The Invisible Hand by James Hartley #BookReview #YA

 

Title: The Invisible Hand
Author: James Hartley
Series: Shakespeare’s Moon #1
Format: Paperback, 168 pages
Publication Details: February 22nd 2017 by Lodestone Books
Genre(s): YA; Fantasy
Disclosure? Yep! I received a free copy in exchange for an HONEST review.

Goodreads 

The Invisible Hand is about a boy, Sam, who has just started life at a boarding school and finds himself able to travel back in time to medieval Scotland. There he meets a girl, Leana, who can travel to the future, and the two of them become wrapped up in events in /Macbeth/, the Shakespeare play, and in the daily life of the school. The book is the first part of a series called Shakespeares Moon. Each book is set in the same boarding school but focuses on a different Shakespeare play.

Review

I’ve always really liked Shakespeare – even at school – which is strange because I remember hating most things I was forced to read for school. Shakespeare always seemed more interesting though. I enjoyed having to decipher the language to discover the meaning, but I also totally understand why people dislike it, and why children and young adults find it difficult.

I’m therefore always pleased to see more accessible books based on Shakespeare, and its modern-day retellings. The Invisible Hand is the first in a new series to be set in the same boarding school, with each book based upon a different Shakespeare play. In this case it’s Macbeth.

In this short novel, Sam is quite perturbed about his strange, vivid dreams where he finds himself in Scotland in what seems like medieval times. Whilst trying to make sense of the dreams, he’s also trying to keep his head down at the boarding school but is finding it increasingly harder to concentrate in the present day. Especially when the girl he has a crush on in his dreams starts to turning up at school.

Things get even weirder when Sam starts studying Macbeth in English and the events of the play bear more than a passing resemblance to Sam’s dreams that may not be dreams after all.

The Invisible Hand was a great introduction to Macbeth. It was a simple but action-packed story which uses some of the events in Macbeth and gives them a modern relevance. I enjoyed it a lot. It was fun and speedy. If I had one thing to criticise though, it would be that I wished Hartley had taken it further. I wanted more Shakespeare, more detail. It was too short!

The Invisible Hand has certainly piqued my interest however, and I would love to see what they do with other Shakespeare plays. I definitely think there is room for more Shakespeare inspired YA novels like this to show that it’s not all about archaic language and ruffled collars.

 

This Week in Books 29.03.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday you guys. I’m still trying to pull myself out of a reading slump, but I have managed some progress this week which is good!  Here’s what I’ve been reading…

Now: The Wingsnatchers ~ Sarah Jean Horwitz // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

Surely a kids book about a magician’s apprentice and a one-winged princess will get me back on a roll? Let’s hope so. I’m just about to start it. And yes, I’m stiiiiiiiiiiill going on The Time Machine at lunch-times. Although I’ve actually forgotten what lunch-time means right now.

Then: King’s Cage ~ Victoria Aveyard 

I’m really hoping that by the time I publish this post I’ve finished this book. I’m about 70 pages off at the moment. It’s been OK but clearly not good enough to pull me out of my reading slump! SAD FACE.

Next: ???

I keep saying I’ll read Six of Crows and then don’t, but I am determined to this time. Promise.

New on the Shelves

 From Netgalley:

 

Alaska is a part of the world I would LOVE to visit, so I’m always intrigued by books set there. This contemporary YA sounds interesting. It’s also been a while since I read a YA book with a male protagonist.

Sucktown, Suckington, Suckfield, Suckingham, Suckland, Suckmont, Suck Francisco. By any other name Kusko, Alaska, would still smell like human sweat, moose stew, and dog poop. But Eddie Ashford can’t be choosy after partying his way out of college in one semester’s time. He lands a job in tiny Kusko — a bush town located in the heart of unromantic Alaska, he’s warned. Eddie intends to straighten out his act and make good on a promise to stay for a year, but soon he’s indebted to his employer, overworked, and underpaid. He’s also spurned by the almost-perfect girl, frustrated, and bored. He finds himself caught in a dilemma: do the right thing, work hard, and stick it out in Kusko or take a chance, smuggle some goods for the local pot dealer, and pile up the cash to pay his way out of Suckramento?

