Monstrous Devices by Damien Love

Alex collects toy robots, an interest started and encouraged by his grandfather. The latest one in his collection is a little bit different, though. A little bit strange...

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

Kateri promised her mother that she would protect their people. It's a promise made harder by the ongoing drought and the rebel group known as the Desert Boys. When she finds her father has arranged a marriage for her, she runs into the desert to try to keep that promise.

Mouse in Training by Emer Stamp

Stix, a tiny mouse who lives behind the washing machine, has always followed his grandmother's rules to avoid contact with the mans who live in the flat. But, separated temporarily from his grnadmother, he makes friends with some of the other creatures in the house and sets out to make a real PEST of himself...

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban

Amber desperately needs a win right now. Her college plans are in danger, her boyfriend is focused on his own plans, her oldest friend has abandoned her and her newest friend may not be a real friend at all. When she's called to a scholarship dinner she's thrilled. Until she realises that the whole thing was staged. And now it's kill or be killed, very literally...

Damsel by Elana K Arnold

Everyone knows the story. A brave prince defeats a dragon, rescues a beautiful maiden and marries her. That must be what's happened here. Even though the maiden has no memories, craves heat, and her bethrothed is oddly off putting...

Girls with Razor Hearts by Suzanne Young

The second in this series sees Mena and her sisters adjust to life on the outside while pursuing their target; the investors of Innovations who created them in the first place.

BookChat: The Fortress by SA Jones

Welcome to our first ever three person BookChat! It happened that all three of us got this book, so we coordinated our reading and now we're bringing you our review.

BE AWARE: This book contains mentions and depictions of rape, including rape of children, and mentions of suicide and self harm.

Weekly round up!

A much quieter week this week, as some of us are very busy and some are affected by the spread of the corona virus. None of us have caught it, luckily. How are you all doing?

Let's see how we did this week.

The June Boys by Court Stevens

The Gemini Thief takes three boys in June. They're held until the next July and then released unharmed. Always three. Always unharmed.

This year, Thea is convinced her cousin is the fourth...

Happy Book Birthday!

I'm so late with this post! I don't have an excuse, I'm afraid, only that it's been manic in work. But I'll try to do better for you, my beauties!

It's been a quieter publishing week, but a few titles came out, so let's have a look.

Bookpost! Week end 3rd Mar

Ebooks coming out our ears this week! Some highly anticipated reads and favourite authors in this selection.

As always, you can click on the cover to be taken to the book's Goodreads page.

The Loop by Ben Oliver

An AI controlled prison is inescapable for the teenagers inside it. There's no contact with the outside world, but rumours still filter through - and those rumours are very dark.

Weekly Round up!

Welcome to March! Things are a little quieter around Read and Reviews at the moment. Looking at the diary, they'll start getting busy again pretty soon! For now, here's everything we did this week.

Waiting for Wolf by Sandra Dieckman

Fox and Wolf are best friends, swimming and playing together by the beautiful lake. Their days are perfect. Until, suddenly, Wolf is gone, and Fox has to go on alone...

The Last Dog in the World by Adrian J Walker

Lineker's world has been tightly confined for the last few years, living with his master Reg and sticking tightly to a routine. He doesn't realise that the world has ended outside. Reg is happy in isolation and has never gone looking for other people. But eventually they come looking for him...


I've read Adrian's other books, the End of the World series, and very much enjoyed them. This is a slightly different beast. Because half the narration is coming from Lineker, who while very smart is still a dog and doesn't quite get what's happening, we never get the full backstory. I'm very confused, for example, about how Reg and Lineker managed to live in the city for three years after the exodus without realising that there was a literal war going on between two badly described side. I think one side was the actual Army and the other some kind of home grown Fascist group, but I'm really not sure. I'm also not sure why no other country sent help. There's a mention of bombs early on, with no explanation of who dropped them or why, but maybe there was some kind of world war going on?

