I’ve been almost non existent on here for yonks thanks to losing my love of reading. Life and lockdown got in the way and I became very apathetic towards the copious amounts of books that I had accumulated.
Even though I must have started and discarded about 5 or 6 books, as soon as I knew the 3rd instalment of the Starfell books was due out I pre ordered a first edition copy as I did with the second one and also a signed hardback copy. It arrived last week and within moments of opening the package, my eyes widened, my heart sang and my soul danced. I just knew something magic was happening.
I adore Dominique’s writing style, it’s so descriptive and paints such vivid pictures in your mind. These aren’t the only pictures though as her writing is beautifully complimented by the illustrations from Sarah Warburton. I honestly think this cover and the hidden gem under the dust cover are her best ones from the 3 books. Plus purple is my favourite colour!
I always worry that once you immerse yourself in a book series and become invested in the characters that they won’t appear in sequels. I am so glad that my most favourtist (yes that is really a word) character in the whole wide world and Starfell is most definitely still in this book. OSWIN, who could not love the monster under the bed who is most definitely, despite appearances, NOT a cat. I defy anyone who reads these books to not do a voice when your read Oswin’s parts.
Whilst I hate writing reviews that contain spoilers , to be able to give a good review I feel I must tell you a bit about the story.
If you have read the previous books you will have come across Silas and the Brothers of Wol. They want to rid Starfell of all magic. However, Silas is hoodwinking the Brothers about his own magical capabilities and pretends that they are gifts bestowed upon him. Willow knows otherwise and has tried and tried to convince people to believe her except that they think she’s as crazy as Granny Flossy, god rest her soul. After an enchantcil meeting even stranger things happen, especially the allowing of children with magical powers into schools for normal children. Willow can’t believe or understand her parents sudden turnaround and agrees to go to school, just to get answers. It is here we meet her new friends Peg and Twist. I won’t spoil how and why Twist is an apt name for her.
The 3 friends and Oswin work out what the reason for the sudden change of heart is and set of on their adventure to find the Vanished Kingdom. Along the way we meet Feathering again and his family and new allies to help them. One of my favourite parts is the description of the Elvish town of Lael and the houses being made from marble that is sentient. The marble chooses the family and reacts to them and their descendants. The descriptions of the wall murals too are exquisite.
I have tweeted Dominique on her twitter page a few times, and apologised for almost stalking her. Bless her, she never makes me feel like a mad woman, more like a friend. Her books have brought me and my youngest daughter, Lily, together in a mutual love of a good book and for that I thank her. I did tweet her the other day when I finished the book within 2 days and said that Willow Moss does truly find lost things as she found my love of reading. I said I knew magic was happening. My first completed book in over 8 months.
So as of 1st June I was in charge of a Year 6 Bubble. As well as all the usual lessons, I wanted to keep reading to them but as I didn’t know all the children well enough to choose for the group, so I decided to let them choose.
I took a selection of books in and I read the blurb to them and said they were to choose on the blurb alone. In my selection, I included a book I hadn’t read before but it was on my TBR and thought it might kill 2 birds with one stone if they chose it.
WELL……….. Unanimously the bubble voted for Crater Lake and I won’t lie, I was pretty chuffed as this was my TBR book. We decided that we had to start reading it straight away and I must admit, after the first Chapter I was wondering if I’d misjudged the book. The children were hooked when a bloodied hand smacked against the window of the bus 😳
In my group I have a child who is not a reader, they say reading is pointless and that they don’t read books because there are so many more things you could do than read a book. This book totally opened his eyes and was totally hooked. The whole class was so engaged and engrossed in the book, they even chose to read this over extra playtime or Just Dance.
This was my first foray into Jennifer Killick books and it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved it. I had to really resist reading ahead as I just couldn’t wait until the next day to find out what happened next.
