Books I Need To Read and Review!

So…I’ve not been a very good book blogger lately when it comes to reviewing. I just haven’t had the time to read whilst sorting out moving out! However, I have been lucky enough to receive some fab books from lovely publishers either in the post or via NetGalley, and I want to give them a bit of a showcase on here because I’ve either read a bit of them and really enjoyed them, or because I’m super excited to get to them! I have made sure to get a pretty picture of each one, and they’re slowly all appearing on my Instagram. Reviews will come soon, I promise!

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Show and Tell by Rob Biddulph from Harper Collins, published 8th August 2019.

Meet Class 2L. These kids are excited. 
Today’s SHOW AND TELL day, and you’re all invited!

Come and be schooled in magic and wonder by the award-winning Rob Biddulph, in this brand-new story about how biggest isn’t always best!

Packed to the brim with his trademark warm humour, life lessons and pitch-perfect rhyme, this is a story to read together, laugh out loud at, and enjoy over and over again.

The perfect book for boys and girls, to read out loud or enjoy alone.

 

img_6004Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo from Hot Key Books, publishing 8th October 2019.

Desperate times call for desperate magic . . . Magic rules the city of Creije Capital and Tavia Syn knows just how many tricks she needs up her sleeve to survive. Selling dark magic on the streets for her kingpin, she keeps clear of other crooks, counting the days until her debt is paid and she can flee her criminal life. But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the realm she calls home. Desperate to put an end to her kingpin’s plan, Tavia forms an unlikely alliance with three crooks even more deadly than her: Wesley, the kingpin’s prodigy and most renewed criminal in the realm Karam, an underground fighter with a penchant for killing first and forgetting to ask questions And Saxony, a Crafter in hiding who will stop at nothing to avenge her family With the reluctant saviours assembled, they embark on a quest to put an end to the dark magic before it’s too late. But even if they can take down the kingpin and save the realm, the one thing they can’t do is trust each other.

 

img_6021A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister from Frances Lincoln, published 3rd September 2019

Get ready for Halloween with this child-friendly collection of spooky stories from all over the world.

Feel your pulse race and your skin tingle as you read about the fearsome witch Baba Yaga, the serpent woman from Spain, the rescue of Tam Lin from the bewitching Queen of the Fairies, how Father Death gets caught in the Enchanted Apple Tree, and the waterdwelling Bunyip from Australia. Make sure you have your candle ready as it’s sure to be a long night… This gorgeous gift book is the perfect anthology for Halloween, or any time you want to be spooked!

Features stories from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Africa, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, UK, Canada, France, China, Ireland, Syria, Korea, Sweden, Egypt, Iceland, New Zealand, Arabia, Spain, Tibet, Iran, Greece.

 

99628D69-9BDB-48FB-8A4F-437CB74D131FSophie Takes To The Sky by Katherine Woodfine from Barrington Stoke, publishing 15th September 2019.

Scaredy-Cat Sophie is afraid of everything! So when a balloonist comes to the town fair, Sophie is left behind while everyone else goes to watch him fly in his marvellous balloon. She’s far too frightened of the crowds, the commotion and even riding in a horse-drawn carriage. But Sophie longs to watch the hot-air balloon sail across the blue sky. If she could just be brave enough to face her fears, who knows where her journey might take her … A touching tale for young readers of learning to overcome anxiety and follow your dreams.

 

67168999_475081016388547_5396842423602390331_nWhat Magic Is This? by Holly Bourne from Barrington Stoke, published 25th July 2019.

Sophia, Mia and Alexis are clinging on to a spark of hope that maybe – just maybe – they’re special. But could they really be witches with the power to cast life-changing spells? When the three friends gather to cheer up heartbroken Sophia, they’re ready to put their theory to the test. But when long-held secrets are revealed and hard truths start to hit home, their night of bewitching quickly takes an unexpected turn … A touching celebration of female friendship and finding the courage to love yourself from acclaimed author Holly Bourne.

 

69079973_129665268323494_7568384364344495277_nThe Lost Fairy Tales by Isabel Otter from Little Tiger, published 22nd August 2019.

If damsels in distress and prissy princesses give you cause for despair then look no further… 
This enchanting anthology of 20 overlooked and forgotten fairy tales has been collected from different cultures around the world. Every story features a strong female heroine, who approaches life with humour, wit, cunning and bravery. None of these heroines needs rescuing.

