Christmas Book Haul!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're all having a wonderful day, and if you don't celebrate Christmas I wish you a very Merry Sunday all the same!

I've been treated to a bunch of lovely things today, but I thought I'd share with you the pile of shiny new history books I received this Christmas. I'm so excited to read all of them!

The Witches by Stacy Schiff

The Astronomer and the Witch by Ulinka Rublack

The Lives of Tudor Women by Elizabeth Norton

Crown of Blood by Nicola Tallis

Game of Queens by Sarah Gristwood

I'm especially pleased with this pile as #HistoryBooksByWomen was trending on Twitter earlier this month, and I love my women's history and my women historians. I can't wait to get stuck in!

Did Santa leave some books under your tree? Whatever you're doing today, I hope it's wonderful. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Book Tag (ORIGINAL)

Christmas is a month away! That's exciting for some and terrifying for others, and I definitely fall into the former category. I love Christmas. I love the atmosphere and the carols and the cheesy songs and the lovely movies and the warm fuzzy feeling it gives me.

So to celebrate I've created my very own Christmas Book Tag. I feel I should say I'm sure there are other such tags out there, but this is one I've made entirely on my own and if there are any similarities to any other tags I promise that's pure coincidence.

I'll tag a few people once I've given my own answers, but whether you're tagged or not please feel free to do this tag and share the festive love!

I have to go with Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan. It's cheesy and festive and lovely; I read it over Christmas a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the experience.

I didn't really like The Great Zoo of China that much - which is a shame because it's essentially Jurassic Park but with dragons - but it was a shamelessly fun, quick read. If you want to know my thoughts in more detail you can check out my review here!

I don't know why, but I feel like Taylor Swift's 'Style' would be a great movie. It's one of my favourite songs from 1989 and something about it always makes me think there must be a bigger story someone can write in there somewhere; the lyrics make me think it'd be a great movie about a pair of doomed lovers who appear in different incarnations every century throughout history.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged features a heroine who is a practicing muslim, and it's one of the best contemporary novels I've read in a long while. Check out my review here!

I have to go with The Disreputable Dog from The Old Kingdom series, who first appears in Lirael as Lirael's much-needed companion. She's so much fun and I love her, although Mogget is a very close second.

I read Burial Rites over new year a couple of years ago and it was the perfect read for those cold winter months. The setting was one of my favourite parts of Hannah Kent's debut - it was as much a character as all the people within it - and she writes those bleak, Icelandic landscapes beautifully.

Maia is one of my favourite fictional characters from one of my favourite books of all time. I adore The Goblin Emperor, it's like Rivendell meets the Tudor court, and when I was poorly with quinsy earlier this year the thing that comforted me most was curling up in bed and listening to the audiobook. If you haven't picked this up yet, I highly recommend that you do!

There are plenty I could have chosen, but I've always had a soft spot for The Secret Garden. I adored the 1993 adaptation when I was little and I finally read the book for my Popular Victorian Fiction module at university and loved it. I love Mary Lennox; she's grumpy and heartwarming, and a very good gardener to boot!

I'm still not over it.

I'm sure my lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change won't be too impressed with my choice, knowing how much she loved this book, but Uprooted was one of those books I really had to struggle through to finish. I liked a lot of things about it but the writing style and I just didn't get along very well which is a real shame, but I'd like to try more of Naomi Novik's work in future.

Okay so The Nutcracker certainly isn't without adaptations. Not only is it one of the most famous ballets around, but it also has numerous film adaptations - I just haven't found one I've completely fallen in love with yet. I want an adaptation that's nostalgic rather than juvenile; I'm a big fan of slightly creepy fairy stories, so I'd love to see someone like Henry Selick direct a stop motion adaptation of it.

I think The Good Immigrant is such an important book right now, so I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy of it over the Christmas period! Then again, there are a bunch of other books I want to get my hands on, too...

If you'd like to have a go at this tag then please do! I'd love to know what your answers would be. For now I'm going to go ahead and tag:

Natalie @ A Sea Change

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews

Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

Top Ten Tuesday | All I Want for Christmas is Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year'. Like most book bloggers, I'm sure, the things I ask for most when Christmas rolls around are new books. When I was younger I used to ask for a huge pile of books, but now that I'm older I don't expect to find as much under the tree which, of course, is perfectly normal - my poor parents have paid for enough! Nowadays I tend to receive money a lot more which is ideal for me; I already own a lot of books so people are unsure what to get me, so getting a bit of money means I can treat myself to whatever I've been after without specifically asking for something and ruining the magic of the surprise.

So, this week I've split my list! The first half are books I'd like to receive, and the second half are books I plan on treating myself to very soon.

Books I'd Like to Receive

Peter and Alice by John Logan: John Logan is the writer behind Penny Dreadful, one of my favourite shows, but before he was a screenwriter (he also wrote the scripts for Gladiator and Skyfall!) he was a playwright. I love the sound of this play, which is about a fictional meeting between Alice Liddell and Peter Llewelyn Davies, who were the real-life inspirations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston: First of all, I think that cover is gorgeous, and second of all I've heard some brilliant things about this one, including a rave review from my friend Natalie @ A Sea Change.

Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith: This collection of stories are all about why books are so important to us. As a book lover, I'm sure you can understand why I want to get my hands on a copy of this. Plus I keep meaning to read some Ali Smith.

The Lake House by Kate Morton: I've been after a copy of The Lake House ever since I saw this interview with Kate Morton over on Pan Macmillan's YouTube channel!

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi: This memoir is about an Iranian teacher who began a reading group with seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. It sounds amazing.

Books I'd Like to Buy

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden is one of my favourite classics, but the only copy I own is an old, battered copy that's full of my notes from university. I'd really like to treat myself to this beautiful Penguin Threads edition - it's so pretty!

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: I really want to check out some of Gillian Flynn's novels after I read The Grownup earlier this year, and while I've heard a lot of great things about Gone Girl I'm actually a lot more intrigued by her debut novel, Sharp Objects. Besides, if Gone Girl is her best novel yet I might as well start from the beginning and make my way through her work that way!

Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings by Shirley Jackson: Shirley Jackson's my favourite horror writer, and this year a new collection of some previously unseen stories and non-fiction was published, edited by her son and daughter. I think it has a gorgeous cover, and I really want it for my growing Jackson collection!

Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys Around Shakespeare's Globe by Andrew Dickson: Expect to see a lot of Shakespeare around in 2016, as it marks 400 years since his death. In this book Andrew Dickson explores Shakespeare's impact all around the world, and why he's still so popular - it sounds really interesting, and if you've been following my blog for a while you'll know this year is the year I've really gotten into non-fiction.

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon: Another non-fiction book about two fascinating ladies. Mary Shelley is one of my heroes - I think Frankenstein is a masterpiece - and Mary Wollstonecraft is a woman I want to learn more about, so this book sounds very cool.

Which books made your list this week?

Review | A Sister More Like Me by Barbara Jean Hicks and Brittney Lee

A Sister More Like Me

by Barbara Jean Hicks and Brittney Lee

My Rating: 

When they were very young, royal sisters Anna and Elsa were as close as could be. But then everything changed, and now they couldn't be more different. They agree on just one thing: they both wish they had a sister more like them....

Featuring the princesses of Disney's Frozen, this spirited look at sibling relationships is told in verse and features beautiful illustrations by an artist from the film.

I'm a humungous Disney fan - I know way too many songs by heart, and Beauty and the Beast will always be my favourite film of all time - but I have to admit to being one of those bitter people who wasn't all that impressed with Frozen. The art's stunning, but personally I don't think the music's all that great, it doesn't feel like Disney music to me, and the story is full of plotholes that I'm not going to bother getting into now.

If that's the case, Jess, then why on earth are you reviewing a Frozen children's picture book?

Well, reader, I have four nieces, two of whom are the ripe old ages of seven and four. This means they're the ideal age to be swept up in the Frozen frenzy, which means I've now had to listen to 'Let It Go' so many times in the car that I twitch whenever I hear it on the radio.

Earlier this year, the younger of those two nieces became a big sister to a little sister, and when I came across this book I couldn't resist picking it up for her for Christmas. She's a wonderful big sister, she loves her little sister to bits and she's always eager to help out, and I wanted to get her a little something that she can read, but that she and her little sister can also read together in a few years' time.

Despite not being a Frozen fanatic, this book is gorgeous. Too many people dismiss children's fiction, and in particular picture books like these, but so much effort goes into producing beautiful children's books, and this one is no exception. It's told entirely in rhyme, making it a lot of fun to read aloud which is perfect for bedtime, and both Elsa and Anna are given the chance to have their say, with alternating fonts so smaller children will always be able to figure out who's saying what.

What I love most about this little book, however, are Brittney Lee's stunning illustrations. Lee actually worked on the film itself, so this book is not only ideal for children, but also for anyone interested in illustration or animation, or anyone who just likes collecting Disney and/or Frozen art. I love the colours she uses - blues, purples and pinks - and how there isn't a single page devoid of some sort of colour or illustration. It's just a very beautiful book.

So whether you know a child who would love this, have a child you'd like to read this with, or you just happen to be or know someone who likes Disney art, this book is very cute and would make for a lovely gift under the Christmas tree!

Review | A Singular & Whimsical Problem by Rachel McMillan

A Singular & Whimsical Problem

by Rachel McMillan

My Rating: 

Christmas, 1910. Merinda Herringford and Jem Watts would be enjoying the season a lot more if they weren’t forced to do their own laundry and cooking. Just as they are adapting to their trusty housekeeper’s ill-timed vacation, they are confronted by the strangest mystery they’ve encountered since they started their private investigation firm.

In this bonus e-only novella, what begins as the search for a missing cat leads to a rabble-rousing suffragette and the disappearance of several young women from St. Jerome’s Reformatory for Incorrigible Females. From the women’s courts of City Hall to Toronto’s seedy docks and into the cold heart of the underground shipping industry, this will be the most exciting Christmas the girls have had yet…if they can stay alive long enough to enjoy it.

If you don't like to read bad reviews then I don't recommend you read this, but I'm not going to apologise for it; I can only be honest, and this is my honest opinion.

I recently added Rachel McMillan's debut novel, The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder, to my TBR. I love historical crime fiction, and love it even more so when the protagonist is a woman. The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder sounds like everything I enjoy in the books I read, so when I found out it had an e-novella prequel, and one that was set at Christmas time at that, I had to read it. I'm sad to report I was sorely disappointed.

Firstly, I don't think it's written well, nor do I think it's been edited particularly well. There was the odd spelling error - a case where 'gentleman' was used when it should have been 'gentlemen' - as well as inconsistencies such as the narrator, Jem, knowing another character's name despite the fact that she never shares it. Little things like that are easy to fix, and that's why it irritates me when they appear in published work.

The novella as a whole was told rather than shown; we're never really introduced to anyone beyond a brief, vague sentence. I didn't feel like I was in Edwardian Toronto at all - there was practically no description and no sense of place whatsoever, and the Christmas setting felt like an afterthought. Christmas was only mentioned once or twice, and though the cold was sometimes mentioned I never felt it, so the entire novella could have taken place at any time of the year.

I also don't think there was very much in terms of realism. As I mentioned above I didn't feel like I was in Edwardian Toronto, and parts of the story felt rather juvenile; Jem and Merinda sneak into what is effectively a sinister rehabilitation centre far too easily, and they seemed to take ages to come to what I thought were fairly obvious conclusions.

There's a clear love for Sherlock Holmes here, and while I'm all for a female equivalent to Holmes and Watson I don't think Jem and Merinda are it.

I really wanted to like this, and given the ratings on Goodreads so far I think I'm in a severe minority here, but I just didn't think it was very good. I hope McMillan's debut novel is better, though if it's anything like this I'm afraid I won't be reading it.

This Week in Books | 02/12/15

This week I'm joining in with Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found to talk about the books I've been reading recently!

NOW: I'm making my way through my eARCs, which means I'm finally reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I already love it. It really does have a Firefly feel to it, and I'm really excited to read the rest of it!

THEN: The last book I finished, The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science is still a Boys' Club, was also a NetGalley read. I enjoyed it, but sadly not as much as I thought I would - you can check out my review here if you want to see more of my thoughts about it!

NEXT: Speaking of eARCs, I have a handful of Christmas contemporaries to read and review this December, and I think the first one I'm going to tackle is Holly Martin's Christmas at Lilac Cottage, which sounds adorable.

What are you reading?

P is for Perkins | Blogging from A to Z

My True Love Gave to Me
ed. by Stephanie Perkins

I haven't actually read any of Stephanie Perkins' novels and I don't know if I ever will, but over Christmas I certainly enjoyed reading the anthology she edited and contributed to! All of the authors who feature in this anthology are authors whose work I don't usually read; in fact the only authors in the anthology I'd read before this were David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Rainbow Rowell and Holly Black, and even then I hadn't read much! The only book of Levithan's I'd read was Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (reviewed here!), which he wrote with Rachel Cohn, the only book of Rowell's I'd read was Attachments (reviewed here!) and I thought it was only alright, the only book of Black's I'd read was The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (reviewed here!) and I didn't like it all that much, and the only book of Forman's I'd read was If I Stay (reviewed here!), which I really enjoyed.

I was determined to read Christmassy reads during the Christmas season, something I'd always failed at before, and last Christmas I managed to do just that - and it was a lot of fun! This anthology, in particular, was a highlight for several reasons; reading so many different Christmassy stories felt a little like sitting down to watch Love Actually, and I really enjoyed getting to experience the writing of so many authors in just one book. Reading this book also made me realise how much I enjoy anthologies, and I've since collected a few more to enjoy. I'd definitely dip in and out of this again come next Christmas, and if you'd like to see my review for each of the stories you can find it here!

My personal favourites from the anthology were 'Polaris is Where You'll Find Me' by Jenny Han, 'The Lady and the Fox' by Kelly Link, and 'It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown' by Stephanie Perkins.

Review | My True Love Gave to Me | Twelve Days of Christmas!

My True Love Gave to Me

ed. by Stephanie Perkins

My Overall Rating: 

A collection of joyful festive stories that will keep you warm during the cold winter months On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays. Includes: Ally Carter; Holly Black; Laini Taylor; Rainbow Rowell; Matt de la Pena; David Levithan; Stephanie Perkins;  Kiersten White; Kelly Link;  Jenny Han; Gayle Forman; Myra McEntire.

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!

I was going to post one of my normal reviews today and talk about the book as a whole, but after reading Shannon's review over at It Starts at Midnight I just had to look at each story individually purely because I felt quite differently to Shannon about quite a few stories. That's the beauty of anthologies - there's something for everyone!

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: As can be expected from a Rowell story, this was a lot of fun and a really easy read. Rowell has the kind of writing style that makes it easy to slip into the lives of any of her characters, but while I enjoyed this story it wasn't my favourite; I loved the relationship between the two characters and I loved the idea behind the plot, but Noel annoyed me just a little bit. There's just something about a guy who complains about losing a girl he likes, despite overtly kissing other girls in front of her, that annoys me. I get none of those kisses were supposed to be serious and the story was supposed to be more about Mags seizing the moment, but as a girl who's been through a similar situation I felt sorry for her and Noel made me a teensy bit mad because of it.

My Rating: 



The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: I've never read any Kelly Link before, and I LOVED this story. When I looked her up I discovered that short stories are her speciality, so now I'd love to read some of her collections. I have a weakness for magical realism, and this story had plenty of that. I did find parts of it a little confusing and it might have been nice to have some things explained to me a little more clearly, but I'm pretty sure I understood everything and, for a short story, Link certainly managed to flesh out a lot. Definitely one of my favourites in the anthology.

My Rating: 


Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña: I don't know if I've ever read a story with a Mexican protagonist, and for that I'm both really mad at myself and really pleased that I can now say I have. Like Midnights, I enjoyed this story; it was cute, and I really liked the setting of two people alone in an apartment block over Christmas. It wasn't one of my favourites, though. I liked Shy - he felt like a very raw, honest character - but I couldn't quite connect to Haley. Still an enjoyable read, though!

My Rating: 



Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han: This story is the main reason I decided to review each individual story, because while Shannon didn't like it as much as the others, I absolutely loved this one! In fact I think this one might be my favourite out of the twelve. I never knew how much I wanted a story about a girl raised by Santa until now, and I loved that the protagonist of this story is another POC. I haven't read any Jenny Han before, her novels don't really sound like my kind of thing although I have heard great things about To All the Boys I've Loved Before, but honestly I'd love to see an entire novel about Natalie!

My Rating: 



It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: Yet another author I haven't read before now. I really enjoyed Perkins' writing style, and North is my kind of guy. I have a soft spot for the kinds of guys that can move furniture on their own, hence my love for Beast from His Fair Assassin and Shadow from American Gods. I loved the chemistry between Marigold and North - this one's another favourite!

My Rating: 



Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: Not too long ago I was thinking how I want to read something David Levithan has written on his own. The only thing I'd read of his before now is Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (reviewed here), another Christmassy read, which he wrote alongside Rachel Cohn. This one wasn't one of my favourites. I didn't really connect to either of the characters, but it was great to see a homosexual relationship in the anthology!

My Rating: 

Krampuslauf by Holly Black: Before now the only thing I'd read of Holly Black's was The Coldest Girl in Cold Town (reviewed here) and I didn't like it all that much. Sadly I wasn't the biggest fan of Krampuslauf either. My problem with Holly Black is that I love her premises, but I always come away from her stories a little disappointed and I don't know why. I guess there's just something about her style that means she and I don't jam, which is a shame because I really wanted to like this one more than I did.

My Rating: 

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman: I'm pleased to say that Forman is at least one author I have read before! I read If I Stay not too long ago and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to her story. This story was fun, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as some of the others.

My Rating: 

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: This story was cute. It wasn't spectacular, but I did like that it surprised me; I thought the characters were all going to be very predictable, but some of them were a pleasant surprise. It wasn't one of my favourites, but it was fun.

My Rating: 

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: I didn't like this one. The main character and I just didn't get along, and what with her narrating the entire story it meant I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other stories.

My Rating:

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: Wow, me and this story really didn't click. I think this one was my least favourite of the collection, but I'd still like to check out some Ally Carter's other work because Heist Society sounds like a lot of fun!

My Rating: 

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: I hadn't read any Laini Taylor before, and people weren't lying when they said her writing style is beautiful. I didn't love this story as much as some of the others in the collection, but for the way it was written alone - and for how different it was to the other stories - it deserves an extra point.

My Rating:

If you've read My True Love Gave to Me I'd love to know which stories were your favourite!

That's the last post of my Twelve Days of Christmas - have a very Merry Christmas!