The premise of the story is a Yr6 residential that goes wrong. The main protagonist is a boy, Lance, who the Head Teacher has labelled as the bad/naughty under achiever and really shows her dislike of him. He has his group of close friends, Big Mak, Chets, Kat and Ade, but they aren’t close enough for him to have been completely honest and truthful with. And then there is Trent, everyone knows a Trent, unfortunately. I can’t say that I warmed to him at all during the book as he reminded too much of those types of people that made my life hell growing up. The group soon realise that this residential is not as it should be and it is up to Lance and his group of friends to literally save the day (as well as humanity). Using their skills and guile to outwit the Hunters, do they manage to get to the bottom of all the eerie, weird and strange goings on at the brand new school residential centre. They realise things aren’t quite right from the moment they get to the centre where there is just one member of staff to greet them, no dinner is ready and the heating is on full bore despite it being the hottest summer ever. Everyone is shown to their dorms, except Lance who has to sleep on his own, to which Miss Hoche, the Head Teacher, takes great delight in trying to belittle Lance and the fact his friends don’t know why he can’t share a dorm with them. Then they all start dropping like flies, quite literally. But what is causing it and why??
I really liked the way you learn about each and every character as the book goes on and how in fact, all of them were keeping secrets from each other. Once all the secrets are out in the open and they realise that if people are your friends, they don’t care about your quirks, how strange your family are or even the cringeworthy events that happen, your friends are your friends no matter what.
I’m not going to give any spoilers away as it really is a book that you don’t want to know what happens until you read it. It has everything you need in it, suspense, laughs, cringe moments, toilet humour, moments to cheer, you name it, it has it in spades.
My bubble loved it that much that they wrote or drew something for Jennifer which I sent off to her. They loved thanking her for the book, there were questions, conspiracy theories, an advertising poster as well as general Thank you’s.
After having a wobble throughout lock down about my abilities as a HLTA and losing my love of reading, I have to say that this book gave me all the feels. I slowly got back in to reading books again and the reluctant reader voluntarily picked another book from my bubble Library and read. I was so proud of him and felt that I had accomplished something over my 7 weeks.
If you like a bit of horror and suspense, definitely get this one but as the front cover says DON’T EVER FALL ASLEEP or trust a Head Teacher in high heels on a residential 😂😂
I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Kate’s second Young Adult book and asked to be a part of her Blog Tour (my very first!). Having read her first book, ‘Summer of No regrets’ and really liking it, I had high hopes for ‘Asking for a friend’. This blog post will see me asking Kate questions and her revealing answers as well as a brief review. I hope you enjoy the tour, check out all the other blogs as they all take different forms as well as some giveaways 😊
This is a story of friendship, friendships you don’t necessarily think you need but actually they are the best kind of ones. Hattie and Agnes are bus buddies, when one journey Jake overheard their conversation and ends up becoming one of their ‘group’ Each one of them has different issues or problems that they are going through and it is these that bring them together on a holiday to Weston-Super-Mare. They go to stay at Hattie’s Aunt’s B&B on the premise that it is study leave when in fact Agnes wants to see her big sister who recently moved away, Jake needs some breathing space and Hattie needs some fun. The trip brings them all together and they form a bond over quick sand, if you’ve ever been to Weston, you know about the quick sand, I remember going with my dad and siblings and being fascinated by how your foot would sink really quickly. I don’t want to give spoilers or tell you what they’re going through and why, but they are issues that affect teens (and adults) every day. It’s a read that I’m definitely passing on to my teens to read.
Kate Mallinder Q&A
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for just over seven years. It was 15 February 2013, it was half term and I realised that I wanted to give writing ‘a proper try’. I’d not really written anything outside of school since I was a pre-teen. I tried in my twenties, but struggled to know what to say. I don’t have that problem anymore!
2. What jobs did you have before becoming a published writer or do you fit it around working?
I’ve had loads of jobs, but no career. I temped, made tea, answered phones, worked in a bank, sold car insurance and ran my own business. I struggled knowing what I wanted to do ‘when I grew up.’ I took a break from paid work while my children were small, but when my youngest was nearly two, I knew I needed something else to do. Something that fed my brain. Something just for me.
3. I’m a mum of 4 like you, how on earth do you find the time, space and peace to write?
At the moment it is incredibly hard. In life before lockdown, I wrote while everyone was out at school in long, golden, uninterrupted hours, that looking back I frittered away! Now I write in the nooks and crannies of the day. My husband is working normal office hours but from our spare room and I try to write around that, but it’s hard after encouraging a day’s schooling and being referee. Though having said that, I have managed to submit an MA assignment and stumble upon a cracking book idea, so it’s not all been bad. Like life at the moment, my writing life is abnormally up and down, some good days, some bad.
