Skellig By David Almond (3/5)

“Michael steps into the crumbling garage... What is this thing beneath the spiders' webs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is Mina. Together, they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael's world changes forever.”

My favourite part of Skellig isn't actually one involving the title character. I loved the realism of watching Michael and his parents attempt to live their everyday lives whilst every moment is weighed down with their worry that their new baby won't survive. His parents were such believable characters. I could feel their stress and fear and their determination to believe the best and get on with everyday tasks. I felt as if I was reading a real life account of a family worrying about the life of their premature baby, this managed to create an intense atmosphere that continued through out the book. The baby's delicate state is nicely mirrored in the vulnerability of the baby birds that Michael’s new friend Mina is watching carefully in her garden. The birds qualities are then reflected in the angelic character of Skellig. I liked the sense that all of the characters in the book were connected, almost in a cycle. David Almond's writing is very down to earth and the world he creates feels familiar. I feel like I can relate to his characters and see people from my own childhood in them. The whole thing is just so real and the setting of the book feels like being reminded of an old friend who I had previously forgotten.

Even the character of Skellig who is heavily hinted to be a supernatural creature, an Angel, is portrayed as very human in his interactions, moods and attitude. He craves dark ale and Chinese food and has lost all of his optimism and enthusiasm for existence. It takes two very kind and open minded children to show him that life can be quite a beautiful and worthy thing.

A Monster Calls By Patrick Ness (From an original idea by Siobhan Dowd) (4.5/5)

“The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.”

Oh! Where to start? Firstly I had never actually heard of this book until I went to the Hay on Wye Literature Festival where I had bought tickets to an event with Patrick Ness & David Almond. The event was wonderful and very entertaining and during it Patrick held up his new book. It was then that I noticed that this book is quite unique in its appearance. It is part novel and almost part graphic novel. Jim Kay's illustrations work in a way that they don't just accompany the text, they tell the story themselves in a completely different, but just as powerful way. The images can be subtle and creeping or over whelming and shocking, but they are able to make you feel that the book in your hands is something more than just paper and ink. It becomes more than just a book, more than just a container of words. It is a very physical thing, almost a piece of art. This novel actually made me feel bad for putting it on my bookshelf closed. I wanted to keep looking at the images or display them. It is a perfect balance between art and text.





I started reading this book whilst walking around the festival. (Read-Walking is a very difficult skill to achieve, but very worth it in the long run!) Considering that this book is indeed an intense emotional cheese grater I could think of better, less public places to become completely absorbed in it. Once I'd started there was no way I was going to put it down. The book follows the story of Conor a 13 year old boy who is watching his single mother go through chemotherapy. Because of her therapy she is often tired and weak and Conor is learning to take care of himself as a result. He is becoming more alienated at school, is being bullied by the teacher's pet and takes these incidents calmly. He is almost detached completely from the beatings, because it makes him feel a little less isolated, a little less invisible. This sets a dark mood over the entire book before the monster even shows up. You can feel Conor's repressed fear and rage in everything he says and does. His pain is almost tangible and you just want to help him, but you can't. No one can. The only person who can help Conor is himself. Himself and a rather large monster, The Green Man, in the shape of a yew tree. The monster comes walking and promises to tell Conor three stories from his past before Conor tells the monster one true story in response, his nightmare, his real worst fear, the one that makes this monster look tame in comparison.

The Monster's stories are one of my favourite parts of this book, I'm a complete geek for a story within a story. The stories read like particularly dark fairy tales, ones where everything is not always what it seems and the villains are not always the ones you would think. They do not always get punished as you would expect with a fairy tale. As the monster itself says “There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between” The stories are thought provoking, shocking and managed to affect me on quite a deep emotional level. I loved the fact that the Monster's speech is written in italics and not in speech marks, like Conor is hearing it inside his own head. This was interesting to me, as if a Monster were to speak out loud, who would be the one to say what language it would be in.

This story is one of a young boy coming to terms with loss and grief. Some of the most painful parts are when Conor's grandmother and father come to him attempting to discuss plans for if his mother doesn't doesn't pull through and the chemotherapy is unsuccessful. Conor is in a position of being able to act quite adult at a time when he is being treated like a child. The Monster manages to give him ways to vent his frustration and inner rage and slowly come to terms with the fact that he is grieving and in terrible pain. One of the most painful aspects is how Conor is optimistic at a time when people close to him are telling him not to be. The only person who tells him to think positively is his weak mother.

This story is a painful, cathartic, often amusing roller coaster ride. The characters are all so flawed and believable. Despite the fact that one of the main characters is a Monster the book is so realistic, you go on this emotional journey with Conor, you feel everything he feels. When I finished this book I was so emotionally wrung out that I felt like I was the one facing the loss of a loved one. I closed it sobbing, whilst stood up in the middle of a queue waiting for a show and tried my best to stop crying. This book is one that haunts you and one that is hard to forget.

Author Events With Julia Donaldson, Patrick Ness & David Almond (My Hay-on-Wye Adventures!)

For a recent annual celebration a certain beloved of mine surprised me with booking many events at the Hay-on-Wye Literature Festival for us to attend.

