This time one week ago YALC 2017 was just beginning (meaning that we are one week closer to YALC 2018, yay), and I have finally managed to put together a haul of all the beautiful books I acquired over those three magical days. The first couple of days were mostly ARCs from various giveaways and competitions, and then on Sunday, after having ogled all the books throughout the weekend, I finally bought some!
August has arrived, and myself and my sister Jess (blogger at Bookends And Endings) are off on a family holiday for a few weeks – which hopefully means lots and lots of reading. This post was inspired by booksandquills on YouTube, so be sure to check out Sanne’s video here!
Jess and I will each be sharing the YA books we are taking on holiday. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have also taken a whole lot of classics to read for school, but I already sort of covered that in my classics TBR. So I may not have time to read all the YA I am bringing, but I will certainly try!
Continue reading “Books We’re Taking On Holiday (feat. Bookends And Endings)”
YALC 2017 is now officially over, and it truly was an amazing three days. I spent the weekend with my sister Jess, and our lovely friend Liv who joined us for Saturday – I am absolutely exhausted from all the walking, standing and chatting, but I wish it could be YALC all year round. After one smashed honey pot, one missed train, and one forgotten ticket, we arrived at YALC on Friday morning laden down with books and snacks, and bouncing with excitement (quite literally).
Title: After the Fire
Author: Will Hill
Published by: Usborne
Publication date: 1st June 2017
Pages: 496, paperback
Genre: YA, contemporary, cult fiction, thriller
‘The things I’ve seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.’
Father John controls everything inside The Fence. And Father John likes rules. Especially about never talking to Outsiders. Because Father John knows the truth. He knows what is right, and what is wrong. He knows what is coming.
Moonbeam is starting to doubt, though. She’s starting to see the lies behind Father John’s words. She wants him to be found out.
What if the only way out of the darkness is to light a fire?
***
This is another book that has been on my shelf for ages, just waiting for me to pick it up. I find books about cults immensely fascinating, so I was very excited to read After the Fire. I started this book at around three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, and proceeded to spend the rest of the day reading it. I was utterly gripped from start to finish.
This summer I decided it was time for me to have a classics crackdown – alongside YA, of course. I want to read more, and read widely, discovering books I love from hundreds of years ago, as well as keeping up with all the wonderful YA being published. I may be giving myself too much to do, but I suppose only time will tell. And I thought I would begin sharing all my classic-related endeavours with you, lovely reader (though I am sure these posts will be quite infrequent, as after all, this is a YA blog).
I’m beginning with something super fun and interesting: my compulsory summer reading list. Or rather, my summer reading list-that-is-kinda-voluntary-but-I’ll-read-them-all-anyway-because #OVERACHIEVER.
Title: Orbiting Jupiter
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Published by: Andersen Press
Publication date: 2nd March 2017
Pages: 192, paperback
Genre: YA, contemporary
A heartbreaking story, narrated by twelve-year-old Jack, whose family is caring for fourteen-year-old Joseph. Joseph is misunderstood. He was incarcerated for trying to kill a teacher. Or so the rumours say. But Jack and his family see something others in town don’t want to.
What’s more, Joseph has a daughter he’s never seen. The two boys go on a journey through the bitter Maine winter to help Joseph find his baby – no matter the cost.
***
I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the blurb for the first time, and I knew it would be quite different from the other books I read. Once I started, I was so absorbed in this book that I finished it in virtually one sitting; I could hardly turn the pages fast enough!
I adored the writing style in this book – I thought is was very engaging, and it really put across the voice of Jack, who is only twelve years old. It was also so interesting to follow the story, which was told from Jack’s perspective but really about Joseph; we get to see Joseph develop and grow with his new foster family, and Jack offers a very detailed view as to how he treated by the teachers and pupils once he started school.
Summer is here (and has been for like a month now but oh well), so I thought it was time for some summer recs. Although personally, my reading habits do not really change much in the summer, a lot of people go on a big contemporary kick, and so here are some books which, in my opinion, ooze sunshine, and would be absolutely perfect reads for this summer!
