December 2018 Recap

Books read in previous months but reviewed in December:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

1. The Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik (Read Twice) (Read in March & August, review coming soon)
2. Monstress, Vol 2: The Blood - Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (Graphic Novel) (Read in May, review coming soon)
3. Her Cocky Doctors - Tara Crescent (Read in June, review coming soon)
4. The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang (Read in June, review coming soon)
5. Make Me Crave - Katee Robert (Read in July, review coming soon)
6. No Mercy - Sherrilyn Kenyon (Read in July, review coming soon)
7. Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox - Forthright (Read in August, review coming soon)
8. Three Trials - Kristy Cunning (Read in August, review coming soon)
9. Mirage - Somaiya Daud (Read in September, review coming soon)
10. In Bed With the Devil - Lorraine Heath (Read in September, review coming soon)
11. Leads & Lynxes - Rebecca Chastain (Read in September, I'll be rereading and reviewing this when it has been published)
12. A Whole New World - Liz Braswell (Read in October, review coming soon)
13. Beneath the Citadel - Destiny Soria (Read in October, review coming soon)
14. Saga: Volume 7 - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (Read in November, review coming soon)
15. Ten Big Ones - Janet Evanovich (Read in November, review coming soon)
16. Third Grave Dead Ahead - Darynda Jones (Read in November, review coming soon)
17. The Archived - V.E. Schwab (Read in November, review coming soon)
18. Addict - Lexi Blake (Read in November, review coming soon)
19. Sinful - Katherine Hawthorn (Read in November, review coming soon)
20. All Systems Red - Martha Wells (Read in November, review coming soon)
21. Vengeful - V.E. Schwab (Read in November, review coming soon)
22. Tangled Webs - Anne Bishop (Read in November, review coming soon)
23. Sleeper - Lexi Blake (Read in November, review coming soon)
24. She Will Be My Goddess - Lexi Blake (Short Story) (Read in November, review coming soon)
25. Outcast - Lexi Blake (Read in November, review coming soon)
26. Star Wars: BB-8 Book & Model - Lucasfilm (Book and Model Kit) (Read in November, review coming soon)

Books read in December:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

1. Sweep of the Blade - Ilona Andrews (I'll be rereading and reviewing this when it has been published)
2. Theirs Ever After - Katee Robert
3. Dry - Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman
4. And Thrice Again - Seanan McGuire (Short Story) (Review coming soon)
5. Conspiracy in Death - J.D. Robb
6. Prince of Dreams - Pippa DaCosta
7. Monstress, Vol 2: The Blood - Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (Graphic Novel) (Read Twice)
8. Year One - Nora Roberts (Review coming soon)
9. Winnie-the-Pooh: Little Somethings & Smackerels for Food Lovers - A.A. Milne & Ernest H. Shepard
10. Winnie-the-Pooh: Deep Thoughts & Ponderings for the Wise - A.A. Milne & Ernest H. Shepard
11. Winnie-the-Pooh: Doubt & Disquiet for Worriers - A.A. Milne & Ernest H. Shepard
12. Winnie-the-Pooh: Gloom & Doom for Pessimists - A.A. Milne & Ernest H. Shepard
13. Unleashed - Donna Kauffman (Novella)
14. Nightchaser - Amanda Bouchet (Review coming soon)
15. The Rebels of Gold - Elise Kova (Review coming soon)
16. Lock, Stock and Jingle Bells - Donna Kauffman (Novella)
17. Naughty but Nice - Donna Kauffman (Novella)
18. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet - Darynda Jones (Review coming soon)
19. Sin & Magic - K.F. Breene (Review coming soon)
20. The Night Before Christmas - Clement C. Moore (Children's Book) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
21. Loyalty in Death - J.D. Robb
22. The Shadow Queen - Anne Bishop (Review coming soon)
23. The Witch of the Prophecy - Victoria Jayne (Review posted on Goodreads)
24. Saga: Volume 7 - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (Read Twice)
25. Saga: Volume 8 - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (Review coming soon)
26. Saga: Volume 9 - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (Review coming soon)
27. The Unbound - V.E. Schwab (Review coming soon)
28. Leave the Window Ope - V.E. Schwab (Short Story) (Review coming soon)
29. The Dark Vault - V.E. Schwab (Review coming soon)

