Mix & Match 16

I've been wanting to try the Midnight in Morocco cocktail for some time so here's my chance, though I must admit I skipped the habanero as I'm a wimp who can't take spiciness! Shake up your cocktail to bring back the summer sun, then take your pick of today's books and relax.

Shake the following with ice: 60ml tequila, 15ml crème de violette, 15ml orgeat, 20ml lime juice, 10ml maraschino and a dash of habanero bitters. Strain into your favourite cocktail glass.

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Morgan's life is turned upside down when King Uther Pendragon kills her father and uses magic to force her mother to marry him. While her sisters are happy enough to be married off to lives of luxury, Morgan won't stop fighting against the king and his sorcerer, Merlin.

I loved the way the legend of King Arthur is incorporated, but even if you are very familiar with the story,  you still don't know exactly what will happen. Familiar and unfamiliar characters from legend are not necessarily as you expect them to be!

Breaking news, book 2 - Le Fay is out now too, so looking forward to reading it!

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood

Another wonderful story from the Marlow Murder Club. I never tire of reading about Judith Potts and her friends, Suzie and Becks. This time there is a murder at a planning meeting, but the victim is the mayor who everyone seems to agree is a perfect saint! They can't find any reason why anyone would want him dead. Lots of clues lead to many discoveries and confessions, evidently everyone on the council has something to hide but can they find the actual murderer?

Each novel gives a little more insight into the superb characters. They all have their own talents which helps them solve whichever case they are working on. I love how their initially reluctant interactions have turned into best friends who always look out for each other.

The writing was excellent and kept me hooked throughout and the narrator was perfect for the character. I really hope the series continues.

Whispa and the Waves by Ffion Jones, illustrated by Elena Mascolo

An incredibly touching story about a young mermaid's struggle to calm the storms, both inside herself and in the world around her. 

Whispa is such a sweet, caring character and the illustrations and colours are gorgeous.

A History of My Weird by Chloe Heuch

Mo has just started a new school and everything is different!

I liked Mo right from the start. I really sympathised with her school troubles and was overjoyed when she made a friend and found some nice older kids who watched out for her. It was great to see her trying to keep her own personality, despite other people wanting to change her. Some action packed adventure as well as an emotional ending that left me with tears in my eyes.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to say if the autism representation is 100% correct or not, but to me it seemed very sensitive and well done. I feel like I learnt a lot about the concerns people might have.

The World According to David Hockney

This was full of great quotes and gave me an idea of the artist's personality, which I never really knew much about. A couple of my favourites:

You wouldn't be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought. I am constantly preoccupied with how to remove distance so that we can all begin to sense we are the same, we are one.

It used to be you couldn't be gay. Now you can be gay but you can't smoke. There's always something.

It's good to rest and read.