4. Asking for a Friend is your second Young Adult book. What made you write this genre?
I didn’t set out to write for teenagers. When I first started writing I wrote for all sorts of ages, some young fiction, some adult plays, lots of flash fiction. It wasn’t until I tried out (unsuccessfully) for Working Partners that I was told I have a great ‘teen voice.’ My agent encouraged me to explore that and I found with a bit of practice, it was fun to write and it seemed to click. It is an incredible age to write for. You have to really earn their respect, prove you are worth listening to but once you have that, they are a great audience. Teenagers are awesome and it is a huge responsibility and privilege to write for them.
5. Your books are written in the style of one person per chapter, why did you choose this style?
I wrote one (unpublished) story from a single perspectivebut as part of writing it I also wrote key scenes from lots of different character’s perspectives, so I could really understand what was going on in the scene. I sent some to my agent and she suggested I write a story from multiple viewpoints. Fortunately at the time, I had no idea that this is seen as an extremely tricky thing to pull off! If I’d known that, I probably wouldn’t have tried! I chose strictly rotating chapters because I wanted the characters to be equal, for each story to have the same weight.
6. The characters, Jake, Agnes and Hattie, aren’t people you would normally expect to be friends. Was this deliberate?
Yes. There were two reasons really. The first was from a purely writing perspective – in order to get the ‘voices’ of each character to sound distinct, it helps if the characters have noticeable differences. But also, when I look around at my friends, yes some of them are similar to me but some of my most treasured friendships are where there are differences, and when I stop and think about it, it amazes me that we’re friends.
7. They say to write about what you know. In that case, are any of the characters or scenarios based on your children or their friends? If not, where did your inspiration come from?
This is a really interesting question! I never knowingly base my characters on anyone I know. The characters from Summer of No Regrets, however, are much more permutations of me. In Asking for a Friend, I really stretched beyond that. Agnes, Hattie and Jake aren’t any less real in my mind, I still know how they think, but this time I think this was more based on research and reading, rather than my own instincts. Having said all that, I am surrounded by teenagers – my own children, their friends, from interactions I see on school visits and from the young people at a youth club I help run. Those real-life experiences are invaluable for getting nuances and dialogue.
8. Which of the characters was the hardest to write?
I was most concerned about Agnes, as she has Asperger’s which means a different view to the neurotypical, and so that meant I worked hardest on her voice, but each character had their challenges. I’d never written from a male point of view before and I wanted Jake to be believable. Early on I had feedback from some men that Jake wasn’t shouty and ‘out there’ enough, citing how teenage lads act outside of schools. But I wanted Jake to be one of the boys you didn’t notice. Not all boys fit that same mould and I wanted Jake to be one of the ‘under-the-radar’ lads. Hattie was tricky to understand as although I do like it when people like me, I don’t feel compelled to do things I don’t want to do, just to keep in with the crowd, so it took a while to get into her head.
9. What would you say to any teenager or young adult having the same type of worries or issues as any of the characters?
Talk to someone. Honestly. Find an adult you trust, take a good friend with you if you’re nervous, but tell someone. So often I’ve been in situations that I can see no way out of but as soon as I’ve talked to someone, they’ve had the answer and the problem is instantly less. Even as an adult. They don’t say ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ for no reason!
So this one is a break away from my normal Middle Grade reads and is a Young Adult book. It was released last year and is Kate’s debut novel.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as YA is not a genre I’ve ever read, I don’t even remember reading it when I was in that age bracket – to be fair, I can barely remember what I did last week/month/year at times so trying to remember 30 odd years ago is like finding a four leaf clover – it’s not going to happen 😂
It was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. It was an easy read in the sense it was a page turner as I wanted to find out what happens to the girls.
The book is split into chapters for each of the 4 characters, Sasha, Cam, Hetal and Nell and it tells their Summer of No Regrets individually but also together.
