Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Earth Hagiography by Sfarda L. Gül – LBT blog tour

Today, I’m reviewing Earth Hagiography, an adult poetry book by Sfarda L. Gül.

This is a first for me, and I’d love to know if you’re interested in me doing more.

But first, let’s get into this.

For those who don’t spend their lives reading about medieval saints for fun, a hagiography is – according to the Cambridge dictionary –

I love this as a title for a book of poems about the earth – it’s probably the main reason why I decided to review this book, rather than sticking to only children’s literature. Not only does it encapsulate this sense of a holy ‘Mother Earth’ , but it also speaks to the idea that we’re celebrating something that has passed – a warning, in this day and age, that the climate crisis can (and will) end us unless we act.

There’s very little in the way of introduction to this book, which I found to be something of a double-edged sword. I love poetry, but one of my favourite things about reading it is looking at the author’s intentions and the way that they were executed. I like Hollie McNish for this reason – her accompanying essays enrich the poetry so much – and I’ll forever be a fan of a good anthology, like Ella Risbridger’s Set Me on Fire. That said, it sort of works here – the intentions of the earth are unknowable, and we can only make meaning in the natural world for ourselves.

The poetry is enigmatic, and as a fan of writing that uses incredibly specific, unusual words that feel good to say aloud, I really loved the vocabulary of this book. And yes, I realise that sounds pretentious, but I was a linguist in a former life. I love the way we pronounce words in contrast to their spellings, and their etymologies, and the way that English has incredibly niche ways to describe such odd things. Words like ‘enubilous’ (used in Dew) just feel so good to say.

Time (Nonlinear) was a favourite – the branching penultimate and final verses reading like the splitting of tree roots. I also loved Taxidermy, which felt both grim and humorous and hopeful. I also found When I opened my Eyes and Natureless Sphericity to be particularly hard-hitting. And then there’s the layout of Solastalgia and Artificial Life both of which I could have spent a long time unpicking – and might, later.

Overall, the themes are somewhat bleak, but that’s probably because… *gesticulates wildly* You know. I do like that the final inclusion is a poem of hope though, or rather, a plea for something to hope for.

If you’re a fan of poetry and words, this is definitely a book you should consider.
___

So, what do we think? Should I review more adult books? More poetry books?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Posted on

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson – Write Reads Blog Tour

I’ve reviewed a few of Victoria Williamson’s books in the past; The Haunting Scent of Poppies, Feast of Ashes, Whistlers in the Dark, and Norah’s Ark to date. I think what I admire most about her work is the range of settings she uses, and Skyfleet is no exception.

Here seems like the perfect place for the book’s blurb…

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes…

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it – the Firehawk – lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents’ legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo’s help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

Firstly, I wish I could go back in time and give this book to 12-year-old me. At that point, I was desperate to be Han Solo, and the idea of a child my age, getting to pilot something as cool as the Firehawk would have guaranteed obsession over this book from me. Actually, the whole thing feels reminiscent of my own childhood – there are Han Solo Star Wars elements in there, but there are also shades of Starship Troopers,* Disney’s Rescue Rangers, and Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds. There are fact files about the individual aircraft – something pretty much guaranteed to appeal to any Pokemon fans out there. Case in point; as youngest was reading, much page-flicking occurred in an effort to decide which craft would be best-suited to deal with which incoming Mutabug species.

I have to admit – I stayed up way past my bedtime reading this and have absolutely no regrets. It was so much fun to lose myself in brightly-coloured escapist adventure again, in a way I haven’t for years. Certainly not since the first time I watched Pacific Rim.

My singular qualm about this book was the layout – it took a bit of coaxing to get the aforementioned youngest kiddo to dive in because of the tiny page margins. I think the blocks of text seemed slightly intimidating. Admittedly, said kiddo is 9, and perhaps a little younger than the main target audience, but it’s worth mentioning in case other small folk out there also find packed pages slightly off-putting. That being the case, it might be a book to read together, rather than to send a young reader off with.

