Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (ARC) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling Hush, Hush, the first in the series. Do not read any further if you plan on reading Hush, Hush and do not want to be spoiled.

Nora should know better than to think her life can return to normal after falling in love with a fallen angel. And Nora's life isn't normal - her dad was murdered, and the facts about his death just don't add up. Now Nora's own life is in imminent danger. Are she and Patch strong enough for the battle ahead? From Amazon UK

After reading Hush, Hush and falling i love with Patch, and being completely swept away by the excitement, the danger and the mystery, I, just like so many other YA fans, have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Crescendo. Now I have it and I've read it. Oh my god, you have no idea how much I loved this book! Well worth waiting a year for!

The first half of the book was a bit of a let down, but not in a huge way. I had my hopes too high for the book to start off exciting straight away, but obviously the story has to be set up. It does take a while to get going, but it's necessary for what happens later on. It's like a rollercoaster, it takes it's time chugging up the hill, but once it reaches the top, it soars down.

And boy, does it soar! As Fitzpatrick promised in interviews across numerous blogs, we finally find out what happened to Nora's Dad, and just wow! There is so much mystery behind it. secrets going deeper than you would expect, and Nora finds herself in danger yet again. Crescendo is actin packed and creepy, and just awesome!

I'm still loving the characters. Sometimes Nora drove me round the bend with not talkig, with not saying what was on her mind and asking the right questions when it came to Patch - the girl needs to learn to communicate a little bit more. However, I love how she's so human. She makes mistakes, but you can forgive her for them. She also doesn't have the answers falling into place unrealistically when it comes to the mysterious; she's bright and thinks things through, and can be resourceful when necessary. She works damn hard to work out the things she does, but even then she works harder to put everything together. I did guess quite a few things right before Nora did, but that's not to say Crescendo is predictable, I also guessed several things wrong.
Patch is still as sexy as ever, but it would have been nice to have seen more of him, and being a little more flirty when he was there, but I understand the reason for him not being about as much.
There was a new arrival in Crescendo, Scott; someone Nora knew when she was a child. You never really know whether to trust him or not, he's a bit shifty and has his own secrets to hide. I liked him though, even when he was being creepy - hey, we liked Patch didn't we? And we all know what his original intentions were!

Crescendo is quite simply amazing! Is it as good as Hush, Hush? If not, it wasn't far off! And such a killer cliffhanger! If you loved Hush, Hush, then you should definitely read Crescendo! I can't wait to read what Fitzpatrick writes next!

Published: 14th October 2010 in UK, 19th October 2010 in US
Publisher: Simon Pulse UK, Simon & Schuster US
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Becca Fitzpatrick's Website

My review of Hush, Hush

Other reviews:
Wicked Wonderful Words

Continue reading Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Blood Ransom Blog Tour: Theo Extract

Today it's my turn in the Blood Ransom Blog Tour. Blood Ransom is Sophie McKenzie's sequel to Blood Ties, and I have an exciting extract for you!

"I froze, still under cover of the trees.
The muffled scream echoed in my ears.
It was Rachel. I was sure of it. But where?
The sound seemed to have come from beyond the trees… somewhere near the beach. I crept through the patch of woodland, towards the sea. My steps, crunching on grass and twigs, sounded loud to my ears, but no-one was around to hear. There’d been no more explosions since I’d left the boat, though I’d just heard a round of gunfire coming from the other side of the island.
I reached the edge of the trees, where the stony beach began to slope down to the shore, and stood still, listening hard. The wood and the rest of the island was behind me; the sea in front.
Another round of distant gunfire, then silence. All I could hear was the wind in the trees and the waves, lapping at the shore.
Had I imagined that scream?
“Help! Help!” The voice came again. It was definitely Rachel. And was that an animal crying?
It didn’t make sense.
I waited for what felt like ages, though it can’t have been more than half a minute. Then another yell sounded right beneath me.
Rachel was underground.
I stepped back, wishing I had more than the moonlight to see with. I stood, waiting for more sounds. But there was only silence."

How good does that sound? Don't know what Blood Ransom is about? Read on...

Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren't the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working in secret for a section of the government and about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy, but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat. He discovers a report online saying she's killed herself and travels to Scotland to find her, certain that she has been kidnapped. A clue leads him to Elijah's mysterious clinic, where the sinister Aphrodite Experiment is underway. But what is Elijah really planning? Why does he need to track Rachel down so badly? And will Rachel and Theo be able to pay the ultimate ransom that he demands? From Amazon UK

Blood Ransom will be released 1st October from Simon & Schuster Children's Books.

