April Update – OWLs Magical Readathon

April 18, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends,

This month has been super busy already in my reading world. I’ve already passed last month’s read count of 5 books and I think that’s purely down to it being the Easter holidays and my motivation to try and pass all 12 exams in the OWLs Magical Readathon. If you’re not taking part in the Readathon or you want to know what it’s all about then you can see my previous post here.

The Goal:

Originally, I didn’t really have the time to browse the wonderful booklet of wizarding careers that G @book_roast had so lovingly created. I dove straight in at the deep end and made a TBR to try and complete all 12 OWLs, leaving my career options wide open.

OWLs completed so far:

✅Arithmancy: Work written by more than one author – Gemina (Illuminae Files #2)
✅Charms: Read an adult work – Five Give up the Booze
✅Defence Against the Dark Arts: Title starts with R – Red Queen
✅Divination: Set in the Future – Mirage
✅Potions: Sequel – The Lost Sisters
✅Transfiguration: Sprayed edges/red cover – Circle of Shadows

Currently in Progress:

Astronomy: Star in the title – Stardust
History of Magic: published at least 10 years ago – The Silmarillion

The Revised Plan:

Now that the Easter holidays are nearing an end, I know I’m going to have less time to get my reading done so I decided to narrow down the occupations and OWL Exams I definitely wanted to sit. I browsed the Wizarding Careers Guide and narrowed down my job choices to:

Astronomer
Hogwarts Professor
Librarian
Potioneer

True to my teacher roots, I think I’m going to end up going for Hogwarts Professor. To complete it I still need to pass Astronomy and Ancient Runes.
But then to be a Librarian/Astronomer I’ll still need to pass History of Magic…
And then… to be a Potioneer I’ll need to complete Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

So realistically I’ll still be attempting to complete 10/12

And here’s the funny part – I’ve already finished Divination and none of the career paths I’ve chosen require that. By the end of the readathon I guess I’m still aiming to complete 11 of 12 OWL exams – I guess I’ve really narrowed down my options haven’t I?!

Who’s doing the readathon? How’re you getting on? Are you on track for your career? Drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Top Ten Tuesday – Rainy Day Reads

April 16, 2019 The Biblioshelf8 Comments

Happy Tuesday Bibliofriends,

It seems like ages since last week’s Top Ten Tuesday but here it is again! TTT is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme was the top ten rainy day reads.

Now when I think of reading on a rainy day, I automatically visualise cosying up on the sofa with a blanket, my dogs and a hot chocolate. However, when it came to picking my top ten rainy day reads I noticed that they were starting to take on a beachy theme…so maybe I like to think of far-off, tropical places on a typically wet, grey, rainy day in the UK! Thumbnails should take you to Goodreads!

From Notting Hill With Love…Actually by Ali McNamara

Notting Hill is one of my all-time favourite movies, in fact I don’t think there’s a Richard Curtis film that I actually dislike! Therefore, it was a really easy decision to pick up this book and read it. Loved it, the perfect squashy sofa read!

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

I totally read this because of the movie… and although I think I prefer the film version, I’m such a bibliophile that I appreciate the origins of the story. Good old Bridget!

Destination Thailand by Katy Colins

This is the first in a series called The Lonely Hearts Travel Club and provided me with the perfect little bit of escapism I needed at the time of reading. It also made me want to visit Thailand where the rain is probably like liquid sunshine compared to the cold, wet drizzle we have over here.

The Sunshine and Biscotti Club by Jenny Oliver

Italy…my favourite real-world destination ever! Just thinking about this book gives me good vibes – Italy, sunshine and baking…what’s not to like? It’s a cute, easy read and brings back fond memories from when I was travelling through this beautiful country.

Fairytales – in any shape/form/variety/telling

I love fairytales and consider them to be a genre all of their own. That little bit of magic is all that’s needed to brighten up a rainy day so they definitely needed to feature somewhere in my list this week.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

This was the series that gave me my reading mojo back! Whilst I loved both the first book in the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses and the finale A Court Of Wings And Ruin, ACOMAF is the one that gave me all the feels! Rhysand fans…you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

The Agatha Raisin Series by M.C. Beaton

I bought the entire collection of these (there’s about 20 novels!) from The Book People a while back and they’re the perfect series to dip into, particularly on a rainy day. M.C. Beaton lives in a village not too far away from where I live either so it feels good to be reading a local author.

