Category: Six for Sunday

Six For Sunday – Favourite Book 1 in a Series

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Hello Biblioshelf Friends,

I hope you have been having a good week. I have felt incredibly productive with work this week as well as finally getting round to finishing my OWLs exams for the Magical Readathon. I’ll be posting a Readathon Wrap soon so watch out for that one!

As we are now into May, we are kicking off a brand new Six For Sunday theme which is all about ‘showing some series love’. 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.

This week’s S4S is based on Favourite Book 1s in a series – initially I thought this was going to be really hard as it’s becoming a bit of an ongoing affliction that I start a series and then never get around to buying any of the sequels. I just can’t seem to shake off! Anyway, a quick scroll through the bible that is Goodreads helped me to come up with these. All heading titles link to Goodreads!

S4S 03.05.20

  1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
    I totally devoured this book and loved it a smudge more than the sequel Crooked Kingdom. I was a little apprehensive going into this duology as I couldn’t really understand the hype surrounding the Shadow and Bone series but I am so glad I read them that way round.
  2. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C Dao
    This Evil Queen retelling was just something else. I was gripped to every last word on every page. The sequel definitely had a different feel to me as the perspective changed from Xifeng in the first novel to Jade in the second. I think that’s why I preferred the first novel more.
  3. Everless by Sara Holland
    Another fantasy where I was blown away by the first one then slightly disappointed by the sequel. I could not put Everless down, yet Evermore felt like it had lost all of the things which I had loved so much about the first one.
  4. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
    For me this introduction to the world of Caraval was by far my favourite. It was filled with so much magic and wonder. In that first book none of us quite knew the character traits and how the game worked so everything was just that little bit more mysterious.
  5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
    How on earth could the original tear-jerking starter be outdone by it’s sequels? For me, it just couldn’t. As much as I adored Lou, there just seemed to be something so final after this first book that I think I would have been happy had it just been a standalone.
  6. From Notting Hill With Love… Actually by Ali McNamara
    The set-up of this novel was so brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed it however when I read the others in the series, they just seemed to become slightly formulaic.

There we go, my Six For Sunday favourite firsts in the series! What have you read? What firsts in a series were your absolute favourites. Drop me a comment or leave me your link to your own Six For Sunday below!

T xx

Six For Sunday – Books on my TBR because of someone else’s recommendation

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Happy Sunday everyone!

I hope you have been having a good week wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. This week has left me particularly exhausted so I was really glad for the weekend to be here as it has given me a chance to slow down, take a breath and try and finish my books for the OWLs Magical Readathon! I’ve been participating with two friends which has been brilliant motivation to try and stick with the TBR I set myself. I’ve also been making sure to catch up with other friends which resulted in a 2 hour WhatsApp video call on Saturday morning! We clearly needed it to chat through all that has been going on!

Speaking of friends, this week’s Six for Sunday is all about the books on my TBR because of someone else’s recommendation and these have all come from my nearest and dearest book lovers. 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. All synopses from Goodreads.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar empire where planetary dynasties are controlled by noble houses that owe an allegiance to the imperial House Corrino, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides (the heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and heir of House Atreides) as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the ‘spice’ melange, the most important and valuable substance in the cosmos. The story explores the complex, multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion as the forces of the empire confront each other for control of Arrakis.

This book was gifted to me for Christmas by one of my friends called Phil. We all co-host a Film Club together where we live and he often gets me books to bring out the inner sci-fi fan in me. As this is coming to movie theatres very soon, or was until Covid-19 hit, I definitely think I want to read it before it comes out in the cinemas.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant [pre-order]

Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris’s criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.

In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina’s life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father’s fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger–the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh–Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice–protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.

My friend and fellow Potterhead @Megalynreads (stop by on Twitter and say hello) suggested this book in our reading group. With a love for fantasy and musicals this ‘Les Mis meets Six of Crows’ retelling went straight onto the pre-order pile. It’s released in June this year and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

I know this book has good standing in the bookish community but it is one I simply have not got around to reading. When our teaching WhatsApp group shared their reads during lockdown, one of my fellow teachers recommended that I should pick it up soon and also suggested the audiobook as well.

Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin

Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own?

Then she finds a mannequin hand while salvaging on the beach—the first boy’s hand she’s ever held—and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.

This is another Phil recommendation which he also gifted to me – we often have arguments disagreements about artificial intelligence so I think this is part of his plot to turn me into a robot sympathiser – gotta say though, after recently finishing Clockwork Prince I’m not sure I’m going to be on the side of the robots any time soon!

