Review: Kitra by Gideon Marcus

A fun sci-fi romp perfect for younger teens and those who like their sci-fi on the cosy side!

Review: The Exile Waiting by Vonda N McIntyre

Vonda N McIntyre’s Dreamsnake was a book I read far too young, but it was a formative sci-fi read for me, so I was delighted to discover another book set in the same world, The Exile Waiting.

Kitten Corner: Bears and Birds!

This week I want to share with you three funny and sweet picture books featuring animals. All of these were sent to me free of charge, but as usual all opinions are my own.

Review: Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

I know this seems backward when I was just talking about Cytonic yesterday, but reading that sample reminded me I’d totally forgotten to put my review of Starsight up!

Blog Tour: Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

I’m thrilled to be part of the blog tour for Cytonic, the third book in the brilliant Skyward series! I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the first few chapters before its release, so here are my first impressions…

Kitten Corner: Christmas Reads!

It still seems very early to me to be talking about Christmas, but since you have to be prepared, here’s a selection of adorable new festive reads for little ones! All these books were sent to me free of charge, but opinions are my own.

I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie and Tim Warnes, from Little Tiger Books

This picture book is adorable! I really love the way these bears are drawn – they have such kind faces and feel so full of love. They kind of remind me of Bear in the Big Blue House, but I might be dating myself with that reference! This is a sweet book full of the chaotic joy of Christmas – so much to be done and made, so many people to see – with a clear message that what matters the most in all of these things is who you celebrate with. There’s a mixture of rhyming text and plain prose, which sounds odd but works really nicely in context for reading aloud. And bonus points for not giving Little Bear a gender on page, which makes this easy for a kid to see themself in. Between the warm, cozy artwork and the cute family feel, I think this one will easily be a favourite for years to come.

Is It Christmas Yet? by Jane Chapman

Ted can’t wait for it to be Christmas, but there’s so much to do beforehand! This sounds similar to the previous book, with bears doing a whole host of Christmas activities, but it’s got a more humorous slant than a cosy one, with lots of things going wrong – Big Bear will ring very true with stressed out parents whose festive to-do lists are miles long! I was surprised to find that this actually has a lot of text for a board book – it’s more like a sturdier, smaller picture book than a book for really tiny ones, so it packs a lot into its small size. The illustrations are sweet and funny, and overall this is a very cute read.

Nibbles: Christmas by Emma Yarlett

This is my first time coming across Nibbles, but I’m thoroughly charmed and will definitely be looking up the other books in the series. This is a board book that makes great use of flaps and cutouts to get kids to interact with Nibbles the Book Eating Monster – you might not be able to tell at first, but he’s chomped a hole through every page of the book (even the back cover!). The story is told in a clever counting rhyme that had me smiling, and I can’t resist Nibbles’ cheeky little face. It’s great fun!

Review: The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

The Goblin Emperor is one of my favourite fantasy books, so I was very excited for this follow up set in the same world – it’s different, but it’s also excellent!

Review: Scandalous Alchemy by Katy Moran

This clever alternate history is one part intrigue, one part romance, one part family drama, and many parts compelling story!

Review: The Exile’s Curse by MJ Scott

I’m a big fan of Scott’s first court fantasy trilogy, The Four Arts, and I’m so happy this book starts a spin-off trilogy!

Kitten Corner: Two Magical Reads

I never know how to categorise books aimed at newly confident readers – these aren’t quite as long as most chapter books, but they still have plenty of fun text to sink your teeth into, with full illustrations that keep the comfortable picture book feel and offer just as much as the words. Whatever you call this age range, here are two gorgeous new books that are full of magic and fun. Both were sent to me free of charge by Little Tiger Books, but my opinions are my own!