Closing the door on 2015.

Posted on January 10, 2016 by

Last year I really dropped the ball when it came to blogging. The first part of the year was spent pretty much non-stop job hunting, and then once I’d found a job moving and starting to settle into life in London. The energy drain all this caused meant that some things in my life had to slide and blogging was one of them. To the point actually where I wondered whether it was time to accept that blogging was no longer something I wanted to find the energy for. After much thinking I’ve decided I do want to still find the energy to blog, and I want to find my voice here once again – I want to work out what I have to say, and the best way to say it.

First things first, I didn’t complete my annual round up of 2015 and that doesn’t sit well. I’ve done it for the last few years here (2014, 2013, 2012) and so I’ve decided to do it belatedly in the interests of completeness and consistency!

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
I moved to London and took the first step to forge a career in university administration.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next this year?
No, these were more things that slipped by the wayside. I did however maintain 2014’s focus on looking for the positives and being grateful for the small things.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year though there are already a few babies expected this year so 2016’s round up will be pretty different on this score!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
This year we sadly lost my dad’s cousin, a wonderful man who we were all very close to.

5. What countries did you visit?
In 2015 I travelled to Antigua to watch my oldest friend marry the man she loves. It was a truly wonderful holiday, our resort was like a little slice of paradise, and it was made all the better for the event.

Reception cocktails, as the sun is starting to set over the Carribean sea.

Reception cocktails, as the sun is starting to set over the Carribean sea.

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
More energy – on top of the challenge moving posed to my existing health issues I managed to develop another, temporary, issue that has attacked my already poor energy levels. So I hope that as I get completely better from this new short-term challenge I’ll see my energy pick back up again. I’d also like to have more usable time, I think improving energy will also boost how much time I have in my day to devote to the things I love.

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
11th April – the day I moved to London, 13th April – the day I started my job.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Seeing my dream of finding a job I enjoyed and relocating to London for it become a reality.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Nope, another year on I still hate this question and refuse to devote time thinking about it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Illness, well my on-going stuff plus my new, minor and short term issue. Injury, yes I fractured my finger by squishing it between two boats. The sort of injury only someone with my lack of grace and coordination can manage I fear.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Big Shot die cutting machine. 2015 has seen me start to explore paper craft and buying a die cutting machine was a big part of that. It’s completely expanded my crafting repertoire and I have so much more to learn and try.

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12. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, and of course my trip to Antigua.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Moving to London and being in the same city as so many good friends, the trip to Antigua, becoming a guide parent to Tom and Ollie, the NineWorlds convention…loads of things really.

14. What song will always remind you of 2014?
Take Me To Church by Hozier, A Life That’s Good by the Nashville cast (the On the Record live version in particular).

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier, much happier.

b) thinner or fatter?
About the same.

c) Richer or poorer?
About the same.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Always to have spent more time with the people I love most, in moving closer to some I’ve moved further away from others and so the balance remains one I have to carefully juggle.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Commuting. It’s a necessary evil, I just wish it didn’t eat up a couple of hours of every work day!

18. Did you fall in love in 2015?
No.

19. What was your favorite TV program?
20. What was the best book you read?
21. What was your favorite film of this year?
I’m grouping these together and using the same cop out answer, I have far too many to choose from for each of these. Stories in all their forms, text and visual, are still my favouritething and this year I’ve consumed hundreds and loved dozens and dozens.

22. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 33. I spent a lot of the day road tripping with my parents, first to London to drop off my stuff after Christmas, and then to Bournemouth to see my awesome friends Sarah and Al, and their amazing boys Charlie, Tom and Ollie. We had a Chinese takeaway, the boys helped me unwrap my pressies, and it was all just chilled and perfect.

23. What kept you sane?
Friends, crafting, stories.

24. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
That list is just too long.

25. Who did you miss?
Adjusting to having moved to London meant I spent a lot of time missing a lot of people to some extent or another.

26. Who was the best new person you met?
I met loads of wonderful people for the first time at NineWorlds, it’s hard to pick a single best.

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Starting NaNoWriMo. Again.

Posted on November 1, 2015 by

I have, like in many previous years, decided to do NaNoWriMo. The book I’m going to be working on through November is one that brings together elements I’ve been planning for a long time – characters and scenes that have been in my thoughts and notebooks for months and in some cases years.

