Bed with Books

The Season is a YA Regency-era romantic mystery by Sarah MacLean. It is time for seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford’s first season – and she is not pleased about it. Less than thrilled about dress fittings, balls and the generally encouraged feminine pursuits, Alex’s opinionated independence sets her apart. And she is not in the slightest bit interested in finding a husband. However, she and her close friends Ella and Vivi are thrust into the London season and manage to keep each other amused enough to prevent from being bored to death by the safe, respectable suitors being pressed upon them. Yet behind the scenes of the glamorous gowns, dances and dinner parties, there is espionage and murder occurring. Unintentionally finding themselves caught up in the intrigue, Alex, Ella and Vivi find their season turning far more interesting – and dangerous. And most unexpectedly yet – perhaps some true romance is around the corner also… The Season was a fun read! It’s not Jane Austen – ...

Antebellum Awakening is the second book in the YA fantasy Network Series by Katie Cross. I would strongly recommend that readers read Miss Mabel’s School for Girls before this – and warn that this review will contain inevitable spoilers for the first book. Therefore I recommend not reading this review until you’ve read Miss Mabel’s . Feel free to read my review of that first book here . Half numb from the events at the end of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls and in deep mourning for her mother, Bianca finds herself suddenly at Chatham Castle – her father’s break in tradition in having a family known by all – and many not with a favorable outlook. Though she’s surrounded by her friends, nothing can distract her from the uncontrollable chaos her powers have become since her mother’s murder. She’s putting everyone is danger by just being present. Yet the most daunting thing is that she only has six months left before her seventeenth birthday – the day that her Inheritance Curse will kil...

Title: Cakes in Space Author: Philip Reeve Publisher: OUP Oxford Release Date: 4 Sept. 2014 ISBN-13: 978-0192734563 Synopsis Astra's family are all snoring in their sleeping pods, but Astra is WIDE AWAKE. With her friend, Pilbeam, she goes off exploring and soon finds out the ship is in deep trouble. It's been knocked off course and invaded by a gang of Poglites, an alien salvage crew searching for spoonage. But even the Poglites need Astra's help when they discover something far more sinister lurking in the canteen. Sure, they're cakes; but no one would describe them as sweet.   My Review It's that time of year again in our library service - 'Children's Book Day'. This is an annual event where staff at the library are given a set of books to read, we go through them over the next few months and then all meet up for a big day of book discussions, author visits and idea sharing. It's the high point of my year and is a great way for staff t...

Title: Au Revoir Crazy European Chick Author: Joe Schreiber Series: Perry & Gobi (Book 1) Publisher: Electric Monkey Release Date: 5 Mar. 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1405259439 ASIN: B007QUYF0I Synopsis Fasten your seatbelts for a quirky, rapid-fire joyride through the streets of New York. ‘You shot him. You totally just shot that guy back there. I think I’m gonna throw up.’ One ordinary guy. One female assassin. When Gobi lands in Perry’s life, she rips is apart like a bombshell...   My Review I actually listened to this on audio book in my car. The cover for that was so much cooler, I have to admit: I actually knew nothing about this when I ordered it, I literally wanted something to listen too so just searched for YA Spoken word and started with 'a'. this came up and I thought it sounded funny- the title was unusual and that is all we still on our library catalogue (well, title and author). I requested it because with that title I assumed it would be like Louise Rennison or C...

Violet Eyes is a YA retelling of The Princess and the Pea , one of the Once Upon a Time books, by Debbie Viguie. Contented, simple farm girl Violet’s life is made more complicated when she and her family take in a wounded stranger – who turns out to Prince Richard of the realm. Once he is returned to full health, he’ll have to head to the kingdom after a year abroad locating princesses for his parents, the king and queen, to enter into a competition for his hand in marriage. Reluctant to do such a thing, Richard instead finds himself intrigued by Violet’s straightforward, strong personality and they quickly fall in love. Yet in order to have a chance to be together, Violet will need to compete against the many princesses in odd, enigmatic tests that range from the ridiculous to the dangerous… Violet Eyes moves swiftly, as it sort of has to since it’s just shy of 200 pages. I’m never a fan of love at first sight – finding it superficial, improbable and irritating – but for the case o...

Title of Book: She Dreamed of Dragons Blurb:    Trina is more likely to set the palace on fire with her powers than be a princess – could a dragon mage be the next ruler of the magical kingdom of Dorlith? Synopsis:    Trina is a fifteen-year-old dragon mage in a kingdom ruled by witches and wizards – the same people who have brought dragons and other magical creatures near extinction. Trina can barely control her fire powers and is desperate for an apprenticeship, but finding a fellow dragon mage to be her teacher is proving more difficult than coming across an actual dragon.  Then there’s the Royal Tourney – a competition presented by the Queen to find a successor to the throne. Trina heads to the competition in the hopes of sparking some interest in the mage society and earning herself an apprenticeship.  She never intended to be a frontrunner in the competition.  She never meant to catch the attention of the evil witch trying to take ov...

The Page Turners is a YA contemporary horror novel, and the first in a trilogy, by Kevin T. Johns. Nate, Danny and Spenser are outcasts – and they’ve found that this is far more apparent and dangerous now that they are freshmen in high school. Daily they are victims of ridicule and, at least in Nate’s case, violence. For Nate, his home life is not much better. One of the only bright moments the friends look forward to is their self-made club – The Page Turners. Essentially they meet in the library to discuss their mutual passion for fiction – whether literature, movies or television – and present their opinions and thoughts in an organized, official manner. It’s during one of these meetings that Nate happens upon a strange book in the library – something old, handwritten and brimming with mystery. He’s sure that it is real magic – but when they speak the incantation they find in English – nothing happens. …or does it? The Page Turners is a quickly paced book that is easy and fast to ...