Gardens of Delight by Erica James

I’ve often spoken of my love for Summer by the Lake, and I picked up Gardens of Delight purely because it was also set in Italy and provides perfect ‘drizzle escapism’. I really enjoy all of Erica’s novels and was so thrilled when she commented on one of my Bookstagram pictures of Gardens of Delight last year.

The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March

I cannot tell you how much I love Meryl Streep; I will literally watch any film that she’s in (yes, even Hope Springs!). Set by the beach in Maine and based on a family who also love and watch Meryl Streep films, this is exactly the kind of book I will be reading when stuck inside. Mini warning: if you haven’t seen the films mentioned in this book then be prepared to read lots of film spoilers; sadly I had no such warning…but I really enjoyed the read so it didn’t matter too much.

And finally…have you guessed it yet?

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

If you’ve read any of my posts so far, you’ll know by now that I am definitely a self-confessed Potterhead! I will turn to this series come rain, come shine, come book hangover or come book-slump. It’s my ultimate go-to series in all times of need!

What makes it onto your list for rainy day reads? Do you like to make a bookish escape to warmer climes or do you like warm and fluffy tales to snuggle up to? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

5 Biblioshelf Musings about… Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

April 15, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

Series: Circle of Shadows #1
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Publication Date: 22^ndJanuary 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 454
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Circle of Shadows is the first instalment in a brand new series by Evelyn Skye and its filled with magic, friendships, ninja-style sass and a brand new tigerific world for us to get lost in. I was supposed to be reading this as a buddy-read on Instagram but the story just grabbed me and before I knew it I was near the end! Also, this formed as one of the twelve books on my TBR for the OWLs Magical Readathon so I was quite keen to motor through.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.
As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark.
So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.
Love, spies, and adventure abound as Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

Now this review was actually fairly difficult to write which is probably why it’s taken me so long to get it posted. I’ll go through my main musings about Circle of Shadows and then at the end I will attempt an overall verdict of this novel.

Tiger Tiger
A lot of things in this book are centered around tigers; even the Kingdom of Kichona itself. Maps in books are one of my favourite things ever and the map of Kichona at the beginning of this book did not disappoint. Shaped like a leaping Tiger, many aspects of the world are linked to parts of its anatomy: the eye is the Imperial City, Stiped Coves refer to the tiger’s infamous stripes and there’s even a town called Tiger’s Belly. Kichona gained its wealth from the Tiger Pearls which are fished from the waters around the island. Lastly, members of the famous ninja society at the centre of Circle of Shadows are called Taigas in honour of the animal and Kichona’s heritage. I loved that this motif ran through so many elements of the story. It really helped to blend the plot, storyline and characters all together.

Food Glorious Food
🚨WARNING: Do not read this book on an empty stomach if you like Asian food! Seriously, the mentions of foods in this book was vivid. Now I am a huge foodie so the way Evelyn Skye included these ‘taste notes’ when they were visiting different places around Kichona was a major factor in winning me over. Miso-glazed butter-fish, fried shrimp, bamboo shoots braised in sticky soy sauce, bacon-wrapped shrimp, ginger-honey chicken skewers, Autumn Festival cake (a ten layered cake rich with lemony yuzu and confectioners’ sugar)…need I go on? Take me to Tanoshi already, I’m salivating over here!

“Work Hard. Mischief Harder.”
Spirit (Sora), Wolf (Daemon), Fairy and Broomstick form as the main gang of characters within the story and I loved the vibes their friendship gave off throughout the novel. Their motto ‘Work hard. Mischief harder,” really encapsulated the way they stick by each other no matter what and put themselves in potentially hazardous or dangerous situations just to help each other out. It reminded me a little of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s relationship from the Harry Potter series. They really are a brilliant foursome.

From Forbidden Love to…a Love Triangle?!
Sora & Daemon/Fairy & Broomstick are geminas which means that they are bound together and can communicate emotions to each other through a bond (…think Rhysand and Ferye ACOTAR fans). Unfortunately for Daemon, geminas cannot form romantic relationships with each other so his feelings towards Sora are not only forbidden, but on Sora’s part they’re also seemingly unrequited. This forbidden love trope was quite subtly done throughout a majority of the book and Skye definitely didn’t overdo it or make it tacky – but then…without giving too much away, we seem to have an is it/isn’t it love triangle thrown in right towards the end which left me actually quite perplexed and slightly angry as it just didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story and the impressions I’d built up of these characters.

