The Overflowing Library

This month has been horrendous for me reading wise. I've been so busy with back to school that I've read barely anything at all. Such is life Read in September Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult We were on a break by Lindsay Kelk  Jinks and O'Hare Funfair Repair by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon  Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven I've been so busy that I haven't got to any events and I can't say I have a book of the month because whilst I enjoyed everything I read none of it blew me away. Fingers crossed next month is better. October's TBR pile Mother Tongue by Julie Mayhew How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange The Last Beginning by Lauren James

This stylish specialty journal is filled with inspiring quotes from feminists past and present, and features a cover stamped with the word "Feminist." It's a must-have accessory for any female and makes a great gift for all the awesome women in one's life. I love a notebook. I don't know a book blogger who doesn't so I was very excited to be offered this for review recently. It's a really nice quality notebook with a mix of plain and lined paper to write on. Every so often there is a page with an inspiring feminist quote. This will be a brilliant place for me to make notes and list and keep track of everything I need to.

Another lovely little pile of books I cannot wait to get my hands on Angrosaurus Rex by Laura Dockrill I live this series and I love Darcey Burdock. I cannot wait to get my hands onto this book. In a perfect world by Trish Doller Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall. But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known. With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But what she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a ch

He's a household name . . . without a home Jake is an actor, a household name thanks to his role on the UK's most popular soap. But his character went upstairs to his bedroom six months ago and never came down again, and now Jake is facing an uncertain future. Add to that his dad's anger issues, the family's precarious finances and the demands of a severely autistic brother; Jake's home feels like a powder keg waiting to explode. It's easier to spend nights on friends' sofas and futons, but what happens when you feel like a cuckoo in every nest? Cuckoo is a novel about the roles we play when we don't fit in anywhere, and finding unlikely solace when home is the least welcoming place of all My Thoughts I think the way this is told is either going to be something you love or hate. Unfortunately it didn't work for me.  The story itself is an interesting one

Everyone said the Graces were witches. They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair. They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different. All I had to do was show them that person was me. Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on? This beautifully-written thriller will grip you from its very first page. My Thoughts I enjoyed this book. If you loved The Craft as a teen you'll enjoy this a lot. The story revolves around a family who may or may not be witches. What I enjoyed about this book was that it kept you guessing throughout. It was really interesting seeing The Graces through the eyes of River and seeing her obsession develop as she gets drawn into the world of this unusual family and their wor

Aphra Behn, first female professional writer. Sojourner Truth, activist and abolitionist. Ada Lovelace, first computer programmer. Marie Curie, first woman to win the Nobel Prize. Joan Jett, godmother of punk. The 100 revolutionary women highlighted in this gorgeously illustrated book were bad in the best sense of the word: they challenged the status quo and changed the rules for all who followed. From pirates to artists, warriors, daredevils, scientists, activists, and spies, the accomplishments of these incredible women vary as much as the eras and places in which they effected change. Featuring bold watercolor portraits and illuminating essays by Ann Shen, Bad Girls Throughout History is a distinctive, gift-worthy tribute My Thoughts This is a fabulous book. It is a series of short pieces of writing with an accompanying picture featuring inspiring women from history. It features a huge

The much anticipated follow-up title from the multi-award winning author of The Bunker Diary, recipient of the 2014 Carnegie Medal. Elliot is terrified of almost everything. From the moment he was born, his life has been governed by acute fear. The only thing that keeps his terrors in check are the pills that he takes every day. It's Christmas Eve, there's a snowstorm and Elliot's medication is almost gone. His mum nips out to collect his prescription. She'll only be 10 minutes - but shen she doesn't come back, Elliot must face his fears and try to find her. She should only be 400 metres away. It might as well be 400 miles... My thoughts Born Scared is a really interesting read. It's dark and intense and compulsive reading. I found myself needing to read it without stopping as I wanted to know what was going to happen.  Elliot is a really interesting and unusual character. He is terrified of everything. Just thinking about leaving the house scar

