A Sky Painted Gold

Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, seventeen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams.

But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... And is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family? {goodreads summary}

I was sold on this novel as soon as I saw someone compare Wood's writing to Eva Ibbotson. Ibbotson was one of my childhood favourites, so I knew I needed to read this! Here are three things I loved about A Sky Painted Gold:

1. The era. This novel has reminded me that I should really, really read more historical fiction! Wood effortlessly transports you to 1920s Cornwall through music, relationship dynamics and plenty of fashion. This would be a beautiful story to see on screen. 

2. Family dynamics. I love the different family relationships shown in A Sky Painted Gold. Lou and Alice's relationship was really special, and the rest of Lou's family were a lot of fun to read about - some of the Aunt Irene moments made me laugh a lot. There were also some great moments that showed how easy it is to read too much into someone's body language and behaviour, and completely misinterpret it. 

3. It had a romance worthy of a Jane Austen novel. I was reminded so much of my favourite Austen couples while reading about Lou and Robert. This novel is getting compared to a lot of great works of literature (and deservedly so), and Pride and Prejudice should be one of them. 

I cannot wait for Wood's next YA novel - Under a Dancing Star - to come out later this year!

The Bear and the Nightingale

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil. {goodreads summary}

The Bear and the Nightingale is not a book to read in the summer. This is one you should save for the end of the year, when the wind is howling outside your window and you can snuggle in a blanket with a hot cup of tea while you read. Here are three things I loved about the Bear and the Nightingale:

1. It was so atmospheric. I read the second half of this novel on holiday, while we were trapped inside for a few days by a storm. With the log fire burning and the incessant sound of rain hitting the windows, I felt utterly transported into the world of this story. 

2. The world building and mythology is superb. I know nothing about Russian folklore, but I never felt lost or confused. 

3. I loved the use of prophecy as a way of foreshadowing events to come, while still keeping you guessing about exactly how those events would play out. 

I will definitely finish this series, but I'm going to wait until November/December time to do so. 

Picture This: Ten Little Robots

A complete set! (Elves not pictures because I put it away after Christmas!)

I've blogged about how much we adore this series before, and with the addition of Ten Little Robots, our collection is once again complete! It doesn't seem to matter how many of these books we buy, my 4 and 2 year old love them all. Ten Little Robots go on a colourful adventure through a factory, trying to avoid electromagnets and molten metal. It is a lot of fun to read and the art work is a joy to look at. 

The Wicked King

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. {goodreads}

Can I limit this review to just three things? I loved The Wicked King every bit as much as The Cruel Prince and am now at a complete loss as to what I'm going to do until the next novel comes out.

1. The characterisation. Jude is brilliant; she's neither good nor bad, although she has a tendency to use violence as a solution for every problem (of which she has many). 

2. The world building: Black makes Faerie both a place of wonder and a place to be feared. 

3. The romance - or the tantalising suggestion of it, at least. There are so many twists and turns in Cardan and Jude's interactions that it's difficult to guess what's going to happen next.

I am so, so pleased The Queen of Nothing's release date has been brought forwards to November!

Picture This: Baby University

It's been so long since I last posted a picture book review! We've had some really nice new ones recently, so I'm going to try and start posting about them more regularly again. Today I'm going to feature the Baby University series, which we've now read four books from. 

My husband is head of science and a physics teacher in a secondary school, so this series started out as a funny present idea, but have actually been a huge hit in our house! The images are simple and bright and the words are easy to follow. I usually just read the first line on each page for the ABC books, making them a fun new way to look at the alphabet. 

There are so many different titles in this series, so there's plenty to go at if you're a Chemist or a Mathematician too. They also make brilliant baby gifts for new parents who work in STEM. I like the sound of Evolution for Babies, and the ABCs of Engineering - although we probably have enough ABC books for now!

Have you read any of the Baby University books? Or are there any other STEM based picture books you love? Let me know in the comments!

On Sapphire Wings

If you follow me on twitter or Wattpad, you'll already know that I've been challenging myself this year by writing my a new fantasy story in free verse. 

On Sapphire Wings is a story of racing, family and loss. It's about learning how to be yourself when everyone has a different notion of who you ought to be. It features giant bird like creatures called Irryss which are raced across the skies in a terrifying tournament of grit, skill and courage. It's fun and a challenge and I'm enjoying every minute I spend writing it. I am also posting it online as I go. This was originally done on Instagram as well as Wattpad, but the Instagram account vanished a couple of weeks ago (I have no idea why). I wasn't happy with the visuals I'd created on Instagram, so I'm not dwelling too much on the loss of the account (although I'm really confused as to where it has gone!) and I'm going to keep posting on Wattpad. Here is the first verse:

I run, 

letting the oxygen 

burn through my veins

melt through my blood stream

until my lungs sing 

for lack of air 

and my chest caves in

upon itself.

I keep going. 

Faster.

Faster. 

Knowing that I cannot stop;

cannot pause;

cannot breathe,

else I will be late.

I run, 

chasing the setting garnet 

sun.

Knowing. 

Knowing, 

that if I cannot 

beat it,

he will guess 

where I have been.

This afternoon, I took some time to outline the full story and I'm excited by how quickly all of the pieces have fallen into place. 

Work in progress.

If you'd like to read On Sapphire Wings, you can do so here. Please comment on the chapters to let me know what you think!

The Rose & The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever. {goodreads summary}

Three things I loved about The Rose & The Dagger: 

1. The writing is rich with imagery and beautiful pieces of description. 

2. It is a brilliant example of how to switch between multiple third person perspectives. Every character has a distinct voice and feel, even though the story isn't written in first person.

3. It was a satisfying, adventure packed ending to a series I have loved reading.