Christmas Presents Guide 2017!

Helloooo there! Here we are in the Christmas season once again yippee! Merry Christmas to ye all! I've got a big old list of TEN books to suggest to you for lovely presents for all your lovely friends and family! There's stuff for explorers, garden lovers, a v interesting graphic novel, hard hitting YA, something sciencey, something feminismy, some weird short stories, a dystopian novella, and a whole novel in verse! Without further a do, here are my suggestions for books to give as presents this festive season:

Rolling Blackouts by Sarah Glidden

I found Sarah Glidden's first graphic memoir How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less so compelling and thoughtful and reflective and Rolling Blackouts does not disappoint. It's in a similar style, but with Glidden taking more of an observer's view to the rest of her group, which comprises of two journalist friends and an ex Marine as they travel through Turkey, Syria and Iraq in 2010, pre Arab Spring. I really love Sarah Glidden's artwork. She has such a soft touch- subtle, with really beautiful watercolour washes, and great characters. Super interesting, great storytelling, beautiful artwork.

The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit

After the popularity of Men Explain Things to Me, which I enjoyed as some lunchtime reading this year, The Mother of All Questions is Rebecca Solnit's new collection of essays on feminism. I have a really nice yellow Haymarket Books edition, but there's a lovely shiny hardback edition which would be perrrrrrrfect as a present or your fave feminist thinker.

Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

Sarah Crossan's wonderful book One was one of my favourites of last year, and Moonrise is also wonderful! Written entirely in verse, it tells the story of a family attempting to deal with their oldest sibling being on death row after being falsely accused of murder.  It really is wonderful and emotional and nuanced and powerful and complicated and quiet and contemplative and juuust great. 

Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively

I listened to a lovely interview with Penelope Lively on Women's Hour and I thought her new book Life in the Garden sounded like a perfect present for a garden lover! It is part memoir and part a look a gardens in literature. I'm giving a copy to one of my garden-loving grannies but I may have to give it a sneaky read first!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give is a powerful novel by Angie Thomas. An unapologetic look at race based violence in the United States, centred around the aftermath of a police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Starr is the central character- a teenage girl who navigates the worlds of her hood neighbourhood home and her private school education. After her childhood friend Khalil is shot by a police officer while Starr is in the passenger seat, she has to work out how to find strength to speak out, be a strong witness, and figure out a way to be brave in the face of tragedy. It's amazing and important and has been topping the NYT bestseller list for about a million weeks. If you haven't read it yet then really what are you waiting for.

The Doll's Alphabet by Camilla Grudova

For the short story lover in your life, The Doll's Alphabet by Camilla Grudova could be an excellent present choice. Perfect for fans of Angela Carter, these stories are creepy and interlinked through themes and imagery of sewing machines, strange cities, pregnancy, and dolls. It's a beautiful blue Fitzcarraldo Edition and was just as strange and creepy as I hoped it would be when I read it earlier this year. 

The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

A beautiful hardback novella, The End We Start From is the first book by Megan Hunter. It is set in an apocalyptic England and is sparsely written but somehow with such a vivid sense of place and emotion, dealing with motherhood and family. It's a very intense read, but perfect for a reading in a oner over the holidays. 

Superpowerless by Chris Priestley

I'm just realising how heavy the topics of these books all are... this one is about David who is not handling his grief over the death of his father particularly well. He hides in his inherited comic books, believing he is a superhero himself, with one task. He's also navigating the social circles of high school and relationships with girls, and doing a fair bit of spying on the neighbours out his bedroom window through a telescope. The author's illustrations are featured throughout the book too. This one might be good for a teen type person!

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli

Now for a bit of science! Carlo Rovelli, Italian theoretical physicist, takes you through various monumental physics based moments from this century and the last. It's about black holes and stuff? Gravity? Space and stuff? Basically it's a huge best seller in Italy, and he's got a another one out too, Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity, in a lovely spotty hardback. I got this one for a sciencey person in my life! 

Wild Guide Scotland by Kimberley Grant, Richard Gaston, David Cooper

Why not give the gift of some adventure inspiration this Christmas! Wild Guide Scotland is the perfect travel guide for the best and most wild places hidden in the nooks and crannies of Scotland. Wild camping, wild swimming, wildlife! It is a beautiful book full of excellent and well research information on how to make the most out of your time in Scotland. The photographs are pretty spectacular too. 

