One downside of reading on my Kindle is missing out on gorgeous physical editions like the beauty above ?????

Really enjoyed Cameron's story. Yeah, the pace is a little off but it's easy to overlook. Evocation of time & place is very good. The issues raised are done with sensitivity & sass and Cam is relatable & believable. The "pray away the gay" section is thought provoking and infuriating. Cont. in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Just about to start this one. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

Accompanied by, this Friday evening, Brewdog Punk I.P.A, salt and vinegar Kettle Chips and Alfresco Afternoon Yankee Candle. Nice!

Happy Weekend, my fellow book fiends. Read like your life depends on it!

Things I liked about it 🙂🙂🙂

🙂 Punchy language
🙂 Story driven
🙂 Exploration of emerging same sex attraction
🙂 Intriguing if undemanding plot
🙂 Believable teenage angst themes

Things that let it down ☹☹☹

☹ Pace got sluggish at points
☹ The hetero relationship got a resolution, the lesbian one did not
☹ Characters seemed too knowing for 12 year olds
☹ Found the 'Lovelorn' aspect a little cheesy

An enjoyable So-So.

Call me a grumpy old grouchbag but boy am I getting fed up of the dual timeline format! This one was particularly annoying as both strands were obfuscated rather than having one hook you with hints & clues while the other has the gradual juicy reveals. Just couldn't get a handle on what was going on til right at the end so felt little sympathy for the characters. The 2 MCs were unconvincing as well, their motivations vague & behaviour random.

Despite this novel indulging in some of the cliches of the psyche thriller genre (structure, cover design), it is actually set apart from its peers by the quality of the writing. Lucy Clarke is very good indeed. Her dialogue is on point - rarely come across such natural spoken exchanges. Also she builds tension & suspense like a master - at one point every character was under my suspicion! Cont. in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

With the memory of Hobb's Farseer trilogy still fresh in my mind, this suffers terribly in comparison. Not really my thing at all. While no-one likes info-dumps, endless mentions of names, places, concepts, events etc without any explanation or context gets boring & alienating. The sword fights were all too numerous & mind-numbingly detailed - again, boring. The plot is confused & confusing. Reminds me of The Name of the Wind - hated that too.

#friyayintro @howjessreads
1. I love a good 'beer snack' - preferably something salty and/or vinegary.
2. Never have I ever listened to an audio book. Maybe one day but currently it's not on my radar.
3. Finally finishing my daughter's playroom. Former junk hole will actually have a use! And look nice!
4. Honestly - none. Don't have a sweet tooth. See No. 1, I'm all about the savoury!
5. BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK PINK BLACK 🖤🖤🖤🖤💗🖤

A particularly rubbish picture of a fabulous jigsaw I just completed. It's called The Bizarre Bookshop and it's by Colin Thompson. I absolutely love it. There's so much detail to discover. I also have this design as my Kindle skin and it's a mural in my daughter's school library. The jigsaw is by Ravensburger & I think their jigsaws are the best I've ever done (image range and quality wise).

Totally UNhumble brag!!! I did 100 NetGalley reviews! And boy did it take some doing!

I've read some absolute stinkers, some so meh they floated by me barely noticed, some nuggets of pure gold - Beartown, The Overstory, Red Clocks, Sight, A Collar For Cerberus, Less, the Wayfarers trilogy. And loads more.

So thank you #Netgalley for all the books. Keep 'em coming, OK?!

It was with no insignificant trepidation that I ventured forth to meet the adult Lyra. Pullman's writing, as previously, as always, is flawless, having that ineffable quality that draws you in & sweeps you away - his storytelling is just sublime. And it was an utterly delight to be back in that world, with those characters...even if seeing Lyra drinking in a pub with an ex she'd slept with was a little discombobulating! Cont. in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Just starting this one. Hope this is what I think it is because if it is I'm just in the mood for it!

With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This is a lightweight, easy reading historical fiction with ghosts and a smidge of romance that requires a huge suspension of disbelief - I eyerolled more than once. It veers more towards the cheesy rather than the genuinely spooky but the historical storyline is absorbing and the present day story is mostly engaging as well. Ending was rubbish though - wanted those ends satisfyingly tied up & got nowt much which was disappointing.

Lots of books on the moon landing around at the moment to coincide with the 50th anniversary. This one is especially good. A child of non-specified gender is left behind on the moon & gives the grey inhabitants of the greyest of grey worlds the gift of colour. There are so many excellent talking points - I love that the MC is brave and their wistful half smile in the last picture says so much about childhood. Lovely book to share.

I didn't enjoy this book for several reasons but I'm going to pick on one. The lack of speech marks. Just ... why? What does it actually bring to the table? To me it's a pointless stylistic affectation that only serves to confuse and alienate the reader but it seems it's increasingly fashionable. All other punctuation is present & correct. In this book there was also no indication of who was speaking either. Grinds my gears!!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬

Well, this one was a lot of fun & created exactly the sort of hilarity you DON'T want right at bedtime! It is a simple rhyme about legs (obviously) and you just have to count 'em all. Which wasn't as easy as it sounds! My five year old loved keeping tally though things did get heated over whether frogs have 4 legs or 2 arms & 2 legs and whether to count the table legs or not! Good stuff - and the answer is provided at the end!

Enjoyable but overwritten & in need of a pruning. The characters' voices were unconvincing & lacking authenticity. Story itself was fairly engaging if sparse but repeatedly got bogged down in the faux profundity and irrelevancy that was a weakness of the author's style. Some of it was beautifully written, some pseud nonsense. The themes got lost at times, hammered home at others. Not without promise but misfiring somewhat.

Yes! My schedule is clear and I can now begin this one. Also I'm soooo excited about the upcoming adaptation starring the godlike Lin-Manuel Miranda (picture stolen shamelessly from his Twitter). As much as I'm looking forward to his Lee I am as ever obsessed by Marisa Coulter - such a layered & complex character. Meep!

The state of our planet is downright terrifying but how to educate a sensitive 5 year old about their responsibilities to the environment without scaring them silly? This book hits just the right level. It pulls no punches but does it in a manner that is accessible, upbeat & imbued with hope & positivity.
🌍💚🌎💚🌏

Meep! It's out! It arrived on my Kindle at 3 minutes past midnight and it was a huge effort not to drive straight in. Mainly because it was 3 minutes past midnight on a school night but also because I'd totally misjudged my reading schedule and I'm currently in the middle of a book I don't really want to abandon. So I'll have to wait a little while longer ... but just having it waiting is still exciting enough!

Currently enjoying this one. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This was a twisted delight! Love DeWitt's brand of subtle but oh so dark humour in this "tragedy of manners. He can write characters so dislikeable & weird with a mastery that is a joy to behold. The acid tongued and horribly overbearing mother, Frances, is such an example - her behaviour & attitude are so awful yet this makes her fleeting moments of vulnerability & humanity all the more poignant. Trigger information in comments.

It's getting closer! So excited to read this - i have it pre-ordered on Kindle so it should download just after midnight of release day. The original trilogy was a huge part of my life for a long time & I cannot wait to see what comes next.

This short book scraps a So-So but it is ultimately a pretty frustrating read. The frame story is just awful - too many info-dumps and highly unconvincing dialogue- and largely unnecessary. The obviously well researched historical section is more engaging but is just a single episode & doesn't really go anywhere. Disliked the scene where a rape victim describes her ordeal openly & graphically. Some jarring anachronisms also.

On the meh side of So-So, this brief read had an intriguing premise but, for me, lacked somewhat in the execution. The quality of the writing is patchy, fairly decent when it's good but bog standard when it's not. Repetitive in places, especially in dialogue. The author does set a good scene and create an interesting character (Astara) but frustratingly the narrative is more concerned with the less interesting Evie.

As much as I enjoyed this concluding volume of this trilogy boy was it a slog! It would benefit hugely from a severe editing as it got vague & flabby in places. Fitz finally gets out that damn keep though he's still as slow on the uptake as ever. Plot took a slightly disappointing turn into fantasy cliche (enter dragons) & the climax took a lot of getting to which diminished it ever so slightly. Did love the ending though... cont. in comments ⬇️⬇️

Starting this one tonight. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

Starting this one today. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1. Germany, Netherlands, Canary Islands, Dominican Republic, Jersey, Greece - not sure Scotland & Wales count when you live in England! So 6.

2. Coastline! I live for the beach 🏖🏖🏖

3. Tie between Paris, Athens & New York. My flying phobia means Australia is highly unlikely 😭

4. London, Paris, New York, small town USA, Narnia, Middle Earth, the Land.

This is a prime example of a book that I adore but wasn't really that well received by my 5 year old. The illustrations are fabulous. The pages showing the little boy's daydreams are gorgeous, so much detail, so imaginative, something new to be amused by on every viewing. But my daughter was markedly underwhelmed. It was like there was TOO much going on & she zoned out. Oh well, can't win 'em all!

Another absolutely corker from the Donaldson/Scheffler dream team! Axel's illustrations are, as always, bright & zany, witty & warm. The divine Julia's verse is quirky & silky - just a delight to read out loud. Theirs really is a literary match made in heaven. With a gentle message of tolerance, love & acceptance and the now traditional cameo from the Gruffalo, this has gone straight to the top of the bedtime story charts!

The middle book of a trilogy is, for me, the make or break instalment. This had a few wobbly moments but on the whole it basically made sure the hook of the first book was firmly embedded! It was a little slow to get up to speed, had a fair bit of recap & the action is pretty much confined to a single location but it was soon back to the familiar convoluted intrigues of the Farseer family. Love the Fool - such a fascinating character ... cont. ⬇️

Attempting to escape the book hangover caused by the Farseer trilogy with this one - so far, so good.

With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This summer I have been mostly reading Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy. Not exaggeration - I feel like it took the entire season to get through it!

But now I've finished it & I feel that, after being so immersed in & absorbed by the world of the Six Duchies, I've been unceremoniously dumped back in the real world and with an unpleasant void in my reading life to boot.

