The Haunting of Aveline Jones - Phil Hickes

Aveline is obsessed with ghosts and when she's sent to stay with her aunt in Monmouth, she thinks she might just find some in the creepy seaside town. There are all the weird and mysterious scarecrows around and no one really seems to know why. And when she finds a book specifically about ghosts around Monmouth, some seriously strange things start happening.

When I first read that Aveline could even have considered going away without taking any books with her I gasped in shock! But then she fully redeems herself with her joy at finding the second hand bookshop. The bookshop sounds wonderful, especially the back which is like a secret book cave. The owner, Mr Lieberman is a great character, I can see her aunt warns her about him but he is definitely Aveline's (and my) kind of person. I loved the way he describes books and his shop, as if he's adopting all the lost books!

There are the mysterious notes by PP. Sentences interspersed though the book, before each new chapter, which start out quite straightforward but get progressively more ominous. Who is PP and what do these notes mean? They become more meaningful and connected to the story as the book goes on. 

The eerieness and suspense intensifies until you're just waiting for something big to happen. The humorous, quirky writing made me smile quite often as I read. I enjoyed reading this book so much, it's got the perfect blend of creepiness, unusual friendships and booklovers. Book 2 is out around Autumn next year which is far too long to make me wait!

It's not a Christmassy book but as I'm writing this around Christmas time (and I love cherries) I've made a Christmas Cheer-re. I had to substitute some of the ingredients but it still turned out pretty well. 1 shot each of genever, cherry heering liqueur and barolo chinato, 1/2 shot gin, 1/4 shot maraschino and 2 dashes of orange bitters. Stir all with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a cherry (or 3).

 Amari and the Night Brothers - B.B. Alston

Book Summary

Amari Peters knows three things.

Her big brother Quinton has gone missing.

No one will talk about it.

His mysterious job holds the secret . . .

So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.

Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent – one that the Bureau views as dangerous.

With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton . . .

Thank you so much to The Write Reads for letting me be part of this blog tour. The proof for this book was as exciting as the book itself, with high security warnings and lots of magical sparkles. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished book too which I hear will have illustrated chapter headings which I love.

The book starts off quite seriously but soon turns completely magical and fantastical. It's a bit reminiscent of Men In Black but with supernaturals like fairies and witches instead of aliens. I really loved the magical world which was full of so many different mythical beings, countless magical talents and all the amazing technology like Sky Sprints, shoes that let you walk up walls and even on air! Imagine a world where every magical being you've ever heard of is real.

The writing is really good, every time I read I felt fully immersed in Amari's world. There was one twist I suspected but really didn't want to believe and some others that I didn't see coming at all. A lot happened very quickly at the end and I was starting to think there might need to be a sequel, but it actually didn't feel rushed after all. Nevertheless, I definitely think we need more Amari! I'm hoping for a long series.

I've been sipping on an Amarita Cocktail made by shaking up a shot of tequila, half shot of aperol, 1/3 shot of lime juice and a few dashes of grapefruit bitters. Strain into a martini glass.

 Books I MUST Read Before the End of the Year

I'm setting my December reading list out here so that someone out there can hold me accountable and make sure I read all the books I've committed to! I've seen others do this and thought it was a great idea. I should really have posted this at the end of November but at least now I can say I have read the first two on my list :) To reach this year's Goodreads challenge I'll need to read all of these.

Amari and the Night Brothers - B.B. Alston

This proof is really exciting, it's for a blog tour and I recently got my date of 13th Dec. I'm happy to say I finished this one! You will be able to read my review soon, spoiler alert I really enjoyed it.

The Word Trove - Elias Vorpahl 

I got this from Readers First and need to review for the release date though there are so many conflicting dates and I only just received this at the end of November!

The Vine Eater - Carol Beth Anderson

An audiobook I got free for review but I had no many library reserves come through I didn't have time to get to this till now. It's the sequel to The Frost Eater and actually part of a trilogy which I don't think I realised till now. I have started listening and I'm enjoying it so far.

Specter - Katie Jane Gallagher

This is my last book for BBNYA (Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award) and I have a deadline which is coming up very soon!

The Mirroculist Mission and The Mirrors Shattered - A.J. Hartley

This trilogy was sent to me with a very reasonable reading window and I have still managed to fall behind! I really enjoyed the first book, Monsters in the Mirror and I'm excited to continue on with the series.

Half A King - Joe Abercrombie

This was a birthday present and I don't know much about it but it sounds all twisty and mysterious. The cover looks so good and I'm excited to get to it!  

The Elephant in the Room - Holly Goldberg Sloan

This one looked so pretty, I jumped at the chance of a proof. It's quite short so I should be able to get this one read and reviewed quickly.

Owl and the Lost Boy - Amy Wilson

Threadneedle - Cari Thomas

The Magpie Society: One for Sorrow - Amy McCulloch & Zoe Sugg

These were wishes that came true on NetGalley and I feel so bad that I didn't get to the them right away, even though I fully intended to! Also Owl and the Lost Boy will help me with one of the last few prompts for A-Z readathon and I do love Amy Wilson's books so much.

The Vanishing Trick - Jenni Spangler

Another audiobook, this time from the library, it expires soon so I need to listen asap.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky - Kwame Mbalia

I've been wanting to read this for ages and it has finally been chosen for the Middle Grade Marvels book club. However as it has only just arrived I have not been able to start yet and I've missed the first week of the book club.

Do you have a TBR list for December to finish off the year? Have you read any of these, if so let me know which I should read first.