On my UKYA wishlist

Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson - I absolutely fell in love with Hunting Lila when I read it last year.  I loved the gift that Lila has and struggles with, I loved unraveling the mystery that surrounds her family but especially I loved the tension and chemistry between Lila and her brother's hot best friend, Alex.  The plot was very twisty-turny and swoony and I have very high expectations for this sequel.  Bring it on!





A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton - I think the first book in the series, A Witch in Winter, was completely unexpected for me.  It wasn't anything at all like I was expecting it to be and I love the newness and refreshing nature of reading a book unlike others in the same genre that I will always be excited to read more.  I found the characters likeable and I'm interested in their relationships and seeing where this story will take them and what decisions and choices they will make.



Frostfire by Zoe Marriott - This book is a bit of a strange one to be included on this list as it is the sequel to Daughter of the Flames, a novel which I have but have not yet read.  Even so, I'm very much looking forward to reading DotF and then following that book up with this one.  I think it has a gorgeous cover and I have put all of Zoe's books on my must-read list after the strength of Shadows on the Moon, which was one of my favourite books read in 2011. 



Rebel Heart by Moira Young - It has only JUST occurred to me that every one of my choices on this list are sequels.  Huh.  Either way, I really enjoyed Blood Red Road by Moira Young and I'm looking forward to seeing where her story leads.  Judging by the man on the cover of the book, I'm guessing there will be a lot of Jack's story here.  I like that idea.  Since thinking about which books would be on my wishlist, I keep hearing the guy from the Blood Red Road trailer in my head saying Jack's words .. 'You're in my blood, Saba, you're in my head. You're in my breath, you're in my bones.' AHH. I want to read the next book now.

Which UKYA books are on your wish lists?

REVIEW: Unrest by Michelle Harrison

Unrest by Michelle Harrison is the first book I've read by this author.  I'll admit what initially attracted me to this story is the really eye-catching cover.  I just couldn't resist.  I also love the idea of reading more YA books from a male perspective which this book does as well as the creepiness that comes with a book about the spirit world and of out-of-body experiences.  Already I had high expectations before reading. 

And Unrest is a really good book, one that didn't disappoint at all.  Despite reading this book during a busy time for me, every time I put the book down I'd be looking forward to getting back into it.  The story and the characters were really interesting and I was always left wanting more!

I really felt sorry for Elliott.  Months ago, he was involved in a car accident which left him clinically dead for several minutes.  Ever since then, he hasn't been sleeping well.  He's been experiencing some terrifying things when asleep - out of body experiences in which he's disconnected from his physical body, able to see ghosts, sometimes being paralysed.  In order to combat Elliott's feelings of fear relating to these episodes, he decides instead of avoiding the problem to place himself in a position of more terror.  Thus, he gets a job at a reportedly haunted museum so that he can tell if what he's seeing and feeling is actually real or all in his mind like his father and his doctors believe. 

I thought it was pretty gutsy of Elliott to go towards the scary ghosts and put himself more in danger at new job, Past Lives.  I thought the idea of being part of a living museum like that would be a pretty awesome place to work just in general, never mind a haunted museum.  And I was officially creeped out several times during this story.  It makes me shudder even now the idea of leaving your body and having some thing else take over it.  And while Elliott is trying hard to find out more about psychics and mediums and ghosts and any sort of defense mechanism he can in order to keep him safe, there is also another sort of mystery going on with Past Lives and its employees.  I love the mixture of both storylines and the rather sweet relationship that Elliott begins with Ophelia.  There's a genuine build up here, and you can see actual friendship and reason for them to be with each other.  I absolutely loved it.  There's a slightly spoilerish quote that I'll add at the end which make me go 'AWW' when I was reading. 

This book is utterly creepy and engrossing.  It's fascinating the information about ghosts and spirits and like I said, I just didn't want to put this book down.  I really recommend it!

I want the girl who wants and interesting portrait, not a beautiful one. I want the girl who's crazy enough to pull a fake gun on her enemies, who starts fights she knows she can't win. Who doesn't fall at someone's feet the minute she meets them. The girl who dances like she doesn't give a toss what anyone else thinks.

REVIEW: Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet

Review by Carrie from teabelly

At its core, Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet is a love story set in the 1960s, between a working class boy and the daughter of a wealthy landowner, and their need to keep their relationship a secret. But it is also so much more than that. The book spans many years, beginning with the end of the Second World War and ending almost at the present day. Not only do we learn about Clem and Frankie’s relationship, but we’re told about his mother and father’s, and his grandparents, how they all met against a backdrop of world wars, and Clem’s own birth story is a delight.

