The Overflowing Library

Compelling period fiction for 9+ readers from the Waterstones Children’s Prize shortlisted Helen Peters. Evie couldn’t be angrier with her mother. She’s only gone and got married again and has flown off on honeymoon, sending Evie to stay with a godmother she’s never even met in an old, creaky house in the middle of nowhere. It is all monumentally unfair. But on the first night in her godmother’s spare room, Evie notices a strange message scratched into the windowpane, and everything she thought she knew gets turned upside down. After a ghastly night’s sleep Evie wakes up in 1814, dressed as a housemaid, and certain she’s gone back in time for a reason. A terrible injustice needs to be fixed. But there’s a housekeeper barking orders, a bad-tempered master to avoid, and the chamber pots won’t empty themselves. It’s going to take all Evie’s cunning to fix things in the past so that nothing will break apart in the future… Evie's ghost was a really interesting read for me. It revol...

I received a lovely parcel from Abrams and Chronicle recently containing two lovely gifts which really appealed to my bookish self. First up was the literary journeys readers journal Inviting bibliophiles to record their thoughts and keep track of what to read next, this richly colourful and whimsically illustrated reader's journal will capture the imagination of any book lover. This is a really high quality journal which I love writing it. It's a fab way for me to keep track of my reading when off line and keep notes I'll later use for blogposts about books I've read. I read a lot (almost up to 70 books this year) so I'll fill it quickly but because I read a lot it's helpful to have somehwhere to keep track of everything. Up next was Literary notes which is a pack of 20 notecards and envelopes Whimsical and visually striking, these notecards capture the transporting quality of a great book and will inspire stationery lovers to send a note to a...

Last month I was lucky enough to be invited to a blogger brunch held by Andersen Press. I love Andersen Press as they always have some cracking titles and I was very pleased indeed that I was able to go along. Whilst there I got to mingle with a variety of blogger friends (including Sarah who kindly put me up for the night so I could attend - curse you Greater Anglia and your shoddy train service) hear about a lovely pile of books I now desperately need in my life and meet some authors. What more could a bookish girl need? So onto the books ... Andersen Press always have some awesome titles so I'm always excited to get their books in the post. The titles they have coming over the few months are no exception and I've picked a few to talk about Troublemarkers by Catherine Barter In three years I will be able to vote and I will still have less power than I did at the moment that I saw that email, which was such a tiny thing but look what happened. Fifteen-year-old Ale...

As discussed in a recent post I have recently rejoined the library and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Here is a round up of some of the books I have recently borrowed and enjoyed. Lumberjanes Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! This one has been on my radar for ages. I buy a lot of books but I'm less keen to spend out of graphic novels unless I know I'm going to love them because they never last me that long. This was so wonderfully weird and quirky. As soon as I put it down I reserved book two and three in the series and hoping they'll come my way soon so I can carry on with them. How not to fall in love actually by Catherine Bennetto Emma has a job in television which is distinctly less glamourous and exciting than it sounds. She’s managed to claw her way up the ranks from Tea-Maker a...

When I was growing up Thursday evening library visits were a particular treat. I had books at home but as I've always been an avid and speedy reader keeping up with me would have cost a fortune had they tried to buy all the books I wanted to read. Therefore the library happily filled that gap and I looked forward to going down and getting something new to read (although that said I was a ridiculously avid rereader at that point too). My local library is housed in this quirky little building and I loved it but somehow over the years I just stopped visiting. I suspect it was a mix of things that happened. Over the years of high school I don't remember reading much fiction at all. My English lessons weren't inspiring to make me want to read and I had no idea really what to read because YA didn't exist as such. I carried on through education and didn't have time to read fiction once I got to University and it wasn't until Twilight appeared and YA became a t...

I love goodreads. I discovered it before blogging and it was and continues to be an awesome way for me to keep tabs on my reading. I have all of my books logged on there and several shelves set up for the various things I am interested in. I have decided to start a new feature on here about the various shelves I have set up looking at the various titles I have that coming under those categories starting with the first one being Aussie YA. I love Aussie YA. There's something special about it that I can't quite put my finger on and I crave especially in the summer months. I have many many books on my Aussie YA goodreads shelves so I've decided to focus on just a few I adore. Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar Jess Gordon is out for revenge. Last year the jocks from Knights College tried to shame her best friend. This year she and a hand-picked college girl gang are going to get even. The lesson: don't mess with Unity girls. The target: Blondie, a typical Knights st...

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything. Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye? *** Seven Days of You is one of those that I found myself completely absorbed in and unable to put down. I loved every page and didn't want it to end.  I loved this book for several reasons. Firstly I adored the setting. I lo...

