Steph Warren - Bookshine posted: " First a quick explanation! Due to some severe health issues over the last few years, and a lingering chronic condition, my planned review schedule went right out of the window and I have been scrabbling ever since to get it bac" Bookshine And Readbows
Due to some severe health issues over the last few years, and a lingering chronic condition, my planned review schedule went right out of the window and I have been scrabbling ever since to get it back on track.
In an attempt to try to regain some lost ground, I have been scrunching some of my (overdue) NetGalley reviews together into one or two posts each week: shorter reviews, but still covering all of the points I intended to.
That's the plan anyway, so let's cosy up with a cuppa and that towering TBR...!
Title: Is This OK? Author: Harriet Gibsone Publisher:Pan Macmillan, Picador
Blurb: 'I might not be posting, but at any given chance, I am scrolling.'
Music journalist, self-professed creep and former winner of the coveted 'Fittest Girl in Year 11' award, Harriet Gibsone lives in fear of her internet searches being leaked.
Until a diagnosis of early onset menopause in her late twenties, Harriet spent much of her young life feeding neuroses and insecurities with obsessive internet searching (including compulsive googling of exes, prospective partners, and their exes), and indulging in whirlwind 'parasocial relationships' (translation: one-sided affairs with celebrities she has never met).
Suddenly staring down years of IVF, HRT and other invasive medical treatments, her relationship with the internet takes a darker turn, as her online addictions are thrown into sharp relief by the corporeal realities of illness and motherhood.
An outrageously funny, raw and painfully honest account of trying to find connection in the age of the internet, Is This Ok? is the launch of an exciting new comic voice.
Review: Initially this book was a relatable and fun read, about the author's self doubts and insecurities and her obsession with stalking people online, all told in a witty, self-deprecating style. Unfortunately, as the book continued in the same vein throughout, with little hope of personal growth or development, it began to feel repetitive, long-winded and dreary.
It appears that Harriet Gibsone has spent her entire life trying to turn herself into the various people she obsessively follows online, from fellow-journalist colleagues like 'Laura' to celebrities like Alexa Chung. It made me feel really sad, because Harriet - as presented through her own words - seems perfectly lovely and lovable if she could only set aside those obsessive thoughts.
All her relationships, both online and IRL, are subjected to exhaustive analysis, comparison and self-conscious adjustments in her search for some imagined perfect state of being, in herself and in relation to others.
I get it, and I definitely related to her struggle, as I am also a massive overthinker, but reading an entire book of someone else putting themself through this repeatedly made me feel small, tired, embarrassed and depressed. On the plus side, it also made me resolve to work on my own issues and ease off on the overthinking (thankfully I am not also a cyber-stalker!), so that is a positive outcome from the read!
The anecdotes about music journalism and the author's personal relationships are all very interesting and well-written, so it's not that the book isn't entertaining... it just carries a lot of emotional weight that the humour struggles to lift.
Title: Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency Author: Chris Smith Publisher:Penguin Random House Children's UK, Puffin
Blurb: 'Never, ever eliminate the impossible.' - Clarity Jones
When Mutt gets a job as an apprentice at the leading detective agency in the realm of Rillia, he's not expecting to work with ex-princesses, snow gnoblins and the most notorious assassin of the White Hand Clan.
And he's definitely not expecting to be thrown in the deep end on the agency's toughest and most dangerous job yet - the mysterious case of the vanishing jester . . .
From the incredible imagination of Chris Smith - bestselling author and now a major new solo talent - comes a hilarious adventure for fans of Cressida Cowell, Robin Stevens and Disney Pixar.
Review: Absolutely brilliant! Love, love love this middle-grade humorous detective fantasy-mystery!
I was reminded of one of my favourite books from this year, OverLondon, but aimed at younger readers (8-12), and there are also elements of both Robin Stevens and Robin Bennett, but this story is still fresh, new and joyfully itself.
The main character isn't really the titular Clarity Jones but street-rat Mutt, who stumbles into her newly-opened detective agency just in time to join an investigation into a missing court jester. And I challenge readers not to adore Mutt, Clarity (ex-princess), Mirko (obsessively clean snow gnoblin) and Nissassa (ex-ninja-assassin) at once!
The whole book is Pratchett-esque in tone and not bogged down by lots of worldbuilding - the author sketches out a rough outline then lets the characters and the reader's imagination fill in the gaps. There is tons of humour and action, and a fun mystery to solve, but it is the characters that really shine and leave you wanting more.
This is ANOTHER 'keeper' in what has been a very good reading year for me, and I am desperately hoping this is the first in a very long series!