The first of these which I'll discuss is the Hay Fever (Read- For Pre School Children) Event with Julia Donaldson. I imagine a lot of people will know her better by her best selling work “The Gruffalo” or by the fact that she has recently been made Children's Laureate, a very well deserved honour. Working with pre school children for the past 4 years has taught me which books they enjoy to listen to and which fail to hold their attention, promoting wriggling and chatting. *frowny face* Her books most definitely have the power to hold the attention of children, large groups of children even! And this is a wonderful skill to have. This said, I just had to meet her and listen to her event. Sadly on the way in I realised that waiting for the show without a small child made me stick out like a grown up at a children's event. So I found myself saying things like “Behave please” and “Don't climb that” to large faceless crowds in an attempt to make it seem like I had a child to watch over. *is secret genius* Now, child or no child, the event was amazing. Julia Donaldson is wonderfully insane, in an epic and glorious way. I think it was the point where she donned Dragon wings and began to hop around the stage that my other half actually began to cry with laughter.


She was surreal and fabulous and every single child in the room was glued to their seat. She really is great at what she does and I told her as much after waiting in line to get my book signed. (Hey, when I do have children this book is going to make me the coolest mum in the world, guaranteed, assuming that small children judge on signed books... I'm sure they do, right?)

I told her that out of the all the books that I had read to children, hers managed to keep 30 toddlers still and paying attention, which anyone who has worked with children knows, is near impossible. : ) Also rather amazingly, whilst the huge line waited for the people ahead to get their books signed, her husband strolled down the queue, holding a guitar and taking nursery rhyme requests to keep children, and young at heart grown ups, entertained. He was joined sporadically by The Gruffalo himself. (When I told a small boy, whom I was looking after, this he innocently said “But didn't he try to eat you?” as his first comment) This event was unpredictable, unique and wonderfully entertaining, I was glad that I went and had the opportunity to meet this tremendously talented woman.


Next I am going to discuss the wonderfully enlightening event with Patrick Ness and David Almond. I have been a fan of Ness since I began reading The Chaos Walking trilogy (My review of “The Ask And The Answer”) so being able to hear his opinions on various subjects, in person, was a very rewarding experience. David Almond is still fairly new to me, even though I, along with thousands of others, can recall reading “Skellig” whilst at school. David was a very thought provoking, down to earth man and I found learning about his writing process fascinating.

The group discussed many issues, only some of which I can highlight here. Patrick Ness explained that in his opinion a book making you cry wasn't a bad thing, crying was a cathartic experience and said that he actually cries all the time, recently because he woke up and realised that it was actually morning and he would have to get out of bed. (A sentiment that I can share! I love my bed *happysigh*) An interesting question that was asked was whether or not there was a limit to what they would be willing to write, a subject that they wouldn't be willing to discuss, for instance. It seemed the general consensus was that it would be written if the story called for it, but not unnecessarily for controversial reasons. After all even very sensitive issues can be handled delicately and with the appropriate level of respect.

For Patrick Ness, it was discussed how it felt to be continuing somebody else's project with his latest book “A Monster Calls”, which was an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, who lost her fight with cancer before she was able to share her idea. (The Guardian wrote an inspiring obituary for Siobhan that I wished to share in this post.) It was interesting listening to Patrick discussing how to find a balance between honouring the work of somebody else whilst still managing to make it your own. Patrick also discussed how his new book was almost bordering a Graphic Novel in that illustrations were used in very powerful ways, not just to accompany the text, but to tell the story almost separately in their own way. The success of this needs to be seen to be believed, the illustrations are overwhelming and almost make the book you are holding in your hands a character itself, it's just beautiful.

Both David Almond and Patrick Ness shared examples of how people sometimes have a fixed idea of what it is children should be reading, which often criticised both men's books. Ness shared that a “Newspaper” (Quotation marks used, because I don't believe The Daily Mail should really qualify as a Newspaper *pokes tongue*) criticised “The Knife of Never Letting Go” pretty much because it had the word “Knife” in the title, without actually looking into what the novel itself was about. David Almond said that he has been criticised for his main female character in “My Name Is Mina” with people saying that a young girl wouldn't express themselves in the ways he portrays. Both authors shared the obvious fact that all young people are different and David himself has a young daughter who enjoys the character of Mina as a believable one. David also shared that his characters appear almost complete in his head and he is the medium that puts them onto paper.

I found this event a very inspiring and compelling one. Both authors shared things that I really enjoyed learning and I found the whole experience engaging and rewarding.

Whilst getting my books signed I managed, as I often do, to say ridiculous things to people I admire. Patrick was pleased to sign my copy of “Monsters of Men” as it looked well read. (My Review of "Monsters of Men") I responded that it had indeed been very well read and that I agreed with what he said about crying being cathartic. I described “Monsters of Men” as an “Emotional Cheese Grater” (It made sense in my head, okay?) and he laughed and said that he really hoped it wasn't quite that irritating. I quickly explained what I meant by the term and he laughed again and said that he liked it.


I shared with David Almond that I found the fact that he got his inspiration almost mysteriously very thought provoking. His reply was to ask me where I was from (Thank you Northern English accent in a land of Southerners! I am sure that my accent isn't that strong *stamps foot*) We then moved on to discussing my home town, which he said he knew quite well, this all felt a little surreal. O_o


Outside of the Literature Festival I had many adventures in the town itself. Bookshelves were found unsupervised inside the grounds of a castle, down an alleyway, in a bus stop and in more basements than I can count. Most of these had a honesty policy and a money box you put your coins in before leaving with books. I found this concept amazing and over whelming and fainted clutching many novels in my hands. Hay-on-Wye was an exciting town, one where a breathtaking 3 floored beautifully furnished, cosy bookshop became a piano bar that would give you a cocktail if you placed a little paper bird in a cage. It may sound like I'm making this up, but the beauty of Hay is that you never need to make up fabulous stories about it. : ) I would happily live in Richard Booth's Bookshop. It is a magical cosy place full of wonder.