River's life is blown apart when his mum invites her new boyfriend into their home and their lives. River is instantly suspicious of Jason he seems fake, too good to be true. At school, River's routine fibs are escalating into something more serious, and his teacher gives him a notebook in the hope he can channel his fantasies into creative writing instead. And so, River begins The Liar's Handbook, and an investigation into Jason. But what he uncovers is a terrible deception involving his biological father, the police force and his mum's environmental campaign group... but will anyone take his findings seriously? This was a super quick read for me and a really interesting one because of the issue it covered which I can't talk about for fear of spoiling it for someone. I can say that it was utterly fascinating and really made me think. I really enjoyed River as a character and unravelling the story with him.

How can you heal if you can't face your past? Confident, popular Gabi has a secret - a secret so terrible she can't tell her family, or her best friend. She can't even take pleasure in her beloved skateboarding any more. And then one day an impulse turns to something darker. Gabi has never felt so alone. But then she learns that not everyone has wounds you can see. A searing look at self-harm and acceptance from hugely talented author Eve Ainsworth. Warning: includes content that some readers may find upsetting. Just a quick review for this fab read. I really enjoy Eve's books because they are thoughtful and don't shy away from covering the hard hitting stuff that teens today face. I thought the way in which Gabi's life was written about was really well done and I liked seeing how Eve covered self harm in a thoughtful way really helping you understand why Gabi was doing what she was doing especially because it's an issue that's so easily dism...

I received a lovely package from Abrams and Chronicle last month filled with lovely stationery. In amongst them was three things from their Breakfast at Tiffanys range Breakfast at Tiffany's Journal Inspired by the beloved character Holly Golightly from the classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this stylish hardcover journal features illustrations of the movie’s most popular icons. Holly’s multi-strand pearls, her cat eye sunglasses, her signature lipstick, and more are scattered throughout the interior lined pages alongside her signature one-liners (“Thursday! It can’t be! It’s too gruesome!”). It’s the perfect accessory for scheming, note taking, and venting on those days when you get the mean reds. Breakfast at Tiffany's Notebooks Inspired by the beloved character Holly Golightly from the classic film,Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this stylish set of three paperback notebooks is perfect for tossing in your bag, making lists and dashing down thoughts on the f...

'You are my sister now,' Victoria said, quietly and solemnly. 'Never forget it. I love you like a sister, and you are my only friend in all the world.' Miss V. Conroy is good at keeping secrets. She likes to sit as quiet as a mouse, neat and discreet. But when her father sends her to Kensington Palace to become the companion to Princess Victoria, Miss V soon finds that she can no longer remain in the shadows. Miss V's father has devised a strict set of rules for the young princess, which he calls the Kensington System. It governs her behaviour and keeps her locked away from the world. He says it is for the princess's safety, but Victoria herself is convinced that it is to keep her lonely, and unhappy. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing friendship with the wilful and passionate Victoria, Miss V has a decision to make: to continue in silence, or to speak out. By turns thrilling, dramatic and touching, this is the story of Queen Vic...

I am always on the look out for my next read and because I tend to read all my proofs quickly I find myself doing a lot of pining on goodreads over books months away from publication. These are the books I am most excited about of late. Truth or Dare by Non Pratt A powerful and moving novel about bravery from the Guardian's "writer to watch" Non Pratt, perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green and Holly Bourne. How far is too far when it comes to the people you love? Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But if it means getting Sef Malik to notice her, it’s a risk she’s happy to take. Sef is prepared to do anything to help his recently disabled brother. But this means putting Claire’s love – and life – on the line. Because when you're willing to risk everything, what is there left to lose? I am beside myself waiting for this book. I adore Non and I feel like twitter is personally taunting me as all the pesky booksellers have got the...

Petula has avoided friendship and happiness ever since tragedy struck her family and took her beloved younger sister Maxine. Worse, Petula blames herself. If only she'd kept an eye on her sister, if only she'd sewn the button Maxine choked on better, if only...  Now her anxiety is getting out of control, she is forced to attend the world’s most hopeless art therapy class. But one day, in walks the Bionic Man: a charming, amazingly tall newcomer called Jacob, who is also an amputee. Petula's ready to freeze him out, just like she did with her former best friend, but when she’s paired with Jacob for a class project, there’s no denying they have brilliant ideas together – ideas like remaking Wuthering Heights with cats. But Petula and Jacob each have desperately painful secrets in their pasts – and when the truth comes out, there’s no way Petula is ready for it. Oh man this book. I have never personally related to a character so much. Petula worries about eve...