Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six...

These are the five best books that I've read in the last few weeks.... (in no particular order)

- Hit The Road, Jack by Mimi Thebo - This is the story of a young boy who sets out to find his father after discovering some letters in his mother's bedroom.

At first I was unsure of where it was headed but, already being a fan of Thebo, I trusted in her writing and enjoyed the gentle beginning, getting into Jack's world and meeting his varied and eccentric circle of friends. However, this gentle tone was shattered when Jack's father finally made an appearance and Thebo's true skill at producing tightly written prose was revealed in all it's glory. I won't spoil the surprise, but trust me, this short novel is most definitely worth a read...

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dogs Days by Jeff Kinney - I've reviewed this series before and this, the latest instalment is just as brilliant as the others. Funny, witty and well observed.

- Desperate Measures by Laura Summers - Narrated by twin sisters who take one chapter each, this is a look at the fostering system and what happens when siblings are torn apart. Particularly interesting as each sister's voice is clearly defined from each other and completely believable in their own, specific way.

- Arch Enemy: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor - This is a brilliant ending to a very imaginative and well written trilogy. In this, the final book, Beddor has once again managed to successfully blend fantasy and reality in a way that makes the reader forget to look for the line. Interwoven is love, hate, ambition and friendship as his characters struggle against each other as well as themselves. Just brilliant.

- Daughter of Fire and Ice by Marie-Louise Jensen - I've already reviewed this book here but I cannot praise it highly enough! I've read it three times now - a very rare occurrence for me!

Those are my top five of the last few weeks but I've read lots of other great books which I will be featuring over the next little while.

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. If you have a recommendation for me, just leave a comment or send me a message!

Checkmate, Malorie Blackman

Synopsis: Can the future ever erase the past?

Rose has a Cross mother and a nought father in a society where the pale-skinned noughts are treated as inferiors and those with dual heritage face a life-long battle against deep-rooted prejudices.

Sephy, her mother, has told Rose virtually nothing about her father, but as Rose grows into a young adult, she unexpectedly discovers the truth about her parentage, and becomes determined to find out more, to honour both sides of her heritage. But her father's family has a complicated history - one tied up with the fight for equality for the nought population.

And as Rose takes her first steps away from Sephy and into this world, she finds herself drawn inexorably into more and more danger.

Suddenly, it's a game of very high stakes that can only have one winner...

My Thoughts:I was a massive fan of the first book in this series as I thought it was interesting, thought provoking and tightly written.

This isn't the case here.

Although Blackman has brought together the numerous strands of the complicated narrative well, this novel is also repetitive and very slow in places.

Towards the end of the novel I became impatient with Callie and her never-ending angst and I just wanted to grasp Sephy by her shoulders and give her a good shake! Jude is also a bit of a cut-out villain and his passages left me cold.

On the plus side however, Blackman did keep me reading as I wanted to know where the twists of the narrative would take her characters next. I also liked the early passages with Callie where she talks to her dead father as I thought Blackman caught the spirit and voice of a young girl well.

Overall, although I found this book a bit hard going and tiresome in places, it was a satisfying conclusion to the series and a fitting end to Sephy and Callum's story.

***

Daughter of Fire and Ice, Marie-Louise Jensen

Synopsis: 'A sense of menace grew on me all morning. Not a vision. No glimpse of the future disturbed me. It was more a shadow of approaching danger...'

Snatched by a notorious Viking chieftain, Thora is set to leave her homeland on a ship bound for Iceland. But when her captor is murdered an altogether different journey begins...

My Thoughts: The phrase 'I couldn't put it down' is often thrown around and has been used so much that it's becoming clichéd. However, with this novel, it's completely true as this book was pretty much stuck to my hands for the three days it took for me to consume it.

Jensen shows once again that she is a master at creating a realistic world that blends the familiar with the foreign.

The protagonist, Thora, is a well balanced character who manages to be good without being saccharine and who pulls the reader along with her on her journey as it twists and turns.

Forbidden love can often be frustrating and annoying for the reader but Jensen manages it so that the reader feels as though Thora and Bjorn will be together eventually, making the reader willing to wait for this outcome.

The antagonist, Ragna, is also well drawn as Jensen avoids making her into a cartoon villian, instead creating a character who is complicated and for whom the reader feels a small amount of sympathy for.

Overall, this is a novel that twists and turns, taking the reader to places that they don't expect and that had me wishing for more as I read the final words.

*****

Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit).

For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the mother of all sieges brewing!

My Thoughts: I had mixed feelings about this novel.

