The Overflowing Library

June's reading has been awesome in some respects. I spent the first couple of weeks getting through loads but had to stop when my exam board marking started in the middle of the month. Hopefully I'll make up for it when the summer holidays get here. Read in June The Fill in Boyfriend by Kasie West (4 stars) All the rage by Courtney Summers (3 stars) The Devil you know by Trish Doller (4 stars) The Next together by Lauren James (5 stars) Oh Obviously by Laura Dockrill (5 stars) The Lost and Found by Cat Clarke (5 stars) Unbecoming by Jenny Downham (5 stars) Lying out loud by Kody Keplinger (4 stars) The Dark Light by Julia Bell (2 stars) The Baby by Lisa Drakeford (3 stars) Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld (3 stars) The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan (4 stars) The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell (3 stars) Book of the Month It has to be Unbecoming by Jenny Downham. You are all in for a special treat when it is released. Events attended. I have been to two lo...

Today I am kicking off the DIMILY blog tour with a chapter extract and giveaway Did I mention I love you by Estelle Maskame When sixteen-year-old Eden Munro agrees to spend the summer with her estranged father in the beachfront city of Santa Monica, California, she has no idea what she’s letting herself in for. Eden's parents are divorced and have gone their separate ways, and now her father has a brand new family. For Eden, this means she's about to meet three new step-brothers. The eldest of the three is Tyler Bruce, a troubled teenager with a short temper and a huge ego. Complete polar opposites, Eden quickly finds herself thrust into a world full of new experiences as Tyler's group of friends take her under their wing. But the one thing she just can't understand is Tyler, and the more she presses to figure out the truth about him, the more she finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn't – her step-brother. Throw in Tyler's cling...

These are some of the books I am really hoping drop through my letterbox sooner rather than later as they all look awesome. All of the Above by James Dawson This is a funny and moving love story about friends, first loves and self-discovery by Queen of Teen 2014. When sixteen-year-old Toria Bland arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly...love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles. I love James Dawson's books. I cannot wait to get my hands on this. A...

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain. An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family My thoughts I've not read any Sophie Kinsella before so I came to this novel blind except for knowing that other people quite rated for adult novels. I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it and now think maybe I ought to read more of her books. The story itself is thoughtful and fun...

American sisters Hannah and Jenny Tooley have spent their lives dreaming of flying to the UK and visiting all the places their English mother has told them about. But Jenny’s dream turns to a nightmare when she vanishes without a trace. Hannah and her father arrive in England to a big police investigation. As Hannah gets to know some of Jenny’s friends and acquaintances, she realises that her sister is up to her neck in something – and the mysterious text messages she’s receiving bear this out. She is particularly drawn to Harry and, against her better judgement, begins to fall in love. This book is awesome. I picked it up intending on reading a few pages before bed. Before I knew it I'd finished it completely and it was two in the morning but so so worth it. This book keeps you guessing from the beginning through to the very end. I am deliberately not going to write much about what happened because I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I will say one bi...

Being in a relationship with one of the hottest and most talented male surfers on the circuit is a dream come true… right? Iris and Zeke get to travel to the most beautiful beaches in the world, competing in major surf competitions. Life should be perfect, but when Zeke is suspended from a surf tour in Hawaii, it’s clear there is some deep trouble in paradise. And then there’s Zeke’s romantic past: at every turn Iris is confronted by his old flames and his hordes of female fans. Returning to Newquay, Iris finds that at home things have also changed. Her friends have moved on with their lives, and they sense Iris is keeping something – something bad – from them. What really happened in Hawaii? Why was Zeke kicked off the circuit? And what secret is tearing Iris and Zeke’s relationship apart? A quick review today because I don't want to spoil anything. If you loved Blue you will adore this book too. Air follows their story as they go off to America surfing in competit...

Geeky girl meets famous boy . . . what could go wrong? Tuesday Cooper is happy being normal -doing her a-levels and indulging in her twin obsessions: buying weird vintage clothes in charity shops and writing her beloved music blog (which nobody ever reads). Her love for music started when she was thirteen and had a massive crush on Jackson Griffith, teen rock god and SUPER HOT LOVE OF HER LIFE. Now Tuesday's eighteen and has moved on to fancying boys in real life and Jackson went off the celebrity radar years ago. So it can't be him that's messaging her on her blog, can it? From one girl's computer to the pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, this is a love story for anyone who has ever wished that someone would sing a love song just for them. Dreams can come true . . . My thoughts I really enjoyed this book. It was really fun with a main character who I could really root for. Tuesday Cooper is the girl I wanted to be when I was 13 but was too fright...