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

‘Armageddon only happens once, you know. They don’t let you go around again until you get it right.’
People have been predicting the end of the world almost from its very beginning, so it’s only natural to be sceptical when a new date is set for Judgement Day. But what if, for once, the predictions are right, and the apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?
You could spend the time left drowning your sorrows, giving away all your possessions in preparation for the rapture, or laughing it off as (hopefully) just another hoax. Or you could just try to do something about it.
It’s a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon now finds themselves in. They’ve been living amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.
And then there’s the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist…

Another one of my friends Stephen absolutely loves Terry Pratchett and as this is a crossover between him and one of my all-time favourite authors, Neil Gaiman, then I couldn’t resist downloading this on audiobook when it came up on special offer in the iBooks store.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Hannah, one of my longest friends and fellow Potterhead (and sister of Megalynreads) suggested this series to me. I think I set her off on the Sarah J Maas train so after sharing our love of all things Rowling (therefore by proxy Robert Galbraith) she though I’d really enjoy this series so I can’t wait to get started on them too!

That brings me to the end of this week’s Six For Sunday. Have you read any of these? Which one should I get started with first? Feel free to share your own Six For Sunday links below for me to check out.

Have a good week everyone. Stay safe!

T xx

Six for Sunday: The Year 6 Takeover! 2019 Kids Lit Must Reads

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Hi there Bibliofriends,

So this post was supposed to be published in time for the final Sunday of April…however, if you’ve ready my monthly wrap up then you’ll probably work out that I was a hen-party weekend which is why I didn’t get around to posting it but… here it is!

The final ‘Kids Lit Represent’ Six for Sunday for April is centred around 2019 Kids Lit Must Reads. 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.

Now even though I’m a primary school teacher, I don’t tend to read a lot of “Kids Lit” anymore as I’m always busy reading YA Fantasy or Adult books. However, the Year 6s I teach definitely love their reading; one of them seems to be permanently engrossed in a book even in the middle of lessons… So to help me out this week, I decided to give them some time during their reading sessions to browse the online shelves and come up with their Top 7 Kids Lit releases of this year (I know it’s 6 for Sunday, but 7 for Sunday is still as alliterative!).

Here’s what they came up with (synopses from Goodreads):

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
Publication date: 15th January

To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

I like this book because the cover of it looks amazing and I think it will be a great book to read. I also like it because the genre is sci-fi and I really like sci-fi novels. It has a fox/wolf on the cover of it and I love wolves and foxes.

Guinness World Records 2020
Published on: 27 August 2019

Fully revised and updated, the record-breaking compendium of superlatives is back and bursting with facts, figures and incredible stories – each one selected to inspire you to learn about the fascinating world we live in… and to break records of your own.

In a series of 11 fact-packed chapters, we introduce you to the record-holders who’ve pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. Meet…

• The adventurers who trek, swim, ski, climb and fly to all four corners of the globe
• The real-life cyborgs who augment their bodies with cutting-edge technology
• The painters, sculptors, musicians and moviemakers taking performance art to new levels
• The stars of social media generating millions of views on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
• The athletic legends who continue to raise the bar in the world of sports

But it’s not only human beings who set records. Explore the wilder side of life with 24 pages of record-breaking animals, and take a trip around the world to visit the most awe-inspiring sights on each continent!

Plus, we investigate 10 record-breaking robots to find out what makes them tick. And look out for our exciting new “Snapshot” feature, in which our digital artists put a unique visual spin on some iconic record-holders such as the largest ever crocodile, the richest person on Earth and the tallest living tree – prepare to be amazed!

The Guinness World Records is a great book because you can see lots of cool stuff and what epic things people do in the world. They do things like the most people in a car, the biggest vehicle in the world the amount of food people eat in a certain time and many more crazy challenges. I like it because you can see all the high scores in the Olympics sports around the world. Also you don’t have to read it properly you can just scan through. Sometimes it is nice to have a change from reading a normal book.

One Speck of Truth by Caela Carter
Published: March 5th 2019

Alma has everything she needs, except answers to her questions. Her mother won’t tell her why her beloved stepfather, Adam, is suddenly gone this summer. Or about life in Portugal, where her parents met. Not even about her father, who Alma cannot find, no matter how many graveyards she searches with her best friend, Julia.

Then Alma’s mother shocks her by moving them both to Lisbon so Alma can fall in love with the vibrant city where her father grew up. There she discovers she has more family than she could have imagined.

She hopes Portugal holds the answers she’s been desperately searching for, but it turns out finding the truth may be more complicated than she, or her mother, bargained for.

This book sounds good because it is interesting and it looks easy to read. It sounds like there are a lot of mysteries. I think a lot of mysteries is good because it makes you want to read more. The front page also looks cool which is one of the best things about this book.