And the biggest adventure of all? Trying to find a phone signal if you are with the O2 Network and a taxi if you are staying outside of the town, they will make films about that struggle. :P

On a side note, if anybody hasn't read Patrick Ness's inspiring, passionate, provoking Carnegie Medal acceptance speech, then please go do so. It sums up all of the rage and outcry that people, me included, feel about the destruction of libraries in the UK.

Enchanted Glass By Diana Wynne Jones (4/5)

“When Andrew Hope's magician grandfather dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson who spent much of his childhood there. Andrew has forgotten much of this, but he remembers the very strong- minded staff and the fact that his grandfather used to put the inedibly large vegetables on the roof of the shed, where they'd have vanished in the morning. He also remembers the very colourful stained-glass window in the kitchen door, which he knows it is important to protect.

Into this mix comes young Aidan Cain, who turns up from the orphanage asking for safety. Exactly who he is and why he's there is unclear, but a strong connection between the two very soon becomes apparent.

There is a mystery to be solved, and nothing is as it appears to be. But nobody can solve the mystery, until they find out exactly what it is!”

My initial response after putting down this book was that I may have just finished my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book yet and that I really wanted to read it again. I've always enjoyed her writing style and been amused by her work, but there has somehow been a barrier between me and the story, meaning that I couldn't connect with it as much as I would have liked to. This book was the closest I have come yet.

I really enjoyed the two main characters of Andrew and Aidan. I liked reading about Andrew because of the serious and practical ways he went about his business, and how this was directly contrasted by the rather old fashioned population in the town his Grandfather had lived in. Mr Stock and Mrs Stock were extremely entertaining characters, and the idea that they were loyal employees of the house, even though they never did what they were told and more often than not, directly made Andrew's life more inconvenient, was great to read. Aidan's curiosity and independent spirit made him a fun character to read the perspective of. I particularly enjoyed his exploration of the mysterious powers he had discovered and the subsequent dangers that he is exposed to. His repeated clashes with the various creatures in the community and the way he responds to each situation are great to read, one of my favourites being Rolf the Weredog. I particularly enjoyed the fact that most of the characters in the book were counterparts of Mr Brown's Folk, and that they responded to this rather comfortably and pro actively.

The only part of the book that felt slightly rushed and contrived to me was the love story between Andrew and Stashe. The two characters separately were great and their interactions were entertaining, but the change from impressed to besotted was too sudden for me. This may change upon re reading, but this was the only flaw in what I felt was a great book, with fabulous world building and realistic characters.

I also find the book itself absolutely beautiful, it's now one of my favourites. The colours and the text are just perfect. I was also lucky enough to find a signed copy of this wonderful book to add to my collection. *beams*

Currently Reading: The Princess Diaries 1 (Again!) : )

Author Event With Maggie Stiefvater *EEK!* (02/10/10)

Look! Look! That's me! That's me with Maggie Stiefvater! No really, it is! Okay, far too many exclamations but I was fairly happy to meet someone who writes such fabulous books. My love of Maggie's books can be seen in one of my reviews Here and another Here. Sadly the event part of the day I had been expecting was not to be, it was only a signing. Though on a plus side I got there early enough to shelter from the London rain under the doorway. *beams* Also I was fed a Skinny Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffin from Starbucks. Mmm Muffin. I love any excuse to go to London. It's big, it's loud and it's shiny, I like it a lot. I'm also in love with The Underground. Getting anywhere conveniently in a few minutes, I'm a fan. *grin*

I apologised profusely for bringing more books to a signing than was polite (*cough5cough*) Three of which were mine and two were a work colleagues. In my ambition to turn the entire world to geekdom I offered to take her books across the country for her. Maggie however, graciously said it was fine and a good sign, since that meant you liked her enough after the first book to keep reading. : ) She also commented to me how people kept apologising for the bad weather. She said it was expected of England, and it would make more sense to continue apologising if they were struck with a tropical heat wave that they had stolen from another country. She was as lovely as expected.

I then got to explore a bookshop for longer than was probably healthy. I found (and resisted!) a signed copy of The Gruffalo. *whimpers* and got bought the third book in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. *hugs* *daydreams about a signed Gruffalo book* If anybody wants me i'll be in the corner snuggling my signed Maggie books. : )

Devil's Kiss By Sarwat Chadda (4/5)

The first few pages took me a while to get into, but once I did I just flew through pretty much the entire book in a couple of days. The plot hits a point and the pace increases so much it's almost impossible to put the book down comfortably. I really enjoyed reading about Billi, and I loved her strength, both emotionally and physically. I found her a really interesting character to follow. She is grumpy, wants more from life and can fight with weapons. That to me is an interesting heroine.

Billi's relationship with her dad is a very unique one and makes for some great reading. There is an interesting line between loyalty and obligation, and how familial affection can get lost in that balance. The relationship for Billi that offers support in this story is with Kay. The way she felt that he had abandoned her without a second thought was great reading for an “Angst Fan” like myself. It conveys the emotion involved in missing someone terribly and still being upset with them that they had to leave in the first place. Their roller-coaster friendship will keep you rolling until the very end. Plus the fact that he couldn't always help himself from reading her thoughts kept the scenes very fresh!

