The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings illustrated by Alex T Smith

I'm honoured to be celebrating Natasha's gorgeous middle grade debut The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair which is released in the UK on the 27th October, my only regret, is that I didn't have enough time, nor energy to create a bookbounding costume in time for my date on the Write Reads Tour, as I …

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Review & Author Content: Stone by Finbar Hawkins

Today is my turn to celebrate the incredible book that is Stone by Finbar Hawkins, and I’m lucky enough to be hosting a reflection by Finbar himself on grief. I would recommend making a nice drink and maybe a biscuit before settling down, as I had a lot of thoughts and of course, please note …

Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track – Annelise Gray with Guest Feature by Annelise Gray

Last year I wrote enthusiastically about the first book in this series Race to The Death partially for its keen historical observation, and by this education by stealth; but equally so for its storycraft, total immersion in Dido’s world that evokes the greatest stories of literature, those that pull us in and care from the …

Cruel Castle- Bryony Pearce

SCREEECH!!! If you thought Savage Island was tricksy and brilliant you ain’t seen nothing yet. The terrifying sequel Cruel Castle ups the stakes yet concentrates the action into a claustrophobic space with the horrors of living after the events of the island and what happens when Gold wants more.  For fans of Escape rooms whether …

Savage Island- Bryony Pearce

Savage Island is a deeply clever account of secrets, lies, family and friendship under strain set amidst a high stakes Duke of EdinburghXgeocaching treasure hunt perfect for teens who may have begged to watch Squid Game, but parents are hesitant to expose to that level of violence.

The Memory Thieves – Darren Simpson

I'm delighted to be celebrating and cheering on The Memory Thieves today. Darren Simpson changed the landscape of children’s literature with his stunning debut Scavengers, and his second book The Memory Thieves incredibly, may be even better.  Ignorance is bliss… What you don’t know can’t hurt you…If you hold on to your history you let …

A Shelter for Sadness – Anne Booth & David Litchfield

Anne Booth is a favourite in this house, her Lucy Books and Magical Kingdom of Birds have a gentle kindness woven into the pages even when they sometimes deal with situations children may find challenging, which is why it is lovely to see Anne turn her hand to dealing with emotions in a picture book.  …