Eoin Colfer’s Highfire chronicles the hilarious and action-packed adventures of a well-intentioned but wild tearaway, a crooked constable, and a snarky, fire-breathing dragon. Vern may be the last dragon on Earth, but he hadn’t survived this long by causing a scene or getting caught up in human affairs. He had been quite content hiding out … Continue reading Highfire
Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea is a magical, mythical, fantastical story about stories. As with her debut novel, The Night Circus, I was right there for every step of the journey, excited to see what wonder would come next. At a young age, Zachary Ezra Rawlins discovers a door painted on a wall behind his … Continue reading The Starless Sea
I get my book recommendations from all over the place: friends, bookstore staff picks, email newsletters, library displays, podcasts, tube station posters, or just snapping up the next release from a favourite author. My approach to most things is quite methodical, but when picking my next book it’s different every time. I definitely judge books … Continue reading Reading round-up 2019
Emma Newman’s Planetfall and Temi Oh’s Do You Dream of Terra-Two? both consider what happens when a small segment of humanity leaves a dying Earth to explore and establish colonies on distant planets. They contemplate the unique impacts on the human mind of isolation, the abyss of space, and living in close quarters with a … Continue reading Planetfall and Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series is magical, charming, hilarious, heart-warming, and just tremendous fun. Now, I’m wary of spoilering so I won’t summarise the story, but instead present the blurb from Carry On – it sets the scene and the tone so well: Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen. That’s … Continue reading Carry On and Wayward Son
Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy weaves stories of Russian folklore in an atmospheric tale of adventure, wildness, love, loss, magic, daring, difficult decisions, and moral ambiguity. The story begins on the fringes of the Russian wilderness. Folk endure the harsh winters, observe their superstitions and provide offerings to the household spirits, as they always have. Then … Continue reading The Winternight Trilogy
Alastair Reynolds’ Revenger series is set in the far future where humanity has colonised worlds built from the debris of our solar system’s planets. The story follows two sisters who sign on with a crew of space-faring treasure hunters in order to bring in the coin their family needs to stave off bankruptcy. Their crew … Continue reading Revenger and Shadow Captain
Jay Kristoff’s The Nevernight Chronicle is the story of a daughter seeking revenge against those who destroyed her family. Set in a fictional world akin to ancient Rome and medieval Venice, with three suns in the sky and truedark only occurring every two-and-a-half years. Mia apprentices for the Red Church who shape her into an … Continue reading The Nevernight Chronicle
I’m an avid reader. I’ve never had trouble finding the time to read – I can always squeeze in a chapter here, a page or two there. Cracking open a book means you can sit back and let the author take you on an adventure. Opening the beginnings of your half-baked first draft is a … Continue reading Finding time to write
I love a good story. Whether it’s told through a novel, film, TV, theatre, or at the pub – I’m not fussy how I get them. Books though, they’re something special. They spark my imagination like nothing else, they come in many forms (print, digital, audio), can be enjoyed anywhere and at your own pace, … Continue reading Favourite books
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