This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

I had intended to read Gargantis this week, but my reading went off on a completely different track as I just wanted to read some books I’ve had on my TBR (apart for one) for a while rather than upcoming ones! I’m now just about ready to start this and, as I loved Malamander so much, I’m really hoping to enjoy this too.

I’ve read five books this week. I really wanted to read a book set in Ireland that I remember reading when I was younger so downloaded Under the Hawthorn Tree from the Library Service. This is a short book set during the Great Famine which follows three siblings making a journey from their home to find relatives. It was quite a harrowing read as there was so much hardship, but it also celebrated close family bonds. I also read The Middler which I’ve had on my TBR since first publication. I was spurred on to read it after reading TrooFriend by the same author. I absolutely loved this story set in a dystopian society and really enjoyed the exploration of Maggie’s relationship with Una. Her battle between choosing friendship and submitting to the town indoctrination created brilliant tension and, oh my, I did not see the twist until it was almost upon me – very clever! I decided to read a short adventure next, Clifftoppers The Arrowhead Moor Adventure and it was a wonderful Sunday morning lazing in bed read! It reminded me so much of my childhood and my adventures in the countryside with my siblings – but without the jewel heist! It has definitely made me want to read the next two in the series. On Sunday afternoon, I asked my husband to choose a book from my TBR and he chose Beyond Platform 13. I haven’t read Eva Ibbotson’s, The Secret of Platform 13. I loved that Lina believed in magic and that, through a case of mistaken identity, she got to go on such a wonderful magical adventure. Finally, I read the BRILLIANT Jungledrop which is the second book in the Unmapped Chronicles series. Oh my – this is special. Abi’s writing absolutely sparkles and she is a creative genius, but I think the part of her writing that really connects with me is the powerful messages she scatters in her writing which find deep resonance.

I intend to read The Vanishing Trick as I meant to read it this week. I know I’m likely to read more, but I haven’t decided what yet!

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

The April theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot is Taking on the TBR pile and today’s prompt is for Books that have been on your TBR forever. I only really started to build up a massive TBR when I started reading lots again – around Christmas 2019. This pile drew bigger and bigger as more and more new books came out, and I wanted them all. The only problem was that I couldn’t read as fast as my TBR pile was growing! I’ve had a look at my TBR, and below are six books that have been on it for far too long, so I intend to get reading them over the next couple of months – as well as try to clear my NetGalley approvals which is also getting rather large.

Scavengers by Darren Simpson was released in March 2019 and is currently very close to the top of my TBR. I’ve read lots of great reviews about this, and am really looking forward to reading it. The opening lines definitely intrigued me!

Tin by Padraig Kenny was released in February 2018. I got both it and his second novel, Pog on the same day. I read Pog really quickly but have still not got round to reading this one. I have really liked reading a few books with robots in recently, so this one definitely appeals.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend was published in October 2018 (hardback) and in May 2019 (paperback). I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, and can’t believe I haven’t read this one yet!

The Wild Folk by Slyvia V Linsteadt was published in June 2018, and is another one that has been sitting on my TBR for too long. It sounds like a perfect escapist read for these times, and I’m really looking forward to diving in!

The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods by Samuel J Halpin was released in November 2018. I remember being really eager to read this one, and my final choice, at the time I picked it up. I don’t know how books I’m really keen to read end up bypassing me for so long!

A Darkness of Dragons by S A Patrick was published in September 2018. I think I picked it up at the same time as the one above. This sounds like a great fantasy adventure, which is my favourite genre so, again, I don’t know how it has been buried in plain sight in my TBR for so long!

This prompt has been a really good opportunity to remind me to look at the older books on my TBR and to catch up on some of these books as I obviously wanted to read them enough to buy them at the time.

What a month this has been – I couldn’t have imagined at the start of the month how much life would change in such a short space of time. I can’t believe how much I miss the small pleasures in life, such as going for a coffee, browsing in a bookshop and meeting up with friends. These were things I took for granted: I will definitely have a newfound appreciation for them when I am eventually able to enjoy them again.

One of the hardest things for me has been how much I miss teaching my class, and how much I miss the wonderful children I taught. For the last couple of days before schools closed for the majority of children, we read lots, we coloured and we chatted and the children made cards for each other for when times might get difficult – a reminder that we may be apart, but we are still a team, thinking about each other. Goodness, reading these made me cry. I really, really hope that I get to teach my class all back together again this school year. I do go into school once a week to supervise the children of key workers, but there haven’t been many. It has been lovely to see a couple in my class though!