Ho Ho Ho and have Merry Christmas ok byyyeeeeeee xoxoxox

Autumnal Reads! Bonfire, The End We Start From, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, His Dark Materials, The Bear and the Nightingale, Comet in Moominland

Hello and Happy Autumn to you! I come to you from the damp depths of October, barrelling fast down its flood waters into the chilly chasm of November's dark embrace. It's been raining a lot, but when the rain stops for a minute you can look around and see the many pretty orange and red and brown leaves all falling from the trees into crunchy/mushy piles. The squirrels are busy squirrelling away nuts and the crows all seem to be up to something... so it's about time we all retreated indoors where the hot chocolate is only 2 mins in the microwave away, the heating is on, the fluffy socks have been dug out from the back of the drawer and a fine stack of Autumnal Reads awaits! 

I may be a little delirious from the v bad cold I currently have, but I'm not letting that hamper my efforts to recommend some cosy reading choices. And with the clocks going back you might as well use your extra hour in bed to enjoy some cosy reading time! 

Bonfire  is the first novel by Krysten Ritter, star of such excellent television shows as The B in Apartment 33 and Jessica Jones. This story takes place in the small town of our protagonist Abby Williams' childhood, where a 10 year old mystery disappearance has plagued the minds of every townsperson. Back as a grown up and a lawyer investigating the potential water pollution of the local massive plastics firm, Abby digs up both the town's and her own past. This gripping thriller is perfect to keep you curled up where it's safe and warm indoors. 

The End We Start From is the first book by Megan Hunter. Indulge those dooms day thoughts with this apocalyptic novella, sparsely written but somehow with such a vivid sense of place and emotion. It's a fairly intense read, but perfect for reading in one sitting while avoiding the howling winds of autumn.

His Dark Materials is the wonderful series by Phillip Pullman. Shroud yourself in the comfort and magnificence of this wonderful world, or should I say multiple worlds. Yes I should. I've been rereading the series in preparation for the return of Lyra's Oxford in the new The Book of Dust series. I've got my copy of part  one, La Belle Sauvage, now but thank the actual lord I decided to reread the others as I had entirely forgotten almost everything. To be fair to myself The Amber Spyglass did get published when I was 10, and I have a signed first edition of it, so odds are that was when I last read it! I really recommend making this series part of your autumnal reading line up.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is probably more wintery than autumnal given that it is set in winter in the Russian wilderness. There's plenty of exploration in the forest, horse whispering, rubbish step mothers, and most importantly magic and folk tales. Maybe save this one for the autumn to winter transitional period. Best served under blanket with mug of hot chocolate.

Comet in Moomimland is a wonderful moomin adventure story by Tove Jansson. With a comet headed for Moominvalley, much adventure and excitement ensues. I have a lovely new Sort Of Books collectors edition which has the original 1950s/60s cover designs. There are a few new editions which you can gaze at admiringly in between reading! I'm hoping to get my mitts on all of them.













We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a very creepy novella about sisters living in the big house outside of a small town. Their whole family was poisoned to death over dinner several years ago, and the sisters have continued living in the family house, hiding from the gossip and hostility of the people in town. It is so strange and creepy and brilliant and includes a 10/10 cat character. Read this one in candle light with cat on lap or curled up nearby. 

Review!: Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett

Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett is from the Fitzcarraldo Editions. This is the first I've read from these lovely blue editions, and was a Christmas present from my best pal, and I enjoyed it very much. It's another collection of short stories/essays sort of about nothing but also everything, and I will be keeping it near at all times to use as a thesaurus because Claire-Louise Bennett's vocabulary is extensive and lyrical and extremely envious.

Beauty, wisdom, whim, and humour are found in the mundanity of a quiet life in an old cottage in a small town. Claire-Louise Bennett's writing is beautiful and full of much better words than I could possibly muster, like for example this passage from pages 56-57, which I definitely had to read a few times and also made me laugh at the extravagance of the language:

"However, the sensational mode by which the latest idea came to light was in fact not the least bit dazzling or unprompted but was rather the sort of consolidated outcome which is typically produced when a protracted and half-hearted analytical process aggravates the superior auspices of an exasperated subconscious. Consequently, the emanation's illuminating glare softened soon enough, enabling me to continue looking at the trees while at the same time according the contents of this most recent development a privileged yet manageable place among my thoughts."

Just, how mind tangling yet wonderful are those two sentences. I also enjoyed the short but sweet chapter Oh, Tomato Purée! pictured below:

And I keep returning to the chapter To a God Unknown on page 65-66, pictured below, about the character taking a bath with the window open while an old storm blows outside. The idea of an old, familiar storm really caught me:

"And then, from there, it was possible, unavoidable really, to listen to the storm going around and around, and I knew it was an old one that had come back- it seemed to know exactly where it was and there was such intimacy in its movement and in the sound it made as it went along and around and around. Yes, I thought, you know these mountains and the mountains are familiar with you also."