New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers and fine artist Sam Winston deliver a lyrical picture book inspiring readers of all ages to create, to question, to explore, and to imagine. A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy and calling him away on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy’s imagination. Now a lifetime of magic and adventure lies ahead of him . . . but who will be next? Combining elegant images by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston’s typographical landscapes shaped from excerpts of children’s classics and lullabies, A Child of Books is a stunning prose poem on the rewards of reading and sharing stories—an immersive and unforgettable reading experience that readers will want to pass on to others. My thoughts

I, Bella Fisher, am absolutely WINNING at FAILING at life. 1. I once got my tongue stuck to a box of Calippos in a supermarket. 2. I accidentally called my geography teacher Mum. Twice. He wasn't impressed. 3. I'm a geek. And not in a geek-chic kind of way, but in a secretly-caring-about-failing-maths-and-science way. 4. I always fail maths and science. So it figures that when I meet the FITTEST BOY IN THE WORLD, Zac, I'm doing solo star jumps. While dressed as a cereal box. (NOTE TO SELF, fancy dress = HE-WILL-NEVER-EVER-FANCY-ME dress.) Now I've got to somehow persuade Zac to come to prom with me while avoiding my evil ex and dealing with a secret so mega-awks I want to Ctrl-Z my brain... What could go wrong? Oh yeah, that's right. Absolutely everything. My thoughts Super Awkward is one of those books that perfectly captures those teenage years and all the horrendous awkwardness almost everyone has to deal with during those teen years. It's funny

Talking about my favourite books I always find quite tricky. Mainly because I have loads of favourite books, but also because I have a terrible memory. This isn’t helped by living in a tiny flat, full of really good intentions to unpack all my moving in boxes (we moved in two years ago). So, here are some pics of the shelves in our living room. The bottom one is the only one I can really reach, so everything I’ve read most recently goes on there. Which is why it’s full of amazing current YA writers (Non Pratt, Holly Bourne, Nat Luurtsema, Alice Oseman, Tom Ellen, Lucy Ivison, Erin Lange to name a few) and general books that I love from any genre (looking at you Ruth Fitzgerald, Robin Stevens, Caitlin Moran)(I would also be looking at Bridget Christie, who I think is a goddess, but along with all of my Caitlin Moran paperbacks, they’re out on loan to my friends)(in fact that reminds me, it’s been ages, and I should check they haven’t lost them). I love a book that makes me laug

I was very excited to find out recently that Hot Key were reissuing the Ruby Oliver series in the UK. I read the first two several years ago but never got round to tracking down the final two so was delighted when Hot Key sent me all four of the books with their beautiful new covers Goodreads Synopsis for The Boyfriend List 5 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver From E. Lockhart, author of the best-seller We Were Liars, and the highly-acclaimed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, comes this hilarious and heart-warming series. Ruby Oliver is fifteen and has a shrink. But before you make up your mind about her, you should know that she has had a pretty awful (and eventful) past ten days. She has: * lost her boyfriend * lost her best friend (Kim) * lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket) * did something suspicious with a boy * did something advanced with a boy * had an argument with a boy * drank her first beer (someone handed it

Know someone who loves creatures? Animal lovers will fixate on this giant book presenting thirty-two big, bold images of friendly beasts. From a star of children’s design in Sweden comes an exquisite array of animals rendered with whimsy and stylish splendor. Every oversized page highlights a different specimen, from an adorable sheep to an elegant flamingo, from an endearing hippo to a silly-looking snake. Each animal’s name appears in a different eye-catching type treatment, making for an attractive graphic keepsake sure to find a prominent place in nurseries and bookshelves everywhere This book is beautiful. The pictures are gorgeous because they are colourful and bright with clear text. It'd be perfect for teaching little ones names of more unusual animals outside of the standard British farm animals. The book itself is a huge picture book making it a really tactile experience t

We're onto September already. How did that happen? I'm hoping everyone is still doing well with the challenge and enjoy all those books by wonderful British authors. I'm up to 75 books read so far for the challenge and hoping to get to at least 100 by the end of the year. First up the winner of August's Prize of a copy of The Little Shop of Happy Ever After is Jo from Once Upon a Bookcase for her review of The Graces. Please email me Jo with your details so I can get your prize posted out September's Prize Pack is a copy of Annie Darling's The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts which I read this month and loved (yes I'm sensing a new obsession in my reading patterns too!) As always link your reviews below please