My favourite part of the story was the mythology. I am a geek, I should hope after this many reviews and fangirling recaps that much should be obvious. : ) I just ate it up, I wanted more of it. When it comes to the perspective of Satan being a fallen angel, I cannot get enough. I loved the various categories of 'Angels' in this novel. The good the bad and the very bad. I think Angels have been given a good reputation for far too long, people choose to forget that Satan himself is a fallen angel. They hear the term “God's Warriors” and still don't see the terrifying result of an angels wrath. This was the best mythology of Angels that I have come across in a while and I enjoyed it a lot.

I also enjoyed the fact that all of this happened on the dark streets of London. The fact that the mystery and history was focused around an area that so many people presume to know was very well done. I like dark, gritty writing set in an environment that I can imagine and that is exactly what this book provided.

The only negative to the book I can think of is that it seemed to lack a certain depth in some areas, it didn't actually have that many characters outside of the main circle, and those who were in the circle weren't flushed out very much. This is easily overlooked however when the characters who were discussed were described brilliantly and their relationships were written with enough complications to feel realistic and tangible.

I don't want to spoil the ending in case people come across this who haven't read the book but, Oh my goodness! Sarwat clearly has no mercy, my heart! It hurts! I cried and I read and I cried some more. The writing was so good that I was sobbing my little heart out. I know that I'm relating to a character when I can feel their pain as if it is my own. Good job. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. I just hope it's more gentle on my heartstrings than this one was, I doubt it somehow. : )

Read about my brief meeting with Sarwat Chadda HERE

Currently Reading: The Thief By Megan Whalen Turner

Glass Houses By Rachel Caine (4/5)

Okay firstly, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I was going to, what can I say? When it comes to Vampires I've been burned *coughtwilightcough* Actually, not only burned, but staked, decapitated, garlic thrust into my mouth, left out in the sun to turn crispy, kind of betrayed. *wipes away tear*

Finally I can get back to a Vampire story that I can have some respect for. The Vampires in this book were not cuddly or heaven forbid sparkly. *shudder* They were intelligent, controlling, master business men and women of a small community. One small detail that improves this notion is the addition that everyone in the town has to pay a Blood Tax. That is a very fabulous and creative concept that really works in the world that is being built up. I like the idea of the Vampires being at the top of a hierarchy and keeping the humans alive around them that are serving a purpose. This whole aspect of the fantasy seemed a very common sense approach to the town and anchored the novel in this reality, which made it such a better read.

The book shines most with its human characters though. All four of the main personalities are so individual and different that they really are fun to read. Their interactions are casual and understandable. I thought Claire was a great character. I liked the fact that despite being intelligent and placed into College in advance she was still naïve in relation to the world around her in a lot of ways. I also loved how she found a fierce inner strength and was capable of achieving great things when she put her mind to it. She was scrappy and scared and I enjoyed reading about her a lot. Eve was a lot of fun. A snarky Goth girl who was thrown out of her house by her parents because she refused to accept the protection that was being offered her, in exchange for something she wasn't prepared to give. She was fun, loyal and I'd read the sequel just to find out more about her. The boys close friendship is a highlight, improved by their subtle differences in temperament. I like the way they all work as part of a team, and have their own roles in the house. They are a very small community and function separately from the rest of the town, with each of them playing their part. Plus it can't help that both boys are described as cute, right? ; )

I do look forward to the rest of the series and regret not picking it up earlier, simply because it was a Vampire novel! I can understand how one of the author's favourite books is Salem's Lot, I can read that vibe quite clearly in this story. The whole idea of a town being taken over with very little being done about it is very King. In my opinion, this first novel of this series is very well done, building up an interesting world and introducing great characters. Can't wait for more!

Read about my brief meeting with Rachel Caine HERE

Currently Reading: The Changeover By Margaret Mahy

Author Event With Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine & Sarwat Chadda at Foyles "Summer Scream" 19th June 2010

As soon as I arrived in the store and saw the sheer wealth of books I was over excited, it was epic! With at least 3 floors! I walked into the events room at 12:30, a little late as I had made an assumption about the closest Tube Station, so I had to walk for about half an hour. Oops. On arrival I was given a postcard with a green star on it. When I realised it corresponded to a specific type of goodie bag I got very excited. I was more than prepared to force someone to swap with me if I didn't get the better one. *insert evil laugh here* As it turns out mine had better contents than some so I was allowed a little time for gloating and swooning over my glorious freebies. Grow up you say? Never! I plan to pass through adulthood kicking and screaming! *clears throat in mature fashion* The room was designed like a carnival and with its flags, book displays and posters it just looked so wonderful and inviting. I think I would quite like to live in this Book Store, it is definitely big enough! *loves* I'm pretty sure I have found my Book Heaven.

When the authors actually took to the stage I had quite an embarrassing fangirl moment when I noticed that Sarah Rees Brennan had her Demon's Mark necklace on, as did I. *in case of confusion please refer to my previous comment about never growing up* : ) The Q & A session was very informative covering diverse topics such as belief in the supernatural, the killing off of fictional characters and Research leading to climbing bridges and stabbing. (Have I mentioned yet how awesome Sarah is? Because she is even more random and fabulous in real life!) Rachel Caine and Sarwat Chadda were so entertaining and interesting that I bought their books for them to sign. They really made me eager to read them, that's very good advertising on their part. *beams* My favourite moment of the Q & A was when a comment was made on the character of Bella (Of Twilight 'Fame' *shudder*) being a drip and an overall disappointing character. This resulted in a spontaneous applause sweeping through the crowd. Me like muchly. : )

