The Overflowing Library

Phew May has been and gone already! Work has been insane this month so things have been a bit slow for me reading wise while my poor TBR pile has slowly and steadily increased. Read in May Until I die by Amy Plum What's up with Jody Barton by Hayley Long The Strange case of Finley Jayne Adorkable by Sarra Manning One Moment by Kristina McBride The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare Emma hearts LA by Keris Stainton Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson Timepiece by Myra McEntire Saving June by Hannah Harrington The selection by Kiera Cass Favourite Book read in May Adorkable by Sarra Manning Favourite book published in May City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare Book events I had a brilliant weekend staying with Sarah in the middle of the month. Whilst staying with her we headed into London for a brilliant event at Foyles involving Cat Clarke, James Dawson, Tanya Byrne and Kim Derting. We were then whisked off ...

Adorkable by Sarra Manning Published by Atom Jeane Smith is seventeen and has turned her self-styled dorkiness into an art form, a lifestyle choice and a profitable website and consultancy business. She writes a style column for a Japanese teen magazine and came number seven in The Guardian's 30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing The World. And yet, in spite of the accolades, hundreds of Internet friendships and a cool boyfriend, she feels inexplicably lonely, a situation made infinitely worse when Michael Lee, the most mass-market, popular and predictably all-rounded boy at school tells Jeane of his suspicion that Jeane's boyfriend is secretly seeing his girlfriend. Michael and Jeane have NOTHING in common - she is cool and individual; he is the golden boy in an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. So why can't she stop talking to him? *** I loved Adorkable. It was sweet and funny with a lovely storyline with a brilliant lead character and left me with ...

Until I Die by Amy Plum Published by Atom Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love. As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy. In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting.   *** I loved the first book in this series and I was desperate for this book to arrive. Problem is just over a year and about 200 books have passed since I read Until I die which meant I probably didn't enjoy this instalment as much as I should. I think it is also t...

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins Published by Simon and Schuster Hex Hall #3 Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late? *** I've really enjoyed the Hex Hall series. They've got a brilliant lead, cracking storylines and are pacey enough to keep my turning the page long after I should have put down my book to do something else. I did enjoy this instalment and thought it was a nice ending to the He...

There were lots of possibilities here, but I’ve decided to do the same as Marcus Sedgwick’s post last week, and photograph a section of shelf just as it is, rather than artfully juxtaposing. Also, I decided to go for a shelf that has nothing to do with fiction, children’s books or writing. On this shelf I keep books on cookery, gardening and a few odds and ends; the bookcase is handily next to the kitchen and the garden, with a comfortable sofa close by. Gardening makes me happy. Writing makes me happy, too, but not all the time, whereas gardening never fails. The two combine well: often a plot problem sorts itself out while I’m potting up seedlings or doing some pruning, or - best of all - digging. You can see here a couple of books on vegetable-growing, which is new territory for me, as is chicken-keeping. We have three partridge Pekin bantams, and I love to see them pecking around the lawn or dust-bathing in the sunshine, making a range of clucks and other remarks which I’m ...

Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe Published by Atom What would you do to find your best friend’s killer? Eve, a runaway, finds a new job at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Tuscon. When she’s approached by two wealthy teens who claim she bears an uncanny resemblance to their missing cousin Aurora, her life takes a turn for the dark and mysterious. Drawn into a scheme to win Aurora’s inheritance, Eve finds herself impersonating the girl, who disappeared three years ago on the night her best friend Elizabeth died. But when Liza’s ghost begins to haunt Eve, doing harm to the people close to her under the guise of “protecting” her, Eve finds herself in a nightmare maze of lies and deception that leads her to question even her own identity. She realizes her only chance is to uncover the truth about what happened the night Liza died, and to find Liza’s killer— before she’s next.  *** It might just be me being a bit thick but I got to the end of this book and wasn't...

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers Published by Bodley Head In Dying to Know You , award-winning author Aidan Chambers has created an indelible portrait of a young man discovering his own voice in the world, and has constructed a love story that is as much about the mind as it is the heart. In this contemporary love story, a teenage boy named Karl enlists a famous writer to help him impress his girlfriend, Fiorella. She has asked him to write her a letter in which he reveals his true self. But Karl isn’t convinced he’s good enough with words, so he tracks down Fiorella’s favorite author and begs him to take up the task. The writer reluctantly assents, on the condition that Karl agree to a series of interviews, so that the letter will be based on an authentic portrait of Karl. The letter, though effective, has unexpected consequences for Karl, Fiorella, and the writer. ***  This book is like nothing else I have ever read. The relationship between Karl and...

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han Published by Razorbill One girl. Two brothers. The biggest decision of her life . . . Just when she thought she had all the answers . . . Isabel has only ever loved two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. One broke her heart; the other made her happier than she ever thought she'd be. But each brother is keeping a secret, and this summer Isabel must choose between the Fisher boys, once and for all. Which brother will it be? *** I have been desperate to read We'll always have summer from the minute I finished the second book in the series. I needed to know what was going to happen next and find out who, in the end, Belly would choose out of Jeremiah or Conrad. I loved this book as it put me straight into that summery feeling as soon as I started reading it. My mind was instantly back at the place it was when I first started the series. yes at times it was a bit predictable but definitely one of those comfort reads I crave ...