On the one hand, I found it very readable and each character was quickly formed for the reader, making it easy to follow. The pace is also very swift and the blend of the 'real' world and the fairy world is artfully dealt with by Colfer.

However, I also had some problems with it.

The main issue that I had was with Artemis himself. Generally with a protagonist, the reader is supposed to like and sympathise with them and want them to succeed with whatever their quest is. With Artemis, this isn't the case as he is so self-centred, calculating and cold. Colfer has obviously tried to make him sympathetic with the fact that his mother is clearly mentally ill but this has failed because of the way that Artemis deals with her.

The other problem that I had was the constant repetition in parts of the text - particularly in the scenes between Foaly and Root and their 'banter'.

However, despite these problems, I still enjoyed this novel and read it very quickly. I'm just not sure that I would read any of the others...

***

Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman

Synopsis:

From one of the most captivating storytellers in American fiction comes a tale of two sisters, Gillian and Sally Owens, brought up by their two elderly guardian aunts in a world of spells and exotica.

As the magical charm of their childhood wears away, they escape from this mystical mayhem - one by running away, the other by marrying.

Many years go by before strange circumstances thrust them together again, and once more they are in a place that blends the mundane and mysterious, the familiar and fantastic, the normal and the numinous.

Three generations of Owens women are brought together in an experience of unexpected insight and revelation, teaching all of them that such perceptions are rare and wonderful and - to be sure - practical.

My thoughts: This is a brilliantly written, atmospheric novel that looks closely at life, love, loss, growing up and believing in yourself.

It's nothing like the film - apart from the basic plot in which Gillian kills Jimmy by accident and the sisters bury him in the garden - but the two run alongside each other nicely.

I particularly liked that the small amount of magic that is included - from the potions of the aunts and Kylie's ability to see people auras - was woven in so subtly that Hoffman has managed to make it seem like an ordinary, every day event.

My only complaint is that the end is far too neat and each character is paired off with their perfect match.

Overall though, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, although I have learnt that in future I should never be surprised by the brilliance of Hoffman's writing...

*****

Running Wild, Michael Morpurgo

I blogged a little while ago about not judging a book by it's cover. Well, look at this cover, isn't it great? It's bright, vibrant and tells you what to expect on the inside, just what I said was important right? Well, if only the inside was as good as the cover...

Synopsis: When 10-year-old Will's father dies in the Iraq war, his mother surprises him with a trip to Indonesia. But little could she have known what awaited them both there.

The first Will knows that anything is wrong is when Oona, the elephant he is riding along the beach, begins to spook. Then, suddenly, she takes off into the jungle with Will on her back. And that's when Will sees the wave come crashing in!

With his mother almost certainly drowned, with nothing to cling onto but an elephant and nothing to help him but the clothes on his back, Will faces a terrifying future. But maybe the jungle, and Oona the elephant, can help him?

My Thoughts: *SPOILERS*

Being a big Michael Morpurgo fan, I was excited to read this book.

What a disappointment.

The narrative is clunky and uneven and I just didn't feel the fear that Will would have been going through when the tsunami hit. There didn't seem to be any major highs or lows and even when Will was captured by the hunters, I didn't fear for him.

Will himself is interesting with all of his back story and emotional luggage but I didn't completely connect to him as his voice seems too old for a ten-year-old.

Of course, it turns out in the end that it's his grandfather telling the story but I don't think this works at all, it would have been more empowering for Will - and therefore his readers - if he had been telling this story for himself.

The ending bothered me as well because it was all far too neat and felt like the ending to a Disney film.

The only positive for me was the character of Oona. I think that Morpurgo drew her well, especially considering that she doesn't speak.

Overall, this could have been a really inspiring story about a young boy surviving a horrible situation and overcoming the difficulties involved but instead it is dry, clunky and I would be surprised if many children were drawn in.

**

Warning by Jenny Joseph

This is one of my favourite poems, there is something so vibrant about it and it is comforting to think that old age doesn't have to mean invisibility.

Warning by Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people’s gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Evermore, by Alyson Noel

After looking back at previous reviews, I realised that I haven't put up a review that is less than glowing. So, I thought I'd review this novel Evermore by Alyson Noel which didn't exactly jam my doughnut...

Synopsis: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

My thoughts: I found this book to be mediocre at best. The writing is flimsy in places and none of the characters seem to develop properly.

Noel also doesn't answer a whole range of questions that are set up which is frustrating for the reader and makes the ending unexciting.

I did like the pace and the interludes with Ever's younger sister Riley who was like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale narrative.

