A Snowfall of Silver - Laura Wood

Freya runs away from home to London, where she is sure she can make her dream of becoming an actress into a reality. She knows it's not going to be easy but when her new friend Kit helps her get a job as a costume assistant, it seems like everything is going her way. Of course things don't go completely to plan!

This book is the definition of a comfort read. Full of lovely characters and humour, it is one of those books that makes you smile every time you pick it up. As always with Laura Wood's books, I loved the main character right away. I mean, you've just got to love a girl for whom food always comes first!

There were so many wonderful lines that I kind of want to quote the whole book for you. But I will just share a few of my favourites here.

...the waiter returns and hands me a perfectly chilled saucer of champagne with a twist of lemon and a sugar cube in the bottom. Of course the girl in the golden dress drinks cocktails.

...Russ is holding my hand across the white linen tablecloth... On the one hand it is sending quite interesting little tingles up my arm, and on the other it is preventing me from being able to properly attack the towering dessert that has been placed in front of me... "Dessert first," I say sternly.

I was surrounded by noisy actors fighting over the last slice (as if I would share the last slice with anyone, the fools!)

Of course the only suitable drink while reading this book is a saucer of Freya's champagne cocktail. I soaked a sugar cube with Angostura bitters before dropping it into the champagne and adding a slice of lemon.

 Life In Books 
Book Tag

It feels like absolutely ages since I did a book tag! I first saw this one over on the Cozy With Books blog, run by Esther (@BooksCozy). Check out her answers here. Since then I've also seen in on Lili's Blissful Pages (@lilikmarcus) here and Lou's Book Stuff (@lousbookstuff) here. 

It seems a lot of people have already done this so I won't tag anyone but if you do have a go let me know so I can read your answers!

1. Find a book for each of your initials.

S - Sanctuary by V.V. James

A - After the Fire by Will Hill

2. Count your age along your bookshelf – what book is it?

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong. This took me a while and I would be a lot farther down the alphabet if it wasn't for all the Cecelia Ahern and Kelley Armstrong books I own. :)

3. Name a book set in your city/country.

Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. From memory, I think a lot of this, if not most, was set it London. I love this series, I'm currently up to the fourth book and have the next 2 on my TBR shelf waiting (im)patiently for me to continue.

4. Name a book that represents a destination you'd love to travel to.

I really, really, really want to go to space to I'll say The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I just treated myself to the 42 year anniversary illustrated copy (heart eyes)

5. Name your favourite childhood book.

Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. I actually got this copy at a library sale but I think it could be the same cover as the one I read at school.

6. Name a book that's your favourite colour.

Mermaids by Skye Alexander. I recently had to find this colourful book for Beat the Backlist readathon. It's a bit more mint green than it looks in the picture.

7. Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

Mort by Terry Pratchett is the first Discworld book I read and was recommended by a friend when I was a teenager. I still love it and have re-read it and most of the series a few times.

8. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

A Tale of Two Cities, I literally had to force myself to read a few pages every day to finish it and it was the hardest struggle. I found it so, so boring! I'm not even going to bother finding a picture of the cover.

9. Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?

I am currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which I have wanted to read forever but didn't realise at first just how huge the book is! It's over 700 pages... I already feel an enormous satisfaction just at getting to half way!

 Threadneedle - Cari Thomas 

Anna has spent her life knowing that magic is wrong and that she must resist it's pull. Asking no questions, just trusting her Aunt and doing as she's told. But eventually, she learns that there is a lot more to the world of magic than she could imagine. It is also even more dangerous than she has ever been told.

I felt so bad for Anna, growing up with such a strict aunt who very rarely shows her any kind of affection at all. I grew more and more horrified at her treatment. They actually have such a complicated relationship as more and more of the past is revealed. Even Selene, who seems to care, doesn't really do much to help her. 

The Binders sounded pretty terrifying to me, more like a cult than a coven of witches. Despite all their power they squabble like kids and none of them seem to like each other. Imagine having magic but not being allowed to use it unless absolutely necessary!

But it's not all doom and gloom. There's a mysteriously hidden magical shop, full of vintage clothes and old photos which let you feel a person's strongest memories. Magical makeup, with foundation that gets rid of spots and mascara that grows you new eyelashes. I could definitely use the anti-blush blusher! There are lots of different magical languages to learn and a magical library with a life of it's own, deep underneath London's British Library.

The book was a little slow-moving at first until it suddenly got VERY interesting. The ending was extremely high energy and action packed, I didn't want to put it down. It was so good but it did leave me wanting more. There are a few things which are not really explained and which I would have liked to understand. I am wondering if there will be a sequel, there is definitely scope for one to continue on the story.

