WWW Wednesday

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’ve just started Below by Alexandria Warwick, a young adult novel based on Inuit mythology. I’ve heard lots of fab things about this one, so I’m really looking forward to delving further into it. It will be released on 4th February.

I’ve finished reading Tiger Heart by Penny Chrimes which I really enjoyed. I’ve posted my review. I also read The Boy Who Grew Dragons which I absolutely loved. Filled with many, many moments of both chaotic hilarity and heart-warming friendship, this made me laugh-out-loud and feel warm and cosy inside – just perfect! Oh my goodness, The Girl with the Dragon Heart was such a fantastic read. I highly, highly recommend it. Finally, I read The Monster in the Lake by Louie Stowell which is the second in the Dragon in the Library series. This is a really fun read, full of gentle humour, action and great friendships.

I want to read more children’s classics this year. I can’t believe I haven’t read Charlotte’s Web by E B White, so it’s going to be my next read! I’ve bought the Puffin Classics Edition from their ‘cloth’ classics series, and definitely want to get more from this series.

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

#SixforSunday

I’ve loved taking part in #SixforSunday hosted by Steph at A Little But a Lot during 2019 – even if I didn’t always manage to complete the prompt! I’ve also loved reading others’ responses. Steph’s prompts for Jan-March can be found here.

The theme for January is Getting to Know you and today’s prompt is Bookish Resolutions. I normally don’t make New Year Resolutions, as I’m never able to stick to them, but then I started to think about bookish resolutions – and realised there is lots I want to achieve this year! Maybe, just maybe, writing them down will help me achieve them!

Finish/continue books in series

I have been getting better at this as I only chose books in series for #Believathon earlier this year; however, I still have lots in series I need to continue or finish. I’m aiming to read at least one book in a series which I’ve already started each month this year. That way I should be prepared when new books are published. I really, really want to read Shadowsea BUT I have to read the rest of the series first! And, I’m determined to be ready for Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by reading Wundersmith before August!

Reviewing more quickly!

I make notes for the books I review and, to be honest, whilst I absolutely couldn’t not make notes, I’m not sure if it sometimes stops me writing up reviews more quickly so I have a back log of reviews to write. I do love reviewing books BUT I am so incredibly slow to write each one that it sometimes makes it hard to start. Often 3-4 hours for a 350-400 word review! I REALLY need to do something about the time it takes me to review this year. Any tips greatly appreciated!

NetGalley Badges

I joined NetGalley shortly after starting my blog, and have been lucky enough to be approved for lots of of the books I’ve requested. I feel it is such a privilege to get to read books before they are published, and using NetGalley has given me this opportunity. I do still buy the majority of the books for my Class Library when they are published and love that I can recommend them to children straightaway as I’ve already read them.

I’ve already got some badges on NetGalley: 80% Feedback Ratio, Top Reviewer and 10 Reviews. This year I’d like to achieve two more badges: 25 Reviews (almost there!) and 50 Reviews.

Start listening to audiobooks

I don’t ever listen to audiobooks unless I listen with my husband on long drives: I find them really hard to remain focussed on when I don’t have ‘control’ of the reading. However, Skeleton Keys: The Unimaginary Friend, a book which I loved, has been released as an audiobook with Guy Bass, the author, reading it. I heard him read a little from this for the Authorfy Club I run – and he was amazing! He’s the reason I now want to listen to audiobooks. I’ve also recently discovered BorrowBox through my library and it is brilliant! I’ve borrowed a book and have reserved a couple. Of all my resolutions, I think this is the one I will find most difficult!

Have you made any bookish resolutions this year?

Review: Tiger Heart

Published by Orion Children’s Books
Published on 9th January 2020

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This is an absolutely mesmerising and deeply moving story, which is unputdownable and will stay with me for a long time to come. This is most definitely Fly and her tiger’s story and what an unforgettable story it is: a story of entrapment and freedom; of cruelty and kindness; and, of despair and hope. I adored Fly: ached at the cruelty she suffered; marvelled at her strength and courage; and admired her empathy, kindness and selflessness towards others.