Skulduggery Pleasant Bedlam by Derek Landy

Published: 30/05/19

I want to read this the most because I am exited to see what happens after the book Midnight where Abyssinia is trying to find her son that Cardevourus kidnaps and lots of people die as she is actually a mad psychopath. Lord Vile is Skulduggery Pleasant’s evil form from when he used to be a necromancer. Skulduggery Pleasant is an amazing series where there is many unexpected twists like the necromancers trying to find a death bringer to kill half the world’s population and his side kick called Valkerie Cain which is French for go forwards. Valerie Cain’s evil form Darquesse would have destroyed the world.

THE DOG WHO SAVED THE WORLD by Ross Welford
Published: April 4th2019

When eleven-year-old Georgie befriends an eccentric retired scientist, she becomes the test subject for a thrilling new experiment: a virtual-reality 3D version of the future.

But then a deadly disease threatens the life of every dog in the country and Georgie’s beloved dog, Mr Mash, gets sick. And that’s only the start of her troubles.

Soon, Georgie and Mr Mash must embark on a desperate quest: to save every dog on earth, and maybe even all of humanity …

… without actually leaving the room.

An extraordinary quest with the biggest stakes of all, and a huge idea at its heart, this is time travel – but not as you know it.

We like this book because we all love dogs and the book also looks very eye catching. We also like the fact that the book is based on a girl who is taking the act of kindness against diseased animals. Although her dog is sick, she decided to take her dog along with her in her mammoth quest to save all dogs. The reason why all dogs have been diseased is because an experiment that was held on the girl had gone wrong. The genre of this book is science fiction.

The Fork, The Witch And The Worm by Christopher Paolini
Published: 1st January 2019

A wanderer and a cursed child. Spells and magic. And dragons, of course.

Welcome back to the world of Alagaësia. It’s been a year since Eragon departed Alagaësia in search of the perfect home to train a new generation of Dragon Riders. Now he is struggling with an endless sea of tasks: constructing a vast dragonhold, wrangling with suppliers, guarding dragon eggs, and dealing with belligerent Urgals and haughty elves. Then a vision from the Eldunarí, unexpected visitors, and an exciting Urgal legend offer a much-needed distraction and a new perspective. This volume features three original stories set in Alagaësia, interspersed with scenes from Eragon’s own unfolding adventure. Included is an excerpt from the memoir of the unforgettable witch and fortune-teller Angela the herbalist . . . penned by Angela Paolini, the inspiration for the character, herself! Relish the incomparable imagination of Christopher Paolini in this thrilling new collection of stories based in the world of the Inheritance Cycle.

The Fork, The Witch and The Worm is a hardback cover book with outstanding reviews. Christopher Paolini’s book costs £7.79. It has 3.6 stars out of 5 stars. Most children who have happily read this spectacular book have commented that the tales are very similar to the tales from Volume 1: Eragon. This book is aimed in the age bracket of 9-12.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! 2020

Published: October 17th 2019

THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF WEIRD

Ripley’s is back! This year’s blockbuster annual contains the scariest, grossest and funniest stories from around the world, including:

– The man who lived in a sand castle for twenty years
– The cat who was born with twenty-eight toes
– The restaurant that served a burger made out of worms

. . . and much, much more.

Brimming with mind-boggling stories and eye-popping photographs, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! 2019 is the perfect gift for anyone who is fascinated by the stranger side of life on earth.

We have chosen Ripley’s because it is easy to read and has extremely rad facts occasionally. It can help with school work, especially your topic. There are things about animals and tribes from around the world. It shows exciting and adventurous people with a wide variety of talents. It even goes to the extreme point of the world’s longest pizza which measures 5 miles long. 

There you have it – some of them definitely like their books on the quirkier side!

What Kid’s Lit books are you looking forward to in 2019? Drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

Six for Sunday – Books from my Childhood

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Six for Sunday – Children’s Books I Love

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

Six for Sunday – Debut Books and Authors

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Six For Sunday – Debut Books and Authors

Like a lot of us, I own way too many books! I would say that my TBR would be reaching, if not exceeding, the 100 mark and as we are planning on moving house fairly soon I’ve been on a self-imposed book buying ban since January (my Fairyloot subscription box doesn’t count!). Amazingly, I have been able stick to this and even more amazingly, I have been able to visit bookshops without buying anything! 😱 Most of my YA Fantasy books tend to come from my Fairyloot box therefore this year I’m trying to branch out and read more widely around the genre, especially as there are so many amazing authors and novels out there. I thought I would base my Six for Sunday this week on six debut books and authors which are on my TBR that I haven’t got around to buying/reading yet. Six for Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Steph @A Little But A Lot   Pictures, title links and synopses all thanks to Goodreads.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tori Adeyemi34728667

This is one of those books that I saw hyped up all over social media, so when I saw it last year on the shelves of Tesco no less… I had to buy it straightaway. I’ve heard lots of good thing so I’m really hoping that I’ll get to it at some point this year.

