From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with this e-Arc. 

Pages: 192

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Released: 19th of May 2015

Olivia Grace is completely average. Or so she thinks . . . until Her Royal Highness, Princess Mia Thermopolis turns up at her school one day and whisks Olivia away to New York City! In a limo, no less! Where you can eat all the cookies you want and the ceiling lights up pink and purple - like a disco! But discovering that your father is actually the Prince of Genovia is quite a shock. Especially since it means you're a descendent of the Kingdom of Genovia, and a princess. Olivia's got a lot to learn about her long-lost family - and everyone's got a lot to learn about her!

Olivia chronicles her transformation from ordinary girl to princess in her notebook, with illustrations from Meg Cabot, who studied Fine Arts as an undergraduate.

What I Have to Say 

I grew up with Princess Diaries. I have very fond memories of buying the books and reading them on the same day and just loving them. So obviously I was going to be excited about this book. 

Olivia is very different from Mia, but she was so sweet. I felt that maybe the book was written a bit young, but I loved her naivety and excitement. It was a nice contrast to Mia's story and the way she found out about being a princess. 

I really want to make a big deal about the fact that Olivia is black as well. Although I do wonder about the fact that she is accepted without question as the princess of a European country, as it's a middle grade book, maybe the tales of Olivia and the fight against racism in the government of Genovia is something for another book. The fact is, this is wonderful and having a black character so clearly on the cover of an American Middle Grade book is a brilliant step for diversity. 

The illustrations were also adorable. They tied in so beautifully with Olivia's ambition to become an animal illustrator. I also love the detail that was put into making the drawings with a subject more detailed and advanced than the ones of things done from imagination/memory. 

This book was completely adorable and I adored every second. I only wish it had taken me less than one night to finish it!

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 343

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Released: 25th April 2015

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face. 

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. 

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. And eventually, through this realization, Bianca begins to see how harmful her unhealthy way of dealing with her problems has been, and finds a way to confront them head on. 

What I Have To Say 

I have very mixed feelings about this book. My first thing is the fact that the character is not like other girls, because she doesn't like dancing or flirting or other things that her friends like. At first I was completely against it. I'm sick of every book being about girls who are special and unique and feel completely different from every other girl. But then I got thinking. Actually, that was exactly how I felt in high school. In fact I think a lot of teenagers feel the same way. So in the end, I don't know what to feel about it. 

The title is something that I sort of feel weird about though. It's been a few years since I've been in high school, so maybe it's a commonly used phrase nowadays. But if it's not, the author is giving teenagers another thing to bully each other about. Especially because people do pick up on these things and they do use them against each other (anyone else short sighted been told they should've gone to spec-savers?).

The one thing I did like about this was how it treated sex. I'm not saying that books should encourage young people to have sex, but there is a big lack of books where they treat sex like it's no big deal, because sex is something that people put too much importance into. This is a book that actually debates whether sex defines a person. It looks at words such as slut and whore and what they mean about people. 

I really think that this book looks at issues that need to be address. It's good that it looks at words and labels and what they really mean. But I'm not sure it pulled it off quite as sensitively as it should have been. 

This book was not for me. 

Book Haul #8

Got lots of books this week, some paper some electronic. All very exciting.

Synopsis from Netgalley or Goodreads.

Netgalley

A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.

I feel this book could go either way. It's an interesting concept and I'll be interested to see whether it's pulled off well or not. 

Physical Copy

Read Me Like a Book  by Liz Kessler

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .

Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

This book looks so interesting and such a pretty cover! I'm really looking forward to reading it. Thank you Indigo! 

The Snow Kimono by Mark Henshaw

On the same day that retired police inspector Auguste Jovert receives a letter from a woman claiming to be his daughter, he returns to his Paris apartment to find a stranger waiting for him.

That stranger is a Japanese professor called Tadashi Omura. What's brought him to Jovert's doorstep is not clear, but then he begins to tell his story - a story of a fractured friendship, lost lovers, orphaned children, and a body left bleeding in the snow.

As Jovert pieces together the puzzle of Omura's life, he can't help but draw parallels with his own; for he too has lead a life that's been extraordinary and dangerous - and based upon a lie.

I'm not sure if this will be a little too literary for me, but I'm really looking forward to it. 

