The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

It is so wonderful to be back in Holly Black's faerie worlds. Probably the first faerie books I ever read as a young adult were her Tithe series. I bought the first one on holiday and immediately had to buy the rest of the trilogy, just in case I couldn't find them back home. They still have pride of place on my shelves.

But back to The Cruel Prince... This is such a twisty & scheming tale, set in a fascinating and thrilling world. I couldn't guess what was going to happen, it was captivating all the way through. The ending is satisfying but I was still left eagerly anticipating more.

As a young girl, Jude saw her parents killed by the man who has now become like a father to her, her twin sister, and her older half sister. All three girls were taken back with him to Faerie, where they grew up living like royalty, but Jude and Taryn are still treated as inferior for being human. Mocked and laughed at, despite their father's high position in the royal guard.

Vivi is half faerie but shuns the life and her father and can't wait for a chance to go back to the human world. Meanwhile, Jude can't resist the beauty and magic and longs for a place among the faeries. She knows that to fit in she has to become just like them, and to truly belong she must be even worse than them. She takes her lessons seriously and learns as much as possible about strategy, swordfighting, politics and deception from her adopted father. Using all her knowledge and cunning, she comes up with a treacherous and dangerous plan that could cost her everything if it goes wrong. And there are far too many ways it could go wrong.

I usually shudder at the thought of my favourite books being turned into movies but I think this one could actually be amazing and I look forward to seeing how it is done.

The blood red wine drunk by the faeries reminded me of mulled wine. There are plenty of places you can buy it at Christmas but it's fairly easy to make too. All you need is some red wine, cinnamon sticks, lemon or orange zest, star anise and cloves. Put everything in a pan and warm up gently without letting it boil. Add a little sugar to taste. For variations you can add some sloe gin or orange juice.

Here We Are Now - Jasmine Warga

Taliah has never known her father, but she suspects she knows who he is. After spending three years writing to him and getting no response, Julian Oliver, rock star, just shows up on her doorstep and wants to take her to meet the rest of her family. Through the book, Julian tells Tal his side of the story of his relationship with Lena, Tal's mother.

The Lena in Julian's stories seems very different to her mother and Tal finds it hard to reconcile the two sides but eventually realises everyone has multiple selves, including herself. She has always thought her mother and her best friend Harlow were enough for her, but while meeting various members of her extended family, Tal learns how to open up and grow.

I found the short descriptions of Jordan full of warmth and emotion. Even though they were so brief, the author managed to put a lot of feeling into them. However, the character development could have done with a lot more. For example, people kept telling Tal that she was too closed off but that just made me feel a bit defensive for her as there wasn't really much evidence of this. I loved the way the parents' story was told in installments by Julian, almost like a separate story within a story.

This book goes perfectly with a Rockstar Martini. Combine 1 shot of raspberry vodka with 1/2 shot each of Apple Sourz, blue curacao and lemon juice. Add a dash of sugar syrup and shake with ice. Pour into a martini glass garnished with pop rocks or sherbert.

The Summer of Impossible Things - Rowan Coleman

If you kept seeing things that no one else could see, you would probably assume you were ill. That's exactly what Luna thinks at first, until she manages to get some evidence, in the form of her mother's missing locket. With this small but significant thing, Luna proves to herself that she is not sick and there is far more going on. Luna can travel through time, to the days just before she was conceived. Now she has the chance to change everything and save her mother. But can she risk erasing herself?

Luna keeps going back and trying to make things right for her mother, her sister and her whole family, but things don't always work out as expected. Even when she thinks she has figured out what she needs to do, the results aren't what she hoped for and she is not willing to live with the unintended consequences. As she realises how far she may have to go, she also realises how much more she has to lose.

This book is so full of emotions and sensations that you can actually feel what Luna goes through and experiences. There is so much going on with the changing relationships between Luna and her family as well as her mother in the past and the other people she meets there. Every time she comes back to her own time, things are different and she has to learn to deal with the new situations. I really enjoyed the growing friendship between Luna and her mother in the past. Most of all I absolutely loved the last line of the book, but I won't spoil it for you!

I was so lucky to meet the author at a book club event. At the time I was about halfway through the book and got very excited when Rowan mentioned the exact bit of the book I had just read! Hearing her describe visiting the places in the book brought it all alive even more for me and the few titbits and teasers she mentioned made me want to get right back to reading!

As Luna means moon, I have made a Moonlight Cocktail. If you like the Aviation then you'll enjoy this slightly fruitier twist. Shake up 1 1/2 shots of gin, 3/4 shot triple sec, 1/2 shot creme de violette, 1/4 shot lemon juice and 1/4 shot lime juice. Strain into a flute and toast the moon.

The Truth and Lies of Ella Black - Emily Barr

I'm so glad I didn't have to wait too long for this after reading the sampler. I've been a huge fan of Emily Barr ever since reading The One Memory of Flora Banks so I jumped on the sampler and absolutely loved it. The rest of the book did not disappoint and I loved it just as much.