Overall, this could have been a much better and more interesting novel but instead it was lukewarm and I won't be reading the others.

**

P.S. Sorry if this doesn't make total sense, I've got a lovely dose of tonsilitus right now! WG x

Ghost Hunter, Michelle Paver

Synopsis: As winter approaches and Souls' Night draws near, the Eagle Owl Mage holds the clans in the grip of terror.

To fulfil his destiny, Torak must seek his lair in the Mountain of Ghosts. He must defy demons and tokoroths, and find his way through the Gorge of the Hidden People. Wolf must overcome terrible grief. Renn must make an agonizing decision.

And in the final battle against the Soul-Eater, Torak must face the most heart-rending choice of all.

My Thoughts: I picked up this book on a whim, not realising that it was the sixth and final book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.

That didn't matter at all.

The writing is so strong that I wasn't confused at any stage and was immediately swept into the story as Torak and Renn battle Eostra and the darkness that she brings with her.

I loved the way that Paver had written Wolf's sections, she pulls the reader into the animal's viewpoint effortlessly and makes them look at the world in a different way. I also liked the way that she paralleled the story of the humans with that of the wolves.

My only problem with it was that Eostra is defeated rather easily, after all the build-up I was expecting more of an epic battle.

Overall though, this is an interesting novel and Paver has an easy, flowing style that makes it difficult to put down.

I can't wait to go back and read the first five!

*****

The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

Synopsis: Sam Vimes is a man on the run. Yesterday he was a duke, a chief of police and the ambassador to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald.

Now, he has nothing but his native wit and the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya (don't ask). It's snowing. It's freezing. And if he can't make it through the forest to civilization there's going to be a terrible war.

But there are monsters on his trail. They're bright. They're fast. They're werewolves - and they're catching up.

"The Fifth Elephant" is Terry Pratchett's latest installment in the "Discworld" cycle, this time starring dwarfs, diplomacy, intrigue and big lumps of fat.

My Thoughts: I'm a massive Pratchett fan and this is my favourite one yet.

Once again, Pratchett has taken a big topic - this time politics - and wrapped it up in a hilarious, dramatic and fast paced story that pulls the reader along with it and doesn't let them go until the final page.

Vimes is developed even further in this one and his wife Sybill becomes less of a cartoon cut-out of a character and more like a real, well rounded person.

Angua's family are really interesting and give us a better view of who she is and where she came from. And her relationship with Carrot is deepened and made more important to the reader.

Overall, this is a brilliant Discworld novel - but then, what else would you expect from a master like Pratchett?

*****

The Enemy, Charlie Higson

Synopsis: They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...

When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive.

Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

My Thoughts: When I read the synopsis for this novel I was less than inspired by it. The idea is that every person over the age of fourteen has been struck down by a mystery virus that causes them to become wild, crazy and want to eat children. By the time the story starts, most of London is dead and only a few children survive, living in a Waitrose store, stalked and hunted by a group of feral grown-ups. A strange virus that has wiped out most of the population, leaving a few lone survivors to fight it out? Not the most original of ideas.

So, I started the novel with low expectations as I thought that it would be a mix of '28 Days Later', 'Survivors' and 'Gone'.

Oh how wrong I was.

Higson is a true genius, managing to take an horrific situation with a scattered group of children and turning it into a thrilling, terrifying story that drags the reader deep into the action and keeps the pages turning one after the other.

Each character - and there are a vast amount and array of them - has been carefully created and given time to establish themselves and their individual story. A particular favourite of mine - and I would think of many - is Small Sam as he battles to cross London to find his little sister. He is a brave and endearing character and the reader is anxious for him as his journey becomes more and more perilous.

There is no let up on the pace with this novel, Higson drags us along with his characters and moves the different story strands along quickly, never giving the reader a chance to get bored.

The real horror of this story comes from the simple idea at the heart of it. In our society, adults are there to protect, love and care for children. So what would happen if the adults were suddenly out for blood?

The ending is brilliant as it sets up the sequel but still leaves the reader feeling satisfied that the characters have reached a conclusion - of sorts.

I cannot WAIT for the second novel in this series - Higson has quickly become my new favourite author.

*****

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A VERY VIOLENT NOVEL AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13.

Old Habits Die Hard!

Every writer has their own way of doing things, some like to plan every tiny detail of a piece before they start and others prefer to just wing it and see what happens. And almost every writer that I know, has their own rituals and habits that surround their work.

I know I do!