I’m feeling ready to write and so NaNoWriMo feels like the perfect time to get started. The idea of getting 50,000 words written feels daunting, particularly when I worked out I’m going to be away from home for 10 of the 30 days on November. I’ve decided therefore to have a personal goal separate to the NaNo total – if I get to the end of the month and have written 1,000 words every day I will have established an excellent writing habit and I’ll have the first 30,000 words of my novel. I think this is a great goal, and while I still will be aiming for the full 50K I know I will feel like I’ve achieved something if I hit that personal goal.

Regardless of whether I end the month with 30,000, 50,000 or something in between I definitely won’t be finishing the month with a finished first draft. I think it’s going to probably take at least December and January to get a full first draft. I’m using this first draft to explore my story and my characters and work out exactly what it is they have to say. I know where they’re starting, I know where they’re going to end up and I know a few of the things they’re going to be doing along the way. The rest of it I look forward to discovering as I write. 

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Last Week in Books.

Posted on October 12, 2015 by

Today I thought I’d round up the books I read last week. There were 3 books, a mixture of adult crime and young adult contemporary novels that all delighted me in different ways.

Life or Death by Michael Robotham. Sphere. Out now.
This is a fantastic adult thriller about a man who escapes prison a day before his ten year sentence is up. The big question is why would someone escape prison, knowing that if they get caught they’ll end up serving a whole lot more time, when they only have a day to go. This is a fast paced, tense read that drops little hints and red herrings all of the way through. When the answer to the why is finally revealed it makes so much sense, but at the same time wasn’t something I’d particularly considered myself until that point. There are twists and turns all the way through, and unexpected reveals that made me audibly gasp.

Audie, the main character, is a fascinating, unlikely hero. I was also really drawn to many of the supporting characters – even those who I disliked strongly. I have to admit there was a moment when one of the very dislikeable characters did something awful and I considered putting the book down. I was so desperate to see this character get their comeuppance and so I continued and ended up feeling entirely satisfied. This is an unusual crime book considering it essentially comes after the prison part of the story, but it’s a definite new favourite of mine.

All of the Above by James Dawson. Hot Key Books. Out now.
I always enjoy the books that James Dawson writes and this is no exception. Set in a small seaside town, the story follows Toria as she starts in the sixth form having moved over the summer. This sort of move is always going to be hard, but for Toria the changes of moving somewhere much smaller and less cosmopolitan feel like it’s harder than it needs to be. She quickly finds herself accepted into the friendship group of the alternative kids, the ones who fit together because they don’t fit anywhere else.

This is a story about love; romantic love and platonic friendship love. It’s about finding your place and about the inevitability of change. There are so many aspects to this story, but nothing feels short-changed. The characters are imperfect and the relationships can be messy, but then life is imperfect and messy.

Threaded through this novel are poems written by Toria. I enjoyed their inclusion a lot, it felt sometimes as though they told the reader more about Toria than her own narration did. This feels like a different sort of book from the author, but a welcome progression.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Sourcebooks Fire. Out 5th January 2016
Oh my gosh this book! It’s hard to read and brilliant and gripping and emotional and relevant… and I really don’t know how I’m supposed to review it in a coherent manner. I finished it on Friday and have found my thoughts returning to it so many times already.

This Is Where It Ends begins on an ordinary day, at an ordinary American high school. The reader is introduced to the characters, and it’s all going very nicely until the main thrust of the plot kicks in. One angry teen has returned to the school to exact his revenge, and proceeds to begin his killing spree in a cold, calculating manner. The book is told in an almost minute by minute manner, moving between the characters we were introduced to in the opening – so we get to see the dreadful events unfold from a number of perspectives.

There is so much brilliance in this book. Its cast of main characters is well established, they’re diverse and representative and I found myself quickly entirely invested in them and downright panicked at the idea they were in such huge danger. When some of them made decisions that are admirable yet entirely terrifying I found myself struggling to turn the page and find out what happened next. The conclusions to the book are awful (you can’t expect anything different from a book about such an incident) and yet perfect – I found myself questioning some of them and each time came to the conclusion that they were exactly right.