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

London, 1884. When Thaniel Steepleton comes home to find a new watch on his pillow, he has bigger things to worry about than generous burglars; he is a telegraphist at the Home Office, where he has just received a Fenian bomb threat. But six months later, the watch saves his life in a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, and at last, he goes in search of its maker. 

He meets Keita Mori, a Japanese immigrant who remembers the future. As Mori begins to tweak daily life in Thaniel’s favour, everything seems to be going well – until physicist Grace Carrow, attracted to Thaniel’s refreshingly direct, unstuffy nature, unwittingly interferes. Soon, events spiral beyond Thaniel’s control, and nothing is certain any more…

This looks so good! And it's so pretty and I'm incredibly thrilled to have it. Thank you so much, Bloomsbury! 

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . . 

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?

This looks really creepy and dark and it's probably going to keep me up at night, but I just couldn't resist it! Thank you, Indigo! 

Day 21 and Homecoming by Kass Morgan

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Released: 25th of September 2014

Other Books in the Series: The 100,

It's been 21 days since The 100 landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries... or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 222

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Released: 24th of February 2015

Humanity is coming home.

Weeks after landing on Earth, the Hundred have managed to create a sense of order amidst their wild, chaotic surroundings. But their delicate balance comes crashing down with the arrival of new dropships from space.

These new arrivals are the lucky ones - back on the Colony, the oxygen is almost gone -but after making it safely to Earth, GLASS's luck seems to be running out. CLARKE leads a rescue party to the crash site, ready to treat the wounded, but she can't stop thinking about her parents who may still be alive. Meanwhile, WELLS struggles to maintain his authority despite the presence of the Vice Chancellor and his armed guards, and BELLAMY must decide whether to face or flee the crimes he thought he'd left behind.

It's time for the Hundred to come together and fight for the freedom they've found on Earth, or risk losing everything - and everyone - they love.

What I Have to Say 

I have to say, I feel that the TV series has improved, at least in plotline, over time, but the books? They are completely different. During the second book, the plotline goes in a completely different direction, so much so that the third book has pretty much nothing to do with the tv series except the original concept and some of the character names. 

As far as the plotlines go, I like both in different ways. I'm still loving the stuff with Glass, especially during these two books with her character changing and struggling. I also loved what happened in the third book with Rhodes and a certain plot point that seems to have been forgotten in the TV series. 

And I'm still loving all the background stuff about the characters. The fact that Clarke actually had medical training. The class system that they had on board the ship and the society that the 100 built on earth. I think the book focused a lot more on what the 100 had achieved and how the adults come and try to change it and take it back to the way things were on the ship than they did in the series. 

Honestly, if it's an either/ or? I would say go for the books. They are so much better. But I like both. 

The Disappearance of Emily H. by Barrie Summy

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 256

Publisher: Random House Children's Books 

Released: 12th of May 2015

A girl who can see the past tries to save the future in this compelling tween mystery.

 

A girl is missing. Three girls are lying. One girl can get to the truth.

 

Emily Huvar vanished without a trace. And the clues are right beneath Raine’s fingertips. Literally. Raine isn’t like other eighth graders. One touch of a glittering sparkle that only Raine can see, and she’s swept into a memory from the past. If she touches enough sparkles, she can piece together what happened to Emily.

 

When Raine realizes that the cliquey group of girls making her life miserable know more than they’re letting on about Emily’s disappearance, she has to do something. She’ll use her supernatural gift for good . . . to fight evil.

 

But is it too late to save Emily? 

What I Have to Say 

This was actually really good. I wasn't sure after reading the blurb which way it could go, especially since I've had some really bad books from Netgalley. But apparently I've gotten better at finding the good ones, because I really enjoyed reading the Disappearance of Emily H. In fact, I think the only complaint I really have of it is that it was too short! 

I found Raine's character really intriguing and really enjoyed the parts were she was exploring her gift. It's strange that it's quite a common gift that is used by psychics, but in literature I haven't seen that much of psychometry. It seems like the sort of thing that would thrive in YA especially. 

I also found the mystery element was done really well. At first I thought that it was a bit predictable, since it seemed that everything that happened to Emily was presented from the very start, but it really surprised me. 