Tomorrow the Blog Tour stops at The Story Siren and I Want to Read That, so make sure you check them out!

Continue reading Blood Ransom Blog Tour: Theo Extract

Review: Entangled by Cat Clarke

Entangled by Cat Clarke (review copy) - 'The same questions whirl round and round in my head:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?'

17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there.

As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?

Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?
A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction. From Amazon UK

When I received this book for review, I was extremely excited. Not only did it sound brilliant, but I've met Cat Clarke - she came along to the book bloggers meet up back in May, and is active enough in the blogosphere that many consider her "one of us". But I was also worried. What if I didn't like it? I pride myself on my honest reviews, but how could I possibly be negative about a book someone I know wrote. It scared me.

Fortunately, I was hooked from the very first page. Why was this girl locked in a room? Will she ever get out? What is her abductor planning? But after a while, I worried some more about negative review writing as it looked likely. I did not like Grace. She was too much of a typical teenager; she was loud and brash and had didn't seem to have a nice word to say about anything. She really wound me up, and I kept wanting to tell her to shut up. Yet I couldn't put the book down. Her circumstanced were just too strange, and I needed to know what was going on.

As the pages turned, my feelings towards Grace changed. As I got to know her better, understood her better, I liked her more - even if she did/said things that still annoyed me. But her story was so intriguing. The secrets, the strange behaviour. I read and read and read. Since I've started work, it has taken me well over a week to finish a book, but I was so caught up in Grace's story, it took four days. And now I'm finished, and I can really only say... wow.

The plot is just fantastic! Such a great way to tell a story, having Grace write it all down almost like a journal. The twist is just awesome, I didn't entirely see it coming. I had theories and assumptions, but they weren't completely correct, and I was just blown away with the actual outcome; just why Grace was abducted. But the story of all that happened before she was abduted really touched me. I laughed, I cried, I sympathised, I fell in love, I got mad, I had fun. It was just fantastic!

In total, there were seven characters in the book, but the three main ones are Grace, Sal, and Nat. Sal is Grace's best friend, and as nice enough as she seemed, I never really liked her. Not that I disliked her, I just didn't feel I knew her well enough to base an opinion on. Grace is the narrator, so we only know what she tells us, and as she's writing months after most of the events happen, so we don't get every detail. We don't need every detail, I just didn't feel enough of a connection to Sal to like her, though there was enough for me to care what happened to her.

Nat on the other hand you couldn't ask for me detail on. And I think I might just have to say, move over every other fictional guy I've ever read about, I have a new fic-guy to have a lit crush on. It's like Clarke crawled into my head, saw who my perfect guy would be - well, pretty much - and put him in her book. He was just so lovely! He was just awesome! The only thing I can complain about really, is not having enough conversations with him about nothing. They're not necessary for the story, but I would have enjoyed them!

Then came the end. Oh my god, the end. When everything fell into place, and we knew what was what. Some of it I was hoping desperatly wouldn't turn out like I thought it would, but it did, and there were tears, and a whole lot of anger. And the actual end! Simply amazing, but I wish it hadn't ended there! I wanted more! What happens next, Cat?

Entangled is simply fantastic! I loved it! I want to pick it up and read it over. I want to climb into the pages. Seriously, this book is just amazing, a stunning debut, and if you don't get yourself to a bookshop in January and grab yourself a copy, well, I suggest you go see a doctor. Another to add to the list of favourites. I can't wait to read whatever Clarke brings us next!

Thank you to Quercus for sending me a review copy.

Published: 6th January 2011
Publisher: Quercus
Pre-order from Amazon UK
Pre-order from The Book Depository
Cat Clarke's Website
Cat Clarke's Blog

Other Reviews of Entangled:
Portrait of a Woman
Entangled

Continue reading Review: Entangled by Cat Clarke

News: Angela Morrison to Blog the Third Book in the Taken By Storm Trilogy

We had Taken by Storm, we now have Unbroken Connection. Now Angela Morrison is going to give us Cayman Summer - as she writes it! I'll let her tell you in her own words...

I'm trying a huge experiment with this novel. I'm going to blog it as I write it. You'll get to see all my messy rough drafts, half-baked poems, and help me revise! The CAYMAN SUMMER Blog will officially launch October 15th. I'll let you know when the site goes live. This is going to be a great creative adventure for me. I hope you join in.