40 days until she dies. The start of the book sounds clear enough, but as you continue to see these mysterious numbers counting down you realise the meaning is not as simple as you expect.  Ella Black leads a privileged life with parents who will do anything for her. But they don't know she is hiding a secret and is not really the simple, nice girl she tries so hard to seem. When they pull her out of school for an unexpected trip to Rio, she finds out that everyone has secrets of their own and nothing about her life is as she thought.

Everything Ella goes through made me feel extremely grateful for all the simple things in life. My only slight criticism is that the explanation of Ella's secret at the end isn't very satisfying, I feel like it needed a bit more information and was almost glossed over with a fairly quick statement. Other than that, the book was well written and put you right in both Ella's and Bella's head.

Once again Emily Barr has written a wonderful character who is brave and strong but, like most people, doesn't realise her own strengths at first. Ella has to go through a lot of adventures to come to terms with herself but she comes out whole at the other end. Despite everything, Ella is a realistic character.

For Ella Black I have made the Black Raspberry Martini. Add 1 shot vanilla vodka, 1/2 shot each of Chambord, cranberry juice & lemon juice. Shake and pour into a martini glass.

The French Exchange Whale - Cal King

Cal King is full of the most brilliant book ideas, but unfortunately none of the publishers agree with him. Eventually someone suggested he create a book of his failed ideas, and here it is!

There's The Mummy's Nuclear Curse, which could definitely be made into an end of the world type of movie, and The Whenwolf, which is actually a very clever idea. Who wouldn't watch a TV series like Meme Street, where the internet-famous who want to escape their fame are put into a witness protection type scheme? I can never resist a sloth so the 100m Sloth is bound to be a winner. Advance warning, the last idea messes with your brain a little bit.

By the end you'll be desperate to find out why a werewolf would bite herself or how a hug might prevent Professor Evilution from turning evil. You'll definitely be hoping for more stories about the Models and the Tiny Penguins.

I found this book hilarious right from the start. There are fantastic illustrations accompanying the ideas and plenty of them sound perfectly plausible to me, or look like they could be made into comics at the very least.

A book like this definitely needs a punny cocktail. This is One Flew Over the Cosmo's Nest.

In a shaker, pour 1 1/2 shots of vodka, 1 shot of cranberry juice, 1/2 shot triple sec and 1/2 shot lime juice. Shake well with ice and strain into your glass. If you have a bird sitting around then that's the perfect garnish.

The Exact Opposite of Okay - Laura Steven

I am so glad I waited in line at YALC for a copy of this, it was time very well spent. There are such great characters in this book.

I love Izzy, she's so brave, outspoken and sarcastic, her humour is perfect. Her grandmother Betty is the best character ever, she doesn't put up with any nonsense and is nothing but supportive of her granddaughter. You can see where Izzy gets her humour. Then there's the best friend, Ajita. She somehow just knows exactly what Izzy needs and her comments are beyond sarcastic. In fact, the only character that didn't jump out at me was Danny, the other best friend. This should have been a clue!!! (oops, um, spoiler alert???)

The book is written as a collection of Izzy's blog posts with occasional extra comments added in later that add even more comedy. Quite a serious theme treated with a dose of comedy that makes you laugh one minute and cry the next. You can't help feeling for what she goes through but it is dealt with in a way that never gets depressing.

Two one night stands in one evening is not a normal night, even for the wild and liberal Izzy, and unfortunately someone has taken photographs and posts them all over a website designed to specifically to trash her reputation. She needs to find out who is behind the website but none of her leads work out until the culprit makes a mistake and gives her the clue she needs to figure it out.

Luckily she has her friends and grandmother to help her through this challenging time. While it seems there are plenty of people ready to betray her, she also manages to make some new friends and realise that there is goodness in people that she might never have known otherwise. She does make some mistakes and unthinkingly manages to 'out' her friend but thankfully their friendship is strong enough to withstand this.

The end is wonderful and perfectly satisfying. The only thing I could add is that I would have loved to read more about what happened after Izzy and her friends set up their own website.

With all the nachos that Izzy and her friends eat, you need some tequila on the side. I've already made a margarita for The Ice Twins a while back so I decided a nice flavourful sangrita to sip with tequila is another perfect combination.

To make Tomato and Orange Sangrita, put the following ingredients into a small pitcher, mix well and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. 1 cup of fresh orange juice, 1/2 cup tomato juice, 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp grenadine, 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. This makes 2 portions, to serve, pour into 2 shot glasses along with 2 shots of tequila. Sip together and enjoy!

Book Mix & Match

I get through way too many books to properly review them all for my blog so now and then I thought I'd to put in a bunch of shorter reviews, just so I don't end up missing any of them on here. This time I'll start with the cocktail and you can pick a book to match.

I found this recipe for the Lavender Martini and couldn't wait to try it out. You need a shot of vodka, 1/4 shot each or orange juice, lemon juice and lavender syrup*, plus a pinch of black tea powder (I just opened up a teabag). Shake it all up with ice and then double strain into a martini glass to make sure you get all the tea granules and ice shards out. This tastes amazing but the only disappointment for me was that I would have liked it to be lavender coloured.