I’ve also just had news that my Dad has been taken into hospital in Ireland, with a very high temperature. He has dementia and is lost without my Mum (even though he doesn’t know her most of the time) who is not allowed to visit him. This really breaks my heart, and I just feel so helpless.

My reading has been very up and down this month. Some times, I’ve been able to take myself into a book and, at others, I just couldn’t focus on anything other than endlessly following the news, worrying and refreshing Twitter! I know that reading books is good for my mental health, and I do feel grateful that I’ve got this wonderful hobby/lifeline to keep me occupied – if only I can let it occupy me more often! This is something I am definitely working on!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read nine books this month, which is less than I normally would. I’ve reviewed five of them and hope to also write a review for TrooFriend shortly. The books I’ve reviewed are:

1. Toto The Ninja Cat and the Superstar Catastrophe.
2. Viper’s Daughter.
3. The House of Hidden Wonders.
4. Starfell: Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale.
5. Crater Lake.

I was sent Girl 38 by Ewa Jozeekowicz to review, and loved her writing style so much that I immediately read The Mystery of the Colour Thief which I enjoyed even more! Her books certainly seem to deal with difficult friendships and making new friends. This one also dealt with a heavy guilt which was expressed in the most ingenious way. I’d been wanting to read The Magic Place for ages and, when I saw the e-book, was available through my library, I jumped at the chance to read it. I read it early one morning in one sitting and, oh my goodness, it was a wonderful, if sometimes emotionally difficult read. The ‘Aunt’ and ‘Uncle’ villains are terribly cruel, yet Clementine never gives up hope of reaching her magic place. I’ve heard so many people talk about The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane so decided to give it a read as I had bought it a while back to read to see if I could use it as a class text with Year 4. This story was not what I was expecting, but it was an incredible read! Edward, a china rabbit, who is vain and self-centred, is loved dearly by his young owner, Abilene, but he does not return that love. One day, Edward finds himself separated from his young owner, and so begins his journey of self-discovery, and the opening of his heart to love as he is passed from owner to owner and learns to love. Edward also suffers a great deal of humiliation, pain and neglect, but he rises above this to find love and connection.  He endures a great deal, but engenders love in others, and learns to return that love. This story is heart-achingly tender and beautiful and absolutely tore at my heartstrings … and the ending is just perfect!

Books I’ve bought:

This month, I’ve bought 12 books: 10 physical copies and 2 e-books. I’ve only read one of them, Starfell, though! I really need to get better at reading the books I have before I keep buying more – probably not going to happen though! I’ve actually bought a couple of books which aren’t middle-grade this month: Havenfall and Hold Back the Tide! I’m still waiting for Storm and Orla and the Serpent’s Curse to arrive – but they have now been dispatched.

NetGalley Approvals:

There have been so many good books on NetGalley recently. I was approved for these four in March. I should have three of them read by the end of the week!

What books have you read this month? Have you read any of these?

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

The boy growled, dropped to all fours and took one end of the stick between his teeth. The dog at the stick’s other end – a hefty Alsatian with long ears – bared its gums and slobbered.

Any ideas?

I’ve had Scavengers since it was published in March 2019 which is way too long for it to be sitting on my TBR. In my defence, my TBR is well over 150 books! I’m in the mood for a few dystopian middle-grade books and I think this will be perfect!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Landfill has lived his whole life as a scavenger, running with wooflers, swimming with turtles and feasting on fresh gull. Old Babagoo has always looked after him, on one condition – follow his rules. Never come looking Outside. Never rise above the wall. But despite the dangers, Landfill longs to see Outside. And some rules are made to be broken.

Have you read this? What did you think?

The House of Hidden Wonders is a superbly gripping historical adventure set in a richly detailed and immersive Victorian Edinburgh which immediately captured me in the richly atmospheric and intriguing prologue, and kept me enthralled until the final page.

Zinnie and her little sisters, Nell and Sadie, scrape a meagre living on the streets of Edinburgh, and live in the tunnels beneath it.  Zinnie has taken both of the younger girls, who are orphans, into her heart and is determined to protect them and keep them safe:  the strength of their sisterly bond is beautifully portrayed throughout.  These unbreakable bonds of sisterhood are a strong theme within the story, and the relationships between the sisters was incredibly touching, especially in Zinnie’s absolute commitment to saving her youngest sister when she becomes desperately ill.   