So, if you want to read something quite beautiful and quite strange. Quite wordy and quite lyrical. This might be the book for you! I'm not allowed to buy anymore books currently because my TBR pile is essentially a mile high, but I might treat myself to a new Fitzcarraldo Edition for my Italian adventure in May.

Harry Potter- Snogging, Valentines, and Romance.

Do you like Harry Potter and reading about snogging? Then this is the post for you! Here I have compiled some of the best valentine, romance, and snogging based moments from the books. All quotes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, obv. Let me know your fave Harry P snogging scenes! Happy Valentine's Day! Snogging!

Chamber of Secrets-

Harry's singing dwarf valentine:

"'Right,' he said, sitting on Harry's ankles, 'here is your singing Valentine:
'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, 

His hair is as dark as a blackboard. 

I wish he was mine, he's really divine, 

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.' 

Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot. Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else, he got up, his feet numb from the weight of the dwarf, as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth."

Percy's and Penelope's secret snogging:

"They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.
'Ginny- what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?'
'Oh, that,' said Ginny, giggling, 'Well- Percy's got a girlfriend.'
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.
'What?'
'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was- you know- attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added anxiously.
'Wouldn't dream of it,' said Fred, who was looking as if his birthday had come early.
'Definitely not,' said George, sniggering. 

Goblet of Fire-

Fred's Yule Ball dating wisdom:

'So... you lot got dates for the ball yet?'
'Nope,' said Ron.
'Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone,' said Fred.
'Who're you going with, then?' said Ron.
'Angelina,' said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.
'What?' said Ron, taken aback. 'You've already asked her?'
'Good point,' said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room, 'Oi! Angelina!'
Angelina, who had been chatting to Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.
'What?' she called back.
'Want to come to the ball with me?'
Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look.
'All right, then,' she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting, with a bit of a grin on her face.
'There you go,' said Fred to Harry and Ron, 'piece of cake.'"

Order of the Phoenix-

Harry's first, slightly wet, kiss:

'Did you kiss?' asked Hermione briskly.
Ron sat up so fast he sent his ink bottle flying all over the rug. Disregarding this completely, he stared avidly at Harry.
'Well?' he demanded.
Harry looked from Ron's expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity to Hermione's slight frown, and nodded.
'HA!'
Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and went into a raucous peal of laughter that made several timid-looking second-years over beside the window jump. A reluctant grin spread over Harry's face as he watched Ron rolling around on the hearthrug. Hermione gave Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter.
'Well?' Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. 'How was it?'
Harry considered for a moment.
'Wet,' he said truthfully."

Harry's disastrous Valentine's Day date with Cho, ending in her tears and his protestation of 'Women!'

"'Oh, there's a really nice place up here; haven't you ever been to Madam Puddifoot's?' she said brightly, leading him up a side road and into a small teashop that Harry had never noticed before. It was a cramped, steamy little place where everything seemed to have been decorated with frills or bows. Harry was reminded unpleasantly of Umbridge's office.
'Cute, isn't it?' said Cho happily.
'Er... yeah,' said Harry untruthfully.
'Look, she's decorated it for Valentine's Day!' said Cho, indicating a number of golden cherubs that were hovering over each of the small, circular tables, occasionally throwing pink confetti over the occupants."

Half Blood Prince-

Ron and Lavender's first, v public, smooch:

"Harry looked into the corner she was indicating. There in full view of the whole room, stood Ron wrapped so closely around Lavender Brown it was hard to tell whose hands were whose.
'It looks like he's eating her face, doesn't it? said Ginny dispassionately. 'But I suppose he's got to refine his technique somehow. Good game, Harry.'
She patted him on the arm; Harry felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, but then she walked off to help herself to more Butterbeer."

Ron's out of date love potion disaster:

"'Romilda Vane,' said Ron softly, and his whole face seemed to illuminate as he said it, as though hit by a ray of purest sunlight.
They stared at each other for almost a whole minute, before Harry said, 'This is a joke, right? You're joking.'
'I think... Harry, I think I love her,' said Ron in a strangled voice.
'OK,' said Harry, walking up to Ron to get a better look at the glazed eyes and the pallid complexion, 'OK... say that again with a straight face.'
'I love her.' repeated Ron breathlessly. 'Have you seen her hair, it's all black and shiny and silky... and her eyes? Her big dark eyes? And her...'
'This is really funny and everything,' said Harry impatiently, 'but joke's over, all right? Drop it.'
He turned to leave, he got two steps towards the door when a crashing blow hit him on the right ear. Staggering, he looked round. Ron's fist was drawn right back, his face contorted with rage, he was about to strike again."

