Christmas Gift Guide and Best of 2016!

Helloo and Merry Christmas! Here's a merry little top 10 of books that would make great gifts this festive season, and are also some of my best reads of 2016. I've tried to pick books across a few genres to cater to different tastes, but as I've read and enjoyed them all there's a lot of magic, myth, great female leads, and thrilling tales! My bookish gift guide from last year also contains some crackers, which would make equally good gifts this year too. Here they are!

The Comet Seekers- Helen Sedgwick

This beautiful book is full of ghosts, comets, family, incest (!) and snow. The hardback is a truly lovely book that would make a wonderful gift! Perfect for readers who loved The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan.

The Graces- Laure Eve

A story of sort-of-witches, which leaves to guessing at every turn, with the enchanting Grace siblings and their charmed life. I loved this book so much. Lovers of Buffy will be into this story I reckon!

And I Darken- Kiersten White

An amazing piece of historical fiction, inspired by Vlad the Impaler, we instead have the fierce and fearless Lada Dracul, who struggles to balance the love for her homeland and her life as a captive of a neighbouring Ottoman Empire. I adore listening to The History Chicks podcast: listeners will love this book too. Basically if you like a bit of history and amazing women then And I Darken is for you!

Riverkeep- Martin Stewart

Dark and grim and gloomy but full of magic and all set on a epic river journey, Riverkeep is one for lovers of adventure. With an ensemble cast of very different characters there's something for everyone in this tale of a quest to save a life.

The Girl From Everywhere- Heidi Heilig

This is a book of adventure, time travel, romance, mystery, map reading, and loyalty all set on a ship and mostly in Hawaii. Another brilliant ensemble cast with a great female lead.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged- Ayisha Malik

A different kind of book, no magic here, but instead an awesome story of Sofia Khan's adventures in dating in what has been described as "the muslim Bridget Jones." Full of wit and humour, balancing religion and relationships, marriage-obsessed relatives, racists on the tube, praying at work, writing her book,  and joining a Muslim dating site, Sofia's story is extremely entertaining and engaging. 

The Secret of Nightingale Wood- Lucy Strange

A story of a little girl lost in a family post tragedy, who discovers a 'witch' in the woods by their new country house. This beautiful book make me shed a few tears and I even stopped reading it for a few days because I was so angry at the stupid evil doctor. A wonderful gift for an actual child or for a pretend grown up child like me!

Take it as a Compliment- Maria Stoian

A graphic story collection featuring illustrated tellings of harassment, sexual abuse and other fun things like that. Sounds grim, but it's a beautiful book and a brilliant call for action. Inject a little feminist discourse into your Christmas Day why don't you!

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less- Sarah Glidden

Sarah Glidden's graphic memoir follows her trip through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, across Israel as she struggles to understand her ancestral homeland. Her artwork is beautiful in this reflective travel memoir. A perfect gift of graphic novel lovers!

One Hundred Nights of Hero- Isobel Greenberg

A beautiful giant book from the creator of the equally beautiful Encyclopedia of Early Earth, which I recommended in last year's gift guide. The One Hundred Nights of Hero is set in Early Earth but with new characters Cherry and Hero, referencing The Arabian Nights with 100 nights of storytelling. You will be in the very good books of whoever you gift this too!

Top 6: Boaty Books

This rainy summer, why not sail away on a sea of words/flood water with one of these wonderful boaty books!

The Gracekeepers- Kirsty Logan 

This book is set in a version of the world, which is now mostly underwater so some people live on islands, Landlockers, but most people, Damplings, live on boats. North lives and works on a circus boat, which travels around islands, where she performs with her bear as one of the acts. Callanish lives in a house in the middle of the ocean, where she conducts funerals for Damplings. Their paths cross and they are drawn back to each other because they share something special in common. I especially loved the book for its selkies/seal-people element, which may or may not be the special thing in common. I think it'd make for a good film, but only if it had a weird director to bring out the surreal-ness of the story. Perfect boaty reading!