One of the people who gives Zinnie paid jobs is none other than a young medical student, Arthur Conan Doyle.  He treats her with respect and values her opinion, asking for her help in solving a gruesome mystery, but unwittingly puts her in terrible danger as she tries to keep herself one step ahead of the law, and finds herself coming to the attention of a vile villain who will stop at nothing to protect his own secrets …

Zinnie’s life changes forever when she attends a séance being organised by the independently wealthy widow Lady Sarah Montague.  It is not long before she finds herself at the centre of a dark and utterly intriguing mystery: uncovering hidden secrets within the House of Wonders museum;  revealing the true story of the ghost haunting the tunnels; and, uncovering the perpetrator of a crime from the past that has come to the streets of her home … The plot is intricate, action-packed, heart-stopping, and so very, very clever:  I was utterly compelled to follow Zinnie who proves to be a rather brilliant sleuth in her own right.

I absolutely adored Zinnie, who is just the most wonderful young girl.  She is incredibly protective of Nell and Sadie who have become her sisters.  Highly intelligent, fiercely independent and full of courage, Zinnie forges her own path and has an incredible inner strength and tenacity, not afraid to stand up to unscrupulous adults, and fight for those she loves.  She sees past other peoples’ prejudices, and is determined to fight for the rights of others, especially those of another young girl who has found herself being cruelly exploited. The portrayal of this young girl’s condition is beautifully written:  she is a victim, but she is also a fighter and a survivor, but who doesn’t need someone else fighting your corner when the odds are not in your favour?  This is a role that Zinnie fulfils with kindness, ingenuity and great deal of empathy. 

I also loved the portrayal of the strong adult female characters in this story.  Lady Sarah Montague is an independent widow who uses her wealth to fulfil her sense of adventure by undertaking intrepid expeditions, and is quite capable of standing up for herself, and woe betide any man who thinks she should be doing otherwise!  Dr Sophia Jex-Blake is a real historical figure, being the first female doctor in Scotland:  I found the Author’s Historical Note regarding her fascinating.

It was a privilege to read this utterly compelling historical adventure with its inspirational female characters, realistic setting, and gripping plot which kept me turning page after page as I just had to follow the mystery with all of its superb twists and turns.  Sheer brilliance! 

Thank you to the Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m just about to start reading Jungledrop – just as soon as I write a review that I need to get done for tomorrow! I adore Abi’s writing, and absolutely loved the first book in the series, Rumblestar as well as the World Book Day release, Everdark. I’ve heard so many good things about this book, and can’t wait to get started – I think this is a book I will read in one sitting!

I’ve read four fantastic books this week. I finished Crater Lake which was a brilliant read: just the right amount of creepy edging on really scary with a good dollop of humour and heart. I then went completely ‘off’ my reading order and read two books that I’ve been wanting to read for ages. I read the e-book of The Magic Place via my library in one sitting, and it was a truly gorgeous read, if somewhat painful at times as Clementine was treated terribly by her ‘Aunt’ Vermilia and ‘Uncle’ Rufus – such awful characters! The ending was just wonderful – and I loved how Chris Wormell’s gorgeous black and white illustrations became colour! I’ve had The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane on my reading shelf for a while now. Oh my! This is such a beautiful story, and not at all what I was expecting. Edward’s transformation, and the terrible situations he faced, really tore at my heartstrings. Utter brilliance! The final book I read this week was TrooFriend. This was an utterly compelling and fascinating read which raises lots of questions related to AI. I could really sense ominous undertones as I read it, and wasn’t quite sure what way it would go which is a real testament to the talent of the author, Kirsty Applebaum. I will post my review in the next couple of days.

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I’ve got quite a lot of books I’m really looking forward to reading on NetGalley, so I think I’m going to read a couple of those next. I’ve chosen The Vanishing Trick which I’ve heard so much about – I’m very excited to start this. I adored Malamander by Thomas Taylor last year, and have been eagerly anticipating the next book in the series from Eerie-on-Sea, Gargantis. Walker Books are now on NetGalley, and I couldn’t resist requesting this one! I’m having a real problem stopping myself from requesting ALL the fantastic middle-grade currently on there!

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these?

I was very excited to receive my signed pre-order of this fantastic book, along with a pin badge, from the publisher, Firefly Press.

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But whatever happens they must never, ever, fall asleep!

Crater Lake is a perfect blend of jump-inducing scariness, brilliant characters and fast-paced action laced with a good dollop of humour and warmth!  It kept me gripped and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. 