This is a debut novel. It’s absolutely incredible and deserves to be the beginning of a very long career for Marieke Nijkamp.

My copies of all three books were all provided in for review consideration. All of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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September 2015 Reads.

Posted on October 7, 2015 by

September was a slower month for me, I was on holiday for the first part of it and so didn’t read anything. I read a total of 9 books, I’ll be rounding up 7 of them here. One of the remaining books is part of the same project I can’t talk about at the moment that I mentioned last month, and the other was The One by Kiera Cass – I’m planning on writing something about the series as a whole once I’ve read the final book.

Naked Heat by Richard Castle. Titan Books.
I really enjoyed the first Nikki Heat book so was keen to read another. I again really enjoyed this, reading it is a lot like watching an episode or two of Castle – the series it is based around. The characters in the book are clearly, as intended, reminiscent of the characters in the show so this feels like a good way of spending more time around them. A fun, easy read – I know I’m going to keep returning to this series, there are 7 books so far so I have plenty more to work through!

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, and Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger. Hodder Children’s Books.
I’m reviewing these two books together as they’re companion novels, both set in the same Hamilton High. There is some overlap of characters, particularly with one main character from The DUFF being a sibling to one main character from Lying Out Loud but in good companion novel style both books stand alone really well.

Both books have strong casts of characters, both the main and supporting characters are well developed and feel very real. Something I loved about them both was the way that while there are romantic relationships in the book it is the exploration of friendship that feels more important and more central. Female friendship treated like this is something I want to see more of in books, so I’m glad to have found an author who does it so well!

These books don’t shy away from the challenges facing teenagers; self image, feelings of isolation and family problems to name but a few. Everything is dealt with carefully, and adds to the realistic feel of the books. I saw on Goodreads that in her profile Keplinger says “I write books for teenagers and strive to be honest and true-to-life”, I think both of these books are excellent evidence of this.

The Big Lie by Julia Mayhew. Hot Key Books.
A startling coming-of-age novel set in a contemporary Nazi England.
That was the line that drew me to this book – the concept of that setting felt huge. This is a brilliant piece of speculative fiction that has left me feeling so happy that there are authors out there trying things and getting them so right.

This book is harsh and bleak, and at times incredibly disturbing – I found I was entirely gripped by it from start to end. The main character, Jessika, is brilliantly challenging to read, she’s been brought up by an ultra loyal father and has almost been brainwashed into believing in everything she’s been told. At times you wonder how she can be so clueless, but then this only goes to reinforce the themes of the book. A really brilliant read with huge potential for discussion and further thinking.

Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell. Arrow.
This is a wonderful book from Lisa Jewell, but then I’ve never not enjoyed anything I’ve read that she’s written. This is a story told in two historical timelines, it tells the story of Arlette which is set in the 1920s and it tells the story of Betty which is set in the 1990s.

Betty was Arlette’s granddaughter, following Arlette’s death she strikes out on her own and moves to London in pursuit of finding her own path and at the same time finding the mysterious Clara Pickle named in Arlette’s will. Both storylines are captivating and wind around each other beautifully. I particularly enjoyed the moments where something happening in one story provided a lightbulb moment for the other story – each time I was even more eager to read on and discover whether what I thought I’d realised was correct. This book made me laugh and cry and for the time it took me to read it, transported me to two former versions of London and allowed me to explore for a while.

One by Sarah Crossan. Bloomsbury.
Okay, hands up, I must admit that the very words verse novel have in the past been enough to have me moving away from a book very rapidly. I’ve heard wonderful things about them, but there was something that just put me off the idea of actually reading one. The buzz around this book though was enough to convince me to give it a go, and very quickly I realised I’ve been missing out on some really good books.

This is a story about conjoined twins Grace and Tippi. They’ve spent all of their lives sheltered as much as possible from the cruelness of the world at large, they’ve been home schooled and protected. When the money for their home schooling runs out they have to go to school, which is naturally terrifying. I found it really interesting that we were seeing their experiences through Grace’s eyes so we get her perspective on things along with what she tells us of what she knows of Tippi’s perspective.