Harry and Ginny's first, v public, smooch and ensuing 'long walk' nudge nudge wink wink:

"Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.
After several long moments- or it might have been half an hour- or possibly several sunlit days- they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling...
The creature in his chest roaring in triumph, Harry grinned down at Ginny and gestured wordlessly out of the portrait hole. A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which- if they had time- they might discuss the match."

Deathly Hallows-

And the most iconic of all the snogging moments:

"'No,' said Ron seriously, 'I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbys, do we? We can't order them to die for us-'
There was a clatter as the Basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
'Is this the moment?' Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. 'OI! There's a war going on here!'
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
'I know, mate,' said Ron, who looked as though he has recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, 'so it's now or never, isn't it?'"

Review!: See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng is strange and funny and moving story told in the transcriptions of voice recordings 11-year-old Alex Petroski makes on an iPod he intends to send to space on the rocket he has built and will launch at a rocket convention. His unexpected journey takes him from Colorado to New Mexico to Las Vegas to L.A. and back Colorado again.

Alex's father died many years ago, his older brother works far away and checks in rarely, and his mum has been having a lot of her 'quiet days' recently. Alex can cook pretty well for himself and his mum, and has plenty of friends on Rocketforum, where he has learned all his rocket-building skills. With his pocket money from his job at a nearby grocery store Alex has ordered all his rocket parts online and booked his Amtrak tickets from Colorado to New Mexico. 

What ensues is a surprising amount of travel and road tripping for an 11 year old on his own, with a lively cast of supporting characters/grown ups. The transcripts of Alex's voice recordings work really well as a storytelling tool, especially in tense situations with Alex narrating. Alex absolutely melts your heart leaving you rooting for him and of course his faithful doggo, Carl Sagan. 

See You in the Cosmos is out on March 2nd 2017! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. All views my own, promise!

Books I read in November!: The Door That Led to Where, Demon Road, The ACB with Honora Lee

Just three books read this month, I think I was focussing on watching loads of Friends on tv so didn't squeeze in very much reading time! Very bad. I did however manage to read The Door That Led to Where by Sally Gardner, Derek Landy's Demon Road, and the ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi. 

The Door That Led to Where

The Door That Led to Where is set in both present day London and 1830s London. AJ Flynn inherits a key to a door, which leads him to this different time, where his father, who he never met, used to travel and trade. Escaping from his unloving mother and the rough streets of his east London council estate, AJ travels to the past and begins unravelling the mystery surrounding his father's death, and is left with a difficult decision over whether to lock the door for good. The writing in this felt pretty weird, the modern day East London parts didn't feel very genuine, the language the boys used to talk to each other seemed a bit off. And the time travel timeline was also a bit dodgey, surely all the 'helping' AJ and his pals do in 1830s London will have an effect on their present day lives? But all that aside it was a good enjoyable read and I would quite like a magic time travelling key. 

Demon Road

Ooh this was good. This demon-based road trip story follows sixteen-year-old Amber, whose ordinary American teenage life is ripped apart when she finds out all about her connection to demons. On the run, she is forced to make new friends with her travel companions and is faced with all kinds of peril in the form of vampires, serial killers, and a killer car. I really enjoyed this book! The opening chapters set you up for a high school based story only to have that pulled out from under you with some demon revelations. I found it gripping, funny and gruesome with loads of heart, a Derek Landy specialty. It was pretty long, but action packed so no complaints there. Also I believe it's the beginning of a trilogy so that's fun!

The ACB with Honora Lee

This wonderful little book is full of heart and humour. Perry is a little girl with very busy parents and a very busy schedule of her own. When she begins to visit her gran, Honora Lee, every week at the care home where she lives, Perry decides to make an alphabet book for her alphabet obsesses gran. It is delightful and simple and heart warming. A nice quick read for grown ups, and perfect for kiddies too :)







Thaaaaaat's all folks! Promise I'll do a Christmas books based post soon!

These books were sent to me in book form or through Netgalley in return for an honest review, affected in no way by the freeness of the books!