War and the fear of destruction is very much central to the story. The main part of the love story is set in 1962 during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Having it hanging over their heads would have been one thing, but Peet gives us more, taking us into the discussions between Kennedy and his advisers, back to the beginning of the conflict, to little scenes that had a big impact on the world.

The writing in this book is just wonderful. It’s my favourite kind, and so I should be able to describe it better, but I don’t know if I can. The language is beautiful and yet not too convoluted. It sucks you in immediately with its storytelling and imagination. It gives you such a clear picture of the time it’s describing; I could see and feel everything. It’s told in such a way that, while being narrated by Clem, he’s given almost god-like powers, knowing things he couldn’t know and so filling in the gaps as he sees fit, all with a wonderfully dry sense of humour. But you can also feel sadness coming through.

As the story went on though I did find myself enjoying it less. I found the history lessons in the book to be both immensely interesting and frustrating at the same time. It began to feel like two stories had been pushed together, rather than them complementing each other. I think Peet has some very important things to say about nuclear weapons, and chose to say them through fiction, but it did take away from the main story, for me anyway. It began to feel a little heavy handed, and a little preachy. Yes, nuclear weapons and the mad men who wield them are bad. I don’t think I’m the person you need to convince about this. I just wanted Clem and Frankie’s story, without so many interruptions. I was invested, and then I kept being taken out of it.

I was also disappointed by the ending, which felt incredibly abrupt. Again, I think this was done on purpose, but I was left wanting more, just something nearer to closure. I think bookending the story as he does is incredibly clever and it is affecting, and it is true to the themes running through, but it didn’t live up to the expectations I had when I started it. And I’m not really sure why it’s billed as a Young Adult book, as it seems much more general fiction to me, and I think it would be enjoyable to most ages.

Those niggles aside, this is a very lovely, brilliantly written book.


Thank you so much for that Carrie!

Julia Donaldson (Awesome Women)

Now that E is getting a bit older and starting to read more on his own, I'm feeling a little nostalgic for all the old picture books that we used to love and read together all the time.  Obviously we still read lots of picture books and will still for awhile yet, but it feels like the beginning of the end. 

And as many great picture books there are out there, Julia Donaldson has always been a firm favourite in our house.  So today, I thought I'd write a bit about her but also about the effect her books have had on the boys and me. 

I actually really love the sound of Julia Donaldson's life so far - growing up in a house full of family in London then going off to university.  Spending time busking with her husband in different places.  Which leads to a career in song-writing and writing books. It sounds such fun and very creative.  Until June 2013, Julia is the current Children's Laureate, championing libraries and reading aloud.  She encourages children to act out stories and perform, as well as linking music with books.  

For our family, it started off with One Ted Falls Out of Bed.  When I was expecting E, we went out and started buying children's books.  We'd read somewhere about babies recognising voices when they are still in the womb, so N took to reading the bump a story every now and then.  One of the first books he read was One Ted Falls Out of Bed and now I'll always associate this book with a baby E.  It's still a book we return to quite often. 

Then of course, is The Gruffalo.  It is a favourite of both boys.  They love the rhyme that comes with a Julia Donaldson story and I find the illustrations by Axel Sheffler to really stand out.  The Littlest had a Gruffalo birthday cake recently, we've all sat and watched the BBC adaptation on the telly (of both The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child) and both boys can recite The Gruffalo by heart.  I love that.  The Gruffalo character really seemed to inspire E.  In the same way that he's been interested in Roald Dahl's books and Dr. Seuss' books, E was first excited and inspired by Julia Donaldson.

There's a local theatre company who regularly puts on plays based on children's books and a few years ago we took the boys to see their production of Room on the Broom and it has quickly become MY favourite of her books.  It's just so much fun to read.  I'm not normally one for putting on different voices for different characters (that's N's speciality!) but even I get into the spirit with this book and put on a voice for the dragon as he decides to have witch and chips for his tea.  It was a wonderful thing seeing this book performed live and I don't know why we haven't thought about acting out more of our favourite stories with just our little family.  It'd be lots of fun!

The book of Julia's that seems to get the most reading time in our house these days though, seems to be Night Monkey Day Monkey.  The boys STILL giggle at some of the things each of the monkey is confused with.  And somewhat embarassingly, it was only the other day that I realised that when one of the monkeys is explaining about 'the fireflies that wink and blink in the night' that they actually meant fireflies.  I always just thought they were mistaking the stars for fireflies.  Ha! One of the things I particularly like about this book is that the rhymes are very easy to notice and the boys love it when they figure out which word comes next and chimes in. 