I think this is such an AWESOME idea! I still need to get my hands on a copy of Unbroken Connection, so I may not read it when the blog starts, but how cool to actually see an author write, and the process she goes through? I think it's going to be awesome.

And check out that swanky new cover! Her son Rob designed it! Nifty, huh? A very talented family!

As soon as I know when the blog for Cayman Summer is live, you'll know!

Continue reading News: Angela Morrison to Blog the Third Book in the Taken By Storm Trilogy

Our Right to Speak

I am outraged. I am disgusted. I am appalled. I am genuinely close to tears.

If you're fairly active in the blogosphere, you probably know what I'm on about without me having to explain. Wesley Scroggins, an associate professor of management at Missouri State University, thinks Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is "soft pornography".

I haven't said anything on this subject so far simply because I have yet to read Speak, though I have always wanted to. Thinking that I can't really comment when I haven't read the book, I've kept quiet. But reading the posts of other people over the last few days has made me want to say my piece.

How anyone can consider rape to be soft porn is beyond me. Sure, books are written to be enjoyed, but it is never going to be the intention of the author for readers to enjoy reading rape scenes. If Mr Scroggins seriously thinks that this is the intention of Halse Anderson... I really don't know what to say. If he's making these comments without having actually read the novel, which seems likely considering his description of it compared to the blurb, I have a huge problem with him. How dare he say such things without knowing what the hell he's talking about?!

I am no longer a school kid, nor do I live in America, so his suggestion of removing this novel from schools will not effect me. But it will effect others. How many people have been helped by reading books? How many people have been touched by reading books? How many people have been given the strength to speak out by reading books? And Mr Scroggins wants to take this away from them? From school kids? I hate to think there could be teenagers who will suffer in silence about the abuse they've received because they weren't allowed to read a book that could help them get there. This is a possible consequence of what Mr Scroggins is proposing. And he has the audacity to talk about immorality?! I am so incensed, I am completely at a loss for what to say.

And this is without even touching the topic of the kids who will be denied the simple enjoyment that comes with reading, even if it is on such a subject.

I have just ordered a copy of Speak which I will be reading soon after it has arrived. I encourage all of you to get your voice heard. As taken from Laurie Halse Anderson's blog, here are some things you can do to help:

Twitterfeed - #SpeakLoudly – where people can tweet their opinions.

Please share your experiences with SPEAK; your own response to the book, or the way you’ve seen it work in a school setting. Tahleen has already posted her thoughts on her blog. You can do the same. Please share links to your blog in Comments here.

But then, please speak up to the people who can make a real difference in Republic, MO.
You can submit a letter to the editor of the News-Leader.

You can write to the superintendent of the Republic School District, Dr. Vern Minor, or to the high school principal, Daren Harris.

You can comment directly to Scroggins’ opinion piece.

Let's get us heard!

Continue reading Our Right to Speak

Review: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance

Death's Mistress by Karen Chance - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the first in the series. Do not read any further if you're planning on reading Midnight's Daughter and don't want it to be spoilt for you.

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir - half-human, half-vampire - and the only way she can stay sane is by unleashing her sometimes uncontrollable rage on demons and vampires that deserve killing. After the fortunate demise of her insane uncle Dracula, Dory is back home in Brooklyn, hoping that life will calm down for a while. But then two visitors arrive: her friend Claire, asking for Dory's help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare, desperate to find his former mistress, a vampire named Christine. Dory and Louis-Cesare soon discover their problems may be connected: the same master vampire Christine is bound to is also rumored to be in possession of the relic. But they soon realize there's more at stake when Christine's master turns up dead. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can't stop the murderer, they may be next... From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance

Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment by Lauren Kate (ARC) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling Fallen, the first in the series. Do not read any further if you plan on reading Fallen and do not want to be spoilt.

In "Torment", fallen angel Daniel and his mortal love Lucinda think they are safe but evil forces are massing against them. As Luce learns more about her past, and discovers that the lives she's already lived hold the key to her future happiness; she starts to wonder if Daniel has told her the whole truth. What if his version of events isn't the way things happened? What if that means that she's really meant to be with someone else? From Amazon UK

I fell in love with Luce and Daniel's story in Fallen, and was beyond excited and frustrated when I finished the book; excited because it was just so wow, frustrated because I had so many questions and had to wait so long for Torment! So I ws thrilled when the lovely ladies of Random House UK handed out bound manuscripts of Torment as gifts to the bloggers who came to the Book Bloggers Meet Up in May. And now I've read it, all I can say is OH MY GOD!

