Well, December has been a month of two thirds hectic to one third relaxing! Both the run-up to Christmas at work and home were hectic, but it has been wonderful to have a proper break over Christmas.
Books I’ve read:
I’ve read 11 books this month (the same as in November): 4 books for adults and 7 middle-grade books. My highlights this month were Swordcatcher, Orbital, The Snow Child (all adult books) and Fia and the Last Snow Deer (a stunning illustrated verse novel set in prehistoric Ireland).
NetGalley:
I have added one book to my NetGalley shelf this month.
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent 8 books by publishers this month.
Fairyloot Adult Book
I’ve also now got a subscription to the adult book box for Fairyloot. This month’s read is The Courting of Bristol Keats.
Gifted Books
I didn’t buy any books this month as I had some on my Christmas wish list which have been very kindly gifted by my family and as part of the wonderful Reading Rocks Secret Santa.
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
October has been a long month where I’ve been very busy during the week and relaxed at the weekend. Half-term has been a wonderful opportunity to re-charge my batteries, catch up on lots of reading – and do some baking!
Books I’ve read:
I’ve read 18 books this month which is the most I’ve read in a while – but I did have half-term! The highlights were Midnight Treasure, Birdie and The Haunting of Fortune Farm.
NetGalley:
My feedback ratio is at 97%. I had my feedback at 99% with one book to leave feedback on, but then I found a couple I couldn’t resist.
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent 6 books by publishers this month.
Books bought:
I’ve bought 9 books this month. There goes my TBR! I’m trying to read a few more adult books as well and I’m loving cosy fantasy /witchy books.
Fairyloot Adult Book
I’ve also now got a subscription to the adult book box for Fairyloot. This month’s read is one I’m really looking forward to:
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
What a month! I’ve had my first experience of teaching Year 3, having moved from Year 6 and, oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever been so exhausted in a first few weeks of teaching! Moving Year groups was a big adjustment for me, and moving to the Junior School was a big adjustment for my new class. I’m loving getting to know my new class who are the most wonderful group of children. And of course, I’m loving reading to them every day and sharing books with them.
Books I’ve read:
I’ve read 12 books this month which, considering how much I’ve been working and napping in the evening, is ok with me!
NetGalley:
My feedback ratio is at 99%. I haven’t requested any books this month and have two on my shelf to leave feedback for.
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent 21 books by publishers this month which is the most I’ve ever received in a single month.
Books bought:
I’ve bought 3 books this month.
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
I had a wonderfully relaxing break over Easter with lots of reading and catching up. I also went to Cornwall for the first time for our 10th Wedding Anniversary which was just wonderful. School, as always, is busy with the final preparations for SATs.
Books I’ve read:
I think this has been my best reading month in a long time. I read 22 books: 17 physical copies, 1 e-book and 4 audiobooks. I’ve written reviews for 13 of these.
NetGalley:
My feedback ratio is at 97%. I have requested and been approved to read one book in April.
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent twelve books by Publishers this month.
Books bought:
I’ve bought 9 books in March – and I’ve read read two of them: Shadow Girl and The Doll Twin.
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
Written by David Owen Illustrated by George Ermos Published by Usborne
Alex Neptune: Zombie Fighter is the fourth amazing adventure for Alex and his friends Zoey and Anil in this action-packed, exciting and fun series … perfect for readers of 9+.
Out on their rowing boat, Alex Neptune is teaching his friends, Anil and Zoey, how to control their sea magic when a heavy fog creeps towards them. Racing it back to Haven Bay with the help of the new Water Dragon, they watch it blanket the town. When Alex arrives home and the pirate Brineblood’s skull begins to glow, he knows that the fog is bringing danger … and he’s not wrong! Hidden in the fog are frightening crab spiders ridden by creepy cloaked zombies … and they’re looking for their master, Brineblood.
And so begins a thrilling, fast-paced adventure as Alex, Anil and Zoey discover that the only way to stop the zombies from resurrecting Brineblood is to find a powerful weapon: a trident. There’s only one problem – it has been broken into three pieces. Actually, there’s two problems – each piece has been hidden in a perilous place. Can the children enter each of these places, overcome the danger there, and use their sea magic to retrieve the trident pieces before the zombies hunting them catch up? Can they trust in an old acquaintance to help save Haven Bay from the zombie hunters?
I absolutely loved being back with Alex and his friends for another incredible, page-turning adventure. The zombies, relentlessly hunting on the backs of huge spider crabs, are seriously creepy and gross. I really felt the danger and tension as they hunted for Brineblood’s skull whose twisted magic holds power over them. It felt like the children could never escape them as they get closer and closer to catching them as the friends are focussed on retrieving the hidden trident pieces.