From the author of Trouble comes a new novel about boys, bands and best mates. Kaz is still reeling from being dumped by the love of her life... Ruby is bored of hearing about it. Time to change the record. Three days. Two best mates. One music festival. Zero chance of everything working out. My thoughts It is no secret that I adore Non Pratt. I met her few years ago now whilst she was working for Catnip and she was one of those people I instantly liked most probably because we have very similar reading tastes and can quite happily chat for hours about books with her. I've loved books she's pushed into my hands by other authors since that first meeting and it meant when she told me she had got her first book deal that I was very excited indeed because I knew I was going to love it. As predicted I adored Trouble and very much the same is true for Remix. I have been waiting to read Remix from the moment I finished Trouble because I knew whatever it was about I would ador...

Could there really be witches and demons here at Crowham? Are the badness and fings real? And do all these things have anything to do with Hannah going missing? Do they have anything to do with me? Between growing up and boy trouble Maddy Deeprose may seem like your average 13-year-old girl, but there's something different about Maddy she can see ghosts. The new school term starts at Crowham Martyrs, but Maddy can sense that something is wrong. She begins to have disturbing visions and nightmares of suffering and pain and when her best friend goes missing and nobody will listen to her, Maddy knows it up to her to uncover the truth behind the Crowham Martyrs and stop history repeating itself. A spine-tingling mystery that will haunt you forever. I love Catnip books. They publish some really unexpected gems and as a consequence I am always excited about reading anything they send me pretty much the moment it drops through my letterbox. This book is no exception. I ...

Real life is messier than the movies. A bold, thought-provoking novel from the exceptionally talented, Steven Camden. He's Luke. She's Leia. Just like in Star Wars. Just like they’re made for each other. Same film studies course, different backgrounds, different ends of town. Only this isn't a film. This is real life. This is where monsters from the past come back to take revenge. This is where you are sometimes the monster. But real life? Sometimes, only sometimes, it turns out just like in the movies… My thoughts This book was a real thinker for me. I knew I liked Steven Camden's work before I started it but wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this novel. I am glad to report that it was as good as I had hoped it would be and left me with loads to think about.  I loved the way the story was told. It was a mix of traditional narrative and screen play notes which makes sense when you know the two main characters meet during their film studies class...

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time. My thoughts I love Sarah Dessen's novel and I have been waiting a long long time to get my hands on this. I don't know if as a result of all that waiting ...

A funny, frank and fearless guide to being a girl Being a girl is not all sugar and spice. How can you possibly survive school and even think about talking to your crush when you have spots in places you didn't even know you had, your boobs are too big (or too small) and the friend drama is off the charts? Luckily, bestselling YA author and sixth-form teacher Hayley Long provides a straight-talking guide to puberty - from cattiness to kisses, and everything in between. With witty black-and-white illustrations by Gemma Correll throughout, BEING A GIRL tells you everything you need to know about surviving puberty, in an honest and humorous way When being a boy came out I thought it was awesome but lamented the lack of a being a girl equivalent. I was therefore so pleased to find out that this book was in the process of being written. Being a girl is funny, informative and  perfect for the intended target audience. It goes through a variety of need to know information ...

You are cordially invited to attend the Grand Opening of Sinclair’s department store! Enter a world of bonbons, hats, perfumes and MYSTERIES around every corner. WONDER at the daring theft of the priceless CLOCKWORK SPARROW! TREMBLE as the most DASTARDLY criminals in London enact their wicked plans! GASP as our bold heroines, Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose, CRACK CODES, DEVOUR ICED BUNS and vow to bring the villians to justice… My thoughts If I had to review this book in a word that word would be charming. This book is utterly charming and I for one was utterly engrossed by it from the first to the last page and was left wanting more by the end. Firstly I was utterly charmed by the history. I loved seeing London of the 1920s and the stark constrast between the rich and poor. The rich living life full of glitz and glamour and the poor working their socks off to scrape together a meagre existence. It really highlights the unfairness of the Edwardian age and how toug...