So, today I achieved two things. The first was actually managing to put my socks on; for the first time this week, my feet have been warm all day. The exertion required to complete this simple task left me feeling like I'd run a marathon so I lay down and checked my emails. And there … Continue reading #HiddenBooksGame
The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
Another from the Hooked on Books category of the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017. Set in Edwardian London, this book follows Sophie as she tries to get herself back on her feet after being orphaned, and gets a job in the millinery department of Sinclairs, London's newest department store. Beautifully written, Katherine Woodfine's description of … Continue reading The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird
My son introduced me to this book one afternoon as I picked him up from school. "Mum, you have to read this book, you'll love it." So I did, and it deserves it's place on my bookshelf. Oranges in No Man's Land follows the lives of Ayesha and her younger brothers in war torn Beirut. With … Continue reading Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird
Boy X by Dan Smith
Boy X is on the shortlist for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017 in the Hooked on Books category, so was instantly added to my summer reads pile to get ahead of the game, ready for the release of the shortlist in October. I settled down on my sunbed and was thrown straight into the … Continue reading Boy X by Dan Smith
Ned’s Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher
Ned Waddlesworth's life is boring. His school is boring, the town he lives in is boring, his Dad is boring; boring and overprotective. And then it's Ned's 13th birthday; bring on the clowns! They don't just banish the boring, they turn Ned's world upside down. Everything Ned imagines about magic and monsters turns out to be … Continue reading Ned’s Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher
Peter Bunzl Day
I'd read Cogheart, and loved it. Then, as if all of the cogs in the universe aligned, I saw on Twitter that Peter Bunzl was going to be at the National Space Centre in Leicester on a day I was free! I did what anyone would have done. I got over excited and tweeted him, … Continue reading Peter Bunzl Day
Looking at the Stars by Jo Cotterill
A very worthy winner of the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2016, Hooked on Books category. My book group unanimously voted this as their winner, with all saying they had cried at various points in the story (including the boys). The story follows Amena and her family through their lives in a civil war torn country, … Continue reading Looking at the Stars by Jo Cotterill
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
Full of charm and quirkiness, with characters to both love and loathe, M.G. Leonard creates a tale of mystery, adventure and beetles with a side order of slapstick that just cries out for one more chapter, which is how I finished it in a day! The settings she creates from the depths of the Natural … Continue reading Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
Peter Bunzl creates vivid settings, likeable heroes and despicable villans in a fabulous adventure through a Steampunk Victorian England. Lily, with the help of her friend Robert and her mechanical fox Malkin, search for the truth behind her father's disappearance, uncovering long kept secrets and learning who they can trust on the way. Pacey, emotionally … Continue reading Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge
This is one of the shortlisted books for the Hooked On Books category for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017. Think quantum physics meets Doctor Who and you're some of the way to understanding how this tale of coming to terms with the loss of a loved one takes shape. When Albie's mum dies, he … Continue reading The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge
Mrs Cleveland is reading... 