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

34726469The blurb of this sounded amazing and I loved the Viking vibe as it added a new dimension to the YA Fantasy genre back when it was released last year. Sadly, I haven’t got around to reading it yet but I’ve heard that the audiobook is supposed to be good so I’m tempted to try that.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Wicked Deep was another one of my impulse buys – purely because the title seemed to refer to the ocean/sea (and I still have no clue whether this book does or not!). It was also in one of those rare 3 for 2 offers that real-life bookshops seem to be doing less these days so Win/Win! It’s on my 2019 TBR pile…35297394

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

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I remember when this book came out; there was an interview on BBC with Samantha and I am positive that I heard this was a 7 novel series and the film rights had already been sold before the book was even published. Now whether that’s still true I’m not entirely sure, but this is one of those ‘must-read’ series I keep hearing about over and over again so I’m interested in getting around to reading it.

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab

42370636*Shock alert* – I have not read a single V.E. Schwab book! My mission for this year is to at least make a start and what better way then with the republication of her debut novel. I really liked the way that Schwab said the only thing she would change about it was the cover, rather than any of the actual writing. She also made a post on Instagram recently which was one of those meaningful comments which come into life at the exact moment you need to hear it (I had to write it down and stick it into my diary straightaway). I’m really hoping I love her work just as much as the hype suggests I will!

All-new deluxe edition of an out-of-print gem, containing in-universe short story “The Ash-Born Boy” and a never-before-seen introduction from V.E. Schwab.

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

 

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

36430989Ok, I know this book is not quite published yet, however I am so excited for this release and the cover looks beautiful. My bookstagram is full of people who seem to be loving this! It may very well be the book to break my self-imposed book buying ban for!

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her.

Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

There we have it – six debut books and authors that are on my never-ending TBR list. Have you read any of these? Which one should I start first? Drop me a comment, I love to chat!

T xx

Six for Sunday – Favourite Genre

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Happy Sunday bibliofriends!

Six for Sunday was quite an open topic this week with it being ‘Favourite Genre’ so I went for six sequels from my favourite genre, YA Fantasy, that I’m really looking forward to reading.

Ever since I caught wind of ‘bookstagram’, I kept seeing pictures of absolutely gorgeous books. It was all I needed to kick my reading habit into overdrive and all of sudden I just had to have a book subscription box and get my hands on all of the books I had seen hyped and raved about all over Instagram.

So rather than list six of my all-time favourite YA Fantasy novels (which the universe could probably guess anyway…) I thought I would list 6 YA Fantasy sequels that are on my ‘got-to-get-my-hands-on’ list which I haven’t got around to reading yet or are due to be released within the next year.

  • Rage by Cora Carmack

Sequel to: Roar

I loved the elemental magic in Roar and the way they harnessed the power of storms. I’ve heard some fairly mixed reviews about this story and I feel like it’s one of those marmite ones that people either love or hate – obviously I’m in the ‘love-it’ camp! Bring on Rage!

  • Fierce Like A Firestom by Lana Popović

Sequel to: Wicked Like a Wildfire

Wicked Like a Wildfire was so beautifully written. The magic was quite different to anything I’d read before and the way the author set the scene and described Cattalo (the real-life city Kotor) in Montenegro made me put the place on my travel bucket-list!

  • Shadow and Flame by Mindee Arnett

Sequel to: Onyx and Ivory

Now I don’t know whether or not Mindee Arnett intended to write a seemingly real-life message into the heart of her story, but the way I interpreted the magists and their monopoly on magic in Rime made me draw so many parallels with the way our world is governed today by huge corporations and organisations. Obviously I really enjoyed the story as well, particularly the cast of characters. As I’ve only recently finished reading it I’m hoping to get a Biblioshelf Musings written up fairly soon.

  • All the Wandering Light by Heather Fawcett

Sequel to: Even the Darkest Stars

I remember being really sucked into this story. The mountain setting was so dramatic and really heightened the tension. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

  • Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao

Sequel to: Empress of a Thousand Lanterns

Empress of a Thousand Lanterns was one of my favourite reads from last year. This Evil Queen retelling was riveting and I’m so keen to find out how that dramatic ending all panned out!