This is a beautiful book about sisterhood, about friendship and about personal identity. The flow of the narrative works so well for the story, I think it would have been a very different book if it’d been written a different way – I dare say it would have lost a lot of the connection for the reader. I’m a definite convert to verse novels thanks to this, I’ll be picking up Sarah Crossan’s previous two as my next ones for sure.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Walker Books.
This is a story about not being the Chosen One. It’s a story about being ordinary and about wanting to just make it through high school without getting involved in any of the drama going on, and it’s brilliant.

Mikey is our main character, he and his friends make for a wonderful group – the sort of friendship group teen me would have read about and wanted to run away and join. Each of the members of this group has their own, ordinary (within the context of the Indie kids as the Chosen Ones are referred to), life challenges to deal with – things like parents who are more engaged with their careers than their children, teen romance, passing finals. Most of them have additional things to deal with too, issues around mental health problems and sexuality are all dealt with brilliantly in this book, but still all of this is part of their normal which makes for an excellent contemporary read as the main thrust of the book. And, just in case you are worried about what the Chosen Ones are up to, each chapter opens with a brief synopsis of what the Indie kids are doing which brings in an excellent urban fantasy thread before the focus returns immediately to our ordinary characters and their lives. The balance is perfectly found, resulting in a book I already can’t wait to re-read.

An unusual book? Pretty much. A must read? Absolutely, definitely.

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July and August 2015 Reads – Part 3.

Posted on September 18, 2015 by

The third and final part of my July and August reading catch up.

The Last Summer of Us by Maggie Harcourt. Usborne Books
There is not enough YA fiction set in Wales. Or fiction as a whole for that matter. This is a lovely, contemporary YA story set in Wales that includes some main characters who speak fluent Welsh – it was already onto a good thing with me before I got reading. This is a road trip story, the three main characters are close friends but all struggling with something at the moment. They escape the realities of their lives for a few days and get back to basics, road tripping and camping.

One of the central themes of this is the realisation that the adults in your life are flawed, fallible beings. All three of the main characters have difficulties in the relationships with their parents and this is dealt with really well within the book.

There is a romantic element to this book, I wasn’t sure about it to begin with but ended up really enjoying it. This is an excellent debut, another author to add to my watch out for list.

Counting Stars by Keris Stainton. Hot Key Books.
When I first heard Keris mention this book I knew it was something I wanted to read – I’ve long bemoaned the lack of decent stories set post sixth form and the wave of New Adult that promised to fill that gap certainly did not deliver. This is a great story filled with warmth about Anna as she moves to Liverpool to take up a role in a theatre. She’d been on the university path like her friends but a work placement made her realise that maybe this wasn’t the right path for her at this time. This in itself was something I loved, I think it’s really good to see narratives that involve alternatives to university for young adults.

Anna’s story has a secondary thread to it, she is a vlogger and we see her tell her story to her subscribers, and their comments to each video. This storytelling technique is really interesting, seeing telling her viewers what’s been going on rather than experiencing it alongside her works really well. There’s also a nice reflection on privacy and social media that clearly illustrates a point without coming off as prescriptive.

I enjoyed this book immensely and hope it brings along more books set in this time of life – there’s so much potential for stories about this life transition so let’s see more of them!

Elspeth Hart and the Perilous Voyage by Sarah Forbes. Stripes Publishing.
I read and reviewed the first Elspeth Hart book earlier this year over at Middle Grade Strikes Back. I loved it, and particularly liked that the ending was setting up the next story. I’m very glad to say that this, that next story, picks up the action straight away and continues it brilliantly. The characters have left the school that provided the setting for book 1 and spend much of this book on board a luxury liner. These close quarters again make for plenty of near misses and tense moments, I couldn’t read fast enough. This is an excellent second instalment to Elspeth’s story – I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Charlie Merrick’s Misfits in Fouls, Friends and Football by Dave Cousins. Oxford University Press.
I always enjoy Dave Cousins’ books, they never fail to entertain and make me laugh. Charlie Merrick’s Misfits is no exception to this. Pitched at a slightly younger audience than Cousins’ previous books this is an illustrated tale of a football team made up less than stellar players. It has a lot to say about friendship, about teamwork and about learning what the important things in life are. I enjoyed it hugely, it made me laugh, it made me wince as I could see characters make bad decisions, and it made me really root for this team of misfits. There’s already a second book in this series, I expect to be reading it sooner rather than later!

