Earlier this week I was really excited to be invited to the Walker YA Wonderland blogger event to meet some of their authors and find out all about some of the exciting books they have coming out in 2019. I always love Walker's events and this was no exception, we got to meet some fantastic authors and I'm so excited to start reading all the books I came home with!
Me with Lauren James
The first author we got to hear from was Lauren James who was talking about her upcoming book The Quiet at the End of the World, we actually had a sneaky early copy of this one in our goodie bags and I can't wait to read it. Lauren was inspired to write this story by the idea that eventually the human race is going to go extinct which means that at some point (hopefully in the distant future!) there will be a last living human. Just imagine being the one of the last few people alive and how knowing that would affect you.
I've been lucky enough to meet Lauren a few times now and I love how passionate she is about all things science but particularly women in science. All of her stories have some scientific basis behind them and at the event she was talking about physical evolution but also the way languages change and how difficult it can be to interpret messages left thousands of years ago. Imagine how we're going to warn people 10,000 years in the future to avoid the nuclear waste that we've buried today, will they even recognise the symbols we use for toxic waste?
About The Quiet at the End of the World:
How far would you go to save those you love? Lowrie and Shen are the youngest people on the planet after a virus caused global infertility. Closeted in a pocket of London and doted upon by a small, ageing community, the pair spend their days mudlarking and looking for treasure – until a secret is uncovered that threatens not only their family but humanity’s entire existence. Now Lowrie and Shen face an impossible choice: in the quiet at the end of the world, they must decide what to sacrifice to save the whole human race... Publishing in March 2019
The second author to speak was Zoe Marriott who was there to tell us all about The Hand, the Eye and the Heart, her upcoming novel inspired by Mulan and set in a fantasy world inspired by Chinese history, especially Tang Dynasty. Zoe wanted to be clear that it isn't a straight Mulan retelling but there are similarities with the character's journey. Zhilan is also gender fluid which I think is fantastic. You can read all about Zoe's inspiration for the story on her blog here.
I've been a huge fan of Zoe's books for years now so I'm ridiculously excited for this book and it was really cool to get to see the cover revealed for the first time at the event. Walker always put so much effort into their cover designs and you can really see that here!
About The Hand, the Eye and the Heart:
Zhilan was assigned female at birth. Despite a gift for illusions, they know they are destined to live out their life within the confines of the women’s quarter. But when civil war sets the empire aflame, Zhilan is determined save their disabled father from the battlefield. By taking his place. Surviving brutal army training as a boy – Zhi – is only the first challenge. In the glittering court of the Land of Dragons, love and betrayal are two sides of the same smile, and soon the fate of a nation rests on Zhi’s shoulders. But to win, they must decide where their heart truly belongs…
Publishing April 2019
Me with Tom Pollock
Next up was Tom Pollock who told us all about his upcoming novel Heartstream. It's not due to be published until next July and is so new that it doesn't have a cover or official blurb yet but it sounds like it's going to be a fab read.
The story is set in the not too distant future where technology allows people to share their actual emotions online just like we currently share our thoughts and feelings via social media. Tom was inspired to write the story after watching vloggers and thinking about how they all create an online persona that their followers can relate to. The main character ends up becoming famous after sharing their emotions while their mother was dying but it all goes horribly wrong when they come home from the funeral to find someone inside their home holding a bomb! Heartstream sounds like it's going to be deliciously twisty & I can't wait to read it.
About Tom's last novel White Rabbit, Red Wolf (since I can't share a blurb or cover for for Hearstream yet):
A taut thriller about murder, maths and the mind. Peter Blankman is afraid of everything and must confront unimaginable terror when his mother is attacked.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend. However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.
Neal Shusterman & me
Last but definitely not least was Neal Shusterman talking about his latest novel Dry (written with his son Jarrod) and also The Toll, the final book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy which is due to publish next September. I absolutely LOVED Scythe (read my review) and Thunderhead (read my review) so I can't wait to get my hands on The Toll and the hints we were given about what to expect just made me even more excited about it! It looks like there have been all kinds of hints woven into the first book, right down to Scythe Goddard's name, and I can't wait to see how everything comes together in the finale.
Neal talked about how bored he was with YA dystopian stories at the time he was getting ready to start writing Scythe and how he wanted to do something completely different. The Arc of a Scythe trilogy was supposed to be about what would happen if everything went right in the world rather than if it all went horribly wrong but if we were able to cure diseases and make people practically immortal then it would cause all kinds of problems with overpopulation. Eventually that lead to the idea of the Scythes who were supposed to be unbiased and willing to do an awful job to keep society running smoothly, interestingly enough they were actually inspired by the Jedi!