The first author I approached at the signing was Rachel Caine author of The Morganville Vampires Series. I spelt my name out to her to avoid any confusion and then she began to spell it with a 'C', I smiled and reminded her, showing her how she could change it into a 'K'. This led to the most amusing signed book I have ever owned, where Rachel annotated her own mistake and signed it from “The Worst Speller In The World” We also chatted about the surprising awesomeness of The Vampire Diaries, I blamed Sarah for my love of the TV Show and she accepted it gracefully. (Edited: Review of Glass Houses By Rachel Caine now available)

When I handed Sarah my books to be signed I had previously heard her say she was always concerned about spelling names incorrectly so I said she could look at my previously signed book for assistance. Once holding it she looked confused, asking me if she should really be signing Rachel's book. I laughed and repeated that it was just for reference. There was even more confusion when the words “To Karlie” read like “Jo Karlie” : ) Sarah told me that she hoped I enjoyed the books and I told her that I had already read and loved them. This made her happy. I talked about how I was so grateful for the switch to Mae's point of view in the second book as I hadn't completely connected with her in the first book. I said that this changed so much in the sequel as I understood every little decision she made, as the book was from her perspective. Sarah thanked me and said she was glad I liked the change. We then discussed the third book being from Sin's point of view and how I couldn't wait to see what she did with that. She replied that she had so much fun writing an action heroine who was capable of swinging from the ceiling! She then asked me my opinion on the whole “Team Nick Vs Team Alan” thing. She had previously commented that she finds people's love of Alan interesting as he is an untrustworthy compulsive liar most the time. I answered that my view on Alan had changed during the flashbacks to his childhood, which pretty much broke my heart. She replied that she loved hearing that and then feigned sadness at being responsible for my pain, but then added that she didn't mean it and that my heart break made her happy. : ) I apologised for being greedy and asking her to sign two books and she answered that if she was signing two books I had better take two freebies from her. Yay! These were a poster of the Japanese cover of her book and an alternate first chapter of The Demon's Lexicon.

When I told her again thank you for her books and writing and began to move on she commented cryptically “I could give you a spoiler for the third book, if you wanted.” I nodded vigorously and said “Yay!” like a madwoman. She asked what kind of spoiler I would like and I said that since I was pretty much the original Jamie fangirl and was so on Team Jamie, anything to do with him would be great. She gave me a spoiler that I won't repeat here, just in case and I squealed a very girly sound and possibly did a happy dance. : ) She received more thanks from me for this wonderful, surprising gift! My love for Sarah is endless and has existed for a few years now. My review of her second book The Demon's Covenant can be found Here

The next author down the line was Sarwat Chadda, a very entertaining man if his answers to the Q & A are anything to go on. I can't wait to read his novel. I shall review it here when I have! He asked me about my Demon's Mark necklace, as he must have seen a few on people attending the event. I answered that it was a creation of Sarah's fandom, demonstrating possession. He shot her a fake glare and feigned jealousy, much to my amusement! When I was walking away he called enthusiastically “Great Bag. Love the Bag!” pointing at my Joker messenger bag. This made me rather happy. : ) (Edited: Review of Devil's Kiss By Sarwat Chadda now available)

This event was absolute fantastic and wonderful and all of the other general awesome words in the dictionary. It made me want to attend as many of these things as humanly possible. The authors were great and so friendly, the crowd was nice and the general atmosphere was amazing. Plus Foyles gave me freebies! I got a book, postcards, bookmarks, a balloon, badges, a toffee apple, candy floss and a giant lollipop! A great event, that I am so glad I was able to attend.


Photo credit to @LizUK from Twitter, as I was far too hysterical to even think of getting my phone out to take one. : )



Link to Sarah's post on her UK tour, It's a lot more entertaining than mine is, so well worth a read. : )

Currently Reading: Glass Houses By Rachel Caine

Ballad By Maggie Stiefvater (4/5)

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good, well thought out, rich read. It was more of a 'Becoming absorbed in a world' kind of book than a whirlwind, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of it, it just meant that I could take my time reading it.

I really enjoyed the character of James, from his arrogance and attitude problems to his deep loyalty and emotional depth. Everything about him was great, he was such a three dimensional character, with flaws and issues. And then on top of this he is constantly entertaining with one liners that make you wish you were taking notes. One of my favourite qualities in a novel is witty dialogue. Especially if it is sharp and occasionally quite cutting. God bless sarcasm. : )

I liked the pace of his feelings for Nuala, the shift from distrust to true affection was gradual and well done. This is impressive when you take into account that the author had to juggle him being in love with his old childhood friend at the same time. In the hands of a less accomplished writer this could have been a disaster, causing many people to lose sympathy with James. Throughout this book you can feel his confusion and heartache, and it doesn't feel unrealistic or out of character. I like the extra insight you get of him via his habit of writing notes on his hands. It was a great way to communicate that the main character was suffering anxiety and yet still kept up his great show of confidence and egotism.

The character of Nuala was brilliant. The best aspect of her in my opinion was the fact that she is basically a materialisation of all of James' desires and yet through this she realises that what he desires matches how she truly feels deep down. This is the one of my favourite metaphors for a healthy, loving relationship that I have come across in a while. Real love is the type that brings out the best in you and allows you to truly be yourself. Nuala was sharp, firm, beautiful and slightly kick ass. They make quite a brilliant couple The Muse and The Piper. The descriptions of how she suffers because she needs to absorb artist's years of life is wonderfully written. The fact that she can't face taking any of James' years results in her weakening and an increase in sympathy from the reader. The way her character develops because of James' influence, even though he isn't overly soft or emotional is great to read. He isn't quite comfortable expressing his feelings and yet just being around him with his sarcasm and feigned carelessness is enough to make her a better person. That alone is enough to make this a relationship worth reading about.

