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The Winter TBR pile

The last months of the year are my favourite: Halloween, Christmas, great opportunities to get pretty pictures… And the perfect weather to curl up on the sofa with a blanket, tea, and a book! (:

A couple of weeks ago I sorted out some books I want to get around to reading the soonest, and books I think will be the best to curl up with leading up to Christmas. Some are by favourite authors, and some are books I’ve heard great things about and really want to try out. I’ve picked nine (One is split into three volumes), which may be a little over-ambitious as I have lots of ARCs too, and homework… But I’m very excited about reading them all, if I can manage to!

I’ve owned all of the books I’ve picked for quite a while but haven’t gotten around to them, mainly because the majority are hardbacks or very big books that I can’t carry to school and back. I can’t wait to curl up with these, though! Most of what I’ve picked are fantasies and adventure novels, for the pure escapism. I’m probably the most excited for Fahrenheit 451 at the moment, as it’s a classic I’ve been meaning to read for ages – and my copy is a really gorgeous Folio Society edition.

What do you recommend I read first? What books will you be curling up with over the last weeks of the year? (:

British Books Challenge 2015!

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Ever since I started blogging, I’ve seen things on lots of blogs centred around the British Books Challenge. The aim is to read twelve books by British authors over one year; A goal I hope is achievable next year, as I’m always on the lookout for more great UKYA, and it’ll be a great new challenge to try.

The lovely Michelle @ Fluttering Butterflies is hosting the challenge in 2015, and I’m really excited about it. For this Sign-Up post, I’ve picked a handful of books that I’d like to read for the challenge. (Maybe not the specific ones I’ll end up reading first in 2015, because I always reorder my TBR… It’s chaotic!)

#1: Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman

This is definitely a modern contemporary classic, and a leading title in UKYA – I have no idea why I haven’t read it before, actually! I love Malorie’s books and would love to read this for the challenge not only because it fits into the category, but because the follow-up book is out very soon.

#2: The Manifesto on how to be Interesting by Holly Bourne

I attended the Young Adult Literature Weekender at the Southbank centre last month. I really enjoyed it, and undoubtedly the best panel was the Gender In YA panel, which included Holly. I’ve read great reviews of her two books and TMOHTBI sounds brilliant.

#3: Before I go to Sleep by S J Watson:

This is an adult title! I’ve been interested in reading this ever since my dad first received his proof copy, before it was released and when he was blogging. I remembered that the author is British so decided this should definitely be on my challenge TBR – I’d also love to read it before the DVD of the film comes out!

#4: The Bubble-Wrap Boy by Phil Earle:

I love Phil Earle’s books – he’s a fantastic contemporary fiction author whose books should be more recognised, I think! This is his latest book and it’s been on my TBR pile for a while – this will be a good excuse to read it (:

#6: My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick:

I’m a very big fan of Marcus Sedgwick’s books, but this is one of his older titles that I haven’t yet read. I would love to read this (as well as maybe some other Marcus Sedgwick books, like Ghosts of Heaven!) for the British Books Challenge.

Good luck to any body else who is doing the challenge! If you’re a blogger or booktuber, and you’re interested in signing up for 2015, click here to go to Michelle’s submissions blog post.

Book Review: The Imaginary by A. F. Harrold (Illustrated by Emily Gravett)

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Published October 23rd by Bloomsbury.

Goodreads Synopsis: Rudger is Amanda’s best friend. He doesn’t exist, but nobody’s perfect.
Only Amanda can see her imaginary friend – until the sinister Mr Bunting arrives at Amanda’s door. Mr Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumour says that he eats them. And he’s sniffed out Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. But can a boy who isn’t there survive without a friend to dream him up?
A brilliantly funny, scary and moving read from the unique imagination of A.F. Harrold, this beautiful book is astoundingly illustrated with integrated art and colour spreads by the award-winning Emily Gravett.

My Review: I opened The Imaginary looking forward to a really cute story about friendship, and intending to read just the first few chapters before I did some blogging. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, and getting what wasn’t quite a cute story, but a beautifully told tale full of hope, friendship, terror and adventure. Pageturner is definitely the right word to describe it: I simply couldn’t stop reading… And there was a surprise around every corner, none of which I was expecting.

The Imaginary is marketed as an Middle Grade book, but I’m confident that teenagers and adults will fall in love with the story too – it’s got lots of crossover appeal. The plot was actually quite a bit darker than I was expecting – the antagonists were really freaky and sent shivers up my spine. However, the eerie elements of the story contrasted with the beautiful aspects of friendship and the power of imagination.

The characters were perfectly crafted and realistic: Amanda and her imaginary friend, Rudger, are truly unforgettable. Amanda is such a bubbly and bright character, and her personality made me love her instantly! Rudger was everything I’d love in an imaginary friend for myself, and I was unable to put the book down, wanting to know what he did next.