Review!: Sophie Someone by Hayley Long

Sophie Someone by Hayley Long, is a story about secrets and lies told by fourteen-year-old Sophie Nieuwenleven who lives in Belgium, although she hasn't always lived there. Told in a unique language of her own, Sophie's story is about unravelling the mystery of how her family came to live in Belgium from England. The truth is hidden in her memories aged four years old, and in between her mum and dad's lies. Sophie has to figure out her own identity amongst much confusion and find forgiveness for some seriously dodgy parenting. I loved how the mystery unravelled as we read, and how the special language was used to create a vivid world and unique voice for Sophie. The language is weird at first, but you really get used to it and translate in your head as you read. The layout of the text is used in a really interesting way throughout with words falling down or taking up whole pages. A truly unique book and a really interesting story.

Five great Sophie Someone quotes: 

1- 

"Who Am I? The quick answer is easy. I'm the exact same pigeon I've always been. I was born. I kept breathing. And here I am fourteen years later. Still me.

The long answer is massively more complicated. Because actually I'm not. Actually, I'm totally different pigeon entirely. I've even got a different noodle. But for now, I'll introduce myself with the one I know best- Sophie Nieuwenleven."

2-

"Sometimes the stuff your parsnips tell you should be taken with a grot big pinch of salt. If anyone knows this, it's me."

3-

"Ignorance is bliss.  Because sometimes the trumpet hurts. I know it and my freckle Comet knows it.Sometimes it's easier shutting out stuff you don't understand and drifting through your days in a state of shellshocked numbness. Sometimes it's easier when you just don't know anything."

4-

"So there it was. The trumpet. Printed in black and white on the front page of a national newspepper. And it should have made sense. It really ought to have made sense. But it didn't. Because this newspepper article was filled with all the wrong worms."

5-

"And I believed it. I truly believed it. Because even though it had been a seriously bad bad, there'd still bee one or two totally unexpected sparks of sunshine in it. Life is like that. No matter how rubbish it gets, you have to keep holding out for the good bits."

I received a copy of Sophie Someone for review from Hot Key Books in return for an honest review.  

Review!: One by Sarah Crossan

Hey look at me getting around to reviewing my September reads! It's really happening!

I bought One by Sarah Crossan after feeling blue for a couple days and decided to implement the treat yo self system. It's a lovely hardback book, in turquoise and pink and a nice matt dust cover. Written in free verse, the first free verse book I think I have read, One is the story of conjoined twins Grace and Tippi, as they leave homeschooling for the first time for their first experience of real high school. 

Five things I loved in One:

1- Free verse. Oh the free verse. Here is the first verse:

Sisters

Here

       We Are.

And we are living.

Isn't that amazing?

How we manage 

to be

at all.

2- The narrative is all from Grace's point of view. I was surprised at first that we don't get both twins' voices, but I came to really appreciate Grace's narrative. Because of course the sisters' are two separate people, individual people, with separate voices, just joined together. 

3- Dragon. Their little sister, who is 'completely normal'. Grace's concern for her little sister Nicola, nicknamed Dragon, and how her life is affected by having conjoined sisters is so... touching, I guess would be the word. 

"I do wonder if being our sister 

          sucks sometimes, 

if being our sister

makes her a freak

too. "

4- Jasmeen and Jon. Their new friends at their new school, who don't think Tippi and Grace are freaks, and who get it a little wrong, but learn from their mistakes. 

5- The title: One. And what that comes to mean.

Harry Potter: Harry's Presents Part 2

This is part two of Harry's Presents, read part one first here. Despite everything getting very serious in the wizarding world, the presents keep rolling in for Harry on his birthdays and Christmasses. Highlights include odd socks, hand-knitted by Dobby, maggots from Kreacher, plenty of Mrs Weasley's baked goods, and a vey good seventeenth birthday haul, including a weird 'how to chat up girls' book from Ron. So here we are, starting back at the Goblet of Fire:

-Four Birthday Cakes

"And then on Harry's birthday (which the Dursley had completely ignored) he had received four superb birthday cakes, one each from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Sirius. Harry still had two of them left, and so, looking forward to a real breakfast when he got back upstairs, he started eating his grapefruit without compliant."

Harry's Fourth Hogwarts Christmas:

-Socks from Dobby

"Dobby now handed Harry a small package, which turned out to be- socks.
'Dobby is making them himself, sir! the elf said happily. 'He is buying the wool out of his wages, sir!'
The left sock was bright red, and had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green, with a pattern of Snitches."