About Dry: When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
The drought – or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it – has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.
Until the taps run dry.
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life – and the life of her brother – is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.
Dry is another fantastic book from Neal, cowritten with his son Jarrod, and you can read my review here.
After hearing all of the authors talk about their books, along with listening to some of the Walker editors and publicity team talking about other upcoming books (another highlight to watch out for is definitely On the Come Up by Angie Thomas due in February 2019!) we had time to mingle with the authors and other bloggers while getting our books signed and enjoying a few tasty nibbles.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at Walker for organising such a brilliant event and allowing me to tag along. The hardest part about coming home with so many fab books is trying to decide which one to read first but I'm particularly excited about the ones I've mentioned in this post so watch out for reviews coming as soon as I can!
Back at the end of September I was really lucky to be invited to Hot Key's Blogger Brunch with authors Alexandra Christo and Sebastien de Castell. I'm a huge fan of both of these authors so I was really excited to get to meet them and it's always fantastic to get the chance to meet up with blogging friends too.
When we first arrived at the event we had time to mingle while we munched on the delicious array of treats Hot Key had laid on for us before we got to hear both of the authors give a reading and talk about their books.
Sebastien de Castell reading from Soulbinder
First up was Sebastien de Castell reading from the fourth book in his Spellslinger series, Soulbinder. If you're familiar with this series you'll already have met one of my favourite fictional characters, squirrel cat Reichis, and one of the threats he loves to make is that he's going to eat someone's eyeballs. Well apparently Sebastien is always being asked the question about whether Reichis is going to finally get the chance to carry out that threat and let's just say that the reading he gave answers that question in gloriously revolting detail during this reading! I've not had a chance to read Soulbinder yet but I loved the first two books in the series and you can read my reviews for Spellslinger and Shadowblack by clicking these links. I'm looking forward to reading Charmcaster and Soulbinder very soon so keep an eye out for my reviews.
Alexandra Christo reading from To Kill a Kingdom
Alexandra Christo treated us to not one but two readings, the first from her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom, which is a fabulous retelling of The Little Mermaid that I'd highly recommend (you can read my review here). Then she gave us a super early sneak peak at the book she's working on right now called Into the Crooked Place which she described as a darker version of Six of Crows. Unfortunately that book isn't due for publication until October 2019 so we've got a year to wait but let me tell you now you NEED to put this book on your wishlist because the preview we were given was absolutely fantastic!!
After the readings and a Q&A we had the chance to speak to both authors and get our books signed which is something I always love to do. I had taken my copies of the first three Spellslinger books with me and was thrilled to get given a copy of the fourth book, Soulbinder, and Alexandra's To Kill a Kingdom too.
Sebastien de Castell and Alexandra Christo
I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Hot Key Books for inviting me to the event, I had a brilliant time and really enjoyed getting to meet the authors. Thanks also to Sebastien de Castell and Alexandra Christo for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and chat with us!
I was really lucky to be invited to the Hot Key Blogger Brunch on Saturday and have the chance to meet authors Alexandra Christo and Sebastien de Castell. Both authors read from their latest books (To Kill a Kingdom and Soulbinder) and Alexandra even gave us a VERY early sneak peek at her next book Into the Crooked Place which isn't even going to be published until this time next year! We also had a chance to chat with the authors and get our books signed which is something I always love to do. I'll write about the event properly soon but I wanted to say a huge thank you to Hot Key for inviting me to the event!
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Penguin YA Secret Society Party which was a fab event with Sally Green, Melissa Albert, Elizabeth Klehforth and Emily Barr. It was one of the hottest days of the heatwave so we practically melted on the journey up to London and with the venue being in a basement pub it was a super hot night but we had such a fab time that it was definitely worth it.
Penguin had gone to so much effort to decorate the venue and each author had their own section that was decorated with something that had a meaning to their book and there were even four different cocktails to try, one inspired by each story!
The first section was where we got to meet Elizabeth Klehforth who was there to talk to us about her book All These Beautiful Strangers which sounds like a really exciting thriller that I'm really looking forward to reading! In this section we all got to choose props and pose for polaroid photos which was a lot of fun.
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for.