The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell. Random House Children’s Publishing.
When this book was published I remember reading lots of reviews and thinking it was a book I really wanted to read. Then, at NineWorlds I had the fortune of meeting Sarah and immediately bought my copy of the book. It took me a few days to read, something which is quite unusual with how fast I read, but I found myself wanting to savour every word (plus I got too emotionally invested to continue reading it in public on my commute!)

This book tells the story of Sora, a Japanese teenager who has been diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Sora is dying, his condition is progressing faster than he or anyone wants and this book is him telling his story. We get to know his family, see him trying to make sense of his ever changing new normal, and see him make new friends. This book is a challenging read, but I know I feel like I’m a better person for having read it. I’m going to be recommending this book far and wide.

Demon Road by Derek Landy. HarperCollins Children’s Books
I haven’t read anything by Derek Landy before (yes I do intend to catch up with Skullduggery Pleasant, even more so since I enjoyed this book so much) so I went into this book knowing nothing more than the synopsis. The idea of a teen girl suddenly discovering her demon heritage and having to go on the run sounded good to me and the book really didn’t disappoint.

This is a fast witty book with a good share of action and gore. It’s tone and style is evocative of many of the tv shows I love, both those showing now (things like Supernatural) and those no longer on our screens (Buffy seems like the obvious link to make). I think this book would be an easy sell to many teen readers and probably many grown up ones too. The characters are brilliant, I fell in love with main character Amber pretty much straight away and am thrilled that this is only the first part of her adventures.

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July and August 2015 Reads – Part 2.

Posted on September 17, 2015 by

Day two of my catch up with the books I read in July and August.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton. Bantam Press.
I’ve read a few of Sharon Bolton’s earlier books and really enjoyed them so I jumped at the chance to read her newest. Set on the Falkland Islands, the book follows three former friends as the community is torn apart when a child goes missing. The plot has bucket loads of tension, I found I spent most of the time wondering who to believe – at various points I decided I didn’t believe a single one of the characters!

I loved the Falkland Islands setting of the book, I’m always keen to explore new places through literature and this book certainly allows you to do that. Sharon Bolton’s writing really evokes a sense of the place, I feel now that if I ever visited I would feel like I was returning rather than being there for the first time. This is yet another excellent book from this author, she’s so consistently good!

Stitch Head: The Beast of Grubbers Nubbin by Guy Bass. Stripes Publishing.
This is the 5th book about Stitch Head, I hadn’t read any of the previous ones but hoped it wouldn’t matter. Essentially it didn’t, the story is told in such a way that you understand that these characters have spent time together already but you can follow this plot completely without knowing what happened. I think I would have got even more from the reading experience with prior knowledge but that just means I’m going to have to catch up and re-read – I’m glad to spend more time in the world of these books!

The story itself is fun and fast-paced, Stitch Head and his fellow are playing host to a group of children who they rescued in a previous book. There’s a monster about however and they all start to suspect each other. The book is illustrated by Pete Williamson, his art adds a lot to the reading experience. I enjoyed the resolution of the story, it worked really well and left me keen for the next story.

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
This book has an interesting premise, when Kelsey’s identical twin sister is killed in an accident can’t bring herself to break the news to her sister’s boyfriend who is currently serving in the armed forces. Instead she pretends to be her sister and finds herself falling deeper into the lie she is spinning. I was intrigued by the idea of the story but wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy the way it played out. Many of the fears I had for the plot were unfounded, it works pretty well though I did feel the resolution to the story came a little quickly and easily.

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell. Bloomsbury Children’s.
I really loved this book. It’s incredibly atmospheric, it reminded me a little of Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child which I also loved. The book is written in such a way that really evokes the setting, I felt like I was actually walking alongside the characters for much of the story.

The book is set against the backdrop of early communist Russia, something I studied a little in my GCSE History lessons but don’t feel I know a lot about. This didn’t matter, the necessary aspects of Russia at that time were woven easily into the story and I never found myself wondering about anything. I loved Feodora, the main character, she’s a great blend of tough and vulnerable – the sort of character you’d happily spend time around. The wolves that are under her care are also wonderful characters, they’re so distinct and as fully realised as the human characters

I haven’t yet read Rooftoppers, this author’s previous book which won the Waterstones children’s book prize 2014 but based on how much I loved this I know I need to read it sooner rather than later.