We start with the girls all together in Hetal’s bedroom having a sleepover. They’ve just finished their exams and are looking forward to spending the summer together except Sasha is in a quandary because her Dad has a contract in Geneva and has invited her over there to see him. She hasn’t seen him for 6 years and although she wants to go, she doesn’t want to leave her friends and has FOMO (fear of missing out) on the fun the other 3 will have. It is when Hetal’s Nani comes in to say goodnight and seems very down due to her best friend not being well and them not being able to see each other before her friend dies. Nani tells the girls her regrets and tell them not to have any and the summer of no regrets is born.
So not only does Sasha decide to go to Geneva, Hetal has an announcement of her own that she will be going away for 2 weeks to a prestigious Science Camp. The quartet becomes a duo for the summer. You might think that the story then centres around the adventures of Hetal and Sasha but Nell and Cam have their own decisions to make that have repercussions and consequences.
Cam is fostered and at 16 she knows her time with Jackie and Papa John is limited and when a question on a form asks about something she can’t answer due to her mum being dead and not know where her dad is, she become curious. All she has is a name. Does she look for him or leave well alone?
Nell is slowly begin suffocated with what her mum perceives to be love and kindness. She can’t bear to be in the house as she is constantly under mums microscope. She can’t tell mum that she’s friends with Cam as her mum disapproves of her and with the others away, she knows it’s going to be a horrible summer. She gets why mum is like that, to a point, but she needs her own space and sees a job advertised in a local deli. Does she go for it? Would mum let her?
You’d think that a summer in Geneva would be perfect but not necessarily true for Sasha. She over hears her Dad talking to someone. That someone turns out to be his girlfriend, his very young girlfriend. Sasha is put out when Clarisse arrives and she starts to regret her decision. So much for no regrets! Or so she thought until she catches the eye of one of the local waiters and the attraction seems to be mutual. But will she regret that?
Hetal, is in her element at the Science camp. After the initial feelings of missing home and the girls, she throws herself into it and even make a friend. However, she appears to have made an enemy too. Finn is as smart as she is and won the first daily award for something that Hetal had worked out before he had. She declares a trophy war on him. Will she regret that by the end of the 2 weeks?!?!
There is so much more to this book than I have put in the brief synopsis as there are many more questions /issues/problems that occur for each of the girls but the abiding theme is the strong bond of friendship and how best friends will drop everything and be there when you need them, no matter what.
I also came to realise that I am Hetal, at 16 I was a geek (not science, although I did go on to do A level Physics) but school was my life, I retook my GCSE’s because I wasn’t happy with the original grades I go. It took me a long time to not care that I was a square and I love Hetal and the fact she was happy and brave enough to be herself at 16. All 4 of the girls are brave in their own ways, there are obvious ways they are brave but also some not so. I couldn’t imagine doing some of the things they did at 16. Good on you girls. Maybe I need to be less like Nell’s mum with my girls and let them live and have a life (Don’t tell them that, especially with the eldest off to Uni in Sept 😂).
The only downside to this book is that there isn’t a sequel. I NEED one. I was so invested in all their lives and I want to know what happens with each of them. There is definitely legs for a sequel **pretty please Firefly and Kate Mallinder**
Nothing for months and then 2 blog posts in one day I hear you say. Well with a title like that, who could resist.
Some of these books have been on my TBR for blimmin ages and I really really must read them. I’m finding that if I make myself a list of jobs a day, no matter how small (or big) and include things that are just for me, like baking or creating something as well as adding reading on it, I’m getting it done and I am definitely feeling less stressed and anxious about what lies ahead.
So here are my #SixforSunday books that I predict will get 5⭐️ from me.
I had wanted to read Noughts and Crosses before the BBC adaptation came onto our screens but didn’t manage to do it and I have purposely not watched it because I didn’t want to spoil the book. I am having trouble prioritising what books to read as I have soooooo many but I like the idea that I saw on Twitter that @Primaryteachew did of having a TBR jar and you put all the names of the books you have to be read on a piece of paper in the jar, and pull your next read out. I just need to find a jar (I just used one for a memory jar for my daughter and her best friend for her friends birthday and another for a ‘Things to do after’ that we are missing doing whilst in lockdown)
I just know that the second book by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott will just as amazing as the first one. If you have read ‘Can you see me’, I highly recommend it. It was one of my favourite and best reads of last year.