Fly has had the most terrible start in life, having been abandoned outside a London workhouse as a baby and then bought by the truly horrific Black Bill who forces her to clean chimneys for society’s elite as well as steal from them. After one too many beatings from her cruel master, Fly decides to take her freedom, but instead finds herself trapped in a cage with a tiger who addresses her as ‘Your Majesty’ and vows to restore her to her throne.

Whilst Fly does not believe that she is of royal blood, she does feel an affinity with the tiger and is neither scared of him nor surprised that she can communicate with him. The tiger has made a decision to restore her to her throne in a faraway, exotic Kingdom, but Fly has also made a decision: to free him and all the other animals trapped in the London menagerie, and take them back to their home in that Kingdom. Fly knows what it is to be trapped and crave freedom, so she immediately empathises with their plight.

This endearing girl has had to learn to be tough on the outside in order to survive her harsh and cruel upbringing where she is shown no love by adults. However, she is loved by an amazing group of street urchins who are the only family she knows. The relationship between Fly and her street urchin friends is incredibly heart-warming and touching as they support, protect and look out for each other; their camaraderie, with the utterly wonderful Gutterling language they use to communicate with, is just gorgeous which makes it all the more heart-breaking for Fly when she has to make an unbearably difficult decision…

Fly is being hunted by some sinister and very dangerous figures in London, figures who appear to know more about her past than she does, and who have an interest not only in ensuring she never leaves London, but also in obtaining the dangerously alluring ruby which she possesses … so begins a daring journey towards freedom: a journey filled with danger, with discoveries, with joy, with heartache and with temptation …

The genuine friendship between the tiger and Fly is enchanting. He both comforts and chastises her; encourages her to hope; and, is willing to protect her selflessly whilst she blossoms in the feelings of warmth and protection engendered through their unconditional love for each other.

This is an utterly engrossing, magical story which at times broke my heart, then mended it before breaking it all over again … a truly special story which is unforgettable, absorbing and heartfelt.

First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers, hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, it’s 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!

Once upon a time in a beautiful, dirty, exciting city full of people and chocolate and possibilities, there was a girl so fearless and so daring that … No, wait. I’ve always been good at telling stories. But this time, I want to tell the truth.

Any ideas?

I adored the first book in this series, The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart, earlier this year. I’m determined to catch up with some series, and with some older books on my TBR, and this is the one I’m starting with. Silke was one of my favourite characters in the first book, and I’m really looking forward to finding out more about her in this one.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once upon a time, in a beautiful city famous for chocolate and protected by dragons, there was a girl so fearless that she dared to try to tell the greatest story of all: the truth. Silke has always been good at spinning the truth and storytelling. So good that just years after arriving as a penniless orphan, she has found her way up to working for the most splendid chocolate makers in the city (oh, and becoming best friends with a dragon). Now her gift for weaving words has caught the eye of the royal family, who want to use her as a spy when the mysterious and dangerous fairy royal family announce they will visit the city. But Silke has her own dark, secret reasons for not trusting fairies … Can Silke find out the truth about the fairies while keeping her own secrets hidden?

WWW Wednesday

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 haven’t started a new book yet as I’ve just finished one, but I’m just about to start Tiger Heart which I was approved to read via NetGalley, and which is being published on 9th January.

I didn’t post last Wednesday, so these are the three books I’ve finished over the last two weeks. Orion Lost is being published on 9th January and the other two on 6th February. I will be posting my reviews for these just prior to publication. I just need to write them first!

I’ve decided to make sure that, this year, I read some of the older books which have been sitting in my TBR mountain, so these are the first two I’ve chosen. Both dragon-related, so perfect reads for me!

Top Ten Tuesday

This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader. This week’s theme is Favorite Books I Read In 2019. I have read so, so many fantastic books in 2019 – which was the year I re-discovered my reading mojo – that I can’t possibly choose ten favourites, even though this seems like a fair number!

Most of the books I read in 2019 were also published in 2019, so I’m going to turn this into a Top Twelve Tuesday and choose 12 books I have on my TBR that were published in 2018 that I need to read in 2020. I’m going to choose one per month to read alongside my 2019/20 books that I will also be reading.