The story was captivating by itself, but Emily Gravett’s illustrations brought it to life. The character depictions were just as I would have seen them in my mind if the story wasn’t illustrated. I loved poring over the gorgeously detailed spreads. The use of Black and White versus colour was a very clever and pretty way of depicting normality/reality versus imagined worlds, too. I hadn’t seen any of Emily Gravett’s work before but after The Imaginary I’d love to read more MG books with her illustrations!

Overall, The Imaginary was a really stunning book and definitely exceeded my expectations. As soon as I’d started it, I didn’t want to stop reading – and as soon as I’d finished it, I wanted to flip back to the start to read it again! A F Harrold’s writing was fantastic; it’s sad, sinister, unforgettable and magical-feeling all at once – perhaps a little nostalgic too for everyone who’s had an imaginary friend. I really recommend Harrold & Gravett’s book – whether you’re an MG reader or older, looking for a very beautiful and captivating book.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Imaginary from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Anti-Bullying Week: #ChooseKind & GIVEAWAY!

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I’m really excited about today’s blog post!

Anti-Bullying Week starts today, the seventeenth, and runs until the 21st. It’s celebrated in schools across the UK to raise awareness of bullying, and how to prevent and solve it. (Last year, I made a blog post for Sophie’s themed week.)

Penguin Random House are the publishers of the fantastic WONDER by R J Palacio, and they’ve teamed up with the Anti-Bullying alliance to bring the #ChooseKIND campaign to schools (find out more here). It’s a brilliant scheme to raise awareness of bullying and promote kinder behaviour, especially in youth – and inspired by Wonder, which is a beautifully written tale of bullying, bravery and kindness.

I read Wonder at the start of 2013, and was completely blown away by its raw emotion and beautiful narratives. It’s marketed as a Middle Grade book, but can be read and adored and treasured by anyone of any age. It’s a novel about a boy called Auggie, who’s just about to start middle school after years of being home-schooled, and his ups and downs of navigating a new life while being labelled as different because of the way he looks. It’s unforgettable, moving and inspiring.

365 Days of Wonder is a tie-in gift book that was released earlier this year. It was inspired by precepts and quotes given by Mr Brown, Auggie’s teacher in Wonder – and all of the inspirational quotes readers sent in response, to R J Palacio. There’s a quote for each day of the year – it’s such a beautiful book to treasure.

To coincide with Anti-Bullying Week, and the #ChooseKIND campaign, I’m running a giveaway! One person will win Wonder & 365 Days of Wonder. Entry by the Rafflecopter link below…

click on the link below to go to the Rafflecopter widget!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bibliomaniac/330168953761504?sk=app_228910107186452

T&C’s, etc.: Unfortunately I can’t cover the cost of sending the prize overseas – this is a UK only giveaway. The giveaway prize was provided for me by the publisher, and I will be posting it myself: I’ll let the winner know when it’s been posted. The giveaway will end on Monday, 24th November. To be completely fair, I’ll pick the one winner through Random.org. I’ll try to post it before December 10th, so it doesn’t get lost in all the Christmas-post madness!

Good Luck! You can check out more about #ChooseKind by using the hashtag on Twitter or clicking here.

Book Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

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Published October 23rd 2014 by Bloomsbury.

Goodreads Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.

My Review: Chris Riddell and Neil Gaiman are a brilliant storytelling pair – as I knew from reading Fortunately, the Milk, their children’s book. Neil Gaiman’s writing is always gorgeous and Chris Riddell’s illustrations always bring to life his characters in an unforgettable way. Consequently, when I found out about The Sleeper and the Spindle, I was really excited about reading it!

The book is one of the most beautiful editions I’ve ever come across. The cover made me want to start reading straight away (Which I did!) and the minimalistic colour palette of black, white and gold makes the beautiful illustrations stand out. I fell in love with the look and feel of the book before I’d even started the story! I know it’s a book I’ll treasure.

I’ve been a fan of Chris Riddell’s work for years but I think his illustrations in The Sleeper and the Spindle are my new favourites – especially the two-page spreads and the endpapers! The character depictions are all so beautiful.

I was aware the story would be a retelling of Sleeping Beauty – but didn’t realise that the clever twists would draw in Snow White too. The only reason I was a little nervous about reading it was that I wasn’t sure how I’d find it because it was a rewritten classic – would it stand out enough? There’s quite a big market in fairy tale re-tellings. I’m not sure why I thought that; Neil Gaiman’s spin on the well-known stories was fantastic, and I didn’t want to pull myself out of the story.

What I loved the most was how the classic story is there, but the stereotypical stock character’s aren’t. There’s no prince charming. Instead, the protagonist is Snow White, who leaves her land, delaying her marriage, to awake the ‘sleeper’ in her castle, while the sleeping plague sweeps over the land. It’s so fresh and different! I really liked the ending too, which left the story at a point that left me wondering about the character’s unwritten futures.

