Books I can't wait to read

Welcome to December's Books I can't wait to read post.

I have some real crackers this month. So many books I am just dying to read have had covers announced since I last did one of these posts. All links take you straight to goodreads so you can add them to your wishlists.

The Bubblewrap Boy by Phil Earle

Charlie Han's troubles are way bigger than he is. At school, he's branded an outsider, a loser - the tiny kid from the Chinese Chippy. His only ally is Sinus Sedgely, the only lad in school with a worse reputation than Charlie himself. Life at home isn't much better. His dad is better with a wok than he is with words, and his mum is suffocating the life out of Charlie, wrapping him in enough cotton wool to fill a pharmacy. But when a new passion leads Charlie to the mother of all confrontations, he finds his mum's been hiding a massive secret. A secret that whilst shocking, might actually lead Charlie to feeling ten feet tall. The Bubble Wrap Boy is about the terrors of friendship, family and one undersized boy's ability to think BIG...


Why I want this book
Put simply because it is written by Phil Earle. His books to date have been thoughtful and pack an emotional punch. I cannot wait to get my hands on this.

The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon

Meet Jessie, the daughter of Johnny Jefferson, as featured in Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine…
My fifteenth birthday was the worst day of my life, and it's inconceivable to think that any single day in my future will ever be as bad. My mum was killed in a freak accident on her way to pick up my cake. Even when there was still no sign of her after two hours later, and my friends started to arrive at our house, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be coming back.
That was six months ago. My mum died without telling me who my real dad was. And for a while I hated her for it. I thought she's taken the secret of my father's identity with her forever. But she didn't. Holy hell, she didn't. Because three weeks ago I found out the truth. And I'm still reeling from the shock of it. My dad is none other than Johnny Jefferson, mega famous rock star and one-time serial womaniser. And now I'm on my way to LA to meet him and his family.
My tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger…

Why I want this book
Had you asked me two weeks ago if I was fussed with this book I would have told you no. However I met Paige Toon at the end of November and got copies of her adult books this title spins off from. I whizzed through them in the weekend and have since ordered all of the books currently published by her and have loved and flown through all of them. Cannot wait for this one now!!

 Say her name by James Dawson

 Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... 

Why I want this book
Another book I need to read just because of who it is written by. I love James Dawson to pieces and even though I am worried this book will give me nightmares I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Valentine Joe by Rebecca Stevens

Rose's granddad takes her on a trip to Ypres, Belgium to visit the graves of those who died in the Great War. It's the day before Valentine's Day, but Rose can sense the shattered old city beneath the chocolate-box new. And it seems that it can sense her too. When she goes up to her room that night, she hears the sound of marching feet and glimpses from her window a young soldier on his way to the front line..

What I want this book
The History Teacher part of me is so freaking excited to read this book and use it in the classroom. I take a bus load of kids out to visit the grave this book was inspired by and never fail to be moved by it.

Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Sam and Hannah only have the holidays to find 'The One'. Their lobster. But instead of being epic, their summer is looking awkward. They must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins for ever to find happiness. But fate is at work to bring them together. And in the end, it all boils down to love.

Why I want this book
Does it just look the cutest book out? I want it from the cover alone.

A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke

When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.

Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy – everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.

Alex can’t help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive…

But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives.

Why I want this book
Because it is written by Cat Clarke. I love her books and always fly through them in a matter of hours because they are awesome.

Review: Roomies by Tara Altebrando and Sara Zarr

Goodreads Synopsis
It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

My thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed Roomies mostly because I loved seeing a friendship develop via emails. The story is split narrative and tells the story of two girls who get in contact after they are assigned to be roommates for the coming academic year and follows their story in the led up to their first day at college.

I particularly liked seeing how their friendship develops over the course of the book when the only contact they have is via the back and forth of emails. I liked seeing how intense it could get even though they hadn't met and I loved how it changed the nature of how they were with each other and the misconceptions both had about the other. It reminded me so much of when I had an email pen friend in the early days of the internet and of the friendship I had with her.

Really easy to read as you just keep wanting to know more

History Books I Rate: Victorian

Some of you might know I teach History at High School. I love finding good YA historical fiction which I can use in the classroom if only to recommend to my students as wider reading.

I do however find that I can be very critical of historical fiction and I do find myself having to give up on books others have raved about because I can't get over historical inaccuracies or stories where events are treated lightly.

This month I have a selection of books set in and around the Victorian period (some do slip into Edwardian too)

The Quietness by Alison Rattle

This book utterly fascinated me as a historian. It looks at Victorian baby farms and I was hooked right from the first page. As well as a fascinating story line the main characters were awesome and the ending is truly brilliant. I loved it.

Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

I adore this series and possibly like it more than his Dark Material series. Sally Lockhart is an awesomely brilliantl female lead and I loved her courage and they way she deal with the situations she is forced into. I loved the world building and could happily reread this series over and over again

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Another book featuring baby farms but also looking at the stigma surrounding unmarried mothers. I loved the side notes and was utterly hooked when reading this one. Felt very Pullman actually.

Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Chris Edge

This reminds me of a younger Ruby in the Smoke. There's a supernatural hint to the story which makes it appealing to a younger audience. I love Penny Treadwell. I want her and Sally Lockhart to team up!