I am reeling with amazement as I write this at how incredible Torment is! The writing skill Kate just blows me away. We have a whole slew of new characters who are just so real they could jump out of the page, a plot that is just so believable, a rollercoaster of emotions that will tug at the heart strings, and so much excitement you won't be able to sit still!

You know those questions I mentioned earlier that were left over from Fallen? Well now I have a whole lot more to add to the list. Kate has this brilliant way of just scratching the surface of what's going on, giving you - and Luce - just a glimpse of what is the heart of, well, everything that makes this story, without really answering any questions, yet keeping you turning the pages like your life depended on it. I can't tell you how maddening - in a good way - it is to still not know what's going on! Kate drops hints throughout, and I have my theories, but who knows if they're right? It's just fantastic, I am completely gripped by this story!

We have a few new characters who make an entrance in Torment. Shelby, Luce's roommate at her new school, is great; she's sarcastic, she's a little rough sometimes, but altogether someone you would enjoy being around. Jasmine and Dawn are brilliant, both really sweet and excitable - Dawn especially, just the cutest thing ever. Then there's Miles, the sweetest, loveliest guy! Just adorable! They're all brilliant!

The love between Luce and Daniel is just so wow. I am unable to describe it eloquently. It's this big, wonderful, scary thing that is just overwhelming to read about. It's huge, it's poweful, it's endless - and it's really quite beautiful. Kate's may be some of, if not the best descriptions of all encompassing love I have ever read. It really is amazing how brilliantly Kate puts something so undescribable into words. It's one of the things that makes me love this series so much; not only is the plot exciting and intriguing, the love is just so real it's almost palpable.

The main action, like in Fallen, comes right at the end. There are smaller action scenes throughout the book, but the main event is towards the very end. Luce gets to see more this time round than in Fallen, and it's just awesome to see the angels at work. Really impressive, really exciting, really worrying! I loved it!

The ending! Oh my god, the ending! Such a cliffhanger, with all those added questions! I am dying to find out what will happen, but the next book in the series, Passion, who's publication date is yet to be announced, covers Luce's past lives, so is more of a prequel than a sequel. I cannot wait for the next two books, the wait for them is going to be torture! If you haven't already, you really need to start this series, it's so far beyond amazing there are no words!

Thanks to Random House for the review copy.

Published: 30th September 2010 in UK, 28th September 2010 in US
Publisher: Random House UK, Delecourte Books for Young Readers in US
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Lauren Kate's Website
Fallen UK Website

My review of Fallen

Other reviews:
Fluttering Butterflies
Sarah's Book Reviews
Girls Without a Bookshelf

Continue reading Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

News: Once Upon a Bookcase in Top 10 UK Teen Lit Blogs Cision List!

I'm a little late in posting about this, but on Thursday I received a fantastic email from Cision, a global media intelligence provider, to tell me that I was listed in this week's Top 10 UK Teenage Literature Blogs.

As was kindly explained by Usborne on Twitter, which Becky of The Bookette passed on to me, Cision are the company that run Media Disk, which is a media contacts database. Which I remember being mentioned while on work experience at Orion Books. Basically, being listed by them is a pretty big deal! I'm pretty exstatic!

Here is the list of bloggers who join me on the list, in order:

1. So Many Books, So Little Time - Sophie
2. I Was A Teenage Book Geek - Lauren
3. My Favourite Books - Liz & co
4. Fluttering Butterflies - Michelle
5. I Want To Read That - Sammee
6. The Crooked Shelf - Carla
7. Once Upon a Bookcase - Me
8. Teenage Fiction for All Ages - Karen
9. The Sweet Bonjour - Sasha
10. Dead Book Darling - Kay

Congratulations, ladies! I'm thrilled mine is among such fantastic blogs! If you don't know these blogs, go and check them out, they're amazing! All of us, and our details, are now listed free of charge on CisionPoint, an online database provided by Cision for PR, marketing and communication professionals, which is just awesome if you ask me!

Also, among others, fellow bloggers Becky of The Bookette and Jenny of Wondrous Reads were listed on Cision's Top 10 UK Children's Literature Blogs, so congrats go to them too! I am a happy bunny!