On top of that, I found the change in font for the dialogue when characters were talking over the radio slightly distracting, but as my reading sped up as the book went on, I got used to it, and can definitely see why the decision to differentiate was made.

Otherwise, this was a stonkingly good romp that felt nostalgic without being old-hat. I really hope it’s the start of a series. I’ll definitely be passing out a few copies this Christmas.

Huge thanks to The Write Reads for this book, and to the author for the incredibly fun ARC pack – and massive thanks to Sabrina at Booktails for the photo.**

___
*Don’t judge my parents too harshly – they didn’t know I was watching this. Or if they did, they turned a blind eye to my sneaky video-mislabelling antics.

**So, little known fact about me; I use a Nokia flip phone rather than a smart phone. It’s something I started doing in 2016 as a way to stay sane. For the most part, it’s excellent, but for photos… less so. I do have an old DSLR which I use when I’m out and about, but as its currently got its macro lens on for a uni project, it’s of less use for photographing Mutabugs… They’re much too big!

___

I’ve set up a ‘bookshop‘ of sorts, over on Bookshop.org, so that I can point you to somewhere to buy that isn’t Amazon. I get a small commission for any sales made there. This helps to support me running this blog. If you’d like to get your copy of Skyfleet this way, please just click here. Thank you for your support.

Posted on

Rory and the Snack Dragons by Louisa MacDougall

Youngest kiddo seems to have developed a taste for writing reviews, and who am I to say no? Here’s another review by my smallest bookworm about one of our absolute favourites this year, Rory and the Snack Dragons by the lovely Louisa MacDougall.

I absolutely loved the sense of fun in this book – I don’t want to spoiler anything, but bicycles feature heavily, and crunchily, as does my own favourite vegetable, the sprout. Honestly, if this isn’t on your shelf yet, then you won’t regret buying a copy. It feels like the sort of story created by parent-and-children in tandem, giggling past bedtime – a real slice of goofy magic and nostalgia. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I first read an extract of this book before it was published because it was shortlisted for the Kelpies Prize 2022. I was really excited that it was getting published and couldn’t wait for it to come out. 😉

Rory and the snack dragons is a fantastic book for children AND adults. I really liked that Rory was not considered a villain like most dragons are, because it means that it can give the reader a different kind of main character. I also liked that it shows that not all books have to be serious. I mean I`ve never read any classics  and serious books are good but it gives you a nice quick break.                                                      

 ANOTHER REVIEW BY YOUNGEST, AGE 9 😉

—

I’ve set up a ‘bookshop‘ of sorts, over on Bookshop.org, so that I can point you to somewhere to buy that isn’t Amazon. I get a small commission for any sales made there. This helps to support me running this blog. If you’d like to get your copy of Rory and the Snack Dragons this way, please just click here. Thank you for your support.

Posted on

The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan – Random Things Blog Tour

The Legendary Mo Seto is an absolutely glorious book, full of warm characters and adventure. There is so much to love about this novel – from the tight plot, to the lovely details that make Mo feel real (for example, the fact that she says every film starring her favourite actor is the best movie ever).

I could honestly rave about this story for days, but I think more telling than anything is that fact that my husband who doesn’t read has run off with our copy of the book! And my nine year old asked me if he could write the review! So here it is!

Mo Seto is an amazing book filled with action excitement and wonderful friendships. I really enjoyed that the main character [Mo]  has got growth problems and that it shows that just because you are small doesn’t mean you’re not strong. I also like that it is based in Canada because most books are set in places like London or America. It was a bit of a slow start but it quickly became an unputdownable  book and I defo think it should have a sequel because it was SO, SO, SO, SO, SO good! And it was actually one of the best books if you could get through the tiny window of a slow start.        