We Love This Book: The best books of 2013

I just wanted to highlight for you the list of The best books of 2013 posted on We Love This Book today.

It is a list of 10 books picked by 10 UK bloggers picking out their favourite read of 2013 and I am featured on it talking about Heroic by Phil Earle. Check it out here

November review

A slow month for me reading wise. Work has been crazy not leaving a lot of time for reading

Books read
196) Witchfinder by Ruth Warburton (British Books Challenge)
197) All I Want for Christmas by Esme Taylor (British Books Challenge)
198) The Dark Inside by Rupert Wallis (British Books Challenge)
199) Dead Ends by Erin Lange
200) Tape by Steve Camden (British Books Challenge)
201) This song will save your life by Leila Sales
202) The Engagements by J Courtney Sullivan
203) Boys don't Knit by Tom Easton (British Books Challenge)
204) The Isobel Journal by Isobel Harrop
205) Leopold Blue by Rosie Rowell
206) A boy called Hope by Lara Williamson (British Books Challenge)
207) How to be a woman by Caitlin Moran (British Books Challenge)
208) Finding Jennifer Jones by Anne Cassidy (British Books Challenge)
209) When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan (British Books Challenge)
210) Running Girl by Simon Mason (British Books Challenge)
211) The Black Crow Conspiracy by Chris Edge (British Books Challenge)
212) Before we met by Lucie Whitehouse (British Books Challenge)

Events attended
I will be at the Simon and Schuster blogger brunch today. Cannot wait to see all my lovely blogging friends

No books allowed November 2013

This month has gone by fast. I've been more busy than ever at work due to anti-bullying week and everything else has just taken a back seat. Roll on December and the Christmas holidays when I an finally catch up with life.

These are the few things I have been up to in no particular order

Anti-Bullying week
The busiest part of my month has been Anti-bullying week. For this I have been working a variety of things with my anti-bullying team at school. This included a trip to a Anti-Bullying conference in London with two students where there were a huge list of celebrities working with 400 kids on ways to raise awareness about anti-bullying messages. The team ran assemblies, designed a pledge wall, sold wristbands, were featured in the local newspaper and visited by a national anti-bullying to showcase their work. Super busy but generally fabulous.

Fringe Season 2

This month we have been working through Fringe Season 2. This mostly involved me being slightly confused and drooling over Joshua Jackson. I enjoyed the whole experience rather a lot.

Sugababes

Ok yes I know they are no longer called Sugababes but I can't get their new name into my head. Anyways this month I got tickets to go and see original line up Sugababes at UEA. They were awesome. We had debated on the way to the gig about what they would play, whether there would be any old stuff particularly because they no longer used the old name. I am delighted to say the set list was a brilliant mix of old Sugababes songs mixed in with new stuff. I loved it. It made me feel 18 again

David Tennant in Richard II

When I heard David Tennant was doing Shakespeare earlier this year I wanted to go. Unfortunately my holidays being as restricted as they are meant getting tickets for Stratford upon Avon just wasn't going to happen. We then found out tickets for a cinema screening were happening in the city 20 miles away but missed out as they sold out instantly and after much sulking we gave up on the idea. However as chance would have it we stumbled up an advert for our local cinema 5 mins away which was showing it and snapped tickets up to see it. Was it as good as the theatre? Of course not but as that option was available it was an awesome alternative as far cheaper than what we would have spent getting tickets for Stratford never mind the costs of getting there and staying over. The play itself was amazing and whilst I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan as a direct result of my High School English experiences I'd certainly recommend it and be up for going to more. Shakespeare is definitely one to be seen rather than read.

FYI the old ladies frown at you if you follow cinema food etiquette in theatre showings despite the fact you are in a cinema. Most uncomfortable boost bar consumption of my life to date .... thank goodness I didn't go down the popcorn option.

Dr Who

In the Connor household there has been much excitement about the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special. I'm not going to review in great depth but I will say I loved David Tennant and Matt Smith together in it, I loved John Hurt, I loved the cameos from Peter Capaldi and Tom Baker and cannot wait for the Christmas special now!

So November ... I've either been working or watching stuff so it seems!

Review: Everyone a Stranger by Victor Watson

I thoroughly enjoyed everyone a stranger and it was the perfect book to finish a series I have adored from start to finish.

Everyone a stranger is set at the end of the Second World War and finishes off Molly, Adam and Abigail's story. I loved several things about it. I loved how the book really got across this sense of people looking forward to a brave new world. The way it discusses the way in which people were keen to vote for labour and tackle the five giants as set out by William Beveridge's report is brilliant. You really get the idea that people, having given up everything for the war effort, were now wanting better for the country and themselves in the future and were keen to vote for it even if that meant ousting the Great War leader Churchill to do so.

This book was more grown up and darker in its feel than previous books and you really get the sense that these characters whom you've followed over the previous books have grown up and are about to become adults. The way in which they perceive their future and start making plans for who they want to be is really fascinating to see.

This book had a nice touch in that it has small parts set in the future and enables you to look back and see how things turned out for the characters. I like it as a touch especially as it wasn't done in a cheesy way.

All in all a fantastic series which I would thoroughly recommend for anyone who loves stories set in the Second World War. Unlike other series set in this time period I love how they are a bit tamer meaning they are perfect for younger teens but at the same time they aren't trivial and give the reader lots to think about and reflect on. Perfect for your budding historians