Continue reading News: Once Upon a Bookcase in Top 10 UK Teen Lit Blogs Cision List!

News: Inside Out Festival 2010

Writers, take note! Inside Out Festival 2010 will be taking place next month - 25th -30th October 2010. From the press release:



The Inside Out Festival celebrates the exciting and often unexpected contribution made by London universities to the literary and cultural life of the capital. Festival-goers can hear from some of today’s most successful writers and learn from some of London’s most eminent literary scholars.

Goldsmiths, City University London, Birkbeck, Queen Mary, University of London and Royal Holloway, University of London are amongst the nine university institutions throwing open their doors for the week of public events which will include film screenings, music and theatre performances, art and fashion exhibitions, and talks with well-known academics and high-profile commentators. The events will take place all over London at cultural venues such as the Barbican, the National Portrait Gallery and Somerset House, and in rarely-seen spaces in the universities.

Sally Taylor, Inside Out Festival Director, said: “London universities are nurturing some of the best new literary talent through their world-class creative writing courses. We’re thrilled to have some of the major players in the literary world today – many of them alumni and academics from these courses – sharing their insights, expertise and experiences in this year’s Inside Out Festival.”

ALSO - the Publishing a First Novel event is holding a competition for those who have finished a book:

Publishing a first novel competition:
Have you completed a novel? If so, and if you are looking for an agent, registration and attendance at this event will qualify you to enter our competition.

Submit your first chapter (maximum 3,000 words), plus a synopsis (maximum 2 sides of A4, double-spaced), to festivalcomp@city.ac.uk and your entry will be considered for recommendation to the two agents on the panel. Please read the competition terms and conditions before submitting your entry.

To find out more, and for details of the events and locations, check out the press release here. You can also find out more on www.insideoutfestival.org.uk

Continue reading News: Inside Out Festival 2010

News from Publishers

I have various bits of news to share with you!

Puffin - Virtual Events:

Author of the phenomenally successful Young Bond and The Enemy series, Charlie
Higson will be reading from his new book The Dead (published in September 2010) and
talking about his inspirations and his love of the horror genre in a Scottish Booktrust
‘Author’s Live’ webcast on Thursday 7th October at 11am. To register to watch this event, click here and simply follow the on-screen
instructions.

Plus, registration for Rick Riordan’s live webcast, at 2pm on 2nd November, will open
on 6th September. Go here for further information.

RHCB - Virtual Story & Online Book:

Our really, REALLY exciting news this month is the launch of Mortal Kiss, a virtual, interactive dark romance story on the Stardoll website which will be updated every day until Halloween... You can meet the characters, explore the town and start reading the story here.

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel have taken America by storm and are set to do the same here in the UK. As the latest book in the series is released, we are giving you the chance to read the first book, The Alchemyst, for free. Read The Alchemyst online

Bloomsbury - Revolution Extracts:

Revolution tells the story of two girls. Andi lives in New York and is dealing with the disintegration of her family and the guilt she feels following her younger brother’s death. Alex lives in Paris and is a maid to the royal family as the French Revolution rages. Both girls are struggling with their responsibilities and their place in the world.

When Andi is dragged to Paris by her father, their two stories collide, and Andi finds a way to reconcile herself not only to her past but also to her future.

Jennifer was inspired to write Revolution after reading an article about the imprisonment of fourteen-year-old Marie-Thérèse and eight-year-old Louis Charles following the execution of their parents, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Since writing A Gathering Light, Jennifer has become a mother and it was because of this new perspective that the article had such a profound effect upon her:

‘Robespierre and his crew essentially had Louis-Charles walled up alive. He was kept in a small, dark, cold cell. Alone. Without books and toys. Without enough food or a fire. He became sick. And he went mad. And eventually he died. At the age of ten.

Needless to say, that article really upset me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t stop wondering how the idealism of the revolution devolved into such cruelty. I went to bed thinking about it. Woke up thinking about it. I recognized the feeling – it’s how I feel when a book is starting inside me.’

To find out more about the inspiration behind the book click here

You can read an extract from both Revolution and Donnelly's debut novel, A Gathering Light, here. Also, check out her website.