I always have great fun reading her stories. We have nearly all of them, A Squash and a Squeeze, Tiddler, Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, and on and on and on...

To find out more about Julia Donaldson, please visit Julia Donaldson's official website. 

Do you have a favourite Julia Donaldson book? Or a favourite picture book? 

British month Giveaway! (INT)

I love the idea of more people reading and falling in love with new books by British authors, so I'm hosting a giveaway! What I'll do is find the largest envelope I have and cram as many books from the list below into the envelope and send it off to one lucky winner. (I'd imagine that would be 5-6 books?)

Adorkable by Sarra Manning
Dead Time by Anne Cassidy
Naked by Kevin Brooks (ARC)
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (ARC)
Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess (ARC)
The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne (ARC)
Dads, Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips

Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling (ARC)
How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro
Fated by Sarah Alderson
The Look by Sophia Bennett
Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie
A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne (ARC)
A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers
Million Dollar Mates by Cathy Hopkins
Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Giveaway is open internationally.
Giveaway closes on 16th of June and I will be contacting winner via email.
One entry per household please.
You do not need to be a follower of this blog, though that is always appreciated.
Good luck. 

Favourite recent books by British authors

I've been reading some amazing books recently by British authors. It's partly the reason why I decided to do another British month on the blog, there's just too many wonderful books to highlight.  

In no particular order...

The Look by Sophia Bennett

I really, really loved The Look.  I thought it was a wonderful story about sisters and modelling.  It's a really sweet story of a girl very insecure of her image who falls into modelling almost accidentally and continues with it to please her sister who has been diagnosed with cancer.  This book made me smile and then cry and then laugh again.  I love how our main character really grows in confidence throughout The Look and begins to accept her appearance.  This book is a great story about sisters and fashion and modelling and is one not to miss.

Kiss Date Love Hate by Luisa Plaja

 There's nothing I love more than a new Luisa Plaja novel.  There's always some really great characters, a really delicious love story and some interesting aspect of identity to work through.  With Kiss Date Love Hate we have all of that plus there's a really nerdy video game twist which plays with our characters' images and personalities.  I adore the element of film-making involved and how fun and funny this book is.  It's also sweet with some loveable characters and some great friendships and relationships.  It touches on things more serious towards the end which made me stop and reconsider.  I loved the mixture of all of this and cannot urge you to read this book or any of Luisa's books strongly enough!

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Skin Deep came out of nowhere and completely surprised me.  Laura Jarratt has brought us something really beautiful here with this love story between two people struggling with very different issues.  We have Ryan, the traveller, who is used to being stared at and treated differently every where him and his mother go.  He's so responsible, looking after things and his mother, but all he'd really like is to settle down.  Then we have Jenna, who is dealing with the loss of her best friend in a car accident recently which also left her face permanently scarred.  Jenna has kept herself indoors while her face is healing and doesn't like going out in public, with everyone openly staring.  Both Ryan and Jenna stole my heart almost immediately.  I needed both of them to be okay and I loved the pair of them together. 

 Adorkable by Sarra Manning

 What I'm beginning to realise from writing this blog post is that I really, really love books involving image and identity.  And the main character of Adorkable, Jeane Smith, is using her unusual and quirky image and lifestyle to make a brand name for herself.  Using her blog and Twitter, she is able to forge this place for herself, and for others, that says it's all right to be different and to celebrate each others' differences.  It wasn't always easy to love the characters in this book, but they also felt very realistic and believeable with their ragged edges. I'm such a big fan of Sarra Manning and of this book! Read it, you won't be sorry.

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

I haven't yet reviewed Heart-Shaped Bruise, mostly because I haven't yet found the words to describe how emotional this book is.  I picked up this book knowing almost nothing about it and I was instantly hooked by the voice of a broken and disturbed girl in a young offenders institute.  She's grappling with the loss of her identity after finding out her father isn't who she thought he was her entire life.  And as she tells her story, I ended up falling deeper and deeper into her head and into her life.  I felt sorry for her and understood her and everything felt so raw and beautiful and honest that I couldn't help but fall head over heels for this book.  How is this Tanya Byrne's debut novel?  Easily my favourite read of 2012 so far.  Highly recommended!

What is your favourite book by a British author that you've read so far this year?

REVIEW: How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro

It has been a long time since I loved a book as much as I loved How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro!  This book is adorable and funny but also incredibly heartfelt and emotional.  Right from the first page I fell in love with this beautiful book and I really cannot recommend it enough!