Shifting Perspectives
This story is told in the 3^rdperson and starts off primarily from Sora’s viewpoint. But then, as the plot gets more complex, we seem to have viewpoints from a whole host of other characters which at times left me confused as to who’s perspective I was actually reading from or where I was in the story. I guess the giveaway for the narration came from the fact that the first sentence in the chapter starts with the character’s name but the whole shifting perspectives kind of detracted me away from the flow of the story at times.

The whole idea of shifting kind of sums up what I really feel about this whole story. Whilst reading and being caught up in all that was going on I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The interactions between characters was fun and I did like them all. Even the villain had me doubting whether they were actually an enemy or just a victim of past suffering who genuinely believes their course of action is for the ‘greater good’.
The magic was intriguing. I was keen to find out how and why the Ryuu could use magic differently to the Taigas.
Skye’s narrative was were well-written in many places and I am partial to flowery descriptions of things.

It’s only when I sit back and try to pick apart the novel for a review where my opinions about it start to change. The plot is fairly predictable in places and the ending seemed to leave me with a strange feeling as if it had been rushed or had taken on a whole different tangent to what had been laid out in the rest of the novel.

Immediately after finishing it, I gave the novel 4 out of 5 and I do stand by that. There are plenty of things that I enjoyed and liked Circle of Shadows whilst reading. I will probably read the second one in the series to see where it all goes and if my questions are answered.

If you haven’t read Circle of Shadows yet and you’re going to give it a chance, I’d recommend you treat this as a fun read, don’t dissect it too deeply and just enjoy the ride.

Have you read Circle of Shadows yet? Did you have as many conflicting feelings as me? Drop me a comment and let me know!

T xx

Six for Sunday – Books from my Childhood

April 14, 2019 The Biblioshelf8 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

What a busy weekend it’s been! I’ve been to a wedding, a rugby match, an evening watching my friend’s band play at one of the bars in our local town and later I’m off to the cinema! I’ll be posting more about where I’m up to with my April TBR and the OWLs Magical Readathon in a mid-month update later this week. But for now, back to Six for Sunday!

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme. April is all about children’s literature and as a primary school teacher I am definitely ready for ‘Kids Lit Represent’!

This Sunday, we are discussing books from my childhood. There are so, so many books that could go on this list, and they’d pretty much be the same as last week’s Six for Sunday; so this is essentially another six books from my childhood that I love!

A Collection of Woodland Tales by Beryl Johnson, illustrated by Dorothea King

I rescued this book from our garage a few years back and it now sits safely on the ‘children’s books’ section of my bookshelves. The illustrations in this book are absolutely delightful and the tales about fairies having balls and drinking rainbows out of acorn cups are adorable! I used to love reading it as a child.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

A staple of any young child’s reading library. I think my copy had holes in the fruit to show you where he’d been eating. It also used to give you a clue as to what was coming on the next page. The teacher from my very first training placement even bought me a mug with this on.

My Annette Mills Gift Book 1954

This is a vintage book I had from my Nan and Grandad along with some other classics like the old Rupert the Bear annuals. I used to love looking at all the old pictures. I’d read the stories sat on a roll of carpet in their back garden. It’s books like these that bring that have really fond childhood memories attached to them.

1940s Cinderella by Trelleck

Another one of my rescues from my Grandparent’s house. This book is practically falling apart now so I keep it wedged flat between two other books and treat it with a lot of care. I’ve scoured it many times for a publication date but there doesn’t seem to be one and the only ones I’ve found for resale online say it was published in the 1940s. It’s quite worn and I’m sure my Nan even drew in it as a child so it probably isn’t worth as much as the proper vintage ones but it still has a special place on my shelf.

The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann / Buzz Books

As a child I used to love watching The Animals of Farthing Wood as an animated series on TV. They accompanied the TV programme with a set of 16 little hardback books by Buzz Books which were practically in the same style as Ladybird Books. I used to have the whole set all neatly ordered on the bookshelves in my bedroom. Now as an adult I also own the original Colin Dann book which is at an indefinable place on my ever-growing TBR pile.

The Tales of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter

These books were the absolute cutest! We used to travel to Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds very often when I was child. It is a beautifully picturesque place with the River Windrush running through it, where they sometimes play football in the river during the Summer months. They had a shop dedicated to Beatrix Potter andcentredaround the story of The Tailor of Gloucester. Every time we would visit I would come away with another one of those little books to add to my collection. I think Jemima Puddleduck and Benjamin Bunny were amongst my favourites!