Finally, a piece of news I'm adding myself. Many bloggers have excitingly been receiving review copies over the last few days of Cat Clarke's debut novel, Entangled, coming out Jan 2011. I am SO excited to read! Not only is Cat a novelist, but she's pretty active in the book blogosphere in the sense that a fair few consider her "one of us". Cat now has a facebook page for her debut novel, and I think you should all check it out! And if you haven't heard of Cat before, here are a few links to check out.

Cat's Website
Cat's Blog
Cat's Writing Facebook Page

Continue reading News from Publishers

Review: The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (review copy) - The Magic Finger is something I've been able to do my whole life. I can't tell you how I do it, because I don't even know myself. But it always happens when I get cross... and suddenly a sort of flash comes out of me, a quick flash, like something electric. It jumps out and touches the person who has made me cross...

It's Roald Dahl Day today, and though I don't normally review children's books, I thought I would celebrate the writings of such a brilliant author by reviewing one of his books I loved as a child.

I was never much of a reader when I was a child. I didn't like it, I found it boring. I only discovered my love for reading as a teen, but as you all know, reading is required while at school. So I read whatever I was given to read grudgingly - that is until I discovered Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. Those two books I could read over and over. I remember I even spent some of my free class play time listening to the audio book of The Magic Finger on the casette player. There was something just so wonderful about this story that kept me coming back again and again.

Now I've read it again as an adult, and the story of a family of hunters who grow wings after the little girl puts her magic finger upon them is just charming. It would be exciting and funny for the children, and the adults will enjoy seeing their children react to it. It's just such a great story!

I think it's brilliant how it's written. Right from the first page you can tell how brilliant Roald Dahl is at getting into a child's head; we find out the narrator is a girl, and the things she thinks are imporant for the reader to know; who her friends are, that they are boys and how old they are. A typical child introduction that is just perfect. What I also think is interesting is that we're never given the narrator's name. She's telling the story about what happened to the Gregg family, and though she played a part in it, it's not her story.

The language is simple enough for a child to understand, but yet still written in a way an adult can enjoy when reading with/to a child. It is also brilliantly written for an adult to read outloud to a child; use of italics and exclaimation marks making it clear when the adult should be using a humourous tone.

And as always, the book is fantastically illustrated by Quentin Blake. Dahl's books would not be the same without Blake's illustrations. Simple but just brilliant, they are the icing on the cake of The Magic Finger; the girl and her magic finger, the Greggs with wings, and the ducks with arms, acting like humans; cooking, playing, on the phone. As an adult, I love them, but a child would find them so funny! Of course, The Magic Finger would be great anyway, but Blake's illustrations make them the full package.

This edition of the book hs a lot of goodies in the last pages, including quotes from Dahl, his favourite things, a timeline of important events in his life, and more! It's really quite interesting!

I will leave you with a quote that made me giggle.

"'I will not eat worms,' said Philip. 'I would rather die.'
'Or slugs,' said William.
Mrs Gregg took the two boys under her wings and hugged them. 'Don't worry,' she said. 'I can mince it all up very fine and you won't even know the difference. Lovely slugburgers. Delicious wormburgers.'" (p32)

Who wouldn't laugh at that?

Find out more and what you can do to celebrate on the Roald Dahl Day Website.

Thank you to Puffin for sending me a review copy.

Published: 2nd September 2010 (this edition)
Publisher: Puffin
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Roald Dahl's website

Continue reading Review: The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

News: Third Book To Be Released in Hush, Hush Series!

I AM SO EXCITED YOU HAVE NO IDEA! Becca Fitzpatrick has announced there will be a third book in the Hush, Hush series!

Becca has finally been given permission to let the world know about Tempest, as book three is called.

"This past summer, I had a long chat with my agent, and told her I'd written up a daring proposal for a third book in the series, and wanted her to submit it to my editor," Becca said on her blog. "I was just as nervous during this submission as I was with HUSH, HUSH, waiting for her answer and fearing she'd hate the proposal...but...she was crazy about it. And so in August, I began writing TEMPEST, the third installment in the HUSH, HUSH series."

She added it's all the things she loves, "Twisty-turny, full of suspense, a little creepy, and most of all, there are some pretty electric scenes between Patch and Nora."

Read Becca's full blog post here. Can someone squeal with me?

Continue reading News: Third Book To Be Released in Hush, Hush Series!

News Cornelia Funke's Live Online Launch of Reckless

I received some exciting news from Chicken House today, regarding Reckless by Cornelia Funke.

