My Top 15 Female Authors for International Women's Day 2018

There are so many incredible authors out there, a great deal of them female, and I think YA is a genre that embraces that. There are over 200 books on my bookshelves, and over 100 of them are written by women.

So to celebrate phenomenal female authors, here are my top 15! (Listed alphabetically)

1. Sara Barnard
2. Kendare Blake
3. Holly Bourne
4. Suzanne Collins
5. Jenny Downham
6. Becca Fitzpatrick
7. Gayle Forman
8. Lauren Oliver
9. Veronica Roth
10. J.K. Rowling
11. Carrie Ryan
12. Maggie Stiefvater
13. Paula Weston
14. Lisa Williamson
15. Moira Young

I can't wait to discover even more!

Happy International Women's Day!

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Top 25 YA Books and Series! World Book Day 2018

Happy World Book Day, everyone! I've done many lists here on this blog, and this year's no different.

This year I've listed my top 25 YA stand-alones and series. It was an insanely difficult task with some very difficult choices, but here are the books that made my list alphabetical by author.

1. Beautiful Broken Things - Sara Barnard
2. A Quiet Kind of Thunder - Sara Barnard
3. The Reapers are the Angels - Alden Bell
4. Anna Dressed in Blood Duology - Kendare Blake
5. Am I Normal Yet? - Holly Bourne
6. The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
7. One - Sarah Crossan
8. Before I Die - Jenny Downham
9. Just One Day - Gayle Forman
10. Gone Series - Michael Grant
11. Paper Towns - John Green
12. Lorien Legacies Series - Pittacus Lore
13. Warm Bodies Series - Isaac Marion
14. Chaos Walking - Patrick Ness
15. The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness
16. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
17. Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth
18. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
19. The Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy - Carrie Ryan
20. Daughter of Deep Silence - Carrie Ryan
21. Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy - Maggie Stiefvater
22. Rephaim Series - Paula Weston
23. The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson
24. Dustlands Trilogy - Moira Young
25. The Book Theif - Markus Zusak

Check them out this World Book Day!

Happy reading!


Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Awesome Female Protagonists Written by Women! IWD 2017

As I've been doing these blogs for a few years, I was stuck for something to list. I love a list, don't you? I've already listed my favourite female characters and authors. But I realised I haven't listed my favourite books with strong female protagonists written by women. So that's what I'm doing!

I decided to do a top ten just to make it more difficult! So here they are (alphabetical by author):

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins

Unearthly trilogy - Cynthia Hand

Maybe One Day - Melissa Kantor

Divergent trilogy - Veronica Roth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy - Carrie Ryan

Daughter of Deep Silence - Carrie Ryan

The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy - Maggie Stiefvater

Rephaim series - Paula Weston

Dustlands trilogy - Moira Young

What are your favourites?

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Top 10 Book Series for World Book Day 2016

World Book Day is back! What better way to celebrate than to make a brilliant book list? Last year I created a YA imaginary literary tea party with my favourite characters and the year before I listed 40 awesome books/series.

But 40 is way too easy. Let's crack down on the list and go for just 10 series (it was way too difficult when including stand alone books too!) . . .

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
2. GONE Series - Michael Grant
3. Lorien Legacies - Pittacus Lore
4. Chaos Walking - Patrick Ness
5. Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth
6. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
7. The Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy - Carrie Ryan
8. John Cleaver Trilogy - Dan Wells
9. Rephiam Series - Paula Weston
10. Dustlands Trilogy - Moira Young

If you haven't read these books I suggest you go and read them right now! And yes, they're all YA, what else?

Happy World Book Day!

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Secret Life of a Book Blogger

Welcome to my Secret Life of a Book Blogger post! Thanks so much to Georgia from Stories in Books for tagging me!

1. How long have you been a blogger? Two and a half years on this blog. I tried blogging a few times before and could never really get on with it. But now I think it's stuck!

2. At what point do you think you'll stop blogging? I don't want to stop! But I think the busier I get the harder it will be to update weekly. But hopefully I won't stop!

3. What is the best thing about blogging? Writing in a different way than I'm used to. Writing non-fiction posts once a week helps me grow as a writer and of course reviewing all the books I read helps too!

4. What is the worst thing? Having to set it all up the way I want it. Font, size, all that jazz. It's all about the words for me so the formatting really bores the pants off me.

