My Week In Books: (11th March)

I've acquired two books and bought one book this week, so it's been pretty successful!

• I was sent Waiting for Callback: Take Two by Simon & Schuster after winning a Maximum Pop! competition. 
• I was sent a proof After The Fire by the lovely people at Usborne.
• I bought Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon after reading Grace’s blog.

I've powered my way through The Sin Eater's Daughter and The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury, and am moving on to The Scarecrow Queen.

I'm really excited for Like Other Girls by Claire Hennessy, the cover of which was revealed this week. 

LET’S TALK ABOUT… The Spinster Club for #IWD2017

It's International Women's Day, so it's time to celebrate my favourite feminist reads: Holly Bourne’s Spinster Club series. For anyone who hasn't read it, the series follows Evie, Amber and Lottie as they navigate their way through life, love and feminism.

I love this series with every part of me. Not only is it a wonderful and funny read, I learnt so much from it. The way the girls deal with the challenges they face is inspiring, and I learnt so much about being a feminist. If there's one series I want to recommend to every girl today, it's this.

LET'S TALK ABOUT... YA Book Prize 2017: The Shortlist

On Thursday the YA Book Prize announced their shortlist for 2017, and here it is!

Image courtesy of the YA Book Prize Twitter. 

What an amazing list we have this year. I've read five and have another three on my TBR, but I couldn't begin to guess who will win. It's brilliant to see a more diverse list of authors shortlisted, particularly following controversy with other shortlists.

Paper Butterflies and Beautiful Broken Things are easily my favourites here, but there is so much talent on the shortlist that it's hard to say who win. I can only wish all the authors (and the judges) the best of luck!

REVIEW: If Birds Fly Back by Carlie Sorosiak

If Birds Fly Back is a stunning YA debut about Linny and Sebastian, two teens brought together at Silver Springs care home in their search for people they have lost.

If Birds Fly Back may just be my favourite book of the year. It's a touching story of losses and first loves, and will reach out to a lot of people. The teen voice has been captured perfectly, talking about friendships and first love. Carlie Sorosiak writes with sunshine, and even though she tells a sad story, she does it in such a way that you can't help but smile.

Stars: ★★★★★

I was sent a copy of If Birds Fly Back by Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Margot & Me by Juno Dawson

Margot & Me is story of Fliss, taken to the country to help her mum recover from cancer, and Margot, her grandmother with a secret wartime diary.

Even though Margot & Me is very different from Juno’s other books, I really enjoyed it. It took me a while to warm to Fliss, but Margot’s diaries made up for that. Her story of a war spent in the countryside was one I couldn't put down. By the end I was in tears for Fliss and Margot, but for very different reasons. The perfect read for a Sunday afternoon, and one I highly recommend.

Stars: ★★★★☆

REVIEW: We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

We Come Apart is the story of Jess and Nicu, two very different teens whose paths cross by chance on a Reparation scheme.

What an incredible story We Come Apart is. I wasn't sure at first but I really warmed to Jess and Nicu as they told their stories. Their story is one of two teens battling the odds stacked against them, and heart broke for them throughout the story. A critical read in our current political climate, but also a devastating love story. Excellent.

Stars: ★★★★☆

REVIEW: Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

Wing Jones just wants to disappear so Heather leaves her alone. That is, until an accident helps her find her running feet and sets her free.

Wing Jones can only be described as inspirational. The strength Wing and her family show, even in the darkest of times, are something to aspire to. The story is beautifully written and really captures the heartache Wing goes through, as well as the joy of first love. A thoroughly stunning debut from Katherine Webber, and I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Stars: ★★★★★

REVIEW: Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt

Everyone is a fan of someone, and I am most definitely a fan of Maggie Harcourt. Unconventional is the story of Lexi and Aidan, as they get to know each other at the conventions Lexi helps run.

Unconventional is the perfect read for anyone missing the sticky heat of summer that can only mean one thing: YALC (it’s not long to go now, right?) It's great fun for a book worm to read and reminisce, as well as look out for mentions of their favourite authors, and has the greatest slow burn romance I've read in a long time.

 Stars: ★★★★★

I was sent a copy of Unconventional by Usborne in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a beautiful teen love story in the face of Steffi's selective mutism and Rhys' deafness.

Sara has really excelled herself with AQKOT. It had a lot to live up to following Beautiful Broken Things, as well as the pressure to write about topics such as selective mutism and hearing impairment and get it right. However, the characters are believable and their stories well researched. You learn about the world they inhabit and become a part of their story. By the time I finished reading, I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends.

Stars: ★★★★★

I was sent a copy of A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

Flora Banks has amnesia, which means she can’t form new memories. However, that all changes when she kisses her best friend’s boyfriend at a party one night.

I was blown away by Flora Banks. Emily has built a world that is truly realistic and gives the reader an insight into the lives of those with amnesia. The story seems repetitive at times but it makes sense in context, and gives a sense of the confusion Flora would face. This is a truly stunning YA debut and I can’t wait to see what Emily writes in the future.

Stars: ★★★★★

I was sent a copy of The One Memory of Flora Banks by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.