The Girl From Everywhere- Heidi Heilig

Nix Song lives on a pirate ship with her father and their crew, spending their days using historical maps to time travel to those places and times collecting fantastical creatures and mythical objects from all around the world. Nix is sixteen, and is particularly good at finding the perfect maps for time travelling, as each map can only be used once. The story begins in India in 1774, travel to present day New York, and then to Honolulu 1883. Most of the story plays out in Hawaii, where Nix's late mother once lived, her father desperate to find a map to take him back to the time before her death. Definitely recommended reading for anyone who loves Pippi Longstocking, Lyra of Northern Lights fame, and pirates. Boaty AND summery! 

A Gathering of Shadows- V.E. Schwab

A Gathering of Shadows is the much anticipated sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, so definitely read that one first, also SPOILERS ahead! This sequel takes place four months after the events of book one, and spans several months too, so we get a real feel for the wider world. Lila is the more central protagonist this time and she has essentially become a pirate and it's great. She has also been practicing magic under the tuition of her ship's captain, Alucard Emery, and learning as much as she can about Red London. Back in the city itself, Kell and Rhy are under much closer protection after both almost dying to defeat the Dane twins in White London, with Prince Rhy busy planning the massive international event, The Element Games, to be hosted in the city, and Kell essentially just pining after Lila. Perfectly piratey!

Riverkeep- Martin Stewart

The story follows fifteen-year-old Wulliam, who is about to inherit his father's role as Riverkeep, which involves tending to the river's ice in winter and a lot of fishing out corpses too. A dark spirit possesses his father one night, which sets Wulliam on a journey away from his one know corner of the river, to row down the river's mouth and hopefully find a cure in the belly of a giant sea creature called the mormorach. Wull picks up fellow travellers along the way, each on their own journeys, with their own problems to solve and wisdom to share. This book is so boaty that the main boat, Wull's bata, is essentially a character in itself. 

We Are Pirates- Daniel Handler

This is the first Daniel Handler book I've read, having of course read a lot of his work as Lemony Snicket. On the cover there is a quote from Neil Gaimen saying it is "the strangest, most brilliant offering yet" from Handler, and strange it truly is! It is dark, witty, weird, disturbing, charming all at once, which is fairly disconcerting, but it's an entertaining read throughout. Handler's quirks are ever present in his writing as they are when he's Lemony Snicket. It takes place in such a 'normal', mundane, modern setting that the story really takes you by surprise. It is certainly not piratey in the way you might expect, but definitely boaty!

The Summer Book- Tove Jansson

I read this in one sunny day, sitting in a particularly good spot in the park. I love Tove Jansson for both moomins and her novels, so I've been ticking off and rereading her adult fiction. It is beautiful, simple, witty (I was caught giggling a few times, the Study of Angleworms particularly tickled me), set on tiny holiday island in the gulf of Finland with the relationship between six-year-old Sophia and her grandmother the focus. It doesn't grip you with action and adventure, but instead enchants you with its humour and charm. The quote on the back from Esther Freud sums it up rather well: "Eccentric, funny, wise, full of joys and small adventures. This is a book for life." Plenty of lovely boaty island adventures to sail away on. 

Top 6: Summer YA Reads

Helloo, I thought I'd share my recommendations for top summer YA reads today! It's definitely raining outside right now, but that doesn't mean you can't curl up with a summery book and pretend we're enjoying a proper sunny summer. Some of the following are sunny, fun beach reads, others sunny, deserty, or boaty with excellent heroines, and some pretty intense reads perfect for when you've got time on your holidays to read a whole book in a day. So, if you're wondering which YA reads should take up valuable flipflop room in your suitcase, look no further than:

1. Asking For It- Louise O'Neill

Right in at the deep end with Louise O'Neill's harrowing Asking For It, which tackles head on issues of rape culture, victim blaming, and slut shaming to name but a few. Asking For It is the story of Emma O'Donovan, a confident, pretty, popular girl in her last year of high school in a small Irish town. Emma is raped by several rising football stars at a drunken house party, remembers nothing, and learns of these events, along with the whole town, through explicit smartphone photos shared on social media. Emma's own refusal to believe the events occurred, and the town's fear for the boys 'ruined futures' chimes true with just about every campus rape victim blaming story you've heard of in recent years. Being inside Emma's narrative in the aftermath of this traumatising experience is harrowing, but also so compelling. Why am I recommending with super dark and intense book as a summer read? Well I reckon you'll want to read it in a oner, and then have several hours/days to reflect and recover, ideally with wine in easy reach and a swimming nearby. 

2. How Hard Can Love Be?- Holly Bourne

Lightening the mood a little is Holly Bourne's How Hard Can Love Be? the second book in the Spinster Club series! Am I Normal Yet? followed Evie, who was dealing with both sixth form college, making friends with Amber and Lottie, and keeping on top of her OCD. How Hard Can Love Be? is Amber's story of her summer holiday spent in California working at the summer camp where her mum now lives with her new husband. Hoping to rekindle a relationship with her recovering alcoholic mum, searching for the special bond that they maybe never even had, harbouring a crush for fellow camp councillor and former prom king Kyle, and keeping up feminist discussions with Evie and Lottie via Skype, Amber has a very full plate, and that's before you mention all the little American school children under her care. Holly Bourne is so good at making angst seem not angsty at all, making How Hard Can Love Be? a super engaging and fun summer read. 

3. The Rest of Us Just Live Here- Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness's The Rest of Us Just Live Here, is basically from the perspective everyone in town who wasn't in Buffy's scooby gang, or in Dumbledore's Army, or in Bella's coven. All the non-chosen ones, who have to deal with the mysterious mystical goings on, or the next end of the world, as bystanders. Mikey is a teenager, who just wants to go to prom with his friends and graduate before the high school is blown up again. Mikey's more ordinary issues, dealing with unrequited love, battling OCD, and navigating family life all play out against the backdrop of another epic mystery for the 'indie kids' to solve, with snippets of these absurd and melodramatic stories providing a juxtaposition to the main chapters. Perfect summer reading as it's in the run up to prom, with just the right amount of satire of hero stories and conviction in the heroism of everyday actions. Full of heart, humour, and warmth. 

4. Bullet Catcher- Joaquin Lowe

This one's on the summer list for its sandy desert setting. Bullet Catcher by Joaquin Lowe follows the story of Imma, who lives in a desert land populated by gunslingers and once great, but now died out bullet catchers, and who leaves the small town of Sand on the tail of a stranger she saw catch a bullet, in search for her possibly dead and definitely long lost brother, Nikko. Gungslingers and bullet catchers representing either good or evil, hero or monster, Imma has to work out which is which and therefore which path to take. I thought this was a great read, I really engaged with Imma and found the plot to be driven by plenty of action and momentum. A total page turner for poolside reading, and a potential new favourite gunslinging heroine. There may be another gunslinging heroine on this very list though so choose your fave!

5. The Girl From Everywhere- Heidi Heilig

Heidi Heilig's The Girl From Everywhere is a perfect Hawaii based, time travelling, summer read! Nix Song lives on a pirate ship with her father and their crew, spending their days using historical maps to time travel to places and times collecting fantastical creatures and mythical objects from all around the world. Nix is sixteen, and is particularly good at finding the perfect maps for time travelling, as each map can only be used once. The story begins in India in 1774, travelling to present day New York, and then to Honolulu 1883. Most of the story plays out in Hawaii, where Nix's late mother once lived, her father desperate to find a map to take him back to the time before her death. The story was exciting and compelling and I really like Nix and found her soul searching and life planning very relatable, even if her concerns were time travel based! Definitely recommended reading for anyone who loves Pippi Longstocking, Lyra of Northern Lights fame, and pirates!