Shadow Faerie - Rachel Morgan
Emerson always thought she was human but has found out that she is actually a faerie, and not even a normal faerie. She has a griffin ability that makes her one of the most powerful faeries alive. Frustratingly for her, this still doesn't seem to be enough to save her mother and she finds herself agreeing to marry Roarke, the prince of the Unseelie court as part of a deal to make him remove the enchantments and wake her mother up. Although this book is continuing Emerson's story, many of my favourite characters made appearances at various parts of the story, which I love. This book was full of revelations and I actually exclaimed YES! at one point as I was so happy to see one of my hunches come true.


Things a Bright Girl Can Do - Sally Nicholls
Three very different girls from all walks of life, fighting for the same thing. For many reasons they all know that women deserve the vote just as much as men do and they are all willing to do whatever they can to get it. But then the war starts and most people's priorities are suddenly very different. I felt quite emotional throughout the book, reading about what these girls and women went through, and the different reactions to the start of the war. This is one of those books that stays with you even when you're not reading it.


One of Us is Lying - Karen M. McManus
Five very different teenagers get detention but only four of them come out alive. Though they all seem to have been tricked into it, their teacher is determined to keep them all in detention, until things turn deadly. Obviously it's in the title, but when I realised I could be reading from the killer's POV it suddenly got much more interesting. I started to pay much more attention to what the four characters were saying and exactly how they said it, looking for clues in the details. The growing relationships between the four were great to read. It was a bit difficult to keep the characters straight in my head at the start and I had to flick back a couple of times where I missed a character change but I soon got the hang of it. I didn't guess what was happening until almost when it was revealed so the mystery continued pretty much all the way through. I really enjoyed this book, I haven't read anything like this for ages and I don't often read mystery/thriller books but I'm so glad I had the chance to read this one.


A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness
Ever since Conor's mother fell ill, he has been getting terrifying nightmares and school life has been incredibly difficult though he welcomes the bullying, feeling like he deserves the punishment somehow. His mother convinces him she will get better and he refuses to believe the terrible alternative. Then one day a monster arrives, just after midnight. But it's not the monster from his nightmares so he finds it hard to be all that scared, until the monster asks the most terrifying thing of all from him. I have to admit I heard of the film first and thought it looked interesting so wanted to read the book before watching. Now I'm not even sure if i can watch it! I cried my eyes out at the end of the book, it was so emotional. I felt Conor's heart wrenching feelings throughout.


The Siren - Kiera Cass
After nearly drowning with her family, the Ocean saves Kahlen and turns her into a Siren. But this comes with a price, for 100 years she will have to serve with the other Sirens, luring people to their deaths to feed the Ocean. After this she will be free to live her life again, but for Kahlen this is too long and after 80 years she accidentally meets and falls in love with Akinli. Though she vows to forget him and continue to serve, for all their sakes, there are stronger forces at work. I loved Keira Cass' Selection series so was excited to read this. It's not quite up to the same level as those but I still really enjoyed it.


Wishbones - Virginia Macgregor
All her life, Feather's love for her mother has been unconditional. Even though her mother never leaves the house and she has to do so much to help look after her, despite the fact that her mother doesn't support the most important thing in Feather's life, her swimming, she still loves and takes care of her. But when her mother collapses due to her obesity, the aftermath reveals so many things that she never could have imagined and Feather finds it harder and harder to accept things as they are. Feather always thought she knew everyone in the village but as she discovers past secrets she doesn't know who she can trust any more. I really loved Feather's character, she tries so hard to help those she loves and sees so much of the good in people. I had to stop reading quite a few times throughout the book so I wouldn't start bawling on the train. I went through so many emotions reading this book and wholeheartedly enjoyed it.



* You can easily make all kinds of flavoured syrups. In a pan, heat up sugar and water (twice as much sugar) until the sugar is dissolved. Add in 1g dried lavender buds for 500ml of water and leave to cool and infuse for an hour. Then strain into a container. I also love making rosemary syrup and you can pretty much make whichever flavour you want.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan

I have read so many of Rick Riordan's series and I still can't get enough of them. I just love the mythology and his slightly different take on all the gods. This series involves the Norse gods, Loki, Odin, Frey and Freya and many more. This is such a fun book to read, great characters with hilarious sarcastic comments all through, even in the direst situations.

Spoiler alert, Magnus dies right at the beginning, but that's not much of a spoiler as he tells you himself at the start. However, he is reborn when a Valkyrie sees his death and believes he is a hero worthy of Valhalla. It's not quite as you would imagine, more like a very fancy hotel resort, complete with fun activities like single combat to the death, group combat to the death, and buffet lunch... to the death! Unfortunately Magnus can't stay to enjoy the amenities, he has to find a way out of Valhalla so he can save everyone from Ragnarok, the end of the world.

'Myths are simply stories about truths we've forgotten' This seems to be a bit of a theme in my reading lately. I would love to find out that some of these stories of the past are really true.

I was happy to see a link to Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series. Clearly godliness runs in the family as she is Magnus' cousin, though I don't think either knows this about the other. I expect this will lead to further crossovers from that series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where it will lead.