Other December Posts

1. Product Review: December Weasley Sweater Candle - Bookworm Candles & Crafts
2. Blog Tour: Outcast - Lexi Blake
3. Cover Reveal: The Weird Girls - Cecy Robson
4. Blog Tour: The Witch of the Prophecy - Victoria Jayne
5. Blog Tour: Theirs Ever After - Katee Robert
6. Event Report: Walker's YA Wonderland
7. Cover Reveal: Run to You - Lara Adrian
8. Merry Christmas!
9. Release Blitz: The Weird Girls - Cecy Robson

December Books of the Month:

(Choices are made from books reviewed this month and the links will take you to my reviews)

My top YA reads in December:

Dry by Neal & Jarrod Shusterman (read my review here)

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore (read my review here)

My top adult reads in December:

Prince of Dreams by Pippa DaCosta (read my review here)
Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb (read my review here)

Clockwise from top left: Neal Shusterman,
Zoe Marriott, Lauren James & Tom Pollock

December Events:

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to get invited to Walker's YA Wonderland blogger event and I had the chance to meet some fantastic authors (Zoe Marriott, Lauren James, Neal Shusterman & Tom Pollock) as well as find out about all the fab new books Walker have coming out early in 2019. 

I've already posted about this on my blog (you can read my event report here) but I wanted to thank Walker again for inviting me to such a great event!

My Challenge Updates:

Here are the 2018 challenges I took part in:
2018 Read 100 Books in a Year Challenge - Read 200/200 - Complete
2018 British Books Challenge - Read 20/20 - Complete
2018 New Author Challenge - Read 20/20 - Complete
2018 Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Challenge - Read 100/100 - Complete
2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge - Read 20/20 - Complete

Here are the 2019 challenges I've signed up for:
2019 Read 100 Books in a Year Challenge - Read 0/200
2019 British Books Challenge - Read 0/20
2019 New Author Challenge - Read 0/20
2019 Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Challenge - Read 0/100
2019 Contemporary Romance Challenge - Read 0/20

Event Report: Walker's YA Wonderland

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

Me with Zoe Marriott & Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts

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!

Review: The Glass Republic - Tom Pollock

Pen's life revolves around secrets: the secrets behind her three-month disappearance from school last winter, the secret cause of the scars that mar her face, and, most secret of all, her twin sister Parva: her doppelgänger in London-Under-Glass, the city behind the mirrors.

Pen's trying to forget Reach, Filius Viae and the Wire Mistress and get back to normal life, but when Parva vanishes, she has no choice but to seek out London's stranger side. And when Pen journeys through the mirror, she finds a world where scars make you beautiful and criminals will kill you for your face - a world in which Pen's sister was keeping secrets of her own . . .

The Skyscraper Throne Series:
The City's Son
The Glass Republic
Our Lady of the Streets

Visit Tom Pollock's website for more information

Review:
I absolutely loved The City's Son when I read it last year, Tom Pollock has created one of the most unique and fascinating worlds that I've read about in a long time and his imagination is astounding so I was excited to see where he would take us next in The Glass Republic. Where the first book was mainly focused on Beth this sequel definitely gives her best friend Pen a chance to shine. Pen was my favourite character in the first book so I was really looking forward to seeing more of her in this one, especially after everything she went through at the hands of the Wire Mistress in the last book.

Pen is now back at school but the huge amount of physical scarring left by the Wire Mistress has made her something of an outcast. Everyone wants to know what happened to her but there just isn't any kind of logical explanation that she can give them and telling the truth would be likely to get her sectioned. The only thing keeping her sane is the conversations she has with her doppelgänger Parva who is living in London-Under-Glass. Pen and Parva can only keep in contact through mirrors but when Parva goes missing Pen is determined to find a way through the mirror so that she can find the girl she considers her sister.

If you thought the world building was good in The City's Son you are going to be amazed with the London-Under-Glass that Tom Pollock has created. It is a world created from reflections so you might think that it will be a mirror image to our own version of London but you'd be very wrong about that. I really don't want to spoil the surprise by giving too much away so I'll just tell you that it was completely fascinating and incredibly well written. I really would like to be able to get a peek inside this author's head because I'm pretty sure it would be a very interesting (if slightly terrifying!) place to explore.