@howjessreads #friyayintro

1. Look, I just don't want to change AND THAT'S TOTALLY FINE THANKS!
2. I haven't watched TV for over 4 years now but I liked dark stuff like Peep Show.
3. Cereal & coffee most days. Pain au chocolate as a treat. I love a full English fry up but rarely have the time/energy.
4. British Summer Time. Ha! ☔🌧☔
5. Black Assassin. I'd totally listen to that band!!!

Another absolutely brilliant book from Usborne! This one is just the best ever and my 5 year old loves it. There are lots of character and plot prompts and lots of space for budding authors to write down their ideas. My daughter needed help with the reading but was enthusiastic in putting her ideas down on paper to read back. It kept her entertained for hours & she got some writing practice in the 6 weeks summer holiday. #weloveusbornebooks

There are some brilliant books for kids from publisher DK and the Look series is particularly awesome. This book saved my bacon on some days this summer holiday - there's nothing like messy play for banishing boredom. We made a red bubbling potion & a bucketful of pink soap fluff and there's loads more to do another time. This is the best kind of learning - so much fun you don't realise you are! My 5 year old approves!

It took me a MONTH to read the first book of this trilogy (including 2 weeks of not reading it at all) and 2 weeks to read the second one. This one has 849 pages so not sure how long it will take me to get through it.....

....and then I remember my daughter goes back to school on Tuesday and I do a brief and very restrained happy dance.

Am I a bad mama for being overjoyed to get my reading time back?

Look at this gorgeous notebook I just treated myself to. It's nice & chunky to hold and the paper is thick, smooth and creamy - not sure I want to write in it!

Since Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages series not a real lot has scratched my fantasy itch with anything even approaching true satisfaction. Happily the high hopes I had for this author were all met with aplomb. Top notch writing - simple, precise, thoroughly absorbing, so easy to read (& so hard to do!) Plot was a slow builder, a gradual immersion that was nonetheless very engaging. And then the final section of the book - cont. below ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Another day, another wonderful Usborne book! I bought this gorgeous shimmery volume for my 5 year old daughter but I think I got as much pleasure from reading it to her as she did from hearing it! It tells of early beliefs & discoveries about the moon, myths about the moon from different cultures and all about the moon landings - perfect for the recent anniversary. My moon obsessed girl loved it & I foresee many repeat reads! 🌛🌚🌜

Back from Kos - where I read for approximately zero minutes as going on holiday with a 5 year old is hard work & not really at all relaxing. Gone are the days of reading 6 books a week while sat in a leafy taverna sipping ouzo. Cue 14 days of wrestling with a bottle of sunscreen & a recalcitrant child.

So am finally on to volume 2 of this trilogy. Which I'm enjoying & is helping to reduce my stress level.

Have been away from Litsy for a week or so now - as you can see I've been somewhat distracted! Home soon to wet & windy England (sob!) and the unending battle with my TBR pile!

Happy Weekend to my fellow book fiends from sunny Kardamaina, Kos!

1. 🌳💚🌳💚🌳💚🌳
2. Saw The Lion King today. It was (please forgive me) roar-some! 🦁🦁🦁
3. I love a nice fresh Greek salad with lots of tangy olives & salty feta.
4. At least 30. All on my mother's side. Don't even know them all ... biiig family.
5. I'll try 😉

#friyayintro @howjessreads

Gosh, it's a bit warm! Hope all my fellow UK Littens are managing to stay cool and hydrated. It's a great excuse to stay inside and read lots!

I actually love hot weather as long as I can find a bit of shade 🌞😎🌞😎🌞😎🌞

OMG! I brought this colouring book for my daughter to take on holiday. And I WANT IT! It's cool & quirky & funny with lots of weird & wonderful designs that are not too simple, not too detailed, just right for satisfying colouring.

1. Still love Beartown. Still mad crushing on Benji...
2. Both. Never seen these in the UK but we have them when we're in Greece.
3. Sunset. I'm not a morning person. At all. In any way.
4. Books, obvs, perfume, stationery, CDs/DVDs, Tiffany jewellery, Hamilton tickets.
5. I loved my 3rd year of junior school. I was 10, pony mad & read voraciously. My teacher was Mrs Dales & she was awesome & I adored her.
#friyayintro @howjessreads

Excitement level: CRITICAL!!!!

Just seen the His Dark Materials series trailer & I must say it looks very promising. It might just right some of the wrongs that horrible movie did.

Heck, it has the god-like Lin-Manuel Miranda in it! For that alone it triumphs! 😍😍😍

Wait, what?! What the hell did I just read? I was initially intrigued by the opening scene at Hull Fair but soon found this story worming it's way under my skin. And if it starts as one thing it ends up being - slowly, creepingly, inexorably - something else altogether. It is genuinely chilling & I could not have foreseen the twist - even as it was unravelling in front of my eyes I was incredulous. The writing of the MC is excellent ... cont. ⬇️⬇️

A strong so-so. Lightweight and largely ludicrous, this ridiculous romp is easy reading heaven and a lot of undemanding fun. It has a magical realism flavour to it & lots of largely positive gay representation (a few cliches & stereotypes sneaked in but are fairly innocuous). It is amusing and entertaining but sometimes surprises with some moments of depth in amongst all the campy shallowness. And everyone gets A Big Fat Happy Ending!