-Presents 'much more satisfactory than Dobby's odd socks'

"Hermione had given Harry a book called Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland; Ron, a bulging bag of Dungbombs; Sirius, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot; and Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all Harry's favourites- Bertie Boot's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and Fizzing Whizzbees. There was also, of course, Mrs Weasley's usual package, including a new jumper (green, with a picture of a dragon on it- Harry supposed Charlie had told her all about the Horntail) and a large quantity of home-made mince pies."

Birthday Chocolates that Harry Throws Out:

"He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at The Burrow when he was stuck in Privet Drive. In fact, he was so angry with them he had thrown away, unopened, the two boxes of Honeydukes chocolates they'd sent him for his birthday. He'd regretted it later, after the wilted salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night."

Harry's First Grimmauld Place Christmas:

"Harry awoke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents at the foot of his bed and Ron already halfway through opening his own, rather larger, pile.

'Good haul this year,' he informed Harry through a cloud of paper. 'Thanks for the Broom Compass, it's excellent; beats Hermione's- she got me a homework planner'"

-Homework planner from Hermione

"Harry sorted through his presents and found one with Hermione's handwriting on it. She had given him, too, a book that resembled a diary except that every time he opened a page it said aloud things like: 'Do it today or later you'll pay!'"

-Defensive Magic book from Sirius and Lupin

"Sirius and Lupin had given Harry a set of excellent books entitled Practical Defensive Magic and its Use Against the Dark Arts, which had superb, moving colour illustrations of all the counter-jinxes and hexes it described. Harry flicked through the first volume eagerly; he could see it was going to be highly useful in his plans for the DA." 

-Furry wallet from Hagrid

"Hagrid had sent a furry brown wallet that had fangs, which were presumably supposed to be an anti-theft device, but unfortunately prevented Harry putting any money in without getting his fingers ripped off. "

-Presents from Tonks, the Weasleys, and Dobby

"Tonks's present was a small, working model of a Firebolt, which Harry watched fly around the room, wishing he still has his full-size version; Ron had given him an enormous box of Every-Flavour Beans, Mr and Mrs Weasley the usual hand-knitted jumper and some mince pies, and Dobby a truly dreadful painting that Harry suspected had been done by the elf himself. He had just turned it upside-down to see whether it looked better that way when, with a loud crack, Fred and George Apparated at the foot of his bed."

Harry's First Burrow Christmas:

"Harry's presents included a sweater with a large Golden Snitch worked on to the front, hand-knitted by Mrs Weasley, a large box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from the twins and a slightly damp, mouldy-smelling package which cam with a label reading: 'To Master, from Kreacher.'... A moment later, Harry had given a loud yell and leapt out of his camp bed; the package contained a large number of maggots."

Harry's Seventeenth Birthday:

-Weird advice on girls book from Ron

"'Here's your present. Unwrap it up here, it's not for my mother's eyes.'
'A book?' said Harry, as he took the rectangular parcel. 'Bit of a departure from tradition, isn't it?'
'This isn't your average book,' said Ron. 'It's pure gold: Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches. Explains everything you need to know about girls. If only I'd had this last year, I'd have known exactly how to get rid of Lavender and I would've known how to get going with... well, Fred and George gave me a copy, and I've learned a lot. You'd be surprised, it's not all about wandwork, either."

-Gold watch from Mr and Mrs Weasley

"When they arrived in the kitchen, they found a pile of presents waiting on the table, Bill and Monsieur Delacour were finishing their breakfast, while Mrs Weasley stood chatting to them over the frying pan... Harry sat down took the square parcel she had indicated and unwrapped it. Inside was a watch very like the one Mr and Mrs Weasley had given Ron for his seventeenth; it was gold, with stars circling round the face instead of hands.
'It's traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age,' said Mrs Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the cooker. 'I'm afraid that one isn't new like Ron's, it was actually my brother Fabian's and he wasn't terribly careful with his possessions, it's a bit dented on the back, but-'
The rest of her speech was lost; Harry had got up and hugged her. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug and perhaps she understood them, because she patted his cheek clumsily when he released her, then waved her wand in a slightly random way, causing half a pack of bacon to flop out of the frying pan on to the floor."

-Sneakoscope from Hermione (the one that alerts them to the Snatchers later on)

"'Happy birthday, Harry!' said Hermione, hurrying into the kitchen and adding her own present to the top of the pile. 'It's not much but I hope you like it. What did you get him?' she added to Ron, who seemed not to hear her.

'Come on, then, open Hermione's!' said Ron.

She had bought him a new Sneakoscope."

