Reading really does transport you! In my mind, I‘m in the world famous Hotel Royale, sipping champagne and eating strawberry mousse. In reality, I‘m in Costa, drinking Pepsi and realising I bought sweet potato crisps instead of normal ones by accident... #oops However, Secrets Of A Teenage Heiress is a really fun read so far! And I‘m carrying on with my #read365 goal of reading every day.

Taking part in #read365 and trying to read at least a little every day; this is the first one I‘ve started in 2018 and as expected from Sara Barnard is really superb so far!

I am INCREDIBLY excited for the new book from one of my favourite MG authors; it sounds utterly magical and I‘m sure I‘ll love it. And what a gorgeous proof package!

Just as great as I expected from watching some of Ash's YouTube videos! It covers around 80 identities; including some I was unfamiliar with, and gives people who claim those identities the chance to tell their stories. Of necessity each section is fairly brief, but they're still informative (and footnotes add helpful links to more info.) It's got more on gender than sexuality, btw, but I LOVED seeing a good amount on ace spectrum orientations.

Breathtaking debut novel told in letters between a young Black man in prison and his friends and family (with a few court transcripts.) The voice of every character is stunning, while the book is an entertaining, at times heartbreaking, and always deeply thought-provoking story of Black masculinity, injustice, life in prison and on the streets, and of being the child of a single mother. It builds to an incredible climax - a truly superb read.

Absolutely gorgeous writing here, and the fantasy and world-building in the first half is so wonderful that reading on Kindle, I ordered a paperback when just 20% or so through. The second half becomes more of a romance than is personally to my taste; regardless it's an easy recommendation and S Jae-Jones's language is so lyrical that I'm extremely keen to read whatever she writes next.

I bought this - a childhood favourite - to pass on to a work colleague for her son but couldn't resist rereading it myself first. It's a really funny and wonderfully feminist fairy tale, as Polly constantly outwits the wolf. Their relationship is surprisingly sweet at times, with her having to rescue him at a few points - perhaps most hilariously when he kidnaps her ultra-demanding baby sister!

Julep is back in a book that, like her first appearance, is a fun read which kept me entertained. I have to admit I think overall I preferred the first - this one was too implausible even for me at times - but on the plus side the romance here, as she falls for another girl, is wonderful and I loved seeing them together. As in book 1, the main story is tied up but there's a huge twist for J at the end. If there's a 3rd, I'll definitely read.

Oh wow! Such a gorgeously fun read, Sofia is an utterly wonderful MC and her relationship with her family had me in stitches for much of the book (it gets much more emotional late on.) The guys she meets are great characters and I was left desperately hoping I was shipping her with the right person. (I won't say if I was or not!) The most hilarious adult novel I've read for a long time; I'm already incredibly excited for the upcoming sequel.

Completely, utterly gorgeous MG - the best for this age group I read in 2016 - about dragons, chocolate, friends, family and finding your passion in life. I read this with a massive smile on my face right the way through, I adored Aventurine & new friend Silke. I'm left in awe of Stephanie after the ending - close to the end I couldn't see how she could wrap things up quickly enough but she pulled it off perfectly. An absolutely wonderful read!

Outstanding collection with so many amazing stories! Matt de la Pena and Walter Dean Myers bookend it with two of the best shorts I've read for ages, but there's not a weak link in this wonderful anthology - and such variety in characters and stories! Special mention to contest winner Kelly J Baptist, whose story absolutely holds up against the more experienced and better known authors here. A definite must read!

Stunning essay which I wish had been written when I was a teen. At that point I think I was one of the boys who would have said "I don't even think about gender." I am slightly more awake to the world today - but even if I wasn't this short, accessible and brilliantly powerful book would definitely have opened my eyes. A call to action which will definitely make me think more about what I can do to challenge gender inequality. Required reading.

What an amazing start!