I’ve been told by so many people that Rumblestar won’t disappoint and I must read this one before I get on to her new book, Jungledrop.
As for ‘The girl of Ink and Stars’, ‘The last Spell breather’ and ‘A pocketful of stars’. I can just feel it in my waters that these will be 5⭐️.
You’ll have to watch for the blog posts to see if they do actually live up to expectations.
I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced copy of this book which was released at the beginning of April.
You’d have thought that with the current situation and the copious amount of time away from school, that I would have time a plenty to read, read and read. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case for me. Not only am I trying to cajole my own reluctant learners at home (11, 13, 14 and 17), I just haven’t been able to concentrate long enough to read. I’ll admit, it took me far longer than it should have done to get into this jewel.
Thankfully, I squirrelled myself away up in my bedroom one evening, turned off the bedroom lights and had the lights that are wrapped around my headboard on giving a really relaxing ambience (and a large glass of Bailey’s and ice which helped too) and got properly stuck into it.
When I first started reading it, I thought it would be centred around Arthur Conan Doyle as he seemed to be quite a prominent figure. I love Sherlock (well probably Benedict Cumberbatch really) so I thought I was into a winner. How wrong, he plays merely a bit part that movement of the story.
The main character is a young girl called Zinnie who lives in the ruins of Mary King’s Close in the lower echelons of Edinburgh with the dregs of society. She lives with her ‘sisters’, Nell and Sadie. For me, this was one of the most powerful parts of the book. They look and sound nothing alike, but they are sisters. The bond of protection and love is just as strong and therefore they are sisters, no arguments.
Zinnie is asked for help by Conan-Doyle after she has found a stolen pocket watch for him, so it can be returned to the rightful owner. As he is a medical student, during his studies he has come across bodies of men with missing ears and wants her to keep her ear to the ground (no pun intended) to see if she can come up with any clues as to who they are and why they are having their ears severed. He ropes her in to a seance at Lady Sarah’s house as she may hear things that may mean something that only those in her lower classes may understand. Reluctantly she agrees to go and it is at the seance that we meet Phineas MacDuff. An arrogant, sexist and obnoxious American who has recently arrived in Edinburgh to set up his House of Wonders. Except Zinnie realises things aren’t as they seem when she sees MacDuff talking to the vile criminal Bartholomew Talbot. At the seance, we also meet Dr Jex-Blake. As well as Lady Sarah, who goes off on adventures and expeditions to far flung places on her own, Dr Jex-Blake is a remarkable woman. I liked that although this is set in Victorian times, Sharon researched and found woman who broke the stereotype mould and are strong and powerful as well as woman that changed society.
Things take a turn for the worst after the seance as Nell becomes really ill and although Sadie is a master with herbs and potions, she doesn’t get any better until it becomes a matter of life or death and Sadie goes to Lady Sarah’s house to get Zinnie. Once Dr Jex-Blake hears what is wrong, everyone goes down to Mary King’s Close, in Conan Doyle’s case due to a morbid curiosity rather than to help, in a bid to save Nell. Whilst down in the depths, Conan Doyle wanders off as he has heard about the ‘ghost’ that is haunting parts of the underground close. He doesn’t believe it is a ghost and wants to see if he can debunk the notion of it being real. Dr Jex-Blake and Lady Sarah get Nell back to her clinic and try to save her.
This is where the story takes an interesting turn as it splits into a couple of plots running alongside each other and I really don’t want to give spoilers but everything that happens all comes back to MacDuff. What Hidden Wonders is his house concealing? Is MacDuff really who he says he is?? Where did the ghost come from and why is it haunting Mary King’s Close?? So many questions that are all interwoven but Zinnie is the one to get them all answered.
This is a fabulous read. It has a bit of everything to grab the interest of everyone. There is family bonds, mystery, subterfuge, criminal underworlds, beyond the grave revelations as well as brilliant characters. The historical references about Edinburgh and the real people is explained more at the back of the book which I liked, especially as I’ve never been to Scotland and knew nothing about Dr Sophia Jex-Blake.