Expected publication: May 1st 2017 by Switch Press

I’m Waiting On…

A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden

 

Because… the premise reminds me a bit of The Last Kingdom (minus the fantasy elements) which I’m a bit obsessed with at the moment (the 2nd series is on BBC2 right now) and by the time this book is out I’ll probably be having withdrawal symptoms.

 

 To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcneas; to the Irish, he is fomoraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind–the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days.

Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that’s changed. A new faith has arisen. The Old Ways are dying, and their followers retreating into the shadows; even still, Grimnir’s vengeance cannot be denied.

Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern England, where the spirits of the land make violence on one another. And thence to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits.

But, unless Grimnir can set aside his hatreds, his dream of retribution will come to nothing. For Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning–the Old Ways versus the New–and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind, must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance done or stand against him and see it slip away?

Scott Oden’s A Gathering of Ravens is an epic novel of vengeance, faith, and the power of myth.

Expected Publication:  June 20th 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books

So that’s my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 22.03.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

I’m afraid my answers are pretty much the same as last week as I’ve just not been feeling it. Hope you’re all having a better week!  Here’s what I’m still reading…

Now: King’s Cage ~ Victoria Aveyard // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

I’ve been choosing TV over reading lately for some reason , but I have at least got about a third of the way through King’s Cage. It’s OK, but it hasn’t managed to pull me out of my slump yet. I’m also stiiiiiiiiiiill going on The Time Machine at lunch-times.

Then:  The Invisible Hand ~ James Hartley // Girl in Disguise ~ Greer Macallister

I haven’t finished anything new so here is my response from last week: I really enjoyed both of these. I’ve just finished The Invisible Hand which is part of a new series with each book based on a different Shakespeare play. I think it’s a great way to get kids and young adults interested in Shakespeare. My review will be up soon. Girl in Disguise was a fun book about the first female Pinkerton detective. My review went up yesterday.

Next: ??? 

Still something from my physical TBR shelf again. Six of Crows and The Chemist are at the top of my pile or I might go for something completely different like Misery by Stephen King.

New on the Shelves

I bought these two Alan Bradley books from a charity shop at the weekend but that’s it!

I’m Waiting On…

Nothing has caught my eye yet this so I’ll lazily stick with last week’s answer…soz!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

 

Because, the cover is so stunning, and it sounds great too. A bit similar to The Space Between Us perhaps, but I only saw the movie!? There’s quite a wait til September though…boo!

 Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.

Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.

But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?

Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . .

Expected Publication: September 7th 2017 by Walker Books

So that’s my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

Leave your answers or the link to your post in the comments and I’ll take a look 🙂

TBR Update

Last year I decided I HAD to do something about my physical TBR shelves. Each month I do a  quick update as part of my monthly round-up post but I’ve been slacking lately and haven’t done one since October!

Previous TBR Count: 72

Books Added: 24

Books Read/Removed: 11

Remaining: 85

 