I'm the kind of writer that doesn't plan anything, I just start writing and see what comes out. This is odd because in every other aspect of my life I'm always quite controlled and usually have a list to hand. I've tried planning a piece before, writing a list of chapters and what they will contain and a character profile to match. This has never worked for me though, it's better if I just relax and let it happen.

As for my habits, I have a very specific way of working:

- I have to write at night, usually between the hours of 9pm-3am, depending on how good of a writing day it is.

- I always light candles and turn the lights off. This helps me relax and focus on what I'm doing.

- I always have music playing, usually quite loudly. For each major piece of work, I've always found a 'muse', that is either a band or artist whose music particularly inspired that piece. Sometimes the music is fitting - for example, when I was writing my teen fiction novel, I was struck by Taylor Swift's music - but sometimes it can be completely random.

- I always drink loads of water. I'm not sure if this is because it helps me stay awake through the night or if it's because it gives me a good excuse to get up and procrastinate every so often, but I always drink the most amount of water during the day when I'm writing.

- And finally, I always wear my pj's. This might seem an obvious thing to say, seeing as I always write at night, but it's really important for me to be completely comfortable and relaxed.

Like I said, all writers have different habits, ways of working and rituals and it is often a trial and error process to find things that work.

So, now I'm off to light the candles, get the music pumping and write some pages...500 words a night is a must!

See you soon,

Writer Girl xxx

The Undrowed Child, by Michelle Lovric

I'm not planning on reviewing all of the books that I read - I read at least four a week so that would take far too long! - but just the best and the worst.

Here is my first...

Writer Girl xxx

The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric

Synopsis: It's the beginning of the 20th century; the age of scientific progress. But for Venice the future looks bleak. A conference of scientists assembles to address the problems, among whose delegates are the parents of eleven-year-old Teodora.

Within days of her arrival, she is subsumed into the secret life of Venice: a world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets and librarians turn fluidly into cats.

A battle against forces determined to destroy the city once and for all quickly ensues. Only Teo, the undrowned child who survived a tragic accident as a baby, can go 'between-the-linings' to subvert evil and restore order.

My thoughts:

This is a highly imaginative novel in which Lovric has effortlessly created a whole world that the reader feels comfortable and safe in.

Teo is an interesting protagonist who doesn't take on the clichéd role of the 'feisty female' but instead takes us on a learning curve as she goes from being a lonely, isolated child who feels unconnected from everything to one who is in the middle of the action and who finds that there are others like her.

Renzo also changes throughout the novel as he goes from being pompous and quite irritating at the beginning to being a genuinely sympathetic character by the end.

The novel is fast paced and full of action but also manages to have quiet moments that bring the reader closer to the story and the characters.

I loved the mermaids in particular, they are refreshingly brash and a move away from the Disney versions of sugar-sweet beauties that have become the norm.

Bajamonte Tiepolo is a brilliant antagonist as he is creepy and gruesome but also pathetic and desperate and the reader gets to see all sides of him.

There were some flaws however. Teo and Renzo are supposed to be eleven but some of their language felt more like that of a thirteen or fourteen year old. And the beginnings of their 'romance' also felt uncomfortable given their age. I felt like we never quite got to the bottom of Teo's story and I wanted to know more about her real parents as it would have made her feel more solid. And I wanted more of a spectacular ending to the battle as it is what the whole book had been building towards, I felt it fizzled slowly out instead.

However, overall I thoroughly enjoyed Lovric's first foray into children's literature as it is interesting, well written and never speaks down to its reader.

I will be keeping an eye out for her next children's book and would highly recommend this one!

*****

The Waiting Game...

Ever since I was a child I've been terrible at waiting. So why on earth did I decide to try to get into an industry that is 95% about waiting?!

I sent off the first three chapters of my manuscript to Agent A at the beginning of October and was amazed to get a response three days later asking for the full novel. I sent it off straight away and got confirmation that it had arrived the following week (that was the week of the postal strikes and I live in the back of beyond so it wasn't a surprise that it took so long to make it there). I then got an email from the agent herself a couple of days after that saying that she was reading it that week.

And then...I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

And then I waited some more.

It's been four weeks now and I'm not sure if the silence from the agent is a good thing; does it mean that she is considering it and talking to other people about it? Or has she already turned me down and the letter just hasn't got here yet?

Only time will tell. And until then I guess I'll just...wait.

Writer Girl xxx

P.S. Take a look at this blog: http://grace-beautifullyawkward.blogspot.com/ it's written by a very good friend of mine, she's the one that got me onto here in the first place! Her blog is all about art and she really knows what she's talking about! X