My daughter & I have only just started to mine this rich seam of animal knowledge. What a fabulous book! As to be expected from Nat Geo, the photos are superb, numerous, vivid & intimate. This book covers a huge range of creatures & has a staggering amount of facts & information. While this is obviously aimed at children, it has enough depth to be of use/interest right up to and including adulthood. Great for homework or just dipping into.

Starting this one today, another long overdue NetGalley review. It's been so long since I requested this that I can't remember a thing about it so it's a bit like a lucky dip (or a box of chocolates) - I don't know what I'm going to get!

This creepy & atmospheric crime story is a kind of Larsson's Millennium Lite - similar matter-of-fact writing style without the endless tedious detail. The 2 MCs are kinda reminiscent of Lisbeth as well. And while not as multi-layered & dense it's just as enjoyable. Non-stop action, building tension, rising body count, all good stuff. Lots of twists, shocks, red herrings, gory bits & a satisfying unravelling. Would love to see more of the 2 MCs.

Another gorgeous book from my daughter's Christmas haul. One of my most cherished childhood possessions is my first edition copy of the wordless classic by Raymond Briggs and this version, by the ever brilliant Michael Morpurgo, fleshes out the story in a satisfying manner that enhances rather than overhauls the original. The illustrations are gorgeous and the magic is still as heartwarming & poignant as it ever was. A book to treasure. ⛄❤⛄

If you've ever been driven mad by the phrase "are we nearly there yet?" then this book is for you! It has loads of ideas for games that don't require any equipment so can be played easily in the car on long journeys. Some are more fun than others but you can easily adapt them to your own rules. Loads of other types of games as well but it's the car friendly ones we've been trying out mostly.

One night, just before Christmas, my 7 year old was just settling down to go to sleep when she pipes up "Mama, what is evolution?" Well, I know what it is but when it came to explaining it in a vaguely comprehensible manner, I was all at sea! Thank you Usborne for saving my bacon!

My daughter is seriously into Barbie right now and she received this annual for Christmas. I was trying to explain to her what a big deal annuals were when I was her age. They were a Christmas staple. I absolutely loved them and read them repeatedly all through the year. The excitement of unwrapping one on Christmas morning was unparalleled! I remember a Bunty one I was particularly fond of, can even recall one of the stories in it.

Last of my Christmas haul. I totally blame The Jolly Postman for mine & my daughter's obsession with books with real letters in! We are both building up a good little collection.

I've wanted this book for so long and it's finally mine! A Christmas present from my husband and daughter. This is what I'd describe as a "nice book", a term originating in my childhood for a book that was a bit special. It was always such a thrill to receive a "nice book". I still get such a warm contented feeling from owning a book as "nice" as this one. My geeky little heart is racing - maps in books always excite & delight ?

Time for a quick reread before the new edition! Love these two ❤

Starting the tagged book today - quite appropriate really as I've spent the last few weeks doing mostly scoffing!

Also testing out my new book stamp. Can't quite get it right - too much pressure & it loses detail, too little pressure & the letters are patchy. This attempt had too much ink and has spread - frustrating 😤

MASSIVE PICK ALERT ⚠️ Drop everything & read this book ASAP!

Seriously, it's very good indeed. It's got me like Angelica Schuyler when Alexander Hamilton played fast & loose with his comma placement.

So many emotions, swinging this way then that way. My heart broke, my gut wrenched & I can't stop thinking about it!

As fan of retellings & myths, a grecophile, a feminist, a daughter, a mother - this just hits hard.

Loved Ariadne, adore this!

Had high hopes for this comic book, as the artwork is very aesthetically pleasing, but they were not met. The plot is scanty in the extreme, the merest bones of an idea without any of the flesh that would've made me want to read on. The art is annoyingly indulgent - panel after wordless panel of admittedly very atmospheric art that adds nothing to the narrative. Not much happened. I couldn't really work out what it was all about tbh!

I am ecstatic to finally own this beauty, a Christmas present from my husband & daughter. Someone on here recommended it to me (sorry, can't remember who but if it's you thanks for that!) and I've coveted it ever since. Can't wait to get stuck in but it's the bookworm's eternal dilemma - put it on the TBR pile or read straight away?

My daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading a poem together every night at bedtime. This is a lovely selection of poems with lots of variety in terms of style, form & subject matter, some modern, some old, some well-known & some a new discovery. It really is a great introduction to poetry & we have bought the companion volume because we don't want to lose this part of our day! Recommended for children & adults alike!

Got this gorgeous book for Christmas. It's totally up my street. Also, as an enthusiastic armchair linguist, I love the title. Word and hord. Ward and hord. Word and hurd. I love the English language!

It's that time of the month again - Amazon First Reads. What are you going to pick? I'm ridiculously indecisive this time 🤔

My daughter got this for Christmas LAST year and we've been trying to read it together ALL year .... we on chapter 4! It's just not happening for some reason so have decided to set it aside for a while and come at it fresh in due course.

Just misses being a Pick. I love that I could sense the intensity of the poet's emotions - her passion, fury and indignation. But, for me, the delivery was slightly lacking - the intensity became diffused as some pieces seemed to lack focus or a cohesive structure. That said, there are some stunning turns of phrase & some powerful themes & imagery. It just felt a little rushed & underdeveloped.

My daughter and I absolutely loved this heartwarming adventure story this advent period. A sequel to last year's How Winston Delivered Christmas, this tells the story of our intrepid mouse hero's quest to be reunited with his mum. Some old favourites are amongst the cast of friendly animals helpers as well as some hilarious new ones. One chapter every night till the finale on Christmas Eve. Thanks Alex T Smith for a wonderful reading experience.

Hope Santa brought everyone lots of new reading material!