I quite enjoy a story told through blog posts, especially as I have an interest in blogging myself! Circe Shaw, our main character, is fabulous.  She starts this blog in order to document her plans for the summer. Unfortunately those plans have been somewhat derailed when her two best friends, Tash and Ben, start going out and do a considerable amount of snogging, leaving Circe to be third wheel. 

What Circe really wants is to be a successful journalist ... and to have a boyfriend.  She doesn't understand boys at all.  And with a little help from her only blog reader, Circe is on her way to taming a boy.  Even if it might be the Rudest, Most Despicable Boy Ever. 

Honestly, this book.  It had me in fits of giggles.  I even took it with me on the school run, desperate to read more, and I ended up actually laughing out loud.  This book is so fun and funny.  Circe is the most adorable character ever without being annoying.  She's relatable and believable I fell in love with her instantly.  I loved how she took the advice of others and somehow managed to ponder the concept of what type of party she as an individual is and how dating boys is like being around wild animals. 

But there's also more to this story that goofy attempts at dating (I loved these bits though! Rufus and Circe are so cute!).  A lot of the story seems central to Circe gaining more self esteem and confidence in herself. Especially after some incident in the past that is only hinted about through Circe's blog posts.  There seems to be more going on with Circe's nemesis, Portia, than Circe would lead us to believe and there's also a lot of baggage and questions that Circe carries around concerning her father.  I love the ways in which Diane Messidoro handles each of these aspects and I cannot wait to read more of Circe Shaw and her adventures...

WWYD? Cheating

What Would You Do? is a semi-regular feature in which a question will be posed based on a character or story line in a book I've recently read.  I'd love if you would take part and share in comments just what YOU would do in a similar situation! 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm a huge fan of Sarra Manning.  So it was with incredible excitement that I picked up her latest adult read, Nine Uses For An Ex-Boyfriend.  I haven't reviewed this one yet, but I did enjoy it after I let the story and the character's decisions sink in a little bit first. 

I've written before that I don't enjoy story lines that involve cheating and I still don't.  I think it's a horrible thing to do to somebody and it would be awful to find out that your partner had cheated on you.  It just brings up horrible feelings of anger and betrayal but also on inadequacy and all of those emotions combined is a story line that I would generally avoid.  But as it is Sarra Manning, I really wanted to give this book a try. 

It's the story of Hope Delafield who finds out at this horrible dinner party that her boyfriend (of 13 years!) is cheating on her with her best friend Susie.  The rest of the story is of Hope dealing with this betrayal and trying to define for herself of how much can she forgive?  Is it okay for her to take her cheating boyfriend back if it's just a drunken kiss? Can she move on with this relationship if it's more than that? If it's love? 

I really felt for Hope being in this impossible situation.  Obviously I wanted Hope to stick up for herself more, to kick this guy out and move on.  But I could also see how hard it was for Hope to walk away from a relationship that has lasted for such a long time.  Walking away means the end of a thirteen year relationship as well as an end to the future that she had planned with him.  It's scary and hard and I don't envy her position and her decision at all. 

I think it can be really easy to sit on the sidelines on this one and say very clearly that personally I wouldn't accept cheating in any of the forms, and I'd hope that I'd have enough willpower and think enough of myself to get out of any relationship that would involve cheating.  But I think that Hope's story is pretty realistic in the way that it shows how much of an effect it does have on different areas of Hope's life.  I finished this book and I found myself questioning my own thoughts on opinions on the topic, and I quite enjoyed that reevaluation! So now I'd like to hear from you...

What would you do?

Interview with Phil Earle, author of Saving Daisy

Today I'm very pleased and honoured to have Phil Earle stop by for an interview! 

Just as Being Billy was one of my favourites reads of last year, so Saving Daisy is one of my favourites of this year.  Phil's books are emotional and can be painful to read, but they are also raw and honest and beautiful too.  I've absolutely loved the characters and the stories that Phil Earle has brought and I look forward to reading more.  Over to you, Phil... 

To find out more about Phil Earle, or Saving Daisy, please visit the following websites:

Phil Earle ... Phil's Blog ... Phil on FaceBook ... Phil on Twitter 

Hello! I'm so pleased to have you here on the blog.  First, how would describe Saving Daisy to anybody who hasn't yet read the book?

I’m terrible at summing up my books in a sentence, which is ironic as my day job involves doing just that about other peoples books.

To put it in very simple terms, I guess you could say that it’s sort of a mixture of ‘Before I Die’ meets ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ They are certainly two things that influenced it anyway…

There's been a lot of talk in the past year or so regarding books for teenagers that deal with dark or difficult themes (#YASaves), how important is it to you that teens have access to books about self-harm or depression?