As a story it's very good; engaging, good characters, and I may have cried at a certain point near the end even though I'm really a cat person. I just wish things had been better explained. But then, maybe I missed something...I have been known to do that!

A great read, all in all, and I highly recommend it.

I think I slightly prefer the UK cover, but they're both very good!

UK Cover                                             US Cover

Every dog has its day…

And for Lineker, a happy go lucky mongrel from Peckham, the day the world ends is his: finally a chance to prove to his owner just how loyal he can be.

Reg, an agoraphobic writer with an obsession for nineties football, plans to wait out the impending doom in his second floor flat, hiding himself away from the riots outside.

But when an abandoned orphan shows up in the stairwell of their building, Reg and Lineker must brave the outside in order to save not only the child, but themselves…

Happy Book Birthday!

Happy #BookBirthday! Some fabulous reads came out this week.

Fire Boy by JM Joseph

Aidan is a perfectly normal boy with perfectly normal friends and a perfectly horrible granny, until he receives a strange parcel from Peru. Inside are perfectly normal sweets...aren't they?

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

Ollie's summer fling turns suddenly serious when he joins the same school as his erstwhile boyfriend. Unfortunately, Will is not out and feels he can't be in his conservative school. Now Ollie has to chose between the moments Will can give him, and his own sense of self worth.

Bookpost! Week end 25 Feb 2020

To make up for the quiet week last week, we received a bumper crop this week...and most of them are physical copies! They've all been filed carefully in order on the TBR shelves.

With the exception of Johnny Ball, you can click on any of these titles to be taken to the Goodreads page.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

As the younger daughter of a duke, Alessandra has been overlooked and ignored her whole life. Luckily, it's given her a skill in reading people that few others can match. Now she plans to use that skill to gain the ultimate power; the throne of her kingdom. All she has to do is not fall in love, and that will be easy.

Weekly Round Up!

We've had a busy week here at Read and Reviews. Here's the round up in case you missed any of our posts.

We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Carmen's life has never been simple, and now things seem to be getting more complicated everywhere she turns. With Dani still trapped in Mateo's household and a rebellion full of people who seem to think she's turned, Carmen needs to measure her next steps very carefully or risk losing everything and everyone she loves.

Giveaway

Hi guys! Author and blogger DW Richards is hosting a great giveaway on his site and I wanted to highlight it for everyone!

The link is below. DW is giving away three sci fi novels, covering a range of subgenres, AND you get a free graphic novel just for entering!

Good luck everyone, I'm off to enter right now...

Scribble Witch by Inky Willis

Molly's having a not so good Monday. Her teacher hates her, her best friend is moving away, and her yogurt has leaked all over her lunch. (Ok, one of those things is worse than the others.) Nothing is going to cheer her up. Absolutely nothing...

Poems To See By by Julian Peters

A collection of famous and not so famous poetry, all redesigned as comic strips.

Happy Book Birthday!

Happy Book Birthday to some great titles this week!

The Truth App by Jack Heath

It's action and adventure in this fast paced story about how quickly things can spiral out of control.

The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

In a vaguely MesoAmerican world, two teenagers – a newly made Emperor and a girl destined to be either Empress or a blood sacrifice – struggle to interpret the will of the gods and keep a crumbling empire together.

Bookpost! Week end 18 Feb 20

#Bookpost! A quiet week again this week, giving us a chance to dig into the TBR a bit. It was almost under 70 for about five seconds there!

As always, click on the book covers to be brought to the Goodreads page.

Glitch Kingdom by Sheena Boekweg

A medieval fantasy given a unique new twist...it's all just a game. But the consequences are deadly real.

Weekly Round Up!

Hi all! Another busy week here at Read and Reviews, but the February rush is starting to calm down, so hopefully things will ease off a little.

Sadly, poor J wasn't well this week, so we missed a couple of posts, including the #BookBirthday post. She tells us she's feeling better so hopefully things will be back on track next week.