As of 20/03/2017

Read = strike through // Recently Added = Bold

// Currently Reading = Green // Donated to charity = Strike Through

1. Only Ever Yours: Louise O’Neill
2. Snow Queen: Hans Christian Andersen
3. Half a King: Joe Abercrombie
4. The Merciless: Danielle Vega
5. Angel of Vengeance: Trevor Munson
6. Amber Fury: Natalie Haynes
7. Fairy Tales: Carol Anne Duffy
8. Blood Storm: Sam Millar
9. The Saint of Dragons: Jason Hightman
10. Rover Saves Christmas: Roddy Doyle
11. The Meanwhile Adventures: Roddy Doyle
12. The Letter for the King: Tonke Dragt
13. Beautiful Creatures: Kami Garcia
14. Don’t Look Back: Erica Spindler
15. Alice in Zombieland: Gena Showalter
16. Iron knight: Julie Kagawa
17. Red Bones: Anne Cleeves
18. In Your Face: Scarlett Thomas
19. Afterworlds: Scott Westerfeld
20. Matched: Aly Conde
21. The Red House: Mark Haddon
22. Daughter: Jane Shemilt
23. Amber: Amy Keen
24. I Capture the Castle: Dodie Smith
25. The Shadow of the Wind: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
26. The Prisoner of Heaven: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
27. The Fault in our Stars: John Green
28. The Immortal Rules: Julie Kagawa
29. The Sealed Letter: Emma Donoghue
30. Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Laini Taylor
31. No Time for Goodbye: Linwood Barclay
32. Red Riding Hood: Blakely-Cartwright & Johnson
33. Extras: Scott Westerfeld
34. Being: Kevin Brooks
35. Snow White and the Seven Samurai: Tom Holt
36. The Ruby and the Smoke: Philip Pullman
37. Sorry: Zoran Drvenkar
38. The Historian: Elizabeth Kostova
39. The Tiger in the Well: Philip Pullman
40. House of Many Ways: Diana Wynne Jones
41. The Story Sisters – Alice Hoffman
42. Tipping the Velvet: Sarah Waters
43. Middlesex: Jeffrey Eugenides
44. Wizard’s Ward: Deborah Hale
45. Arthur, the Seeing Stone: Kevin Crossley-Holland
46. Trainspotting: Irvine Welsh
47. Hand me Down World: Lloyd Jones
48. The Book of Skulls: Robert Silverberg
49. Deadkidsongs: Toby Litt
50. Divine by Mistake: P.C Cast
51. The Little White Horse: Elizabeth Goudge
52. Magician: Raymond E. Feist
53. Witch & Wizard: James Patterson
54. Battle Royale: Koushun Takami
55. The Unicorn Quest: John Lee
56. The Unicorn Dilemma: John Lee
57. Storm Glass: Maria V. Snyder
58. Tempest Rising: Nicole Peeler
59. That Hideous Strength: C.S Lewis
60. The Colour of Magic: Terry Pratchett
61. The Stolen Child: Keith Donohue
62. Ice Orchids: Elena Yates Eulo
63. Shadows: Amy Meredith
64. Aralorn: Patricia Briggs
65. Dublin Express: Colin Bateman
66. Heaven Eyes: David Almond
67. Jamrach’s Menagerie: Carol Birch
68. The Forgotten Garden: Kate Morton
69. Banquet of the Damned: Adam L.G. Nevile
70. Fountain Society: Wes Craven
71. The Dovekeepers: Alice Hoffman
72. The Fire-eaters: David Almond
73. Odin’s Voice: Susan Price
74. An Arthurian Reader: John Matthews (editor)
75. The Demonologist: Andrew Pyper
76. The Trade Mission: Andrew Pyper
77. Monkeys with Typewriters: Scarlett Thomas
78. The Foreshadowing: Marcus Sedgwick
79. The Sirens of Titan: Kurt Vonnegut
80. Two Women: Martina Cole
81. The Star’s Tennis Balls: Stephen Fry
82. Goth Girl and the Pirate Queen
83. Turbulent Priests: Colin Bateman
84. Fellside: M.R Carey
85. Glass Sword: Victoria Aveyard
86. Annabel: Kathleen Winter
87. Twilight, Life and Death (10th Anniversary Edition): Stephenie Meyer
88. City of Dark Magic: Magnus Flyte
89. 77 Prague Legends
90. Where’d You go, Bernadette: Maria Semple
91. Self-Made Man: Poppy Z. Brite
92. Grasshopper Jungle: Andrew Smith
93. The Prince of Mist: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
94. Graffiti Moon: Cath Crowley
95. Fireball: Tyler Keevil
96. Storm & Siege: Leigh Bardugo
97. The Christmas Party: Georgette Heyer
98. The Last Act of Love: Cathy Rentzenbrink
99. The Travelling Bag: Susan Hill
100. The Merciless 2: Danielle Vega
101. The Enchanted: Rene Denfeld
102. Rise & Ruin: Leigh Bardugo
103. Six of Crows: Leigh Bardugo
104. The Rest of us Just Live Here: Patrick Ness
105. King’s Cage: Victoria Aveyard
106. A Head Full of Ghosts: Paul Tremblay
107. Brooklyn: Colm Toibin
108. The Haunting: Alex Bell
109. Flesh and Bood: Simon Cheshire
110. Sleepless: Lou Morgan
111. Bad Bones: Graham Marks
112. Koko Takes a Holiday: Kieran Shea
113. White Cat: Holly Black
114. The Ice Twins: S.K Tremayne
115. The Bodies in the Barrels Murders: Jeremy Pudney
116. The Iron King: Maurice Druon
117. N0S4R2: Joe Hill
118. The Humans: Matt Haig
119. The Road: Cormac mcCarthy
120. Misery: Stephen King
121. The Chemist: Stephenie Meyer
122. Slammer: Alan Guthrie
123. Drawing Blood: Poppy Brite
124. Pulse: Julian Barnes
125. Sepulchre: Kate Mosse
126. Dandy in the Underworld: Sebastian Horsely
127. Speaking from Among the Bones: Alan Bradley
128. I am Half-Sick of Shadows: Alan Bradley