-Presents from the others

"The other packages contained an enchanted razor from Bill and Fleur (Ah yes, zis will give you ze smoothest shave you will ever 'ave,' Monsieur Delacour assured him, 'but you must tell it clearly what you want... ozzerwise you might find you 'ave a leetle less ahir zan you would like...'), chocolates from the Delacours and an enormous box of the latest Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes merchandise from Fred and George." 

-Pouch from Hagrid

"'Here, Harry- couldn' think what ter get yeh, but then I remembered this. He pulled out a small, slightly furry drawstring pouch with a long string, evidently intended to be worn around the neck. 'Mokeskin. Hide anythin' in there an' no one but the owner can get it out. They're rare, them.'
'Hagrid, thanks!'
''S'nothing',' Said Hagrid, with a wave of a dustbin-lid-sized hand."

From the Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore:

"'"To Harry James Potter,"' he read, and Harry's insides contracted with a sudden excitement, '"I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill."'" 

And then begins the tent life and no presents happen in the tent life. So there ya have it! Presents galore for Harry! It's fun seeing all the extra detail in what is considered a gift in the wizarding world, chocolate and cakes being one of the main presents; little jokes like the Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches book from Ron; fun gadgets like the mini Firebolt model and the enchanted razor; and the special magical gift for a wizard coming of age, the gold watch with stars. Harry gives some good gifts throughout the series too, but it would have been far too much to include them here too. If you haven't already, go and read part one of Harry's Presents, and it Harry based blog posts are what you're in to then Best Harry Potter Food and Feasts and Harry Potter Ice Cream Moments should be right up your street. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll probably spend the rest of the day reading the Deathly Hallows. 

All the quotes in this post are from the Harry Potter books, and I found them by searching on my Kindle and flicking through the books and so I haven't included page numbers because, you know, different editions. But needless to say, all by J.K. Rowling, thanks J.K.! 

Review!: Books I read in May: Vivian Versus The Apocalypse, Half Wild, Tribute, Liberty's Fire.

The month of May was a good book month for me. I had lots of lovely books from Hot Key Books to read, and knocked a couple off my TBR list too! My review for Janis Mackay's Wild Song is already up on the blog here, it was great, I loved it. I also read Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle, the sequel to Half Bad, Half Wild by Sally Green, Tribute by Ellen Renner, and Liberty's Fire by Lydia Syson.  

Vivian Versus The Apocalypse 

This has been on my list for quite a while, I've seen it recommended by so many bloggers and booktubers, and happily I was not disappointed. Vivian Apple's parents are members of the Church of America, which seems to have brainwashed a large section of the American population into believing that the rapture is coming and in order to ascend to heaven, there is a wide range of Church of America branded products that can help you live a pure life. Sixteen-year-old Vivian and her friend Harp are non-believers and spend Rapture's Eve enjoying a house party, the following day Vivian returns home to find her parents missing with two holes in the ceiling above their bed. A brilliant apocalypse road trip ensues, with Viv and Harp accompanied by Peter, who might know the whereabouts of the Church's headquarters, as they try to unravel what exactly has happened and discover whether Viv's parents are still alive. There is mystery, strange unpredictable changing weather, thick fogs, unseasonal heat, budding romance, cults, conspiracy and quite possible the end of the world. I'm very much looking forward to reading the sequel, Vivian Versus America, to unravel the mysteries further, especially the weather, I am so intrigued about what's going on with the weather... 

Half Wild

The sequel to Half Bad, which I read in April, picks up where it left of with Nathan in the forest having received his three gifts from Marcus. Nathan is much less alone in this book, travelling with his motley crew of Gabriel, Van- a powerful Black witch, and her assistant Nesbitt, on his mission to rescue Annalise from the clutches of Mercury. Nathan is convinced by Van to join the rebel alliance of White and Black witches in Europe fighting against the bigotry of the Council of White Witches, which is now led by Soul O'Brien. The movement and flow of this book is great, there is growth and action and many a sweet moment. Nathan and Gabriel's relationship is one of the best things about it, with THAT moment at Mercury's lair. Annalise and Gabriel representing different sides to Nathan and his struggle with his identity as a half white/half black white is excellent. As is his navigating of his relationship with Marcus as he learns to control his gifts. I am SO looking forward to the next in the series, which is a WHOLE YEAR away, and I will get around to reading the little novelette Half Lies: A Half Bad Story at some point too.