I also thought that communicating Dee's feelings in this novel via unsent text messages was a very clever method indeed when the character doesn't get a point of view in the story. It allowed the reader to see some of the tale from her perspective and explain her actions, and yet didn't take up much page time or alter the feel of the book. That was an impressive addition. I actually felt quite sorry for Dee in this story, she managed to lose everything, and by not truly appreciating James when he was there, she almost lost him too. Losing James, now that would be a justified reason to be heart broken. *nods wisely*

The whole plot to this novel felt very tight and well edited. The characters progression felt natural and well explained. The revelations throughout were written well and allowed the book to unfold, moving towards an ending that you can feel approach, as you are counting along with the characters. This is book that I would enjoy to read again. Another great book by Maggie Stiefvater.

Currently Reading: Let The Right One In By John Ajvide Lindqvist

Lament By Maggie Stiefvater (3.5/5)

A very enjoyable, easy read with great world building, little details and interesting background characters. The only part of the book that didn't fit right with me was the speed of the love story. It seemed to happen immediately and I usually find it hard to accept those kind of relationships, I suppose it didn't help that the main character who displayed the ability to be level headed and sensible allowed herself to even set foot on a path that was a whirlwind when she constantly accepted the fact that she knew nothing about him. Nothing at all. This was further extended when it was revealed that he was an assassin and she saw for herself how he had murdered so many people. She let herself get over that far too quickly, in my opinion, and it wasn't really portrayed as a character flaw, just an act rather out of character. I find this quite hard to accept, as outside of her actions with Luke, I really liked her as a character, it almost feels like a really close friend is making a bad decision and you really wish they would think twice before acting.

This aside, I loved the book. I liked the character of Dee, I liked the way she thought, and the way she has to find strength from deep places when she felt like she had none. I was slightly jealous that she was incredibly talented however. : ) I enjoyed reading about Luke, I like a character that it capable of being heart warming whilst also being able to kill viciously on demand. Maybe that's just me though. *whistles* I like the idea of such duplicity. Though it made it very difficult for me to trust him, or to trust any single word that he was saying, I feel that his point of view in this novel would have helped a lot, since I found him to be a fascinating character. I may enjoy this book even more when I re read it, as I will regard the character of Luke with more trust and be less wary around him.

I love the background characters and all of the mythology and the fact that the ability to see the Fae ran in her blood. I really enjoyed getting to know the different Faeries and Dee's family and friends. (The few of them that there were) I liked her getting to know her powers, and becoming used to what she could do. This part of the story was a great path to follow. Also, I adored her friend James. He was funny, loyal and a great friend. I feel like she should have been head over heels in love with him years ago. But I can understand why the ageless assassin that looked like an angel would draw her eye more than the witty, cute pipe player. : )

As soon as I put the book down I was eternally grateful that I had the sequel next to me, I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing and I want as much of it as I can get my greedy little hands on. She has a way of writing that seems almost lyrical, it can create new worlds and make you want to dance in them. I am going to start in on Ballad as soon as I finish this review. *picks up next book*

Currently Reading: Ballad By Maggie Stiefvater

The Demon's Covenant By Sarah Rees Brennan (4.5/5)

The first thing I have to gush about in this review is how much I adore this author's witty humour and wonderful writing, the banter between the characters is always entertaining and fun to read. I swore a long time ago that I would read everything she wrote, even if it was a menu. I'm sure that the menu would be a great read! In fact I recall her discussing Muffins, Sandwiches & Pastries in a blog post once ; )

I thought this book was even better than the first. I felt that I got to know the characters a lot more and I found myself strongly liking all four of the main characters and understanding their motivations a lot more than I could in the first book. My connection with Mae in particular was a lot stronger, this was due in main part to the book being written in her point of view. She is smart, tough and a very loyal and caring friend. I found myself loving her attitude and really believing in what she could do, even if she does seem a little impulsive and callous at times. I could relate to why she was acting the way that she was in each situation now that I could see the world from behind her eyes. Her emotional understanding about her true romantic feelings at the end of the book were touching and well done. For such a strong, wilful character this could have been handled badly, but throughout it she kept her strength and kept my respect for her character. This wouldn't have been the case if I felt her character had rapidly shifted, but throughout all of her pain I thought she remained essentially the strong wonderful girl she was. I enjoyed the developing relationship between her and Sin a great deal. Since Sin is going to be such an important character in the next book I loved the insight we got of her through Mae's perspective.

I also felt a greater understanding for Alan in this book. The flashbacks via his dad's diary were either heart warming or heart breaking with very little in the middle and they made me feel for Alan more than anything else. The thought of him as a child going through what he's gone through, and being, at all times, a caring, loving brother. It was just wonderful writing. The flashbacks were some of my favourite parts, especially when their dad starts to see Nick through Alan's eyes. The change in his opinion is so gradual that you can't see it happening, but real life is like that. You can never pinpoint the moment when you truly started feeling an emotion, you only realise when you've been held under it's influence for quite a while. The writing was so brilliant in these scenes that I felt I could lie down and snuggle into them. They were so tactile and real, I loved them ever so much.