The Year 6 children of Montmorency School are the first students to stay at the newly opened Crater Lake Activity Centre.  They don’t experience the welcome normally reserved for excited children on a school residential:  their bus is stopped by the figure of a bloodstained man with a warning.  From this point on, the creepiness and fright levels keep on escalating which makes this a truly compelling read. 

On arrival at the Centre, the children soon discover something strange is definitely afoot when they meet the Centre Manager, Digger who seems to be running the Centre on his own.  The tension soon heats up, and the action explodes, as classmates and teachers change in dangerous and frightening ways … will the small group of friends be able to save themselves and their classmates, or will an unknown invader prevail? 

Wow!  The ramping up of the levels of scary from eerie and creepy to downright frightening and gross is brilliantly realised.  I was utterly enthralled by the fast-paced plot from the stifling atmosphere to the pervading sense of danger to the twists and revelations … all combined with humour and heart from a fantastic group of firm friends.

I adored the camaraderie and humour between friends, Lance, Chets, Katja and Big Mak, as well as their new friend, Adrianne, which were incredibly authentic and heart-warming.  They are all brilliantly written with their own strengths and vulnerabilities, and work fantastically well as a supportive team as they fight to survive and protect each other, even if this doesn’t always meet with success.

Lance is an incredibly sympathetic protagonist who I adored.  He may not be the perfect student according to his, to be frank, appalling Assistant Head, but he is a very astute one. He shows himself to have an admirable inner strength, taking charge when needed and keeping his courage in place, despite his fear.  He has a deep desire to keep everyone safe and goes to great lengths to do so, even when this puts him in danger.  I love the way he opens up to his friends about a secret in his life, and how they reciprocate, making their friendship even stronger.

Crater Lake is an absolute triumph of a story with an ingeniously written plot that expertly balances horror, humour and heart.  Perfect reading for Upper Key Stage 2 and beyond.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

Fox Petty-Squabble flopped onto the sofa in the penthouse suite of the Neverwinkle Hotel. It was the summer holidays – or at least it was supposed to be – but rather than heading to the seaside, or relaxing with a barbeque in their garden, the Petty-Squabble family had descended upon the sleepy village of Mizzlegurg in the Bavarian countryside for a business trip.

Any ideas?

If you’ve read the wonderful Rumblestar, the first book in The Unmapped Chronicles series, you’ll probably have guessed this book from the incredibly inventive names! I was lucky enough to get a proof copy so am really looking forward to reading this one soon.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second novel in Abi Elphinstone’s new series, The Unmapped Chronicles, takes readers to the magical kingdom of Jungledrop! A breath-taking adventure story, that’s also about being kind – to others, to our planet and, perhaps hardest of all, to ourselves.

Oh, me greedy aunt!  Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale is an utterly glorious return to Starfell, following on from the first in this spell-binding series, Willow Moss and the Lost Day.  It is a story which completely enchanted me from start to finish with its magical world-building, warm humour, action-packed plot and truly wonderful characters.

Willow Moss, a young witch with the ability to find lost things, receives a leaf-mail letter from her friend, Nolin Sometimes, to tell her that he will be kidnapped in less than ten minutes!  No problem!  Willow can find lost things!  Problem?  Willow is having some difficulty with her magic and things are more likely to disappear than appear!

Willow seeks help from her much more powerful family but, unfortunately, they think she is being delusional as they can’t remember anything that happened during the Lost Day – a Tuesday to be precise – you’ll need to read the first brilliant book, Willow Moss and the Lost Day to find out more!  Please do – it’s a brilliant read too!

A rather unsupportive family can’t hold Willow back for long.  She is a very loyal friend and one very determined and brave young girl, so she sets out with her best friend Oswin, the cat – I mean, kobold – to get help from the most powerful witch, Moreg Vaine.  Things don’t go quite according to plan and so begins an incredible adventure with new and old friends, an adventure brimming with discoveries, dangers and twists – and a bathtub boat! The plot really is just so very clever:  it twists and turns as it wanders through Starfell and into a dark new land where a sinister enemy awaits … but will it be too late to save Nolin?

The world-building is truly superb with gorgeously rich and beautiful description, painting a world that completely fascinated me from the Tower to Wisperia to Netherfell to Library!  Oh Library! I so want to visit Library! Living in this world are a brilliant assortment of both new and known characters who enchant, endear and frighten … reading this story really does feel like greeting old friends again, and getting to know new ones. 

