August! This year seems to be flashing by so quickly, but I have to say I have been enjoying the nice weather. More time to sit in the garden and read my books. Have you had any good books set aside for the summer? Or are you saving them up for holiday reading?

REVIEWS

Legend of Korra: Turf Wars – Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko and Irene Koh

The first of the follow-up graphic novels to Legend of Korra, this picks up almost immediately after the end of the series and spends a bit of time exploring Korra and Asami’s new relationship, as well as the issues of a new spirit portal right in the centre of the city.

Darkwood – Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

A wry, funny fantasy satire which is suitable for a variety of ages – I enjoyed it as an adult, but it would be entirely appropriate for young teens. Taking the plots of various fairy tales and spoofing them, with a decent amount of political and social satire, there’s a little of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy about this, and it’s quite delightful.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind – Jackson Ford

This is a fantastic, spunky contemporary science-fantasy book, about a girl with psychokinesis, convinced she is the one person on the planet with that sort of power – only to find herself faced with a murder that could only be committed by someone with her powers. It’s a murder mystery with a fun super powered twist.

Rosewater – Tade Thompson

This book won the 2019 Clarke Award, as well as the inaugural NOMO award, and it’s well deserved. Set in a near-future Nigeria following the landing of an alien artefact, it follows a reluctant psychic as he tries to survive in the frontier city which has built up around the aliens, whilst balancing his somewhat strained relationship with a shady government agency that employs him. It’s visceral and human and something quite special.

Rawblood – Catriona Ward

After reading and loving Little Eve, I was so pleased I finally made time to sit down with Rawblood. It’s a complex, tangled gothic ghost story, smacking of Poe and Lovecraft. The threads of this narrative are woven so deftly it amazed me, and nothing in the story is mentioned off-handedly. It’s fantastic.

Summer of No Regrets – Kate Mallinder

This is a really cute book, particularly for readers in their early to mid teens. It deals with female friendship, feminism, anxiety, and non-traditional families, amongst other things, with a light touch and it’s deftly readable. It wasn’t for me – but it wasn’t written for me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone with kids aged 11-16.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged – Ayisha Malik

If you are looking for the perfect summer holiday read, I think this might be it? Cute, funny, romantic – it’s the new Bridget Jones, but with – I think – more heart and brain. I fell completely in love with Sofia and her family, and I hope you do too.

Blackwing – Ed McDonald

Now that the final book in the Raven’s Mark trilogy has been released, it was long overdue for me to finally read the first book in the series. It’s dark, a Cold War thriller in a fantasy world filled with nightmares. It’s a narrative in which it’s hard to decide what would even constitute a good outcome at the end, and McDonald keeps you guessing the whole way through.

The New Owner – Kay Thorpe

I found this old Mills & Boon book when we were clearing out my husband’s Grandmother’s house, and couldn’t bear to throw it away without giving it a quick read. It was a lot of fun, and a little surreal. What was Mills & Boon like in the 1980s? Well, it could have been the 1960s…

BLOGS

April and May Round-Up

What did I do in the last two months of Spring? Come hither and I will tell you.

Build a Bookshelf – Bert’s Books and Literary Citizenship

Ever wondered how you can give back to the literary community? Check out some of these schemes for paying it forward.

Pride Month – LGBTQ+ Books and Bloggers

June is Pride month, at least in the USA (Pride seems to stretch from May-September in the UK, which makes the summer Party Season). Here are some of the books I’ve read with LGBTQ+ rep, and some bloggers who can direct you to even more!

Tackling the TBR – July 2019 Edition

You will be pleased to hear that since writing this post, I’ve cleared four books from the list! Annnnddd added two more. Two steps forward, one step back, and so it goes.