A Throne of Swans - Katherine & Elizabeth Corr

The flighted rule, and the flightless are little more than servants. Now that Aderyn's father has died, leaving her as protector of Atratys, if anyone discovered she has lost her ability to fly she would lose her dominion and everything her father worked for. After being kept at home ever since her mother's death, now she decides it is time to go to court and see more of the world. But she has no idea of the dangers she will have to face. 

No one in the book was was really what they seemed, nearly all the characters had hidden depths to them. Either appearing soft, simple, or arrogant but often turning out completely differently. I feel like I was doubting everyone, any time Aderyn decided to trust someone I thought they would betray her so I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. 

I could not stop thinking about this book and it's characters every time I put the book down. I want to know more about Aderyn's father and his motivations. I feel like his character was left quite unfinished. I was so relieved that there was a satisfying ending, I was terrified of being left hanging, Now I am desperate to get my hands on book two which already has a name, A Crown of Talons. If that doesn't sound intriguing I don't know what does!

Thanks to Hot Key Books I was lucky enough to be invited to the bloggers brunch to meet the authors and I had the best time! We got to ask all our questions and learned quite a lot about Katherine & Elizabeth, the book and their writing. The book was inspired by Swan Lake and wanting to work through the black swan's motivations. Lots of the names in the book are clues to the type of bird the family turns into such as Hawkin and Swifting. For Katherine, Aderyn was the hardest character to write while Elizabeth found Lucien more difficult. Tons of research goes into the books, including visits to National Trust buildings and deciding all sorts of things about their characters, such as their birthdays. Most of which doesn't even make it into the book but helps with the writing process. But the most important thing is not to ask them about corridors!

The perfect cocktail to sip on while reading is the Last Flight. In a shaker with ice, mix together 2/3 shot of each of these ingredients: bourbon, green chartreuse, aperol and lemon juice.

Believe in the Impossible Readathon (part 2)

I really enjoyed taking part in the Believe in the Impossible Readathon and managed to read the group book, all 10 prompts, plus an additional 4 books. 15 books... I'm so proud of myself! It was so much fun and I loved sharing my reading with friends and everyone else taking part in Believathon. I'm also grateful to have had the push to read so many great books, I probably wouldn't have got through all of these otherwise.

These are the books I chose for each prompt and any additional prompts the books cover: 

Group book - Frostheart by Jamie Littler

A strong sense of friendship - Cookie! ...and the Most Annoying Boy in the World by Konnie Huq 

Re-read your personal childhood favourite - Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr (also friendship, atmospheric/creepy, past)

Featuring an animal character - Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge

A classic - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (also magic, animal)

Featuring magic - Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James (also friendship)

Featuring a myth or legend - The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (also friendship)

Atmospheric or creepy - Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab (also friendship, past)

Seasonal - Father Christmas’s Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett

Real life issues - Deenie by Judy Blume (also friendship, past)

Set in the past - Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens (also friendship)

I also had time to squeeze in these additional books:

The Worst Witch Saves the Day by Jill Murphy (magic, friendship, animal)

The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (magic, friendship, seasonal, myth/legend)

Seven Ghosts by Chris Priestley (atmospheric/creepy, past)

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell (real life issues, friendship, past)

Here are some short reviews for just a few of the books, I've reviewed all of them on Goodreads if you're interested in any of the others:

Frostheart by Jamie Littler

Ash's parents are pathfinders and left the stronghold on a mission when he was a child, but they never returned. He's sure they are still alive somewhere and has never given up hope that he would see them again. All his life he's been hiding his urge to sing, as Song Weavers are feared and reviled, despite having the power to fight back against the monsters that attack them every time anyone leaves the town.

I enjoyed the book but it didn't really keep me gripped until the last few chapters when I didn't want to put it down! I really wanted to find out what would happen to Ash but found it hard to stay in the book at times. I loved the illustrations and the characters.

Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr

When Marianne gets ill and confined to bed rest, she discovers a magic pencil. Whatever she draws, appears in her dreams that night. But is she creating her dreams or is there more to it than that?

I was so happy to find I still enjoyed this book after so many years, though the language was a little old fashioned. Not disappointing even after so much time.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James

Something or someone is messing with fairy tales. As Tilly's grandparents warn her, fairy tales have always been a bit unstable, but now characters are getting mixed up and different versions are blending into each other. Nothingness and plot holes are spreading while book magic leaks out. Tilly feels like it is up to her to find the cause and discover what Melville Underwood, the mysterious new Head Librarian, is up to.

I enjoyed book 1 but felt like it was mostly scene-setting, this second book had a lot more substance and I really got immersed in the adventures. I love the idea of bookwandering, it would be such a wonderful thing to do. My only complaint is that I thought I had a few pages left of the book and it suddenly ended with a cliffhanger!