By Youngest, age 9*


Book Blurb: Mo Seto, martial arts movie star! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? If only there wasn’t a height restriction to audition. But 12-year-old Modesty (Mo) Seto has never let her height get in the way before, not when she became a black belt, or when she fought the meanest boy in her class, and she’s not going to let it stop her this time! Now if only she can figure out a way to grow five inches and fool everyone at the auditions… Join Mo on an adventure (and audition) of a lifetime and find out if powerful things really do come in small packages!

About the Author: A.Y. Chan is the author of The Legendary Mo Seto, a story about a 12-year-old female martial artist who auditions for a movie role opposite her favourite martial arts movie hero—only to find out she’s too small for the role. Growing up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area, A.Y. read all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favourite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored a range of other types of martial arts, and she draws upon her experiences in learning new techniques and philosophies to inspire her writing. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

Why A.Y. Chan wrote this book: I started training in taekwondo when I was six and, growing up, I longed to read books about kick-butt girls doing kick-butt things, but there really weren’t as many as I had hoped for. The idea for this book has been percolating in my head ever since. I wish to inspire kids not only to be brave and never give up, but also to be proud of who they are.

My inspiration for my story came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, my protagonist, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently.

I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts and came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.

___

*The book is actually set in California, but for the purposes of not putting the kid off writing reviews, I left everything as it was originally penned so that Youngest could see their exact words online.

___
I’ve set up a ‘bookshop‘ of sorts, over on Bookshop.org, so that I can point you to somewhere to buy that isn’t Amazon. I get a small commission for any sales made there. This helps to support me running this blog. If you’d like to get your copy of The Legendary Mo Seto this way, please just click here. Thank you for your support.

Posted on

Terra Electrica by Antonia Maxwell – The Write Reads Blog Tour

Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to see where the others take us.

The story follows Mani in the wake of her father’s disappearance. Choosing to disobey his instructions to ‘stay put’ when her food supply runs out, Mani meets Leo – a scientist – who makes a remarkable discovery. Mani is immune from the disease that killed her mother and a large portion of the population.

The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world. As the icecaps melted, they left behind a disease which impacts the way human bodies interact with electricity. There’s an element of The Last of Us to this – a man and a girl journeying across a landscape devoid of hope in an attempt to deliver a cure.

But it’s also more than that. Mani has inherited a wooden mask – an artefact that lets her escape to another world where she can communicate with animals. I thought that this was a really unique touch – I’ve come across a lot of dystopian books, but few which incorporate fantasy elements into the end of the Anthropocene.

This is definitely a book for the older end of the MG spectrum, pushing into YA. I know that my youngest (9) wouldn’t be able to cope with the ingenious use of seal bodies for raft building, for example, or the bodies of people that are found in the cottage along Mani and Leo’s journey to the Ark.

I’ve spoken before about how I feel about dystopian books in general – specifically in regards to Feast of Ashes and The Remembering. Whilst Maxwell very much hits similar notes to Williamson, this book doesn’t feel anywhere near as bleak. The way in which Mani makes use of the plastic bottles left behind by our generation, or the way Tilde uses an old truck as a look-out post feels so much more… human. No, it’s not as hopeful as Orrom’s work, but it does show a way forward in which people make the best of a situation, and I think that’s fundamentally human nature. People are wonderful – our systems are not.

There’s a lot more I could say about this book, but as a story that’s heavily plot-driven, I don’t want to give too much away. I would definitely urge you to pick up a copy, and I’ll be waiting for the next instalment.

About the Book:

Book 1 in an action-packed dystopian adventure series set in the near-future post-melt Arctic.

The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.

In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.

Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?

About the Author:

Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK. With a  degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.

___

I’ve set up a ‘bookshop‘ of sorts, over on Bookshop.org, so that I can point you to somewhere to buy that isn’t Amazon. I get a small commission for any sales made there. This helps to support me running this blog. If you’d like to get your copy of Terra Electrica this way, please just click here. Thank you for your support.