Thank you so much to all of the above publishers for sending me copies of what is an amazing collection of books! I can’t wait to finally get around to reading and reviewing them!

kayleigh

Artwork Showcase: Sophie Takes To The Sky

EC012744-9DE9-423F-A7BF-C5EF757038A2Hello! It seems like forever since I last posted (lots has been going on…finally moved out!), but what better post to come back with than something a little bit different! When I was offered the opportunity to host an artwork showcase for a beautiful little book by one of my favourite authors I jumped at the chance. Sophie Takes To The Sky is a book aimed at younger readers about being brave and following your dreams. It tackles anxiety in a very easy to understand way, all whilst having a really fun and engaging story. If, like I was, you’re wondering what exactly an artwork showcase is…well, it’s exactly that! I’ve read (and loved) this book, and picked out a few of my favourite images to share with you!

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These three images capture the story so perfectly, and made what is already an enjoyable book even better! Full review to come soon.

Sophie Takes To The Sky publishes next week, 15th September, with Barrington Stoke as part of their Little Gems series. For those of you who don’t know, Barrington Stoke produces dyslexia friendly titles and has a fantastic catalogue of books from some of the best and biggest authors today – I’d definitely recommend checking them out!

Author portrait.10/12/13.Copyright Photo Tom Pilston.

Author Katherine Woodfine Copyright Tom Pilston

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Illustrator Briony May Smith


Thank you to Kirstin at Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy of the book and for this opportunity!

 

Six for Sunday: 5th May 2019

It’s always good when you go to edit the previous week’s post to do this week’s and find that you also went book shopping last Sunday! Today, I was fairly restrained again…I bought another three books! Six for Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by A Little But A Lot! Today’s theme is:

The Ever Growing TBR: 2018 books still unread

  1. img_3179Peril in Paris – Katherine Woodfine
  2. The Mermaid – Christina Henry
  3. i stop somewhereThe Smoke Thieves – Sally Green
  4. Skylarks – Karen Gregory
  5. The Colour of the Sun – David Almond
  6. I Stop Somewhere – T.E. Carter

So last year was a learning curve with regards to NetGalley…I still have a fair backlog of 2018 titles that I need to get to! Have you read any of these?

kayleigh

 

A GIRL CALLED JUSTICE – Elly Griffiths

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RELEASED: 02/05/2019
PUBLISHER: Hachette
GENRE: Middle Grade, Mystery

Missing maids, suspicious teachers and a snow storm to die for… For a fearless girl called Justice Jones, super-smart super-sleuth, it’s just the start of a spine-tingling first term at Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk. For fans of Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine and Enid Blyton.

When Justice’s mother dies, her father packs her off to Highbury House Boarding School for the Daughters of Gentlefolk. He’s a barrister – specialising in murder trials – and he’s just too busy to look after her alone.

Having previously been home-schooled, the transition is a shock. Can it really be the case that blondes rule the corridors? Are all uniforms such a charming shade of brown? And do schools normally hide dangerous secrets about the murder of a chamber maid?

Justice takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. (Mainly about the murder, but perhaps she can figure out her new nemesis – the angelic Rose – at the same time.) But when a storm cuts the school off from the real world, the body count starts to rise and Justice realises she’ll need help from her new friends if she’s going to find the killer before it’s too late …

I knew, as soon as I read the synopsis for this book, that it would be right up my street and a book that I’d love. I’ve always been a massive fan of Enid Blyton, and in recent years it’s been all about Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine, so as soon as you mention a middle grade mystery set in a boarding school I’m in!

Luckily, A Girl Called Justice did not disappoint!

From the very first page I was hooked and wanting to know more. Highbury House makes for a very atmospheric setting; it’s clear from the beginning that something is amiss and you’re really sucked into Justice’s world. I was very much reminded of the Murder Most Unladylike series in the way that the story was set out and how you never quite knew who to trust and where the next page would take you.

I’m very excited for more people to get their hands on this book so I have people that I can rave about it with; whilst it was a fairly quick read, it was packed with mystery and intrigue and a host of fascinating characters! I’ve heard wonderful things about Elly’s adult fiction books, and she’s proven with this one that she’s also a dab hand at children’s fiction!


Thank you very much to Hachette for sending me a copy of this title!