While reading this book I just happened to attend a gin festival (not like I go to them all the time or anything...) and saw a new gin called Ragnarok. Coincidence? I think not, so I had to give it a go. According to the blurb, it was inspired by the tale of how Odin lost his eye and is supposed to be an 'illuminating' spirit. This definitely fits in with Magnus' story and the Well of Knowledge. It was a very different gin with the garnish of dill bringing out that flavour most of all. I've been cooking with dill a lot lately so I'm happy to find another way to use it. You probably don't need instructions to make a gin and tonic but the recommended proportions of gin to tonic and 1:2 or 1:3, depending how strong you want it. Most important to me is tons of ice.

You can see the photo with my lovely gin festival copa glass, the perfect way to serve a gin and tonic.

The Girl of Ink and Stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

What a wonderful, magical book. I've had this on my list to read for some time now and I eventually bought the book.  The actual book is beautiful, all the pages have lovely map designs on them, and I think I would not have hesitated to buy this ages ago if I had realised! The story itself does not disappoint either. Though it is aimed at younger readers, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Isabella lives on an island, apart from the rest of the world. Her father is a cartographer but they are no longer able to map the whole island as the Governor has forbidden any travelling, both around the island and away from it. But when the Governor's daughter, Isabella's best friend, runs away, Isabella manages to trick her way into the search party. While trying to save her friend, Isabella realises she also needs to save the entire island itself from the threat that has appeared. This is something everyone thought was a myth, but as she says, 'A myth is something that happened so long ago people like to pretend it's not real, even when it is.'

Another line I particularly liked was '...she was as uncoordinated as a one-legged rabbit...' it made me laugh out loud when I was on the train!

I have a bit of a weakness for mythology stories so I loved the way myth turned to reality as the book progressed and the truth of why the Governor appeared on the island is eventually revealed. Isabella is a great character too. She grew up hearing the stories and they stayed with her even as she got older and other children didn't want to believe any more. This is why she is the perfect heroine in the story and the only one who could save the island.

The descriptions of the maps are amazing, you can imagine the seas glittering and the forests moving. I would love to have one of Isabella's maps on my wall.

All this island talk has me craving a Long Island Iced Tea. There are a lot of ingredients in this cocktail and it does sound quite boozy but the quantities are small and everything is in equal measures so it is really easy to make. Add 1/2 a shot of all the following ingredients to a shaker and shake well with ice - gin, rum, vodka, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, lime juice and sugar syrup. Pour into a glass with ice and top up with cola. Done!

I'm very excited to use one of my birthday presents for the first time here. My Wonder Woman jar is perfect for drinking my cocktail from.

The Fandom - Anna Day

A dystopia within a fantasy, this is a gripping read right from the start. I would guess everyone has a particular book or fantasy world they would love to explore, maybe even live in. But that life probably wouldn't be as great as expected if you had to struggle fill someone else's shoes and live up to their reputation.

Violet and her friends have been looking forward to comicon for ages, this is where they are hoping to meet characters of their favourite book and movie. However, just after meeting the star of the movie, there is an accident and somehow they end up right in the middle of the world of 'The Gallows Dance'. In this futuristic world people are split into the Imperfect people - Imps, and the Genetically Enhanced Men - Gems. Gems rule the world, pretty much keeping the Imps as their slaves, and they regularly hang anyone who hasn't kept to their many rules. This is where the gallows come into it. When Rose, the heroine of the story, is killed, somehow Violet has to replace her as the main player in the plans which the rebels have put in place.

This book is one of the proofs I managed to get my hands on at YALC and it was worth the queuing. I enjoyed it, though not quite as much as I expected which was possibly due to all the hype. It's pretty hard to live up to that. It does keep you on your toes as there are so many twists, turns and betrayals that you just can't figure who to trust or how it will end till you get closer. But by then it is almost inevitable.

If you're hoping for a resolution to everything, be prepared to keep waiting. Though there isn't a cliffhanger, there are still some story threads left unfinished, possibly ready for a sequel.

The Act of Violets cocktail was just made for Violet and is perfect to drink while reading.
Into a shaker pour 2 shots of gin, 1 each of creme de violette and lemon juice, 1/3 shot of dry vermouth, 2 dashes of bitters and half an egg white and dry shake (without ice). Then shake again with ice and stain into a cocktail glass.

Dad just happened to visit while I was thinking of making this cocktail so of course I had to make two. Lucky him!

Samplers

As I have been reading so many samplers lately, I thought I'd post my thoughts on a few of them.

The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr
The descriptions I've read do not really do this book justice. There is so much more to it, just from the couple of chapters you get in the sampler. Though I have to say it is quite a substantial start to the book, some samplers are so short you don't have time to really get into the story, not so with this one.

Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury
The chapter here seems to be more of a prologue to the book so it is hard to guess what it will be like but I really enjoyed it. I believe 'Sorrow' is just a working title. I've heard it will be quite a long book so I am really looking forward to getting into it. If it is even half as good and the 'Sin Eater's Daughter' trilogy I will love it.

The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman
I'm quite nostalgic for the days when I got to read His Dark Materials so it is great to get into that world again. This time going back to when Lyra was just a baby. This is a short sampler but still enough to know that I want to read the rest of the book... as if I didn't already know that.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The cover and title drew me to this one but while I did enjoy the sampler, it didn't really entice me to read the rest of the book. I've heard good things about it though so I might be persuaded in future.