It’s a really difficult question to answer, as to me there’s nothing more off-putting to a reader than having a book flashed before you that screams ‘ISSUE BOOK’!!! Dealing with depression and anxiety, or fighting the compulsion to self-harm are incredibly personal experiences: no two people will ever have the same reasons, so I’m wary of saying ‘This is how it is…my book is the answer’.

What ‘Saving Daisy’ is, is a fictionalised account of my experiences with depression, and if readers recognise elements of their own experiences in it, then that’s fantastic. What I think is more important, is that books like ‘Daisy’ have hope, as again, that’s my experience of depression. It’s a terrible, isolated, terrifying illness, but it can be beaten. That’s one of the messages I really wanted to get across.

Daisy's favourite film in the book is The Shawshank Redemption in which she talks about her reasons very beautifully, what is your favourite film and why?

One guess…Yes, it’s probably ‘Shawshank’ too. If I ever find it on the telly, I can’t go to bed until the final credits roll. It mirrors how I feel about books with hope. Andy goes through decades of pain in the film, yet he never gives up. He chips away at that prison wall for decades, never letting go of the idea of life outside the walls.

I'm curious about what research was involved in writing Saving Daisy? 

None. As with ‘Being Billy’, it was all inspired by kids I worked with. I first worked with young people who self-harmed in my twenties: it was an experience that never left me. I found it difficult to understand what drove them to do it, especially as their reasons were so varied. I’ve found that I write to make sense of things in my life. It’s over a decade since I worked with these girls, yet their stories never left me. 

When I was a teenager, I read a book about self harm which saved my life, has there even been a book which had a similar influence in your own life?

There are definitely books that I return to for comfort. Novels like ‘SE Hinton’s ‘The Outsiders’ or David Almond’s ‘Skellig’. I think I choose them because they have such enormous heart. That’s the most important thing to me in any book. Without heart, a book’s an empty experience for me.

 My absolute favourite character in Saving Daisy is Adebayo, I'd love to know more about her?

One of the greatest things about ‘Daisy’ being published, is that people have loved Ade. It makes me grin every time people mention her, as she is based on someone very important to me. I didn’t set out to write about my dalliances with depression, it kind of happened half way through, but when it did I went with it. Ade is based on the psychologist who I saw when my head fell apart. His name is Jonny John-Kamen, and he has become a really important part of my life. All the ideas that Ade employs with Daisy, Jonny used with me: in particular, the constant use of logic that gradually beats the guilt out of her head.

Jonny is a great, great friend now, so much so that our first son carries his name. I love the fact that the book became something of a love letter to him.

There were a lot of really emotional scenes in this book and Daisy really goes through a lot, was there any particular scene that you struggled to write or kept returning to?

Not really. The fact that Daisy is female built a safe distance between me and her. I really put her through the wringer, but I think it’s really important that writers do that to their characters. You have to love them, but you also have to make them suffer. Without that suffering, it would be a pretty bland read…

One of my favourite aspects of Saving Daisy (and also with Being Billy) is the kernels of hope that your characters have to hold on to, either in their relationships with other people (Ronnie, Adebayo) but also figurative like with the window that Daisy's mum makes.  How much hope is there for children like Daisy and Billy going through similar experiences?

There is hope for these kids, but sometimes it’s hard, or seemingly impossible, for them to find it. They have faced such atrocious things in their short lives, that it’s hard for them to build trusting relationships with adults.

What I know, because I’ve seen it first-hand, is that these young people have more resilience and bravery than 99% of people who had a ‘normal’ upbringing. I would have curled up in a ball if I’d faced the trials they had. But not them, they stood up and told the world to keep on coming. That’s why I love these kids, and that’s why I wanted to write about them. They set an example to us all.
 
 

REVIEW: Saving Daisy by Phil Earle

I read Saving Daisy by Phil Earle at the start of the year and I've found it very difficult between then and now to put how I felt about the book into words.  Reading this book felt like such an emotional experience.  My heart absolutely ached for poor Daisy, who goes through such terrible things throughout this novel, but I'm really happy to have ended the book smiling through my tears, as this book is also filled with such hope.

We first meet Daisy in Phil Earle's previous novel, Being Billy.  But Daisy's story begins before she meets Billy so it isn't necessary to read one before the other, though I definitely do recommend both.