For the first time in his life, Jacob Reckless is afraid. For years he's stolen across to another world. A dark enchanted place he's loved for its treasure, secrets and dangers. Until now. Will, his younger brother, has followed him with terrible consequences: The boy will turn to beast; the girl he loves will break her heart and chaos will rule forever, unless Jacob can spin a fairytale to save them... From Amazon UK

This is what Chicken House had to say:

"We would like to invite you to watch Cornelia Funke’s ‘Get Reckless’ Launch live on Tuesday September 14th at 6.30pm GMT. You can join in this very special event, simply by logging on to http://www.recklessthebook.com/ on the day and clicking the green button.

Cornelia Funke – the beloved and bestselling author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider and the Ink trilogy – goes behind the mirror for a once in a lifetime theatrical storytelling event. Join Cornelia and special guests, including British film producer Lionel Wigram, Reckless co-creator, executive producer of the Harry Potter movies and producer/co-writer of the Sherlock Holmes film. Together they will pull back the curtain on the creative process and give fans an intimate look at how the world of Reckless came into being. With exclusive live readings, specially composed music and secret revelations!

If you would like to be part of this very special event, do log on to www.recklessthebook.com at 6:00pm GMT on September 14th and click the green button to watch the event unfold before your very eyes!"

Continue reading News Cornelia Funke's Live Online Launch of Reckless

News: Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

I received some news from Random House regarding Malorie Blackman's latest novel, Boys Don't Cry.

You're waiting for the postman - he's bringing your A level results. University, a career as a journalist - a glittering future lies ahead. But when the doorbell rings it's your old girlfriend; and she's carrying a baby. You're fine to look after it, for an hour or two, while she does some shopping. Then she doesn't come back and your future suddenly looks very different.

Seventeen year old Dante is left holding the baby. His baby. Not only does he have to come to terms with the fact he is now a father but he is also faced with the realisation that his life is about to dramatically change. He needs to learn how to raise his daughter when he still feels like a child himself. The reader follows Dante as he stumbles against the obstructions and prejudices in society, but also experiences some of the joys that only parenthood can bring. Not one to shy away from controversial subjects, Blackman handles the issue of teenage fatherhood with sensitivity giving a voice to a group largely ignored by society. From the press release.

How awesome does it sound? I can't wait to read it! It will be released on 28th October from Doubleday.

But there's more! To promote her new novel, Sugar magazine are holding a writing competition with the prize being a writing workshop with Malorie Blackman and 10 friends at Pizza Express. Find out more here.

There is also now an official fan page for Malorie Blackman on facebook which she ocassionally posts on. Be sure to check it out!

Continue reading News: Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

Next Themed Month: Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit

I know this is early, but I have decided to start working on the next themed month for July '11, which will be Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit Month - as suggested by Michelle of Fluttering Butterflies via Twitter. I find when I start working on a themed month only a few months before the Months begin, I end up putting pressure on myself to read faster and get everything done, and end up stressing myself out a little. So now I've decided I will start now; I'll read books, draft reviews, and post them in July 2011.

This time round, I'm doing things differently in regards to those who take part. With BI&SP Month, although I believe it went pretty well, in hindsight I think there were too many people taking part "officially", which meant some blogs and their posts were overlooked by readers - there was just too much going on for everyone to keep up with. So this time I've decided there will be just four or five blogs involved "officially" - mine and three or four others. Other blogs are allowed and encourage to read around the topic for the month and post too, but just without me linking to them and including them in the schedule. I'll have a Mr Linky available for those people. I'm also thinking to open this up to bloggers who weren't heavily involved in BI&SP Month, simply to allow other people to get involved and highlight other blogs - unless other bloggers aren't interested but previously involved people are.

Also during BI&SP Month, there were a few books that were read by several bloggers and, although at the time I said I didn't mind a little overlap, I think it was a mistake. I think this is also partly why some posts on some blogs were overlooked too. So this year I'm going to say each book read for the month is read by one blogger involved only.

After reading all this, if you think you'd like to take part, please email me at joannestapley[at]gmail[dot]com.

N.B. You don't have to start preparing and reading now too, it's just going to help me. I just felt I should announce it now as people are already showing interest on Twitter.