Floored by 7 authors including Melinda Salisbury, Non Pratt and Holly Bourne
I am really enjoying reading the scenes from each different character's point of view. I think I already have a favourite, Kaitlyn, and I look forward to seeing if that will continue when I read the rest of the book. I haven't read all the authors before so I don't have a clue who wrote what but I am curious to find out.

Here are some quick recipes for short and sweet cocktail shots to go with the short reads.

Tequila sunrise shot - fill a shot glass 1/3 with tequila, top up with orange juice, then slowly pour some grenadine in. It should sink to the bottom of the glass, giving a nice sunrise effect.

Pornstar martini - half fill a shot glass with vanilla vodka and add a squeeze of lemon and sugar syrup. Fill to 3/4 with Passoa and finish with cranberry juice.

Long Island Ice Tea - 3/4 fill a shot glass with equal measures of gin, vodka, tequila, triple sec and rum. Add a little sugar syrup and a squeeze of lime juice. Top with cola.

Godkiller - Colleen Vanderlinden

I was hooked soon after starting Lost Girl, the first of the Hidden series and have been impatiently awaiting each new book as it came out, including all through the Soulhunter follow-on series. So I was absolutely ecstatic when Godkiller was released.

It is 10 years later and things in Detroit have been calm since the last huge adventure. But of course peace never lasts and this time Molly is up against something even bigger and badder than ever before. You wouldn't have thought it possible but it is. Lucky she has all the gang supporting her. I love getting more Nain, more Brennan, more Eunomia and everyone else too, including Molly and Nain's teenagers Zoe and Hades, who were just little children in the previous books. All the characters are just amazing. I don't think there is anyone who does not have a well-thought-out personality, though some have a lot more back story than others, for example Eunomia has her own series - Soulhunter.

I am trying to avoid spoilers, but I must say the moments between Molly and Nether actually had me in tears, anyone who has read the previous books will know the history and changing relationship between these two. And if you haven't read the other books you're going to want to get on that as soon as you finish reading this post! Warning, this book does end on a cliffhanger but luckily the author has promised we won't have to wait too long for the next one.

This is yet another fantastic book from Colleen Vanderlinden. I really missed reading about Molly and this one did not disappoint. Also, I have just realised there are interviews with some of the characters on the website (I'll put a link on the list). I can't believe I missed these before! A great way to get back into the world when you've run out of Molly books to read.

Another great series by Coleen Vanderlinden is the Strikeforce superhero series. If you love superhero stories or even just love strong, amazing characters like Molly then you will enjoy these.

One of the many aspects I love about these books is the Greek mythology and I found the perfect cocktail for Molly - the Greek Goddess. I have had to be a little creative with the ingredients as there was a quite obscure one in the recipe, but I think the one I made has worked out well.

To make my version, pour a shot of vodka into the shaker, along with a dash of elderflower liqueur. Squeeze in a quarter orange and throw the piece into the shaker too. Add some mint and a few pieces of cucumber. An optional addition I made to bring the flavours out a bit more is a couple of drops of Angostura bitters. Add ice, shake it all up and strain into a glass to remove all the little pieces. If you're feeling adventurous, flame a little twist of orange peel over the top, pass it around the rim of the glass and then use to garnish.

YALC (part 2)

This was my first experience of YALC (Young Adult Literary Convention) and I loved the atmosphere. I managed to get my nails done to match Stargazing for Beginners, had a drawing lesson from Ruby etc herself and heard a panel discuss myths and magic. I stood in queues for proofs, followed a lady in a red cloak, got a picture with The Doctor and grabbed tons of samplers. And the highlight of my day, I managed to meet the wonderful Melinda Salisbury who kindly signed my book even though I missed her official signing day!

I only attended the Saturday this year but I have definite plans to go at least for the weekend next year. The jealousy when I heard what I missed on day 1, and then watching twitter to see everything that was going on day 3 was so tough to deal with. Now I miss being surrounded by books and authors but luckily have loads of goodies to keep me occupied.I managed to get my hands on some great proofs and freebies which I can't wait to read.

I also picked up tons of samplers for some books which I am really looking forward to. So far I've read the samplers of Sorrowbook and Book of Dust, both of which had me drooling for more. Why oh why do they have to publish next year? How do they expect us to wait so long?  If you spot any personal favourites in here let me know in the comments, you could help me decide what to read next.

And of course I had to buy just a couple of books too. It was very hard to restrict myself, the lure of all those lovely books just sitting there... I've been wanting to read The Girl of Ink and Stars for ages, just could not resist The Invisible Library (a book about books...) and was recommended The Sun is Also a Star by the bookseller.

Last but not least is all the lovely swag! Posters, badges, bookmarks, bags, sweets and plenty more. I now have to figure out how to display all this great stuff. My library walls will be covered. Any ideas for the rest, please leave me a message, I'm open to ideas, no matter how kooky.

Now I feel like I really need to up my reading though I have no idea when I will find the extra time. My already overflowing TBR has grown significantly. All in all I felt YALC 2017 was a very successful first experience, looking forward to next year!