Nick broke my heart. He broke it and smushed it and yet I still cared, I cared so strongly for a Demon who would never be able to appreciate it and yet I cared anyway. The parts of the book in which he was trying to learn how to act human were great reading and yet made me hurt so much. He doesn't understand what people's feelings or motivations are, he can't comprehend affection, even when it is directed at him. He also thinks he isn't capable of feeling these things. The brief periods in this book where he shows he cares, without always even knowing it made my chest swell with adoration and pride. He doesn't seem to notice that he is capable of love and affection, he loves Alan, he loves his brother fiercely and would do anything for him. The fact that he can't see this hurts me muchly. I just want to shake him and make him realise how much he cares. Though the fact that I wouldn't survive the experience of shaking Nick keeps my hands firmly at my sides. : ) His developing relationship with Jamie in this book was adorable. The way Jamie learns to trust him completely and how Nick is fiercely protective over Jamie as if he was already part of his family was enough to make me want to huggle them both in a big happy circle. Although once again, I wouldn't like my chances of survival.

And now I get to Jamie, oh Jamie! You wonderful, amazing, deep, caring, witty, fabulous creature you! I wish he was my best friend, I wish he was my brother, I wish I could communicate with him in any way shape or form as he is so fabulous. I may rename this book, “The Story Where Everyone Loves Jamie” And damn right they should. He is a wonderful, amazing character and he brings out my fan girl muchly. He is just so witty! Every line he has either makes me chuckle or love him just a little bit more. He is so caring and fiercely loyal and towards the end of the book shows an inner strength that surprised even me. Also, Did I mention the wit? The lines that his character speaks are so entertaining that I could quote every one of them here, though then this review would be even longer, and it's pretty epic as it is! I loved his interactions with the rather new character of Seb and they broke my heart just a little. The way he threw himself so completely into new relationships with both Nick and Gerald, giving them both so much trust and capacity to hurt him. Oh! Oh Jamie! I feel my love for you is eternal and if anyone ever dares to hurt you they will have to face me *looks menacing* *twitches* *attempts menacing look again* I loved the reveal of his relationship with his mother and how much he cared, I also found her character to be fairly kick ass as well! Who knew Mae and Jamie were hiding her at home? : )

The story is a maze of twists and turns and you never quite know who to trust or who to believe in. Though throughout the book you get the wonderful character's relationships, pain and motivations to keep you turning page after page. They are so wonderful and vibrant and they leap out of the story at you. I wish I could keep them with me when I put the book down, as life will seem just a little bit duller without them. Also, have you seen the cover? It's so beautiful, I love Mae sitting nicely next to her matching Nick companion, she's all pink and silver and lovely. : ) I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this trilogy!

Read about my meeting with Sarah Rees Brennan HERE

Bitten By Kelley Armstrong (3.5/5)

I would have liked to have read through this book quicker than I did, as Kelley's other books i've read have been addictive. This book was good, but not as jaw droppingly, heart racingly amazing.

I enjoyed the character of Elena, I loved her strength and her power, but I also like that this didn't come at the cost of her compassion. She was able to be tough, cynical and occasionally violent, but she loved fiercely and was extremely loyal for the right reasons. I loved her attitude and found her very entertaining, expecially when she was being deliberately provocative, or couldn't control her anger

I couldn't really empathise with the character of Clay, I found his love for Elena endearing, but I still didn't really feel much for him as a character until near the end of the book, which was a shame. I like his back story though, very much so. The idea of a feral child, being a very interesting one, especially with the way he clung to Elena. However, his lack of empathy made him a rather difficult character to sympathise with.

The action was good, and well written. There was a lot of it, which felt a bit drawn out in places. There were so many show downs that the pace of the book was slightly affected in my opinion. Though as individual scenes they were very entertaining. I liked all of the villians, how they had different motivations and tactics. For the same reason I liked the contrast of The Pack. Lots of different personalities clashing, but with the most important difference, The Pack had a respectful hierarchy that worked. Jeremy was a great leader, tough when he needed to be, but caring, sensitive and a brilliant father figure.

I think the only part of the book I didn't enjoy was the treatment of poor Phillip. He was lovely and he didn't deserve to be unrewarded for his complete loyalty, kindness, compassion and care. This is the absolute example of nice guys finishing last. Only he didn't just finish last, he was stabbed, abandoned, terrified, and cheated on. All for being a nice guy. :S I really don't like that moral. The fact the Elena wasn't attracted to him wasn't his fault and yet his character was never given a break. *pats his head* I think the story would have worked just as well if he was a friend of Elena's who clearly had feelings for her, and whom she was keeping as a 'back up'. Plus then I may have been more open minded to Elena and Clay's relationship, rather than never being supportive, because I saw the whole thing as unethical. I think I would have liked to have supported it, as I may have cared a little bit more.

All in all, a good read, not one of my favourites, but well written enough to be worth reading, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Plus my book is signed by Kelley Armstrong, which always makes it more special. : )

Author Event With Kelley Armstrong *Squee* (24/03/10)

I met this lovely lady in Waterstones Bookstore, Manchester UK. It was glorious. She was wonderfully polite and patient, even with all the crazy fans (me included) who turned up to meet her on her first UK tour. She signed 3 books for me, which since I already own a signed book from her, was slightly greedy. I think I got a little carried away. I couldn't bring myself to ask a question during the Q&A because the only thing spinning around the inside of my head was "Do you have The Reckoning on you now?! Give it me! Give! Give! *grabby hands*" And that wouldn't have been quite polite of me, as she was being so generous. For an example of how much I hyperventilate over this woman's writing please visit my review of her second book Here



She read aloud the Prologue for "Frostbitten", a book I have read and enjoyed, but have yet to review! (Sorry about the quality of the video. You may want to turn the volume up quite loud!) She then followed this with the Q&A session, which focused mainly on The Otherworld series. She was kind, funny, humble and a pleasure to meet. I really hope my future includes many more Author Events, as this was my first, and I handled it a little like a crazy fangirl. : )



Currently Reading: Salem's Lot By Stephen King

Linger (ARC) By Maggie Stiefvater (4.5/5)

"Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain. Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demon, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human. For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces- wolf and human- with love baring it's two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?" (From inside front page of Linger)

My love for Shiver was strong and true! The review I wrote for it can be found Here I had insane expectations for it's sequel!