Continue reading Next Themed Month: Death and Bereavement in Teen Lit

News: Ivy4Evr - The Second Pilot

You may remember a few months back I reviewed the first pilot of Ivy4Evr. Well, today, I received an email from Blast Theory, the people behind the project, with some teaser news:

"Ivy4Evr is an interactive, SMS-based drama for teens, created and written by Blast Theory and Tony White. It deals with areas such as family issues, drugs, alcohol and sex in a teen context. The SMS drama takes place via the user's mobile phone and will give them the chance to interact via SMS messages, changing the narrative as they go along.

After a successful first trial in June for 50 users, we are currently preparing a second trial for October for 5,000 users this time round. We are inviting young people to take part in an exclusive sneak peak of the pilot episode of Ivy4Evr for one week from 10th - 16th October, with the chance to win an Iphone-4 for the teenagers who register for this trial."

Sounds good, huh? In the near future I will be sent a press release so I can give you more info on this brilliant project!

Continue reading News: Ivy4Evr - The Second Pilot

News: Radiance by Alyson Noël Trailer

I have another trailer for you today! This time, it's for Radiance by Alyson Noël, a spin off series of The Immortals series, this time following Ever's sister, Riley!

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley... From Amazon US

Radiance was released on 31st August from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Continue reading News: Radiance by Alyson Noël Trailer

News: Orion Facebook Pages & More

I received an email from Orion Books today about their facebook groups! They're pretty awesome; I've Liked both, and highly recommend them!

"We at Orion Books are currently running a thriving YA Facebook page called Fierce Fiction which has 500 members plus.

Similarly we have a more recent page called Gollancz Dark Fantasy which is aimed at an older readership - it is where our True Blood novels are featured among other supernatural and fantasy novels.

With Halloween round the corner we will be giving away special prizes on all our facebook pages so we want to boost our members so as many people interested in our type of books do not miss out in getting involved!"

Check them out!

While I'm here, I thought I'd let you know about several other publishing facebook groups and pages.

UK Publishers:
Fiercebook - Random House Children's Books
- RHCB also have pages for Trash and Fallen
My Love Lies Bleeding - a page for Alyxandra Harvey's series from Bloomsbury
Penguin Books
Simon Pulse

US Publishers:
Bloomsbury Teens
Bloomsbury Walker
Harper Teen
Penguin Teen
Simon & Schuster

Australian Publishers:
Harper Voyager
Penguin Paranormal

If you know of any others, let me know and I'll add them to the lists.

Continue reading News: Orion Facebook Pages & More

News: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto Trailer

Today I received the trailer for Halo by Alexandra Adornetto!

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil? From Amazon US

How good does it look? I can't wait to read it!

Continue reading News: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto Trailer

Crescendo UK Blog Tour!

Announcing… the Crescendo UK blog tour!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Crescendo, the stunning sequel to international bestseller Hush, Hush, UK publishers Simon & Schuster are unveiling an exclusive blog tour! The tour will take place from the 29th September – 15th October, and stop at the following venues:


29th September - Book Chick City
An exclusive Q&A with Becca Fitzpatrick

4th October - The Bookette
A never-before-seen flashback extract from Crescendo

5th October - Once Upon A Bookcase
A never-before-seen flashback extract from Crescendo featuring Patch & Nora!

6th October – I Was A Teenage Book Geek
SPECIAL FEATURE: “You know you’re obsessed with Hush, Hush when…”

7th October – Book Geeks
Competition to win copies of Crescendo!

8th October - So Many Books, So Little Time
Exclusive audio extract from the Hush, Hush audiobook

9th October – Daisy Chain Books
Discussion post: Crescendo playlist
The second leg of the tour will commence at Wondrous Reads, who will celebrate the release of Crescendo with a week dedicated to all-things-Patch, including US vs. UK, an interview with designer James Porto, review, signed goodies to be won, and many more super secret Hush, Hush related material!

Each stop on the tour will reveal an exclusive question and answer with Becca Fitzpatrick, so make sure to follow us every step of the way for your chance to snap up all the sneak peeks and potential prizes! Each blog will also be reviewing Crescendo in the run up to the tour, so keep your eyes peeled to hear what your favourite bloggers thought of this amazing book.

Simon & Schuster will also be celebrating on their Twitter page (@simonkids_UK), giving away exclusive early copies of Crescendo and updating you on all the tour action, tweeting reviews and posts as they come in. We’ll also be following Becca Fitzpatrick through her entire UK tour (more details on that to come later).

Please spread the word about the CRESCENDO UK BLOG TOUR using the below banner on your blogs and websites! See you there!




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Continue reading Crescendo UK Blog Tour!