See You in the Cosmos - Jack Cheng

Alex is 11 years old, but at least 13 in responsibility years. Inspired by his hero Carl Sagan, he has a plan to tell aliens everything about life on Earth and records all his thoughts for them on a golden iPod. He is going to launch it into space on the rocket he has built and travels from Colorado to New Mexico to attend SHARF, the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival where he plans to enter his rocket into one of the competitions.

As the story progresses, Alex's real situation is uncovered gradually, through his entries on the ipod. His mother's quiet days, his brother Ronnie who works in Los Angeles and his father who died when he was very young. Alex is so open, honest and innocent, while being super smart and in many ways much more mature than his age.

As he tells the story you can read the childlike wonder in everything he sees and hears. It's a very touching story that makes you feel everything Alex goes through. I loved this book, even though it is written from the point of view of an 11 year old boy, it is not childish at all.

I read most of this book on holiday in Sardinia where we drank lots of Mirto, the locally produced liqueur. Along with plenty of prosecco of course. So I thought I should combine the two somehow. I decided to try out a Mirto Bellini and the liqueur works extremely well with the prosecco. Just pour a little Mirto into a flute and top up with prosecco. It's easy enough to adjust to taste, depending on how sweet you want the drink.

YALC

I am super excited to have tickets to my first ever book con! In July I'll be going to YALC, the Young Adult Literary Convention, which is part of the London Film & Comic Con, with by book bestie Sophia. I'll add the link to the blog in case you want to check it out too. Inspired by the enthusiasm of Grace Latter from Almost Amazing Grace fame, I decided to write a little post about this and then I'll update on how I got on after the event too.

I have been checking out the listed authors who are attending so far and have quite a long list of books to read before I go. A lot of the ones I have read so far have been borrowed or e-ARCs so I plan to buy loads of these too and hopefully get them signed. There are so many amazing books, I'm worried how I'll get round to all the authors I want so it's probably going to take quite a lot of planning.

A few of my favourites from the books I have read so far:
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Tree Magic by Harriet Springbett
The Sin Eater's Daughter (trilogy) by Melinda Salisbury
Wishbones by Virginia Macgregor
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I have already reviewed some of these and there will be more posts to come.

My very long to be read list includes:
Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss
The Witch's Kiss by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr
Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield
It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot
The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

If you have read any of these or have more suggestions, please write me a note in the comments, I love recommendations.

I couldn't really find just one cocktail to match all these books but as I write this I'm sipping (trying not to guzzle) a Strawberry and Basil martini. I bought some strawberries today and I don't think they will last long so thought it would be good to use them up today. I've already eaten a bowl of them earlier. Plus it's a nice summery drink and the sun is shining for a change.

Muddle 3 or 4 strawberries in a shaker and then add a bunch of basil leaves and mash a little more to release the flavours. Add a shot of gin and half shot of lemon juice. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you might not need to add any sugar but I used a squeeze of agave syrup as I didn't think mine were sweet enough. Add plenty of ice to shake, and then double strain into your glass as there will be lots of strawberry bits and leaves in the shaker. I actually love the bits so spooned out the leftover strawberries from the bottom of the shaker, yum!

Perfect - Cecelia Ahern

Finally! Well, the year long wait for this book was pure torture, but it was all worth it. This sequel to Flawed is just as fast-paced, emotional and full of edge of the seat excitement as the first book. If you haven't yet read Flawed then what on Earth are you waiting for? Get reading (see my very first review post too) then come back here for this one.

Celestine never wanted to be a heroine, or a leader, or a role model. She simply did what she thought was logical, but her action threw her whole world into turmoil and now everyone is trying to use her for their own agendas. However, she has something very powerful and if she is smart she may be able to bring the whole Flawed system down.

This book drops you straight back into the action with Celestine in hiding after fleeing her home, on the run from Judge Crevan and the whistle-blowers. While she's not exactly safe at her grandfather's farm, she is using the time to try and figure out her next move. She needs to find Carrick so they can make a plan and even more importantly she needs to find the video her lawyer took of her branding. This video seems to be the solution to everything if she can find it and decide the best way to use it to her advantage.

Celestine makes many plans and tries many ways to fix things but suffers countless setbacks for every step she manages to take forward. Just when you think things are going to go right for her, something unexpected usually turns up. But Celestine's stubbornness and strength comes through so she never quite gives up. She does make some allies as she goes though she knows she must be extremely careful who she trusts.

There is absolutely no let up to the tension and emotion in this book and it has an extremely satisfying ending. I was worried that there couldn't possibly be a good enough ending to match the rest of the book but I was not disappointed. You will want to read it from cover to cover, I read it in an afternoon as soon as it was delivered. Good thing too as my Mum and sister were waiting to rip it out of my hands as soon as possible.

The Black & White Daiquiri kind of symbolises the 2 sides of every person, perfect and flawed (or if that's a bit too philosophical for you, I just wanted an excuse to make one!). The original cocktail is made with blackberry and it is named for this and the coconut flavour, however I made mine with raspberry which means I should probably call it Red and White Daiquiri. Whatever you call it, this has been one of my favourite Booktails so far.