Alex, Zoey and Anil make such a wonderful team with such a strong friendship, always ready to support and encourage each other. They face great danger with courage, determination – and a sense of humour! I really liked that the children’s families, especially Bridget (she’s seriously sassy and brilliant!) and Grandpa, are such an active part of the adventure, helping and supporting them in their mission. I also really enjoyed that the sea animals remain such a pivotal part of the adventure, helping their friends to save Haven Bay and its people.
This is an exciting, magical and humorous adventure brimming with wonderful friendships, courage and danger, and is a brilliant continuation of a series I’ve absolutely adored. I cannot wait to join this wonderful team in their next adventure: Dragon Champion.
Author Information
Having worked as a freelance games journalist and taught on a BA Creative Writing course for three years, David Owen’s debut novel, Panther, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and was followed by three further highly acclaimed YA novels. Alex Neptune is his first series for younger readers, born of his love for nail-biting heists, fantastical monsters and heartfelt friendships.
Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Usborne for providing me with a copy of Alex Neptune, Zombie Fighter in exchange for my honest opinion.
Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below:
I’ve just started Alex Neptune: Zombie Fighter. I’ve loved the other books in the series, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
I’ve read a lot of books this week – nine in total! I will be posting my review of Twice Upon a Time tomorrow – a wonderful murder mystery. I have posted a review for The Royal Jewel Plot which is the second brilliant adventure in the Mysteries at Sea series. I saw the cover of Shadow Girl and the synopsis really intrigued me. It was not quite what I expected as I was thinking ghost story but its more a twist on timeslip. Drowning in my Bedroom was such a powerful, gripping novella. I have posted my review. Me and Aaron Ramsey would not normally be the sort of book I’d pick up but, my goodness, it’s wonderful – a powerful portrayal of a family dealing with hardships. I’m hoping to post my review shortly. I bought The Doll Twin last week and couldn’t resist picking it up yesterday. I devoured it in one sitting – a brilliant, creepy adventure with a brilliant twist. One of the children in my class gave me a copy of Holes as she said she’d enjoyed it. It’s one I’ve been meaning to read but never got round to. What a fantastic story – it was another one sitting read for me. I also read Scrap which I’ve had on my TBR for a while. This is the most gorgeous sci-fi adventure – heart-warming and poignant with the building of a gorgeous friendship between Scrap and the last two humans on the planet. I’m so looking forward to the next one in this series. Finally, I read Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm which is a fantastic blend of mythology and sci-fi fantasy with a cast of brilliant characters. I will be posting my review prior to publication.
I’m hoping to read The Island at the Edge of Night next.
It’s almost my five-year Blog Anniversary and this is my 1000th post! I wasn’t sure what I’d post for this one, but thought I’d share some first and latest related to things I’ve been able to do as a result of having my Blog.
First Review posted on my Blog: POG by Pádraig Kenny
First book requested from a Publisher: I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak
Latest book requested from a Publisher: Flame Chasers by Julie Pike. (I’ve no idea if I’ll be lucky enough to be sent this, but I loved The Last Spell Breathers so I just had to request it).
I have posted 463,131 words over 1000 Blog posts (including this one!) – not sure where I found the time! I’m still loving reading, reviewing and blogging which has genuinely brought me so much enjoyment and introduced me to such a treasure trove of incredible books. I’m really not sure I’d have survived in teaching this long without being able to adventure with so many of the amazing characters I’ve met through my reading. And I make it my mission to introduce my classes to as many of these characters as I can!
I still get a buzz when I’m approved for a book I really want to read on NetGalley or when I’m lucky enough to be sent a review copy by a Publisher. Being part of an incredibly kind and supportive online children’s book community has been an absolute joy for me – and constantly adds to my TBR!
GIVEAWAY
I’m a huge believer in the benefits of Reading for Pleasure, so I’m running a Giveaway for teachers/librarians/parents/carers of children of 8+. Details below:
I’m running a Giveaway on my Twitter account (@Book_Craic) for a 3-month Book Subscription (8+) with The Rocketship Bookshop. They will contact the winner to find out what kinds of books their child/class enjoys and will then choose and post out a new release book each month for three months.
Written by Alex Bell Illustrations by Tim McDonagh Published by Faber
Wow! Wow! Wow! I know it’s only the start of the year but The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts is already a contender for my book of the year! A splendiferous, magical adventure that transported me into an incredible world that I didn’t want to leave. The sheer enjoyment, connection and immersion I felt whilst reading this is a testament to the brilliance of the storytelling. This is the kind of story that makes readers – and that’s a real-life magic power! If there’s any doubt – this is an absolute must-read!