Almost Grace by Rosie Rowell. Hot Key Books.
I have really mixed feelings about this book. There were aspects I loved, particularly the South African setting and the idea of the group of friends going away together for a holiday after finishing their education. I didn’t however enjoy much of the main character’s storyline, particularly her relationship with . This doesn’t seem like the healthiest of relationships and at times I just felt a bit uncomfortable reading.

My overarching feeling at the end of the book was that I wanted to read other YA books set in countries I don’t usually see in books. This in itself makes me realise this book was a bit of a miss for me.

Remix by Non Pratt. Walker Books.
Trouble was one of my favourite books last year so my hopes for this book were high. It definitely lived up to them, it’s another brilliant, realistic YA read, this time set at a music festival. Told in dual narrative best friends Kaz and Ruby are off for a weekend of music and fun, but the unexpected presence of the two boys who’ve broken their hearts puts an unexpected spin on things.

I’m a huge fan of books with multiple narratives providing this is done well, Non really, really does it well. The voices are distinct and the perspectives wind brilliantly around one another. On top of this the characters behave in an entirely believable manner, poor decisions and all, and are allowed to be teens which is just brilliant. I loved this book and I know that my music obsessed teen self would have probably loved it even more.

The Secrets of Sam and Sam by Susie Day. Red Fox.
I absolutely love Susie Day’s series of books featuring Pea so I was really excited when it was announced that she was going to be writing a companion novel that focused on Sam and Sammie who lived next door. Sam and Sammie are boy and girl twins who are very different, they have different interests, different personalities and different challenges facing them. With a school residential trip looming these challenges become all important – how can Sam tackle some of the adventurous activities when he’s so scared of heights and how can Sammie share a room when no one can see how good a best friend she could be?

At the same time that the twins are preparing for their trip their mums also seem to be keeping secrets, and Mum K is writing her book about child development based on bring the twins up. This adds further layers to the story, most entertainingly the excerpts from the book that come complete with corrections by Sammie. The way each of the individual plotlines plays out and wraps round the others is brilliant, this is such an excellent addition to the series of books focusing on Pea and her family.

I’ve commented before about how brilliant Susie writes books featuring diverse characters. This book is no exception to that, characters differences are acknowledged and included and happen to just be. This whole series should be an automatic inclusion in school libraries as far as I’m concerned.

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July and August 2015 Reads – Part 1.

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

The first part of this week’s catch up on the books I read in July and August.

Reasonable Force by C.T. Sullivan. Pegasus Publishing.
This book is a debut novel published by an independent publisher and therefore something that would generally pass beneath my radar. I was approached for a review however and the book sounded interesting to me, so I duly received a copy and got reading.

There are a number of plotlines within this book, they’re well balanced and directly affect one another so that as something changes for one character you find yourself wondering what impact that’s going to have on the other characters. The initial event, where Nick kills an intruder and Nathan advises him on how to cover it up, throws up some interesting discussion about how much force is reasonable in a burglary (hence the book title), but the ever evolving situation means that the plot moves further away from this as time goes on.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book, as I say there were some interesting thinking points, and I found I liked some of the characters. One thing that didn’t work well for me was the character of Mel, Nick’s wife. She doesn’t get the same attention or development as the other characters, instead existing as a convenient (and unfortunate) plot device on a couple of occasions – there was a point where she suddenly made a statement about religious beliefs that had a significant impact on the plot, this came out of nowhere and also didn’t appear to then be applied consistently for the remainder of the book.

The overall flow of the book worked well. There is a real tension in Nick’s plotline in particular, I found myself getting quite anxious on his behalf – I was definitely invested in his story and was satisfied with the overall ending of the book.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Tor.
Before reading Uprooted all I had seen about it was glowing praise. It almost started to become a little intimidating as a prospective reader, what if I was The One who didn’t like it. Eventually I decided I needed to just dive in and hope for the best.