What are some books from your childhood? Do you have still have them sat on your shelves at home today? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

Enjoy your Sunday Bibliofriends!

T xx

Friday 56 – Circle of Shadows

April 12, 2019April 10, 2019 The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Happy Friday Bibliofriends,

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

I recently finished Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye which came in the January Unbreakable Bonds Fairyloot box. It was such a stunning read. Admittedly I was supposed to be reading it as part of a readalong, however I just had to steam along and finish it. I’m hoping to get a review up fairly soon!

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.
As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark.
So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.
Love, spies, and adventure abound as Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

“The whole room seemed to pitch. Aki gripped the arm-rest of her chair. The last time Kichona had pitted magic against magic – The Blood Rift – was still raw in her memory. Aki had barely won that time, and she’d known it was coming because it was her brother she’d faced. But now? She couldn’t prevail if she didn’t know her enemy or what they were capable of.”

Thrown right into the action, there’s quite a lot going on which makes for a fast-paced read, a lot of it involves travelling around the world of Kichona, but Skye has created a beautiful Tiger-themed world so I was completely absorbed.

Have you read Circle of Shadows yet? Did you like it as much as I did? Drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

5 Biblioshelf Musings about…Mirage by Somaiya Daud [Spolier Free]

April 10, 2019 The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Series: Mirage
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (YA)
Publication Date: 28^thAugust 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 320
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Mirage is the debut novel from Somaiya Daud and is the first instalment in this Middle Eastern style Fantasy/Sci-fi series. There’s friendship, romance, droids, mythology and an epic planetary world for you to get your teeth stuck into. Here’s five spoiler-free musings I had about this brilliant novel.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and will travel beyond her isolated moon. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty – and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Maram vs Amani
Maram is supposed to be the villain of this story, yet somehow I found myself sympathising with her the more her character developed and extra details about her upbringing were revealed. Don’t get me wrong, she starts off quite cruel and nasty, however in reality she is just a product of the Vathek world she was raised in, thanks to her father King Mathis. Whether or not Maram is the tragic hero of the story is subjective but the relationship arc between her and Amani was probably my favourite part of the book. Amani’s character on the other hand was almost the opposite of Maram’s. A humble village girl who is stolen away from her family and made to live amongst the riches of the Royal Palaces. Sooner or later, she starts to embrace the world that she’s been forced into and takes on more than just the ‘body double’. The interactions between Maram and Amani and the role they play within the story was incredibly well-written and I found myself looking forward to the parts of the book where their characters would intersect. With the way Daud leaves the ending of the novel, I’m really intrigued to see what happens next to this pair of characters.

“Could I live my life knowing I’d never stepped close to such a flame? Could I exist in the Ziyaana knowing I had chosen my shadowed half life, had accepted a horrible changing in my soul, instead of reaching out with both hands with something that might remake me? Arinaas’s flame might char my skin and break my bones, but in the end I would emerge remade, newer and stronger and a version of myself no one could snuff out.”

Mythology
If you love mythology and fairytales, particularly those with an Arabian feel, then Mirage should appeal to you. Myths, legends and folklore are the undercurrent within the novel and this is what gives it that fantasy-like feel. The stories of the Tesleet bird and Massinia, to name just a few, help to pad the story out and give what is a relatively thin plot more substance. In turn, they also add to the amazing world-building created by Daud.

“Hope. Hard won, soaked in blood, a hope that burned as much as it lit her way.”

World-Building

First off, the map at the beginning of this book is gorgeous. There are so many places in the world of Andala. If I could hop on a space-shuttle right now, I absolutely would. The Ouamalich Star System is so wide and vast; there are many, many places listed in this fabulous world that Somaiya has created and whilst a lot of them are mentioned and visited, a fair few are left unexplored. I’m hoping that they will have a part to play in the future of the series. To back this up, the writing in Mirage is incredibly rich. It appeals to practically every sense…and then some! I love a story where the writing is lyrical and descriptive so this is probably why Mirage appealed to me so much.

“I could feel the water in the air, cool, thin, but there. It carried with it the smell of lemons and oranges, and the sound of a hundred trees, waving gently in the wind.”

