The Overflowing Library

July is over. It's been a funny month for me the first half being eaten up with exam marking but then I started my summer holidays with all the reading time Books Read Time for Jas Natasha Farrant (4 stars) What I thought was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick  (1 star) All about the Hype by Paige Toon (4 stars) Cuckoo by Keren David (2 stars) Ride by Lisa Glass (5 stars) The Yellow Room by Jess Vallance (3 stars) I Found You by Lisa Jewell (4 stars) Two Summers by Aimee Friedman (4 stars) The Twelth Day of July by Joan Lingard (4 stars) The Problem with Forever by Jennifer Armentrout (3 stars) The Might Women of Science by Clare Forrest (5 stars) The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan (5 stars) False Hearts by Laura Lam (3 stars) Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally (3 stars) The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis (2 stars) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (4 stars) Across the Barricades by Joan Lingard (3 stars) Events Attended None sadly. Book of the Month...

Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance. Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs My Thoughts This is the book I've been waiting for. The book to break me out of several months of indifferent reading. I adored it entirely and didn't want it to end. It could have been written for my inner teen as it appealed to the 14 year old inside of me who adored 90s boybands to an embarrassing level. It tapped into those feelings without being patronising or condensing ...

This is a little snapshot of one of my bookshelves back in England. Moving across the Atlantic a few years ago meant I had to say a tearful goodbye to some of my ultimate favourites, simply because they wouldn’t fit in my suitcase. Rest assured, they’ll always be there, gathering dust on the shelf as they wait patiently for me to return home one day.  On the far left, we have, of course, a few of the Harry Potters – a staple on anyone’s bookshelf, let’s be honest.  Next to those, we have one of my all time favourite books – ‘A Gathering Light’ by Jennifer Donnelly. The main character, Mattie, is an aspiring writer, and she’s served as my inspiration time and time again over the years. And hey, look – I'm a published author now. Thanks for the inspo, Mattie Gokey!  Then we have the incredibly powerful ‘George’ by Alex Gino – a brilliantly written, sparky little book about a transgender girl who is desperately trying to find her place in t...

Almost the end of July already? Sorry for my state of AWOL of late. The last month I have been exam marking which essentially means I spend every free minute marking and marking and marking GCSE papes. I've just finished that so hoping to get some reviews caught up and shared soon. Until then here are some books on my radar which I'm hoping to get my hands on soon. We were on a Break by Lindsey Kelk The hilarious new novel from Lindsey Kelk, author of the bestselling I Heart series LIV and ADAM are in love. LIV and ADAM are supposed to be getting engaged. Until ADAM accidently suggests they take a break. And LIV starts thinking Friends, family and bystanders all have an opinion and one complication leads to another as Adam and Liv try to muddle through in this hilarious, heartwarming comedy. Are they split up - or are they on a break? What exactly are they allowed to get away with? And, most importantly, what do Liv and Adam really want? The Little Bookshop of L...

Where I write I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. Not really, that’s the opening line from, I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith, of course, one of my favourite books. Where I really write is at my desk, in the living room. My desk is an angle table and my chair is a vintage 1950s mad men style swivel thing of joy which I can swing round and round in if I feel the need to (it’s very good for ideas). The lamp is a vintage orange Conran and makes a perfect spotlight on my laptop for the serious business of writing/editing late at night. Facing me is the very first painting my son did and stuck into the edges are various post-its and cards. The post its contain editing notes, things to remember and occasionally the odd shopping list that’s snuck in. I am nothing without lists.  I have three large windows in the living room but I deliberately face the wall (and the picture) so that all I can really see is what I’m writing. I’m easily d...

Jamie Littler                 When I was a teenager I was lucky enough to go to Florida with my family for our summer holiday. Needless to say, we were having a jolly old time, holidaying here, vacationing there. All of that fun can be hungry work, and as we were in the big US of A, we thought it would be great to go to one of those American all-you-can-eat diners. We'd had a lovely meal (please don't stop reading, I will get to the point, I promise!), we were all stuffed, and it was clearly time for dessert (there's always room for ice cream, after all...).                 Before we continue, I must mention one thing, and that thing is my younger brother. He's...well, he can be a bit... mischievous from time to time. He'd already been told off for being hugely inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disney World...