Jan-Mar

I loved Pog by Paidraig Kenny, and actually bought both of these at the same time. I think this one will be very different, but I definitely want to read it. I adored The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis and have the next one, The Princess Who Flew with Dragons on my TBR as well, so I really need to read this one! I have not read anything by Guy Jones, but I found The Ice Garden in Waterstones a while back, and it really intrigued me: a girl who is allergic to the sun who discovers a magical garden made of ice.

April – June

I haven’t actually read Moonlocket yet either so I will read both it and Skycircus. I loved the first book in this series, Cogheart, and the last one, Shadowsea, has just been released so I have a lot of catching up to do! I’ve had A Darkness of Dragons on my TBR for far too long as I’ve heard great things about it, and I think there might be a Book 2 coming soon. Another I’ve had for a while is Dragon Daughter which sounds like my perfect dragon read. I’ve just discovered the second in this series, Legends of the Sky has been published – how did I not know??

July – Sept

I can’t believe I haven’t read these yet! The first two are all quite long – 404 pages and 411 pages – so, I’m saving them for my summer holiday reading! Also, Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow is being released on 18th August, and I want to be ready for it! Apart from fantasy, I love historical middle-grade and really need to try to read more: The Skylark’s War sounds perfect!

Oct – Dec

These will be perfect for my spooky and winter reading. I have all three of Alex Bell’s Explorers’ books and loved The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club earlier this year. I’ve never read any Victoria Schwab and have City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones on my TBR. I bought Picklewitch and Jack this October, but just didn’t get round to reading it, even though it looks like such a fun book!

I’m really looking forward to reading some of my backlist books from my TBR as I am very guilty of overlooking some older books for all the new releases – and I need both in my life! I just need more time to read all the books I want to!

December Wrap-Up

I can’t believe another year has passed and we’re entering the 20s! I’ll always remember 2019 as the year that I re-discovered my love of reading, and found a new hobby/passion in writing my blog which I’ve enjoyed immensely, even though writing reviews takes up more hours than I care to mention, but at least they’re hours I’ve decided to spend doing something I love – and something for myself!

I never imagined that there would be such a fantastic community of supportive book bloggers who have introduced me to some fantastic books, tags and discussions. I’ve also discovered NetGalley and Blog Tours this year and I’ve been lucky enough to get some physical book proofs – things I never even knew existed! Blogging really has opened up a whole new world to me, and one I’m very glad I’ve found and, to think, it all started with me re-igniting my love of reading.

December has been another busy month for me, but I must say, I’m loving the down time between Christmas and the New Year! I spent Christmas with my sister and her family in Northern Ireland which was just wonderfully relaxing – and sometimes hectic!

Not sure how good my reading and book purchasing month has been – I’m about to find out!

Books read:

I took part in my first two Blog Tours this month and really enjoyed both of the books: Starchild Book Two: The City of Souls by Vacen Taylor and The Relic Hunters: Wild Sky by Lexi Rees. I will be taking part in another couple at the start of next year.

I was sent an e-copy of Esme’s Wish by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this portal magic story which, although graded as Young Adult, I think would be fine for upper middle-grade. My review is here. I’ve now bought the next book on my Kindle, Esme’s Gift as I am completely intrigued by where this story is going – and there’s dragons!

I really enjoyed both of these. The Snow Dragon is by one of my favourite author’s and is a heart-warming and utterly gorgeous story filled with magic, hope and courage – and perfect snowy illustrations! After reading The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson, I asked her to recommend some other books of Russian tales and she recommended two, one of which was Koshka’s Tales by James Mayhew which is a delightful set of stories told by Koshka, the cat.