5. How long does it take you to create/find pictures to use? I don't tend to use pictures - like I said, it's all about the words. It would be incredible to be able to create my own artwork though wouldn't it?

6. Who is your book crush? Book crush? Character from a book you mean? Rafa from the Rephiam Series by Paula Weston off the top of my head.

7. What author would you like to have on your blog? Any and all of them! But specifically Carrie Ryan, Moira Young, Paula Weston, Patrick Ness, Michael Grant, and of course J.K. Rowling.

8. What do you wear when you write your blog posts? Whatever I'm wearing that day . . . this seems like a bizarre question. More often than not I'm wearing jeans. Scratch that, I'm always wearing jeans.

9.  How long does it take you to prepare? It depends what it is. My book reviews start off as bullet points as I'm reading a book and sometimes they take me half an hour to write but sometimes they can take me an hour. Depends on how much I loved or hated a book!

10. How do you feel about the book blogger community? I think it's brilliant and I wish I knew more book bloggers!

11. What do you think one should do to get a successful blog? Writing interesting posts that people want to read is a must but I think more importantly getting your personality across. That's the difference between a blog post and an article, right?

I'm tagging Adventures with Squonk and Poetic Chances.

I'm so glad to have been a part of this! Now back to work . . .

Molly Looby
Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready
molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Burn - Paula Weston

Burn is book four in the fantastic Rephiam Series. Please be aware that Shadows, Haze and Shimmer come before this!

A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book

Gaby remembers everything . . . 

My Review

What can I say? I knew I'd love this book before it was even out. There's just something about this universe and these characters that makes me want to read and read and read and never put the books down. I was so excited to read the prologue I had to stop myself making excited noises and my heart was racing. Like all other readers, I was desperate to know Gaby's whole story at last.

Weston went about this in the absolute best way. Instead of trying to explain all that had happened leading up to Gaby's memory loss and making the writing clunky and awkward, Weston let us live it with her. And when I'm alongside Gaby, I'm all kinds of ready. It was fascinating to be beside Gabe for once and not the Gaby I'd come to know and love.

It was amazing how Gaby and Gabe were the same person a year apart and yet they were so different. Gaby's much softer and . . . wait, I really want this to make sense . . . Gaby has more memories and therefore sees the world a little differently and that subtle difference between the past and present in this story makes me want to bow down to Weston because it is nothing short of perfection.

And just as I get my head round explaining that, Weston blows me away by doing so in less than fifteen words:

"I've been someone else for a whole year; I'm a different shape now."

As with all four of these books, you get a such-a-long-day kind of feeling as you battle right beside Gaby. It's incredible that I can feel as though I'm living all of it. It really is a masterpiece.

I was in the middle of  Burn for about thirty-three hours. Twenty-five of which I was awake and obsessing about it. I couldn't sleep for thinking about it. Then, when it was all over, I was so lost. I felt like I was missing something . . . no, someone.

I miss Gaby already!

FAVOURITE BOOK OF THE YEAR!

Evaluation

Overall 10/10

Would I recommend it? Yes! In a heartbeat! 

Would I look up the author? Yes but I don't have to.

Burn was everything I was expecting and then a whole lot more.

Molly Looby
Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready
molly.looby@hotmail.com

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan

Blurb

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers cross paths. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, culminating in heroic turns-of-heart and the most epic musical ever to grace the high-school stage.

My Review

I've been saving this book for a long time as it's the last John Green book I haven't read. Instead of being sad when it was over, I was thrilled because I'd found a new author I was excited about - David Levithan.

I didn't think it was possible, but I loved Levithan's chapters more than Green's. I know. I was shocked too.

The chatty insightful narrative hooked me at once and I was in. I recognised Green's style straight away and was pulled into the familiar ebb and flow of his writing. I thought it was odd how easy it was for me to pick out which of the Will Grayson's was Green's, but that just meant that both styles were so different which is what this book needed.

There's not really much I can say about this book other than I loved it. It was funny and deep and beautiful, but all Green's books are. I've come to expect that.

All I can say is that I felt like I wasn't reading this book. I just jumped right in and lived there.

Evaluation

Overall 9/10

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I look up the author? Yes. I've read all of John Green's books now but I'm definitely going to be looking up David Levithan.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson was funny, insightful and beautiful, but what else did I expect from two masters of YA?

