaPiJR2JIU-WcciP-PM9JKBHMJVCcg5-pPUsKX9l63OcS_jUr-qFuH1W2a_Ct0BG2O6ip_g944XbSFpFCHMFdzEswo6vIUg2U2RNQzTScndDc9EHALMpNMqPo/s1600/0.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Jo was a great protagonist and the way she presented her life was extraordinarily and vibrantly detailed - from the descriptions of her eccentric family (and various animal lunacy, including exploding goats) to 1980s Coventry. I particularly enjoyed her interactions with her sister, Bonny, and her friend Gurdeep whose parents run the corner shop. I also adored Tina, because who doesn't need a friend like her?! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Chinglish</i> is an unapologetically honest account based on the author's own life, and this is perhaps why the story is told so well. It opened my eyes up to a world very different from my own, and this just goes to show why it's so great to champion diversity in books. This novel had everything in it - characters that jumped off the pages, heartache, humour and a good sprinkling of reality - this is life as real as it gets. There are plenty of upsetting moments, but I was so relieved about the way the book ended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm really excited to see what Sue Cheung does next - <i>Chinglish</i> like a tall glass of water, and is exactly what the UKYA genre so desperately needs right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pre-order <i>Chinglish</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinglish-Sue-Cheung/dp/1783448393">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinglish-Sue-Cheung/dp/1783448393</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Sue Cheung here: <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1083757/sue-cheung.html">https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1083757/sue-cheung.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-1142012443473094102019-05-03T12:05:00.002+01:002019-05-03T12:07:05.911+01:00MR TODD BLOG TOUR | 'Mr Todd's Reckoning' by Iain Maitland | The Simple Reason Why It's Easy To Write Evil Characters...<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Friday! Today I am thrilled to be part of the blog tour for <i>Mr Todd's Reckoning</i>, a brand new book by Iain Maitland. This book promises to be delightfully creepy and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! Back in 2017 I read and adored <i>Sweet William</i> which is another crime thriller by the same author, and this book promises to be just as tense and electrifying!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Norman Bates is alive and well… He's living just next door</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Behind the normal door of a normal house, in a normal street, two men are slowly driving each other insane. One of them is a psychopath.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The father Mr Todd is at his wits’ end. He’s been robbed of his job as a tax inspector and is now stuck at home... with him. Frustrated. Lonely. Angry. Really angry.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Mn8Myc1yyVMkBajKUVe7-HD2z5ELOMHzwzDeWKgAuKVTS_UGzI0gXmPvKe2lYoAm7QA3tVCByKwRlD92ruVre-Fds7Ak1TqOelSUYYfWSMGpVBCXDN4neWpxcNXKyt7xLuJxwO5CXbc/s1600/Mr+Todd%2527s+Reckoning+cover+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Mn8Myc1yyVMkBajKUVe7-HD2z5ELOMHzwzDeWKgAuKVTS_UGzI0gXmPvKe2lYoAm7QA3tVCByKwRlD92ruVre-Fds7Ak1TqOelSUYYfWSMGpVBCXDN4neWpxcNXKyt7xLuJxwO5CXbc/s320/Mr+Todd%2527s+Reckoning+cover+final.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The son Adrian has no job, no friends. He is at home all day, obsessively chopping vegetables and tap-tap-tapping on his computer. And he’s getting worse, disappearing for hours at a time, sneaking off to who-knows-where?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The unholy spirit in the safety of suburbia, one man has developed a taste for killing. And he’ll kill again.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And I am very excited to have Iain Maitland himself on my blog today to talk about why it's easy to write evil characters, and why as a reader it's easier to sympathise with them than you might expect... </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>I write dark literary thrillers that feature evil characters – Raymond Orrey in Sweet William, Mr Todd in Mr Todd’s Reckoning and a serial killer in Gayther & Carrie (the first in my detective series out early next year).</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The books go to some dark places not just physically - into cellars and forests and other creepy locations - but also deep into the minds of the characters themselves. You get to share their thoughts and feelings, actions and reactions – you experience the journey that they take into mayhem and murder.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71sijgl-f-vOKZ8QhVkqcyvNZ1QWf_sD9-yc3PP9gb4DaVYo-69A1nV0nne6ywOR8UFU4e2EF3yCd50v_YelVduK6txCk3IkKXdZdnGzvaSbpndVL8tCwP3be3BYJhg_tSZycAPbEiHw/s1600/Blog+tour+poster+-+M+r+Todd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71sijgl-f-vOKZ8QhVkqcyvNZ1QWf_sD9-yc3PP9gb4DaVYo-69A1nV0nne6ywOR8UFU4e2EF3yCd50v_YelVduK6txCk3IkKXdZdnGzvaSbpndVL8tCwP3be3BYJhg_tSZycAPbEiHw/s400/Blog+tour+poster+-+M+r+Todd.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Now this might disturb some readers – but it doesn’t faze me at all. That’s because none of these characters see themselves as evil. In fact, if you were to ask them, they’d all see themselves as good, decent people. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Raymond Orrey in Sweet William just wants to snatch his son back from foster parents and run away to the South Of France to live happily ever after. He thinks he’s the best dad in the world. He’d do anything – just anything – for his little boy.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Mr Todd has a clearly defined view of what’s right and what’s wrong in this world. He sees himself as a good guy and it’s those around him who are bad people. Everything he’s done – and is going to do – can be justified. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>It’s the same with the serial killer in Gayther & Carrie. He culls - as he views it – bad men; the baddest men of all. In fact, he considers himself a hero, someone who is on a mission to rid the world of these ‘baddest of bad men’.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>That’s the thing, you see – what you and I might see as evil might be viewed quite differently from inside someone else’s head. And that makes it relatively easy to write – it’s just a matter of rationalising what they think and do as being perfectly normal. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Take Raymond Orrey from Sweet William for example – he’s just escaped from a psychiatric unit to go and find his toddler son who’s being looked after by what he believes are cruel and uncaring foster parents. What will he do if those parents get in his way? What would you do if you thought your child was suffering? </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP26BcmiWPRcS3UMW7eMNPeDwSIR9zV0DFbweF651o-ybv1HBA47ZNOlP2TiYc6HDdqwj4L0iIhCPCr6x25CBcLVxhRH0tDjutpurbBTaa49ZUnfBZZrqIBdjlLWPzvo-mDsaUhvHS2U/s1600/Iain+Maitland+photo+round+frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP26BcmiWPRcS3UMW7eMNPeDwSIR9zV0DFbweF651o-ybv1HBA47ZNOlP2TiYc6HDdqwj4L0iIhCPCr6x25CBcLVxhRH0tDjutpurbBTaa49ZUnfBZZrqIBdjlLWPzvo-mDsaUhvHS2U/s320/Iain+Maitland+photo+round+frame.jpg" width="303" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>It’s the same with the serial killer in Gayther & Carrie 1 – he knows bad men who do bad things to children. No-one else seems to be doing anything. Nobody else seems to care. They seem to be turning a blind eye. He – alone – can stop this. Should he save the children? What would you do – turn away?</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Mr Todd is an intelligent, thoughtful and reasoning man. As the book starts, I rather think that you will like him, sympathise with his situation and empathise with his feelings. Of course, that may change as the book progresses into the darkest places. You may by the end perceive him to be evil personified. But he doesn’t and that, perhaps, is the most frightening thing of all.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much, Iain, for appearing on my blog!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out the rest of the spots on the blog tour <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Mr Todd's Reckoning </i>here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Todds-Reckoning-Iain-Maitland/dp/1912235455">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Todds-Reckoning-Iain-Maitland/dp/1912235455</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Iain Maitland here: <a href="http://www.iainmaitland.net/home">http://www.iainmaitland.net/home</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out my review for Sweet William <a href="http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2017/11/sweet-william-blog-tour-sweet-william.html">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-11408337194443105492019-04-17T10:14:00.001+01:002019-04-17T10:15:48.274+01:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'What Red Was' by Rosie Price <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz7gqC_3t7l4zWfVGi72F42hfqsr51CJ8jeYLKk0ONglw3CfVFMXbSBt1DMsEQK23IMqcJIhbFKhqZyZquH280IWQiM5MlleD6vD9aEXOOOTqKWUlQrb057LPoUPVX2DClKpNk2eLXeM/s1600/81niMcFQ0xL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz7gqC_3t7l4zWfVGi72F42hfqsr51CJ8jeYLKk0ONglw3CfVFMXbSBt1DMsEQK23IMqcJIhbFKhqZyZquH280IWQiM5MlleD6vD9aEXOOOTqKWUlQrb057LPoUPVX2DClKpNk2eLXeM/s320/81niMcFQ0xL.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am delighted to be bringing you a review of a brilliant book I read recently, <i>What Red Was</i> by Rosie Price. I had seen a lot of buzz around this book on twitter and I was so pleased when I saw that proof copies were available - this book doesn't come out till May, and I couldn't wait until then!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>What Red Was</i> is a novel about the various intricacies and complexities of entering into adult life, and living with trauma when you feel like you don't have a choice but to remain silent. It is a novel about heartbreak and the scars, physical, mental and emotional, that such trauma leaves. But <i>What Red Was</i> is also a book about breaking away from that which harms you, and taking ownership of your past pain and looking towards the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a copy of <i>What Red Was</i> by Vintage Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">‘Kate Quaile,’ he said. ‘I like your name.’</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Kate frowned. ‘How do you know my name?’</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Through their four years at university, Kate and Max are inseparable. For him, she breaks her solitude; for her, he leaves his busy circles behind. But loving Max means knowing his family, the wealthy Rippons, all generosity, social ease and quiet repression. Theirs is not Kate’s world. At their London home, just after graduation, her life is shattered apart in a bedroom while a party goes on downstairs.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>WHAT RED WAS explores the effects of trauma on mind and body, the tyrannies of memory, the sacrifices involved in staying silent, the courage of a young woman in speaking out. And when Kate does, this question: whose story is it now?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Right from the first page, I was hooked both on the voice and the writing. Oh gosh, the writing. The writing had both the candidness and effortless style of Sally Rooney's <i>Conversations With Friends</i> and the lyrical griminess of Kate Tempest's <i>The Bricks That Built The Houses. </i>Price's book reminded me of both these novels, yet it is so completely different. I think it reminded me of both of them purely because I loved them all for the same reasons. Mainly that they are so good at portraying convincing, authentic female characters, and allow them to run free with their own destiny. But also because the writing is just so gorgeously complex, yet so simple, packed with detail that makes you feel as if you are there.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_IzD2LWxWhQg2lX8cLkL6jxWjHYB0blNfVRv5_ClpEAAw8WakM6yHqmxmnilmLAGDNBMxY4XzVrr4ohyphenhyphenfhHopFZGQYLny1oc49UGi31k3lkfEFykPfBerlXNarZmkFi9WitTWJmOYcM/s1600/Rosie+Price+192x181.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_IzD2LWxWhQg2lX8cLkL6jxWjHYB0blNfVRv5_ClpEAAw8WakM6yHqmxmnilmLAGDNBMxY4XzVrr4ohyphenhyphenfhHopFZGQYLny1oc49UGi31k3lkfEFykPfBerlXNarZmkFi9WitTWJmOYcM/s1600/Rosie+Price+192x181.png" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Price is a master of creating characters that refuse to remain on the page. Every single character existed for a reason, and the relationships that were explored in the novel were so complex and interesting to read about. I haven't read a lot of books where the kind of relationship Kate and Max is explored, and I must admit I went into this story expecting something totally different from the relationship in the novel. But <i>What Red Was</i> is a breath of fresh air, and Price avoids all clichés and easy narrative fillers. The result is a vibrant, brilliantly contemporary story that richly explores life after university, the full and terrifying immersion into adulthood, and the new ways that you have to navigate the world and the people around you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think the rape was really well dealt with in the story, and although it was by no means the centre point of the novel, for me the narrative was very clearly split into 'before' the rape and 'after' the rape. This unflinching way of presenting life after that kind of trauma was so profound, and I haven't come across it dealt as sensitively or unapologetically in a lot of books. Price is undoubtedly on the come up as one of the new, fresh voices of our generation, and we're lucky to have her. She captures life in your 20s as the bewildering, disconcerting, excessive time that it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>What Red Was</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Red-Was-Rosie-Price/dp/1787301389/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=what+red+was&qid=1552759076&s=gateway&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Red-Was-Rosie-Price/dp/1787301389/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=what+red+was&qid=1552759076&s=gateway&sr=8-1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Rosie Price here: <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1083829/rosie-price.html">https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1083829/rosie-price.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