The Vathek
The Vathek are really the main drivers for the plot in this story. After all, they are the ones who have taken over the Andala Star System and imposed their rule. That being said, I would have liked so much more of the Vathek from this book. The storyline is fairly narrow and thin: girl gets taken from her home moon to be the body double of the princess and then faces the challenges that being the heir of an invasive regime brings. There’s a backdrop of a resistance which is lightly touched upon, the beginnings of a romance, which is subtle and twee but that (being honest) I didn’t really buy into. I can’t really explain why the Vathek wanted to take over Andala or what their motivations are within the book. We don’t really see a lot of King Mathis at all and to me, he is supposed to be the real villain as opposed to Maram. Hopefully these will get picked up more within the next book.

“In my experience, fear and hatred are great motivators for great evils.”

Sci-Fi vs Fantasy
Is Mirage Sci-fi? Is it Fantasy?
If you’re not a Sci-fi fan, don’t be put off by the fact that this book takes place in a star system…it really isn’t your classical sci-fi novel. When Maram is first described as half-Vathek, I had some strange image in my head that she was half-human/half-robot. I don’t tend to read a lot of Sci-fi stories and for the first part of this book, I couldn’t really get my head around the fact that all of the characters in the story are human beings. The only real Sci-fi parts are the fact that they live on planets and moons in a star system, travel between those planets and moons on space-crafts and use droids as their servants. (Note to self: Vatheks are not robots!) Other than that, the rest of the novel has a fantasy-like feel. It is rich in terms of characters, both living and mythological. You can easily forget that this story takes place in a star system far, far away.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Mirage. The best way I can think to describe it is like an Arabian Star Wars story (I even pictured King Mathis as a bit like Darth Vadar if I’m being totally honest). It’s got brilliant female characters, an incredibly exotic world and a folklore all of its own. Daud really has the scope and ability to turn Mirage into a thrillingly exciting series, I can’t wait to see if she takes us there!

Have you read Mirage? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Top Ten Tuesday – Outrageous Things I’ve Done For the Love of Books

April 9, 2019April 8, 2019 The Biblioshelf3 Comments

Hey there Bibliofriends,

It’s Top Ten Tuesday time again! TTT is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme was the top ten outrageous things I’ve done for the love of books.

Now there is no way I can think of ten outrageous things I’ve done for the love of books. Being an INFJ personality type I’m only really outrageous in my head as opposed to my actions. In fact, apart from one anecdote which I’ll be sharing with you below, I don’t think I have actually done anything that outrageous for the love of books.

Without bursting into a Cher song, if I could turn back time I probably would have been one of those people in fancy dress queuing up outside their local Waterstones at midnight waiting for the release of the latest Harry Potter…that would be pretty outrageous…

I once got my friend to rip off part of an open wallpaper roll in John Lewis so I could use it as a background for a Bookstagram theme, which consequently was never used. I was worried we’d be chased down by store assistants or the alarms would go off when we left with it but they didn’t. At the time that felt kind of outrageous…

But probably the most outrageous thing I’ve ever done for the love of books is that I stole a book. Confession time! Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time, there was a young girl called The Biblioshelf. To save her from utter boredom during the long summer break, her friend invited her on holiday with two strangers whom she had never met before. They boarded a flying metal can (commonly known as an aeroplane) where they were packed into plasticky seats like tinned sardines. Less than two hours later they were heaving their suitcases up the steep, cobbled paths of Edinburgh.
By day the girl spent her time wandering alone around the city; taking Harry Potter tours, visiting the Palace of Holyrood, exploring the Castle and climbing Arthur’s Seat. When the darkness came, her friend and the strangers would take her to comedy events and shows which formed part of a festival called The Fringe. From the Underbelly to Cowgate, The Banshee Labyrinth to Stramash, they took The Biblioshelf from place to place making her watch shows where people would tell jokes or funny anecdotes. Afterwards they would wile away the midnight hours and end up in bars along the Royal Mile singing and dancing with yet more strangers and their guitars.
On one of these nights, whilst seeking a table in an upstairs mezzanine of a loud folk bar, The Biblioshelf felt a gravitational pull to a nook towards the rear of the bar. There, hidden in a gloomy, unlit alcove near a large squashy sofa was a grand bookcase which was filled from floor to ceiling with books. Sitting upon the sofa, the girl immediately began perusing the spines, her eyes taking in the riches before her. One such tome seemed to call out to her and she pulled it down from the shelf. The book was all about William Wallace, the famous Scottish Knight most notably played by Mel Gibson in the popular film Braveheart. Now that she held a little bit of Scottish history in the palms of her hands, she couldn’t bear to part with it. It would be the perfect souvenir and memento of her amazing trip.
Upon leaving the bar, before she even knew what she was doing, she slipped the book inside her coat. All night long she carried it around, tucked secretly away underneath the fabric. She kept the book hidden all of the way home, her friends not even noticing the crime that had taken place that evening right underneath their noses.