Stunning contemporary telling the story of Marlon, caught up in danger when a date ends tragically. He's an incredible main character and my heart went out to him and his mother, already heartbroken by an accident his brother was involved in several years previously. The way Marlon gets drawn into the world Andre had occupied is brilliantly paced - although it's a tough read as it's so clearly leading to bad things. A really outstanding debut!

Phil Earle puts all his trademark warmth into this lovely, compassionate story of two boys - Mikey, who's just lost his father, and his best mate trying anything he can to support him in his grief. These two are the stand-outs but there's a rich cast of characters, including street performers, a school bully. and an agent. As always with Barrington Stoke the story is brilliantly plotted and paced - their 'super readable YA slogan' is spot on!

Only a few pages in, but already (as always for Phil) the narrator has a wonderful voice!

I'm a huge fan of books about con artists and this was SUCH a fun read (although it got surprisingly emotional towards the end.) Julep is a really awesome main character, the plot isn't especially plausible but worked for me because it's so pacy and exciting, and I'm really glad that I have the sequel to hand because while the main mystery is wrapped up nicely, a question raised late in the book has me desperate to know the answer to it.

This was one of my most highly-anticipated contemporaries of the year - I really enjoyed the first WFC book - and it definitely didn't disappoint! As with the first in the series, it's a hilarious read with a fab main character. The excellent dialogue sets it above most of the other similar books in a crowded field (which includes lots of great reads!) while the extracts from a gossip site and emails from Elektra's agent were great touches.

Fab book post; I am especially excited for #AllAboutMia!

Ta-Nehisi Coates gives us a complex political storyline populated with rich characters - T'Challa himself is excellent while the two who interested me the most were the former guards of the Dora Milaje, 2 female lovers. I was also impressed by the portrayal of the villains, who were well-rounded. Add in stunning artwork from Brian Stelfreeze, vividly bringing the characters and Wakanda to life, and this is a seriously superior superhero story.

A beautiful story of coping with tragedy, finding your strength, and first love. Wing - throwing herself into running after disaster strikes her family - is a wonderful MC and her love interest is great. Even better, though, are her two grandmothers, one from Ghana and one from China, two fabulous characters! (And the windows into her two cultures they provide are fascinating.) This is gorgeously written too, a must-read for contemporary fans!

Oh wow! My first Adam Silvera and it's just as wonderful as I'd been told his writing is (but a serious tearjerker; stock up on tissues.) I fell totally in love with Griffin, Theo and Jackson, all three are amazing characters and I thought the details of Theo's relationships with both other boys were incredibly well-portrayed. In addition, I loved Adam's really perfect depiction of Griffin's OCD; definitely one of the best I've seen in YA.

Super-happy to receive this from Chicken House; the first chapter is hilarious - looking forward to reading more!

WOW! The unique structure - mostly a dual narrative, but interspersed with stories of lots of people the MCs meet - got my attention quickly but Nicola's beautiful writing and the superb central pairing are even more impressive. I loved the chemistry between them while the author also brought New York to life perfectly. A stunning look at love, science, poetry, fate, and so many other topics. And oh, that ending! An incredible read.

This is an incredibly powerful read right from the start! (This is the end of Natasha's first chapter.)

My #bookhaul yesterday! I'm so excited for both novels, while I plan to use the five year journal to note down one thing each day that I'm grateful for.

I liked this a lot, mainly due to really strong characterisation. Avery - punk-rock guitarist/songwriter and proudly-out lesbian is a fantastic main character, and there's great chemistry between her and love interest Madison, the popular (but presumed straight) girl she falls for. These two & Avery's hilarious best friend Scott make this a strong rec from me despite it being a fairly predictable read. Would love to read more from Danielle!

I posted on my blog responding to the fabulous Broke and Bookish Year-End Survey with some of my favourite books of the year! This Song Is (Not) For You was my absolute favourite, but everything pictured (and others I didn't have handy for the pic) is great!

Omg they are arguing via a Spanish teacher as they're not allowed to talk in English in detention and this book is an UTTER delight!