Twelve-year-old Eli is an apprentice librarian at the Royal Library in the Port City of Harmonia. And this is a job that suits the quiet, tweed-wearing Eli perfectly. He can live a safe, sensible life with his best friend, Humphrey who just so happens to be a poetry-loving moon tortoise, looking forward to celebrating his hundredth birthday. Whilst Eli may not be looking for adventure, adventure has a way of finding those with courageous, true hearts …
When Eli discovers that his Nana is unwell, he decides to enter the Glorious Race of Magical Beasts in order to sell the prize to pay for the treatment his Nana needs. This is no easy decision for Eli as his parents died during a race. But Eli adores his Nana and is prepared to do anything to save her, even if this means defying her wishes, and sailing into the adventure of his life …
And so begins the most magical, daring and dangerous adventure as Eli boards his friend, Jeremiah’s, ship, the Nepo to compete to get to each checkpoint in the race. It is not long before he is joined by Raven and her ice hare, who has her own reasons for winning the race. Can this trio work together, not only to overcome the many perils placed in their path by the race, but also a threat from someone hunting one of them? Can they trust each other in a race which can only have one winner, or will their secrets pull them apart? I really don’t want to say anything more for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say that this is an action-packed adventure brimming with unexpected happenings, oodles of danger, both scary and wonderful magical creatures and the most exciting race through the most fantastical places.
The world-building is quite simply sublime from the Royal Library (oh yes – libraries of all sorts are an important part of this adventure – and I’m all for that!) with its own bats to a dessert-selling restaurant with chocolate penguin waiters and an island where you will never view balloons the same again! Be prepared to meet a sentient ship, a vampire librarian and a mermaid queen and so many other extraordinary creatures of sky, land and sea as the race unfolds. I must say I am in awe of the author’s imagination and wonder if she has her own inspire-rat!
Oh my goodness! I absolutely adored Eli who has so much inner strength, kindness and courage. It is so wonderful to see that quiet, bookish children can have great adventures whilst remaining true to themselves. We underestimate them at our peril! It was so wonderful to see Eli find that he has things in common with Raven as their friendship grows. There is so much more to these three remarkable children than I have mentioned, but I think this is something readers need to discover for themselves. I have no doubt that they will be just as awestruck by these revelations as I was. I just have to mention Humphrey, the moon tortoise, who is just adorable with his penchant for over-confidence in his own abilities which brought me lots of smiles.
The illustrated chapter headings include a range of magical beasts and are absolutely stunning.
A marvellously magical adventure into a fantastical world that will completely captivate its readers, and take them on an incredible reading experience that they’ll want to return to again and again … an absolute must-buy!
Thank you to Faber Children’s Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I took part in this Challenge last year and thought it was a great way to focus me on reading backlist titles that have been on my bookshelves for a while. Whilst I didn’t meet my target of 55 books, I did read 42 and am going to add the ones I didn’t get to on to this year’s challenge.
The Beat the Backlist Challenge is in its eighth year and was started by Austine Decker. Details of how to take part are on the blog but the rules are simple:
The book must have been published in 2023 or earlier.
You have to start and finish the book in 2024.
And that’s it!
The 2024 challenge runs from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024.
My target for this year is 46 middle-grade books.
The first 13 are the books I didn’t get to last year:
The next 33 are the books I bought last year, but which I haven’t read yet:
I’m hoping that I can meet the challenge this year – as well as reading lots of new releases this year!
Written and Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey Published by Bloomsbury Published on 18th January
Pablo and Splash is a wonderfully funny, full-colour graphic novel that is guaranteed to delight young readers of 8+ as they adventure back in time with two accidental time-travellers.
Even though she’s a penguin, Splash is not a fan of the Antarctica temperatures, and relies on a trusty scarf and hat for added warmth – even when she’s in a penguin huddle. Whilst her best friend, Pablo, thinks their home is paradise, Splash longs for a luxury holiday … in the sun! But how to get there?
After falling down an ice hole, the two friends are captured by Professor O’Brain and, whilst trying to escape her clutches, find themselves in a time-travel machine which transports them to a beach, but one which they’re sharing with … DINOSAURS! Can these accidental explorers find their way home? Or will they be stuck in the past, avoiding becoming the next meal for the locals?
This is such a fun read that brought plenty of giggles! The language is wonderfully playful including some fantastic puns – especially the fishy ones! The interactions between the two friends are just brilliant – filled with humour, warmth and oh so many problems to solve!
I adored the friendship between Splash and Pablo who are both incredibly likeable penguins! Pablo is more cautious, careful, and sensible whilst Splash is more curious, impetuous and daring with a sense of adventure. But what a brilliant pair they make as they team up to solve a rather big problem!
I loved the bright, vivid full-colour illustrations throughout which complement the energy, humour and warmth of the adventure. And, I didn’t know that penguin beaks and flippers could be so expressive!
The endmatter includes a guide for drawing Pablo and Splash and factual information. I especially enjoyed Pablo and Splash’s completely and absolutely true facts, particularly those about huddling and the Southern Lights.
A krill-tastic, laugh-out-loud adventure that is sure to capture the imaginations of young readers who, I have no doubt, will have a whale of a time as they join Pablo and Splash on their first time-travelling adventure.
Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Craic 