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

When Vita finds out her grandfather has been tricked out of his beloved castle, she is determined to do something, anything to help. But going against Victor Sorrotore is a terrifying prospect and Vita needs to recruit some very talented people to help her.

The writing is wonderful and there are some very clever twists in the story. I am so glad I got to read this book, it deserves all the wonderful reviews and awards it has had.

Just a very simple drink today. Vita's emerald necklace in The Good Thieves had me craving a shot of lovely emerald green Apple sourz on ice. If you want a longer drink, it does taste good with a little tonic too!

The Little Book of Lykke - Meik Wiking

#LookForLykke

As CEO of The Happiness Research Institute, based in Denmark (often called the world's happiest country), Meik Wiking is ideally placed to take us on a treasure hunt for Lykke, happiness. He takes us through plenty of research into the things that make people happy all over the world. Chapters explore the 6 key factors in the World Happiness Report - togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust and kindness. In each there is evidence and information about what Meik has discovered. Plus lots of ways we can bring a bit more lykke into our lives.

One of my favourite things I've learned is that libraries in Ancient Egypt and Greece used to have signs saying that you were entering a healing place for the soul. As a book lover I can completely believe this! 

The book inspired me in so many ways, to look up volunteering opportunities and set up apps such as Be My Eyes, which helps blind and partially sighted people. It made me want to get out in nature and do more walking. Take the scenic route rather than just the quickest. I really enjoyed finding out about happiness in different countries. I listened to an audio copy from the library but now I really want my own copy! I also plan to read Meik's earlier work, The Little Book of Hygge.

Obviously the perfect drink while contemplating happiness is a full on hot chocolate with all the trimmings. Make your favourite and top however you like. I may have gone a bit over the top with whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles and edible glitter!

Cookie! ...and the Most Annoying Boy in the World - Konnie Huq

Everything is going wrong, her best friend is moving away, her parents won't let her have a pet, and she's forced to sit next to the new boy at school. How is Cookie going to survive the year??? Luckily there's a chance to go on her favourite TV show, Brainbusters. All she has to do is put her science knowledge to good use and come up with the best science project. It'll be easy for the smartest girl in the class.

Of course, not everything goes smoothly and she finds herself in constant competition with the most annoying boy in the world, who unfortunately happens to be quite clever too. But maybe that means there's some hope for him yet!

You just can't help liking Cookie. She's tough and funny and impulsive, but never ashamed to admit when she's wrong. I think she's a wonderful role model for girls of all ages, including any adults reading the book! While being easy to read and understand, the book isn't childish at all. I think it will be just as enjoyable for adults reading aloud to younger kids.

Cookie! is so much fun to read. It's full of wonderful little doodles throughout the book that add to the humour and there's a great appendix at the end with instructions for all the experiments they do in the book. You'll want to try them all.

I've created Cookie's cocktail (for when she's a little older)! In a shaker, mix together one shot of vanilla vodka, 1/2 shot chambord and 3/4 shot lemon juice. Add a dash of chocolate cookie syrup and a couple of drops of chocolate bitters. Shake with ice and pour into a glass.

Believe in the Impossible Readathon

I heard about this readathon on twitter and it sounded like so much fun. It's been quite a long time since I took part in a readathon or reading challenge and I was immediately interested in this one. I've persuaded a couple of my book buddies to join in too (@SophiaZarifis and @PagliSi) so hopefully we'll be able to discuss some of the same books.

The readathon is run by Gavin (@TheGavGav7) and runs through November on @Believathon. It consists of a group book, Frostheart by Jamie Littler, and 10 prompts. There's a very cool compendium with instructions and all the prompts as well as suggestions in case you can't think of a book to fit any of them.

Some of the prompts and my possible reading:

A book featuring magic - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend. I've had this book for a while and this is the perfect chance to read it.

An atmospheric or creepy book - Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab. I enjoyed the first book, City of Ghosts, but a lot of it was scene setting so I think this one will be even better.

A book featuring an animal character - Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge, I've already read some of her other books but this is her first and I think a homicidal goose should fit in well with this prompt.

Re-read your personal childhood favourite - this can only be Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. I've never forgotten this book but somehow haven't re-read as an adult. (This one fits the creepy or atmospheric prompt too).

I also have a pile of other options plus many more on my kindle. I just have to figure out where then can all fit. Hopefully I can complete all the prompts, this will definitely help me with my towering TBR (to be read) and may save me from being crushed when it inevitably topples over me. I might have bought one or two (five) books for this too...

If you want to get involved, make sure you give @TheGavGav7 and @Believathon a follow and use the hashtag #Believathon if you want to share any of your reading. Look out for my updates on twitter and I'll update at the end of the month!

While I search through these piles of books, I've created a 'Believe in the Ginpossible'! Pour a double gin into a glass, add some blue shimmer and a dash of lavender syrup. Throw in lots of ice and stir, then add tonic to taste.