The Scorpio Races re-read

Publication Date: 22nd October 2011
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 482 pages

Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.
When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.

"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."

This remains one of the best opening lines I have ever read, and it cements the book as something magical and incredible, that will beckon you closer and keep you curled around the island and the story until the final pages send you back, dizzy and bereft, into the real world.

Whenever I am only allowed to pick one book - one book that changed me, that means the world to me, that is beautiful and incredible and magical and everything I never knew I needed - this is the book I pick.
I return to it every autumn in its physical form. I return to it much more often than that in its audiobook form. And every time I fall a little more in love.

This is a story that is hard to pin down, to adequately explain whenever anyone asks you to describe it. At its most basic it's a story about a horse race with deadly water horses that takes place every November. But it's so much more than that, so many layers of character, of wants and needs and desires, of loneliness and companionship, of an island and its traditions and lore that takes on a shape of its own, and becomes a character in its own right. It is a story of love in so many different forms.


It is so incredibly written, a haunting story filled with sly moments of humour and passages that are so beautiful they make you ache. I adore this island and the characters, and I cannot ever adequately convey what this book means to me.
It is everything.

If you're put off by the cover, by the assumption that this is a girly book, or a book about horses, get rid of those thoughts immediately because this book is so much more, and you should put away your misconceptions and pick it up.
It marks the turning point in Maggie's writing, and if you enjoy this then I highly recommend finding a copy of "The Raven Boys" to read next - the start of a truly gorgeous series. But nothing will ever compare to the feeling of coming home that I feel every autumn as I return to Thisby.

"I am so, so alive."

Books that have shaped me

Today, it's my birthday. Not only that, it is my thirtieth birthday which calls for some serious celebrations. It's also caused a lot of introspection, so I thought I would share some of the books that have had a huge impact on me over the last thirty years in one way or another. 
Some you will have heard me gushing about lots already, some may be new to you, but I whole heartedly recommend each and every one of these.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Of course this series is on here. These books defined a lot of growing up years for a lot of people, and I am no exception. They shaped a lot about my values, my beliefs, and the all healing power of chocolate - thanks Professor Lupin!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
This book. I mean, all of Sarah's books have been important to me, but this one most of all. This was the first time that I had truly seen a character in a book that had been utterly broken, was trapped in an emotionally (and sometimes physically) abusive relationship, was suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and was at times suicidal. And she was the heroine. This was mind blowing for me, and I was so so glad that I had held off reading this book for a while, because it meant that I ended up reading it when I needed Feyre and her story the most. This book is incredibly important to me, so much so that I ended up getting a tattoo to mark the impact that it had on me. I will always love Sarah's work, but this one will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
There is something so incredibly magical about this book. It is unlike anything else Maggie has written, and it resonated so deeply with me when I first read it, and maintains that hold on me even now. It is a book I return to every autumn, called by the lure of Thisby, of the capal, of Puck and Sean and this slice of the world that holds so much of my heart, even though it is entirely fictional.
"I am so, so alive."

The Song of Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Widely documented on here as the beginning of my love affair with bad ass ladies and fantasy books, this series, that wee eleven year old Rosy discovered in her school library, honestly shaped the reader I would become. I still adore these books and go back to them frequently, and when I have kids I will introduce them to Alanna and George and show them how magical the world can be. That's the lasting power of an excellent book.

Fire by Kristin Cashore
All three of the Seven Kingdoms books had an impact on me, but none more so than Fire. She was so different to Katsa, the heroine in the first book. She was softer, coming to terms with her femininity, but no less strong or powerful for that. She was incredible in whole new ways, without sacrificing her hardness and determination when needed. She showcases an amplified version of the attention women experience everyday, and that reflection is hard and necessary to see. It is a beautiful book, an important book, and I cannot fully express how much I love it.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Another book that sat on my shelves for far too long, and I ended up picking it up at just the right moment. Landline caught me at a tipping point in my life, and helped me to look at what was important, to focus on what I needed, and wrenched such visceral emotions from me that I hadn't experienced reading a book in some time. I'm both curious and afraid to go back to it again, because I wonder how I would experience it this time.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James
I had already read and loved Eloisa's historical romance novels, but when I moved to France for two and a half years, I was suddenly completely adrift and sought comfort in books. This non-fiction account of Eloisa and her family's own time in Paris gave me just that. The bite size snippets of daily life made me focus on the beautiful aspects, to really appreciate the wonderful things that I was suddenly living with, and it completely changed my outlook on an initially terrifying experience.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Poetic, lyrical, beautiful - this book was unlike anything I had ever read before, and something about that really resonated with me. It's still a favourite I like to sink into. The magic, the love, the characters, the sheer beauty of this world. It is a gorgeous book that means the world to me.

