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Thursday, 30 November 2017

#10: The Hourglass: a Richard & Judy Bestselling Author

The Hourglass
The Hourglass: a Richard & Judy Bestselling Author
Tracy Rees
(136)

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#10: Fall Out: A Year of Political Mayhem https://t.co/MWWjxMPERC


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Out of Wonder – Setting off on a Poetree adventure


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#10: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets https://t.co/ww7F43bUjB


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Matt Brown - Children's Author of Compton Valance Series - Mr Ripley's Festive Edition Q&A


What a great way to celebrate the festive time and to give your kids a funny book to read. This series of books by Matt Brown (illustrated by Lizzie Finlay) are smashing stocking fillers for kids and big kids with a crazy sense of humour. There are four books, so far, in the series to get your teeth stuck into. Why not check out the author's website to find out more? mattbrownwriter.com 

Welcome and thank you very much, Matt Brown, for taking the time out to answer some festive-style questions for Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. 

What makes The Compton Valance series of books tick?
Whenever I write a Compton Valance book the question I’m essentially trying to make myself laugh as hard as possible.  I figure that if it makes me laugh, it’ll make other people laugh.  I think that is what makes the books tick.

If your next book was illustrated, and you could choose any illustrator, who would it be and why?
My grandad was a brilliant watercolour artist and, while he never did any illustrations, I would have loved to had the chance to work with him.  I think he would have got a huge kick out of the process.

Which book characters/authors would you have at a literary New Year dinner party and why? (N.B. You can travel back in Compton Valance's time machine if you want!)
That’s easy, I would have all the authors that I have had on my Word Monkeys podcast because they’re the authors I love reading.  Character-wise I would have Bernard from Not Now Bernard, Mina Murray from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and Dracula), the Artilleryman from War of the Worlds, Nymphadora Tonks, Mr Wednesday from American Gods, Commander James Bond, Miss Marple, and Dr John Watson.

What book would you recommend to readers to get them into the winter/festive spirit?
The Box of Delights and A Christmas Carol.  We’ve got a version of A Christmas Carol that we read aloud, as a family, on Christmas Eve.

Everyone loves books as gifts which book would you like to receive this Christmas?
I’ve asked for loads but in particular the Chrysalids by John Wyndham and Mysteries of the Quantum Universe by Thibault Damour and Mattieu Burniat

What's the meaning of Christmas for you and your characters?
Being with family and friends and trying to eat my bodyweight in turkey sandwiches (I make very good ones).

What's your favourite Christmas film?
It’s a Wonderful Life and Die Hard 2.

Did you read as a child, if so what captured your reading attention? 
I did read, although I was not a voracious reader (I am now).  I read comics and at various points in my childhood had the Beano, the Dandy, Whizzer and Chips and Roy of the Rovers delivered weekly (not at the same time). But the books I remember me and my friends getting and swapping with each other were called Fighting Fantasy books and I can remember loving the Warlock of Firetop Mountain and the Sword of the Samurai the most.


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New post: "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2017" https://t.co/3Sb0AFD0Je


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On the Tranquility of Mind: Seneca on Resilience, the Trap of Power and Prestige, and How to Calibrate Our Ambitions for Maximum Contentment https://t.co/bXoPuZIQHP https://t.co/vbxXAXSvEb


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Here We Are: Oliver Jeffers’s Warm Illustrated Field Guide to Living Together on Our Pale Blue Dot https://t.co/cCDH5AGB7P https://t.co/MLiBWayKTl


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Pioneering Physicist Enrico Fermi on the “Utility” of Science, the Aim of Knowledge, and Our Ultimate Responsibility to Nature https://t.co/kAQdJz4ZXP https://t.co/upJ3MFBjmE


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Neuroscientist Christof Koch on Free Will https://t.co/SG343C79tJ https://t.co/vyYXbGynhU


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New post: "Quest for Megafire" https://t.co/UuGwh6NmkY


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#8: Save Money: Good Food - Family Feasts for a Fiver: Family Feasts for a Fiver (Save Money Good Food) https://t.co/dQk9nMc9l4


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On the Tranquility of Mind: Seneca on Resilience, the Trap of Power and Prestige, and How to Calibrate Our Ambitions for Maximum Contentment https://t.co/bXoPuZIQHP


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Here We Are: Oliver Jeffers’s Warm Illustrated Field Guide to Living Together on Our Pale Blue Dot https://t.co/cCDH5AGB7P