Young Fionn by Ronan Moore and Alexandra Colombo

The birth and childhood of Ireland's greatest hero, retold with all the reverence and magic he deserves.

Solstice by Lorence Alison

The music event of the year descends into tragedy in this fast paced read.

Blog Tour: Subject A36 by Teri Polen

Welcome to the blog tour for Subject A36, a fast paced sci fi dystopian!

Hope against Hope by Sheena Wilkinson

Polly follows her cousin Catherine to Belfast, to a very special women's hostel called Helen's Hope. But Belfast is splitting apart and even in their haven, the war finds a way in...

Double Review: The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven

It's B and BJ again this time as we both read this book, so welcome to another BookChat!

Bookpost! Week end 11 Feb 20

It's a much quieter week this week, but we did gain some new titles! They're all ebooks this week, although one of us is due a physical copy of Anna K, so that will be a double review when it gets here.

96 Miles by J. L. Esplin

John and Stew are home alone while their father is out of town on business. So far, so normal. But it means he's missing when the biggest blackout is history hits, taking out power for the whole state and maybe beyond. Now John finds himself in charge of his recalcitrant brother and two tagalongs as they try to reach help in time.

Double Review: The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood

Hi guys! Two of us read this new fantasy novel, one in ebook and one physically, so we're due a double review. Instead of the double format we've been using, we thought we'd try something a bit more fun, hopefully a bit more interesting. So welcome to the first of hopefully many BookChats.

The Threads of Magic by Alison Croggon

A fantastic magical chase story set in a vaguely Victorian-London-ish city, featuring the best street thief since Terry Pratchett's Dodger.

Weekly round up

Because so many books published this week, there were a lot of posts. We won't always have this many, as you know if you've been watching at all, but we figured we'd put together a quick round up of the week in case you missed anything you'd like to see.

Blog Tour: Sofa Surfer by Malcolm Duffy

Tyler finds himself struggling to find the right thing to do when he meets Spider, a young girl with nowhere to go.

Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

Young gymnast Audrey is on the verge of achieving everything she's ever wanted. She's just made the Olympic team. An accusation against the team coach rocks them all just as training really ramps up, forcing them to pull together or risk losing everything they've worked for.

Demelza and the Spectre Detectors by Holly Rivers

Science minded Demelza is shocked to learn that she's the latest in a line of Spectre Detectors...mediums who can (briefly) raise the dead. And someone wants her powers...

There's been a push lately to feature science minded protagonists, especially girls, in an effort to get girls interested in science. Sometimes it comes across as very clumsy; bolted on to the plot afterwards. However, in this case, it's very natural. Demelza's science and inventing skills are just as vital to the plot as her Spectre Detecting skills. Children will love the humour of it...Demelza baits a trap with baked beans, because who could possibly resist a big bowl of baked beans? And her prize invention is a hand that will mindlessly copy out lines. I was expecting a Sorcerer's Apprentice situation there, but it goes quite another way, and I laughed when I figured it out.

The characters are great, too. Although I liked Demelza, I loved Grandma Maeve and Percy. They were exactly the type of sidekick she needed. I think this series is going to do well, and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. Bring on the Spectres!

Demelza loves science – she loves it so much that she stays up late to work on her inventions.

But she soon discovers she’s also inherited a distinctly unscientific skill: Spectre Detecting. Like her grandmother, she can summon the ghosts of the dead. When Grandma Maeve is kidnapped, Demelza and her pasty-faced best friend, Percy, must leap into action to solve the deadly mystery ...

The big-hearted, colourful debut from former The Worst Witch actress, Holly Rivers, with stunning cover art by Alex T. Smith.

Bookpost! Week ending 9 Feb '20

Quieter again this week. Click on the covers to be taken to a webpage; it's mostly Goodreads, but two are their own publisher's pages instead as they're not on Goodreads yet.