2018 Titles That I Still Need To Read!

So 2018 has seen some AMAZING books come out, and there are many books that either I own or want to own that came out this year that I just haven’t got round to reading yet! Here’s a selection that come to mind as being high up my TBR:

the trouble with perfectThe Trouble With Perfect – Helena Duggan

a darkness of dragonsA Darkness of Dragons – S.A.Patrick

img_3179Peril in Paris – Katherine Woodfine

 

 

 

img_3178The Last Chance Hotel – Nicki Thornton

img_0742-1Boy Underwater – Adam Baron

img_0746-1Ella on the Outside – Cath Howe

 

 

 

img_0686-1The Uncommoners: The Frozen Telescope – Jennifer Bell

img_0692The Surface Breaks – Louise O’Neill

img_5144-1The Peculiars – Kieran Larwood

 

 

 

img_3284Skycircus – Peter Bunzl

img_3339Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers – Anna James

i stop somewhereI Stop Somewhere – And the Ocean Was Our Sky

 

 

 

And The Ocean Was Our Sky – Patrick Ness

40337922_313615062521646_4768739448783359826_nTheatrical – Maggie Harcourt

37753642_268992100547899_3607785125779079168_nEditing Emma – Chloe Seager

Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?

 

 

Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes – Holly Bourne

Kingdom of Ash: INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER (Throne of Glass)Kingdom of Ash – Sarah J Maas

notes on a nervous planetNotes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig

 

 

 

Have you read any of these – would you recommend them?

kayleigh

 

 

 

 

WWW Wednesday: 7th November 2018

I’m so mad that I forgot to do this last week – it was the last day of Blogtober too! Anyway, I’ve read a fair bit this week considering that I have a load of exams and studying to do for my job, and I bought two BEAUTIFUL picture books!

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What are you currently reading? 

I’m really in the mood for middle grade mysteries at the minute since my last couple of reads, so I am about to start Peril in Paris! It’s long overdue!

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What did you recently finish reading?

I think I’ve found my new favourite Murder Most Unladylike book – Death in the Spotlight! It was just such an intricate and gripping murder mystery!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Next up I think I shall continue making my way through my NetGalley TBR…I haven’t decided which one yet!

Spooky Reads for Children

Welcome back to my Spooky Reads recommendations, and this time I am looking at books for older children. That said, this list includes some timeless classics that everyone can love! So without further ado, here are some of the best books for reading this Autumn and October!

The Black Book of Secrets – F.E.Higgins

The Witches – Roald Dahl

The Witches (Dahl Fiction)

Which Witch – Eva Ibbotson

Which Witch?

 

 

 

 

Monster Mission -Eva Ibbotson

Monster Mission

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle – Eva Ibbotson

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle

The Secret of Platform 13 – Eva Ibbotson

The Secret of Platform 13

 

 

 

 

A Place Called Perfect – Helena Duggan

A Place Called Perfect (Place Called Perfect 1)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K.Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 1/7 (Harry Potter 1)

Midnight for Charlie Bone – Jenny Nimmo

Midnight for Charlie Bone

 

 

 

 

The Bad Beginning – Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Most Unladylike – Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike: A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery

The Clockwork Sparrow – Katherine Woodfine

The Clockwork Sparrow (Sinclair's Mysteries)

 

 

 

 

Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror – Chris Priestley

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror

The Apprentice Witch – James Nicol

The Apprentice Witch

The Weather Witch – Paul Stewart

The Weather Witch

 

 

 

 

Have you read any of these? What would you recommend for children as perfect reads this Halloween?

 

 

 

That Never-Ending NetGalley TBR – October 2018

Back in April, I posted my first NetGalley list of books that I had been approved for but had not yet got around to reading, and I figured that 6 months is a long time and I have had the pleasure of reading some amazing books since then, and have been approved for more that unfortunately I just haven’t got round to yet! However, I really want to give a shoutout to these books and the publishers, and I promise that I will get around to reviewing them soon!

Reading slumps suck, and the past few months have been insane so I’ve kept up to date with all the new releases…I just haven’t read them yet!

So, without futher ado, here is my current TBR on NetGalley (pictures to come!):

A Curse So Dark and Lonely – Brigid Kemmerer

  • 29 January 2019
  • Bloomsbury

Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers – Anna James

  • 18th September 2018
  • Harper Collins

Peril in Paris – Katherine Woodfine

  • 9th August 2018
  • Egmont

The Cradle of All Worlds – Jeremy Lachlan

  • 9th August 2018
  • Egmont

Songs About a Girl – Chris Russell

  • 28th July 2016
  • Hachette

When The Curtain Falls – Carrie Hope Fletcher

  • 12th July 2018
  • Sphere

Have you read any of these and recommend them? Luckily, my TBR isn’t as big as it was before, so I should get to all of these soon!