This book is every bit as good as everyone had said! I was immediately drawn into the world created by the author, a world of magic and wonder, and of an evil wood determined to wreak havoc and misery. It begins with the choosing, an event that happens every ten years when the Dragon – an aging wizard who acts as guardian to the people living in the villages surrounding his tower home – chooses another young girl and whisks her away to said tower for ten years. When Agnieszka is unexpectedly chosen her life is instantly turned upside down.

There is something very sympathetic about Agnieszka, the reader is straight away drawn to her cause – I think because of the downright unfairness of what is happening to her. This is good because as the plot develops Agnieszka becomes, rightly, obstinate and focused and this feels right rather than petulant as it may have done if the reader didn’t care about her story this way. I loved her as a character and I loved reading her story.

For Holly by Tanya Byrne. Headline.
This book is wonderful. It’s a slow burner that draws you deeper and deeper into the characters’ lives, pulling you into their world and making you entirely invested in what happens to them. I read it over a couple of days and whenever I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the book and wanting to get back to reading it. Typical of a book from this author this book is twisty and tugs you emotionally – I loved the way I kept thinking I had worked out what was behind the story and then quickly realised I still wasn’t right.

One thing I really liked about this book was its structure. The story is told in a non-linear manner, the jumps in time are seamless and work brilliantly. On top of this the story is a continual stream and whilst initially I found this a bit unusual (I’m very much a read to the end of the chapter type of reader) the more I read the more I loved it and the more I felt it served the story well. This is a stunning book, definitely one of my best of 2015.

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle. Random House Children’s Publishing.
This is a fantastic debut novel with a truly brilliant concept – Cara and her family suffer dreadful accidents for a month each year, serious accidents that involve hospital visits and necessitate the removal of anything potentially dangerous from the home. The story follows the characters as they enter this year’s accident season and explore both what is happening to them and why it might be happening.

This is a really difficult book to review as the twists and turns and reveals are so deftly handled and I desperately don’t want to give even the tiniest hint away. I really recommend this book, I’m looking forward to re-reading it with the knowledge I picked up while I read it for the first time.

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten. Electric Monkey.
Some books start great and then lose something along the way, sadly for me this was one of those books. The book begins by introducing us to the main characters in what appears to be a fairly standard contemporary novel. Part way through big twists and reveals change the course of the book and this for me was where I found myself disconnecting from what I was reading. I don’t mind big reveals or twists if they feel like they’ve been coming all along but in this book they just don’t work that way unfortunately and I found the more I read the less I was actually invested in what was happening.

Sister, Sister by Jess Bright. Oxford University Press.
This book grabbed my attention with its title – there was an American tv show with the same title back in the 1990s. When I read the synopsis, that the book was about a girl who suddenly discovers a whole family she doesn’t know that includes a half-sister who is seriously ill I was really intrigued to see how the story would work, particularly for the tween audience it appeared to be aimed at. Very quickly after I started reading I became impressed – this continued for the entirety of the book.

Willow, the main character, was easy to identify with – particularly with her love of writing. I clearly remember how much I loved reading about characters who liked to write too, this book would have been a very easy sell to younger me. I thought she was a very real character, she reacts to the situations she’s experiencing in what feels like a very genuine manner – her life is turned upside down and at times she doesn’t handle it brilliantly, I like it when authors allow characters to be real. There are strong themes in this book of friendship and of family, and of the overlap between the two. This is a debut novel and an accomplished one at that, Jess has revealed the cover of her new book this week – based on the synopsis I’m already looking forward to it!

Homecoming Ranch by Julia London. Montlake Romance.
I’m a long time fan of contemporary romance, if I see one that has some reference to a ranch in the title or blurb chances are I’ll be clicking buy before I’ve stopped to think about it. This was one such purchase.

The book is not narrated by one of the main characters but instead one of the supporting cast. This seemed like an interesting choice, it didn’t necessarily always make that much sense as a choice but I found that I quickly forgot about this most of the time while I was reading.

The main plot focuses on Madeleine and Luke, she is one of three half sisters who’ve recently inherited the ranch in question and he is one of the family whose home it used to be. They naturally butt heads immediately, and continue to do so for much of the book. They both have other things going on in their lives – this makes their story work even better and makes them more rounded characters. I enjoyed this book and am glad that there are follow up books featuring the other sisters – I think they’ll be automatic purchases too!

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