Muddle the fruit in the shaker then add a shot of Malibu, 1/2 shot each of rum and Chambord, 1/4 shot of lime juice. Shake with ice and then fine strain into your glass to remove the fruit bits. This cocktail is so delicious!

The Scarecrow Queen - Melinda Salisbury

Twylla and Errin come together in the final book to The Sin Eater's Daughter trilogy. Both separately and together, they have a crucial part to play in rescuing their world from Aurek, the Sleeping Prince. He is a thing of myth and legend but the stories are actually true and just as horrific as told.

Aurek has moved through the Three Kingdoms, terrorising the people and destroying towns, villages and anyone who tries to stand in his way. He is so powerful it seems no one can stand against him. with his magic he can force people to obey his orders and he can create fantastically strong golems. Their only hope is to recreate the potion which put him to sleep hundreds of years ago.

I really enjoyed reading the story from both points of view. In the parts where they were together, I felt like Twylla and Errin could have been sisters. They had such a close relationship despite not really knowing each other that well. I loved how they both believed the other to be so brave and strong though they could not see those same talents in themselves. They are inspirational to each other and with their support they do more than they ever could have on their own.

Some mystery remains, even at the end of the books, we'll never really know Lief's motivations. It seems like everyone, Errin, Twylla, Prince Merek, all have a different view of him and we don't know what changed him or if he was always this way. Maybe this leaves an opening for more books or at least short stories to come in future. I really hope so.

These books just got better and better and I felt like I would need a week to recover when I finished! I was lucky to have The Heart Collector short stories to keep me going a little while longer. These are well worth a read to get some background to the legends.

While reading I was thinking I really needed some kind of golden cocktail to accompany the book. The alchemists from legend can create gold and Aurek's name actually means Gold King, or Ruler of Gold.

Hopefully I can be forgiven for mixing magical worlds here but the Felix Felicis (liquid luck) from Harry Potter looks like the perfect sparkling golden drink to accompany this book. Not to mention that the girls really need all the luck they can get.

A great recipe can be found on buzzfeed, I'll put the link below for all the other Harry Potter drinks. Mix 1/4 shot sugar syrup and 1/4 shot lemon juice in a champagne flute. Pour in 1 1/2 shots of ginger beer and top with champagne. A simple drink to make but it looks magical.

Link to Harry Potter cocktail recipes - https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/harry-potter-and-the-night-he-wont-remember?utm_term=.vm19VaAaJ#.dnWzAVOV3

Big Mushy Happy Lump - Sarah Andersen

This is the newest of the Sarah's Scribbles collections and an absolutely wonderful follow up to 'Adulthood is a Myth'.

I first discovered these comics on twitter, @SarahCAndersen is definitely worth a follow for regular posts to make your day. I'm sure everyone can relate to Sarah and I defy anyone to not find at least one of her comics that they can identify with. I feel like nearly all of them were written personally for me! This collection actually has my all time favourite of Sarah's comics, 'How I Spend My Money'. I wish I could have it on a t-shirt.

While the first collection was all comics, this second collection is half full of Sarah's personal essays (illustrated with more comics of course) about the daily struggles of trying to be normal. Again I can totally relate! The book contains themes of friendship, growing up, periods, relationships, shyness and plenty more. All dealt with in an amusing, practical and authentic way.

Sarah often seems to have a glass of wine in hand, especially when cuddled up in her duvet. This is a recipe I've adapted slightly from a cocktail called The Paysan, it can be made in a pitcher for a party or individually in a glass, just dial the ingregients up or down. If making a larger quantity there's no need to shake as you can make it early and leave in the fridge to cool. For one glass you need 2 shots of red wine (I used bordeaux), 1 shot of cranberry juice, half shot of orange juice and a shot of Chambord. Shake it up and pour into a wine glass full of ice. Some frozen berries make a pretty garnish.

Betrayals - Kelley Armstrong

Betrayals is book four of the Cainsville series which started with Omens. Omens are a big theme throughout the series and Liv has inherited the ability to read them, sometimes even seeing ones which others are unable to see at all. Liv's life was turned upside down by the revelation that she was adopted and that her birth parents are notorious serial killers. After leaving her adoptive family home to get away from everything, she ends up in Cainsville, where the town and its inhabitants are definitely not as innocent as they seem. Thrown into the world of the Fae she needs to use her instincts to protect herself from everyone who wants to use her. At the same time trying to prove her parents' innocence which she is not sure she can allow herself to believe.

On top of everything she discovers that she is a reincarnation of Matilda, part of an ancient myth. Her boyfriend Ricky and tentative friend Gabriel are also part of this myth and they all knew each other in many lives. Of course this adds many complications to her life. Oh, and she also gets visions...

Liv finds herself seeing the murder of a different type of fae, one that she has not come across before, the lamiae. They appear as young girls and are part of Greek myth rather than Celtic like the fae of Cainsville. Someone is killing the girls, as well as others who were aiding them. As she works at solving the case, she continues to learn more about her own situation.

I loved reading the book and found myself falling right back into Cainsville, however I didn't feel like we got much further in the overarching story of Liv and her parents. Now I am at the edge of my seat waiting for the fifth and final book of the series. I cannot wait to find out whether Liv will be able to solve the mystery of her parents and get them out of prison. What will happen between Liv, Ricky and Gabriel, and will she learn to manage her gifts and find her true place in the fae world.