A monster of a finale - buckets of action, great character development, fascinating interactions (especially Fitz and the Fool) dragons getting frisky, heart-break (and corresponding heart-mend!) and a nice mix of satisfying AND frustrating resolutions. Whole trilogy has just been ultra absorbing - to maintain the relentlessly good writing over 2000 pages is no mean feat. High quality fantasy entertainment.

Hugely enjoyable/enjoyably HUGE & always compelling, this middle book of trilogy didn't suffer, as some do, for being the set-up for the big finish. LOVED the connecting of Farseer & Liveship Traders characters - experienced a delicious headspin as the 2 stories merged! Lots of spying, Skilling & political maneuvering. Lots of juicy revelations & character interactions. Oh & Fitz being a total jerk to the Fool! Could slap him at times!!!

I have been looking forward to starting this one for a while now so I'm going to give myself a little Christmas treat and bump it straight to the top of my TBR schedule.

This cover is really something else 😍

RIP Anne Rice. Absolutely devastating news.

Today's read. Cover looks promising....

Starting this one today. Absolutely love this artwork 😍

Top class fantasy. Really enjoyed this return to a world I loved. Fitz is such a complex character & spends the first third of this novel being an introspective grump! Then when all the recapping is done (only very slightly boring as the writing is, as always, scintillating) the Fool comes! Twists, turns, revelations, connections, references, all so satisfying. Love Fitz & Fool's relationship. Love the depth & detail of Hobb's world building.

This is my December pick from Amazon First Reads. What has everyone else gone for?

Sorry for the totally un-book related post but this 46 year old kid is just ridiculously excited about Christmas!!!

And now it's December I don't have to rein it in anymore!!!

IT'S CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAAS! 🎅❄🎄🎁

Ripping through this trilogy, it's just a joy. Starting the last installment today.

Lots of different covers for this book - I like this one a lot.

I found this maudlin rather than moving & it left me feeling somewhat depressed. I found the ending morbid, unsatisfying & distasteful - I'm never 100% comfortable with that particular trope. MC is unlikeable, self-pitying & without redeeming features. Flashback parts were OK but there was little resolution. Backman did this kind of thing much more effectively with Ove. This didn't seem to warrant its hype.

First of trilogy done in just over a week (each book of the Liveship Traders trilogy took me over 4 weeks during the first lockdown - my concentration was shot) and now on to the next! I'm loving it so far.

This is a great example of what a graphic novel can do - a clever & engaging read as educational as it is entertaining. Despite the presence of Hades it is more ecological than mythological - it is a journey through the literal underworld of soil. I'm not a huge fan of the artwork (Tom's pupil-less eyes freaked me out a little) but the message is delivered effectively, the information meticulously researched. Who knew soil was so fascinating?!

Noticed this. Nearly fainted. I like a big book and all but what the heck?! Then I realised I'd bought this trilogy as an omnibus edition and that's the time left for all 3 volumes! 😂

Can anyone please tell me what the super cute fabric pouches that protect your books when in your bag are called? And where/who I might get one from? The name is on the tip of my tongue....this happens a lot these days, it must be my age!

Just received this!!!!! So excited, I loved Ariadne.

Been saving the next trilogy in Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings sequence till the time was right.

The time is now right.

What a treat this is going to be!!!!

First Reads time again for any Amazon Primers out there! This was my choice for this month - what's yours?

Happy Halloween!

Featuring my new pumpkin from Scarborough.

Bought as a half term holiday/Halloween gift for my 7 year old daughter, this has been a massive hit! Apart from looking awesome, it has a great mix of poems - spooky ones, funny ones, ones that rhyme & ones that come shaped like a potion bottle! My girl was thrilled to see Paul Cookson's name on the cover as she did a poetry workshop with him in the summer that she loved. Reading level is just right for her & she's been reciting lots already!

Today's little treat, Pt 2.

Today's little treat, Pt 1. Great cover.

Like mother, like daughter - both suckers for a pretty cover! 7 year old made a beeline for this one, attracted by the pink, shiny foil on it. It's a hardback as well which just adds to the desirability! Illustrations inside are grey line drawings but still very sweet and every page is decorated too. Making chapter book visually appealing helps kids move on from picture books as sometimes pages of nothing but text can look a bit boring!!!

This is a great book we picked up at our last library visit. The real life stories of derring-do are just the right length for weary heads when they want an exciting tale but are fast running out of steam! And I have to admit, there's names & achievements in here that are totally new to me so it really is a journey of discovery for us both! Good mix of words & illustrations for kids that are ready to move on from full-on picture books.

This graphic novel is really rather wonderful. The art is gorgeous, quirky & characterful, reminiscent of Posey Simmonds. It has some fascinating things to say about women's reproductive/sexual health & their experiences in this area. The MC's journey is both professional & personal, the 2 being closely linked, and her ending is uplifting & empowering. The stories of the women patients are moving & affecting. Related, empathised & loved it ♥👌 ❤

Started this one last night. Seen a few cover variations that just featured the title. This one is by far my favourite.

I disliked this & need to rant out my disappointment. I found it irritating, unrealistic, repetitive, facile, poorly written & cheesy. Yes, I get Ari wanted to kiss Dante but I didn't get much out of it after reading it for the 147th time. Someone/everyone cried every 7th line. Yet at the moment of the only genuine emotional event everyone acts weirdly flippant! Ari said/wrote/felt the same few things over & over & OVER again!!! More ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Another graphic novel next. With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

This wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be - the history was approached from an architectural perspective rather than the running of - but I still enjoyed it. At times it got a little bogged down in names & esoteric terms, but it avoided being impenetrably academic. Impeccably researched, it covered the development of the country house right up to the present day. Photos were lovely, would've loved more.