I was doing regular lockdown to be read pile posts but as the end of Lockdown came about, I stopped. This was because I started getting less time to read again. I realised that I missed doing them though so I think I will try and do a regular monthly post about the books on my list. My last To Be Read pile So in June I shared this pile of books with you. I have managed most of them, and extras. I read Carry On because I started Wayward Son and realised I hadn’t finished it… I also read This is Not a Drill by the Extinction Rebellion and…
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Wayward Son – Rainbow Rowell
Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were…
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F.O.X.E.S by M.A. Bennett Blog Tour
Today on the blog I have a guest post by M.A. Bennett, author of new book F.O.X.E.S! Answering this awesome question: What you enjoy most about writing a book set in a boarding school I’ve always loved boarding school books. As a kid I read Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers obsessively, then graduated to the more mature Kingscote series by Antonia Forest, possibly the best boarding school books out there. I think I secretly wanted to go to one, because I was at a comprehensive school in rural Yorkshire. My school was very good, but boarding school just seemed so fun and glamorous, and it was easy to dream about escaping…
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The Rules – Tracy Darnton
Amber’s an expert when it comes to staying hidden – she’s been trained her whole life for it. But what happens when the person you’re hiding from taught you everything you know? When a letter from her dad arrives, Amber knows she’s got to move – and fast. He’s managed to find her and she knows he’ll stop at nothing to draw her back into the extreme survivalist way of life he believes in. All of a sudden the Rules she’s spent so long trying to escape are the ones keeping her safe. But for how long? I really need to stop picking up books that make me angry but…
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Rocket Boy – Katie Jennings and Joe Lillington
Did you know that the sky on Mars is red? Callum Grant does and he knows a whole lot more about the solar system too. But he doesn t know what it would be like to see a Martian sunset with his own eyes. Until one day Callum sets off on an adventure unlike any other An uplifting story about the power of imagination, with full colour illustrations on every page. When this amazing book turned up on my doorstep I knew I had to read it soon. It’s another title Tiger Group illustrated hardback and its beautiful from the very first page. The illustrations pop out of the book…
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The Blue Beyond – Jeanne Willis and Bethany Christau
Lana dreams of becoming the greatest explorer in the world. She can’t wait to discover what lies beyond the safe haven of her lagoon. But when Lana sets off on her incredible journey, she soon realises that she is one very little fish in the great big ocean… A joyful celebration of bravery and adventure, with full colour illustrations on every page. As soon as I saw the blurb for this book I knew it was one I wanted to share with Spike. It’s the cutest story about fish with big dreams, and helps show that everyone should act on their dreams. We’re huge fans of Jeanne Willis so knew…
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The Places I’ve Cried in Public – Holly Bourne
Amelie loved Reese. And she thought he loved her. But she’s starting to realise love isn’t supposed to hurt like this. So now she’s retracing their story and untangling what happened by revisiting all the places he made her cry. Because if she works out what went wrong, perhaps she can finally learn to get over him. Trigger warning: Rape, Gaslighting, Abuse. This book man. It was intense. I loved every minute. But it made me so angry and I just wanted to jump in and protect Amelie. She’s still so young and what happens to her is not nice. And thats an understatement. This is a hard book to…
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The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein
When her mother is killed in the Blitz, and her father’s ship goes down, Louisa Adair feels she has lost everything. The country she has called home since her family left Jamaica is not a friendly place for an orphaned girl with brown skin, and she badly needs money and a roof over her head. Finally she finds work looking after an old lady at a pub near an airfield in Scotland. There she meets Ellen, a driver for the RAF, and Jamie, a pilot – two other young people just as exhausted by the toll the war has taken on their loved ones, and just as desperate for a…
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The Saddest Kitten – Holly Webb
Isla loves hanging out at her best friend Hailey’s house, especially since Hailey has just gotten a beautiful kitten named Silky! But someone isn’t too thrilled with the new arrival — the family’s older cat, Pickle. A heartwarming chapter book from the Pet Rescue Adventures series featuring black and white illustrations throughout. When Hailey’s family goes away for the night, Isla offers to “cat-sit”. But to Isla’s surprise, Hailey’s new kitten, Silky, is clearly terrified of Pickle, Hailey’s older cat. How can Isla break the news to Hailey that her new kitten is so unhappy? Me and Spike were hoping to read this one together but its taking a little…
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The Fox and The Star – Coralie Pickford-Smith
‘Once there was a Fox who lived in a deep, dense forest. For as long as Fox could remember, his only friend had been Star, who lit the forest paths each night. But then one night Star wasn’t there, and Fox had to face the forest all alone…’ *** The Fox and the Star is an absolutely stunning picture book, but don’t think that it’s just for children at all. Everyone, young and old will see the beauty in this book and it should be read by all. I was drawn to The Fox and The Star by its beautiful cover. We have the beautiful paperback with the fox on…