It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn
This book changed my view on relationships and romance. Julia's books have all done that, but this one is where I started, so it seems fitting to mark it.
This was the first time I'd really seen adult relationships depicted where the shirtless hugging wasn't seen as some closeted dark thing to be hidden. These books celebrated it, they relished in it, and it opened young Rosy's eyes to all the possibilities in the world.

The Lynburn Legacy trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan

It was really hard to choose just one book/series from Sarah, because all of them have had an impact on me in some way. My love affair with Sarah's work began around fifteen years ago (now that's a scary thought) when I first read her fan fiction. I eagerly followed her progress to publishing and buy multiple copies of every book she publishes (because they are guaranteed to be ones that I lend out to people saying READ THIS NOW). Her - her words, her story, had a huge impact on the shape of my life. It was because of her and her blog that I realised I might actually be able to write as part of my life instead of it being a pipe dream. It was because of her that I realised I could study Creative Writing at uni, and went on to do so. She inspires me, hugely. She is a truly incredible, wonderfully funny person, and her books have shaped me into the person I am today.

So there you have ten books that shaped me into the person I am today. Someone who has a house full of books and an unhealthy reading habit that results in too little sleep.

What books have helped shaped you?

Books I'm Squeeing About in April

It's April! Already! I had a brief moment of panic this morning on looking at my calendar and realising we were starting another month - this year is racing by and I barely feel like I'm hanging on.
However, there is one bonus to the days racing past, and that is some of my most anticipated books of the year are being released this month! Take my money! I need these books!

5th April - Tell The Wind & Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 
Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.
Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Anytime Sarah Rees Brennan releases a new book, I run to the bookstore. Actually, it's usually more that I camp outside with my nose pressed against the glass waiting longingly for it to be released... I adore her books. They're smart and funny and brilliantly imaginative, peopled with snarky, brilliantly developed characters. I've been antsing to get my hands on this Tale of Two Cities re-telling ever since Sarah announced she was writing one, and now it is finally HERE. Almost.

12th April - Masks & Shadows by Stephanie BurgisThe year is 1779, and Carlo Morelli, the most renowned castrato singer in Europe, has been invited as an honored guest to Eszterháza Palace. With Carlo in Prince Nikolaus Esterházy's carriage, ride a Prussian spy and one of the most notorious alchemists in the Habsburg Empire. Already at Eszterháza is Charlotte von Steinbeck, the very proper sister of Prince Nikolaus's mistress. Charlotte has retreated to the countryside to mourn her husband's death. Now, she must overcome the ingrained rules of her society in order to uncover the dangerous secrets lurking within the palace's golden walls. Music, magic, and blackmail mingle in a plot to assassinate the Habsburg Emperor and Empress--a plot that can only be stopped if Carlo and Charlotte can see through the masks worn by everyone they meet.

Gorgeous cover - check. Fascinating blurb - check. Spies, historical setting, magic - check. Count me in please. The cover caught my eye, but the blurb has me thoroughly intrigued. I cannot wait to see if this one lives up to my expectations.

26th April - The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I am not even close to emotionally ready for the end of this series, but I also cannot wait to read it. I've fallen in love with Blue and her boys, with the magic and the woods and the gorgeous, gorgeous prose. I come back to them again and again, and I whilst it is likely to break my heart, I want to finally learn how their stories end. Get the tissues ready guys, this one will be beautiful and devastating.

April 26th - The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds friendship and warmth.
But Akaran has its own secrets - thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran's magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar's plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk - it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.
Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.
The Star-Touched Queen is a lush, beautifully written and vividly imagined fantasy inspired by Indian mythology.