With her wealthy family's pedigree, a loyal set of friends, and a fast-track to whichever college she chooses, she's all-but untouchable at her exclusive East Coast boarding school.
But Charlie isn't interested in what most people want.
She's a Calloway. She's been taught to want more.
So when she's invited to join her school's exclusive secret society- the A's - her determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But behind their mysterious facade is a history of lies and cruel games which threatens to unravel everything Charlie thought she knew about herself... including the story behind her mother's disappearance ten years ago.
In the second section we entered the Hazel Wood to meet Melissa Albert and talk about her debut novel The Hazel Wood which is a modern fairytale that sounds just up my street! I have a feeling I'm going to love this book so I'm definitely planning on reading it very soon.
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels.
But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - the Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get.
Her mother is stolen, by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world from her grandmother's stories.
Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . .
The third section was where we got to meet Sally Green to talk about the first book in her new series, The Smoke Thieves. I've already read and loved this one (you can read my review here) so I'm impatiently waiting for the sequel but if you're a fantasy fan you definitely need to pick up a copy! Here we also got to choose a glitter tattoo to represent one of the main characters and of course I picked the demon hunter!
A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict.
In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner's block.
In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town.
And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.
As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our five heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war.
Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?
Last but not least we got to meet Emily Barr and talk about her latest book The Truth and Lies of Ella Black. I have to say that even though I don't read much contemporary YA these days I'm really intrigued by this one and looking forward to giving it a try!
Ella Black seems to live the life most other seventeen-year-olds would kill for . . .
Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things.
And realises her life has been a lie.
Her mother and father aren't hers at all. Unable to comprehend the truth, Ella runs away, to the one place they'll never think to look - the favelas.
But there she learns a terrible secret - the truth about her real parents and their past. And the truth about a mother, desperate for a daughter taken from her seventeen years ago . . .
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Penguin for inviting me to the event and to all the authors for taking the time to talk to us. I had such a fantastic time and can't wait to read all of the books I came home with!
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited the the Orion Blogger Brunch to find out all about some of the fantastic titles they have coming out throughout the rest of 2018. I can tell you right now they have some super exciting books to look forward to and my wishlist practically exploded while they were talking to us! They mentioned too many for me to list them all here so I'm just going to talk about the books I'm most excited about (although to be honest even then this is still going to be a looooong post LOL).
Award-winning author Ellen Kushner's classic of modern fantasy, set in a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results.
On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless- until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead a of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye . . .
First up was Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner, this is actually a rerelease of a modern fantasy classic and it sounds wonderful! To be honest this is one of those books I should probably have read years ago but it's definitely on my radar now and I'm hoping to buy a copy soon.
Feminist Fairytales for Young and Old
Reimagining traditional tales, this empowering collection of stories, poems and beautiful hand-drawn illustrations gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover.
Gone are the gender stereotypes of obliging lovers, violent men and girls that need rescuing. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains and you'll meet brave princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle and a courageous Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.
'Await no princes to save you through their lips touching yours whilst you are in unwilling slumber. Wake each other up instead.'
Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill is an illustrated, modern, feminist twist on fairytales we know and love and it sounds like my perfect read. I love fairytales and retellings so I'm sure I'll love this book. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of Nikita Gill's poetry collection Wild Embers at the event so I have something to tide me over until Fierce Fairytales releases in September!
Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished - until the day a terrible accident took Essie's life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax - the heir to Firgaard's throne - was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa's people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she'd give him the army he needed if he made her queen.
Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax's promises go unfulfilled. Roa's people continue to suffer.
Then a chance to right every wrong arises - an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king.
Next up is The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli, I absolutely loved the first book in this series (read my review of The Last Namsarahere) so I can't wait for the sequel!
A land under occupation. A legendary sword. A young man's journey to find his destiny.
Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend Cade are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free . . .
But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie. The rules are not there to protect him, or his people, but to enslave them. A revolution is brewing, and Aren is being drawn into it, whether he likes it or not.
The key to the revolution is the Ember Blade. The sword of kings, the Excalibur of his people. Only with the Ember Blade in hand can their people be inspired to rise up . . . but it's locked in an impenetrable vault in the most heavily guarded fortress in the land.
All they have to do now is steal it . . .
I love fantasy and at over 800 pages this is going to be pretty epic! The Ember Blade is the first book in a new trilogy by popular author Chris Wooding and it sounds brilliant.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea - '...reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago' (David Mitchell) - comes this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles, including over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin's vision of her classic saga.