And then there is Willow … she is an incredibly endearing young girl:  she is dealing both with her own grief, and her family’s lack of faith in her, yet she doesn’t let this deter her from immediately going to the aid of her friend.  She is kind-hearted, courageous even when overcome with fear and incredibly resilient.  She has a real sense of justice and fairness and engenders deep loyalty and friendship from others.  Willow is willing to put her faith in others, and is tolerant of differences.  What a completely amazing young girl who is a brilliant role model for younger readers.

It felt wrong to mistrust someone just because they were a little different.

And then there is Oswin … I NEED to dedicate a whole paragraph to Oswin who is my absolute favourite animal character – ever!  He is DEFINITELY not a cat (although he does look rather like one – just don’t tell him I said so!) and he’s just brilliant:  sharp-witted, hilarious with the best one-liners and a rare talent for insults – with an interesting turn of phrase!  He even has his own Oswin to English Dictionary, but I’m such a fan, I didn’t need it as I TOTALLY understood him!  Despite his tetchiness, he is deliciously adorable, and an incredibly loyal friend.  Fear and complaints may be ever present, but he always comes through when needed.  I SO want an Oswin! 

Sarah Warburton’s illustrations are stunningly glorious – from the dustjacket to the hardback cover to the black and white illustrations interspersed throughout the book!  I mean, they really are just incredible:  a perfect complement to a perfect story!

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Everyone, regardless of age, should treat themselves to this heart-warming, enchanting story filled with adventure, warmth and humour:  a treasure of a story that sparkles with a special kind of magic that captures and holds the reader under its spell!

Thank you to the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.  I have also bought a signed hardback book which was released slightly earlier than the publication date of 2^nd April.

Viper’s Daughter is an astoundingly rich, immersive and thrilling adventure that utterly gripped me from start to finish, skilfully drawing me into the Stone Age world with characters I adored, feared and feared for.  This is a stunning masterpiece of powerful, evocative storytelling at its absolute best:  it swept me into the world, enthralled me, emotionally drained me but, ultimately, left me wholly satisfied.

The story opens right in the heart of a terrible discovery:  Torak’s mate, Renn, has deceived him, and has left him and her wolf-pack behind.  Even though he is angry and hurt, he is determined to find her as she is his life, so begins a journey from his Forest home to the Far North and the very Edge of the World in search of Renn and the truth … a journey laden with palpable tension, heart-stopping danger, seeming betrayal and incredible revelations.

Torak is not alone on this journey:  his pack-brother, Wolf is a constant companion.  Wolf and Torak have an incredibly close bond, being able to communicate with each other.  Whilst Torak does not want Wolf to leave his mate and cubs, Wolf cannot bear to be separated from Torak, so he makes the ultimate sacrifice:  leaving his mate and cubs behind for their safety whilst he journeys with Torak, willing to take great risks to defend him, even when he does not fully understand the choices and decisions that Torak makes:  theirs is a powerful instinctive bond, steeped in great love for each other which I found very moving.

Renn is running from Torak as she fears that, if she stays with him, she will be the cause of his death, and this she couldn’t bear.  She is forced to inflict great emotional pain on Torak in order to protect him.  The emotional turmoil she suffers, and the hardship she bears, as she journeys to find answers is heart-breaking. 

Whilst on her journey, she dreams of her mother, the Viper Mage:  is she warning her of danger, or leading her towards it?  Renn is unwittingly drawn into the machinations of a great evil that tears her and Torak apart again and again, and threatens to unleash great harm on the world:  will she realise the awful deception that has been played on her before it is too late?  

The world-building is superb and multi-layered, giving a fascinating insight into the landscape, the belief system and the lifestyle of the Stone Age clans.  There is so much depth to this world that I really felt a part of it whilst I was in the story:  it gave me the opportunity to assimilate the culture and deepen my understanding of this engrossing pre-historical period.  The majesty and harshness of the frozen, untamed landscape was viscerally provoked; the depiction of the lifestyle of the different Clans felt incredibly authentic; and, the invocation of the Clan belief system, with its affinity with animal spirits, captured me wholeheartedly. 

The relationship between Renn and Torak tore at my heartstrings: witnessing their anguish, and what they had to endure was heart-breaking, and honestly brings more tears as I write.  I am in awe of their strength, courage and resilience, and of their unfailing commitment to keep the other safe no matter the cost.

Viper’s Daughter is undoubtedly a triumph:  a compelling, emotive adventure into an ancient, fascinating past which captured me from the opening lines. 

Thank you to Zephyr and ed public relations for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.