I am going to keep this spolier free for obvious reasons! I adored it, the same wonderful human emotion spills from the book, and now we have a 2 whole new POVs to see the story from. This was a wonderful way to refresh the book, and to make it different from the first in the trilogy. I loved the new character of Cole and the new perspective of Isabel. I found myself seeing her in a whole new light, when I was inside her head. I heard her say things that I myself have said (especially when it comes to men!), which made me take her a lot more seriously, I loved her matter of fact statements and her coping mechanisms.

At first I wasn't too sure about Cole, I usually have my doubts about people who choose to lead their life in a certain way, but once his history was flushed out, and his character was expanded, I began to love reading about him. He gave the book a whole different side, that was occasionally callous and self serving, but still made sense and was understandable in the context. I enjoyed his parts a lot, which was a surprise, considering how eager to read about Sam and Grace I was.

Oh Sam and Grace, finally I get around to you. How I adore you both! I just want to smush them. I love their love, which is quite extreme coming from a cynical sceptic, like myself. They make me want to believe that human nature isn't always selfish and self centred, and that people aren't always just out for what they can get. Their love is deep and emotional, but manages not to come across as unhealthy, fake, lust driven or sickly sweet. They made me believe in them.

I really enjoyed Grace's developing relationship with her parents in this book, and I shared her outrage when they acted in the manner they did. I really like Grace's independence, but that this has come at a cost of a decent parent-child relationship, makes me feel for her. She has created her own family in a way, with Sam, and I supported them being each others family. In my mind it didn't seem too soon, or rushed. Just natural.

I can't wait for the third book in this trilogy, I won't even think about the wait, because I am aware it is going to be an unnaturally long time before this book reaches the UK. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book from Maggie, as a prize in a competition. The first ARC to hit my bookshelves and I love it. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am eagerly counting down the years until I get the third book!



Currently Reading: Beautiful Creatures By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The Awakening By Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

Oh my god, read it. Oh my god, read it. Oh my god, read it! I am striving for a more lucid response but I appear to be lacking. I loved it. It is in one of my top two reads this year! And that is high praise indeed, with the amount that I read.

I read the book in an evening and it flew by. There was not a point I could have put the book down and slept happily. I NEEDED to know more. I became so invested in these characters that I would find myself gasping, hugging the book or finding myself with a horribly shocked expression on my face in the mirror.

The entire book was easy and a joy to read. I never once felt like it was an effort, or that there was a chapter that I had to 'get through'. It was just briliiant from beginning to end.

Oh and I love Derek... it's unhealthy. So i'm supposed to conclude that he's horrible, terrifying, repulsive, spotty, sweaty, smelly... I don't care I love him. : ) Every single one of his actions made me swoon, whether he was yelling, being uncomfortable, being defensive, being secretive, being honourable. I knew why he was doing all of it, and I loved him. I love him for who he is trying to be and for who he is deep down. Okay... Now that my fangirl has calmed down... All I can say. Just read the book? Please? Do it for me? *begging face*

Shiver By Maggie Stiefvater (5/5) *Gush*

Oh my goodness. I loved it. I loved Sam, I loved Grace, I loved them together. I love the realism in the mythology and the tangible and almost three dimensional human emotions that tumble from the pages. I just couldn't stop reading. It was just perfect, I wanted everything they had, and wanted to share everything they did, but at the same time wouldn't take it from them for anything in the world.

Here's the thing about me, I don't like love stories, I find them cheesy, annoying, unbelievable or pathetic, or I find one member of the pair unable to stand. I loved these two so much, they were both so different and yet had so many qualities that made them so relatable. They were so human, which given the subject matter, is amusing. : )

Serious love! This book broke my heart, and then put it back together again. I never believe in love stories, never really care, but oh my gosh, this one just took my breath away, I want to read it again right now. *happysigh* Now if I can just find a guy like Sam I can die happy. : ) How perfect is he? *swoons*

Note that this is probably the most fangirling review I will leave, I just loved it that much. A lot more than I was expecting to. This lucky find pleased me more than I thought possible! And I won a competition to get my hands on the ARC of the sequel, Linger. How amazing is that? *faints*

The Demon's Lexicon By Sarah Rees Brennan (4.5/5)

I adore this woman's writing and have for a long time. It was a few years ago now I vowed to read anything she ever wrote, even if it was a menu. : )

This book didn't let me down, she has an amazing skill for characterisation and building up tension. As well as a brilliant knack for creating characters whose lack of skill at communicating their emotions makes them lash out sometimes.

I loved the twist at the end and even though I noticed all of the clues it still took me by surprise. I love the character of Jamie and think the world would be a better place if more people were like him. His witty, quick lines intended to break the tension were glowing, comedy moments in the book, and I looked forward to every scene with him in.

I was drawn in to Nick's perspective and felt for him a lot, even if I couldn't actually relate to him because well, he isn't addicted to reading. : ) I could very happily have Alan as my book shop guy any day of the week. And I feel so much for Mae, because I know in that situation I wouldn't exactly know what to do either!

I can't wait for the sequel and I hope that each of these characters gets flushed out more for my utter enjoyment.