Contains the short story, 'The Daughter of Odren', published in print for the first time, and her last story 'Firelight'.
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature-they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike.
Now for the first time ever, they're all together in one volume-including the early short stories, Le Guin's "Earthsea Revisioned" Oxford lecture, and new Earthsea stories, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include over fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way.
Stories include: 'A Wizard of Earthsea', 'The Tombs of Atuan', 'The Farthest Shore', 'Tehanu', 'Tales From Earthsea', 'The Other Wind', 'The Rule of Names', 'The Word of Unbinding', 'The Daughter of Odren', and 'Earthsea Revisioned: A Lecture at Oxford University'
With stories as perennial and universally beloved as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of The Rings-but also unlike anything but themselves-this edition is perfect for those new to the world of Earthsea, as well as those who are well-acquainted with its enchanting magic: to know Earthsea is to love it.
- 1,008 pages - 56 illustrations (including seven lavishly coloured plate sections) - maps of Earthsea - stunningly beautiful endpapers - Six novels - 4 short stories - An essay
I don't think there are many fans out there who haven't heard of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle, I'm actually pretty ashamed to admit that I haven't read it! To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this classic series Gollancz are publishing this fantastic looking hardback which collects all six novels, four short stories and over 50 gorgeous illustrations from Charles Vess. I think this book is going to be a must have for fans of the series but it will also be the perfect place to start for people like me who have never read the books before.
Spensa's world has been under attack for hundreds of years. An alien race called the Krell leads onslaught after onslaught from the sky in a never-ending campaign to destroy humankind. Humanity's only defense is to take to their ships and fight the enemy in the skies. Pilots have become the heroes of what's left of the human race.
Spensa has always dreamed of being one of them; of soaring above Earth and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's - a pilot who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, placing Spensa's chances of attending flight school somewhere between slim and none.
No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but she is still determined to fly. And the Krell just made that a possibility. They've doubled their fleet, making Spensa's world twice as dangerous . . . but their desperation to survive might just take her skyward . . .
A new YA sci-fi from the king of fantasy Brandon Sanderson, hell yes, sign me up for Skyward!!
An earthly nourris sits and sings And aye she sings, "Ba lilly wean, Little ken I my bairn's father, Far less the land that he staps in. (Child Ballad, no. 113)
So begins a stunning tale of love, loss and revenge, against a powerful backdrop of adventure on the high seas, and drama on the land. The Blue Salt Road balances passion and loss, love and violence and draws on nature and folklore to weave a stunning modern mythology around a nameless, wild young man.
Passion drew him to a new world, and trickery has kept him there - without his memories, separated from his own people. But as he finds his way in this dangerous new way of life, so he learns that his notions of home, and your people, might not be as fixed as he believed.
Beautifully illustrated by Bonnie Helen Hawkins, this is a stunning and original modern fairytale.
The Blue Salt Road is a new modern fairytale from Joanne Harris set in the same world as A Pocketful of Crows (another book that has been on my wishlist forever!) and once again illustrated by Bonnie Helen Hawkins. I'm going to try and read A Pocketful of Crows before this releases in November because both books sound fabulous.
In his much-anticipated debut novel, Hank Green - co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogbrothers and SciShow - spins a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realising she's part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.
The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship - like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armour - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the centre of an intense international media spotlight.
Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.
Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric and radicalisation; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. This edition includes beautifully designed endpapers and is definitely not one to miss out on.
I have to tell you about Hank Green's upcoming debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, which is being published in September. I have to confess I've not read anything by John Green (sacrilege I know but I'm not really a big reader of contemporary YA) but Hank's debut sounds much more like my kind of thing. We got to watch a video of Hank talking about the book at the event and it sounds like such a brilliant read, this isn't the actual video but it does tell you more about the story so I thought I'd include it here:
After teasing us with all their upcoming books it was time for Orion to introduce us to a couple of their authors, Ed McDonald, author of Blackwing and Ravencry, and Catriona Ward, author of Rawblood and Little Eve. We got to listen to them talk about their books and the difference between writing a first and second novel. I wish I'd known Ed was going to be there because I'd have brought my copies of Blackwing and Ravencry to get them signed but it was great to meet both authors and we got a chance to mingle with them while we took a break for pizza and cupcakes - just have a look at these delicious little beauties:
After out break it was time for Orion to taunt us with some books that we're going to have to wait until 2019 to get our hands on, oh the cruelty LOL.
Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton.