This book showed up randomly on my recommendations and I am so glad it did. Anytime a young adult book veers away from the stereotypical 'UK' or 'US' settings, I get excited. Add in some fantasy and a thoroughly intriguing blurb and beautiful cover and I cannot wait to get reading.

There you have the books I cannot wait to get my hands on over the next thirty days! Are there any you can't wait to read? Any you feel I've missed? Or any you're curious to pick up? Let me know in the comments below!

Eight Birthday Bookish Wishes!

Today is my birthday! So to celebrate (and since I missed this topic last week when ‘The Broke and the Bookish’ did a top ten Tuesday for bookish wishes) I’ve decided to talk about my top eight bookish wishes I would like to come true when I blow out the candles on my cake this evening.

1. Another Lady Julia Grey Novel
My love for the Lady Julia series knows no bounds. I adore these books, they are like literary crack for me. So I was devastated when it was announced that there would not be any more novels, simply four novellas to try and tie up any loose ends and then goodbye Julia and Brisbane. I love going back and re-reading the novels that we were lucky enough to see, but I would love to see just one more novel in this series to give everyone a full and proper ending.

2. All the Lady Julia Grey Novellas to be bound up in one book
I did enjoy the four novellas, but I am a physical books kinda girl so it frustrates me that I can only read them on my kindle. I want them bound up in one book (ala ‘The Assassin’s Blade’ by Sarah J Maas) so my Lady Julia collection is complete and I can gaze at all the pretties on my bookshelf.

3. For the Next A Song of Ice and Fire Book to be in my Grabby Hands Now
Seriously George, we’ve been so patient, now gief us the book! I need to know what happens next, you can’t just leave me on that cliffhanger of doom. It’s my birthday, just a hint?! (Or you know, a draft, I’m not fussy…)

4. More novels set in the Seven Kingdoms

I adore ‘Graceling’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Bitterblue’. I cannot get enough of these characters, this world, Kristin’s writing. It’s just so good. So whilst I would be very happy for any new writing from Kristin, in my heart of heart’s I would most like another novel set in the Seven Kingdoms. The chance to go back and explore more of this fascinating world would send me into a tailspin of glee. (Also for the audiobook to be read by the superb narrator of the first three books, because Emma Powell does such an incredible job of bringing these characters to life. Plus, continuity.)

5. A New Sarah Rees Brennan Book Every Year

You guys, if someone told me I could only read one author’s work for the rest of my life I would (after much wailing) declare that of course it would be Sarah Rees Brennan. (Fun fact, I met Sarah at a talk and signing on my birthday four years ago and she was awesome. I gave her cake.)
Her books are brilliant, funny, terrifying, and she gleefully rips my heart/soul into tiny little pieces. And I don’t even complain, because I enjoy it. I love her books that much. So if I could have a new book of Sarah’s every year forever please that would make me exceedingly happy. I’m not greedy, I’m not going to demand a new one every month or anything crazy, but one a year? Yes please, my little heart would swell with joy.

6. A New Maggie Stiefvater Book Every Year

Since this is my birthday and the wish granting genie is granting my bookish wishes I want to be greedy, and demand that I also get a Maggie Stiefvater book every year because OH GOSH YES PLEASE. Maggie captured my heart with ‘The Scorpio Races’, and let’s face it I am still not over that book, and then she continued to squish it with her genius with the first three books in ‘The Raven Cycle’. I fully anticipate not just squishing but outright annihilation by feels with the release of the final book ‘The Raven King’ early next year. So if I could get more incredible writing, stunningly beautiful magic and characters that I fall in love with and weep over every year, I would consider myself a very lucky girl.

7. A Series of Books set in the Marauders Era at Hogwarts

I think this would be on most people’s bookish wishlist. Can you imagine this? This would be incredible. I want to go back to Hogwarts, I want to spend time with the Marauders as they create the map and wreak havoc and generally get up to mischief. Picture it, just for a second. It would be like we got a series of books from the Weasley twin’s point of view, but MULTIPLIED. It would be epic.