Title: Greenwild: The World Behind the Door Author: Pari Thomson Publisher:Macmillan Children's Books
Blurb: Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year 2023 - the perfect gift for Christmas!
Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself. Greenwild: The World Behind the Door is the first book in Pari Thomson's New York Times bestselling fantasy series.
'Phenomenal . . . If you don't believe in magic, you will after you've read Greenwild' - A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, filled with plants and bursting with magic: the Greenwild.
But all is not well in this astonishing land. Before long Daisy finds herself confronting a dangerous presence that threatens green magic on both sides of the door. Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk to animals, and a cat with an attitude, to channel the power that can revive the Greenwild and find her missing mother - and save her own world too.
Embark on an unforgettable adventure through the Greenwild, beautifully illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
Review: This middle-grade fantasy adventure is saturated in a ecological ethos but without being too preachy or interrupting the action.
At first I found it difficult to look past the similarities between this story and the Harry Potter books - 'herbology' lessons in the greenhouse; a bitter professor who wanted the head job and teaches about dangerous plants/potions and seems to loathe the main character on sight; a clever, bookish girl and amiable boy who befriend the (potentially orphaned) main character and teach her about how the new magical world works, and so on. Plus there is a definite The Secret Garden vibe to Daisy's side adventure with Hal.
That said, there is plenty that is different here too, and I gradually fell under the Greenwild spell and began to enjoy the story and characters for themselves.
The writing is vivid and the worldbuilding is as rich as the greenery that abounds through the portal from our Greyside into the Greenwild. The characters are diverse, distinctive and feel real and the plotlines are interesting and exciting (both the standalone main adventure and the overarching story that remains unresolved at the end).
This definitely deserves 5* and a place in the pantheon of great middle-grade books, and I will be picking up a copy for Minishine's 'keep' shelf!
Title: The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic Author: Linsey Hall Publisher:Bonnie Doon Press
Blurb: So here's the deal—I'm a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules…
1. Never get involved with magic
2. If you must, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England
3. And definitely don't fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you've hated for years
So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It's the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family's magical potion shop.
But it's cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly's Sexiest Man of the Year. I'll win the competition, and if I'm lucky, I won't turn myself into a toad in the process.
This'll be fine. It'll all be fine.
Riiiight.
The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic is a fun, light romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It's the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.
Review: I really enjoyed this story - a romcom with some lovely light-hearted magic - and gardening - on the side!
Aria, our main character, is forced to return to the hometown she fled, in order to save her family business (and by extension, the whole town) by competing against her childhood bullies and the man who she most hates (waggles eyebrows in enemies-to-lovers knowingness). But everyone else has magic and hers is wonky and unreliable... who can possibly help her 'fix' her magic, save the day and find true love?!
This is a really sweet romance and I LOVED the plant magic and all of the details of the magical competition, complete with unique magical creatures and an interesting magic system. But, as is often the case, it is the characters that really won me over - Aria's gran, Tabitha and Catrina, Boris the badger, and of course, Callan Hawthorne (boo, hiss, swoon!). And Aria herself. She is a very relatable main character and I was 100% on her side throughout. She has her flaws but is willing to work hard to overcome them, and to admit when she gets things wrong - what's not to like?!
If you are looking for a feelgood, easy read that will give you a warm, cosy glow on a chilly winter's evening, then look no further! I look forward to reading more from the Charming Cove series in future.
Title: The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic Author: Breanne Randall Publisher:Alcove Press
Blurb: For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.
Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.
With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.
As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?
Readers who love the magic of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and the sense of community found in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will enjoy this warm, witchy novel.
Review: This book is a mixture of cosy, small-town romance and family drama with some mystery and magic running through it.
There were some obvious similarities to Practical Magic - the main character avoiding love for fear of its loss; eccentric family members including a runaway sibling and a 'responsible one'; even a midnight margherita moment!
Unlike Sally Owens however, Sadie is something of a self-centred main character and seems to think everyone's lives revolve around her. The characters around her feel underdeveloped, the writing is repetitive and often overly descriptive, and the plot is unevenly paced and zips all over the place - it feels like the author is trying to fit so much into the story that nothing really gets properly resolved before the book moves on to something else.
And yet, with all those flaws, I did still enjoy reading the story, so clearly there is some of that Revelare magic captured within the pages!
I would definitely read more from this author, because while this story felt a little scattered and unfocused, there was plenty of potential in the writing, characters and plot so I feel sure there is more magic to come.
Middle-grade, memoir, magic and mystery - there's a bit of everything here!
I've bought a few of these for myself and as Christmas presents(sorry to mention the C-word in November!), so can personally recommend them as seasonal book gifts.
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