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<br />Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-60297817771691576382019-04-10T07:50:00.000+01:002019-04-10T07:50:11.732+01:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'Proud' by Juno Dawson (and various) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzPVefFZhw4GSgGPvkqo3UMxpI5aI4CqI0Hl3i_2-Hg4ctqbrSlCKi8j-an3pnc-KrrH__sWM2APG250sNz0wTVV-1ZswRnhbdsvz5LE_vGmNzI6hs36JHGRJImCE-BphDDmQg6LmHFs/s1600/41553972._UY1560_SS1560_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzPVefFZhw4GSgGPvkqo3UMxpI5aI4CqI0Hl3i_2-Hg4ctqbrSlCKi8j-an3pnc-KrrH__sWM2APG250sNz0wTVV-1ZswRnhbdsvz5LE_vGmNzI6hs36JHGRJImCE-BphDDmQg6LmHFs/s320/41553972._UY1560_SS1560_.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to bring you a review of a fabulous book I read recently, <i>Proud, </i>which is an anthology of poetry and stories written by a variety of awesome creatives, compiled by Juno Dawson (Queen of Teen 2014). It's a smart, moving, funny, celebratory book that recognises LGBT+ voices and puts them at the forefront. It is a truly fantastic collection and I'm so glad this book is getting the attention it so rightly deserves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent <i>Proud</i> by Stripes Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Following A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, winner of the YA BOOK PRIZE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2018</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4um_KoMtrJvZYeL1sq51xgKKubZIQ0fLD05KAN_GNpTExnADCLBoLwzj0-C2KSRhUIUJb3nITBt1lv-q22VyuKNlx6uG3Iz9ZsR-qaBVE5FLD2-M9h13b1sy6AzcHx6oYRNhH8bBbyA/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4um_KoMtrJvZYeL1sq51xgKKubZIQ0fLD05KAN_GNpTExnADCLBoLwzj0-C2KSRhUIUJb3nITBt1lv-q22VyuKNlx6uG3Iz9ZsR-qaBVE5FLD2-M9h13b1sy6AzcHx6oYRNhH8bBbyA/s1600/giphy.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was expecting huge things from this anthology, since the publicity for the book began well over a year ago. It's safe to say I was not disappointed! Most people who know me know I love short stories, both reading them and writing them. They are a challenge, and the process is so different from reading or writing a novel. In my creative writing classes at uni we were basically fed MFA stories for the three years, so it's refreshing to read something a bit different, a bit less, shall we say <i><b>pedantic</b></i>. <i>Proud</i> is just one of those collections that explore every human emotion with heaps of understanding and compassion. It is a book that prioritises celebrating, and that is why I loved it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIloVkDiktKUOQGpEe_9izxNnyueQTkiUeHfS5qEfQPfk3f-J9JTNYLCRuxQnd0lE4-Cgo-PUMd8zD4_6qIIxQx6jtf5aLAb_zfqEmd4T8KW_wwPXi5CXRH_F-qEPF6oE1VP1PDQoWxg/s1600/nBlpwmWE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIloVkDiktKUOQGpEe_9izxNnyueQTkiUeHfS5qEfQPfk3f-J9JTNYLCRuxQnd0lE4-Cgo-PUMd8zD4_6qIIxQx6jtf5aLAb_zfqEmd4T8KW_wwPXi5CXRH_F-qEPF6oE1VP1PDQoWxg/s320/nBlpwmWE.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The variation in this book was wonderful. There is representation for almost every aspect of the LGBT+ community and each story or poem was brilliant in its own way. Reading <i>Proud</i> is quite an emotional rollercoaster, to be honest, as you will go from a highly emotional story to one that is so moving your heart could burst, to one that makes you snort with laughter on a packed train (yup, that happened). I loved that the stories and poems had accompanying artwork - my favourite had to be Alice Oseman's penguin artwork! As for my favourite stories, I adored 'Penguins' by Simon James Green, 'The Instructor' by Jess Valance, 'Almost Certain' by Tanya Byrne and 'I Hate Darcy Pemberley' by Karen Lawler. I also loved the poem 'How To Come Out As Gay' by Dean Atta (this one should be on a billboard). All of these pieces were so different but they all completely gripped me and rendered me a complete emotional wreck at the end of them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I adored how unapologetically <b>loud</b> this book is (and I'm not just talking about the cover!) <i>Proud</i> is a glittering, flag-raising, fist-in-the-air celebration of difference and being yourself, refusing to be sidelined by anyone who doesn't respect that. Juno Dawson's introduction really put this book into perspective for me, and emphasised even more how desperately we needed this book, and still need more books like it. I am hoping for another anthology, but either way, I am hopeful for the future, in the way the YA publishing industry is creating books like these. Forever may that continue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was so stoked to be part of the Proud blog tour a couple of weeks ago, where I chose my favourite LGBT+ YA books, and explained how they helped me become a better ally. Check that post out <a href="https://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/03/proud-blog-tour-my-favourite-lgbt-ya.html">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Proud</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Proud-Various/dp/1788950607">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Proud-Various/dp/1788950607</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Juno Dawson here: <a href="https://www.junodawson.com/">https://www.junodawson.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-72890667141517640842019-03-29T07:22:00.001+00:002019-03-29T07:22:07.364+00:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee' by Jeff Zentner<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Friday! Today I am thrilled to be sharing with you a book review of a brilliant YA book I read last month. As soon as I read the blurb for Jeff Zentner's new book, <i>Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee</i>, I knew it would be just my kind of book. I'm happy to say I was not wrong! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkTiv3L_EWafqJKCXaWTOOMubsQd0pc66HeF2FOM893B9xkZmZEJMP5ZFAFwnPoJ7As1vi9DEIDliZYBiSJQWwsWwumZH3yiVe2qVanMJ_5SM5itPqN1p01FB_SWcYH2MQ42wAMhyXlk/s1600/9781524720209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkTiv3L_EWafqJKCXaWTOOMubsQd0pc66HeF2FOM893B9xkZmZEJMP5ZFAFwnPoJ7As1vi9DEIDliZYBiSJQWwsWwumZH3yiVe2qVanMJ_5SM5itPqN1p01FB_SWcYH2MQ42wAMhyXlk/s320/9781524720209.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee </i>follows best friends Josie & Delia, otherwise known as Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, as they are on their Friday night local cable television show, where they showcase the very best of the cheesiest, strangest horror movies they can find. No matter what else is going on in their lives, this show is routine. The one thing that will never change. Or so Delia thinks, until Josie is offered a place at college and an internship at a mainstream TV network. To make things even more complicated, there is a boy involved. Can Josie and Delia's friendship survive? Or does the end of the show mean the end of everything? That's how it feels to Delia. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a review copy by Andersen Press in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show's guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he'll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous...and momentous.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I looooved this book from beginning to end. I love old horror films that are kinda crappy - but in the best possible way. I love them because they're not bad enough to be unenjoyable and the special effects aren't good enough for them to be properly scary. This book felt like a love letter to these films, and to be honest a love letter to anything that people treasure because it makes them feel a little better about whatever might be going on in their life. For Delia this is exactly the case, and she was so easy to relate to because I'm sure we all have that one <b><i>thing</i></b> that may seem dumb or irrelevant to other people, but for us, it's our lifeline. It was this element to the book that just made it so heartwarming and comforting to me. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeZeAj9HaE8OrChpkYURWGcO44tZD_cTrmFyxQrQCORt8xiXCKibtFm54fawU84iYEAwDsVW_8U9JosXj8c8j2rqbISSE-tCnZnfbLRwsNguhyHZOl8DZlCTqIaY6U9ppWVpSSajtm-4/s1600/UniformSmallKouprey-size_restricted.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="500" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeZeAj9HaE8OrChpkYURWGcO44tZD_cTrmFyxQrQCORt8xiXCKibtFm54fawU84iYEAwDsVW_8U9JosXj8c8j2rqbISSE-tCnZnfbLRwsNguhyHZOl8DZlCTqIaY6U9ppWVpSSajtm-4/s320/UniformSmallKouprey-size_restricted.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee</i> is so unique yet had the warmth and relatibility of Rainbow Rowell's <i>Fangirl</i>. Like <i>Fangirl</i>, <i>Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee </i>is all about following your passions, however niche, and navigating the sometimes thorny world of friendships and moving into adulthood. The writing was gorgeously conversational and descriptive; I was practically living in Tennessee the two days I spent devouring this book. The characterisation was also particularly strong; my favourite characters were Delia and Arliss, but to be honest the interactions between all the characters were great to read. I looooved the romance in the book (not going into detail because of spoilers) but it was so nice and wholesome and I just wish all YA authors wrote romance like Zentner. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP6Ac6xKZkw95ufZopKLOapZ9ZFyQ7GSgmNke7ccTyDx-XinAUVD4JSsVGZ24coaSprtBE9OHJtGu9LC551lZHzqeZR_il3yLDAaXuoMuNzI2AxOYt4e0nc9GC8pKZvfLUERkuDR-_jc/s1600/JeffZentner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="637" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP6Ac6xKZkw95ufZopKLOapZ9ZFyQ7GSgmNke7ccTyDx-XinAUVD4JSsVGZ24coaSprtBE9OHJtGu9LC551lZHzqeZR_il3yLDAaXuoMuNzI2AxOYt4e0nc9GC8pKZvfLUERkuDR-_jc/s320/JeffZentner.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought the action that took place near the end of the book was a little ridiculous, and I know other readers struggled with this part, but I was so invested in the story and with these characters that I went along with it. There is so denying that Jeff Zentner is a master storyteller, and can perfectly capture what it feels like to be a teenager when it feels like everything around you is changing, and you'll be the one left behind. The ending of the book was perfection, and I could easily read another hundred books about Josie and Delia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rayne-Delilahs-Midnite-Matinee-Zentner/dp/1783447990">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rayne-Delilahs-Midnite-Matinee-Zentner/dp/1783447990</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Jeff Zentner here: <a href="https://www.jeffzentnerbooks.com/">https://www.jeffzentnerbooks.com</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-14002187264248839242019-03-25T07:25:00.000+00:002019-03-25T07:25:48.903+00:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Glass Town Wars' by Celia Rees (****)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0uQ9h2Qe3LYL-FBAmXBi8C2SxB2S9gRm30C1I-Spy5Dh2SttI1XwVFBzt42kAax3ph93TNYqy73gGITxQg72BD0pmaenvLM_NjE2qs_TxutpalYMfB0WirObvo7Mg-6TbUkat7AcTgs/s1600/getimage-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0uQ9h2Qe3LYL-FBAmXBi8C2SxB2S9gRm30C1I-Spy5Dh2SttI1XwVFBzt42kAax3ph93TNYqy73gGITxQg72BD0pmaenvLM_NjE2qs_TxutpalYMfB0WirObvo7Mg-6TbUkat7AcTgs/s320/getimage-42.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! I am pleased to be back today with another book review, this time of Celia Rees' <i>Glass Town Wars</i>, a speculative YA novel with plenty of twists and suprises. As you may have guessed from the title, the world at the heart of the story is inspired by the Brontë's juvenilia, and it was this that made me desperate to read this book (everyone knows how I feel about the Brontës!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent this book by Pushkin Press in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>'A beautifully crafted, multilayered story with a gripping adventure at its heart' Melvin Burgess</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>All these Glass Town intrigues. No matter how long you'd been absent, how far you'd travelled, once you were back, it was as though you'd never been away.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Tom and Augusta are from different places and different times, but they meet in the virtual world to combine forces in battle, to save a kingdom, escape a web of deceit and to find love. In a place where fictions can be truths and truths fictions, learning who to trust is more than friendship, it is about about survival.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Glass Town Wars, inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, is a captivating, magical novel by the renowned Celia Rees.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7afJOefHUiRnkV4KJ7tdaO0SGa0rYcvmorqI1BbuKTnNw9gf0rN1QeEox_cgDcMCerEXUBDHPFXaI_LnPYg42fupUDeR32n6BkpNi87MP2vMA12saiop0dl7Srw-hBus8EvvUoBk_8Eo/s1600/%2528c%2529+Terence+Rees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7afJOefHUiRnkV4KJ7tdaO0SGa0rYcvmorqI1BbuKTnNw9gf0rN1QeEox_cgDcMCerEXUBDHPFXaI_LnPYg42fupUDeR32n6BkpNi87MP2vMA12saiop0dl7Srw-hBus8EvvUoBk_8Eo/s320/%2528c%2529+Terence+Rees.