My cocktail for this book is a Red Apple, as they are used by the girls in the book as a message for the group to meet up. Simply pour a shot of apple sourz into a cocktail glass and top with 2 shots of cranberry juice. Make sure everything is chilled in advance.

Monster Doughnuts - Gianna Pollero

Book Summary

Ten-year-old Grace likes doughnuts and cakes as much as the next kid - but they are also her secret weapon. Grace is a monster hunter who owns a bakery - and everyone knows how much monsters LOVE any kind of sweet treat! Just don't tell them about the secret exploding baking powder inside the doughnuts and the cookies ...

Want to rid your bedroom of a pesky Sock-Stealer? Sneak some Monster Exploder into a peanut butter and marmite cookie (their absolute favourite). Town being terrorised by a Snot-nosed Ogre? Defeat them with a killer mille-feuille, of course!

When Grace's Monster Scanning Machine alerts her to the doughnut-loving, people-eating, board-game-playing cyclops Mr Harris, she realises she's about to face her biggest challenge yet ...

Grace is an excellent monster hunter and her sister makes the absolute best ammunition at their bakery, Cake Hunters. 

"The smell of fresh bread, sweet pastries and rich coffee enveloped her, like a big hug, the moment she stepped in."

Luckily, most of the ammunition sounds absolutely delicious, lemon drizzle muffins, jam tarts and of course doughnuts. Though there are also a few not-so-yummy ones, broccoli macarons, peanut butter and marmite cookies. There's just no accounting for a monster's tastes!

Monster sightings are on the rise and Grace has her work cut out for her when she comes across the huge, one-eyed, doughnut loving Mr Harris. He just won't stay exploded! However, when he inadvertently mentions her missing parents, Grace realises he may just be her way of finding out what happened to them. Is it possible for a monster to turn out to be an ally???

I really enjoyed reading about Grace's adventures. She's utterly fearless and a great role model. I am glad that this will be a series. If you find yourself facing a monster in future, just check the handy monster glossary at the end of the book!

Doughnut recipe

If you'd like to have a go at making your own doughnuts at home, here's a recipe guaranteed to help you fight off any monsters you find hiding under the bed.

Monster Sling

I decided to make my own concoction with all the sweet drinks ingredients I could find. There's no baking powder but I think it's sweet enough to explode some of the smaller monsters.*

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes, pour over 1 shot each of vanilla vodka and apple sourz. Drizzle a little gingerbread syrup and give it a still with a bar spoon or other long spoon. Add half shot each of lemon juice and blue curacao. Stir again, then top with lemonade.

*No monsters were harmed in the making of this cocktail. Not even Sully (he's a good monster and can eat as many sweet treats as he likes).

 Incredible Doom - Matthew Bogart, Jesse Holden

Book Summary

Welcome to a new age. The age of the internet.

Allison is drowning under the weight of her manipulative stage magician father. When he brings home the family’s first computer, she escapes into a thrilling new world where she meetings Samir, a like-minded new online friend who has just agreed to run away from home with her.

After moving to a new town and leaving all of his friends behind, Richard receives a mysterious note in his locker with instructions on how to connect to “Evol BBS,” a dial-in bulletin board system, and meets a fierce punk named Tina who comes into his life and shakes his entire worldview loose.

Unlikely alliances, first love, and minor crime sprees abound in this teen graphic novel debut about making connections while your world is falling apart.

The book follows different teens going through a range of life's issues, but they are all linked by the new computers they have at home and how they find a way to connect with strangers through a text messaging system called BBS - Bulletin Board System.

I really felt for all of the characters and what they were going through, bullying at school, manipulative parents, facing discrimination. But there was also a lot of support and connections and even some funny bits. Despite everything, Allison has a lot of humour. It's a very quick read but with a roller coaster of emotions. Sympathy for the characters, rage against the ones hurting them, frustration, laughter, and the ending even made me tear up a little.

I got a bit confused between the characters but I think I just need to pay a bit more attention when reading graphic novels. The temptation is just to whizz through the book but it's worth slowing down to take it all in properly. The emails were a bit hard to read, especially on the black pages. The finished copy will have much higher quality pages but I actually kind of loved that the proof felt like it was printed on paper from those old computers (yes, I really am old enough to have used one and probably still have some of the printouts! 😱 ) I also loved the nostalgia of the huge computers, cassette players and old style telephones.

The story is not really finished by the end of the book, but it still has a very satisfying ending. I really enjoyed reading this and now I need to know when I can get hold of Vol 2!

Commodore 64 Cocktail

I've slightly adapted and renamed a cocktail that reminded me of what was probably my first computer (though the Commodore No1 cocktail probably had a different type of commodore in mind). With ice, shake up 2 shots rum, 1/2 shot lemon juice, 1/4 shot grenadine and a dash of sugar syrup. Strain into a martini glass.