There you have it – not the most outrageous story you’ll ever hear and I’m sure I wasn’t the first or only person to take one of those books off that shelf from that bar. I honestly can’t even say why I did it but I still have that book about William Wallace sitting on my bookshelf at home. Every time I see it, it brings back extremely fond memories of a great trip to Edinburgh and is definitely the most outrageous thing I’ve ever done for the love of books.
P.S. – please don’t report me to Bibliostealers Anonymous!

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done for the love of books? Share your stories in the comments or feel free to leave me a link to your blog.

T xx

Six for Sunday – Children’s Books I Love

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

A new month brings a new bookish prompt in Six for Sunday world.

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme. April is all about children’s literature and as a primary school teacher I am definitely ready for ‘Kids Lit Represent’!

This Sunday, we are discussing children’s books we love. This was quite a difficult topic in many ways; not because I can’t think of any books I loved…but because as a child, I would always have my nose in a book. Many of them have a place in my heart for multiple reasons that I could probably write a Sixty for Sunday instead. I also feel that the meanings of books, or the reasons why you fell in love with them changes as you get older and the morals and messages translated within them also take on new life as society changes and adapts to our modern world. To me, this is why children’s literature is so fascinating; you could read it at different times or stages of your life and still take away something new.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Now… yes, I talk about this series a lot; yes, it features in nearly, but not every, list I write about books; yes, I am positive this comes under the umbrella of children’s books which is why it’s here!

Not only did this book keep my love for reading alive, even through those teenage years when “reading wasn’t cool unless you were reading Cosmo or one of your Nan’s Mills & Boon novels” (you can’t see me air-quoting and eye-rolling but believe me, I am…), it has also inspired so many children I have taught to actually pick up a book by choice rather than their Xbox or Nintendo and start to enjoy reading. That’s just one reason why I love it and why it’s here.

Wizziwig the Witch by Geraldine McCaughrean

When I was at primary school, my Mum was doing a course which involved going to the library a lot to use the computers; this was the 90s after all and we didn’t have one at home yet. When I went with her after-school, I would have the entire run of the Kids’ section, which was huge to a 7 year old. It was filled with squashy beanbags in reading nooks and was decorated with brightly painted animals on the walls. It really was a special place. Whilst there I read so many books, but one set that stood out was a set all about Wizziwig the Witch by Geraldine McCaughrean. I’ve mentioned them in a previous post but I never see these books anymore so they’re probably out of print. I’d hire them out of the library multiple times just to reread them. There was one with a crazy cooker, a singing car, a sweet machine and I’m sure there was another one with either a washing machine…or it could have been a time machine! Either way, I loved these books so much that I wanted to grow up and BE Wizziwig!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This was my first ever Roald Dahl book and it was a prize won from cereal tokens. I remember collecting the tokens, sending them off, then sitting on the stairs every morning waiting for my book to come in the post. When it did…😍Roald Dahl really is a staple in any children’s literature list; his storytelling is amazing and his books just seem to have an edge that others didn’t. Perhaps it was because he made up words such as ‘snozzcumber’, or perhaps it was because he created a plethora of amazing characters which were either talking animals, dream-eating giants or witches who hated children. I could have included any of his books here, but the whole pretense of waiting for a book to arrive in the post – let’s face it, this was my first ever book mail – and then finding out it’s all about a boy who inherits a chocolate factory…what kid wouldn’t love that!

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood

As a child this book scared me slightly, however I used to know the words off by heart as it had lines which were repeated at certain points throughout the story and the plot was so cleverly constructed. Heckedy Peg is a witch who lures away a Mother’s children whilst she is out at the market. She turns them into items of food and their Mother, after she has tracked down Heckedy Peg, has to guess which of her children is which to break the spell and get them back. For children it’s a pretty frightening story which shows you what can happen if you disobey your parents and let strangers into your house. The illustrations were fantastic and highly detailed too.