I read three books which I was approved to read on NetGalley this month. The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is her first adult book. It is such an incredibly powerful and engrossing story: brutal, heart-breaking and earthy with characters who endure so much, yet show incredible strength. Nicola Penfold’s Where the World Turns Wild is an ecological dystopian adventure with two truly wonderful characters, Juniper and Bear, who face many dangers but whose courage, resilience and love for each other helps them face their fears. A Sprinkle of Sorcery is Michelle Harrison’s return to Crowstone and the wonderful Widdershin sisters. It is just as gorgeous as I expected and completely engrossed me. These are both being published on 6th February, so I will post my reviews closer to publication date.

Books bought/received as Christmas gifts

I went to meet Ruth Morgan, the author of The Comet Thief, Ant Clancy Games Detective and Alien Rain when I was in Cardiff. She was really wonderful to chat with and I discovered that she teaches part-time at the school my husband went to when he was in primary school – the world really is a small place!

I bought The Girl Who Stole an Elephant and The House on Hawthorn Road when I was in Ireland for Christmas. I’ve read so many fantastic comments about the first one that I’m desperate to read it soon. The second one is a time-slip story which I love, but don’t see a lot of in middle-grade fiction. I’ve read lots of good reviews of The Boy Who Grew Dragons so thought I’d give it a read.

I was given The Stone of Destiny, Irish Trees and Rise of the Dragon Moon by my husband (and, of course, there was prompting from me!); The Unexpected Find and The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone were gifted to me by my mother-in-law and I was given The Snowman as my school Secret Santa.

I was sent a proof of Orion Lost by the publishers to read and review for a Book Review site. It will be published on 9th January.

Goodreads Challenge

I only started using Goodreads at the start of this year, and set myself a reading challenge of 60 books as I was just starting getting back into reading so thought this would be manageable. I’m really pleased that I managed to surpass my challenge by reading 117 books.

I think I’ll set myself a higher goal next year, maybe 120 books!

Stationery

I absolutely LOVE buying/receiving new stationery. I found the first set of notebooks in Paperchase and thought they’d be perfect for making notes for my reviews. The second notebook was given to me by my husband. It’s taken me a while to decide what to use it for, but I think I’ll use it to keep a record of books I buy, and books I’ve read, for the 20s although I am very tempted to include 2019 as it has been such a good return to reading year for me!

Finally, I’d like to wish everyone who finds their way to my Blog a Happy New Year, and I hope all your wishes for 2020 come true.

Review: Esme’s Wish

Published by Odyssey Books on 30th October 2017

Thank you Henry at Odyssey Books for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I utterly adored Esme’s Wish, an upper middle-grade/young adult magical portal adventure with a wonderfully endearing and sympathetic lead character in Esme. The world-building is superbly rich in detail and immersed me completely; the plot captured me from the very start and took me on an engrossing journey of incredible discoveries and dangerous moments; and, the character relationships were utterly engaging and sympathetically drawn.

15-year-old Esme is bereft at the loss of her mother, and refuses to accept that she will never see her again. Even though seven years have passed, and her father has re-married, she lives with the constant pain of loss. Life is even more difficult for her as she has few friends in the village of Picton, and does not get on with her father’s new wife. Her father’s marriage provides the catalyst she needs to drive her to investigate her mother’s disappearance.

Esme’s determined attempt to uncover information about her mother’s disappearance leads her to the island of Spindrift where she discovers some disturbing revelations about her mother which leaves her with a sense of betrayal and anger. It appears that the stories her mother had told her -and the places revealed through her art – may be real and soon, Esme finds herself falling through a watery portal into the City of Esperance, a place where people can breathe underwater, a beautiful city where dragons fly overhead – but one beset by terrible earthquakes which are slowly destroying the City.

Esme soon discovers that her mother has also been to Esperance and was well-known there. This knowledge leads her on an incredible journey of self-discovery, revelations and danger as she seeks answers to her mother’s disappearance, aided by her two friends, Daniel and Lillian. Will her quest to find her mother also enable her to save the City?

I really enjoyed the exploration of the magical system in Aeolia, the fantastical creatures, the political machinations and moral questions raised, and Esme’s eventual realisation, and acceptance of, her place within this gorgeous, yet dangerous, new world as she discovers her own magic gift and makes lasting friendships. Daniel and Lillian prove themselves to be true friends: supportive, caring and prepared to take risks for their new friend and help her no matter the cost.