I really loved Daisy right from the start, there was something about her that I could easily relate to.  She's never really known her mother, and she lives with her father, who while doing the best he can, can't really speak about Daisy's mother.  That pain and grief seems to be too close to the surface still, and it's as if Daisy takes those feelings and makes them her own. She blames herself for her mother's death and that guilt is eating up at her from the inside leading her towards anxiety and depression and self-harm.  Added to her guilt, Daisy's vulnerability attracts unwanted attention and sets off a terrible set of circumstances that find Daisy alone and in the care of a therapeutic community.  With the help of Daisy's key worker, Adebayo, she is able to take those first steps towards letting go of her guilt and fears as Adebayo assures Daisy that it isn't her fault the things that have happened. 

I do so love Daisy.  I thought her relationship with her father to be quite sweet, especially their love of movies that they shared.  I wanted the best for Daisy, for her to be happy and to believe that she deserves love and happiness, even after the horrible things she's been through.  I felt so many things while reading this book, sadness and grief mostly.  But while Saving Daisy isn't the easiest book to read in many ways, the emotion that has stuck with me after so many months, is the shining ray of hope and love in the form of Adebayo.  This book is both devastating and beautiful to read and I can highly recommend it!

REVIEW: Dads Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips

I hadn't heard anything about Dads Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips before it landed on my doorstep from the publisher. I really like it when that happens, going into a book free from expectation. And I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was sweet and fun and a great story about identity and family.  I absolutely raced through this book and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Especially everything hair-related!

Sadie Nathanson gets a huge shock when on her 15th birthday, she receives a birthday card signed by her 'dad.'  Feeling like it could be just bad joke from an ex-friend, Sadie decides to nip the joke in the bud anyway and track down her sperm donor father anyway, just so she'll know.  She enlists the help of her geeky cousin, Billy, and his equally geeky friend and goes for it. 

This was such a great story.  I felt really bad for Sadie, as she's struggling with who she is and frustrated that her mother won't tell her who her father is, she sets off on this quest to figure out her identity.  I really loved how great of a support network that Sadie has in place already, with her aunt and uncle so nearby and ready and willing to give her advice and be there for her.  Despite the falling out with a friend, Sadie also has her cousin and his friend around and she also vents to an online mate, which was cute and just what Sadie needed. 

The added hair calendar which Sadie takes as inspiration to give herself different hair styles everyday made things so much fun, and I was really laughing at some of Sadie's interactions with possible fathers.  It seemed as though things were veering into somebody already in Sadie's life possibly being her father and I was screaming 'nooooooo!' in my head furiously as I really wanted Sadie and her family unit to remain just as it is. Hopefully without spoiling anything, I will say that I'm very happy with the way things turned out.  I loved Sadie as a character and her sweet relationships with the people in her life and I wanted things to work out for her. 

Books by British authors that I'd like to read

Anne Cassidy - I recently read Anne's latest offering, Dead Time, which is the first in a new series called The Murder Notebooks but I think I also read recently that Anne Cassidy has published something like 30 novels? Is that true?  I thought Dead Time was excellent and I shall certainly be looking out for more of her books, possibly starting with Looking For JJ.


Celia Rees - I've always been a little bit wary of historical novels.  Something about them always makes me a little nervous, I'm not sure why.  So far, I've read two books by Rees: This Is Not Forgiveness, her first contemporary YA and also The Fool's Girl, which was interesting.  I've heard really good things about her other books and think I shall be picking up Witch Child first to try.


Melvin Burgess - I've only read one book by Melvin Burgess, Kill All Enemies, and I absolutely loved it.  I still can't believe I've not read any of his others yet, like Junk or Losing It.  (I'd still like to read Junk for a possible themed week on addiction, is there any interest in that?) When I asked on Twitter ages ago of the books by British authors I really needed to read, Junk, was a title that kept cropping up, which I think is saying something.


Bali Rai - Bali Rai has a new book coming out soon about ... demons, I believe. But when I heard about Fire City, it was mentioned several times how very different it is to his previous books.  I was curious about them, and I can see why the distinction is being made - his previous books are contemporary and seem to deal with issues of race.  I've since picked up Rani and Sukh because I like the idea of an Indian Romeo and Juliet, but I'm also really interested in reading Killing Honour and (Un)Arranged Marriage.


Cathy Hopkins - I recently found the first three books in the Million Dollar Mates series for £4 and I'm hugely excited to read a new author.  Cathy Hopkins just seems like an author I would enjoy reading once I've picked up some of her books.  They look fun and girly and I'm excited!
 

Kay Woodward - I've always been pretty curious about when authors take inspiration from other stories to create new ones.  And I do really love the sound of both Jane Airhead and Wuthering Hearts.  I just haven't been able to properly locate either book, but once I do, I'll be all over that! I think it was Kay's contribution on Girls Heart Books that really made me take notice.  I really do adore that site.