8. For The Scorpio Races Movie to do the Book Justice and Not Make me Want to Weep

This book. Oh this book. It is so visual and would look so stunning on the big screen, but I am so terrified that any adaptation would lose the magic and turn it into this big Hollywood commercial THING. And that would be tragic. Done right, this could be perfection, complete and utter perfection. And to be able to watch the story unfold as well as listen to it and read it would be a dream come true. Now if they could get it perfect and with my dream cast that would be awesome…

So there you have my eight bookish wishes I will be wishing for before consuming cast quantities of cake this evening. Would you add any other wishes on? Or do you want to join in on some of these wishes (because double the wish power means a greater chance of them coming true…) Let me know in the comments below!

Top Ten Authors I Would Really Like to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful folks over at The Broke & The Bookish
There are so many authors I would love to meet, whether it would be an in passing fall at their feet and tell them how much I love their books, or an in depth conversation over a cup of tea and cake. All of these authors are people that if given the chance, I would sell pieces of my soul to talk to.

1. Deanna Raybourn. I adore Deanna's books and I would love to sit and have tea and just talk about books, her writing and the research she does for each of her novels. I would also love to have a look at the books she has for research and reading - I'm nosy about other people's bookcases!

2. Maggie Stiefvater. I cannot get enough of Maggie's books. The Scorpio Races is one of my all time favourite books, and The Raven Cycle is utterly magnificent and poised to break my heart in the final installment due out later this year. I would love to know more about Maggie, her process, her ideas, and to be a passenger in one of her amazing cars...

3. J. K. Rowling. I think she may be someone who crops up on a lot of lists. So many of us owe so much to Rowling and her incredible books, most notably Harry Potter and Hogwarts, and once I got over the part where I stammered incoherently and probably burst into tears, she seems like she would be a really fascinating person to sit down and talk to.

4. Sarah Rees Brennan. Confession, I did meet Sarah at a signing she did with Cassie Clare on my 23rd birthday. I got to give her some birthday cake and stammer around the words I wanted to say about how much I loved her books and how she had inspired me and shown me that writing was actually something I could (and should) pursue. This time I would love to meet her for longer and be somewhat more coherent because anyone who has met Sarah/read her books/followed her social media accounts know that she is utterly brilliant and hysterical, and an afternoon spent in her company talking about everything from books to tv shows as well as everything in between would be incredible.

5. Kristin Cashore. Her books are amazing and her writing process seems utterly fascinating. She gives sneak peaks into her process on her blog and I love all the little insights and the methods she uses for each book she writes. Her blog is fascinating and I highly recommend checking it out for sneak peaks into how her writing comes together, the different processes and other little glimpses into her life.

6. Belinda Jones. I love Belinda's chick lit books, they always take me to some fantastic and wonderful destinations around the world, and you're guaranteed to learn some interesting history about the places she writes about too. So the chance to tag along on a research trip and to find out about all these amazing places? Yes please.

7. George R R Martin. His mind fascinates me. I'd want to wait to meet him until after all of the Song of Ice and Fire books are released, partly because I'd feel horribly guilty stealing any time that could be used writing, and partly because I imagine I am going to want to talk a lot about these books when the series is all out...

8. Neil Gaiman. Gaiman's books are incredible, his imagination both a terrifying and wonderful place to be, and his books are works of brilliance. I've been to several of Gaiman's talks and readings and he is endlessly fascinating and I would love to just ask an endless array of questions and hear his thoughts on a little bit of everything.

9. Terry Pratchett. A good portion of the book community adores Terry's books and I know that I am not the only one who would love to have sat down and talked to him about Discworld, his writing, his incredible characters and imagination. And to say thank you. For sharing his gift with us, for giving us these amazing stories and people, and making life that little bit funnier, brighter and more brilliant.

10. Anthony McGowan. Not for any fan purposes, or a love of his books. I would love to meet Mr McGowan to ask him why on earth he felt writing those tweets was a good idea, and why he thinks that Book Bloggers are pointless. And then I would love to show him just how incredible Book Bloggers can be and how sadly misinformed and caught up in his own importance he is.

So there are my ten authors I would love to meet (for a variety of reasons.) How about you? Are there any on my list that you would love to have a conversation with? Share your author loves in the comments below and link me to your own top tens!