Esme is a wonderful character: she is able to overcome her fear to show incredible courage; she is fallible and vulnerable, yet shows real resilience and strength of character; and, she is selfless as she takes risks and makes difficult decisions to help those she loves.

This story has everything I love in a great fantasy: sumptuous world-building, fantastical creatures, an interesting magical system, engaging characters and incredibly fast-paced action, full of tension, danger, threat, twists and revelations. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Esme’s Gift.

Most anticipated middle-grade releases: January-March

There are SO many amazing middle-grade books being released next year! I’m not sure how I’m EVER going to read all the books on my TBR as I will definitely be adding all of these.

I decided to make my list more manageable by restricting each month to FIVE books and not including any I’ve already read – and then immediately broke my rules because I just have to give a shout-out to two books coming out next year that I’ve already read via NetGalley, both of which are amazing.

I was lucky enough to read A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison over Christmas – it is being published on 6th February and is the follow-up to A Pinch of Magic: it is a fantastic read, and one I couldn’t not mention, despite breaking my own rules! The Widdershin sisters are thrown into another incredible adventure to save one of their own and a new friend – and this one journeys into an ancient legend! I also absolutely adored Nicola Penfold’s Where the World Turns Wild which will be also be published on 6th February. This is an ecological dystopian story which completely engrossed me: the main characters, Juniper and Bear are just wonderful as they make a dangerous journey into the wilderness to find home.

In my anticipated releases, I’ve included the synopsis for each book from Waterstones. Here goes:

January

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook (256 pages) published by Nosy Crow on 2nd January:

Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen’s jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang?

The Monster in the Lake by Louie Stowell (author) and Davide Ortu (illustrator) (224 pages) published by Nosy Crow on 9th January:

Kit is a wizard. The youngest wizard in the world, in fact. But her magic keeps going wrong, and all kinds of weird stuff has started happening – exploding fireballs, animals talking when they shouldn’t be, and a very strange new arrival in a nearby park. So Kit and her two best friends – along with their local librarian – set off to investigate, and to save the world… again.

Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm (368 pages) published by Nosy Crow on 9th January:

The transport ship Orion is four months out of Earth when catastrophe strikes – leaving the ship and everyone on board stranded in deep space. Suddenly it’s up to thirteen-year-old Beth and her friends to navigate through treacherous and uncharted territory to reach safety. But a heavily-damaged ship, space pirates, a mysterious alien species, and an artificial intelligence that Beth doesn’t know if she can trust means that getting home has never been so difficult…

Tiger Heart by Penny Chrimes (240 pages) published by Hachette Children’s Group on 9th January:

The magical tale of a bold young chimney sweep and a remarkable tiger, a dangerously hypnotic ruby and a mystical land found across an ocean and through a storm. Fly never meant to end up in a cage with a man-eating tiger. And though she’s sure she’s no princess, when the tiger addresses her as ‘your majesty’, she can’t help but vow to free him and return him home. But the bird-filled jungles and cloud-topped mountains of the tiger’s homeland are an ocean away. And not everyone wants the tiger – or Fly – to get there alive.

The Highland Falcon Thief – Adventures on Trains by M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman (authors) and Elisa Paganelli (illustrator) (256 pages) published by Pan Macmillan on 30th January:

Harrison Beck is reluctantly joining his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal train, The Highland Falcon. But as the train makes its way to Scotland, a priceless brooch goes missing, and things are suddenly a lot more interesting. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison begins to investigate and uncovers a few surprises along the way. Can he solve the mystery of the jewel thief and catch the culprit before they reach the end of the line?

February

Darkwhispers A Brightstorm Adventure by Vashti Hardy (448 pages) published by Scholastic on 6th February:

The thrilling sequel to the acclaimed BRIGHTSTORM: A SKY SHIP ADVENTURE. The Brightstorm twins are back for another adventure! Eudora Vane has organized an explorer fleet to search the last known destination of missing adventurer Ermitage Wrigglesworth. Harriet Culpepper and the crew of the Aurora join the mission, but they don’t believe that Eudora has good intentions. What is she really looking for? Arthur is determined to find out, and when disaster strikes and the Brightstorm twins are separated, will he and Maudie be able to find their way back to each other?