The Red Herring Mystery by Paul Adshead

Part story, part activity book I loved trying to solve the mystery of who stole the ruby red herring. You had to use the text and the pictures to solve the clues and work out who the thief was. In true crime novel style, all of the characters had a hidden motive and backstory which attempted to catch you out. All of the pictures in the book also had a number of hidden fish and you had to try and find them all. It kept me entertained for ages and is still on my bookshelves today.

Flotsam by David Wiesner

Although this is a picture book it is one of my all-time favourites. It was the winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2007. I only discovered it a few years ago when I went on some English training for school. The two ladies who lead the course showed us how you could plan an entire curriculum topic just from that one book. It’s really changed my attitude to teaching through texts in the classroom. The illustrations are stunning and the story takes a few twists and turns that you don’t expect. I’d strongly recommend any teacher, or anyone who loves picture books to pick Flotsam up.

Looking back on this now, I can see why I tend to read so many fantasy stories. They’re all about witches or magic on some way, shape or form. Others that didn’t quite make my list are:

Anything from Usbourne where you had to try and fins the duck hidden in the illustrations
Where’s Wally– can you tell I like finding things in pictures…?
Care of Henry by Anne Fine– A cute dog story where the cover had Henry’s name fit really snuggly onto his collar.
Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley– I read this in secondary school and bought a copy for myself a few years back.
The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan– another great one for the classroom!
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt(illustrations by Oliver Jeffers) – another great teaching resource

What would make your top list of children’s books you love? Have you read any of the ones on my list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

Enjoy your Sunday Bibliofriends!

T xx

O.W.L.s Magical Readathon – April TBR

April 6, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends!

I already posted my Spring TBR in a Top Ten Tuesday post which you can read here.

But then… I discovered the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon hosted by Book Roast, who I must say has put in a commendable and tremendous amount of work to make the accompanying booklets that go with this readathon. As soon as I saw it, all other plans went out of the window! I remember seeing this last year and got super excited but it was far too late to get involved. By happenstance, it popped up somewhere on my feed at the end of March as a sort of ‘divine reminder’ to prep for it this year.

If you don’t know what the Magical Readathon is then you can check out some info Book Roast’s YouTube channel here.

I haven’t picked my Wizarding Career yet so I’m just going to try and work through as many O.W.L Exams as I can and see where that leaves me towards the end of the month.

Here is my TBR for the 2019 O.W.L examinations. I’m still looking for an Astronomy book so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to drop me a comment and let me know!

Subject	Prompt	Title
Ancient Runes	Retelling	Reflection by Liz Braswell [Disney Twisted Tales]
Arithmancy	Work written by more than one author	Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Astronomy	“Star” in the title
Care of Magical Creatures	Land animal on the cover	The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Charms	Age-line: Read and adult work	Five Give Up the Booze by Bruno Vincent
Defence Against the Dark Arts	Reducto: title starts with the letter R	Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Divination	Set in the future	Mirage by Somaiya Daud ✅
Herbology	Plant on the Cover	To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
History of Magic	Published at least 10 years ago	The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien
Muggle Studies	Contemporary	Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Potions	Next ingredient: Sequel	The Lost Sisters by Holly Black OR Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Transfiguration	Sprayed Edges	Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

Are you taking part in the O.W.Ls Magical Readathon this month? What career are you aiming for? Which books made it onto your TBR? Drop me a comment to chat!

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday Bibliofriends. Happy reading!

T xx

Friday 56 – Mirage

April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

FriYAY Bibliofriends!

In Teacher-life we have broken up for the Easter holidays! I’m really looking forward to having some time to catch up with friends, family and of course…my TBR pile!

Rules:

I’m currently reading Mirage by Somaiya Daud in a bid to catch up with my unread Fairyloot books. My edition has an exclusive cover and vibrant purple sprayed edges.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

No longer prey, she said, as if I hadn’t been exactly that from the moment of my arrival. “I don’t understand.”
“Walk with a straight back” – she snapped the thin whip at my back – “with your shoulders and head high,” – another snap at my neck. “Again.”
And again and again.

It’s a bit like a Middle Eastern, Star Wars-esque kind of story and so far I’m really enjoying it. I honestly don’t know what is going to happen towards the end and I’m intrigued to see how the plot develops and where it goes. The scope for dangers is so huge that I’m desperate to find out what happens!

Have you read Mirage yet? What did you think? Drop me a comment to chat!

Happy weekend, whatever your plans are!

T xx