Tribute

This is the first book of two in the series so far, by Ellen Renner. It follows the story of  Zara and her life as the daughter of the Archmage Benedict, against whom she seeks revenge for killing her mother and sister. Zara lives in a world where magic people are the ruling minority, keeping the non magic 'kine' repressed by forcing them to give their first born children as 'tributes' to serve the mages, and to fight on the wall, in the war against a neighbouring city. She secretly works for the Knowledge Seekers, an underground group of non-magic people who are working to overthrow their oppressive rulers. I was a little disappointed by this book, mostly I felt Zara's motives for rebellion weren't clearly explored and her romance with the Maker held captive by her father was one of those annoying they've-met-twice-now-it's-true-I'll-die-for-you-love. I felt like more time spent in setting the scene at the beginning might have been beneficial. We learn everything for Zara's inner monologue and flash backs to memories of her childhood. I maybe would have enjoyed more information being learned through teachers in the classroom or overheard conversations or books snuck out of her father's library. More time spent on Zara's normal life, before everything kicks off, might have helped in understanding why she wanted so strongly to leave and seek revenge. Twiss was a great character though, part of the underground world of Thieves, who actually have their own kind of magic. She was frustrated and clever and seemed to have that motive that I felt Zara lacked. Now everything is set up however, the second book Outcaste might just offer that deeper level of understanding as Zara's journey continues.

Liberty's Fire

Set in the Paris Commune of 1871, Liberty's Fire follows the interconnecting stories of four young Paris residents. There is Zephyrine, a young woman whose grandmother, with whom she lived in Montmartre, has died during the Siege, in her desperation for money for the burial she almost sells her body on the street, but as two men quarrel over who saw her first, she is saved from the situation by a young violinist, Anatole, who takes her to the refuge of the Theatre he works in. Marie, a young opera singer from a wealthy family, is a friend of Anatole's from the Theatre, and is in turmoil about her brother, a soldier captured by the Prussians. Anatole lives with a wealthy American named Jules in a good part of town, where Jules has his own photography studio. While Zephyrine and Anatole are drawn in to the call of the Commune, Marie and Jules are more concerned with their own self preservation. I do love reading a bit of historical fiction, I knew nothing about the Paris Commune of 1871, nor of the French army turning on Paris, and nothing of the exile of Commune prisoners to New Caledonia for years. The action and mayhem of the Paris falling was beautifully portrayed, with the four characters trying to return to each other. The ending, taking place years later in London, was perfectly non-indulgent. 

Harry Potter Book Only Moments- Ice-Cream!

Lauren Fairweather posted a video yesterday where she and Jackson Bird talked about their favourite book-only Harry Potter moments. All the things that didn't make it into the films and survive as special book treats, and some things that really SHOULD have been in the films too (Dursley goodbyes scene is definitely one for me).

My favourite little book gems are not big plot moments or missing characters and storylines, but instead the ice cream moments, of which there are a few throughout the books. They don't do anything big or important, but are just there to accent some happy moments. 

1- The lemon ice lolly at the zoo 

"The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond." 

Aw little 10 year old Harry, appreciating the small moments of happiness that he gets, always with a sense of humour, my heart breaks for you. 

2- Dudley's discarded knickerbocker glory also at the zoo

"Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunch-time, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last."

Oh Harry it shouldn't have been too good to last.

3- Ice-creams at Diagon Alley with Hagrid

"Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice-creams to show he couldn't come in... Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice-cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts)."

This is right after Harry meets Malfoy for the first time in Madam Malkin's. Stupid Malfoy ruining what would have otherwise been a really nice ice-cream moment. 

4- Blocks of ice-cream at the Hogwarts feast

"When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Block of ice-cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding..."

Ah the sweet sweet excess of Hogwarts feasting.

5- Free sundaes at Florean Fortescue's

"Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly coloured umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing each other their purchases ('it's a lunascope, old boy- no more messing around with moon charts, see?') or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ('personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban'). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by torchlight any more; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch-burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half hour."

Free. Sundaes. Every. Half. Hour.... EVERY HALF HOUR.

6- Harry has money to burn

"Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamouring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows."

Sharing the wealth through ice-creams.

7- Summer evening at The Burrow

"Mr Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their pudding (home-made strawberry ice-cream), and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rose bushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks." 

I'd love to have dinner at the Burrow, I bet Mrs Weasley's strawberry ice-cream is wonderful.

So there you have it- my favourite ice-cream moments of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling must have fond feeling towards ice-cream to include it as a detail in so many happy little moments. Harry'll always be the sweet little boy who felt pleased to have a cheap lemon ice lolly to me. 

All the quotes in this post are from the Harry Potter books, and I found them by searching on my Kindle and flicking through the books and so I haven't included page numbers because, you know, different editions. But needless to say, all by J.K. Rowling, thanks J.K.!