Year on the Blog: 2021

Hi all! I thought I'd do a quick roundup of the year on the blog. Now the more I looked at the records, the more interesting stuff I saw, so this might be a bit haphazard! Some records are coming from Goodreads and some are from the stats of the blog here.

Serendipty ed by Marissa Meyer

Love is in the air in this is a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Gilded, Marissa Meyer. The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker. From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that's been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle and Abigail Hing Wen.

The Revelry by Katherine Webber

I am a girl of Ember Grove and these are my woods…

Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry - the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited. When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can’t remember anything from the night before.

Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about the Revelry, Bitsy chokes on the words. But this is just the beginning, and what starts out as a run of bad luck starts to feel like a curse. As Bitsy’s life goes from bad to worse, things only get better and better for her best friend.

It’s as if there’s only so much luck to go round and Amy’s getting all of it…

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all!  Christmas notwithstanding - only one of these titles was specifically a Christmas gift - we had a great week with several deliveries from publishers, which we are really looking forward to digging into. In fact, we already reviewed one of these books!

Ah...That's Gas by Sarah Cassidey and Kunak McGann

What has Ireland really been talking about for the last forty years? Those iconic moments, controversies and unexpected fads that we just could not get enough of.

From the team that brought you The A to Z of Being Irish and A-Z of an Irish Christmas, this is Irish culture with a light touch and lashings and lashings of rose-tinted nostalgia.

Weekly Roundup! (Happy Christmas!)

Happy/Merry Christmas/holidays, y'all! Hope you had really good ones, whatever a good one means to you. We are basically all still in food comas, so here's the roundup for the week.

The Colour of Hope by Ross Mackenzie

'Why am I different?'
'I don't know, lassie. I wish I did. And I wish you didn't have tae hide it.'

The Dominion is cursed. Years ago, the Emperor and his Necromancer stole all the colour from the world. Now they keep it for themselves, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in cold shades of grey.

That is until a miracle baby is born - a little girl who lives in brilliant colour. But the child's life is in danger from her first breath. Soon the Emperor's murderous ripper dogs and black coats come hunting. A drifter mage, Sandy Burns, intervenes, hiding the wee miracle in the forest, raising her as his own. Rumour of ‘the rainbow child’ spreads, giving hope to those who had lost it ... but bringing danger and adventure to Sandy and his daughter.

Gilded Tarot Royale Mini by Ciro Marchetti and Barbara Moore

This fun mini-edition of the bestselling Gilded Tarot Royale is perfect for on-the-go readings. Small enough to fit in a pocket or a purse, you can carry your deck everywhere. It also makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for tarotists. Whether you are an expert reader or just starting your tarot journey, a tarot mini will be an exciting and practical addition to your collection. With borderless cards, richer colours, and stylish design improvements, this mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale retains the powerful readability of the original Gilded Tarot with a more contemporary look. Following the RWS style and abounding with medieval magicians, priestesses, emperors, and knights, the Gilded Tarot Royale Mini will continue to inspire tarot readers for years to come. This is a mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale (9780738765181). Cards measure approximately 1.7 x 3 inches. Please note that this deck does not come with an instructional booklet.

All the Feels by Olivia Dade

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

#Bookpost! w/e 19.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! Last week was quiet on the book front, but this week seems to be shaping up better...and of course it will include CHRISTMAS DAY! Is anyone planning on celebrating Jolabokaflod?

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We are heading into Christmas week and very excited for the big day. What books are on your wishlists?

All That's Left in the World by Erik J Brown (quite large spoilers in review)

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people on Earth. They don't know what they'll find on their perilous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity - this is How I Live Now with the heart of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.

Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ...

But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (spoilers in review)

 

Would you choose to find out the length of your life?

One spring day, small wooden boxes arrive for every person, all over the world, from suburban doorsteps to desert tents. All the boxes feature the same inscription, “The measure of your life lies within,” and vary in only two ways: the name of the recipient and the length of the single string inside. Instantly, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy, first to ascertain their origin and meaning, and then to confront the truth of the strings.

Told through multiple perspectives, The Measure introduces an unforgettable cast of characters whose lives weave and interlock with one another upon the arrival of the strings: a doctor who cannot save himself, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, and a politician whose string becomes a powder keg in an increasingly turbulent world.

