Author: Melissa Bashardoust (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Genre: Fantasy, fairy tale There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a … Continue reading REVIEW: Girl, Serpent, Thorn – Melissa Bashardoust
I have always considered myself to be a conscientious and broad reader, although in recent years I've been trying to make a conscious effort to do two things: Read more books by women Read more books by non-White authors In light of the recent campaigns, and as I now have two and a half years' … Continue reading BLOG: Reading Widely – Challenging Myself to Be Better
Author: Jasper Fforde (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Genre: Satire, fantasy See Also: Early Riser England, 2020. There are 1.2 million human-sized rabbits living in the UK. They can walk, talk and drive cars, the result of an Inexplicable Anthropomorphising Event fifty-five years ago. And a family of rabbits is about to move into … Continue reading REVIEW: The Constant Rabbit – Jasper Fforde
Author: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (twitter) UK Publisher: Farrago Genre: Fantasy, humour See Also: Darkwood If you go down to the woods today, be sure of a big surprise. The Battle of Nearby Village is over, and deep in the Darkwood, Gretel and her friends journey into the hostile mountains of the north, seeking new allies … Continue reading REVIEW: Such Big Teeth (Darkwood #2) – Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
The first thing I saw when I logged onto twitter this morning was the Bookseller report on the survey that was going around publishing, recording salaries at all levels. When I first looked, it had just over 500 entries. As of 5:00pm this evening, it was at close to 850. I've spoken before at length … Continue reading BLOG: #BookJobTransparency – Salary Secrets and the Book Business
Authors: Amie Kaufman (website / twitter) and Jay Kristoff (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Rock the Boat Genre: Science fiction, YA See Also: Aurora Rising Our heroes are back. Kind of. First, the bad news: An ancient evil – you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal – is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad … Continue reading REVIEW: Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle #2) – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Author: Noelle Stevenson (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Harper Teen Genre: Memoir, comic, non-fiction From Noelle Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds her turning an important corner in her creative journey and inviting readers along for the ride. In a collection of essays and … Continue reading REVIEW: The Fire Never Goes Out – Noelle Stevenson
Author: Kester Grant (website) UK Publisher: HarperVoyager Genre: Historical fiction, YA Liberty 1828 and the citizens of Paris still mourn in the wake of their failed revolution. Among them, in the dark alleys and crumbling cathedrals of the city, the most wretched have gathered into guilds of thieves, assassins – and worse. Together they are known … Continue reading REVIEW: The Court of Miracles – Kester Grant
Author: Georgette Heyer UK Publisher: Arrow Genre: Romance, historical fiction See Also: Charity Girl; Regency Buck; These Old Shades; Frederica Kitty Charing’s life-changing inheritance comes with a catch. Her eccentric and childless guardian, Mr. Penicuik, is leaving Kitty all of his vast fortune – but with one condition. She must marry one of his five grand-nephews. However, … Continue reading REVISITED: Cotillion – Georgette Heyer
Author: Sarah Archer (website / twitter) UK Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Science fiction, romcom In the US, this book is titled The Plus One. Dating is hard. Being dateless at your perfect sister's wedding is harder. Meet Kelly. A brilliant but socially awkward robotics engineer desperately seeking a wedding date… Meet Ethan. Intelligent, gorgeous, brings out the … Continue reading REVIEW: How to Build a Boyfriend from Scratch – Sarah Archer
