Mix & Match 17

This cocktail sounded delicious and I had a craving for amaretto so it was obviously meant to be. To make a Bella Donna Daiquiri, add the following to a shaker with ice, shake well and pour into a coupe glass. 45ml dark rum, 45ml amaretto, 15ml lemon juice and 5ml sugar syrup.

Once you have your drink ready (and maybe a snack?) you can choose whichever book takes your fancy.

The Last Life of Lori Mills by Max Boucherat

Lori is finally allowed to stay home on her own while her mum goes to work and she is NOT planning to stick to the rules. A whole evening of Voxminer, her favourite game. But is it just a game?

This was soooo creepy! I wanted to run around locking all the doors and hide under the bedcovers. The most gripping book I've read in ages. So much so, that I somehow didn't realise that (spoiler alert) the chapters were counting down instead of up! I also almost missed my stop on the train.

I loved the different formatting of the pages and the fonts which really added to the feeling of getting lost in the game, it felt almost like being there myself.

School of Doom by Sarah Harrison

Eddie is not like the other children at school, not quite human? After one too many incidents, she is sent to 'Be The Worst' at the School of Doom.

I really enjoyed reading this. The characters were wonderful and warm and there was so much humour. Lots of hilarious antics and adventures. I would love to be able to eat as much as Eddie does, though I would draw the line at her nervous habit of eating her coat buttons or whatever else was to hand!

I'm really hoping this will be the start of a series as I want to read lots more about Eddie and her monstrous friends.

Tosh's Island by Linda Sargent, Joe Brady, Leo Marcell

Tosh's life seems to be pretty perfect from the outside, but she tries to hide just how much pain she is in. She doesn't want it to stop her having fun with her friends. Though it's sad to see her best friend branching out with others and she feels left behind. No wonder she leans more and more on her imagination.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel gave me Anne of Green Gables vibes, though if I'm honest I can't remember if I ever actually read that! It was such a wonderful story, Tosh just so lovely and pure. I was in tears multiple times through the story, sad, angry, happy... ALL the emotions.

Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julia Green

Ettie has spent the last few years running around the forest and swimming in the lake near her grandmother's secluded house. But lately she's feeling restless, and despite the amount of freedom, she feels suffocated by her grandma.

Cora comes along and urges her to take more risks, though she's so mysterious and secretive, you don't know whether or not she's trustworthy. It even feels quite supernatural.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the places, animals and plants throughout the book. However I would have liked a little more of a finished conclusion about Cora. I'm left with questions!

Wendington Jones and The Lost Legacy by Daniel Dockery

Wendington is finding life a bit boring after her travels to find the Tree of Life and can't stop hoping for another adventure. A allegedly dead Russian monk appearing in her garden piques her interest immediately, despite Rohan's warnings to leave things alone.

I felt the tone of this book was quite different to the first. It was a lot more adult and had more violence. I guess Wendington has grown up a lot after the events of the first book! It was also less polished so I didn't find it as easy to read which is a shame as I enjoyed the first book so much.