In the Garden by Noelle Smit and James Tuomey

A year passes gently in one family's garden.

Happy Book Birthday!

A bumper load of books published this week!

The Sky is Mine Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for The Sky is Mine! This heartbreaking story explores Izzy's journey to find the strength to stand up against her various problems.

Slight rearrangment

Because there are so many titles coming out on Thursday, I've bumped the #Bookbirthday post until then. Look out for it on Thursday morning! (Or afternoon, but hopefully morning.)

As the World Falls Down by Katy Nicholas

Halley survived the pandemic that took most of the world, and her aunt seems to be immune. Stifled in their tiny cottage, Halley strikes out against her aunt's wishes to look for other survivors.

The Pure Heart by Trudi Tweedie

Iseabail, a young girl from a Hebriden island, is employed as the companion of a rich merchant's daughter on the mainland. The position promises her wealth and education, but it may cost her far more than that.

Triple Review: The Stars we Steal by Alexa Donne

Three times the value today! We all managed to read this novel, so we have all reviewed it for you.

Bookpost!

A much quieter week this week. Probably for the best if we're going to keep up to date!
You can click on the covers to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Book Birthday!

I missed posting on Tuesday because of the blog tour, but these are still very new books!

Evernight by Ross Mackenzie

Lara earns her way as a tosher in the sewers, keeping herself to herself. But big things are happening in her world, big spells are on the rise, and she's about to get caught up in all of it...

Watch Over Me by Jane Renshaw

A terrifying thriller set in Scotland.

Bookpost!

Meant to have this up on Friday, but the week got away from us. Between us we had a great #Bookpost week, receiving both physical and ebooks!

With the exception of The Short Knife, you can click on any of these covers to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton

Years after the zombie apocalypse began, Peter discovers a secret that's been hidden from his isolated community.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Hetty and her friends struggle to survive the mysterious illness plaguing their isolated school.

Happy Book Birthday!

Happy Book Birthday to two fantastic titles publishing today!

Scammed by Kirsten Simmons

Brynn and her friends find things getting even more complicated in the second of this series.

Rebel Girls books

A fascinating biography of a famous female mountain climber.

Happy Book Birthday!

Happy book birthday to all these fabulous reads! We really enjoyed reading (most of) them, and we hope you will too.

The Italian Cure by Melodie Campbell

A very speedy romance story.

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Nothing is easy in this teen romcom featuring radio shows, real and fake celebrities and childhood friends turned strangers. (MINOR SPOILER IN THE REVIEW)

The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott

3.5 rounded down.

In a post apocalyptic Scotland, two young warriors must battle to free their clan from a shadowy, half mythic evil.

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Macbeth retold as a dark, horror filled school story.

The Mystery Kitten by Holly Webb

Every time I read a Holly Webb book, I swear that this time I'm not going to cry. Every time, I lie.

Hostile Territory by Paul Greci

Four teens on a wilderness retreat are left alone when an earthquake wipes out their camp.

Friend of the blog: Blood and Tears by James Chamber

A zombie apocalypse story.

Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith

In a ripped from the headlines novel, Diyva, Aaron and their friends face harrassment and doxing when Diyva becomes popular in an online exploration game.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Pepper and Jack find their lives intersecting in ways they have no idea about as they struggle to deal with their families' businesses.

Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

Kat struggles with school, her friendships and how to be a good feminist in this fantastic novel.

The King's Questioner by Nikki Katz

Magic threatens to tear a kingdom apart in this new fantasy.

Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Emil and Brighton are swept into a magical war on their eighteenth birthday. Struggling to survive, they must figure out which side they're on and who they can trust.

Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse

Reality is not what it seems in this strange, sort of post apocalyptic novel.

Followers by Megan Angelo

Orla, Floss and Marlow navigate fame, celebrity and love, more than thirty years apart from each other.