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book

Colin has loved and lost nineteen Katherines and his best friend Hassan decides they need to go on a road trip. What ensues is funny, thoughtful and heart-warming.

My Review

As readers of this blog will already know, I am a total sucker for John Green. I'm sorry but I just am. I think he's a genius. Having said that, although I loved 'Katherines' it is my least favourite of his books so far.

First, I was surprised to find it written in the third person. I must admit, I was disappointed. However, it made sense for the character of Colin and it was still written beautifully.

Other than that I can't pinpoint why exactly this one is my least favourite. (I've read all of Green's books so far except 'Will Grason, Will Grason'.) It still had all the terrific Green qualities I know and love. For example, the characters were so loveable I could just be with them all day. Especially Hassan. He was by far my favourite.

I also loved the random approach this seemed to be written in. A totally Colin decision that made it immensely readable. I found the facts fascinating and the insights into human behaviour hilarious.

As per my love of Green, I read half in one sitting and the whole book in a day and a half. I just didn't want to stop reading for anything or anyone.

It was heart-warming, intelligent and funny - the kind of story that stays with you forever. It made me feel good and right and human.

Evaluation

Overall 9/10 - lucky me, the last six books I've read haven't been lower than an 8

Would I recommend it? Yes, without a doubt.

Would I look up the author? Yes but I don't have to.

'An Abundance of Katherines' made me feel good and right and human.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

The Rise of Nine - Pittacus Lore

This is book three in the 'Lorien Legacies' series so please read with caution if you wish to read books one (I am Number Four) and two (The Power of Six).

A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book

Nine. That's all you need to know.

My Review

First, it must be said that I am in love with Nine. He is incredible and the more I got to know him, the more I loved him and wanted to know even more. One of the beautiful things about these books are the characters. I truly love all our protagonists - but of course Nine more than the others.

'The Rise of Nine' had a lot of action. The other books had loads but this was on another level. I think a good seventy percent was action. It was just so breathless I couldn't stop turning pages. But I'm used to that with the 'Lorien Legacies' books. However, I did want a little more interaction between the fantastic characters. Don't get me wrong, what interactions there were were excellent, I just wanted more of them. But what can I say? I'm a characters girl. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

All my points about book one and two still stand but this time I could fully appreciate all the different superpowers! I love superpowers, especially when they're written this well, with this much intensity. But who doesn't love superpowers, right?

Evaluation

Overall 9/10 - Nine, get it? But seriously, this is my favourite one in the series so far.

Would I recommend it? Yes, of course. I'm totally in love with these books.

Would I look up the author? Yes. I'm sad I don't have book four in front of me right now!

'The Rise of Nine' was action-packed, intense and breathless. Just what I expected.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

Blurb

There were NINE of us who escaped . . . 

Number ONE was killed in Malaysia.

Number TWO was murdered in England.

Number THREE was hunted down in Kenya.

Before they come for the others, they'll come for me . . . 

I AM NUMBER FOUR.

(There's more but that's all I needed to pick this book up!)

My Review

I Am Number Four, if you want to be simple about it, is an easy read. But that doesn't mean it's an easy read emotionally. Gosh, I cried at the end. I couldn't stop turning pages. I was so tense I had to clutch the book tighter and tighter. Yes, there are no drawn out sentences and big words. Just punchy short ones and blunt statements. But this just added to the intensity of the story. Lore didn't need poetic beautiful paragraphs to make his point. He made it as simply as possible and that's why I fell in love with this book.

However there were few too many adverbs for my liking - because there was more than one per 100 pages - but they were spaced out so I could stomach it. This isn't really a negative because I say this to everyone on Movellas all the time and I always criticise people for using adverbs. But really, there was nothing else for me to criticise.

I loved the characters. They were lovable and realistic and I wanted to hang out with them. John's relationship with Sarah was written in the perfect way. It's not often a book has two teenagers fall madly in love and that's it. There's no tension no drama. Just love. And that was just right for this book which is chiefly about the sci-fi action.

Like I said before, I couldn't stop reading this book. I was just waiting for a spare moment to pick it up again. It was brilliant.