Raising Demns by Rachel Hawkins Published by Simon and Schuster Sophie Mercer's first term at Hex Hall turned out to be quite eventful. First the ghost of her evil grandmother haunted her every move, then her best friend was accused of murder and of course there was the discovery that Archer Cross, aka the boy of her dreams, was actually an undercover demon hunter - which would probably be something she could have worked on, if she hadn't also discovered that she was actually the demon Archer was hunting… So, despite their issues, Sophie is actually relieved to be spending the summer in London with her father. But when your father is Head of The Council of Prodigium and your summer is being spent at the headquarters of everything magical, then a quiet holiday isn't really that likely. And, as Sophie struggles to come to terms with her new found demon powers, she finds herself thrust once again into a world of dark magic and conspiracies. The only thing ...

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare Published by Walker The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees. No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own? Only a small band of Clary and Jace...

"A few years ago I moved into a tiny cottage, and though I was pleased to see that the former owners had crammed as many bookshelves as possible into it, I still had to get rid of a lot of my books. What's left is (apart from one bookcase of treasured items) a rather random selection. This is one such example - I resisted the temptation to 'tweak' what was in here before I photographed it for you, but the result is probably a good indication of what you might find anywhere in my house. Looking at this photo, I was first amused to see that there are at least three books I hate on there. I'm not telling which ones, but that either goes to show that I'm a tolerant kind of fellow, or too lazy to throw them out. Moving swiftly past things which should never have been responsible for the felling of trees, I stop at the first of an all-time favourite lurking here - Treasure Island. It's one of those books that lots of people have ...

The Pledge by Kim Derting Published by Alison and Busby Words are the most dangerous weapon of all. In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It’s there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she’s never heard before... and her secret is almost exposed. Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, i...

Late last week I got offered an amazing opportunity as part of the Blog Tour for City of Lost Souls Blog Tour. I am going to be interviewing Cassie Clare while she is doing her UK tour when she visits Bluewater on 27th May. My interview will focus around questions about Maia and Jordan. I would love some help for this so if you have any questions at all you want to ask Cassie about Maia and Jordan please leave them in the comments section below or tweet them to me @overflowingklc and I'll try to put as many as I can to her. Check out the details of the rest of the blog tour here (including where to ask questions about other characters) http://www.undercoverreads.com/city-of-lost-souls-tour

Dreams by Daniela Sacerdoti Publishing by Black and White Publishing “You’d never think it could happen to you. You’d never think that one day you’ll stand in a graveyard, rain tapping on a sea of black umbrellas, watching your parents being lowered into the earth, never to come back. It’s happening to me. They said it was an accident. Only I know the truth. My parents were hunters, like their parents and grandparents before them, hundreds of years back, scores of ancestors behind me, fulfilling the same call. I must follow in their footsteps. I am the only one left to keep the promise. I can never give up the fight, this fight that has been handed down to me, thrust upon my unwilling shoulders. I’d rather be buried with my parents, my brave, fierce father and mother, who lived and died by the Midnight motto: Don’t Let Them Roam.” Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight’s dreams have been plagued by demons—but unlike most people’s nigh...

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells Published by Source Books After she's snubbed by her snooty cousins in the Hamptons, 16-year-old Mia Gordon meets next-door-neighbor Simon. And from the very first time he encourages Mia to go skinny dipping, she's caught in a current impossible to resist. *** I picked up this book because I wanted a nice summer read and that's exactly what I got. I really enjoyed this book. The majority of it is a lovely YA read about Mia's summer at the beach. She's staying with her family and feels left out because her snooty cousins make her feel uncool and unwelcome because she isn't interested in showing off loads of flesh, or making out with boys she doesn't know or getting hammered every evening. Mia's still determined to make the best of her time as her favourite beach and as a result spends a lot of time exploring the beach alone. That is until she meets Simon. Simon is the door next door. Ordin...

James Dawson is on the shortlist for the Queen of Teen award for his book Hollow Pike. If you follow my blog or my random tweeting you'll know that I loved Hollow Pike by James Dawson something fierce. (If you are interested see my review here ) It is witty and poignant with brilliant morals and a diverse selection of teenage characters who I loved. I simply can't say enough good things about this book and am regularly giving copies to people to share the Hollow Pike love. I was lucky enough to meet James Dawson at the weekend at an event run by Foyles showcasing a range of YA authors and get him to sign not only my copy but also a second copy of Hollow Pike to giveaway to you guys. To enter all I'm asking is that you go to fill the form in below to enter. I would also love it if you went to Queen of Teen website and voted for James to win* and / or spread the word and get others to vote too. How awesome would it be to have a male winner?? I personally want to se...

Bookcase Showcase – Ruth Eastham Thanks so much for inviting me, Kirsty! I have a problem. It’s a big… small … kind of problem. A space problem. No, not that kind of space problem. A problem of Severe Shelf Shortage . While a small house saves a fortune on heating bills in winter (and in theory should stop hoarding habits) it’s not so great if you keep buying books and have nowhere to put them. I know, I know - I should get a Kindle. But while I’m not a technophobe, there’s something so much nicer about a book with flickable paper pages that you can take in the bath. I know, I know – I should use the library. But then you have to give the books back, and if they’ve been in the bath… I know, I know – I could put up more shelves. But less house means less wall, and I’m about as handy with a spirit level as Mr Bean is with a dentist’s drill. I do have one proper cupboard, where books can be kept behind glass under lock and key: ...