 This book is a lovely Middle Grade mystery. 

Mini- Interview and Giveaway! The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Last week I went to I blogger event in London. The event was a wonderful Afternoon Tea with a bunch of Bloggers and the author Ryan Graudin, kindly organized by the ever lovely Nina Douglas of Orion Books. The event was exciting and some of you may have seen pictures (seen below)  from the cover reveal we did of Graudin's new book Wolf by Wolf, which I was thrilled to be a part of.

Probably the most exciting thing (other than getting a proof copy of Wolf by Wolf)  was that I got a few moments alone with Ryan Graudin to conduct a mini- interview. I kept it short out of respect for the other bloggers (and that I couldn't think of that many questions). I also didn't have the forethought to record the interview so everything is going to have to be paraphrased. 

To tie in with the giveaway, most of the questions are about her previous book The Walled City. 

Were there any parts of the book that you found particularly emotional to write about? 

Yes. The scenes in the brothel with Mae Lin and Ambassador Osamu were particularly difficult. At times she found herself physically reviled. Some of the things that Jin had to go through were hard to write about, but nothing was as hard as Mae Lin. 

Were there parts of the book that you embellished to make the story work better? 

A lot of names were changed for the book, including not using the name of the city that The Walled City was based on. The Brotherhood are symbolically the Triad. She tried to keep checking the facts as much as she could, but it was hard to keep everything accurate. There were things that she got wrong in drafts that she hadn't even thought about (such as the fact that cicadas cannot grip bamboo wood as it's too hard). She also change a lot of names during the process because she found they weren't Cantonese. 

One instance where she took creative license was the fact that she wasn't sure if Jin could really get to the city on her bike as it's a long way, but as it works best for the story, she kept it in. 

Alternatively, was there anything you didn't include? 

She was careful not to make things too graphic as she wanted to impact on her readers rather than shock them. 

Also, as she knew a lot of women are constantly going through the things Mae Lin goes through, she made an effort to be careful with what she was writing. 

I asked her if there was anything she wanted to say about Wolf by Wolf. 

She found it hard to find the right niche for it as she hasn't seen much alternative World War Two literature in YA before, especially ones involving the supernatural elements that she included. She spoke about the American tag line "Inglorious Bastards meets Code Name Verity" which she hadn't seen or read respectively. She also talked about the X-men similarities. 

Giveaway - Signed Copy of The Walled City 

- UK entries online. Sorry guys! But I can't afford international postage! 

- Will end on 2nd of May (two weeks from now) 

-I'll probably throw in some origami bookmarks. 

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The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 512

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Released: 26th of March 2015 (First Published 1993) 

Twenty-year-old Ruth Berger is desperate. The daughter of a Jewish-Austrian professor, she was supposed to have escaped Vienna before the Nazis marched into the city. Yet the plan went completely wrong, and while her family and fiancé are waiting for her in safety, Ruth is stuck in Vienna with no way to escape. Then she encounters her father’s younger college professor, the dashing British paleontologist Quin Sommerville. 

Together, they strike a bargain: a marriage of convenience, to be annulled as soon as they return to safety. But dissolving the marriage proves to be more difficult than either of them thought—not the least because of the undeniable attraction Quin and Ruth share. To make matters worse, Ruth is enrolled in Quin’s university, in his very classes. Can their secret survive, or will circumstances destroy their love?

What I Have to Say 

I wish I could have gotten into this, I really do. The first Eva Ibbotson book I read was The Secret Countess. I adored it. The writing was beautiful and the story was enchanted and it's left me with the feeling that I want to grab and read every other Eva Ibbotson book that I've found. But it's hard. This and the other one I've tried, Magic Flutes, have been so slow and hard to get through and though the prose is absolutely beautiful and the stories are gorgeous, I just can't get past the slowness. 

As I said though, this was a beautiful. Set against the backdrop of WW2 there was plenty of potential danger as Ruth tried to flee Vienna. And her character was beautiful. Her joy in everything new that she experienced. Her love for everyone and everything around him. I think Ruth is someone that everyone can learn from when it comes from optimism and the beauty of the world. 

In the end, it was a lovely story but just far too slow for me so my search for another Eva Ibbotson book that I like continues.