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Pioneering Physicist Enrico Fermi on the “Utility” of Science, the Aim of Knowledge, and Our Ultimate Responsibility to Nature https://t.co/kAQdJz4ZXP


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Neuroscientist Christof Koch on Free Will https://t.co/SG343C79tJ


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#6: Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry https://t.co/G4z8lHFqr1


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New post: "Gloria Steinem on her Bill Clinton essay: 'I wouldn’t write the same thing now'" https://t.co/WtcEEB8QSC Molly Redden in New York The feminist icon spoke to the Guardian about her 1998 op-ed, which drew criticism: ‘what you write in one decade you don’t necessarily …


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New post: "Oldest complete Latin ​​Bible set to return to UK after 1,302 years" https://t.co/b1TIaJHspY Mark Brown Arts correspondent British Library secures loan of giant Codex Amiatinus Bible from Laurentian library in Florence for exhibition on Anglo-Saxon England One of t…


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Barnes & Noble scales back ambitions as sales decline below expectations--again https://t.co/CXI3gR4lmR https://t.co/A0zkhqIUQy


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#10: Seduction (Curse of the Gods Book 3)

Seduction Curse
Seduction (Curse of the Gods Book 3)
Jaymin Eve , Jane Washington
(5)

Buy new: £3.09

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New post: "Kim Moore's 'thrilling' debut poetry collection wins Geoffrey Faber prize" https://t.co/eVTNDHVUdT Alison Flood The Art of Falling, by a Cumbrian poet and former trumpet teacher, joins illustrious former winners including Seamus Heaney and JM Coetzee A debut poetry…


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#5: Sourcery: (Discworld Novel 5) (Discworld Novels) https://t.co/OP63rBM30n


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The latest The UK Books Daily! https://t.co/hAn3Q7OjIA Thanks to @InsprationForum @MoonBooksJHP @EXSKF #nonfiction


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#6: The Light Fantastic: (Discworld Novel 2) (Discworld Novels) https://t.co/G2BPRKruyD


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#8: The Colour Of Magic: (Discworld Novel 1) (Discworld Novels) https://t.co/rIK794FgQr


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#6: Star Wars: Galactic Atlas https://t.co/lnIgrHBQ1i


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#10: Tasty: Latest and Greatest: Everything you want to cook right now - The official cookbook from Buzzfeed’s Tasty and Proper Tasty https://t.co/2HDGf3JPy0


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#3: Kilted Yoga: THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS STOCKING FILLER - yoga laid bare https://t.co/iwMRc3YN3L


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New post: "The best science fiction and fantasy of 2017" https://t.co/DxPMh2Ckwk Adam Roberts Adam Roberts finds floods in Manhattan, magic in Paris and a shortage of electricity across the world A year ago, Amitav Ghosh usefully stirred things up with his rebuke to “realist” …


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New post: "Celebrity Picks: Celeste Ng's Favorite Reads of 2017" https://t.co/YezpkB4pqV


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New post: "A hero reborn: ‘China’s Tolkien’ aims to conquer western readers" https://t.co/Gjq021xL2j Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent The world’s most popular kung fu fantasy series is finally set to become a UK bestseller Guo Jing, a young soldier among the massed …


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New post: "Emma Cline countersues after ex claims she used spyware to plagiarise his work" https://t.co/iXMeQ1ynlR Associated Press Author of The Girls is being sued by former boyfriend, who alleges that her bestselling novel about a Manson-style cult uses material from his ow…


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#1: Star Wars: Galactic Atlas https://t.co/19t2WZdTRH


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How To Encourage Students To Read a Variety Of Genres https://t.co/hAxkfdkStC #2ndaryela


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The latest The UK Books Daily! https://t.co/hAn3Q7OjIA Thanks to @luxlotus @vidhya_thakkar @jay_lemming #writers #nonfiction


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New post: "The best crime books and thrillers of 2017" https://t.co/yHIwMeJyiW Mark Lawson Mark Lawson welcomes the return of George Smiley, drunken spooks and the recreation of a real-life murder trial In literature, as in boxing, great champions have compromised their reput…


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November: On the Pile


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November: On the Pile

Everyone's gravitating towards Irish story writer Sean O'Reilly; one of our editors is skiving on the serious literary fiction in favour of post-apocalyptic gore; and James is still working hie way through Trollope. What will December bring...?

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One Christmas Wish


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#9: Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin: The feel-good festive story of Christmas 2017

Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin
Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin: The feel-good festive story of Christmas 2017
Catherine Ferguson
(18)

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New post: "The best fiction of 2017" https://t.co/uog7CfYifK Justine Jordan We look back on a year that saw Arundhati Roy’s return and George Saunders’ Man Booker victory, along with dark short stories and a haunting last novel One of the joys of the novel is its endless capa…


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New post: "Long before Harry Potter, The Box of Delights remade children’s fantasy" https://t.co/5zUmgdaq4j Piers Torday Written in 1935, John Masefield’s classic blended ancient magic with modern adventure and set a template for the work of JK Rowling and many others My firs…


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Wednesday, 29 November 2017

New post: "La Belle Sauvage chosen as Waterstones book of the year" https://t.co/4cRQFphREl Richard Lea Managing director James Daunt says staff showed overwhelming enthusiasm for Philip Pullman’s return after 17 years to the world of Northern Lights Philip Pullman’s return t…


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#6: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Good Night
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Elena Favilli , Francesca Cavallo
(505)

Buy new: £16.99 £13.60
48 used & new from £9.60

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#6: I'm a Celebrity... Where's Kiosk Keith? https://t.co/cWjR8XXxDb https://t.co/ZmtJl27RwU


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#6: The Serial Killer's Daughter: A totally gripping thriller full of shocking twists https://t.co/GlU0y402VB


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#10: Your Life In My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story https://t.co/05p2Kfedun


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#10: MURDER IN THE FAMILY a gripping crime mystery full of twists

MURDER IN
MURDER IN THE FAMILY a gripping crime mystery full of twists
FAITH MARTIN
(14)

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Andrew Norriss - MIKE - Book Review (David Fickling) Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books


Floyd is a star of under-18s tennis. Since he was little, all he's ever known is the routine of training, of the matches, of trying to be the best. But something strange is happening. A boy called Mike has started turning up - a boy no one else can see. He keeps appearing whenever Floyd is playing tennis and making him lose his game. 

Floyd needs to discover what Mike wants - and what that will mean for him, and where his life is headed. Floyd is at the start of a journey that will lead him into a headlong collision with his family, girls, friendship, and self-discovery.


This is another book from David Fickling that hits the mark both on and off the tennis court. It is a fantastic story from the award-winning author, Andrew Norriss. Mike will be served to the public on the 4th January 2018 and will be a definite ace. The book cover has been illustrated by David Sheldon. The two key themes (fish and tennis balls) have been integrated to produce a visually stimulating design.  

My expectations of this book were not particularly high. Whilst I liked the idea of tennis and sport as part of the story, the blurb to accompany the proof copy did not really appeal to me. However, the mystery person (known as MIKE) really did capture my interest and was particularly intriguing. No sooner had I started reading, I found that Floyd's narrative was whispering inside my head. I connected with him so quickly that the story flashed by me quicker than a Milos Raonic serve. The inner voice was sealed inside my brain. I haven't read a book so quickly in such a long time. I really wanted to know more. 

This story is absolutely brilliant. It is very different as it takes a unique look at character behaviour and Floyd's state of mind. The plot explores the conscious/unconscious experiences and places them into the story cleverly. It is a psychological path of self-discovery involving Floyd's destiny. 

It's a beautiful, poignant story with very moving consequences. The book slips by in an undercurrent of family, friendship, and a large number of councilling sessions. It is a book that highlights the reality and the big world outside the reader's armchair. It provides an up-lifting feeling to get out there and do something amazing. This book will make you look at yourself on the outside, as well as the inside.

I cannot praise this book enough - it is astonishingly good. I am not usually a lover of reality-themed books. I tend to gravitate towards fantasy books and magical tales. However, this absolutely bowled me over and really developed my understanding of the complex nature of growing up with a talent. Whilst it is important to nurture there is obviously a fine line between developing and forcing. It really is difficult being a parent and getting the balance just right. This is a must read for both children and their parents. I'm looking forward to finding out your thoughts.


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#9: The Book of the Year

The Book
The Book of the Year
No Such Thing As A Fish
(76)

Buy new: £12.99 £6.00
27 used & new from £5.18

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#6: The Secrets She Keeps: The life she wanted wasn't hers . . . https://t.co/EsMtUdZQlG


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New post: "Best Young Adult Books of 2017" https://t.co/o3tWi48hZS


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#7: Tom Simpson: Bird On The Wire WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 https://t.co/bZ16MCQ57i


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New video by Penguin Books UK on YouTube

Book launch of Darker by E L James
Order Now: http://amzn.to/2Ajt9k3 E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a deeper and darker take on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the globe. Their scorching, sensual affair ended in heartbreak and recrimination, but Christian Grey cannot get Anastasia Steele out of his mind, or his blood. Determined to win her back, he tries to suppress his darkest desires and his need for complete control, and to love Ana on her own terms. But the horrors of his childhood still haunt him, and Ana’s scheming boss, Jack Hyde, clearly wants her for himself. Can Christian’s confidant and therapist, Dr. Flynn, help him face down his demons? Or will the possessiveness of Elena, his seducer, and the deranged devotion of Leila, his former submissive, drag Christian down into the past? And if Christian does win Ana back, can a man so dark and damaged ever hope to keep her? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe to the Penguin channel: http://ift.tt/2ygTzig Follow us here: Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/penguinukbooks Website | http://ift.tt/xNmtGX Instagram | http://ift.tt/2ygyyo2 Facebook | http://ift.tt/2wmBKky


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New post: "Omar Musa: Genocide is the basis for racism in Australia" https://t.co/09XqZlKGT2 Naaman Zhou The poet, writer and hip-hop artist on language, his new book and album, and the demonisation of Yassmin Abdel-Magied Being a migrant in Australia, according to the author…


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#5: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living: Featuring new translations of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius https://t.co/Z1ky4UJu3O


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The latest The UK Books Daily! https://t.co/GHmLfQESo6 Thanks to @carolesanek @RoomWap @ForwardPR #brexit


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New post: "Cassandra Clare scoops £1m for first adult novels" https://t.co/5ShLYvrfiV Alison Flood The author, an established star of YA fiction with her Mortal Instruments series, has signed a two-book, seven-figure deal with Pan Macmillan The writer Cassandra Clare, whose s…


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New post: "Lessons in humanity from Mumbai's third-gender hijras" https://t.co/gjB9evivP1 Anosh Irani I grew up very near the city’s red-light district, but beginning to understand it has taken years – and I have learned much from the courage of these brave outsiders “Whateve…


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#7: Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom https://t.co/XFFkb4OSK6


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New post: "Elena Ferrante is writing again, publisher says" https://t.co/DNjV8Z4yt3 Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome New work is understood to be a novel separate from TV screenplay writer is working on for adaptation of Neapolitan series Elena Ferrante is back. And she’s busy…


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New post: "The best nature books of 2017" https://t.co/ZL3PZxz7wd Stephen Moss We celebrate a trio of debut authors, a dramatic account of bird breeding and an evocative memoir of free-range childhood In some ways, 2017 has been a quiet year for fans of the publishing phenomen…


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New video by Penguin Books UK on YouTube

A beautiful time-lapse painting for 'Lost Words'
From bestselling Landmarks author Robert Macfarlane and acclaimed artist & author Jackie Morris Order now: http://amzn.to/2zB4Rya SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 'One of the most beautiful books of the year... A symphony to the wonders of the natural world, and a stand against the disappearance of wild childhood' The Bookseller All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world -- Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. The rich landscape of wild imagination and wild play is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustration by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages. Song by Kerry Andrew ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to the Penguin channel: http://ift.tt/2ygTzig Follow us here: Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/penguinukbooks Website | http://ift.tt/xNmtGX Instagram | http://ift.tt/2ygyyo2 Facebook | http://ift.tt/2wmBKky


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New post: "Celebrity Picks: Jacques Pépin’s Favorite Reads of 2017" https://t.co/tUFeVcnRQe


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#10: Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond https://t.co/x5Z9xGaBsW


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New post: "Top 10 books about high-tech" https://t.co/5UQ8bUL80J Leslie Berlin From histories of world-conquering innovations to fiction that explores their dark side, a leading chronicler of this giddying world chooses the best guides US high-technology seems to be overwhelm…


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Top 10 Platforms to Submit Short Stories | Get Paid for Writing https://t.co/y9ZfcEB33j


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The latest The UK Books Daily! https://t.co/GHmLfQESo6 Thanks to @kateinkew @HandUnPen @PurpleTogaPub #amwriting #brexit


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New post: "The best politics books of 2017" https://t.co/s25egh2OVI Gaby Hansliff A year of Tory meltdown, Brexit bots, and in which women spoke out in the wake of Harvey Weinstein History may be written by winners, but the juiciest tales are always told by losers. Nothing yi…


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“A little masterpiece” – UnAmerican Activities by James Miller


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“A little masterpiece” – UnAmerican Activities by James Miller

"UnAmerican Activities is more than a dark comedy. As delicious as the cast of characters are – the zombies, the gun-toting neo-Nazis and backwater hicks – it is way more than an assembly of genre-fiction staples. The prose is deft, delivering an unexpected payload. And the ending, such as it is – with no neat tying-up of threads, and the final notes being genuinely unsettling - pulls the comfort blanket away from the reader. It’s a masterstroke; and UnAmerican Activities is a little masterpiece..." - Tamim Sadikali reviews UnAmerican Activities by James Miller

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The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2017: Shadow Panel Winner and a Giveaway


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New post: "The best biography and autobiography books of 2017" https://t.co/zUpP4RU0C9 Kathryn Hughes Memories of the high life, heart surgery and a Homer odyssey move Kathryn Hughes The Book of Forgotten Authors (Riverrun) sounds like a post-modern meta-novel from the early 1…


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Tuesday, 28 November 2017

#7: Guinness World Records 2018 https://t.co/dg7EcLL5PX


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#7: The Secret History https://t.co/1Mbg78WGmQ


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#10: Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian https://t.co/bqu62RriIo


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#9: Strike Back https://t.co/vK1Bro8T3M


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New post: "The Best Books of the Year: "Priestdaddy" by Patricia Lockwood" https://t.co/ZogGkPWUrM


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#4: Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race: LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION https://t.co/AvtFManBXH


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#9: Bing’s Little Library (Bing) https://t.co/mySL4qDfds


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#10: The Prosecco Cookbook: Prosecco Cocktails, Cakes, Dinners & Desserts https://t.co/X5QvBmhWEI


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Bookstores counter Cyber Monday with 'Cider Monday' https://t.co/MtP3uxnazQ https://t.co/A0zkhqIUQy


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New post: "Northamptonshire may close up to 28 of its 36 libraries" https://t.co/eLeYDqkxm8 Alison Flood Authors including Alan Moore and Philip Pullman join readers condemning move being considered as a way to make £115m in savings Proposals to axe more than half of Northamp…


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#9: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind https://t.co/i7xeAimCkf


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New post: "Celebrity Picks: Louise Penny's Favorite Reads of 2017" https://t.co/Mshd9UVvZU


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#10: Peepo! (Board Book) https://t.co/xvOYJAFDP6 https://t.co/HxsMw62MrA


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The latest The UK Books Daily! https://t.co/cwX2Oe85XA Thanks to @TomBremer @BDammer92 @KirstieTravels #brexit


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#9: Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World https://t.co/8Gj5MOTTnv


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#10: The Infinite Monkey Cage – How to Build a Universe

The Infinite
The Infinite Monkey Cage – How to Build a Universe
Prof. Brian Cox , Robin Ince , Alexandra Feachem
(7)

Buy new: £20.00 £12.26
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Unforeseen Consequences and that 1929 vibe


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New post: "Help choose an overlooked gem from 2017 for December's reading group" https://t.co/ngnWmkgMv2 Sam Jordison The Guardian has covered a lot of great books this year, but did we miss something essential? Please share your findings so we can highlight a hidden treasure …


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Book Review: Weave A Circle Round by Kari Maaren

Title: Weave A Circle Round

Author: Kari Maaren

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Tor
Publication date: November 2017
Paperback: 336

Freddy wants desperately to not be noticed. She doesn’t want to be seen as different or unusual, but her step-brother Roland gets attention because he’s deaf, and her little sister Mel thinks she’s a private detective. All Freddy wants to do is navigate high school with as little trouble as possible.

Then someone moves into the house on Grosvenor Street. Two extremely odd someones.

Cuerva Lachance and Josiah aren’t . . . normal. When they move in next door, the house begins to exhibit some decidedly strange tendencies, like not obeying the laws of physics or reality. Just as Freddy thinks she’s had enough of Josiah following her around, she’s plunged into an adventure millennia in the making and discovers the truth about the new neighbors.

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the publisher

Format (e- or p-): Print

Review

When Freddy was eleven, her parents decided to get a divorce.

Distraught upon receiving the news, Freddy chooses to run into the woods and cry alone–except she’s not alone. A strange woman sits waiting for her and offers Freddy a small key with an odd set of instructions. First, Freddy is to use the key and clutch it whenever she feels upset or sad (the strange lady insists this will help her stop crying). Second, Freddy is to try the key in any doors she comes across (the lady says she isn’t sure which door that the key actually opens). Most importantly, Freddy is not to tell the woman later that she gave her the key (because the strange woman shouldn’t know that in the future).

Freddy accepts, and while she’s examining the key, the woman disappears. (Into the woods, Freddy assumes.)

Three years pass, and Freddy has a new stepfather and stepbrother. Her parents are basically non-entities in her life–busy with their jobs and commitments, Freddy, her sister Mel, and stepbrother Roland, barely see their parents at all–but that’s just fine to Freddy. Over the years, and with help from her key, Freddy has learned that the wisest course of action is to blend in completely. At school, she follows two of her more popular friends but always makes sure to keep her head down, to agree blandly with everyone, and most importantly to never, ever stand out. This is harder at home, with Roland, Freddy’s hulking fourteen-year-old deaf stepbrother, who has already hit his growth spurt and has an oxymoronic tendency to tidy up messes but also knock things over. Roland and Freddy do not get along–Freddy resents Roland’s presence in her home and life as well as his tendency to ignore and glare at her, not to mention the loudness and chaos of his incessant role playing games and annoying friends. The pair at least are united in their affection for their younger sister Mel, who is a certified genius, but has a tendency and passion towards solving mysteries and getting herself into trouble.

Enter two new characters, who crash their car while trying to move into the house across the way on Grosvenor Street: Cuerva Lachance and Josiah. It isn’t clear to Freddy (or to anyone) whether or not Cuerva or Josiah are actually related, though they claim to be–Cuerva is a mom-aged woman with a tendency to sharply change subjects and have circular conversations about everything and nothing. Meanwhile, Josiah is the most curmudgeonly old man fourteen-years-old that Freddy has ever met, with a tendency towards seeing things in black and white and with no problems expressing his opinion loudly to anyone who crosses his path. There is something very strange about Cuerva Lachance and Josiah–a mystery, in fact–and for some reason the pair is very interested in Freddy, Roland, and Mel.

And then Freddy and Josiah start to slip through time.

Freddy isn’t entirely sure if Josiah and Cuerva Lachance are telling her and her siblings the truth–but she knows that she has to figure out the puzzle (and where, if at all, her key fits in) if she ever stands a chance of coming home again, and protecting her siblings from a strange and terrible fate.

Weave A Circle Round is a hard book to properly talk about without giving away massive spoilers, though I shall endeavor to do my best:

This is a time travel story. It is a chaotic story. It is a story about a young girl who longs for invisibility only to realize the power in being an individual (odd and ill-fitting she may seem).

Weave A Circle Round is also a debut novel from Kari Maaren, and it reads like a classic work of upper middle grade/young adult fantasy, in the vein of Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, or Susan Cooper. (In fact, more than once I flipped back to the copyright page of this book while reading it to make sure it wasn’t a repackaged book from the 1980s–even though the master timeline is contemporary and has things like cell phones and the internet included, the novel’s styling and approach feels so much like a nostalgic book from late middle school reading. But I digress.)

At its plot-centric heart, this book is a mystery about three characters: Cuerva Lachance, Josiah, and Three. As Freddy and Josiah plunge through time (past and future, mind you), they see other versions of Cuerva Lachance, Josiah, and Three–Freddy has to figure out what it all means for her and her family. While the constant time slippage and overall plot are extremely chaotic and at times hard to follow, they somehow work within the context of the book. As this is a story about chaos and order and the ensuing struggle between the two and how they affect the very fabric of reality, the chaos of Maaren’s ideas captured in the structured format of a novel work in an entirely meta kind of way.

At its true heart, Weave A Circle Round is actually a character-centric story. This is Freddy’s tale, about trying to protect herself from emotion and heartbreak and then getting a wild chance to fully become and embrace herself. Similarly, I love the attention and nuance given to siblings Roland and Mel–Roland, who seems cruel and bullying at first through Freddy’s eyes, but who actually is stuck in his own loop of frustration with Freddy; Mel, who is brilliant and eager to be happy with both her sister and stepbrother, and who cannot resist a good mystery and accepts the logic of Freddy’s impossible explanations at face value.

Saving one’s family is hard. Figuring out how to stop slipping through time and understand the paradox at the heart of it all is even harder. (Especially when the laws of physics just stop working altogether and no one will give you a straight answer.) But hardest of all is growing up and trying to become a different, better person than you were yesterday.

Weave A Circle Round is a completely unexpected wonder of a novel. I adored it, and absolutely recommend it to readers of all ages–especially those looking to fill a Diana Wynne Jones shaped hole in their lives.

Rating: 8 – Absolutely Delightful

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