You might be wondering about the I Am Number Four film and well . . . I watched it a few years ago and enjoyed it. I'm glad I left it so long before picking up the book though because I could only remember a few pieces of the plot and I'd forgotten which actors played who so I was free to create my own images in my head. And yes, of COURSE the book is better! John and Henri are much more fun to read than watch and I feel the film didn't get their relationship quite right.

So now I'm proud to sit just before Lore on my bookshelf.

Evaluation

Overall 9/10

Would I recommend it? Yes! I couldn't put this book down.

Would I look up the author? Yes. Have picked up the second book straight away, The Power of Six.

I Am Number Four was an incredible sci-fi journey I didn't want to end.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Just One Day - Gayle Forman

Blurb

A whirlwind day in Paris . . .

A chance at true love . . . 

Heartbreak is just around the corner.

My Review

If you don't like gushing, close this window now. I adored Just One Day.

I gave it a go because I loved If I Stay, Forman's most famous book. And also because I liked If I Stay a lot more than I disliked the sequel Where She Went. But Just One Day has been on my shelf so long because of how unhappy I was with Where She Went but I shouldn't have been worried.

I found a lot of myself in the protagonist, Allyson and got excited when she decided to be daring. Because, like her, I wish I could be like that. Just once. This bond I formed with Allyson at the start through Forman's incredible characterisation meant that I felt everything she was feeling so intensely it was like I was there. I squeaked and squealed multiple times and smiled and cried. I fell into this whirlwind journey and didn't want it to end. Forman knows how to capture hearts, oh man don't I know it.

I honestly have nothing bad to say about this book. It was gorgeous start to finish. A masterpiece. So full of truth and humanness that I'm speechless, even here. Beautiful metaphors, observational description and round characters filled Just One Day and I don't know how anyone could put this book down without falling in love, even just a little bit. There's so much to relate to: growing up, finding yourself, being brave, falling in love, enjoying the moment. Ah. I'm sorry. I'm melting. 

Just read it.

Evaluation

Overall 10/10 I cannot fault this book. I'm too in love with it.

Would I recommend it? Yes. If you love romance and travelling, read this.

Would I look up the author? Yes. But I don't have to.

Just One Day was, quite simply, magic.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

CREATIVE WRITING IN ESSEX: SPOTLIGHT ON CHELMSFORD WRITERS’ GROUP

Different approach this week. I've shared a blog on Chelmsford Writers' Group by the fantastic Dot Gumbi. Here's the link. And if you fancy a tweet or too go here.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, this is what you should really be reading:

Greetings one and all, and apologies for having spent the last however-many-weeks living like a digital hermit. I could attempt to explain but it might take too long, so instead let’s get to the Quorn mince.

I’ve been tinkering with creative writing for over ten years now. I came out of university full of Blackadder-like pomposity, believing I was going to write the genre-bending, mind-melding, magnum opus of our times. I spent a long time chewing pencils and staring whimsically out of windows, writing the odd ‘oh so witty’ sentence and feeling smug about it.

The problem was, it was crap.

And not even passable crap at that. It was the sort of stuff that even a phalanx of plumbers with Mario mustaches would struggle to push through the literary U-bend. No, it was no good. I told myself that if I wanted to improve as a writer, aside from reading more books, I’d have to stare out of fewer windows and meet more people in the same boat as me – fellow writers – and see if they had any ideas I could steal…erm…I mean, skills I could acquire.

So, I went looking for some.

Thanks to the interweb, finding a creative writing group is relatively easy, there’s hundreds of them, up and down the country, meeting in pubs, in village halls,  in people’s houses, in libraries. Some set exercises, some let you read your own stuff. If you’re tinkering with writing and have never been to one of these meetings – I urge you to go. They are both fascinating and inspiring in equal measure. Nobody will expect you to read on your first visit, so you can sit back and listen with immunity. And I reckon you’ll be surprised by what you hear.

The first writing group meet up I ever went to was in Stratford, held in a cellar beneath a church. I was fairly nervous about going, knowing that people were going to judge each others work. What if they didn’t like me? It was an impossibility, obviously, as I was writing a tour-de-force about some stoners in Southend at the time. How could any right thinking person not see that as something that would resonate through the annals of history? As I took my seat I cast a gaze around the room. Twenty or so people, all very friendly, they said hellos and how do you do’s and all that. They were mostly aged 50+, which made me think my stoner story was going to be too edgy for them. It had swearing. Drug references. Even some bad sexual puns. I was worried if I read it to them, I’d cause offence. So I was caught quite by surprise when the meeting was opened by a woman reading from her gay roman hardcore sorcery slash fiction thriller with the line: “I pressed my throbbing member against his virgin arsehole.”