6. Rebel of the Sands- Alwyn Hamilton

This beautiful shiny book will look great in the sunshine. Our second gunslinging heroine of the list: Set in a desert land with magical sand beasts and a Rebel Prince uprising against the king, Amani Al'Hiza is determined to leave her tiny dead-end town and head for the bright lights of the big city. Our heroine is particularly skilled with guns, and can definitely fend for herself, although it helps that she can pass for a boy. The world building is brilliant- I had amazing imagery in my head of this Middle Eastern meets cowboy Western land, especially appreciating the train scenes, there's just something about a desert train that I really love. Romance, adventure, mythology, and gun-slinging are all woven together beautifully, in what I was very pleased to learn is the first part of a trilogy. I reckon this one would be perfect for any summer train-based travel you may have planned!

Let me know your summer YA recs! 

Books I read in May!: Bullet Catcher, Sea Lovers, Animal, The Girl From Everywhere, The Girl of Ink and Stars, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, Wolf Hollow

May has come and gone and I read a whole stack o' books, you'll be pleased to hear. So for your reading pleasure here are my thoughts and feeling and stuff on them! I finished reading Joaquin Lowe's Bullet Catcher on my holidays up at our highland cottage by the sea, where I also took Sea Lovers: Selected Stories by Valerie Martin, which turned out to mostly not be stories about the sea despite the very overt sea themed cover, sigh. I apparently had a brief 'The Girl' season and read both Heidi Heilig's The Girl From Everywhere, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Girl of Ink and Stars. I did not continue this season with The Girl on the Train, but I have read The Girl With All The Gifts so I feel fairly on top of the whole 'The Girl' thing. Oh apart from I haven't read any of the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and stuff, so really I'm quite behind on The Girl. ANYWAY, I also listened to Sara Pascoe's audiobook of Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body, which was so great and insightful and I may have to listen to again because it was a lot to take in. Graphic novel wise I know I recommend it a lot, but I've never actually read through the whole of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isobel Greeneberg, so that was well worth doing this month. And I rounded of the month by reading Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk, the full review of which you can read by clicking here! Phew! 

Bullet Catcher

Bullet Catcher by Joaquin Lowe follows the story of Imma, who lives in a desert land populated by gunslingers and once great, but now died out bullet catchers, and who leaves the small town of Sand on the tail of a stranger she saw catch a bullet, in search for her possibly dead and definitely long lost brother, Nikko. Gungslingers and bullet catchers representing either good or evil, hero or monster, Imma has to work out which is which and therefore which path to take. I thought this was a great read, I really engaged with Imma and found the plot to be driven by plenty of action and momentum. I was put off slightly by the cover at first, which is a bit naff, and doesn't really capture the hard working, grimy sandy desert dwelling, fiercely loyal Imma. The type design is really nice, just a different girl or maybe an illustration if it's reprinted please! However if you don't judge a book by its cover, there is a great story of morals and loyalty with a very compelling lead character within.


Sea Lovers: Selected Stories

This short story collection definitely conned me into believing it would be about the sea. It's called Sea Lovers, there are waves and a fish/mermaid tail on the front in greeny blue. The cover of another edition that pops up when you google similarly has the seaside and a mermaid tail on it. It was a gift from my best friend, who knows I love the sea, and I brought it with me to the seaside to read... So it was much to my surprise that only in the last section one of the stories involves the sea and a mermaid. However I did enjoy the stories, as a short story fan I really enjoyed the lives the author drops you into. Mostly city dwelling, artists or writers, dealing with relationships past and present. I think I'll have a look out for more writing by Valerie Martin as I felt a great connect to many of the characters and with her story telling style. I'm blaming this one on her publishers!

Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body

This fascinating book is by comedian Sara Pascoe, who felt there was a gap in the market for an evolutionary biology book that focussed on female bodies, and so decided to write one herself. Autobiography and biology are combined in what is such an interesting, funny and engaging read. I listened to Sara talking, amongst other things, about hits book on Adam Buxton's podcast recently and felt compelled to read it. I'm a big sucker for audiobooks read by their authors, especially when it comes to comedians, and so I greatly enjoyed listening to this on my walks to work at the beginning of May. The book just covers so much, from mating and child rearing, to pubes and dieting, to abortions and consent. It really is fascinating and I will definitely have to listen again because there was just so much to take in. I guess read this if you enjoy mixing evolutionary biology with stand up comedy. Win win!


The Girl From Everywhere

I was very excited to receive this book from Hot Key Books as it just sounded amazing and right up my street. Nix Song (cool name points) lives on a pirate ship with her father and their crew, spending their days using historical maps to time travel to those places and times collecting fantastical creatures and mythical objects from all around the world. Nix is sixteen, and is particularly good at finding the perfect maps for time travelling, as each map can only be used once. The story begins in India in 1774, travel to present day New York, and then to Honolulu 1883. Most of the story plays out in Hawaii, where Nix's late mother once lived, her father desperate to find a map to take him back to the time before her death. The story was exciting and compelling, although I think I maybe would've liked a little more time travel just because it was fun each time it happened. I don't think I'm quite on top of exactly what the rules of their time travel are, but I really like Nix and found her soul searching and life planning very relatable, even if her concerns were time travel based! Definitely recommended reading for anyone who loves Pippi Longstocking, Lyra of Northern Lights fame, and pirates!


The Girl of Ink and Stars

Similarly to Nix Song, Isabella Riosse lives with just her father- her mother and brother having died previously- on an island called Joya steeped with mythical histories of a warrior girl, Arinta and a fire demon, Yote. Her father is a cartographer, although under the regime of the governor, no one has even left the costal town by land or sea for many years. After a murder of a young girl, Isabella's best friend Lupe, daughter of the governor, goes missing, Isabella joins the search party to the rest of the now deserted parts of the island. I found stories and myth flowing together effortlessly as the lines between history and mythology blur, with Isabella getting guidance from her mother's old map of the island, spurred on by the strong character of Arinta the warrior to be brave and strong and most of all to commit to her map-making goals! Lupe and Isabella's friendship across class boundaries was beautifully portrayed, although the scenes in the tunnels did nothing but give me the heeby-jeebies! I wasn't super convinced about the re-naming of the continents, like Afrik, and they're not immediately coming to mind just now but India had a same but different name and North America too. The island of Joyo felt so apart from our own world that it could easily have add completely made up neighbouring continent names and still have been convincing. The book itself is a beautiful object, with each page adorned with illustrations of mappy and islandy imagery. A lovely MG fantasy read, whose world I would love to see expanded.


The Encyclopedia of Early Earth

I have recommended this graphic novel many times on this blog, so you'd be forgiven for thinking I had in fact read it all the way through, which I most certainly had not until this month. I used to just get it out ot flick through its beautiful pages, which is daft because I've read Isabel Greenberg's other comics and greatly enjoyed her storytelling style. I think the big hardback, coffee table size of this book just scared me off a bit! Having now committing to reading it through cover to cover, I can confirm that this is an enchanting and witty, beautiful and elegant piece of storytelling from a clearly wonderful imagination. I still highly recommend it! The Encyclopedia of Early Earth collects stories from all over the fictional Early Earth and from its Gods too, to create a myths and folk tales compendium of sorts, with at its heart an impossible love story. I believe Isabel Greenberg is currently working on her next book so I will most definitely be looking out for that!


Wolf Hollow

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk begins with the words "The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie", setting us up for the recounting of the story from the point of view of young Annabelle...


You can read my full review by clicking here! It'll be a good time, I promise! Clicky!







I received copies of Bullet Catcher and The Girl From Everywhere from Hot Key Books, and Wolf Hollow for Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected the my views of these books. Promise!