Double Review: A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen

As it happens, both of your fair bloggers read this book recently. When we realised we both had it on our TBRs, we agreed to double post the review. It turns out we had similiar, but not quite identical feelings about it anyway!

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

Three refugees from a cult find themselves struggling to stay adrift in a strange new world.

Mini reviews

These two mini reviews were sent to me by a friend of the blog. I'm presenting them exactly as they came to me.

The God Game by Danny Tobey

Charlie and his friends think it's just an AR game, until it starts having effects in real life. Things go right - and wrong - depending on how they perform in the Game. Still, it can't make them kill people, can it? Not unless they want to...

Blog Tour: The Moon Hunters by Anya Pavelle

Welcome to the blog tour for this heart pounding new book! Anya was kind enough to stop by and give us some advice for writers. Especially appropriate now as Nanowrimo is on!

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Then: Jane was snatched and wakes up alone in a small room.
Now: Jane pours her heart out on paper, trying to make sense of everything that's happened.

Keystone by Katie Delahanty

In a world ruled by social media standing, Ella must fight to determine her own value.

Chosen by Kiersten White

Nina is still struggling with her Slayer abilities as the stakes continue to rise.

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Lia's uncle has run the kingdom into the ground with his excesses, allowing his ministers to run roughshod over the country. Lia is determined to turn things around. Her new spymaster may be able to help, but as the threads of conflict tangle around them, will they emerge unscathed?

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch

The future has never felt closer in this fun novel for teens and tweens.

Don't let the Beasties escape this Book! by Julie Berry

What an absolutely beautiful picture book.

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao

A desperate princess strikes a deal with a notorious conman to regain control of her empire in the first of a new fantasy series.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

Unexpectedly rescued from her life aboard a debtor's ship, Amara dedicates her life to vengeance against the man who put her there.

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Thursday thought she was happy with her husband's other two wives. Until she finds out something she wasn't supposed to, and her perfect world starts falling down around her...

We Survivors by LJ Thomas

After each thinking they're the last one left alive, a group of teens discover they have something startling in common after the apparent end of the world.

Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World by Heather Frigiola

Hundreds of Creatures from around the world, sorted by place of origin and explained carefully.

The Pretenders by Rebecca Hanover

Emma and her Similiar friends continue to struggle against the crazy plans of their creator and guardian.

The Princess Rules by Philippa Gregory

Princess Florizella lives in a fairytale world, but she is Not A Proper Princess. After all, a Princess is just a Prince with extra Ssss...

Kitchen Witchcraft: Crystal Magic by Rachel Patterson

A wonderful guide to the world of crystals, with everything you need whether you're a new witch, an experienced practitioner, or just want something pretty to put in your home.

Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Shades of The Hunger Games as Astrid runs a dangerous race that might elevate her social standing...or might leave her broken or dead along the way.

The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts

Magical and mundane armies collide in the last of the trilogy set after the end of the world.




Third books of trilogys are tricky. It's hard to wrap everything up nicely, while still having a good story, and maybe leaving a couple of threads in case you want to expand the world afterwards. It's a fine line and sadly, for me at least, this one doesn't make it.

Off the Grid by John Hunt

Police Detective Jodie is called in on a missing child case. All the clues point to the town hermit, a disfigured man who lives out in the woods far from town. Jodie doesn't think he's guilty, but he's certainly involved...

Things can Only get Better by David M Barnett

Left adrift when his beloved wife died, Arthur moved into a disused chapel in the cemetery grounds and took up a job as groundskeeper. He lives a solitary life and enjoys it. Or at least, doesn't hate it. Actually, he doesn't feel much of anything these days. Irritation at the local teens, who are always taking short cuts through the graveyard. Fear and worry, when he learns that the council plans to move part of the graveyard and destroy his chapel to build housing for asylum seekers. As anger grows in the local community, Arthur and the group of disaffected teens who have befriended him must decide what's worth fighting for, and what should be left in the past.