Siobhan Dowd - Until recently, I was very confused about the nationality of Siobhan Dowd.  I always thought she was Irish, but I saw her listed on the UKYA website (which I love and recommend to you all!) so I figure she counts.  I can't even begin to list all of the incredible things I've heard about this lady and all of her books are currently on my wishlist.  I recently found A Pure Swift Cry in a library sale and couldn't buy it quick enough!  I'm sure Siobhan Dowd will not remain on this list for long as I'm planning to hunt down all of her books and then savour them.  Hopefully.


Diana Wynne Jones - And then we come to my final author on the list.  And I can honestly say I have no idea where to start.  I've only read Howl's Moving Castle but I thought that was perfection and I want to read more, but which one?  She's written loads and I almost feel intimidated which is just plain silly, really.  Maybe you could you suggest something?

There we have it!  My list of books by British authors that I'd like to read and haven't quite gotten around to... Which authors would make your list?

REVIEW: Dead Time by Anne Cassidy

I'm really surprised by how much I loved Dead Time by Anne Cassidy. I've never read anything by her before, and I wasn't sure how much I would like reading a YA mystery/crime novel but once I'd started, I was really sucked into this story. 

I really liked how there were a few different strands to the story and Dead Time certainly felt like the first book in a series with the amount of questions still left unanswered by the end.  For me, I think Dead Time finished in an intriguing way and I hope to get back to this series soon to see where things will lead!

I found it difficult to warm to our main character, Rose, straight away.  She's a bit of a loner and she doesn't seem particularly interested in being socialable or friendly in anyway.  But I kind of got that about her.  She had it great for a little while ... Years ago when it was Rose and her mother and her mother's boyfriend and his son, Joshua.  They had three years living together as a family but Rose's life changes entirely when her mom and her boyfriend disappear, she isn't allowed to see Joshua anymore and she's shipped off to live with her cold and distant grandmother.  I can see why the experiences Rose has gone through has made her into the person she is at the start of this book. 

Now it is years later, and as Rose is off to meet Joshua again for the first time. On her way there, Rose witnesses a brutal attack on a schoolmate which pulls Rose into some deadly business.  As she continues to ask more questions and other people end up getting hurt, Rose begins to wonder if these murders have anything to do with the investigations that Joshua is doing into the disappearance of his father and Rose's mother. 

This book is all rather tense and fast-paced.  I had no idea where things were going or who the murderer was until it was revealed in the book, which is always fantastic.  The third person narrative helped keep things a mystery but I really hope there is more answers in the next book in the series.  I found the growing romantic feelings between Rose and Joshua to be rather sweet but very tentative. I'd like to see more of my favourite characters - Henry, the police offer and Skeggsie, Joshua's computer hacker mate.  All in all, I thought this was a great first book in the series and I can't wait to read more!

June is British month here on Fluttering Butterflies!

So... it's that time of year again! I figured with the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics coming up just around the corner that now would be the perfect time to host another British month here on the blog!  Even though I haven't been blogging as much lately, I still have been reading plenty of wonderful books by British authors! 

I always think it's important to highlight and support British authors, and I look forward to bringing you reviews and posts regarding some brilliant books.  I had so much fun last November when I did the first British themed month and I hope that this time around, you'll all be as wonderful and supportive!  Because this themed month has been so last minute, it'll be a bit more low-key for the month of June, but I shall be doing my best. 

Look forward to a huge giveaway coming up soon as well as other fun stuff coming soon! If any authors or bloggers would like to take part in some way, please do let me know! :)

Reading the not-quite blockbuster books, Part 2

Earlier in the year, I featured a list of books that I'd read, reviewed and enjoyed, but had also noticed that on GoodReads the books had recieved fewer than 30 ratings. I really loved the response that I had to that post and decided to make it a regular feature. I'm always keen to read and review and highlight books that haven't had as much attention than others. Especially if I feel that these books are being overlooked and that deserved to be more widely read.

But this list of books below is special in another way as well. Not only are all of these books ones I've read and enjoyed, as well as not have as many ratings as I feel they should, but all of the books below are also written by British authors.





Hidden by Miriam Halahmy - 4 ratings I really loved this book! I loved the setting of Hayling Island and the interesting topics raised of immigration and asylum seekers. It really made me think and I love that it holds a mirror up to as well questioning different prejudices. The story revolves around Alix, a teenage girl struggling with some family problems, and her classmate Samir who together rescue a man from the sea who has come into the country in order to seek asylum.