Pen's character has been through so much but she has come out the other side stronger than ever, she is desperate to find out what happened to Parva and she is willing to risk everything in her search for answers. We are introduced to some fab new characters, I loved the relationship that develops between Pen and Estel in particular, but we also get to keep an eye on the ones we've already met. Beth is continuing to grow into her new role and the changes we see in her are fascinating. In the first book we saw Pen searching for Beth but in this one there is a reversal of roles and it is up to Beth to come to Pen's rescue.

The Glass Republic is a brilliant second novel, it's just as dark as the first book but still has the humour needed to balance out the heart breaking events. I think I actually enjoyed this story even more than the first one which is incredibly unusual when it comes to second books in a trilogy. I absolutely can't wait to start reading Our Lady of the Streets to see how both Pen and Beth's journeys end and I'm incredibly curious to discover what new surprises Tom Pollock will throw our way - I'm sure he still has a few tricks up his sleeve!

Source: Received from Jo Fletcher Books in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The City's Son - Tom Pollock

Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city of monsters and miracles, where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets.

When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, graffiti artist Beth Bradley stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London's ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone most. An ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul's Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuries-old-war, and Beth and Fil find themselves in a desperate race through a bizarre urban wonderland, searching for a way to save the city they both love.

The City's Son is the first book of The Skyscraper Throne: a story about family, friends and monsters, and how you can't always tell which is which.

The Skyscraper Throne Series:
The City's Son
The Glass Republic
Our Lady of the Streets

Visit Tom Pollock's website for more information

Review:
The City's Son is an impressive debut and a great introduction to the Skyscraper Throne trilogy. Tom Pollock has taken the London we know and love and brought it to life with a vast array of weird and wonderful creatures that you will never have come across before. The amount imagination that has gone into creating this sinister and dark side of London is astounding and I absolutely loved discovering the ghostly railwraiths, pavement priests, people made of glass and so much more. I think one of the things I loved most was the way the characters embody London and how at the same time the city becomes a character all of it's own. You never know what the author is going to throw at you next and I'm sure you'll be delighted with the things you uncover.

Graffiti artist Beth has spent hours exploring the less well known parts of London with her best friend Pen, she loves her city but has no idea of the hidden wonders that are right under her nose. A chance encounter with Filius changes her life forever as he opens her eyes to things she never even dreamed of. She suddenly finds herself having to choose sides in a war that most people don't even realise is going on around them. Fil is the son of the Mater Viae, the goddess of London, and in her absence it is up to him to fight against her mortal enemy, the Crane King known as Reach. With Beth's help Fil needs to rally his mother's troops but will they trust him to lead them to victory?

I really enjoyed seeing Fil's London through Beth's eyes, she's as new to everything going on around her as we are and her amazement was catching. We see not only the depth of London's history but also the futuristic glass skyscrapers that change the city skylines on almost a daily basis. These two very different sides of London are fighting against each other in a battle like nothing you've ever seen before with Fil and Beth right at the centre of it. Fil has grown up on the streets of London and doesn't even remember his mother, he is used to being able to do whatever he wants but he has always had the hope that his mother would return one day to deal with Reach herself. When it comes to a point that he must take action he is lost and doesn't know where to start, it is only with Beth's help that he starts to take his responsibility seriously and plan a counter attack against Reach.

While Beth was a likeable character I have to say that the person I felt most connected to was probably her best friend Pen. The two girls didn't part on the best terms but when Pen comes searching for her friend she is unprepared for what she will find. The scenes from her point of view were harrowing to say the least but she show so much strength and I'm delighted to learn that she will be the main character in the second book, The Glass Republic. My heart absolutely broke for the things that she goes through and I'll be very interested to see how she copes in the aftermath of everything she has suffered. Other memorable characters were Fil's nanny Gutterglass, a creature who builds itself bodies out of any old garbage that just happens to be lying around, and Victor, the Russian drunk who takes Beth under his protection. They both added humour to what would have been very a dark story without them.

If I had one complaint about the book it would be that Beth and Fil's relationship seems to develop a little too quickly. I'd really have liked them to spend more time becoming friends before romance was introduced and I found their relationship unrealistic because it happened so fast. Thankfully that is a minor complaint because their relationship is by no means the focus of the book so don't let that put you off giving it a try. If you're looking for a unique story that really brings London to life then you won't want to miss out on The City's Son!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: