Children's Book Spotlight - Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Published 31st October 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from the publishers website)

Eleanor Hurl is a peculiar girl with an extraordinary imagination, which unfortunately has a nasty habit of getting her into trouble! Children will love this beautifully illustrated tale with a very important message – even the kookiest kid has something special to give!

My Thoughts

This is another great picture book, with an important message from Blue Falcon Publishing. I enjoyed the illustrations however, they are of a darker colour palette and therefore more appealing to an older audience as opposed to my 4 month old. Sticking with the darker theme, this would be a great story to read to children around Halloween time that isn't necessarily scary. However, I think that my class of children (4-5) may be a bit young as there are a couple of pages that I would say maybe aren't suitable for them and therefore I would say it would probably suit the 5-7 age range. 

As I've said in previous reviews of children's books I enjoy picture books that rhyme as they help to engage children and to support their understanding of rhythm, as well as being fun to read. This one had a lovely flow to it and was very easy to read, I didn't find myself stumbling over any of the rhymes at all. I also enjoy books with a message and this one had just that too. This would be a lovely book to use with children to tackle the topic of bullying and understanding how all children can be different and unique in their own way. The was lots of opportunities for discussion throughout. 

Overall I thought this was another lovely book with some great illustrations. I think it would definitely appeal to children in the 5-7 years age bracket and, although I don't think I could necessarily use it with my class, I will be recommending it to my fellow teachers. 

Review - A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Published 29th January 2019 by Bloomsbury Children's 

Goodreads Challenge - 25/50 

Star Rating - ****

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

My Thoughts

I'd seen this book all over Twitter and I love a good retelling so I was really keen to pick this up. I was excited when I was accepted to review this one via NetGalley. It's taken me a while to get to because in the recent couple of months I have both moved house and had a baby so my reading definitely slowed down (or stopped 🙈) but I'm getting back into the swing of things now and this was just what I needed to get me back into the reading groove.

Here are my thoughts...

What I liked
• It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and as I've already said I love a good retelling. In my opinion this was a good example of a retelling as there were clear nods to the original story and key plot points but enough individuality to the story to keep it interesting. 

• The representation. The main character has a disability and there were LGBT side characters. Neither of these aspects were handled badly but they could of been done better (I'll explain below). 

• There were several strong characters all of which had strong morals. Harper was a strong, independent female who didn't want to be treated any differently. Grey demonstrated loyalty and showed what it meant to be a good friend. Rhen had quite a complex personality. This developed well over the novel and he definitely grew as a character in a good way. 

• I enjoyed the romance. It was very slow burn and I loved the way both Harper and Rhens feelings developed over the course of the novel. 

What I thought could be better 

• I would of liked a bit more world building. It felt very much just like a medieval version of our current world. Which was fine but there was often mentions of magic and I would of liked this explained a bit more. 

• The representation of Harper's disability, although good and not problematic, could of been done a little bit better. At times it felt like it was an afterthought but that's just my opinion. This could be interpreted as it not being a problem to her, which is obviously a good thing. I think there's a fine line between good rep and bad and I might just be being a bit picky. 

Overall a really enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend picking this one up when it comes out.

Overall Rating

Top 5 Wednesday - Top of Your TBR

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme where you discuss your 'top 5' in a variety of different topics on, guess what, a Wednesday. Full list of topics and more information can be found here on the Goodreads group.

This weeks topic is simply the top of your TBR so today I'm going to be sharing 5 books that I'm hoping to read very soon. 

Gemina and Obsido by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I've put these two together as I'm hoping to at least of started Gemina, if not finished it, by the time this post goes up. I read Illuminae at the end of last year and loved it so I'm excited to continue with the series. 

Enchantee by Gita Trelease

This one is published on 21st February so I'd like to read and review my Netgalley copy before release. 

James Clyde and the Tomb of Salvation by Colm McElwain

I was sent this one and the first book in this series by the author. I read and enjoyed the first on so I'd like to get to this one soon. 

In Fallen Woods by R N Merle

Another one I received from the author that I really need to get too soon. 

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

I've had my eye on this one since it came out and I picked it up last week from my library so I would like to get it read. 

Have you read any of these and are there any you would recommend me bumping up my TBR? 

What books are at the top of your TBR? Let me know. 

Mailbox Monday - Weekly Book Post

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme that was started by Marcia of To Be Continued. The aim is simple, for people to share what books they received in their mailbox that week. To check out everyone else's posts head over to the Mailbox Monday blog.

This week I received...

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

This was one of my favourite books of last year and I've been looking for this hardcover copy for a while. I managed to pick it up 2nd hand for a very reasonable price. 

Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins and Spy Danger by Justin Davis

I received this two from Blue Falcon Publishing in exchange for review.  

A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney, The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke and Tangleweed and Brine by Deirdre Sullivan

I picked these three up from my local library. They were all on my TBR and one of my goals for this year is to use my library more. 

What books did you receive this week? Have you read any of these? Are there any you would recommend?

Review - The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Published 8th January 2019 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - *****

Goodreads Challenge - 3/50

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

My Thoughts

Holly Black is the queen of fantasy, I feel like when it comes to writing she can do know wrong! I adore her books and this one was no exception. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after reading and loving The Cruel Prince last year and I was not disappointed. I feel like I've had my heart ripped out of my chest, I don't know how I'm going to wait a year for the final book because, that ending, seriously!

This one picked up exactly where The Cruel Prince left off so we dived straight back into the story with no fuss. The pacing of the story was on point. It wasn't slow at all but it wasn't so fast that you felt like you lost any of the detail. Everything that happened throughout the book happened for a reason and was completely related to the plot development. At no point did I find myself wondering where something was going, I was invested in the story the whole time. The plot points interweaved well with each other and I often found myself wondering what the motives were behind some decisions only to have my socks blown of a couple chapters later. I was completely compelled to read as much as I could. 

As usual Holly Blacks writing was fantastic. I've always said I love her writing style. She does a great job with descriptions without being info dumpy. She also does a great job at weaving together a mystical story with some great mystery and intrigue. Her words are magic on a page.

I loved (or hated) all of the characters too, even more than in The Cruel Prince if that is necessary. Jude's ambition continued to grow and she was ruthless. Carden's character development was great too, he could still be cruel but there seemed to be some more scheming going on behind his decisions which was interesting to see. I also enjoyed the development of Carden and Jude's relationship. It was full of sexual tension, I loved it! All the 'villains', Locke, Madoc, Balekin, Orlagh, were all delightfully evil in their own way. I especially enjoyed watching Madoc's and Jude's relationship continue to evolve. I can't wait to see them come to heads in the final book. Not one character was insignificant in this book. Each one, no matter how big, played a part in the overall story and it wouldn't of been the same without them. 

Overall you can probably tell I loved this book just as much as the first. That ending was evil though and it's going to be a very long wait for the third and final instalment. I can't wait!

Overall Rating 

Review - James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

Published 1st February 2012 by Matador

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 1/50

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Alongside his friends Ben and Mary Forester, James Clyde must protect a powerful diamond from falling into the wrong hands. A strange and sinister man dressed in black is also pursuing the diamond and will stop at nothing to obtain it. James and his friends set off on a perilous journey to return the diamond to its rightful place. But they are being hunted every step of the way by the relentless man in black and his blood-thirsty army. Outnumbered, James finds he must use the power of the diamond to escape their clutches - or become another victim of their murderous quest. So begins a journey that will transport them to an alternative world where they must confront the mysterious man in black for a final, winner-takes-all battle...

My Thoughts

I was lucky enough to be contacted by the author and offered a copy of this book and the next one in the series in exchange for an honest review. I do enjoy reading middle grade from time to time and the synopsis of this one sounded interesting and I'm pleased to say it delivered. 

I find sometimes it's difficult to review middle grade book as I'm obviously not the target audience. As these types of books are written for younger people that often means that the writing and plot development is a little more simplistic than YA or adult novels but that's not always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need an easy and enjoyable read and that's exactly what this was. A fun adventure story infused with magic and mystery. As I've already explain the writing was quite easy to follow but that didn't mean it wasn't enjoyable and it turned out to be a fairly quick read. There was enough world building and plot development to keep me interested and entertained throughout. 

Again, as this is a middle grade story that meant the characters were younger as well and meant I wasn't really able to connect with them however, I enjoyed them for what they were. It was nice to see some solid friendships and the characters supported each other throughout the novel. I also felt the way the characters were depicted was quite realistic. Although the main focus was on the main character becoming the chosen one he didn't wholly become a different person, he still felt and acted like a child at times. 

Overall I enjoyed this story. It was a fun adventure story with some magical elements that was a quick and easy read. I'm looking forward to picking up the next one in this series that I have sitting in my TBR pile. 

Overall Rating (3.5*)

Top 5 Wednesday - Most Disappointing Reads of 2018

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme where you discuss your 'top 5' in a variety of different topics on, guess what, a Wednesday. Full list of topics and more information can be found here on the Goodreads group.

This weeks topic is my most disappointing reads of 2018. As with last weeks topic, please don't be offended if I mention one of your favourite books. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean it's a bad book, just that it wasn't for me. 

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

This is based off of one of Karen Russells short stories, which I had previously read and quite enjoyed. However, this one wasn't for me, it started to drag and felt unfinished. I gave it 2 stars. 

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

The retelling aspect was the reason I picked this one up and there were parts of it, like the writing, that I thought were great. However, the story was just way to strange for me. I gave this one 2.5 stars.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero 

This was probably my most disappointed read of 2018. I was really looking forward to this one as it's based off of the Scooby Doo TV show, which I loved as a kid but it really didn't click with me. I enjoyed the plot and the story line but I really couldn't get on board with the authors writing style. I gave this one 2.5 stars.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Lee

The Chinese/Asian mythology and the diverse aspects of this story were good however, overall there was just something about it that didn't fit with me. I also struggled to engage with the humour that the author used throughout. I gave this one 3 stars. 

The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell

This was a fairly random read for me as I fancied picking up an adult novel as I'd read a lot of YA recently and although I finished it, it was only an average read for me. The characters were quite flat and their was a few problematic elements, especially in relationships. I gave this one 3 stars. 

Have you read any of these? I'd love to hear about what you thought of them.