I gave this one 5⭐️ although it was a slow burner, when the fuse caught, it went with a bang!
Happy reading, stay safe and even more so in these crazy times #BeKind
I’ve really enjoyed joining in with the #SixforSunday and this one is no exception. It did get my brain going and I had to get the old thinking cap on. Some characters and reasons sprang to mind instantly but others I really had to think about.
My first character is Oswin the Kobold from Dominique Valente’s Starfell series. He looks like a cute tabby cat so would be good company but he would scream about his Great Aunt Osbertrude if ever danger was about. Also, lo and behold anyone/anything made him angry, he’d explode. Hours of fun 😂
Next up was Felicity Wiggety from Vashti Hardy’s Brightstorm adventures. Not only does she have a lucky spoon, she could make some delicious food from almost nothing so we’d never go hungry. She is also the most warm hearted and caring person that would envelop me in a hug of safety and love if ever I were feeling upset or scared.
How could I not choose this next character to be stranded with, Betty Widdershins from Michelle Harrison’s A pinch of Magic and A Sprinkle of Sorcery. This is one determined girl who likes adventure, fights for what’s right and always manages to have a plan up her sleep for the best thing to do. I doubt we’d be stranded long with her by our sides.
Another one I’d have is George from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books. I loved her when I was growing up, I wanted to be her and pretended I was her at times with my Collie, Bonnie, by my side. Always up to mischief and scrapes.
These last two were trickier to think of, I knew I’d like this one as he’d be my protector. The fiercest and scariest thing you’d ever seen but inside the gentlest being ever with the wisest words. Words never spoken but conveyed through thoughts and feelings, Tuyok. Again from Vashti Hardy’s Brightstorm series.
My last choice was the hardest but in the end I chose Libby from Sarah Allen’s What stars are made of. I know I’d learn so much from Libby about things I never knew as well as people I had no idea were so fascinating. We’d hear so many interesting facts and stories round the campfire I reckon.
I know who I wouldn’t want to be stranded with. EUDORA VANE the most sickly sweet, evil, cruel, self centred, nasty piece of work I’ve ever read about. My blood boils when I see her name on the page as you know there are ulterior motives, dastardly plots and lots of conniving going on.
What about you, who would you want to be stranded with?. Who wouldn’t you want to be with??
Now I’ve composed myself and recovered from reading this book, I can sit and write this. It has taken me quite a while to read it because I was finding it quite traumatic at times and I was almost too scared to turn the page. I’m so glad that I found my Brightstorm courage and finished the book, it was well worth it.
Darkwhispers sees us back with Maudie and Arthur Brightstorm, Harriet Culpepper, Welby, Felicity Wiggins and the dastardly Eudora Vane and her crew. This time they are setting off on an exploration to find Ermitage Wrigglesworth who has been missing presumed dead, for many chimes. The twins know something isn’t quite right when they witness Eudora’s right hand man, Smethwyck break into a house and steal some journals and take them back to the Vane residence. Before setting sail on the expedition that Eudora has organised, we meet Harriet’s Aunt Octavie who was once friends with Ermitage. She gives the twins a ring. Can that be a clue to a possible new land in the Wide?
My emotions were all the place reading this one. It is hard to write this review without having spoilers in, but I wish there had been a warning on the front or a free pack of tissues as boy did I need them.
Vashti’s language in this adventure is as beautiful and thought provoking as Brightstorm was. Even the title of Darkwhispers wasn’t what I thought it was. You can read so much into a word and still be totally wrong.
I loved that in this instalment, we were able to see how Arthur and Maudie have grown and continue to grow through out the book. We get to see them as individuals as well as the Culpepper crew and as a twin which was lovely to be able to watch. One of my favourite bits was when they found out Welby’s first name, they were incredulous that he actually had one. It reminded me of the children at school who are astounded and giggly when they find out your real name and not just your teacher name 😂
Tuyok the Thought Wolf makes a cameo appearance and utters one of my favourite quotes I’ve read in a book. “You are never alone. No matter how far from home, we walk beside you……….you are never truly lost” It reminded me that we are never on our own, there is always someone walking the path with you no matter where you are.