I find it hard to remember a time before Kelley Armstrong was one of my favourite authors. I found Bitten, the first of the Women of the Otherworld series, in the library one day and zoomed through all the books they had in the series. When I realised there were more I ended up buying the whole series, even the ones I had already read. Ever since, I have been reading anything I can find from this author, including a number of YA trilogies. She also writes many short stories and often posts them for free on her website.

One of the main omens that Liv sees are ravens, they appear often all through the books. The Raven cocktail is dark and mysterious and looks very cool. I found it to be quite alcohol heavy so added a dash of lemon juice and a squeeze of syrup just to lighten it a little bit but it's worth trying both ways.

The traditional ingredients are a shot each of rum, vodka and blue curacao. If required, also add the syrup and lemon juice. Shake these with ice and then pour into a glass full of more ice. The trick is then to gently pour half a shot of Chambord so that it stays separate from the rest of the liquid. I found it sank to the bottom of the glass fairly easily, giving this lovely blending effect.

The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan

Laura has just started a new job looking after a beautiful house and it's delightful but mysterious owner.

Eunice has just started a new job at a publishing company, with a boss who she will fall madly in unrequited love with.

The book follows the separate but intertwining stories of Laura and Eunice, focusing mostly on Laura. It shows the similarites and paralells between the 2 strangers, even though their stories are separated by a period of time.

Laura loves everything about the house and Anthony, it's owner. Though she has never been allowed in one particular room, his study. Apart from the study, Laura has free rein, lovingly keeping the house in perfect shape and making sure Anthony is also well looked after. At the same time it seems the house looks after her, helping to heal her past hurts and giving her hope.

When Anthony leaves Laura the house, she finally finds out what was in the locked room. It is full of lost things he has found and collected over the years. The task of trying to return the contents to as many of the original owners as possible is left to Laura and it seems extremely daunting. Luckily she finds support in unexpected places and with the help of new friends Freddy and Sushine it no longer seems as impossible as before. However, not everyone is as helpful and they find that a curious presence seems to be hindering their efforts.

By the end, one of the peculiar findings in the study leads to the Laura and Eunice finally meeting and they both get back the most important things they've been searching for.

Interspersed in the book are little stories to go with the objects, though I was never really sure if the stories were just Anthony's inventions of if they were actually true. I think maybe the reader is supposed to be unsure, as the lines are slightly blurred later on in the book.

I'm recommending this to everyone, it's a wonderful book with some hints of the possibility of magic.

I decided to call my cocktail The Lovely Tea martini (Sunshine is always making the lovely cup of tea!). A lot of tea cocktails use Earl Grey or green tea but my favourite is English breakfast and this is what I imagine they would be drinking in the book. I do love Jasmine tea as well and you can substitute any kind of tea you prefer for different flavours.

I used tea in 2 ways to really get the flavour but you can skip the gin infusion if you prefer. If you do decide to do it, it will need to be prepared in advance. Put some gin in a jar with a tea bag and leave to infuse for at least an hour. Longer will give a stronger flavour.

The tea also needs to be made early but this is just so it has enough time to cool. I used a tea bag in just a small amount of hot water so it could get really strong. When everything is ready, put 1 & 1/2 shots of the tea infused gin, a shot of tea, 1/2 shot of lemon juice and a squeeze of sugar syrup into a shaker with some ice. Shake well and strain into your glass.

I must admit that while the colour is not the most beautiful cocktail I've ever made, it does actually resemble tea and tastes delicious. Obviously I wouldn't advise making a whole mug of this but I just couldn't resist serving it in this very appropriate Christmas present I received last year!

Disrepute

This post is a bit of a departure from my usual. I recently had the chance to try out Disrepute, a new cocktail bar in Soho. I know this is a bit of a stretch but the menu is made up of stories so I've decided that technically this is a good enough excuse to count it as a book review!

Instead of a typical menu, there are 3 pages of short stories to read. As the waitress explained to us, reading the stories can give you a clue to the type of drink and you can choose the one you're most drawn to. Will you go for the story of the Welder's Apprentice, the King of Carnaby, or do you want to find out what happened to the English Rose?

While some descriptions gave us a strong idea of possible ingredients, others left us quite confused. Luckily the answers are in the back of the book, in the form of a list of ingredients next to the initials of the cocktail. We found it fun to choose from the stories but then had a quick check at the back to see whether our guesses were anywhere near the truth. Generally they were not!

The bar is hidden away under Kingly court and is absolutely beautiful. Elegant with dark wood and plush, luxurious seating. Drinks cabinets are dotted around but unfortunately our key didn't fit the lock to open them up. We felt very chilled in our little corner, I think we definitely had the best seats in the place. The staff were very helpful and made us feel like the most important customers.

The cocktails we tried were delicious, with the Vintage Sour as my personal favourite. We definitely felt pretty cheerful after trying a couple and as my dear friend Gemma Chan so eloquently put it at the end of the night - 'The strongs are drink and the drink in the ice didn't help.'