DeadLock Author: Simon Fox Front cover artwork: Peter Antonsson Published by: Nosy Crow @NosyCrow Published on: June 2023 Price: £7.99 First line: Monday night is race night. Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery Age: 9+ ISBN: 978 1 83994 442 0 I wonder how many lock based puns I can fit into my review... What's it all... Continue Reading →
Book Reviews and Author Interviews
What’s your favourite pet?
The Diary of a Killer Cat Author: Anne Fine Illustrator: Steve Cox @steve_cx Published by: Puffin Books @PuffinBooks Published: 1994 Price: £4.99 First line: Okay, okay. Genre: Modern Classic, Animals, Adventure. ISBN: 0 141 31720 5 What's it all about? This is a diary written by an irrepressible cat (Tuffy) who thinks (knows) its family... Continue Reading →
Describe your life in an alternate universe. My knowledge of alternative universes comes from Philip K Dick's novel about androids dreaming, the Hunger Games, the Matrix movies and other dystopian ideals. I recently listen to John Wynham's 'The Chrysalids', but didn't really enjoy it much. Sadly, or perhaps for better story dynamics they always tend... Continue Reading →
What's the most money you've ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it? I've only ever been to one 'posh' restaurant, and that was over 15 years ago, so I can't remember how expensive it was. More than normal, I suppose. I booked it for Valentines day, for my wife and I (she wasn't... Continue Reading →
If you left your current life, how much would you miss it?
King of the Cloud Forests Author: Michael Morpurgo Published by: Farshore (Egmont) @FarshoreBooks Published: 1987 Price: £5.99 First line: I am called Ashley Anderson, Ashley after my mother's father so I was told, and Anderson after my father of course, whom I remember so well that I only have to close my eyes to have... Continue Reading →
Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that. Mystery sculpture prompts appeal for artist This was the headline that popped up while scrolling through the news app on my phone. It was written on the BBC website about a mysterious sculpture that has appeared on... Continue Reading →
List 30 things that make you happy. I think I started doing this yesterday for the last prompt, here was my list: "being with people I can relax and laugh with; being in sunlight; watching animals play; listening to and making music; watching films; reading and being creative." That's only 8, so here are a... Continue Reading →
Describe one habit that brings you joy. I've been thinking about this a lot recently while my mind was being broken at work. That really helps your focus! I think the main things that bring me joy are: being with people I can relax and laugh with; being in sunlight; watching animals play; listening to... Continue Reading →
How far have we come?
How Far We've Come Author: Joyce Efia Harmer @JoyceEfia Publisher: Simon and Schuster @simonkids_UK Published on: 25th May 2023 Price: £14.99 First line: When I's running, me feel free. Genre: fiction, contemporary, sci-fi ISBN: 978 1 3985 1099 9 What's it all about? A young girl, Obah (or Orrinda as her slave owners call her),... Continue Reading →
What don’t I know? The meaning of life? Find the answered and more here!
Biology: The Whole Story Author: Lindsay Turnbull @oxfordbiology Illustrator: Cecile Girardin @cecilegirardin Published by: David Fickling Books @DFB_storyhouse Published on: 3rd August 2023 First line: Physics is often described as the science of the twentieth century, but biology has staked a bold claim to be the science of the twenty-first. Price: £24.99 Genre: Non-fiction, Science,... Continue Reading →