The the last chapter or so, literally hit me in the solar plexus and is so beautifully written that I couldn’t stay angry and cross with Vashti for long. I really didn’t see it coming and was blindsided totally.
I am hoping that Eudora’s last interaction with the twins means that there is most definitely more to come from the Aurora crew and Vane crew.
Thank you Vashti for allowing me to ride on The Aurora with the crew(s).
I was scrolling through my twitter not so long after I’d read The Strangeworlds Travel agency and saw a retweet about getting the book as a themed box called ‘Expand your mind’ through a company called We Read Box. It comes with some additional themed items and as I adored the book and with the lure of a limited edition Pin badge amongst other bits, I bought the box on pre order.
I checked out their twitter page as well as their website for previous boxes and liked the look of some of their older boxes called ‘Natural magic’ and ‘You are enough’ and as they are past boxes, they had the full contents and unboxing details.
As I have a ridiculous (but good) amount of books to be read, I held off buying them and told myself that I really didn’t need them. AND THEN, they put a picture up of the enamel badge in the Natural magic box and that was it, I was hooked – line and sinker!!! I took the plunge and ordered the 2 boxes (I didn’t tell my other half as I think he would have had a purple fit at yet more books) and I waited patiently. Well, not that patiently as they both arrived really quickly today and boy oh boy were they worth the money as well as the few days wait!
I’ve never done an unboxing video or anything and Looby Lou said she’d video it so here goes, my very first unboxing video for the You are enough box. Eek!
I also took photos of the unboxing of the Natural magic box.
Sadly, due to lack of interest in the previous full boxes, the lovely ladies at We Read Box will only be doing the mini versions. Here’s hoping that through extra sales and regular purchases, I and others can convince them otherwise as they are so special.
I am absolutely taken aback at the thought that has gone into these boxes and how so matched the items are to the books and the themes. To have limited edition, specially commissioned pieces as well as signed books or book plates for £27 is an absolute steal.
What’s the saying….. oh yes, Never judge a book by its cover. Pah, what piffle. As I am most definitely a visual reader, as in not just the words but pictures, that saying is most definitely not true for me.
As the title says, this Sunday I am sharing my 6 favourite covers. For me I just love all things glittery. The minute I see a cover with glitter or shiny gold on it, I’ve got in my basket and I’m already heading for the tills!
My first favourite cover is this beauty. It is illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino and not only is the dust jacket beautiful, the real beauty lies underneath.
Front coverHardback front coverHardback back cover.
My next favourite(s) are A Pinch of Magic and A sprinkle of sorcery illustrated by Melissa Castrillón. Her designs are very unique and really bring the book to life. Once you’ve seen a couple of Mellisa’s covers, you’ll be able to spot them anywhere. They are truly stunning.
Another great cover is the soon to be released Strangeworlds Travel Agency illustrated by Natalie Smillie. The colours on this one grabbed my attention. Once you’ve read the book, you can see all the different parts drawn on the cover, I loved going ‘oh that’s…..’ and ‘ those must be ….’
After going to a book event at Scholastic yesterday, I was lucky enough to see the illustrator for the next cover(s). George Ermos has done both cover for Vashti Harry’s books Brightstorm and Darkwhispers. The details on each cover are second to none as well as having the gold intertwined throughout.
Another favourite cover is Starfell and it is illustrated by Sarah Warburton. This book also has hidden wonders under its dust jacket, I would add pictures but it’s one of my daughters favourite books and the delightful Dominique signed it to her so it is hers and hers only (no matter that I bought it and I loved it too 😂) so it is squirrelled away in her bedroom.
This last cover drew me to buying it because of the simplicity of the colours and even the drawing. The shiny blue on the black surrounded by orange just stood out to me. It intrigued me almost as much as the blurb. It is designed by Helen Crawford-White at Studio Helen.co.uk.
I’ve definitely come to realise that I am a magpie, I LOVE shiny things.
What do you find irresistible in a cover, do you find yourself buying the book just because of the illustrator, do you seek out other books the illustrator has done?? I’d love to see what you think of my choices and hear about any of your favourites.
She only has books 