I may not have been born in 1971 (my parents weren’t even teenagers at the time) but as a massive fan of rock I wanted very much to read this book. I was not disappointed. It was fascinating. David Hepworth has written a few other books, all with cover art similar to this one, and I have added them to the reading list I keep in my head.
This was one of my favourite books of last year. I read the hardback version with its beautiful gold and black cover hinting at the contents within. The paperback copy I now own has a more disappointing fascade. I present both to you for comparison. Regardless of the cover, the book is wonderful and a delight to read.
Amor Towles has also written The Rules of Civility, another exquisite novel.
True crime isn’t a genre I dip into a huge amount but I read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale a few years ago and, based on the quality of her writing, decided to give this one a go. Despite both being very good books I found that I preferred this one. Not only does it deal with the crime but gives social background that helps to explain the kind of lives being led by many in Britain during the late Victorian period. I am so very glad I live in modern times.
Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime.
I started this last night and had to force myself to put in down around 1am as I needed to sleep. Needless to say, I finished it today. Reading a page-turner is a lovely way to spend a day off.
Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2015 and the Toronto Book Award 2015.
Were you born in the late 70s or early 80s? Are you female? Are these books familiar to you?
Ringing any bells? If this sums up your reading life in the early to mid 90s then you should read Gabrielle Moss’s love letter to a lost genre.
This book brings back lots of memories, reminding us of how gender-specific junior fiction once was. Sadly, bar a few stalwards, none of the books live on in bookshops or libraries but can still be found, pre-loved, on the internet. I am tempted to splurge on some of my old favourites. I already have a few by Paula Danziger and occasionally settle down for a good old comfort read.
I love this cookbook. It is not just a set of recipes, it is a collection of stories about food. I particularly recommend the Gingerbread Spice Pancake (my first Dutch baby) and the Butternut Squash & Caramelized Onion Galette, which can feed a small army.
I read about this book on a list of the best graphic novels of 2018 and immediately wanted it. Sadly the library couldn’t purchase it as it doesn’t appear to be available in this country (except on amazon.co.uk) so I just had to buy it for myself. How terrible…
I found the art work stunning and now want to read more of Jen Wang’s work. Universal Pictures bought the film rights within a few months of this being published.
If you think graphic novels are only about superheroes I’m here to tell you that you are wrong. Graphic novels come in all shapes and sizes and are written for every age group. I’m pretty sure there is a graphic novel for everyone. Here are a few I have enjoyed recently.
This series (currently on book 5) is aimed at young readers. This is one of many fantastic graphic novels published by The Phoenix Presents. They also publish a weekly comic for 6-12 year olds. More info can be found on their website.
Ok, so this is about a superhero but one created by a young girl who is dealing with hearing loss and the way this makes her different. One to make you consider how you treat those with hearing impairments.
A set of books about a group of girls at a very unusual summer camp, Lumberjanes is currently up to volume 11. Devoid of bad language, this is aimed at teenagers and adults.
This ongoing series revolving around time travel is aimed at older teens and adults.
This set of 26 books centres on the characters of our favourite fairy tales, who have fled the homelands and are living secretly in New York, governing themselves and trying to stop the mundies (humans) from finding out about them. Aimed squarely at adults due to content.
Rivers of London is a popular series of novels written by Ben Aaronovitch. Instead of adapting the books already written into graphic novels, Aaronovitch has written original stories that run alongside the novels, with both formats referencing each other while not forcing the fans of the books to read the graphic novels or vise versa.
![Rivers of London Vol. 1: Body Work by [Aaronovitch, Ben, Cartmel, Andrew]](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sFEs62AnL._SY346_.jpg)
Part of my job involves reading stories to under 5s, meaning I have a legitimate reason to read picture books during work hours, or as I like to call it, ‘research’. I view it as a perk of the job.
So, during an intense ‘research’ session on Friday I found myself unable to contain my laughter upon reading this gem.
This book is sure to entertain children and parents alike, with plenty to look at on each page and a double spread of all the characters at the back of the book.
*Update on Monday 20th April 2019
This book has been a huge hit at the library. Most of my colleagues have read it in the staffroom and the parents at Story Time this morning thought it was great. Success!
She Eats Books 