  • Evermore by Sara Holland

Sequel to: Everless

The premise of Everless really sucked me in! The idea of letting your blood and using the iron in it to make money – the literal meaning of ‘time is money’ was such a brilliant concept. Add to that the legendary tale of the Alchemist and the Sorceress that weaves through the narrative…This sequel was immediately added to my TBR after closing the last page of Everless.

 So there you have it, have you read any of these books? What YA Fantasy sequels are on your TBR list for 2019?

Enjoy the remains of the weekend!

T xx

Six for Sunday & Life Updates

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

Six For Sunday

 I see the Six for Sunday tag in a lot of places and was keen to try and give it a go. For those that don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly meme created by Steph @ A Little But A Lot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.

March’s theme is ‘An Ode To…’ and this week’s prompt is ‘Bookish Couples’. As almost every story I read seems to contain a couple of some sort it wasn’t very hard to think of at least six which could be included here. I picked couples that the author made me buy into and really gave me those bookish feels as opposed to the ones whom I wasn’t 100% invested in (Ron and Hermione, I’m talking to you!).

  • Feyre and Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses Series – Sarah J Maas)

Everytime someone says ‘bookish couple’ I automatically think of these guys! ACOTAR reignited my love for reading and their ship gives me all the feels!

  • Arwen and Aragorn (Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien)

This was the first bookish couple I fell head over heels in love with. It was probably helped by the fact that Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortenson in the film series but this pair was a dead cert for S4S this week.

  • Jude and Cardan (The Folk of the Air Series – Holly Black)

This book series is my new obsession. Despite the ending of The Wicked King [no spoilers, don’t worry]…I am still Team Judan! Roll on Queen of Nothing!

  • Magnus Bane and Alec (Shadowhunters – Cassandra Clare)

For me, Magnus Bane is the coolest character BY FAR in The Mortal Instruments Series. I just loved the way his relationship with Alec unfolded and the journey they went on through the books (honestly…I think I’m just a little jealous).

  • Lou Clark and Will Traynor (Me Before You by Jojo Moyes)

I don’t even know where to begin describing this couple…or this book. I loved it, even though it made me bawl my eyes out! A tragic but lovely story.

  • Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy (Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen)

Surely there can be no list of bookish couples without a nod to the ultimate classical pairing! I find it amazing how these stories and the relationships within them still seem to have relevant meanings and messages today.

Who would make your list? Drop me a comment an let me know!

Reading Updates

Next week, the Fairyloot readalong for A Curse So Dark and Lonely begins so I’m hoping to clear my currently reading shelf in preparation for that!

Earlier in the week, I finished Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett. I really enjoyed it and was surprised at how invested I became in the characters. Kate and Corwin very nearly made my list of Bookish Couples above but in the end I settled on the others.

I’m also trying to finish my other read which is the autobiography of David ‘The Duke’ Nicholson who was a famous local horse-racing trainer. I’ve had it on hiatus for a while so I could catch up with some other reads but it’s been hovering on my currently reading list for a little too long now therefore I’m trying to power through it.

Life update:

What a week this has been! Work has been super busy, and at times pure evil; not the kids, they were delightful as always. It’s just all of the extra add-ons that come with being a teacher, sometimes they get on top of you and this week was one of those weeks! We have Parents’ Evenings next week so I’m not sure there will be any let up on that front yet either!

The Cheltenham Festival arrived and it always seems to take over life (and the area where I live) for the entire week. There were four tremendous days of horse-racing filled with some true fairytale stories and heart-warming moments particularly for Andrew Gemmell, a man blind from birth who’s horse Paisley Park won one of the feature races; Willie Mullins finally won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on his 7thattempt; Bryony Frost (& Frodon) became the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival, such an amazing testament to women competing in the sport. It’s almost sad to think it’s over again for another year.

Yesterday was the final of the Six Nations Championship. Super Saturday definitely lived up to its namesake with Wales winning the Grandslam of the Rugby tournament. As an England fan I’m obviously gutted that we didn’t top the table, and slightly baffled as to what happened in the second half of our match against Scotland; however, I’m sure that we’re now all looking forward to the Rugby World Cup which starts in September later this year.

The cobwebs were well and truly blown away yesterday morning as I was able to fit in a visit to the stable yard where I am a part of their Racing Club (horse-therapy 💖!). It was so windy on the gallops that I could barely open the door of the car and then we kept getting buffeted by the rain. I honestly had to plant my feet firmly in the ground to stop the wind from knocking me over – and I’m not that light! 😂 To top it all off, I finally managed to shift into productivity gear and caught up a little bit with my blog posts too!

What have you all been up to this week? I hope you’ve got some exciting plans either in the book-world or the real-world for the week ahead!

T xx