This is a really wonderful and thought-provoking book, one in which I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to the other books by Miriam Halahmy, set in the same series, especially the next book which is about Lindy, one of the minor characters from Hidden.


Duty Calls: Dunkirk by James Holland - 8 ratings Now I don't read a lot of historical fiction, and while I've always had an interest in World War II, I can't say that I know very much about famous battles or what war looks like from a soldier's perspective, so I wasn't entirely sure how much I would enjoy this book. I heard the author speak earlier in the year though and found him to be quite interesting so when the book came for review, I was happy to give it a chance. And I'm really quite glad that I did.

This is the story of 16 year old soldier, Johnny Hawke, and the group of soldiers that he fights alongside. I loved all the details of soldier's life - the food, the living conditions, the weaponry, the uniform but also how he feels about writing home and how he feels after killing a man for the first time. It's incredibly gripping stuff, and I really hope this book is the first in a new series exploring different battles!


Lottie Biggs Is (Not) Desperate by Hayley Long - 11 ratings Now everyone must know by now how much I love Lottie Biggs, right? Well I do. I adore her zany ways. And this, the second book in the series is really wonderful. It sort of steps away from Lottie's mental disturbance of a significant nature, and is more focused on Lottie's urges to have sex with Gareth Stingecombe. And of course it is hilarious!

In this book, aside from the Lottie and Gareth storyline, Lottie has a new part-time job to deal with as well as a falling out with her best friend Goose. The book's structure is diary-esque, and it's filled with all of these fantastic observations of Lottie's life together with some great drawings. There's so much to love with this series! And it is very, very funny! I would love more people to be Lottie converts! Get reading.


In the Bag by Jim Carrington - 13 ratings In the Bag is a book that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but also one that I'm really glad to have read. It's a very interesting story, one that really made me think about my own choices and decisions. What would you do if you found a bag full of millions of dollars? Would you report it to the police? Or keep it for yourself? That's the moral dilemma facing two teenage boys in this fun novel. I loved the thought patterns of these two boys, as they go from excited to apprehensive to guilty, as they think more about what this money means and where it comes from. It's a really thrilling read as well, filled with lies and secrecy.

I read this book at the beginning of the year and I told myself that I really must pick up Jim Carrington's previous book, Inside My Head, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. I do hope now that I've remembered, I'll get on that fairly quickly.


Mistress of the Storm by ML Welsh - 15 ratings I really loved Mistress of the Storm! ML Welsh writes this story so magically. I loved Verity Gallant right from the start. A young girl who feels overshadowed by her older sister, a girl who doesn't fit in and feels she's large and plain with nothing special about her. And suddenly, she's thrown into this dangerous and important mission to save both her family and her little seaside village.

There's such an importance in this book on friendship and storytelling but also of action and adventure and a beautiful mix of fantasy as Verity struggles to find the strength within her to defeat an evil witch. Fab story, this one. I'm thrilled and excited to now have my hands on a copy of the sequel, out early next year!


An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons - 19 ratings An Act of Love is definitely a book that deserves to be more widely read, probably especially within secondary schools!

My heart absolutely ached when reading this story. An Act of Love is about two best friends, Chris and Imran, and how their friendship was torn apart by race riots and terrorist attacks like 9/11 and the tube bombings on 7/7. I've been aware of huge political and cultural changes and events within the UK over the past years, but reading this story and witnessing personal (though fictional) accounts of everything happening really opened my eyes to things that I've missed and not seen due to how little events like this have affected my daily life. I'm ashamed now of my decision to not be more interested or involved. It's important to know about these things and be aware of things affect different people. I'm not being very articulate here, but I think An Act of Love is a wonderful and powerful story. One I really recommend reading.


Long Reach by Peter Cocks - 23 ratings I don't read a lot of crime/thriller fiction. I've never really seen the appeal ... until reading this fab YA book. Long Reach is so fast-paced and gripping that I absolutely flew through the pages. And I loved how emotionally connected I felt towards Eddie Savage, our main character, right from the start.

Eddie is a 17 year old boy who's just found out two things about his older brother, Steve. The first is that's he's dead from a possible suicide and the second is that he was undercover for the police. Eddie decides to follow in his brother's footsteps and go deep undercover, trying to get close to the daughter of a powerful crimelord in London. What follows is edge-of-your-seat exciting and dangerous.

I'm really looking forward to more book in the Eddie Savage series and also reading more YA thrillers!

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So there we have it. Which books have you read that nobody else seems to have read? How do you feel about these lesser-known books or the focus that bloggers have on the new, popular books? Are there any books by British authors you've read recently and feel like it should have more recognition? Would love to hear your thoughts.