Overall, The Sleeper and the Spindle definitely lived up to my excitement, though at just under seventy pages I do wish it was a little longer – I fell in love with the story so much. It’s a wonderfully fresh take on Sleeping Beauty – and a clever continuation of Snow White as well! The illustrations that accompanied the writing were gorgeous, and I think they fitted the story perfectly. Definitely recommended – The Sleeper and the Spindle will appeal to readers regardless of age.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Sleeper and the Spindle form the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

DIVERSITY IN YA: Book recommendations!

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I was sitting at my computer, procrastinating by scrolling through my twitter feed, last Friday night. I was completely stuck for blog post ideas: I’ve been so behind with blogging because the first term at school has been hectic, to say the least!

I’ve been very aware of the inspiring, brilliant #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign on Twitter since it launched, but seeing tweets from that evening’s #SupportWNDB talk were the deciding factor that led to me making this post. Also, that I haven’t done a infographic post in quite a while. I hope you enjoy it!

There were a lot of books to pick from to fit onto this quick graphic, but picking out of my recently used Goodreads shelves… I honestly didn’t actually find it difficult to narrow it down, to pick only a few titles with diverse characters; of colour, a different cultural background, an LGBT* identity or disability. I think that proves that a) I really must seek out more diverse books, and read those sitting on my TBR, and that b) the WNDB campaign is so necessary: I’m so glad it’s encouraging and publicising books that otherwise wouldn’t be as visible.

Anyway, I’m aware I’ve rambled on a bit, and this post was meant to be just an infographic… (:

I hope you liked the infographic! I would love to take any recommendations on books similar to these (or completely unique ones of course!) and hear what you thought of these titles. There’s a lot of amazing sounding YA/MG fiction that’s out next year also, like Lara Williamson’s The Art of Being Normal (A very hotly anticipated one!) – are there any titles you are looking forward to reading?

Book Review: BREAKDOWN by Sarah Mussi

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Published 2nd October 2014 by Hot Key Books.

22432850 Goodreads Synopsis: It is 2084. Nuclear radiation has poisoned the country. Society has fallen apart. Starvation is rampant, and power shortages have resulted in piles of obsolete gadgetry. Necessity has driven those who’ve survived to complete self-reliance, if they have the means to do so. For Melissa and her Nan, survival is just about possible, so long as they can guard the tiny crop of potatoes in their back garden and find enough fuel to cook on – and as long as they are safely barricaded inside their home by curfew.

For after dark, feral dogs hunt, and violent gangs from the old Olympic Stadium (now a miserable ghetto) roam to loot and plunder. If they catch you, they are not merciful; so when Melissa falls into the hands of Careem’s gang, her prospects look bleak. But Careem soon realises that she might just be more valuable alive, as a ransom victim. However, he hasn’t reckoned with Melissa’s resourcefulness. Soon part of his young gang are completely beguiled by Melissa and her story of a hidden valley in Scotland – a place that sounds like a comparative paradise, if they can get there. But apparently only Melissa knows the way, and only she can lead them there. But Melissa is hiding a secret. She has never been to Scotland in her life, let alone a mythically Elysian valley there. Can Melissa’s stories keep her alive long enough to escape – or will they get her killed?

My Review: I enjoyed Sarah Mussi’s RIOT (review here!) earlier this year – so when I discovered that Sarah’s newest tiels would be out so soon, I was eager to read it! I think I may have even enjoyed this more than Sarah Mussi’s last. It’s an edge-of-your-seat, nail-biter of a novel, with some really clever plot elements.

I’m not actually sure if it’s intentional, because I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere – but I found some really bold parallels to Of Mice and Men in BREAKDOWN- a bit coincidental as I’m studying it in class! At first I thought this was some kind of dystopian retelling, because the main character meets a Lenny who she tells stories to about a place they’re headed, away from the hard work… Though the story takes a massive turn of events, I still found similarities to the novel and I’m not sure if they were even intended, if I just over-thought things because I’m studying the Steinbeck novel… but still, pretty awesome. 😀

The dystopian setting was very bold and interesting. England’s completely flipped around – the victim of nuclear destruction, growing slum-like conditions, a controlling army, and mass food shortages. Sarah Mussi gave such great descriptions of the world, building it up so it was a perfectly formed image in the readers head. However, I don’t think it was fully explained how England came to be such a dystopia – I would have loved for the book to delve into the reasons!

Marissa was a likeable main character. I don’t think I ever connected with her on a huge level, but she was a really strong, clever protagonist. I found her relationship with the main characters she meets, especially Lenny, so captivating and memorable. I really enjoyed reading about them!