Top Ten All Time Favourite Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by the wonderful folks over at The Broke & the Bookish

This week is a tough one. Like really crazy tough, because there are so many authors that are favourites. Those who have written incredible series and bring out book after book of wonderfulness, and those who have written a single standalone that stays with you. And there are some who maybe their books aren't in your top favourites, but they are such wonderful kind and fabulous people that they sneak in anyway. They all deserve recognition and that makes it incredibly hard to narrow it down to just ten.
But I'm going to try... So here, in no particular order are my top ten all time favourite authors.

Deanna Raybourn

I finished reading a Gail Carriger book and went on Amazon to see if they could recommend me anything similar and 'Silent in the Grave' the first book in the Lady Julia series popped up. I devoured it (and the following two books) in record time and so began a love affair with Deanna Raybourn's books that I have never looked back from. I know that if Raybourn has written it, it is going to be supberb. She has the rare and dangerous gift of being able to create wonderfully real characters and put them into worlds so real you can almost taste them. When I dive into one of her books I know I am going to be immersed in an incredible story with wonderful and evocative writing. She researches so thoroughly that every story feels as though it is real and as though you are truly stepping into the country and time period depicted. No matter the story, Raybourn's books will always be a favourite and her a favourite author.

Maggie Stiefvater

I came to Maggie late, discovering her only with the publication of 'The Scorpio Races'. Nothing I have read comes close to what Maggie does with her tales. They are full of subtle magics, incredible characters and books that pull you in and make you fall in love until they become a part of you. 'The Scorpio Races' and then 'The Raven Cycle' are utterly stunning books, ones that always take my breath away. I am utterly in awe and cannot even put into words how incredible these books and Maggie's writing is. I adore them, and I couldn't ever do without them.

Kristin Cashore
The first time I read Graceling I disliked it. Then I waited a few years and read it again and fell in love, followed swiftly by Fire and Bitterblue and all three rocketed straight up into all time favourite books. For some reason reading Graceling for the first time I was in completely the wrong frame of mind, and I am so, so glad that I went back and re-read it because I cannot imagine not having these three books in my life. I listen to the audiobooks regularly (currently my go-to audiobook is Fire) and also go and check out Kristin's blog. Her blog is a fascinating mix of writing and editing and random things and pretty pictures and I love hearing each update from her corner of the world. I'm eagerly awaiting her follow up book to The Seven Kingdoms series, but in the mean time I more than love checking out the blog posts and re-reading these favourites.

Sarah Rees Brennan

I first found Sarah's work when she was writing Harry Potter fan-fiction. And it was brilliant. It was witty and sarcastic and brilliant and fleshed out characters in whole new ways and introduced me to this idea that writing could be fun. Then she went to do an MA in Creative Writing and I couldn't believe it. The idea of studying writing at uni had never crossed my mind before that point and she introduced me to the idea that maybe I could write. And then she got her books published and she blew me away all over again with how incredibly wonderful her writing was. It was everything I had fallen in love with all those years ago when I read her fan fic, but polished, refined and with her own incredible characters and plots. Her writing is incredible, it remains some of the funniest and most bittersweet and her characters are some of the most complex. But as well as all that she will always be the person who showed me that achieving my dream of writing was actually possible, and I will always remember that.

Tamora PierceI first discovered Pierce's books when I was 11 and desperately seeking any sort of distraction from the books in the school library. None of them were particularly great and then I discovered Alanna in The Song of the Lioness Quartet and I fell in love. Pierce's books always have magic in them and they always feature fantastic characters. Strong women who aren't afraid to fight for what they want and be who they were meant to be, regardless of what society thinks they should do. And strong men who are loyal and kind and aren't afraid to show weakness, frailty, or love. I got lost in these books, I wished I could live in these books, and I still love going back and re-reading them to this day. They are wonderful and full of such brilliant depths of imagination and that is what makes her one of my favourite authors.

J. K. Rowling

Do I really need to say anything? Like pretty much every other Potter fan, I fell in love with Harry and Ron and Hermione and never looked back. Rowling created a world I wanted to live in, Hogwarts is somewhere I can never wait to return to, and I was one of the lucky generation who grew up with Harry. With each new book I was older, so was he, and the world got darker and more dangerous as we explored it. Rowling did the extrordinary, she created a world that bridges language and country. Everyone who has fallen in love with Hogwarts is connected by these books and the love of reading they inspired, and I adore her for that.