Yeah, how’s that for a first line to hear in a room full of strangers? I looked up expecting the rest of the group, particularly the pensioners, to be shocked. Instead they nodded sagely, with a few making notes on a piece of paper. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that if you’re thinking of going to a creative writing group, leave any assumptions you have at home.

I went to the pub with the group afterwards and found them to be comprised of a fantastic bunch of people. Some were serious/professional writers with book deals and others hobbyists who just liked stories and had no literary pretensions at all. Over the course of a year I heard amazing poems, bizarre Dali-esque sci-fi, war stories, young adult novels of quests and kings and many others. It was great, and everyone had comments and useful feedback about what was working and what was not.

I couldn’t stay living in Stratford forever (see my book The Pirates of Maryland Point for an idea of what the area was like) and moved out to the murky suburbs of Essex. I worried that being outside of London I would struggle to find a group with the same depth of talent.

WRONG!

For the last five years or so I’ve been a regular member of The Chelmsford Writers’ Groupand been left gobsmacked by the quality of the work people bring each month. There’s been ghost stories, post-apocalyptic fiction, superheroes, twists on Greek myths, alien invasions, hapless housewives, troublesome teenagers, reinterpretations of the nativity and even retro-gaming journalism. The collective enthusiasm and endless creativity of the group inspires me every time we meet and whether someone is a professional or amateur writer, everybody treats each other’s work seriously and with respect.  For me the support of the group has, more than once, been the thing that has reminded me that I love to write.

June has been a bit of a bumper month for the group. Several people have seen their books go into print and I’m pleased as punch for them. Have a nose and feel inspired.

Third Circle by Jerry Beckett

Jerry’s been a member of the Chelmsford Writers’ Group since the late 1980s. He has written four novels and has another on the way. He writes mostly fantasy, some of it comical. Third Circle is aimed at the 10-14 age group, which means I should be twenty years too old for it, but that’s not going to stop me grabbing a copy this week. He’s been drip feeding the group chapters over the last year or so, leaving us on cliffhangers each month, in fact it’s taken everything not to slap him and steal his laptop and read the ending. Thankfully I don’t have to do that now. I can read the whole thing in comfort.

Here’s the blurb…

A spirit of immense power is seeking to destroy our world. Our last defence lies in the weathered stone circles of Cornwall, but their resilience is failing as they crumble away. Karin and Denzil draw on the strength of their ancient blood to shore up the defences. Denzil is possessed by the spirit, and must fight against his sister as she strives to hold the weakest point – the Third Circle.

Jerry’s blog: http://www.gripinggriffin.com/

---

The Clock-Mender by Maggie Freeman

Maggie is a long-standing member of the group and when not penning her own stuff, she’s encouraging others by teaching creative writing. She writes widely, for adults and children, poems, short stories, and novels. The Clock-Mender is her third novel.

According to Maggie, The Clock-Mender is:

…a tale of love, crime and bloodshed in a small rural community in Sweden between the 30s and 50s. A clock-mender’s partner has a light-hearted affair with his best friend. But terrible consequences ensue.

And…it’s free this week on Amazon…so get downloading. A few moments ago it was as high as #496 in the Amazon Kindle chart.

Maggie’s blog: http://maggiefreeman.info/index.htm

---

ZA by Molly Looby

Molly types at 3,000 words per minute. I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but judging by the number of books she’s written (and the number of times she’s taken on NaNoWriMoand won) I doubt she knows how to type any slower. Quantity doesn’t come at a cost to quality either. Molly is a natural storyteller with an easy flowing style and she was recently shortlisted for the Wicked Young Writers’ Award.

Here’s the blurb for her novel ZA:

The Zombie Armageddon . . . yeah I know.

How unlikely is it, right?

“There are no such things as zombies.”

I’ve heard it all before, but I’ll never hear it again.

There are a few simple rules: Get supplies. Stay hidden. If they come, run. Fast.

After all, this wasn’t a video game and we only had one life each.