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As soon as I started reading, I was gripped by the writing and this world that Rees conjured right in front of my eyes. This is Glass Town as you've never seen it before: neither ancient nor modern, gritty, intriguing, always glittering. I particularly loved the different parts to the book; the fantasy-esque part where war is on the horizon, the part in the hospital where Tom is in a coma and is being used as a guinea pig for a new gaming device, and Emily Brontë's life in Haworth, where she exists in a place that is permanently in between reality and fantasy. These three parts to the novel brought everything together in a way that was so compelling. I couldn't help but imagine how pleased Emily Brontë would have been to see the world she errected on paper as a child, perceived as a futuristic video game; a cutting-edge life-threatening experiment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEoaJC1uW5kYjS6BA_J1prohXLEcD8q1G2lj29IQYw1ZB3PxAdAOeMNNENS_Itcs5N_ZWRd3rFSwpzJ5TBviuKiYRCz6xrYUhXTIiOCMnToPAEDI9sbOTgkXvO9tOXcqjmjYgogbu7sg/s1600/Emily-Bronte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEoaJC1uW5kYjS6BA_J1prohXLEcD8q1G2lj29IQYw1ZB3PxAdAOeMNNENS_Itcs5N_ZWRd3rFSwpzJ5TBviuKiYRCz6xrYUhXTIiOCMnToPAEDI9sbOTgkXvO9tOXcqjmjYgogbu7sg/s320/Emily-Bronte.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The imagination behind this book was astonishing, at some parts to the point that I got quite lost. As with the original Glass Town stories, the number of people involved and the relations between them was quite confusing at times, though the ending of the book made all of that make sense to me. I think the interweaving stories and intricacy of the storylines only added to the vast complexity of this book, and made this an incredibly rich reading experience for me. Even if I couldn't always keep up with the storyline, this didn't take away from the richness of the story and the detailed, decadent world of Glass Town, a world that I was swiftly swept into. And the descriptions of Emily furiously scribbling her stories onto paper while waiting for the bread to rise only made this frantic, fast-paced world seem all the more realistic. <i>Glass Town Wars</i> is a fantastic adventure story written by a prolific, brilliant author. But what I thought was most skillful about this book was that the story was still, somehow, Emily's. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Glass Town Wars </i>here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glass-Town-Wars-Celia-Rees/dp/1782692223">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glass-Town-Wars-Celia-Rees/dp/1782692223</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Celia Rees here: <a href="http://www.celiarees.com/">http://www.celiarees.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-18041142152774370512019-03-18T10:21:00.000+00:002019-03-18T10:21:06.467+00:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'Vote for Effie' by Laura Wood <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhvmMGprG0n6kbQZGttH5CFXqfq9-IWFShw10s1Q-dAGcg9-WNhqB1V9zw_3CiGF9QatYF3N_oGMf-v1tatLma4NK9nYDOa6cDdfU7F1r-rWASnuWpcnfY2jJdurtgAdjbxvnaDyLkfw/s1600/71YdARrFmBL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhvmMGprG0n6kbQZGttH5CFXqfq9-IWFShw10s1Q-dAGcg9-WNhqB1V9zw_3CiGF9QatYF3N_oGMf-v1tatLma4NK9nYDOa6cDdfU7F1r-rWASnuWpcnfY2jJdurtgAdjbxvnaDyLkfw/s320/71YdARrFmBL.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! Today I am thrilled to be sharing with you a book that has become my new <b>YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!</b> book. This book is so full of joy and heart and unapologetic grit and it completely stole my heart! Vote for Effie is a book that is about standing up for what you believe in, and not apologising for standing up for it. It is a book I wish I could press into every young boy and girl's hands, especially in today's climate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Join Effie Kostas as she fights to become Student Council President in her new school. With a campaign team of loveable misfits, she tackles the truly important subjects: gender imbalance, outdated school conventions...and good-looking boys stealing the last slice of chocolate cake at lunchtime. A laugh out-loud rallying call for switched-on kids everywhere.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a copy of <i>Vote For Effie</i> by Scholastic in exchange for an honest review :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zj-C-StOG_BeC5J9jJxTKPiOedCte8B2dK-wJvRV0C7WBHQWAOtoUpJngy4bTTT5afnXtcyvpnR_hq4yPPmmdy27IzZydV90gzQ7DMW1KhhGle63dyHRvTXOxkGg1N_mKhrdXxckjvY/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zj-C-StOG_BeC5J9jJxTKPiOedCte8B2dK-wJvRV0C7WBHQWAOtoUpJngy4bTTT5afnXtcyvpnR_hq4yPPmmdy27IzZydV90gzQ7DMW1KhhGle63dyHRvTXOxkGg1N_mKhrdXxckjvY/s1600/giphy.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I adored <i>Vote for Effie</i> from start to finish. Laura Wood first bowled me over with A Sky Painted Gold, and now my admiration for her has grown even more. Honestly, they are both completely different books and both of them are just absolutely <i>gorgeous. </i>Find me another author with this kind of versatility... But honestly, I don't think I've read a middle-grade book before that has made me this emotional! Effie Kostas is like a mini Leslie Knope (but with bigger hair, of course) and she is such a fabulous role model for young people. She is kind, honest, hardworking and fights for what she believes in. She stands up for people who have been sidelined and she doesn't give up easily. Can we have Effie Kostas for Prime Minister, please? I am sure she would sort this Brexit nonsense out (and all the other nonsense that's occuring, and still have time to organise her stationery). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJArQA5xqHOuXsnwfolk3cI01tqlIp-7uci3wE6J53Zqgh3j0u6fsaSCsTL6s_uIon__nn3tNAwQrYBkw40U1-lw5AEbCkf5lVkUns0I0QBdJBST5GkdEhO2UJredn9fkvDzUxVIzYEw/s1600/A1Jdc3xhKzL._SY600_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJArQA5xqHOuXsnwfolk3cI01tqlIp-7uci3wE6J53Zqgh3j0u6fsaSCsTL6s_uIon__nn3tNAwQrYBkw40U1-lw5AEbCkf5lVkUns0I0QBdJBST5GkdEhO2UJredn9fkvDzUxVIzYEw/s320/A1Jdc3xhKzL._SY600_.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Effie's fight to become Student Council President is no mean feat, and she tackles issues that cannot be taken lightly - girls not being allowed to wear trousers, no buddy system for new pupils, no money for a girl's football team. Even though Aaron Davis, the coolest boy at school, has won the Student Council President for years, Effie soon inspires students to be vocal about what they care about, and take action to change things that are unfair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Apart from the fabulous writing, the characters in <i>Vote for Effie</i> were what made this book brilliant for me. It's rare to get this kind of characterisation in a relatively short middle-grade read, but every single character was so fleshed out and I loved reading their interactions. My favourites have to be Effie's parents and her sister Lil (who is the sassiest, funniest kid I have ever come across in a MG book) and the next door neighbour Iris. There was a real effort made to celebrate difference in this book, which is something every kid needs to come across in their books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you're in the mood for a fun, smart, inspiring read, then <i>Vote for Effie</i> is definitely the book to get your hands on! Especially in the midst of all this political turmoil - I'm sure there are kids out there just like Effie Kostas - and so, there is </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">hope :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Vote for Effie</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vote-Effie-1-Laura-Wood/dp/1407187724/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=58PCOF449GSR&keywords=vote+for+effie&qid=1552224775&s=gateway&sprefix=vote+for+effie%2Caps%2C329&sr=8-1-fkmrnull">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vote-Effie-1-Laura-Wood/dp/1407187724/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=58PCOF449GSR&keywords=vote+for+effie&qid=1552224775&s=gateway&sprefix=vote+for+effie%2Caps%2C329&sr=8-1-fkmrnull</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Laura Wood here: <a href="https://www.lauraclarewood.com/">https://www.lauraclarewood.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-66018066529992677012019-03-16T10:05:00.002+00:002019-03-16T10:05:35.583+00:00PROUD BLOG TOUR | My favourite LGBT+ YA & How they Helped Me Become a Better Ally<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyRTXu9frH_uR_wjSIq5sqxTlBUU4-7w64E464k19whJ8DsQmmKXzsHu90uVHZ48Gzg582yctgxDEltzfvjQUC-T4Fr_kSqj9SX7ff_uhY5osgAxI_tVSvIf6xJBwGySWop5K9fVjgMc/s1600/rainbow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyRTXu9frH_uR_wjSIq5sqxTlBUU4-7w64E464k19whJ8DsQmmKXzsHu90uVHZ48Gzg582yctgxDEltzfvjQUC-T4Fr_kSqj9SX7ff_uhY5osgAxI_tVSvIf6xJBwGySWop5K9fVjgMc/s320/rainbow.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Saturday! Today I am thrilled to be part of the blog tour to celebrate the *long-awaited* publication of <i>Proud</i>, a brilliant and urgently needed anthology that showcases and celebrates LGBT+ voices and artists. I finished reading this last weekend and honestly, this book really does reflect everything I love about the YA industry and it's continuing efforts to publish responsibly and diversely. I can't even imagine how many young people this book will inspire to be themselves and celebrate who they are. It is also simply just a wonderful book, with stories and artwork that will delight and inspire you until the very last page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>Following A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, winner of the YA BOOK PRIZE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2018</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I'd just like to point out that I am both cis and heterosexual, and I have never experienced any form of harrassment, judgement or threat due to my sexuality. Reading this book made me realise that reading LGBT+ is what has helped formed me to be the ally I am today. I might never fully understand what it feels like to be LGBT+ and constantly needing to explain who you are and the way you feel to the rest of the world (heck, I never needed to come out to my parents as straight), but I truly believe that reading LGBT+ literature has deepened my understanding to the point where I cannot imagine not feeling passionate about defending and advocating for the rights of LGBT+ people. I am a believer that ignorance can be one of the most harmful and toxic things in our society today, and I am so glad that kids today will grow up being able to read about people who are both similar and different to them, and have a much broader picture of what the world really is like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">So as part of the blog tour, I'd love to share my favourite LGBT+ books, to celebrate their existence as both ways of promoting LGBT+ stories, and also because they are just bloody brilliant books.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkFsWUbmwTmQsM3R9nA7XPQCF_CnmI6sYfkcSQ09CrTSpRkugV4WuXeggE4NDEJKWY-Y4SHOFhX3N-kQbyhbG3aTGwJ-6wc1vzjrF3ZHG0JskLLVeEtqDA_G_YkbTlEZM07H4pwnx9b4/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkFsWUbmwTmQsM3R9nA7XPQCF_CnmI6sYfkcSQ09CrTSpRkugV4WuXeggE4NDEJKWY-Y4SHOFhX3N-kQbyhbG3aTGwJ-6wc1vzjrF3ZHG0JskLLVeEtqDA_G_YkbTlEZM07H4pwnx9b4/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="color: red; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Pulp </span>- Robin Talley</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Pulp</i> is a fantastic book with a narrative that transcends generations, with storytelling and lesbian pulp fiction at its heart. It is a story about how far we have come, yet still how much further we still have to go. It is about two young women who are facing different battles, yet still have a lot in common. <i>Pulp</i> is also in many ways a love letter to writing and to stories, and how despite everything writing can be an escape from the realities of life, when things are at their most difficult. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Janet and Abby are both so similar, even though they are from completely different societies, yet their circumstances are much more common than first expected. In <i>Pulp</i>, the dual narrative really allowed me to examine American society for what it was and how it still is, and how whatever happens, we can't allow ourselves to be complacent. We must keep fighting for those that others </span>marginalise<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and sideline, and we can't afford to be silent.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">The Miseducation of Cameron Post </span>- Emily M. Danforth</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">This is an absolute whirlwind of a book. </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">The</i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Miseducation of Cameron Post</i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> follows Cameron over many years, as she comes to a realisation about her sexuality, and what consequences may follow from that realisation. It is a story that is both horrific yet full of hope, and it is about having the strength and bravery to be yourself, even when the very way the fabric of society is constructed forbids you to do so. What was so gripping about this book was the narrative; Cameron is a real flesh and blood individual. Emily M. Danforth is a marvellous storyteller. </span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Beyond Magenta </span>- Susan Kuklin</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTe1xMjJIPYcayPqKWHqILLVmVF3vD_-BID2kg_EP4OV-A8tpiKZU7qFNYxGlr1oiRfjgtQIFTGmWBr_theumfbRJnhHE7NXsh857YIj24IIfkATbMQx56VZZEMc16tVEP1KGbFmxKkU/s1600/trans.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTe1xMjJIPYcayPqKWHqILLVmVF3vD_-BID2kg_EP4OV-A8tpiKZU7qFNYxGlr1oiRfjgtQIFTGmWBr_theumfbRJnhHE7NXsh857YIj24IIfkATbMQx56VZZEMc16tVEP1KGbFmxKkU/s320/trans.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out</i> is a wonderful and vitally important book chronicling the lives of transgender and gender-neutral teenagers. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six young adults, who appear throughout the book. You meet these young people before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender identity. The pages are filled with portraits and family photographs, making this an emotional and unforgettable read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: lime;">Honor Girl </span>- Maggie Thrash</b></span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Honor Girl</i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> follows Maggie, as she navigates another summer at Camp Bellflower for Girls, although this summer is a little different. Suddenly, and unexpectantly, she feels herself falling for Erin, one of the Camp's counsellors. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for Maggie to express her true feelings, and even her proficiency at the rifle range and her adoration for Backstreet Boys isn't enough to distract her. This gorgeous graphic novel shows that one summer really can change everything, and when you're a teenager, it changes your whole world. I zoomed through this, and was left wanting more and more. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Read Me Like a Book </span>- Liz Kessler</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Read Me Like a Book </i>chronicles one teenage girl's journey as she navigates the thorny path of adolescence, and begins to question her identity. Ashleigh, the protagonist, is on a journey of terrifying self-discovery, and the narrative reflected this brilliantly. Not every single teenager feels confused about their sexuality, but every teenager sometimes feels confused, period. <i>Read Me Like A Book </i>made me feel okay about that, and opened my eyes to what it might feel like to begin to question everything you had ever thought about yourself and who you might be.</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> It's awful to think that today, in our supposedly 'modern' society, people are still afraid to speak about who they really are. </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Read Me Like A Book</i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> is not only groundbreaking in subject matter, but also in its message of always staying true to yourself, no matter how frightening that seems to be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out these books, if you haven't already, and also check out <i>Proud</i>! There will be a gloriously glittering review coming soon...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Also, be sure to check out the rest of the posts on the blog tour!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB2x_TouAgk9X6Pr0cCYCrkZJOB0_CxghBJycd9R-ryLofhqH1BF1ao5GOKlKHYVMdIPqzEjtsL5sSIfNyaq5-VzOHbtqaXe_oidvqO5gFT4raXTiISlq8vs2cvJskTVlQf9utaXFG2k/s1600/Proud+Blog+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB2x_TouAgk9X6Pr0cCYCrkZJOB0_CxghBJycd9R-ryLofhqH1BF1ao5GOKlKHYVMdIPqzEjtsL5sSIfNyaq5-VzOHbtqaXe_oidvqO5gFT4raXTiISlq8vs2cvJskTVlQf9utaXFG2k/s400/Proud+Blog+Tour.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Buy <i>Proud</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Proud-Various/dp/1788950607">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Proud-Various/dp/1788950607</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check out Juno Dawson (who compiled the collection) here: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/junodawson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/junodawsonref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-8477791257941948362019-03-14T07:22:00.000+00:002019-03-14T07:22:26.386+00:00DELIGHTFUL KIDS BOOKS | 'Wren' Blog Tour | 5* BOOK REVIEW <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtqQTXv6sBUUteYiAAppjZAJem6ADME9JBo7xQtnuHouCzxnh7AXttIWuUAqJ9pfptabVUU9vhnOgaQZwtwA0_EkRknVvLHJGdFXZdGcwnSmovtT21veU1jUUbp8z3r45lpR4AhVRM5I/s1600/Wren_CV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtqQTXv6sBUUteYiAAppjZAJem6ADME9JBo7xQtnuHouCzxnh7AXttIWuUAqJ9pfptabVUU9vhnOgaQZwtwA0_EkRknVvLHJGdFXZdGcwnSmovtT21veU1jUUbp8z3r45lpR4AhVRM5I/s320/Wren_CV.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Thursday! Today I am delighted to be bringing you a review of a gorgeous picture book for my children's book feature! I haven't featured a children's book in agggeees so I'm very happy to be featuring <i>Wren</i> on my blog today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Wren</i> is a beautifully illustrated, heartwarming story about a boy called <i>Wren</i>, who likes peace and quiet and some quality time with his books. Everything in Wren's world is so loud; the traffic outside, the washing up being done, and now, Wren has a brand new baby sister. The rest of the family do their best to stop her crying: with talking, singing, playing music. So Wren decides to move to his grandparents, to get a bit of peace and quiet. But when he starts to miss home, Wren has a tough decision to make...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent <i>Wren</i> by Scribe Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qJfaWJlPkO0J6z6GLNrvTFUvNgbV7EV3NudiJq-pgbDqMPJrZY9l2xVsEY8wIuU4OafpDZw4D7BKjPsqpaXbpFbxk4LUGipni8hqRimFMGZX6aPtjDzYxFAdVU0CLUTzZcazVQmID-I/s1600/Katrina_Lehman-500x500-c-default.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qJfaWJlPkO0J6z6GLNrvTFUvNgbV7EV3NudiJq-pgbDqMPJrZY9l2xVsEY8wIuU4OafpDZw4D7BKjPsqpaXbpFbxk4LUGipni8hqRimFMGZX6aPtjDzYxFAdVU0CLUTzZcazVQmID-I/s320/Katrina_Lehman-500x500-c-default.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Wren just wants a bit of peace and quiet. What he gets is the noisiest baby sister you could ever imagine! But when Wren runs away to the country, he discovers that maybe peace and quiet isn’t all he needs …</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>With bright, modern illustrations and a powerfully simple story, any child (and any parent!) who’s ever had to deal with a noisy sibling will love Wren. This debut from the new team of Katrina Lehman and Sophie Beer is sure to delight.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNLgt1qNnBkQa4XS0OcV4k_DykMeVgteRql9dYvwLF7BcRQlogK0_KU1W-w-oaWT29Dw7CwA7pqE9-xFpm4snMdMvBPRhBV_A56kbysrW4HDnZsG4-UwakJ9qqwcJynDMoRzTi3CP1jY/s1600/Sophie-Beer-TDF-7-1000x1290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNLgt1qNnBkQa4XS0OcV4k_DykMeVgteRql9dYvwLF7BcRQlogK0_KU1W-w-oaWT29Dw7CwA7pqE9-xFpm4snMdMvBPRhBV_A56kbysrW4HDnZsG4-UwakJ9qqwcJynDMoRzTi3CP1jY/s320/Sophie-Beer-TDF-7-1000x1290.jpg" width="247" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Wren</i> is a wonderful book all about wanting your own space and needing to share, and maybe sometimes, it being <i>nice</i> to share that space. I think this is a brilliant story for children who are experiencing change in any sense: a new house, a new school, a new sibling... whatever that change may be. Wren is forced to accept change and, at the end of the story, realises that change can be a good thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This wonderfully simple story is accompanied by the most gorgeously cheerful and bright illustrations that depict the wonderful chaos of family life. The yellow cover just oozes joyfulness. There are so many great details that older children would love pointing out. This, coupled with the fun rhythmic prose, makes this a great story to read aloud at bedtime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Wren</i> is recommended for children 0-5 years, but I think this is a great story for young kids of any age all about changing family dynamics and how to still carve out space for yourself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out the rest of the spots on the blog tour!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Wren</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wren-Katrina-Lehman/dp/1911617265/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=wren+katrina+lehman&qid=1552230595&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wren-Katrina-Lehman/dp/1911617265/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=wren+katrina+lehman&qid=1552230595&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Katrina Lehman here: <a href="https://scribblekidsbooks.com/people/katrina-lehman/">https://scribblekidsbooks.com/people/katrina-lehman/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Sophie Beer here: <a href="https://www.sophie-beer.com/">https://www.sophie-beer.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-74734137384305685802019-03-11T07:50:00.000+00:002019-03-11T07:50:16.562+00:00THE NEW BOY BLOG TOUR | 'The New Boy' by Paula Rawsthorne | BOOK REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-9Dm8-SoObQReivQOC1c6H35AV3lsZwUDuUd4D0WPvrYX4SS0-5WQgnSNGkhHwQeV-dvTzs8jhsii5YKqeWcRzwxrNrSi-LQpfTK5QzzztUzUbbnp1Zbdw0IBlJnZDG4X1wTPPD2caA/s1600/THE+NEW+BOY+cover+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-9Dm8-SoObQReivQOC1c6H35AV3lsZwUDuUd4D0WPvrYX4SS0-5WQgnSNGkhHwQeV-dvTzs8jhsii5YKqeWcRzwxrNrSi-LQpfTK5QzzztUzUbbnp1Zbdw0IBlJnZDG4X1wTPPD2caA/s320/THE+NEW+BOY+cover+image.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I have been absent from this blog for a long time (I haven't been doing any less reading, but having a full-time job has been kicking me in the butt and the last thing I have wanted to do when I come home is sit down and do <b>more</b> typing!) However I am determined to get back into the swing of things, and what better way to start than by getting involved in a blog tour?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today I am excited to be reviewing a brand spanking new YA book, <i>The New Boy</i>, by Paula Rawsthorne. <i>The New Boy</i> is a creepy, suspenseful thriller that will have you hanging on the very edge of your seat! It follows Zoe Littlewood, new at college, and desperate to make a good first impression. Luckily, she has her best friends by her side, so things can't change that much, can they? But then Jack Cartwright walks into the college common room, and just like that, everything in Zoe's world changes. Everyone is clamouring after Jack's attention; copying his hairstyle, his clothing, listening to his advice about what gadgets to buy, what video games to play, how to be <b>just like him</b>. There is something about the new boy that makes Zoe nervous, but before long even she is under his spell. But what she soon discovers is anything but a romantic fairytale, and she has to discover the truth before she and everyone who is close to her get hurt...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>When new boy Jack starts at Zoe's school, something about him makes her nervous - he's so perfect, he can hardly be real. But Zoe is soon swept up in how charming, popular and handsome he is. Soon, they're dating and he's everything she dreamed he might be - kind, attentive, full of romantic gestures. Eventually, though, the cracks start to show and Zoe wonders whether she was right all along. Is Jack too good to be true? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much, Scholastic, for sending me a copy of <i>The New Boy</i> in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I knew it was something I would love. YA thrillers always have that delicious dark yet playful edge, and <i>The New Boy</i> definitely had this edge. The plot was brilliantly crafted and so well-paced. Sometimes books like these can get weaker with too much back story or unnecessary detail, yet Rawsthorne avoided this temptation and the story flourished without it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I found it hard to get on board with Zoe as a character; she was painted out to be anything but naive and someone who always took the less-trodden path, but for me, she was the complete opposite to this. There was always a seed of doubt in her mind about Jack, however, she didn't act on anything until the end of the book. I think it would have been interesting if this was drawn out for a bit longer, but I guess the plot-twist at the end of the book was worth it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I loved Zoe's relationship with her mum, Ethan and Ethan's parents, and these were really well-explored in the book and provided a bit of a recess from the darker parts of the story. It made all the creepy moments with Jack seem all the more creepy! I looooove being frightened by a book and this definitely happened with the last third of <i>The New Boy. </i>However, the horror was anything but insubstantial, and I loved how Rawsthorne brought in contemporary issues and debates, which actually made the story all the more terrifying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Are you intrigued by the mystery at the heart of <i>The New Boy</i>? If so, head to my <a href="https://twitter.com/long_alix">Twitter</a> account and enter my giveaway to win a copy of the book! (You'll find the giveaway as my pinned tweet.) UK and Ireland only. Giveaway ends Monday 18th Mar</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ch 8pm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out the rest of the spots on the blog tour!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>The New Boy</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/NEW-BOY-Paula-Rawsthorne/dp/1407180266/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=2O5PTVUQ0I9KZ&keywords=the+new+boy+paula+rawsthorne&qid=1552221694&s=gateway&sprefix=the+new+boy%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1-fkmrnull">https://www.amazon.co.uk/NEW-BOY-Paula-Rawsthorne/dp/1407180266/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=2O5PTVUQ0I9KZ&keywords=the+new+boy+paula+rawsthorne&qid=1552221694&s=gateway&sprefix=the+new+boy%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1-fkmrnull</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Paula Rawsthorne here: <a href="https://paularawsthorne.wordpress.com/news/">https://paularawsthorne.wordpress.com/news/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-58102539726277289192019-01-30T09:32:00.000+00:002019-01-30T09:32:07.122+00:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'Pulp' by Robin Talley <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJurhgonyKrybkET3vd_53koW3BXgTh8RnoFpUKpjvpgJ6vriPjaJOEtR2C4Y_aEBtW6QzPEjZ_GiSWKyFPIiA6x8epb9e0PF5mKIp6mDWWp59lmS-elGLpFFkL_8GHgD1964Yw3fiwk/s1600/Pulp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJurhgonyKrybkET3vd_53koW3BXgTh8RnoFpUKpjvpgJ6vriPjaJOEtR2C4Y_aEBtW6QzPEjZ_GiSWKyFPIiA6x8epb9e0PF5mKIp6mDWWp59lmS-elGLpFFkL_8GHgD1964Yw3fiwk/s320/Pulp.JPG" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you an amazing book I read recently: <i>Pulp</i> by Robin Talley. As soon as news of this book landed in my inbox I knew I had to read it - I have never heard of a book before like it, and I'm happy to say that it was better than I could ever have imagined. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Pulp</i> is a story about how far we have come, yet still how much further we still have to go. It is about two young women who are facing different battles, yet still have a lot in common. <i>Pulp</i> is also in many ways a love letter to writing and to stories, and how despite everything writing can be escape from the realities of life, when things are at their most difficult.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent this book by Nina Douglas (on behalf of HQ Stories) in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It’s not easy being gay in Washington, DC, in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a newfound ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself—and Marie—to a danger all too real.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Sixty-two years later, Abby Zimet can’t stop thinking about her senior project and its subject—classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. Between the pages of her favorite book, the stresses of Abby’s own life are lost to the fictional hopes, desires and tragedies of the characters she’s reading about. She feels especially connected to one author, a woman who wrote under the pseudonym “Marian Love,” and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In this novel told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I <b>adored</b> this book. It was everything I could have asked for, and so much more. Everything from the writing style to the characters was so spot on, and has so much YA heart in it too. I have been fortunate to read quite a lot of LGBT+ books over the last few years (yay YA book industry!) but this certainly has to be one of the best, certainly for the way that Talley deals with the dual narrative and how both stories so perfectly interweave. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66fGChaWRTrUiaLEum1qQdQCJdst2AUBkA_rG9pGqxkmi0DXmLDoTwY73TaXPnzurscNx5Iy3LpL5M-txA5aSZKgV7oAzrBcxZvo5geG58LNLlY6VA-mwI4tHavegINodrZCrtLTt9ts/s1600/Robin-Talley-High-Res-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66fGChaWRTrUiaLEum1qQdQCJdst2AUBkA_rG9pGqxkmi0DXmLDoTwY73TaXPnzurscNx5Iy3LpL5M-txA5aSZKgV7oAzrBcxZvo5geG58LNLlY6VA-mwI4tHavegINodrZCrtLTt9ts/s1600/Robin-Talley-High-Res-200x300.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I loved the writing style of <i>Pulp</i> so much and I will definitely be returning to Talley's writing. It was so fresh and vibrant and perfectly represented the two protagonists and their obstinate, unwavering creativity. I haven't binged a book in a while but I couldn't help myself but zoom through this one. The writing made me so invested in Janet and Abby and I felt myself feeling protective over them, desperate for the ending of the book to be a happy one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Janet and Abby are both so similar, even though they are from completely different societies, yet their circumstances are much more common than first expected. The dual narrative really allowed me to examine American society for what it was and how it still is, and how whatever happens, we can't allow ourselves to be complacent. We must keep fighting for those that others marginalise and sideline, and we can't afford to be silent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy Pulp here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulp-inspiring-winning-author-Talley/dp/184845712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544812692&sr=8-1&keywords=pulp+robin+talley">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulp-inspiring-winning-author-Talley/dp/184845712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544812692&sr=8-1&keywords=pulp+robin+talley</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Robin Talley here: </span><a href="http://www.robintalley.com/" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">http://www.robintalley.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out my Q&A with Robin Talley here for the <i>Pulp</i> blog tour: <a href="http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/12/pulp-blog-tour-author-interview-5.html">http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/12/pulp-blog-tour-author-interview-5.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-49012580918332996612019-01-26T10:55:00.000+00:002019-01-26T10:55:43.353+00:00OH MY GODS BLOG TOUR | 'Four Families in Fiction I Love...'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsmse5gQBRxFmCeoP43hlU0JpNEJ3lJmH_fi6jL9RGVkRNy6zfVh1C0W7v8io0Xhr7mlKUPtmxqbmRd-4Ga9RUEtMArFC9Y8LLa7i0noU0qF3VvVvh6LkKhfI342_OeZd_ovIXIUQcBU/s1600/OMGs-amazon-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsmse5gQBRxFmCeoP43hlU0JpNEJ3lJmH_fi6jL9RGVkRNy6zfVh1C0W7v8io0Xhr7mlKUPtmxqbmRd-4Ga9RUEtMArFC9Y8LLa7i0noU0qF3VvVvh6LkKhfI342_OeZd_ovIXIUQcBU/s320/OMGs-amazon-cover.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Saturday! Today I am thrilled to be taking part in the <i>Oh My Gods</i> blog tour celebrating Alexandra Sheppard's amazing new YA novel. This is such a brilliantly written, heartwarming and hilarious book and if you haven't read it already, what are you waiting for?! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Oh My Gods</i> follows Helen Thomas, who is in pretty much every respect a normal teenager, spending her time hanging out with friends, texting boys and worrying about her exams. There is however, one exception: Helen's family are all Greek gods, and Helen herself is only half-human. And this doesn't come without its problems. If her family blow her cover, a dreadful fate awaits them. Will Helen's family be able to control their craziness for their own, and Helen's sake? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Life as a half-mortal teenager should be epic. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But, for Helen Thomas, it's tragic.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She's just moved in with her dorky dad and self-absorbed older siblings - who happen to be the ancient Greek gods, living incognito in London!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Between keeping her family's true identities secret, trying to impress her new friends, and meeting an actually cute boy, Helen's stress levels are higher than Mount Olympus.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She needs to rein in her chaotic family before they blow their cover AND her chances at a half-normal social life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Or is Helen fated for an embarrassment of mythical proportions?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And today I am so happy to have Alexandra Sheppard on my blog, with her four favourite families in fiction!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As one of five siblings and with enough step-parents, aunties and cousins to fill a coach, my family has certainly shaped the person who I am today. But that relationship wasn’t always easy. After a vicious squabble with my sisters over my favourite strappy top/Destiny’s Child CD/eyeshadow palette, I would long for a family that wasn’t quite so….much. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Getting to know literary families - the ones that were close, loud and over the top - was a revelation to me. It wasn’t just me who had an acutely embarrassing Dad or a little sister with a life-ruining streak (she smuggled my top-secret diary to the cute boys next door - I will never forgive that particular indiscretion). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are a few of my favourite books that capture messily imperfect family life: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Set in the 1930s, this novel is the diary of precocious teenager Cassandra Mortmain. She captures the change in fortune of her impoverished, eccentric family when they become friendly with a pair of wealthy brothers from America. There is much to love about this book - the crumbling castle setting, the portrayal of first love - but Cassandra’s family are the stand-out stars. Her stepmother Topaz’ stories of being a muse in her heyday are particularly charming. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is one of my very favourite books, and the perfect summer read. I revisit it every year. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7TZTnBRLsZOe_QJpDWqehcFBXNyo6BeTNaKCGVQ1sS3VTMK-JmB1cH4E3BZBszYxme8lY3W5mCGq6ubUXYA6WzSkllVnbS8h7al-DxQoE14L9jsSHd6rBkTqmoUTnSZrdYce3dAEBrM/s1600/DZS-APDX0AAkKTs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7TZTnBRLsZOe_QJpDWqehcFBXNyo6BeTNaKCGVQ1sS3VTMK-JmB1cH4E3BZBszYxme8lY3W5mCGq6ubUXYA6WzSkllVnbS8h7al-DxQoE14L9jsSHd6rBkTqmoUTnSZrdYce3dAEBrM/s320/DZS-APDX0AAkKTs.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>White Teeth by Zadie Smith</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The book focuses on two families - the Jones’ and the Iqbals - following their intertwining fates since World War II. It explores what happens when the sins of the fathers are visited upon their children (and grandchildren), and the ways in which different generations struggle to understand one another. Despite the heavy-sounding description, there are few books that make me laugh as much as this sprawling, multi-generational novel.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As one of five daughters, I totally related to the close bond between the Covey sisters - and how that bond can be intense in more ways than one. Though it’s firmly a romance story (and a brilliant one at that - is there a more perfect YA boy than Peter Kavinsky?), Han finds ample space to explore the complexity of sisterly relationships. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The Georgia Nicolson Diaries by Louise Rennison</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Georgia Nicolson’s antics have had me snorting with laughter since I was thirteen. I don’t think I will ever stop finding this book series utterly hilarious. Georgia is very much the star of the show but her family (including her bonkers baby sister Libby and Angus the wildcat) is the cringe-making icing on the cake. Uncle Eddie, with his ancient motorbike and awful one-liners, was a particular favourite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much, Alexandra Sheppard, for appearing on my blog! Make sure you guys check out the rest of the posts on the blog tour :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out my review of <i>Oh My Gods</i> here: <a href="http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/book-review-oh-my-gods-by-alexandra.html">http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/book-review-oh-my-gods-by-alexandra.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Oh My Gods</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oh-My-Gods-Alexandra-Sheppard/dp/1407188739">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oh-My-Gods-Alexandra-Sheppard/dp/1407188739</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Alexandra Sheppard here: <a href="https://www.alexandrasheppard.com/">https://www.alexandrasheppard.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time <3</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-45363863534336149102019-01-21T07:50:00.002+00:002019-01-21T07:50:48.215+00:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Whiteout' by Gabriel Dylan (****)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! Today I am excited to be sharing with you another book review of an awesome winter read - <i>Whiteout</i> by Gabriel Dylan. This is a book from Stripes' <i>Red Eye</i> horror series and I can assure you that it definitely one hell of a creepy read...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Whiteout</i> tells the tale of a group of Sixth Formers away on what promises to be an amazing ski trip - awesome slopes, beautiful views and a time to get away from their everyday lives. But when a storm comes and cuts the resort off from the rest of the world, the students may have a lot more isolation than they bargained for. And they can't shake the feeling that <i>something</i> is out there. But people are coming to rescue them... right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent Whiteout by Stripes Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>‘She sat us all down and told us a story. About things that lived in the woods. Things that only came out at night.’</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>For Charlie, a school ski trip is the perfect escape from his unhappy home life. Until a storm blows in and the resort town is cut off from the rest of the world. Trapped on the mountain, the students wait for the blizzards to pass, along with mysterious ski guide Hanna. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But as night falls and the town’s long buried secrets begin to surface, the storm is the least of their problems….</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A chilling RED EYE horror, perfect for fans of Dawn Kurtagich, Juno Dawson and Charlie Higson.