Lada Dracul is one of the most compelling main characters for years - a phenomenal antihero. I was cheering her on throughout this book as she constantly showed she was tougher than many of the men around her. Supporting characters are also very strong, and there's great rep of Islam and a beautiful gay romance. The political intrigue is compelling to read about and even during the slower parts of the book my attention never wandered - superb!

I was sold on this by Gossip Girl meets House of Cards comparisons and wow, does it deliver! Antihero Reshma is an utterly amazing character with an incredibly strong voice and, while she's often awful, you can see exactly WHY she does things. It's a sharp and witty read, and behind the humour there's real depth as it looks at tough topics including institutional racism and the abuse of study drugs.

Fabulous Winter Magic event at Waterstones Piccadilly on Tuesday evening - Abi made an amazing chair!

This is the book I've reread most over the last few years - a wonderful contemporary with a great bunch of friends at the centre and so many hilarious lines! #UKYANov

My #NovemberRain (Book plus soundtrack) pick for #UKYANov pairs a favourite series of mine - which takes a classic novel in a new direction with a 21st century sequel to Dracula - with a stunning CD which sees a fabulous pop group's songs covered by metal acts.

Fabulous launch - with awesome biscuits!! - for this book earlier this week!

At the bus stop heading home from the midnight screening - a really magical event! Awesome to share it with two of my best friends, @daydreamin_star and her flatmate Debbie. :)

Super busy so didn't manage to get my #UKYANov POC main character pick up yesterday - I haven't read this yet but have heard amazing things, and Patrice is great. :)

I am desperate to read #Hamiltome but I am even MORE desperate to see the show for myself! Every time I walk past the Victoria Palace theatre, my excitement builds.

Fabulous #bookpost over the weekend! I loved Rebel so I'm very excited for Traitor, and Unconventional sounds wonderful. :) #bookmail

Really good afternoon at Write Idea festival - fab to hear Catherine talk and awesome to get her to sign Sawbones, the #lastUKYAbookIbought - reading at the moment and loving it! Also got sweet treats from my friend Sally! #UKYANov

If you're near Whitechapel, why not head to Write Idea Festival this afternoon to see these great authors (plus Sara Barnard; I appear to have lent out my copy of the fabulous Beautiful Broken Things!) http://writeideafestival.org for full details

Love this stunning window at Tales On Moon Lane! #getindie

Some fab quotes here! Loving this read so far. :)

The 5th in the superb Murder Most Unladylike series is definitely the best so far, with Robin Stevens bringing all her trademark ingenuity to provide us with a captivating mystery. The setting of Cambridge at Christmas is wonderful, while we continue to see the racism of the era and how it affects characters - including narrator Hazel Wong. The changing friendship between Hazel and Daisy, as Hazel grows more confident, is another high point.

This has a bisexual MC, and a character on the ace spectrum - one of the only ace spectrum characters I've seen in #UKYA, and definitely my favourite portrayal. It's currently my UKYA book of the year! #LGBT #LGBTQIA #UKYANov

"They were writing an autobiography - probably the first one ever to be written by two people about their one life." Such an awesome quote; fab to hear Kathryn reading from this book tonight at Waterstones Guildford!

I'm at Guildford Waterstones for my friend Faye's chairing debut and I'm super excited to her from fab authors Sue Wallman, Patrice Lawrence, Eugene Lambert, Olivia Levez and Kathryn Evans.

Over on www.yayeahyeah.com I posted about 10 recent additions to my TBR pile!

The Drina series are my absolute favourites - I started reading as a primary school child and I've reread the entire series perhaps a dozen times. For me, the books - about the title character's journey from a young girl banned from dancing to a star of the Dominick Company - are the written equivalents of a huge hug. I have all 11 but these 2 are special as they're the same edition as the ones I read as a child. #UKYANov #pre21stcenturybook

Working on a blog post atm about my favourite bookish moments - one of them was DEFINITELY the occasion when Jandy Nelson asked me to help her out with a reading at Waterstones Piccadilly!! Thanks to my amazing friend Debbie for the pic (check out her great blog at www.snugglingonthesofa.com)