Molly’s blog: http://fangsclawsandwings.blogspot.co.uk/

---

There you go, folks. Creative writing groups – bursting with talent and ideas. Here’s some useful links if you’re looking to join one:

List of writing groups in the UK –http://www.ukwriterscollege.co.uk/Writing+Resources/UK+Writers+College++Writing+Circles.html

Search engine for finding writing groups and book groups – https://www.writers-online.co.uk/Writers-Groups/Search/kw=/581/53/pg1/

 First Blogged Here: https://dotgumbi.wordpress.com/2015/06/24/creative-writing-in-essex-spotlight-on-chelmsford-writers-group/

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

Blurb

Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grew up together at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic school deep in the English countryside with a dreadful secret at its heart. Now thirty-one, Kathy attempts to come to terms with her childhood at Hailsham and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world.

My Review

All the excellent reviews of 'Never Let Me Go' along with the prizes it's won, made me wary. But I understand where all the prizes and reviews came from. It's a beautiful book.

However, I did have my problems with it. After reading the first chapter, I had to force myself to pick the book up again. This continued to happen until I was about 100 pages in and I'm going to be honest, I almost put it down. Though I can't criticise Ishiguro on why I wasn't gripped because I couldn't find much wrong with the entire book. I suppose maybe it just wasn't for me.

Perhaps one of the reasons I found it so hard to get into was because of Kath's narration. It jumped all over the place - though if you were telling the story out loud that's how you'd tell it. Saying that though, I liked how she was unreliable and it made me wonder how much our memories change and warp over time.

Once the strange mystery was set up and I began asking questions, I was much more interested and into it, reading more than I set out to each time I picked it up. I loved how everything was downplayed and no huge drama. It's just little bits of life here and there that have a way of really touching you. This is refreshing for someone who reads a lot of high drama in YA books set in another world.

Although I can't decide whether or not I enjoyed it, I have a feeling 'Never Let Me Go' will stay with me because it left me empty and sad and thoughtful.

Evaluation

Overall 8/10

Would I recommend it? No. Probably not.

Would I look up the author? No. I know all of Ishiguro's books are supposed to be good but I wasn't gripped enough.

'Never Let Me Go' was beautiful and thoughtful but a struggle to get into.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Teardrop - Lauren Kate

A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book

I'm not sure I'm qualified enough to tell you about a book I read 40 pages of. (Plus my copy doesn't have a blurb so . . . )

My Review

I didn't like this book. That's being kind. But I'll start at the beginning.

I was already wary when I picked up Teardrop (which was given to me) because I wasn't a fan of Fallen, Kate's most famous book. I was afraid Teardrop was going to have all the problems Fallen had.

And I was right.

The only positive thing I have to say about Teardrop is that I liked the prologue which is bizarre for me because I usually hate prologues. Prologues are - the vast majority of the time - a waste of paper. The story should start and we can learn information later, at least, that's my take on them. This was still true of the Teardrop prologue but it had me hooked and turning pages. Until I met Eurkea.

Before I move on to that, I have a question about YAs and therapists. Why do the protagonists always hate their therapists? I get that some people do but some people also like them because they're good people and they're trying to help. Eureka might not be that person but surely someone writing YA can have a helpful therapist for once?

Anyway . . . chapter one seemed to drag on and on and it had nothing to interest me with. Also, I found certain bits of description and thoughts stupid. This can be said of Eureka who I hated almost instantly. Of course she's been through a lot (that's a trend in YA) but she could be less of a brat. I didn't like her attitude. I didn't like her self-destructiveness. I didn't like her name. She seemed like a walking stereotype to me.

In fact, I was so displeased with chapter one, I gave Kate one more chapter to redeem herself before I put Teardrop down forever. I'm not wasting my time with skimming books any more. I'm going to start putting them down.

Needless to say, I put it down. This is the end of me reading bad books all the way to the end because I feel like I 'have to'. Never again!

Teardrop lives in its very own list at the bottom right: DID NOT FINISH. 

Evaluation

Overall 1/10 - has to be

Would I recommend it? No. How can I when I could barely stomach 40 pages?

Would I look up the author? No. I've now picked up two Kate books I've disliked. I will not be picking up any more.