All hail the Girl King.
Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty's first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.
Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…
Alone in the volatile court, Min's hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set's reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters' greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.
First up was The Girl King, a deput fantasy from Mimi Yu inspired by East Asian mythology! You should all know by now what a huge fantasy fan I am so this sounds right up my street and it's going to be sheer torture waiting until January next year to read it!
'Inspirational, funny and wise' - Kit de Waal
Queenie Jenkins can't cut a break. Well, apart from the one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That's definitely just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Stuck between a boss who doesn't seem to see her, a Carribbean family who don't seem to listen (if it's not Jesus or water rates, they're not interested), and trying to fit in two worlds that don't really understand her, it's no wonder she's struggling.
She was named to be queen of everything. So why is she finding it so hard to rule her own life?
A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on modern life, QUEENIE will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity, and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way.
Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Bryony Gordon and Dawn O'Porter, and anyone who loved Fleabag and Dear White People.
Last but definitely not least we got to hear Candice Carty-Williams talk about her March 2019 debut Queenie. I don't read much contemporary but this sounds like such a funny read that I'm definitely going to make an exception!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone at Orion for inviting me to a fabulous event. It was wonderful to spend time chatting with the authors, publicists and other bloggers about all these exciting books and I can't wait to start reading them!
I know in my June recap I promised that things would return to normal around here in July but you might have noticed that hasn't happened! Nothing has gone wrong this month (my Mum & Dad are both doing brilliantly and my health has improved too!) but I think I'm still a little burned out in general. I've been running this blog since January 2010 and have rarely taken much of a break so I think this was probably long overdue and I've actually really enjoyed taking most of the month off.
I've been binge reading one of my all time favourite series (Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews) and it's been so nice to just devour those books one after the other without taking any breaks or having to stop to write reviews. The last book, Magic Triumphs, is published in August but I was lucky enough to get an arc so I've been able to read right through to the end and I loved every minute of it.
I am planning to get back into the swing of things blogging wise but I'm going to take it slowly throughout August and hopefully get things back to normal in September. Hopefully you'll bear with me until then (but to be honest you're probably pleased to get a break from me LOL).
Books read in previous months but reviewed in July:
(Links will take you to my reviews)
The Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik (Novella) (Read in March, review coming soon)
The Girl in the Tower - Katherine Arden (Read in April, review coming soon)
Steal the Day - Lexi Blake (Read in April, review coming soon)
The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman (Read in April, review coming soon)
Recklessly Royal - Nichole Chase (Read in May, review coming soon)
Temeraire - Naomi Novik (Read in May, review coming soon)
Furyborn - Claire Legrand (Read in May, review coming soon)
Monstress, Vol 2: The Blood - Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (Graphic Novel) (Read in May, review coming soon)
Iron and Magic - Ilona Andrews (Read 3 Times!) (Read in May & June, review coming soon)
Spellslinger - Sebastien de Castell (Read in June, review coming soon)
Theirs for the Night - Katee Robert (Novella) (Read in June, review coming soon)
Vengeance in Death - J.D. Robb (Read in June, review coming soon)
I don't normally count rereads for the book of the month but, like I already mentioned, this month was ALL about my Kate Daniels re-re-re-reread! Magic Bites isn't the strongest book in the series but it is the first book so you definitely need to start there if you're new to this world. It's one of my all time favourite series (I've read most of the books at least 5 times!) and each instalment just gets better and better. The series is full of so many wonderful characters, action, magic, all kinds of weird & interesting magical creatures and mythology from all around the world - there really is something for everyone in there and I just love every minute of it!
July Events:
I've been lucky enough to attend a couple of fab events this month. The first was the Orion Blogger Brunch where we got to find out about all the fabulous books they'll be publishing over the next few months and we had the chance to meet both Ed McDonald and Catriona Ward as well as listen to Candice Carty-Williams talk about her 2019 debut novel. I'm going to be doing a full write up soon but I added SO MANY books to my wish list that it's a little crazy LOL.
I was also invited to attend the Penguin YA Secret Society Party which was a fab event with Sally Green, Melissa Albert, Elizabeth Klehforth and Emily Barr. The venue was VERY hot but we got to drink cocktails, nibble chocolate, have glitter tattoos, pose for silly photos and chat with the authors so it was definitely worth it.
I'm going to do full write ups for both of these events soon but I want to say a massive thank you to Orion and Penguin for inviting me, I had such a brilliant time at both events!