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x7ZZfjrVOJ2oIQ7h76v26JQbvSr__h4pD8Z5UhjT7_pBgiGtOvdjtOxdPEiXCsOiokk754F2swi2MirWvuef2tHqOZ48FCSSobp-jug0-nEmStDb4hP13kF6cM42GReQiYCd-kMNdcU/s1600/GabrielDylan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1146" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x7ZZfjrVOJ2oIQ7h76v26JQbvSr__h4pD8Z5UhjT7_pBgiGtOvdjtOxdPEiXCsOiokk754F2swi2MirWvuef2tHqOZ48FCSSobp-jug0-nEmStDb4hP13kF6cM42GReQiYCd-kMNdcU/s320/GabrielDylan.jpeg" width="229" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have been reading a lot more horror recently, and to be honest, I'm loving every second. There's nothing like the high stakes of a good horror to really bring out the best of the characters, and that is exactly what happened with <i>Whiteout</i>. I enjoyed the dynamics between all the characters, particularly with Charlie and Hanna. I also loved Tara, which may be a controversial choice, but she is a great mixture of hormones and moodiness and confidence and, to be honest, probably who I would be most similar to if I was stranded in a remote ski resort without any form of contact with the outside world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought the descriptions were amazing and they are definitely what brought this story to life for me. Dylan made incredible use of his setting and exploited every element to bring out the most creepiness possible. The story was filled with so much tension and I couldn't help myself bingeing the book, especially when I got close to the end. The stakes were so astronomically high in this book, and this coupled with Dylan's incredibly cinematic writing, this turned out to be a horror story that will stick with me for a very long time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And that ending. Damn, that ending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you check out the author interview I did with Gabriel Dylan on my blog <a href="http://delightfulbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-tour-whiteout-by-gabriel-dylan-5.html">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy Whiteout here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whiteout-Red-Eye-Gabriel-Dylan/dp/1788950720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546895874&sr=8-1&keywords=whiteout+gabriel+dylan">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whiteout-Red-Eye-Gabriel-Dylan/dp/1788950720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546895874&sr=8-1&keywords=whiteout+gabriel+dylan</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Gabriel Dylan here: <a href="https://twitter.com/gabrieldylanya?lang=en">https://twitter.com/gabrieldylanya?lang=en</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-48768761021306763692019-01-14T09:46:00.000+00:002019-01-14T09:46:06.135+00:005* BOOK REVIEW | 'Little Liar' by Julia Gray <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZgNmc_mLWTaX2Bmg2vCgHj6HnOqAJ_j4owSqxNQUYd173Eq1iuDlnckGoIWJYIRPi_nrbsEVthy1ALfRo90aayUycMyYrX2XB3tmx0M8RlaiJsnsuGc0qkEyYh9Jl_XbqkTwJMtqZu8/s1600/713wSV8oSdL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZgNmc_mLWTaX2Bmg2vCgHj6HnOqAJ_j4owSqxNQUYd173Eq1iuDlnckGoIWJYIRPi_nrbsEVthy1ALfRo90aayUycMyYrX2XB3tmx0M8RlaiJsnsuGc0qkEyYh9Jl_XbqkTwJMtqZu8/s320/713wSV8oSdL.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys and happy Monday! Today I am excited to be sharing with you a review of a book I read recently, that I feel has been in my TBR pile for the longest time! I didn't really know what to expect when I first picked this up, as I feel like the blurb doesn't give too much away... however before long I was totally gripped, and I couldn't put it down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Little Liar </i>follows Nora Tobias, who tells a lot of lies. Some are smaller, some are big, some are so big they threaten to collapse everything around her. When Nora meets Bel, older, more tumultous and perhaps even a bigger liar than she is, Nora is introduced to a whole new London, and the glitz and unpredictable glamour of the acting world. But soon things begin to spiral dangerously out of control, and there isn't a lie big enough to help Nora get out of this one...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent Little Liar by Andersen Press in exchange for an honest review :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Nora has lied about many things. But has she told her most dangerous lie of all?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>There’s a new art assistant at Nora’s school, and he’s crossed a line. Nora decides to teach him a lesson he won’t forget.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But not everything goes quite to plan, and Nora needs an escape. She befriends the rich and talented Bel, who longs for a part in a remake of a famous film. Bel is unpredictable, jealous and crazy, but she opens up a new world for Nora, and that makes her irresistible. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>As events start to spin wildly out of control, Nora must decide where her loyalties lie – and what deceits she can get away with.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I <b>loved</b> this book. Right from the beginning I got swept into Nora's narrative and, to be honest, I couldn't get enough. She's not a morally sound character, not by any means, but she is complex and interesting and real. I was rooting for her the whole way throughout the book, even when she was being less than decent. There were just so many layers to her character that everything that happened was suprising, and overal made this book a complete joy to read.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X6B4hX3T_cTwGjXz9Gq_K06AlG1gAIdIB-shB7Ym98Ktm2KxUpcnKmpQdlcv47U31_7yJMfzmfFqRf0QfnMnPhGH9SmMdB1bMbdAGbjwuOOfEcjkM5mILALLkIKp9MGB229bTLEMWeU/s1600/julia-gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X6B4hX3T_cTwGjXz9Gq_K06AlG1gAIdIB-shB7Ym98Ktm2KxUpcnKmpQdlcv47U31_7yJMfzmfFqRf0QfnMnPhGH9SmMdB1bMbdAGbjwuOOfEcjkM5mILALLkIKp9MGB229bTLEMWeU/s320/julia-gray.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought all the other characters were also really well developed and facinating in their own right. I particularly liked Nora's relationship with her mother. I haven't really seen a dynamic like theirs in any YA novel before. There were so many mysteries that Nora revealed to the reader gradually throughout the book, which basically kept me on tenterhooks the entire time. We only really find out the truth about Jonah Trace gradually, as if Nora herself doesn't want to tell us what happened. This layering of the narrative was so effective, and made the story so much more exciting to read, for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The chaos really starts to errupt when Nora meets Bel, and this felt to me like part two of the book. This was the part of the book that was very tense, and I just had a feeling throughout that something was going to happen. If you've read <i>Genuine Fraud</i> by E. Lockhart, you will definitely love <i>Little Liar</i>. I loved the psychological aspect, and Bel is just such a brilliant character. Everything about the second half of the book was so unpredictable and compelling. The ending of the book was so well thought-out and brought everything full circle for me, but at the same time it was not simply satisfying. Gray has concocted an absolute corker of a psychological YA thriller, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Little Liar</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Liar-Julia-Gray/dp/1783446919/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546095364&sr=1-1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Liar-Julia-Gray/dp/1783446919/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546095364&sr=1-1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Julia Gray here: http://www.thisisjuliagray.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-77810701772461307262019-01-11T09:01:00.000+00:002019-01-11T09:02:13.771+00:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Oh My Gods' by Alexandra Sheppard (****)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAxRZK1a24aLQFOJKxHSrTqbbcaraGcvnLfYlmnxaHKXk-KNYbSz4Aza2i1GxGepUkIj3AE14THQV1E-X7UWF8B4BIgdwWCSKmHk-yRTPsuD01SID8_4skUqhXfPcoPYFV6z1xWvxM6Q/s1600/OMGs-amazon-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAxRZK1a24aLQFOJKxHSrTqbbcaraGcvnLfYlmnxaHKXk-KNYbSz4Aza2i1GxGepUkIj3AE14THQV1E-X7UWF8B4BIgdwWCSKmHk-yRTPsuD01SID8_4skUqhXfPcoPYFV6z1xWvxM6Q/s320/OMGs-amazon-cover.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys and happy Friday! Today I am thrilled to be sharing with you a review of a fabulous book I read recently, that will start your new year reading off with a bang! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Oh My Gods</i> is a fantastic book following Helen Thomas, who is in pretty much every respect a normal teenager, spending her time hanging out with friends, texting boys and worrying about her exams. There is however, one exception: Helen's family are all Greek gods, and Helen herself is only half-human. And this doesn't come without its problems. If her family blow her cover, a dreadful fate awaits them. Will Helen's family be able to control their craziness for their own, and Helen's sake? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Life as a half-mortal teenager should be epic. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But, for Helen Thomas, it's tragic.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She's just moved in with her dorky dad and self-absorbed older siblings - who happen to be the ancient Greek gods, living incognito in London!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Between keeping her family's true identities secret, trying to impress her new friends, and meeting an actually cute boy, Helen's stress levels are higher than Mount Olympus.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>She needs to rein in her chaotic family before they blow their cover AND her chances at a half-normal social life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Or is Helen fated for an embarrassment of mythical proportions?</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybqc-WPJ1T7p4ahJXKMtKIR5onuAEZuMU3ouXZwpRLkp4WolWjiwnNpDdjppCYwE6KyybYetEBMJLby0WdR_IdwWDK4BfNPLl_tgokHOysZNdecPa98s6DgNmX8IrxQBQ_BsV-G9l8Rw/s1600/DZS-APDX0AAkKTs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybqc-WPJ1T7p4ahJXKMtKIR5onuAEZuMU3ouXZwpRLkp4WolWjiwnNpDdjppCYwE6KyybYetEBMJLby0WdR_IdwWDK4BfNPLl_tgokHOysZNdecPa98s6DgNmX8IrxQBQ_BsV-G9l8Rw/s320/DZS-APDX0AAkKTs.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I knew right from reading the blurb that I would love this book, and I was absolutely right! First of all, the cover is fantastic and drew me right in. Whoever designed it deserves the best chocolate money can buy. And it also reflected what the book was about: Helen, and what a wonderful protagonist Helen Thomas is! She was portrayed in a brilliantly realistic way and I loved her relationship with her friends and her family. In the book she has a warm voice and gritty attitude to the lifestyle she has been lumped with. As the years go on I am so happy to see that interesting and multi-dimensional female protagonists are simply becoming the norm in YA literature. I'm glad that from now on kids will be growing up with loads of fabulous characters by their side, not just a few. Speaking of, it was so wonderfully refreshing how diverse this book was, and how diversity was an active discussion in the book. This made me very happy indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story itself was incredibly well crafted and the huge variety of characters drove the plot forward up until the fantastic ending. The twists and turns kept me hanging on until the last few chapters. <i>Oh My Gods</i> is a book that both at once is comforting and exciting. I'm looking forward to see what Sheppard has up her sleeve next!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Oh My Gods</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oh-My-Gods-Alexandra-Sheppard/dp/1407188739">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oh-My-Gods-Alexandra-Sheppard/dp/1407188739</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Alexandra Sheppard here: <a href="https://www.alexandrasheppard.com/">https://www.alexandrasheppard.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time <3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-25144556830995376992019-01-08T07:49:00.000+00:002019-01-08T07:49:31.823+00:00BLOG TOUR | 'Whiteout' by Gabriel Dylan | 5 Minutes With... Gabriel Dylan'<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! Today I am so excited to be part of the <i>Whiteout</i> blog tour, to celebrate the publication of this gloriously creepy book by Gabriel Dylan. I read this over the Christmas holidays, and even a roaring fire and a hot chocolate didn't make me feel safe...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXYvel9fmAi-VQKqbkNgRgtJpZxOFYkAxQwnLxb6RX3Ns67mYObUfQAEqo_ZpHoceBXogZcHpfr6M0IxH2snyy81cljXSKZYDvJ0CzVjEGqQKl1DiOWniveP1OYd2A7TtJatJFlOoHzo/s1600/RE+Whiteout+V13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXYvel9fmAi-VQKqbkNgRgtJpZxOFYkAxQwnLxb6RX3Ns67mYObUfQAEqo_ZpHoceBXogZcHpfr6M0IxH2snyy81cljXSKZYDvJ0CzVjEGqQKl1DiOWniveP1OYd2A7TtJatJFlOoHzo/s320/RE+Whiteout+V13.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>‘She sat us all down and told us a story. About things that lived in the woods. Things that only came out at night.’</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>For Charlie, a school ski trip is the perfect escape from his unhappy home life. Until a storm blows in and the resort town is cut off from the rest of the world. Trapped on the mountain, the students wait for the blizzards to pass, along with mysterious ski guide Hanna. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But as night falls and the town’s long buried secrets begin to surface, the storm is the least of their problems….</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A chilling RED EYE horror, perfect for fans of Dawn Kurtagich, Juno Dawson and Charlie Higson.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And today I am thrilled to welcome Gabriel Dylan to my blog, to talk all things school ski trips, writing the underdog, and how he fell in love with all things horror.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Hey Gabriel, and thanks for being on my blog today! What inspired you to write Whiteout?</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whiteout was inspired by a trip to the Austrian Alps several years ago – I’d recently moved inland from Cornwall and really missed surfing, so I taught myself to snowboard on a dryslope near the school where I teach. A few months after, I got asked to lead a sixth form ski trip to Austria and, although I’d hardly ever seen real snow, I thought ‘yeah, why not?’ The trip to the Alps was a little hellish, twenty seven hours on a coach, and the resort was in the middle of nowhere at the top of a mountain. But once we arrived I fell in love with it – Hochkar was isolated, atmospheric, and stunningly beautiful. And a few days later a storm came in, with the locals saying that it was more snow than they’d had in thirty years, and we got snowed in. I was there one night, standing on the balcony, looking out over the moonlit slopes, and I suddenly thought ‘what if there’s something out there? Something that doesn’t want us to leave?’ Once the idea came to me, I couldn’t get rid of it. And I’ve always loved vampire mythology, like Salem’s Lot and Nosferatu, so once I started writing I couldn’t stop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(Hochkar, the Austrian village that inspired the setting for Whiteout)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Tell us a bit more about the main character, Charlie. Do you have anything in common with him?</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I love the outsiders and the underdogs, and Charlie is one of those. And I guess I was a little similar growing up – I didn’t really fit in, my head was always buried in a book or a comic, and I just wasn’t interested in conventional sports, so I never fell in with any of the teams or cliques. And then one day I saw some kids surfing and asked my parents if I could try it, and I was absolutely hooked. A lot of my friends came from hanging out at the beach, and surfing gave me a kind of belonging and a sense of direction, a place I fitted in. And I put a little of that into Charlie’s character, with his love of snowboarding and the way he doesn’t belong, and how he’s at his happiest out on the slopes. The other influence on Charlie was some of the kids I work with in my day job, running a sixth form and teaching English. There’s so many pupils I meet who have to deal with awful things – loss of family members, illness, awful home lives – and they are incredibly brave in the way they cope with whatever life throws at them and I wanted to put a little of that into the character of Charlie.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76FGeJMHrDguT8pVMj5656hoFqGlN-SmUOxmvgDT00Txyfn__F9L_KtyJ4iktuiacJsaYPcBCO3U6UOfMxR3owskmRMx8T6zARIBMFdC2-QPT5oGQaspSZPBBIr-SORRqxf6XhKdoE-Y/s1600/GabrielDylan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1146" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76FGeJMHrDguT8pVMj5656hoFqGlN-SmUOxmvgDT00Txyfn__F9L_KtyJ4iktuiacJsaYPcBCO3U6UOfMxR3owskmRMx8T6zARIBMFdC2-QPT5oGQaspSZPBBIr-SORRqxf6XhKdoE-Y/s320/GabrielDylan.jpeg" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Do you normally come up with plot or characters first?</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Most of the time it’s the plot, and then the characters fall into place afterwards, although the character of Hanna in Whiteout was there with me right from the start and in many ways I see her as the protagonist with all that the mountains have taken from her. With Whiteout, I tried lots of different ways to write it, but in the end I really enjoyed the claustrophobic nature of the story, and the way that the resort of Kaldgellan was almost a character in its own right and the story was confined to just a few days – somehow it made writing it that little bit more urgent.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>What made you want to write a horror story?</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8n8hCBszcE7E9Ti7UM-70UBuhC2ILapbeDlzXbi0Txjd2yCJPcpTggYxQWvYDdeA_7gGn03g4voMKspzRp4NXaxrQXOUBrllKqc0FXysebViRa086uI54_yVxqMgb4VhNAWpBnFZIGI/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8n8hCBszcE7E9Ti7UM-70UBuhC2ILapbeDlzXbi0Txjd2yCJPcpTggYxQWvYDdeA_7gGn03g4voMKspzRp4NXaxrQXOUBrllKqc0FXysebViRa086uI54_yVxqMgb4VhNAWpBnFZIGI/s1600/Picture2.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I grew up on a diet of Stephen King, Richard Laymon, James Herbert, and all those other really cool horror writers, at an age where I probably shouldn’t have been reading them, so they felt a little forbidden and impossible to put down. And I love a scare, and the psychological side of the horror genre. Stephen King’s The Stand is one of my top three books of all time, and I really enjoy the genre and the way it takes you away from the real world. I’ve tried writing in other genres, particularly fantasy as the other author I read a lot growing up was David Gemmell, but I liked the contemporary nature of horror and the way you can put all these creepy and otherworldly elements into a modern day setting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>What's so special about YA literature?</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7uPPgpn995rhkhb864GC3cYBdl-zk7xPvgnG9emfG-ldTDqfB1oCfpsaYsyml28XeZo_4gH9ZyTYYTvsi2rOz4X9jUP9B0JcoyytMKed-ApgEgTvxslogFG2so0r-i-R_zKPFlZo_2U/s1600/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7uPPgpn995rhkhb864GC3cYBdl-zk7xPvgnG9emfG-ldTDqfB1oCfpsaYsyml28XeZo_4gH9ZyTYYTvsi2rOz4X9jUP9B0JcoyytMKed-ApgEgTvxslogFG2so0r-i-R_zKPFlZo_2U/s1600/Picture3.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For me, it’s definitely the pace of the writing. I’ve got a very short attention span, so a book has to grab me right away and keep hold of me, and I find YA as a genre really does that. Recently I’ve read Sally Green’s Half Bad, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, and Alex Bell’s Frozen Charlotte and I found them all really hard to out down, although my book of the year so far would be Neal Schusterman’s Scythe. I loved the concept of the novel and the way it takes a utopia and slowly drags it down into disrepair. Also, the writing of all of the above authors is top notch – there’s no dumbing down or pulling punches, which I think is so important.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>What advice would you offer aspiring writers?</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Keep at it. I was in my early twenties when I started writing and now I’m much older! But I wrote because I loved it, with the idea of publication or anyone even reading my stuff a distant, unachievable dream. So it certainly hasn’t come overnight for me. And I guess read a lot, and write what you love. I think if you enjoy writing it, the chances are your target audience will enjoy reading it, too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Sum up Whiteout in three words...</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Scary Snowy Vampires!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much, Gabriel, for taking the time to answer my questions!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44CYFsatAIXU9Wbyc4dxVUe54Syl-kR2C839tVYPhC2ZyZA3JrHcj2pOODmxfgqtEJEPruNSBLlYoB8xJ4AF1ATdzsy48d8HXZ62m-7lAfX0omdojpmp57diql5CQTIxywHG9uIf5VQA/s1600/WHITEOUT+blog+tour+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1489" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44CYFsatAIXU9Wbyc4dxVUe54Syl-kR2C839tVYPhC2ZyZA3JrHcj2pOODmxfgqtEJEPruNSBLlYoB8xJ4AF1ATdzsy48d8HXZ62m-7lAfX0omdojpmp57diql5CQTIxywHG9uIf5VQA/s400/WHITEOUT+blog+tour+banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out the rest of the posts on the blog tour, and keep an eye out for my review coming very soon :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Whiteout</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whiteout-Red-Eye-Gabriel-Dylan/dp/1788950720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546895874&sr=8-1&keywords=whiteout+gabriel+dylan">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whiteout-Red-Eye-Gabriel-Dylan/dp/1788950720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546895874&sr=8-1&keywords=whiteout+gabriel+dylan</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Gabriel Dylan here: <a href="https://twitter.com/gabrieldylanya?lang=en">https://twitter.com/gabrieldylanya?lang=en</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-55131942459526548102018-12-28T11:32:00.001+00:002018-12-28T11:37:47.169+00:00BOOK REVIEW | 'The Rains' by Gregg Hurwitz (***.5)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmhCpvLMJg1hGEROsqv3r0iaOKhO8RvzxToveTwFnbaBFXqkCK-a4bbPb7DdUk8lcDQAw4jtCYzSdL4iwUxpjxU8dzG9dIK5K8Hi7zDOx68GMi0SuXIHkyCqkUh7XM3WFIT6-Z2AD9Ak/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmhCpvLMJg1hGEROsqv3r0iaOKhO8RvzxToveTwFnbaBFXqkCK-a4bbPb7DdUk8lcDQAw4jtCYzSdL4iwUxpjxU8dzG9dIK5K8Hi7zDOx68GMi0SuXIHkyCqkUh7XM3WFIT6-Z2AD9Ak/s320/image.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Friday! Today I am happy to be sharing with you a review of a brilliant book I read recently, <i>The Rains</i> by Gregg Hurwitz. I have been reading quite a few horror books recently and I can't get enough! Even though Halloween was a good few months ago now... don't judge me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The Rains</i> follows brothers Patrick and Chance, who up until now have led quiet, relatively normal lives on their uncle's farm. One night, the world changes forever. Every person from Creek's Cause over the age of eighteen has turned into inhuman beings, bent on taking every last child and using them for their sick, twisted ends. Chance and Patrick don't have long... Patrick is set to turn eighteen in just a few weeks. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders. Do they have what it takes to save the whole of humankind?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent <i>The Rains</i> by Penguin Books in exchange for an honest review :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In one terrifying night, the peaceful community of Creek’s Cause turns into a war zone. No one under the age of eighteen is safe. Chance Rain and his older brother, Patrick, have already fended off multiple attacks from infected adults by the time they arrive at the school where other young survivors are hiding. Most of the kids they know have been dragged away by once-trusted adults who are now ferocious, inhuman beings. The parasite that transformed them takes hold after people turn eighteen—and Patrick’s birthday is only a few weeks away. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Determined to save Patrick’s life and the lives of the remaining kids, the brothers embark on a mission to uncover the truth about the parasites—and what they find is horrifying.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PQaiaK7CF0gaFW7BQDGnTcVNSJPKM1hDHIAErUlu-0cMkZMFkaAp9y056hxlSmnhWzDMrDYR7-efJx6C6_W25T_bs9sVJSAL6Bd1NB_HW-DDApaF60ZDvbXvxa0c7K4fnp1Q-V3SUNw/s1600/Gregg-Hurwitz-author-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PQaiaK7CF0gaFW7BQDGnTcVNSJPKM1hDHIAErUlu-0cMkZMFkaAp9y056hxlSmnhWzDMrDYR7-efJx6C6_W25T_bs9sVJSAL6Bd1NB_HW-DDApaF60ZDvbXvxa0c7K4fnp1Q-V3SUNw/s320/Gregg-Hurwitz-author-photo.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I didn't know what to expect from this at first, since I haven't read a whole lot of zombie-esque stories. However, I soon discovered that <i>The Rains</i> was one deliciously creepy, gory, electrifying read. There's nothing like a good ol' tale of survival, and <i>The Rains</i> brought me this, and much more. I thought the setting was really well described and added to the tension that ran through the story. The writing was also very evocative, and brought the setting and the characters very much to life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought the plot as a whole was carefully crafted, and near the end especially I found myself reading compulsively to find out what happened. Although the book ended on a cliffhanger, it still ended in a satisfying way and just made me the more eager to pick up the next book. Although I thought all the characters interacted really interestingly with each other, I didn't feel myself connecting that much to any of them in particular. This might be to do with the target age of the book; forgetting the gore and horror, I think it belongs with the lower age range of YA. I'm interested to see what character development occurs with the next book, and where the story goes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>The Rains</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rains-Brothers-Gregg-Hurwitz/dp/1405938285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545996611&sr=8-1&keywords=the+rains+gregg+hurwitz">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rains-Brothers-Gregg-Hurwitz/dp/1405938285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545996611&sr=8-1&keywords=the+rains+gregg+hurwitz</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Greg Hurwitz here: <a href="http://gregghurwitz.net/homepage-uk/">http://gregghurwitz.net/homepage-uk/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span></div>