I couldn't even reach the end of Teardrop and I don't know how anyone could.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Midnight Alley - Morganville Vampires #3 - Rachel Caine

Before you go any further please know that this is book three in a series so there may be book one (Glass Houses) and two (The Dead Girls' Dance) spoilers ahead.

A Bit of the Blurb

Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire's past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.

My Review

I knew that overall I would enjoy reading this book because I enjoyed books one and two back in 2012 when I read them on the recommendation of my A'level English teacher - of all people. I was thrown into Midnight Alley a little rusty but it didn't take long to remember what was going on. The characters are so lively that I recognised them all and Caine was kind enough to only remind me of the most important plot points which I was glad for. I hate it when books give a detailed summary of the previous one, it gets on my nerves.

I went in knowing - as I always do with the Morganville books - that it wasn't going to be by any means a 'literary' piece. Caine isn't trying to make a point or wow you with ideas, she's just out to entertain you. And she's pretty damn good at that. One of the reasons I like these books so much is that they're so easy to read. At times I felt guilty for not picking up something that makes me look a little more intelligent but hey, you like what you like. Caine's taught me to enjoy whatever it is I like to read. It's not a big secret that vampire fiction is a guilty pleasure of mine and these books do a good job of quenching my thirst.

Another reason I love the Morganville books is that I've invested quite a lot into these characters at this point and I want to find out where they end up. Not to mention they're all different and relatable in bizarre ways. Their personality traits are louder in this universe than in real life so sometimes it felt a little caricature but that just made me smile. I'm sure Caine knew exactly what she was doing.

I've blabbed on enough about why I love these books but now I should take a moment to explain they're not perfect. Far from it. First of all, there was a lot of unnecessary description of people's clothes and actions for my liking. I don't care that so-and-so picked this up before sitting on this very specific part of the sofa. It felt as though Caine was trying to get as much out of her chapters as possible. I think I was correct in saying that because the weird unnecessary description disappeared as the plot fired up.

Adverbs! Yes, I know, I know, I won't go on. But seriously(!)? There were a lot more than I expected but I suppose I'm much better at spotting them now. These irritating words didn't annoy me back in 2012 and I'm sure books one and two are riddled with them also. 

But the most painful thing about Midnight Alley was one huge mistake I found. Caine wrote 'Michael' when she meant 'Shane' in a super important scene and confused the hell out of me! I love these books but that's pretty unforgivable. How many people did that mistake go through before confusing me? I just couldn't believe it hadn't been spotted.

Overall though, Midnight Alley was a delight to read. I laughed out loud more than I usually do because the tone and narration are just spot on. The Morganville Vampire books will remain a guilty pleasure for a long time yet.

Evaluation

Overall 7/10

Would I recommend it? Yes. I thoroughly enjoy the Morganville Vampire books when I pick them up.

Would I look up the author? No. This one series is enough for me.

Midnight Alley was just as I expected. A familiar, entertaining read.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Thereafter - The Movellas Advent Calendar

I'm thrilled to announce that my tenth novel, Thereafter is this year's Movellas Advent Calendar! Thereafter is twenty-five chapters long, one a day from now until Christmas! I couldn't be more excited about it.

Read the introductory blog here!

Thereafter was my NaNo14 novel and the best thing I've written so far (though I know I always say that!). I loved everything about this novel, but especially the characters. Abia and her friends and family lodged themselves in my heart straight away and I can't imagine this story featuring anyone else.

Here's the blurb, which you're probably sick of reading by this point but in case you've missed it:

There are always a host of flowers on the side of the road, whether brand new or shrivelled from weeks of rest. Their appearance, though sad, was never odd. So when another wave of flowers showed up on the outskirts of my home town, I didn't pay much attention apart from a deep aching sadness within. It was only upon mentioning it in passing I realised something was wrong. I spoke to everyone but to no avail.

Maybe I was going crazy but . . .

I was the only one who could see the flowers.

I'm thrilled by the amount of love Thereafter has received on Movellas already! It's incredible. I've had more likes and comments on Thereafter in forty-eight hours than stories I put up up over a year ago. I'm so grateful to everyone who's liked, favorited and commented and I can't even begin to express how ecstatic I am about all this.

Here are some of my fabulous comments from day one:

So go check out Thereafter and don't forget to tell me what you think!

Molly Looby

Author of Thereafter

molly.looby@hotmail.com