As society divides itself, the truth has the power to unravel their long-held beliefs and relationships all while forging new alliances and philosophies about our time on this earth and our place in the community. Both heartbreaking and profoundly uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious meditation on life, family, and society that challenges us to consider the best way to live life to the fullest.

Puffling and the Egg by Erika McGann and Gerry Daly

When Puffling finds a lost egg on Skellig Michael, she sets off to return the egg to its nest!

She travels all over the island searching the owner of this stray egg, meeting lots of new friends along the way ... but who lost this mystery egg? And what kind of baby animal is going to hatch from it?

#Bookpost! w/e 12.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! We are deep in the unique - let's say 'fun' - that is retail at Christmas. However, we have some lovely books to look forward to! We've been really lucky and received some of the most talked about books at the moment.

Blog tour: Shadow Winged by Jilleen Dolbeare

Morning all! Today we are lucky enough to have this fab extract from a new series in the urban fantasy genre. Let us know what you think!

Weekly roundup!

Happy Sunday, all!

B was struck down by a terrible head cold this week (don't worry, tested and came back clear, she just wanted to die) so we missed a review, but we're hoping to be back on track next week!

A Galway Fairytale/Síscéal ó Ghaillimh le Caitriona Sweeney

Fans of A Dublin Fairytale will be enchanted by this modern take on the Hansel and Gretel fairytale set in modern-day Galway.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week we had FOUR books from our lists publishing. There's currently nothing at all for the rest of the month, but things often show up at short notice!

In one of those stragne coincidences, these books were all 'ok but not great' in our opinions. Please remember these are just opinions! Everyone has their own.

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended, in this wry, embracing novel.

Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and evrryone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.

Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.

Blogtour: The Blue Pendant

Welcome to the blog tour for the exciting new novel based on Greek legends!

#Bookpost! w/end 5 Dec 21

It is still weird to me that this is 2021. Anyone else have that? I'd want to start getting over it quite quickly, I guess...anyway, happy Tuesday!

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartthrobs in front of the cameras and best friends backstage.

But privately, the pressure to stay in the closet has Ruben confiding in Zach.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe with an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, the two come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben realize they will never truly have the support they need.

How can they hold tight to each other when their whole world is coming apart?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! In keeping with everything lately, this post is a little late. Retail at Christmas, man.

The Wild Swans by Jackie Morris

A girl loses her beloved brothers when they are turned into swans by her wicked stepmother. She embarks on a vital quest with one purpose: to find them and turn them back into boys again.

But the task is complicated. She must pick nettles with her bare hands and turn them to yarn, to spin and knit into shirts for each of the eleven brothers. And all the while she cannot speak, for if she does, even so much as a whisper, it will be like a knife in the heart of each swan-boy. And so she knits, silent. And where there is silence people will put words.

The Wild Swans is a beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Jackie Morris's enchanting retelling, complete with delicate watercolour paintings throughout this new edition. A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.

The Big Reveal by Jen Larson (unmarked spoilers in review)

Addie is a talented dancer, a true-blue friend, fat, fierce, and driven. When she's accepted into the prestigious dance program of her dreams, she thinks nothing can bring her down—until she realizes she doesn't have enough money to go. Refusing to give up, Addie and her friends decide to put on a top-secret, invitation-only burlesque show to raise funds. But word soon gets out, and the slut- and body-shaming begin. Has Addie been resisting the patriarchy, or playing right into its hands?

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Mathieu and E. Lockhart, The Big Reveal asks hard-hitting feminist questions while reveling in some of life's greatest joys: chasing your passions, falling in love, and embracing yourself exactly as you are.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Hi all! This is the first of (currently) three weeks this month with no new books on our lists! That can change at any time, of course, but we're currently using the time to get ahead on next year's books. Watch out for them coming up soon!

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield

For fans of Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying and films like I Know What You Did Last Summer comes a gripping thriller about murder, mystery, and deception.

Blackmail lures Ava to the abandoned amusement park on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group finds themselves cut off from the real world. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she's willing to go to survive. The teenagers have only their secrets to protect and each other to betray.