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-57603049335425535032018-12-15T13:50:00.000+00:002018-12-15T13:50:49.182+00:00PULP BLOG TOUR | AUTHOR INTERVIEW | '5 Minutes With... Robin Talley'<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Saturday! Today I am thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the publication of the wonderful <i>Pulp</i> by Robin Talley! I am so excited to read this so I'm thrilled that she is appearing on my blog today to talk all things <i>Pulp, </i>YA literature, and the lesbian pulp fiction of the 1950s...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But first, check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSE6woQhYG1iylniNx_k1eyBEELP6JlGaNQRHDED4QNo54lm89EGQyaWs4-cBzEOKkvkLXnMtsJXmiRoe2x_ANSdL1GXMPKxONnm0vXkG2zGvIkZTLrIiQjvzQjdxw9cK5Ag1nc-vrv8/s1600/Pulp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSE6woQhYG1iylniNx_k1eyBEELP6JlGaNQRHDED4QNo54lm89EGQyaWs4-cBzEOKkvkLXnMtsJXmiRoe2x_ANSdL1GXMPKxONnm0vXkG2zGvIkZTLrIiQjvzQjdxw9cK5Ag1nc-vrv8/s400/Pulp.JPG" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I<i><span style="color: #351c75;">n 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It’s not easy being gay in Washington, DC, in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a newfound ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself—and Marie—to a danger all too real.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Sixty-two years later, Abby Zimet can’t stop thinking about her senior project and its subject—classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. Between the pages of her favorite book, the stresses of Abby’s own life are lost to the fictional hopes, desires and tragedies of the characters she’s reading about. She feels especially connected to one author, a woman who wrote under the pseudonym “Marian Love,” and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In this novel told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now I'd like to welcome Robin Talley to Delightful Book Reviews!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Hi Robin, and thanks for appearing on my blog! What was the inspiration behind Pulp?</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N4Y1nwHlW-O8bKKtewSgr8dDRXhtjmz_qw9F33RH4mTg4ZDyhhC5u-CBnQIjjK0ovwcuHDZK38uH7oyDfMK7E84SQdEexC2IZIC-MIbEAIFxncjWnN0hd6fTf19eXUnoMaQgQ4Ly8Xs/s1600/PULP_BlogTour+V2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N4Y1nwHlW-O8bKKtewSgr8dDRXhtjmz_qw9F33RH4mTg4ZDyhhC5u-CBnQIjjK0ovwcuHDZK38uH7oyDfMK7E84SQdEexC2IZIC-MIbEAIFxncjWnN0hd6fTf19eXUnoMaQgQ4Ly8Xs/s400/PULP_BlogTour+V2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I read one of the earliest lesbian pulp novels years ago when I was doing research for another book — Marijane Meaker’s groundbreaking Spring Fire, published in 1952. I was mesmerized, both by the story itself and by the world it presented. It focused on the relationship between two deeply closeted lesbians living in a time when being who they were meant having to go to extreme lengths to keep their sexuality a secret, and facing horrific consequences if they ever slipped up (which of course they did). I learned that there was an entire wave of these novels published in the U.S. and elsewhere, some of which sold millions of copies, all during a time and place when anyone who didn’t conform to expected norms faced terrible oppression. I wanted to explore that culture, and I thought it would be interesting to look at it through the lens of a teenage character in the present day — someone to whom all of this would seem like irrelevant ancient history, until she probes a little deeper and finds out it’s anything but.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Tell us a bit more about the main characters, Janet and Abby. Do you have anything in common with them?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Well, Janet’s an 18-year-old closeted lesbian living in 1955, and Abby’s a 17-year-old out-and-proud lesbian living in 2017, and I’ve never been either of those things (though I’m closer to Abby’s era than I am to Janet’s). But like the two of them I’m a proud, queer resident of Washington, D.C. And all three of us share a strong commitment to social justice.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Do you normally come up with plot or characters first?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t really varies from book to book. In the case of Pulp, I started with the plot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>What’s so special about YA literature?</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhI-aM8WI8qspHJFPASV5t_Kqx5d9KtkBbsMZQ8kVt4-IABNLRm0fxgzKc5g6Tq9qa4N6pSLiLDDT82Hdhb2qjIxu8i0khS3zTrB6JgAYOKokEBuuljgI2o4Jpdk-DIey48oH6yY4b8K4/s1600/Robin-Talley-High-Res-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhI-aM8WI8qspHJFPASV5t_Kqx5d9KtkBbsMZQ8kVt4-IABNLRm0fxgzKc5g6Tq9qa4N6pSLiLDDT82Hdhb2qjIxu8i0khS3zTrB6JgAYOKokEBuuljgI2o4Jpdk-DIey48oH6yY4b8K4/s1600/Robin-Talley-High-Res-200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">YA is all about the lives of teenagers, who are the most fascinating people out there. Teens are going through so many firsts in their lives, and they’re so passionate about what they’re doing and what they’re learning, not to mention the people in their lives. Living inside their heads and telling their stories is a lot more fun than thinking about adults all the time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>What advice would you offer aspiring writers?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First and foremost, read everything you can get your hands on. Every word you read, whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, books, stories, articles, or even fanfiction, gets absorbed into your brain and helps you develop your own writing style. Plus, it’s fun!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Sum up Pulp in three words…</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reading, writing, lesbians. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much, Robin, for appearing on my blog!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Buy <i>Pulp</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulp-inspiring-winning-author-Talley/dp/184845712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544812692&sr=8-1&keywords=pulp+robin+talley">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulp-inspiring-winning-author-Talley/dp/184845712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544812692&sr=8-1&keywords=pulp+robin+talley</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Robin Talley here: <a href="http://www.robintalley.com/">http://www.robintalley.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you guys check out the rest of the spots on the blog tour <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span><br />
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Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-10713432836319313612018-12-10T09:35:00.000+00:002018-12-10T09:35:31.735+00:00BOOK REVIEW | 'Small Spaces' by Sarah Epstein (****)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl54sHE2XxdNpnvrv7ncJdkxYtPNgUK-ny-ofeSyNjZe9ShHG_gFjeomh9NVz14of_WZ3ZTzowwnwhjYI6Zu6G8KtKXR5gvSn2VMZ_4eLVK4W2rLJx_KJs9lNlkk54wnD7uSrO5AbgXuo/s1600/36242050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl54sHE2XxdNpnvrv7ncJdkxYtPNgUK-ny-ofeSyNjZe9ShHG_gFjeomh9NVz14of_WZ3ZTzowwnwhjYI6Zu6G8KtKXR5gvSn2VMZ_4eLVK4W2rLJx_KJs9lNlkk54wnD7uSrO5AbgXuo/s320/36242050.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Monday! Today I am excited to be sharing a review with you of a brilliant YA thriller I read recently, called Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein. Small Spaces follows 17-year-old Natasha Carmody as she struggles to forget her troubled past, and move forward into a brighter future. A traumatic memory from her childhood occupies her mind, day and night: the day when six-year-old Mallory Fisher was abducted from a carnival. Tash saw who took her, but no one believed her. They still don't. Many years later, Tash has to wrestle with her own mind, and navigate around the murky dimension where imagination and reality combine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a copy of Small Spaces by Walker Books in exchange for an honest review <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>We don’t pick and choose what to be afraid of. Our fears pick us.</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tash Carmody has been traumatised since childhood, when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a carnival. At the time nobody believed Tash, and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing. </i></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>As disturbing memories resurface, Tash starts to see Sparrow again. And she realises Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth about a dark secret connecting them. Does Sparrow exist after all? Or is Tash more dangerous to others than she thinks?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As soon as I saw the blurb for this book, I knew it was one I had to read. I love psychological thrillers, and in my experience YA ones are especially good. The premise of this book was unlike anything I had read before, and I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. Epstein's writing is gorgeously detailed and deliciously creepy, and I found myself hanging onto every single word. Tash was not necessarily a likeable character, but her frustrations at not being heard or believed seeped out of the story and she went through a remarkable character development by the end of the book. I think the relationship between Tash and her mum was really well explored and interesting to read about. All of the characters in fact were very well-crafted and they all fit into the narrative seamlessly.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgWvPDyIch6jk1wzmNXJLV89-1obucsKdg_V-kVmhhyarLtSavoLcww3A95HL6DH7-c76wlCdaMdsou3TWqJIZam2A_XxImexi7Yya0E1sGUtKuju22yU4aOgkJIeX0KhZFk7PgsDy-I/s1600/pqdGY1MN_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgWvPDyIch6jk1wzmNXJLV89-1obucsKdg_V-kVmhhyarLtSavoLcww3A95HL6DH7-c76wlCdaMdsou3TWqJIZam2A_XxImexi7Yya0E1sGUtKuju22yU4aOgkJIeX0KhZFk7PgsDy-I/s320/pqdGY1MN_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think that the plot really drove the story forward and there were twists and turns in exactly the right moments. I really liked the excerpts of conversation between Tash and her psychologist; they gave an interesting background to the situation and allowed us to clearly see Tash's state of mind. Epstein clearly has a talent for creating a wonderfully dark and mysterious atmosphere, and although things didn't end up how I expected, I absolutely loved how the story ended up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Altogether I adored <i>Small Spaces</i> and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good creepy psychological thriller, that will keep you second guessing right until the very last page!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Small Spaces </i>here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Spaces-Sarah-Epstein-ebook/dp/B07BD5FQ73/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543766066&sr=1-1&keywords=small+spaces+sarah+epstein">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Spaces-Sarah-Epstein-ebook/dp/B07BD5FQ73/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543766066&sr=1-1&keywords=small+spaces+sarah+epstein</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Sarah Epstein here: <a href="https://sarahepsteinbooks.com/">https://sarahepsteinbooks.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99412511068682073.post-3060872092762532522018-12-06T07:36:00.000+00:002018-12-06T07:36:33.759+00:00DELIGHTFUL KIDS BOOKS | 'Watch This!' by Jane Godwin (****)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hey guys, and happy Thursday! Today I am excited to be back with my children's book feature. I know I haven't written a post in a while but I am thrilled that today I am celebrating the publication of a fantastic children's picture book, called <i>Watch This! Watch This! </i>is a brilliantly bold and fun celebration of shapes, colour and movement, and is a great way to teach children both about shapes and movement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was kindly sent a copy of <i>Watch This!</i> by Scribe publishing in exchange for an honest review <3</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5XcDoWqJKH9Gae7OKjsanpAMx1FRV8Yv5quKGbyDtT-bopBQhHjbeWFbWfQ03dWYvrMER4OdSd_bpIlmYbiq2kK-S3I6Xvh_5tE9hpqIiSSkrDQW9cDQ5_9eddDoXfgkvHN95wy7S58/s1600/9781925322774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5XcDoWqJKH9Gae7OKjsanpAMx1FRV8Yv5quKGbyDtT-bopBQhHjbeWFbWfQ03dWYvrMER4OdSd_bpIlmYbiq2kK-S3I6Xvh_5tE9hpqIiSSkrDQW9cDQ5_9eddDoXfgkvHN95wy7S58/s320/9781925322774.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Can you make a circle with your arms?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Or a triangle with your fingers?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>If we work together, we can make a rectangle, or even a pyramid.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>We can make lots and lots of shapes — just watch this!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A bold and playful celebration of movement, energy, pattern, colour and shape!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Watch This! is a groundbreaking modern photographic picture book about children using their bodies to make sense of shapes in a playful way, from three highly-acclaimed creators.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT2_uYw4DWhQP3sj4hkYBpXKOj_rR4_XHNzjreHIGiQ_qXuMHQGJRpuZnRwm5s3rf0E-PEslzb9yP0DHisMvPwp9LQw6KIODeFkBu2oGIt-BmiPP2x8aaAVcZP1-XsgczvqV0Ti0CCnc/s1600/JG%252520pub_shot%252520300%252520copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="700" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT2_uYw4DWhQP3sj4hkYBpXKOj_rR4_XHNzjreHIGiQ_qXuMHQGJRpuZnRwm5s3rf0E-PEslzb9yP0DHisMvPwp9LQw6KIODeFkBu2oGIt-BmiPP2x8aaAVcZP1-XsgczvqV0Ti0CCnc/s320/JG%252520pub_shot%252520300%252520copy.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Watch This!</i> is a brilliant picture book that exudes joy from every page, with the bright colours and lively text making it a great book to read aloud to small children. The pages are big and sturdy enough that they can help turn the pages too! The photographs by Hilary Walker and visual art by Beci Orpin just add to the vivacity of the book. This book teaches children shapes in a way I have never seen before, and I can imagine that children will be much more interested in seeing other children create the shapes, rather than them being just two-dimensional objects on a page. Godwin cleverly combines learning shapes and advocating fitness, and this is done so skillfully in this book. The fact that the children are named at the beginning of the book means that you can introduce them all to your child, incorporating memory and reading skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Altogether, <i>Watch This!</i> is a brilliantly inventive picturebook that is fun and colourful and can teach your child a lot. This book is recommended from 0-4 years, and makes the perfect book to read together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Buy <i>Watch This!</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-This-Jane-Godwin/dp/1911344951">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-This-Jane-Godwin/dp/1911344951</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Check out Jane Godwin here: <a href="http://www.janegodwin.com.au/">http://www.janegodwin.com.au</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until next time :)</span>Alix Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07542293719042271763noreply@blogger.com0