Evernight by Ross MacKenzie (352 pages) published by Andersen Press Ltd on 6th February:

Thousands of years ago, the Evernight came to the Silver Kingdom and turned everything to darkness and chaos. It was only defeated thanks to the skill and bravery of the Witches. But now the Evernight is about to return, released by the evil Mrs Hester, and the only spell that might stop it is lost, deep below the great city of King’s Haven. Then orphan Larabelle Fox stumbles across a mysterious wooden box while treasure-hunting in the city’s sewers. Little does she realise she is about to be catapulted into an adventure, facing wild magic and mortal danger – and a man who casts no shadow . . .

The House of One Hundred Clocks by A M Howell (304 pages) published by Usborne Publishing Ltd on 6th February:

JUNE, 1905. Helena and her parrot, Orbit, are swept off to Cambridge when her father is appointed clock-winder to one of the wealthiest men in England. There is only one rule: the clocks must never stop. But Helena discovers the house of one hundred clocks holds many mysteries; a ghostly figure, strange notes and disappearing winding keys… Can she work out its secrets before time runs out?

Little Bird Lands by Karen McCombie (256 pages) published by Nosy Crow on 6th February:

Little Bird has landed in America, far from her home in Scotland and far from the danger that stalked her family. But the new world holds new perils, and soon she’s on the run again. From the teeming streets of New York to the prairies of the west, Little Bird holds tight to secrets and dreams of freedom. Then, on her journey, she comes face-to-face with an unwelcome ghost from the past…

Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray (author) and Manuel Sumberac (illustrator) (352 pages) published by Penguin Books Ltd on 20th February:

The City was built on a sharp mountain that jutted improbably from the sea, and the sea kept trying to claim it back. That grey morning, once the tide had retreated, a whale was found on a rooftop.When a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he’s the Enemy – the god who drowned the world – come again to cause untold chaos.Only Ellie, a fearless young inventor living in a workshop crammed with curiosities, believes he’s innocent. But the Enemy can take possession of any human body and the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever.

March

The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle (author) and Kim Geyer (illustrator) (288 pages) published by Faber & Faber on 5th March:

When Penelope Magnificent’s awful parents tell her they’re taking a trip to Paris, she surprises them by begging to go along. Nell is usually content to avoid her money-obsessed father and her fashion-focussed mother, but Paris holds something very dear to her… her old au pair Perrine – Pear – lives there. Pear used to write to Nell every week promising to come to her rescue but recently the letters have stopped… Arriving at her parent’s posh hotel, Nell is determined to find Pear… but no one has seen her at her last known address, and no one seems to want to tell her anything about Pear’s whereabouts. Luckily she befriends the hotel bellboy who introduces her to the world of tunnels underneath the city, and together they set out to find Pear, whilst uncovering an extraordinary mystery of their own…

Skeleton Keys The Haunting of Luna Moon by Guy Bass (author) and Pete Williamson (illustrator) (256 pages) published by Little Tiger Press Group on 5th March:

The second tall-but-true tale in the darkly comic new series SKELETON KEYS from the award-winning duo behind STITCH HEAD…
Greetings! My name is Skeleton Keys and these fantabulant fingers of mine can open doors to hidden worlds… Join me for the strange tale of Luna Moon, whose family is disappearing before her very eyes… Luna is the only one to mourn the death of her grandfather Old Man Moon – the rest of her family couldn’t be happier to see the back of the bad-tempered old miser. But as they celebrate his demise with a giddy jig, Aunt Summer vanishes … only to reappear as a painting. While Luna is convinced her grandfather has kept his word to haunt them from beyond the grave, Skeleton Keys is certain that this is the work of an unimaginary. Can he get to the bottom of the mystery before the whole of Luna’s family disappears?