What should I read next or skip entirely?

 

Lost & Found: Adventures in Book Hunting #1

As some of you may know I sell antique and vintage books on Etsy. It’s a hobby that allows me to do one of my favourite things – buy old books – without feeling too guilty. It’s not really about making money (although that’s nice too), it’s about the joy of finding beautiful old / rare books, researching their history and giving them a new home. In this new feature I will be sharing some of my finds with you!

The Jewel of Kasr-Ed-Shendi (1973) by Penelope Fletcher

Found: Tiffin School Car Boot Sale, Kingston-Upon-Thames

 

 

Synopsis

Before setting out at the beginning of her first term at boarding school in Scotland, Pat is entrusted by her father with the care of a valuable diamond. Although she knew she would have to face danger, the events of that term were to become more horrifying than she thought possible. It proved to be a time she would never forget, when her character, strengthened by her Girl Guide training, was to be tested to the limit.

Although she had little in common with her room-mate Muriel when they first met, their adventures together revealed sterling qualities of unsuspected depth, and welded a bond of friendship between them. 

History

Girl Guiding has a long and rich history of empowering girls and young women, and this book is a lovely product of that history. Written by Penelope Fletcher and published in 1973, this first edition is a sought-after book for Girl Guide aficionados.

Penelope Fletcher was born in Birkenhead in 1907 and became extremely interested in the Girl Guides during her school days. She joined her School Company and the Blackbird Patrol and later became the Lieutenant in the Girl Guides Y.W.C.A Birkenhead. After her marriage, Fletcher became Captain of the 1st Hollesley Girl Guides until they disbanded in 1938.

The Jewel of Kasr-Ed-Shendi is a Girl Guide School Story full of outdoor adventure and friendship aimed at celebrating the female of the species in line with the true spirit of the Girl Guides.

Inscription

One of the main things I love about old books is finding inscriptions. This one has a lovely inscription which just adds to its rich history as far as I’m concerned. It reads ‘To dear Josie, Lambert & family, with love & best wishes for health, wealth & happiness now & always from auntie Pene. Dec 1973.’

I’ve tried to research this to no avail, but it’s quite a coincidence it’s signed auntie Pene – perhaps the author herself!?

Purchase

I can only find 3 copies of this rare, collectable book online. Sunrise Books are selling one on AbeBooks and Amazon Marketplace for £164.99. There is another copy on Amazon marketplace for £95, and one on Ebay in France for 194.99 Euros.

I’m selling my copy for £75, which you can view in full here. 

Does this book mean anything to you? I’d love to hear more about the history of this book and Penelope Fletcher. 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week in Books 15.03.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Hope you’re all having a great week!  Here’s what mine has looked like:

Now: King’s Cage ~ Victoria Aveyard // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

I’ve not made much of a start on King’s Cage yet but so far so good.  I’m also stiiiiiiiiiiill going on The Time Machine at lunch-times.