Neil Gaiman
If Tamora Pierce introduced me to fantasy as a child, Neil Gaiman introduced

me to a whole new breed of fantasty as an adult. Gaiman's books are incredible with such vivid and terrifying imagination filling each page. I started with Neverwhere and fell in love with London, moved on to Stardust and found a whole new type of fairytale with heroines who swore and hero's who weren't really hero's at all to start with, and moved onto American Gods and wept from the sheer brilliance and scope of the story. Gaiman's stories in turn delight and terrify and he is such a kind and generous author, both with his stories and his time. If you ever get the chance to go to a talk of his, I highly recommend it.

Julia Quinn

Quinn introduced me to the idea of romance and true love. I mean I'd discovered it in fairytales and other such things, but this was my first foray into true romance and I loved it. Quinn's stories are always fresh and funny, brilliantly written and featuring wonderful characters. She reminds me again and again that happily ever after's are indeed possible and that true love really does exist, even when the world is a terrible place I know that Quinn will provide a ray of sunshine and I love her and her books for that.

Jasper Fforde
I was a precocious reader as a child, and as a result I found a lot of books and authors that I didn't fully appreciate until revisiting them when I was a bit older. Jasper Fforde is one of those authors, and whilst I loved him when I was younger, his books are utterly fantastic reading them as an adult. They are brilliantly imaginative, twisted and hilarious. His debut novel 'The Eyre Affair' plays with tropes and expectations so brilliantly, and I adore his haphazard and genius thought process that produces such ingenious books.

Gail Carriger

My first dip into steampunk, Gail's covers grabbed my attention and her witty and sharp writing kept me entertained for hours. She is still my favourite steampunk author and if I want a melodrama of manners with tea, pesto, vampires and werewolves she is my go to author I love - and she has the most awesome blog and twitter presence. There's always something new and exciting to see if you go on her blog or follow her and I love seeing the strange, weird and wonderful things that pop up. 

So there you have my top ten favourite authors. Can you manage to pick only ten of your favourites? If so tell me in the comments below! You can also check out interviews with Deanna Raybourn, Sarah Rees Brennan & Gail Carriger in the author interviews tab at the top of the page.

Reviews: Lament & Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind...

I absolutely adored my first venture into Maggie Stiefvater’s books in the form of ‘The Scorpio Races’ so I was pretty sure I was going to love anything I read by her, and I was right. Whilst Lament didn’t sweep me away in quite the same way as Scorpio Races, it was still a fantastically well crafted and sinister tale of magic and faeries that had me racing through the pages to find out how it ended.

I loved Dee, she was a fantastic character, and I loved her relationship with James – complicated as it was. But more on that in my review for Ballard…

The premise was fantastic; it was fresh and innovative, utterly engrossing and a little bit terrifying. I did find it a little bit slow to start with, and I did end up putting it down a couple of times because I wasn’t completely hooked, but about half way through everything starts getting a little bit twisty and I couldn’t put it down.

Not once did I know how it might end, and I love how Stiefvater keeps her reader guessing and plays her cards very close to her chest so that the ending could never end up being predictable.

I wasn’t completely sold on the romance. I think it was mostly that Luke just didn’t do it for me, and I never really trusted him. That and I was secretly rooting for James because I am a sucker for the best friend/underdog romance, and I was shipping them like a crazed thing. But alas, sometimes it’s just not meant to be. But due to that I just never really got on board with Luke, which was a shame.

Whilst I loved Lament, I never fully became as immersed in the story as I was expecting to be, which was a shame. It was still fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new dark faerie tale, but it didn’t quite hit all the spots for me. However Ballard on the other hand…

In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception , music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

James was such a fantastic character in ‘Lament’ that I was unbelievably giddy when I found out that the second book was told from his point of view. I just wanted more of him, to find out how he thought and processed things and to see a little more of the world from his perspective, and Ballad gave me exactly that.

I love the idea of looking at the story that’s running side long to the heroine’s story, and whilst this was very much James’ story, the unsent texts from Dee and the little mentions of her story running along without James gave it that feeling that he wasn’t included in the main plot. It was like the episode of Buffy where we see Xander’s story where he gets into all amounts of hell with zombies whilst Buffy and the others are off saving the world. And I LOVE that.

There was just such a fascinating plot and so many fantastic secondary characters running through James’ story, and I loved getting more of him in all his arrogant and ocd fantasticness. I loved his writing on himself and the odd words and how they all fit into the story – it was just such a great element to bring in.  I loved Nuala and the sparks and snark between her and James was fantastic. Hers was such a heartbreakingly beautiful story, and add into the mix James and I was utterly sold.

Ballard was a beautiful companion novel, and it fulfilled my desperate wishes to see more of James and finally give him a bit of happiness. I think of the two I preferred Ballard, but without the lead in that Lament offered, it wouldn’t have been quite so fantastic, so I definitely recommend the two books as a whole, as they paint a rather fascinating new idea of faeries that was reminiscent of Holly Black and Melissa Marr’s faerie books. Fans of Stiefvater’s work will love these two, although I don’t think they quite come up to the exquisite beauty found in The Scorpio Races – but then again, I think I’m just biased…

Books I'm Squeeing About in September

How is it nearly September already? SEPTEMBER?! It doesn’t seem like it can possibly be this late in the year already, but somehow it is. But luckily there are some really awesome books on the horizon to ease the transition from summer to autumn. Get your purses out, cos this month is going to be a good one…

EDIT: Amazon originally listed 'Unspoken' by Sarah Rees Brennan as being released on 30th August, however they have now changed it to 13th September! So apologies for the screwy info, but still go out and buy this book as soon as it's released! It's going to be awesome!

4^th– Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.
All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

Oh hell yes. I didn’t even need to look at the blurb for this one before it was on my wish list. All I needed to know was that it’s a new book from Melissa Marr, and it’s called ‘Carnival of Souls’ – doesn’t that just give you shivers? I cannot wait for this book. And you know what makes it even sweeter? The fact that James Marsters is reading the audiobook of it. Yes that’s right guys, SPIKE IS READING THE AUDIOBOOK. So not only am I squeeing about the book, I will also be buying it in audiobook format just to have his dulcet tones speak to me.

6^th– Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth F Long

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction
The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.

This is one of those books that comes together in a beautifulness of extra bits that makes me want to pick it up despite knowing very little about it. I was struck first off by the cover (yes I know, I’m terribly shallow) and then the title, which just has something about it and prompted me to look at the blurb and there’s something that just tugs at me and makes me want to pick this one up. I’m very much in a fairy tale mood at the moment, and I’m hoping this is going to hit the right spots.

13^th– Dodger by Terry Pratchett

A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage, in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's ...Dodger.

We’ve got a new Pratchett almost within reach – need I say more?

18^th– The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Guys we are so being spoilt this month – a new Libba Bray book?! Oh yes please. Again, nothing more than that was needed to get this firmly onto my list, but then I saw the blurb and oh my yes please some more. Another twenties book? And by such a fantastic author? I am so there.

19^th– The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Maggie Stiefvater had me with The Scorpio Races, and as a result this new offering from her has me supremely excited. I’m wondering what we’re going to get from such an eclectic author who can take romance from making out every couple of pages in ‘Shiver’ to the slow burn that I fell in love with in ‘The Scorpio Races’. Whatever the result, I cannot wait to get my hands on this book.

20^th– Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.
Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

I fell, completely unexpectedly and very thoroughly in love with ‘Fire and Thorns’ last year, and as a result this has been hotly anticipated since June 2011. Everything I’ve heard from early reviews marks this as even better than the first book, and I can’t wait to see where Carson takes us next in this fantastic debut fantasy series.

27^th– The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

When Barry Fairweather dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

I’m sure I’m not the only person who is waiting nervously and excitedly for the end of the month, because September 27^th marks the release of the first adult novel from J. K. Rowling, and her first full novel since the Harry Potter series. Despite the lack of Horcruxes, wands and butterbeer, I still can’t wait to see what she’s written next with her first foray into adult fiction.