The House on Hoarder Hill by Mikki Lish and Kelly Ngai (384 pages) published by Chicken House Ltd on 5th March:

Magical, spooky and mysterious: welcome to the House on Hoarder Hill … When Hedy and Spencer start receiving messages on dusty picture frames, Christmas at their grandfather’s spooky house turns into a mission to solve the mystery of their grandmother’s disappearance. What is their magician grandfather not telling them? With the help of a (talking) mounted stag head, an (also talking) bear rug, and other (currently) disembodied spirits, and against the resistance of gargoyles and ravens, Hedy and Spencer set out to find the truth.

Potkin & Stubbs Ghostcatcher by Sophie Green (author) and K J Mountford (illustrator) (400 pages) published by Templar Publishing on 5th March:

After successfully ridding Peligan of Gallows’ murderous spook, Mr Grip, Lil and Nedly turn their attentions to another suspected haunting. But Peligan City has had enough of ghosts and has hired ghost catchers – and Nedly finds himself being hunted. Luckily, he has Lil on his side. Now an apprentice reporter for the Klaxon, Lil manages to talk her way into a job shadowing intrepid journalist Marsha Quake, who is writing a feature on Ghostcatcher Inc. So with Lil’s help, Nedly is able to stay one step ahead, but how long for? As Nedly develops his own inimitable and slightly haphazard haunting style, hoping to become a hero of Peligan City by protecting the weak and thwarting the powerful, Lil finds herself clashing with her mum, a journalist committed to uncovering the truth at all costs. Lil must protect Nedly by covering his tracks or risk losing him forever. Can she find a way?

Crater Lake by Jennifer Killick (254 pages) published by Firefly Press Ltd on 19th March:

Who is the mysterious bloodstained man who stops their coach? Why is no one around when Lance and the rest of Year Six arrive at the brand new Crater Lake activity centre? But this is just the beginning of the school trip from hell; a fight for survival that sees five pupils band together to save their classmates from an alien fate far worse than death. But whatever happens, they must Never. Ever. Fall asleep!

There are just SO many fantastic middle-grade books being published, I have no doubt I’ll be adding more to each month. Do you intend to read any of these, or do you have other recommendations?

#SixforSunday: New year, new books

Wow! I can’t believe this is the last #SixforSunday for this year! I’m really glad I found this when I started blogging back in April as I’ve really enjoyed taking part, and reading those of others. The December theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot, is It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year! and today’s wish is for: New year, new books … I have already shared the books I wanted for Christmas in last week’s post, and I have a post on my most anticipated books for Jan-March ready to post, so I’ve decided to share the first six books I intend to read in January.

I was approved to read this one on NetGalley a while ago. The book description states that it is: The magical tale of a bold young chimney sweep and a remarkable tiger, a dangerously hypnotic ruby and a mystical land that’s found across an ocean and through a storm. It is being published on 9th January, so it will be my first read of the New Year as I want to make sure my review is ready to post as close to publication as I can.

I am taking part in a Blog Tour for this one in February. I have really been enjoying reading books based on Russian folklore so, when I saw that this one was based on Inuit mythology, I was intrigued. The blurb sounds incredible: In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth–nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again. When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister’s face–yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki.

I’ve heard so many good things about this series, but haven’t read any yet, so I’m going try the first one. I love any book with dragons, and this one sounds like a really fun, wonderful read.

This is another book I’ve been hearing so many good things about, and have waited patiently for its release. I spotted it when I was in Ireland so just had to get it. My class book penpal author was going to recommend it for my class so I’m now even more keen to read it.

I read another book by Lindsay, Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, back in April which I loved, so I was keen to read this one which I found in Foyle’s in London. Mystery, secrets and hidden treasure amidst impending disaster … really, really looking forward to this one.

I love reading time-slip novels (major Barbara Erskine fan) but I don’t find a lot of middle-grade time-slip, so I was very excited to find this one when I was in Ireland over Christmas. Beth moves from London to Dublin … where she meets a boy called Robbie from the 1950s who keeps slipping into her house. A mischievous boy from the 1950s; a shy girl from today; a time-slip adventure like no other.