Then:  The Invisible Hand ~ James Hartley // Girl in Disguise ~ Greer Macallister

I really enjoyed both of these. I’ve just finished The Invisible Hand which is part of a new series with each book based on a different Shakespeare play. I think it’s a great way to get kids and young adults interested in Shakespeare. My review will be up soon. Girl in Disguise was a fun book about the first female Pinkerton detective. My review went up yesterday.

Next: ??? 

Definitely something from my physical TBR shelf again. Six of Crows and The Chemist are still at the top of my pile or I might go for something completely different like Misery by Stephen King.

New on the Shelves

I haven’t bought or requested any books this week. Pat on the back for me! 😮

I’m Waiting On…

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

Because, the cover is so stunning, and it sounds great too. A bit similar to The Space Between Us perhaps, but I only saw the movie!? There’s quite a wait til September though…boo!

 Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.

Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.

But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?

Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . .

Expected Publication: September 7th 2017 by Walker Books

 

So that’s my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

Leave your answers or the link to your post in the comments and I’ll take a look 🙂

Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister #BookReview #MarchReleases

Title: Girl in Disguise
Author: Greer Macallister
Series: N/A
Format: Digital ARC, 308 pages
Publication Details: March 21st 2017 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre(s): Historical Fiction; Adventure; Mystery 
Disclosure? Yep, I received an advanced copy in exchange for an HONEST review!

Goodreads 

For the first female Pinkerton detective, respect is hard to come by. Danger, however, is not.

In the tumultuous years of the Civil War, the streets of Chicago offer a woman mostly danger and ruin-unless that woman is Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective and a desperate widow with a knack for manipulation.

Descending into undercover operations, Kate is able to infiltrate the seedy side of the city in ways her fellow detectives can’t. She’s a seductress, an exotic foreign medium, or a rich train passenger, all depending on the day and the robber, thief, or murderer she’s been assigned to nab.

Inspired by the real story of Kate Warne, this spirited novel follows the detective’s rise during one of the nation’s greatest times of crisis, bringing to life a fiercely independent woman whose forgotten triumphs helped sway the fate of the country.

Review

I didn’t know what to expect from Girl in Disguise having not read Macallister’s debut novel The Magician’s Lie or knowing much about the Pinkertons/ that era of American history to be perfectly honest. However, I do enjoy a good historical yarn now and then as long it’s not too bogged down in facts and figures, so I was eager to give it a try.

We first meet Kate Warne – famous for being the first ever female detective – when she is setting out to be just that. She answers an ad in a paper knowing full well that it will be difficult to persuade them that she’s the right man for the job, as it were. But of course she does, and so we follow Kate as she begins her training with Allan Pinkerton to learn everything she can about being an undercover operative.

Kate has a bit of a shaky start, including a run-in with colleague Bellamy but after that we watch her go from strength to strength and become more confident and cunning in her abilities.

I really enjoyed Macallister’s take on Kate Warne. She could probably come across quite cold and stern to some but because we hear the story from her point of view we know differently, we know it’s merely a self-defence tactic which is necessary for her to adopt considering all the things that are stacked against her. The main one of course being that she is a woman in a time where ‘respectable’ women aren’t even supposed to have jobs, never mind this kind of job.

I liked that Girl in Disguise is an action-packed adventure but also uses Kate Warne’s story to explore a lot of interesting issues surrounding equality. In a time of female oppression, Kate not only makes ground-breaking steps forward, she is also fiercely aware that other women are so accustomed to inequality that they’re often their own worst enemies…

They don’t hesitate to hang women down here”

“Could they be so awful?”

“What’s awful about it?” she shrugged. “Our crimes are as serious as theirs. Our punishments should be too.”

“A miserable sort of equality to hope for.”

Even in these terrible circumstances, she looked proud. “If we take the good, we also have to take the bad.We don’t get to fetch it up piecemeal.”