Overall, BREAKDOWN was a great dystopian read. I really liked the protagonists, and the plot was very clever – there were so many briliant and unexpected twists and developments that made it hard to put the book down! I think Sarah Mussi’s dystopian world in BREAKDOWN is possibly her most unique… and I would happily read another book set there 😀 I think my main issue was that I wanted a more concrete story of the events that lead up to Marissa’s situation at the beginning, and the country’s situation in general too. Definitely recommended!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of BREAKDOWN from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

The Maze Runner Blog Tour: SIGNED BOOK GIVEAWAY

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Martyn Pig stg2 One day to go! It’s the 9th of October – Which means that tomorrow The Maze Runner is officially released in the UK! Today’s blog post is an exciting blog tour one, celebrating the movie’s release.

I read The Maze Runner at the beginning of 2013, and I loved every fast-paced, thrilling second of it. It was such a great book! I loved the mysterious world of the Glade – it interested and terrified me (as did the rest of the trilogy later on in the year…). The main thing I loved about the book, though, was all of the characters. Thomas was such a great protagonist, and I loved reading about the Lord of the Flies-esque community of Gladers too. You can read my review from last year by clicking here.

I can’t wait to see the book brought to life on the big screen. I’m a little nervous because so many YA novels are being adapted – but I’m a big Teen Wolf fan and love Dylan O’Brien’s acting in that… I think he’ll make a brilliant Thomas!:D View the trailer for the movie by clicking here, if you haven’t seen it yet! It looks awesome and the Glade is exactly the way I imagined it when I read it.

Giveaway time!!

The Bibliomaniac Book Blog is teaming up with Chicken House books for this giveaway – and it’s a pretty exciting one! You can win a classic copy of The Maze Runner, SIGNED by James Dashner, the author. Enter using as many methods as you like from the rafflecopter menu below & good luck! AS I can’t get the widget working on my blog, click on the hyperlink below to go to the giveaway page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms / Conditions / etc etc

-This giveaway closes at midnight on the 19th of October: You have ten days to enter as many times as you like!:)

-I will tweet or facebook the winner of the giveaway a few days after the competition ends.

-I, the blogger, will NOT be sending out the book. I will pass postage details from the winner onto the publisher, Chicken House Books, who will post the prize.

-I’ll have to privately message the winner for their address (obvs:P) but as soon as I’ve passed the details onto the publisher I’ll delete them.

Good luck, and enjoy the book and movie!:)

–

Book Review: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Radio Drama Review: The Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew

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Not a usual review post today! Last week, Julie Mayhew, Carnegie nominated author of Red Ink (which I loved! Review here.), asked me if I’d be interested in listening to and reviewing her new radio drama, The Electrical Venus. It’s a forty-five minute radio play that’s set to broadcast this Friday (October 3rd) at 2:15. Click here to go to the radio programme’s page!

I wasn’t very sure if it was my thing, at first. I don’t listen to radio drama – I haven’t even listened to an audio-book in ages! However, after I read that Julie intended for this play to be directed at teens, a demographic that I don’t think is ever explored by radio drama, I was very interested. Also, of course, I loved Julie Mayhew’s YA novel Red Ink and I’ve been wanting to experience more of her writing ever since.

Though I was excited to try it, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from a radio drama, or if I’d get into the story properly given the unfamiliar format. I plugged in my earpieces and started listening to it while I was doing some art homework… And was completely blown away! It did take me a few minutes to get used to it but once I’d become familiar I started to really enjoy it. The Electrical Venus was simultaneously a new entertainment experience for me, and a great story too, with plot themes I didn’t see coming at all.

I really loved the voice acting. I was really unsure of how I’d be able to connect and relate to the characters, because I’d have no visual and no descriptions to go on. However, I felt like I got to know the characters, especially Nim, so well, even though I only heard the voices and only for a forty-minute listen! The characters were really well developed and realistic, I loved them. Nim, the protagonist, has a great back-story that was explored really well throughout the play.

Another thing I loved about the play was the setting, which was fun but dark and mysterious too. It was really inventive and well-described through the plot. The Electrical Venus is set centuries ago in a travelling circus, and scenes, especially like the opening one (a circus performance), I felt like I was transported back in time… something I really wasn’t expecting.

Overall, The Electrical Venus was a really great play. I’d definitely recommend listening to it once it’s out – whether you’re a regular radio listener, or not, like me. Mayhew’s story was memorable and thrilling; After finishing it I just wanted to listen again! It dealt with things I wasn’t expecting and the story was very cleverly written. The voice actors were brilliant too, and really captured the personalities of the characters. Now I’ve tried listening to radio drama, something I would never have done otherwise, I’d definitely listen to it again. I’d love to see Julie Mayhew (and other writers!) writing more radio plays aimed at younger audiences. It was really fun. (:

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Electrical Venus from the author, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.