I think that sort of double-standards still rings true today. There is also the character of Deforest who Kate – whilst working on her tracking skills – discovers he is harbouring a secret that would see him hanged – he’s gay. Kate and Deforest’s friendship was my favourite in the novel, and I liked how the author captured her initial reaction and how her attitude towards him changed throughout the book. It rang true to the era and didn’t take the easy route of making Kate completely ambivalent towards it.

“In some way, I couldn’t possibly fathom him, his unnatural interests, his decision to be like he was. But the undertow of his terror, I understood.”

Macallister has done a great job in researching the real Kate Warne and building on that with her own version of the detective. Like I said earlier, I’m not a fan of historical fiction when it’s all facts and no storytelling but there was definitely a lot of storytelling here, with the facts seamlessly embedded. I thought some of Macallister’s descriptions were lovely too, making it a compelling read.

“The woman lay on the carpet as if resting, which I suppose she was, only forever.”

My one critique is that first half of the book felt a bit like a montage of events which made the pace nice and fast but I longed for more detail; it sometimes felt like Macallister was trying to fit too much in at once. She could have concentrated on just one or two of Warne’s interesting cases rather than an overview of many. This was most definitely improved on in the second half of the book though.

In this novel we see Kate Warne’s rise and fall, and the changing attitudes towards her from those around her. It’s a fun, rollercoaster of a read, and one which reads as a love letter to plucky women whose actions make the world a better place. Therefore it’s bound to be called a great feminist story, but I’d prefer to just call it a great story, Full Stop.

 

This Week in Books 08.03.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Bit later than I usually post but I made it!  Here’s what my week has looked like:

Now: The Invisible Hand ~ James Hartley // Girl in Disguise ~ Greer Macallister // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

I’ve only just started The Invisible Hand but it’s been a good first impression. I’m just over half-way through Girl in Disguise with is released on the 21st of this month. I’m really enjoying it. I’m also stiiiiiiiiiiill going on The Time Machine at lunch-times.

Then:   All the Good Things ~ Clare Sita Fisher // The Mercy of the Tide ~ Keith Rosson

I really enjoyed All the Good Things which is an emotional read about one woman’s road to prison and coming to terms with what she did. I’ll be reviewing it soon. It’s not out until June. I unfortunately had to DNF Mercy of the Tide. It was really intriguing, and didn’t start off badly, but I just really wasn’t in the mood for it for some reason.

Next: ??? 

Definitely something from my physical TBR shelf. Maybe Six of Crows, The Chemist, or King’s Cage depending on what mood i’m in after my current reads.

New on the Shelves

 

From Netgalley:

The gang leader doesn’t like poetry, but will a detention center workshop show her how to express love for her newborn daughter?  A teen boy dies of a drug overdose. Will his final poem speak what he cannot say?  

In the middle of a career change from teacher to writer, Mindy Hardwick volunteered to facilitate a weekly poetry workshop at a juvenile detention center. By helping the teens write poetry about their lives, Mindy discovered strength and courage to grieve the loss of her father, find forgiveness and release the past.    

Published 23rd Feb by Eagle Bay Press

I’m Waiting on…

I’ve already been approved for this which I’m delighted about. Love the idea of The Little Mermaid in graphic novel form. 

The Little Mermaid is Hans Christian Andersen’s most celebrated tale and is beautifully adapted here as a graphic novel by the Eisner award nominated duo Metaphrog (Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers), winners of the Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards Best Visual Artist 2016, and authors of the acclaimed The Red Shoes and Other Tales.

The Little Mermaid lives deep under the ocean and longs to see the world above. When at last she is allowed to rise to the surface at age fifteen, she falls in love with a young prince. In order to become a human and to be with him, she makes a dangerous pact with the Sea Witch.

Expected Publication: 4th April by Papercutz

 

So that’s my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

Leave your answers or the link to your post in the comments and I’ll take a look 🙂

Coming Up: March TBR (and beyond)! #TBR #NewReleases

I like to have an idea of what I’m going to try and read in the month ahead, but it’s certainly not set in stone. Here are some of the most likely books you can expect to see on the blog in the next month or so….[links go to Goodreads]. 🙂

ARCS / Proofs

 

All the Good Things ~ Clare Fisher

 

I’ve just finished this… it was gooood!

 Twenty-one year old Beth is in prison. The thing she did is so bad she doesn’t deserve to ever feel good again.

But her counsellor, Erika, won’t give up on her. She asks Beth to make a list of all the good things in her life. So Beth starts to write down her story, from sharing silences with Foster Dad No. 1, to flirting in the Odeon on Orange Wednesdays, to the very first time she sniffed her baby’s head.

But at the end of her story, Beth must confront the bad thing.

What is the truth hiding behind her crime? And does anyone-even a 100% bad person-deserve a chance to be good?

Expected publication: June 1st 2017 by Viking, Penguin UK

Girl in Disguise ~ Greer Macallister

 

I’ve just started this one. The early reviews were a bit hit and miss but I’m looking forward to it.

For the first female Pinkerton detective, respect is hard to come by. Danger, however, is not.

In the tumultuous years of the Civil War, the streets of Chicago offer a woman mostly danger and ruin-unless that woman is Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective and a desperate widow with a knack for manipulation.

Descending into undercover operations, Kate is able to infiltrate the seedy side of the city in ways her fellow detectives can’t. She’s a seductress, an exotic foreign medium, or a rich train passenger, all depending on the day and the robber, thief, or murderer she’s been assigned to nab.

Inspired by the real story of Kate Warne, this spirited novel follows the detective’s rise during one of the nation’s greatest times of crisis, bringing to life a fiercely independent woman whose forgotten triumphs helped sway the fate of the country.

Expected publication: March 21st 2017 by Sourcebooks Landmark

The Invisible Hand ~ James Hartley

 

I love modern day Shakespeare retellings so looking forward to this.

The Invisible Hand is about a boy, Sam, who has just started life at a boarding school and finds himself able to travel back in time to medieval Scotland.

There he meets a girl, Leana, who can travel to the future, and the two of them become wrapped up in events in Macbeth, the Shakespeare play, and in the daily life of the school.

The book is the first part of a series called Shakespeares Moon. Each book is set in the same boarding school but focuses on a different Shakespeare play.

Published February 22nd 2017 by Lodestone Books

From the TBR Shelf

Six of Crows ~ Leigh Bardugo

 

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

Published September 29th 2015 by Indigo

King’s Cage (Red Queen #3) ~ Victoria Aveyard

 

 In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

Published February 7th 2017 by HarperTeen

Any of these take your fancy?

Or let me know if you’ve already read any and recommend them.

 

Lazy Saturday Review: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness #MiniReview #YA

I started doing ‘lazy Saturday reviews’ as a way of getting reviews done in just 30 mins, and they proved to be quite popular. They are quick and snappy, and concentrate less on the plot (or content) and writing and more on my overall feelings about said book. They generally end up being a bit of a rant. My fave!

Title: The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Author: Patrick Ness
Series: N/A
Format: Paperback, 434 pages
Publication Details: August 27th 2015 by Walker Books
Genre(s): YA; Fantasy; LGBT
Disclosure? Nope, I borrowed it from Dora, thanks Dora! 

Goodreads 

What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

Review

I wasn’t sure about this at first but ended up absolutely loving it. Patrick Ness has this amazing ability to nail that insecure, confusing time of adolescence when you don’t really understand who you are yet, and he does so in increasingly imaginative ways.

TROUJLH is set in a world where zombies and vampires are real, but the main characters aren’t part of that world, they’re always on peripheries  – just watching, they’re just the normal kids in world full of superheroes and martyrs.

I loved everything about this book – the way it was structured, the uniqueness of the premise, and as always, the execution by Ness was perfect. But it’s the characters that really stand out. All completely different and unique but startlingly real. Whether they’re gay, unsure, struggling with OCD, depressed, or desperate to go to a concert, they’re all just doing what everyone is trying to do – get through the day, the week, high school, life.

Have all the unicorns, Patrick Ness!