Kate on the Case - Hannah Peck

Book Summary

Young reporter-in-training Kate and her mouse-accomplice Rupert are on board a train, to visit Kate's mum in the Arctic.

But as soon as the train departs, mysterious things start happening.

A packet of ginger nuts goes missing . . .

A collection of gymnastics trophies are stolen . . .

And some ancient scrolls disappear . . .

Fellow passenger Madame Maude seems the most likely culprit, until a surprising - and delicious - twist turns the whole investigation on its head.

I loved the sound of this book but when it actually arrived it was so adorable I couldn't wait to read it. The illustrations at the start are charming, introducing all the characters and then mapping out the train, which even has a library! I would definitely love to travel on this train.

With the help of her Special Correspondent Manual and her pet mouse, no mystery is too big for Kate and she is committed to finding out who the thief on the train is. She definitely has her eye on the very suspicious looking Madame Maude, but sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Kate is a smart and determined main character and Roo is a lovely companion, very good at distractions! I don't know if this is going to be a series but I do hope so, I'd love more from Kate and Roo.

For any budding artists out there, follow this link for instructions on how to draw Roo the mouse. Here's my extremely impressive attempt!

I'm drinking a Blue Train cocktail which also happens to match the text of the book title perfectly!

Shake and strain the following with lots of ice: 1 shot gin, 1/2 shot each triple sec and lemon juice, 1/4 shot blue curacao.

 Edie and the Box of Flits - Kate Wilkinson

Illustrations - Joe Berger

Book Summary

When eleven-year-old Edie Winter finds a mysterious box on the London Underground she's amazed to discover that it's home to a family of Flits - tiny winged people. But Impy, Speckle and Nid need Edie's help. Not only do they need supplies (rice crispies, sugar sprinkles, digestive biscuits and raisins) and someone to look after them, but their brother Jot has run away and they need Edie's help to find him.

First of all, I love books about lost things. Lost property offices always sound fascinating, I'd love to rummage through the rooms of the London Underground office like Edie does. The Flits are marvellous, tiny little thumb sized people with wings, whose personalities are definitely not miniature! I loved reading how they forage and use everything in different ways. The start of the book is actually quite harrowing but the story is lovely, I really enjoyed reading it. Edie feels lonely since starting secondary school but she ends up with loads of friends. The cover is so gorgeous too, it made me want to read it right away.

To make a FlitBox cocktail*: first shake without ice, 1.5 shots gin, 1/2 shot triple sec, 1/2 shot lemon juice, dash of grenadine, dash of sugar syrup, 1/2 shot egg white. Then add ice and shake again. Strain into a cocktail glass.

*adapted from Boxcar cocktail

 Mix & Match 10

I've just restocked my bar with Chambord so this was the perfect excuse to make a French Martini! 2 shots vodka, 1/2 shot Chambord and 1.5 shots pineapple juice, shake with lots of ice and strain into a martini glass. Once your cocktail is ready, pick one of these great books to relax with.

Shadows of Winterspell - Amy Wilson

Winterspell is full of magic right from the start which I loved. Stella's grandmother who brought her up is a ghost and they have an imp guarding the house. There is a mystery of how Stella ended up living with her Nan and why the forest is full of shadows. The book was quite fast paced and I liked that there were actually some answers early on as well as so much mystery.

I must say that while the cover is really beautiful, it gave me a totally incorrect vision of the forest which actually sounds so dark, creepy and absolutely terrifying. I really enjoyed the book but did feel like the ending felt a bit unfinished, I wanted more. I read this with the Middle Grade Marvels book club and we all agreed we want a sequel!

Nightbooks - J.A. White

Alex is on his way to the basement of his building when he gets lured into a magic apartment and trapped by a witch. In order to keep her happy he must read her the scary stories he wrote, but what will happen if he runs out of ideas?

I really enjoyed all of Alex's own stories within the book, they were so deliciously creepy and it made me want to watch and read some more horror. There are quite a few intriguing mysteries running through the book, is the apartment alive, what are those creepy figurines and why exactly was Alex trying to destroy his books? I loved every page of the book and will be looking out for more by this author.

House of Hollow - Krystal Sutherland 

This book is so mysterious, with one mystery layered on another, each clue just adding to the confusion. It was intriguing and gripping, I really couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.

The descriptions were so vivid, the sights and smells and feelings. Some details were really gory and disgusting, mixing beauty and darkness together. It was actually pretty disgusting in a lot of places and a bit too much for me sometimes.

I would have loved to get the other 2 sisters' points of view too. Are they as confident and sure of themselves as they first seem?

I really didn't see that twist coming, though in hindsight maybe I should have.

The Bewitching of Aveline Jones - Phil Hickes

In Aveline's second adventure, she and her mum are on holiday in a tiny quiet village. However, just at the end of the garden is an ancient stone circle. Perfect for investigation! The Witch Stones aren't all Aveline finds and she makes a new friend, a mysterious girl called Hazel who seems to have some kind of connection with the stones. Unexplained things start happening but luckily Harold is on his way with a huge pile of books covering all eventualities.

I really liked Alice, the village vicar, who reminded me a lot of Geraldine from The Vicar of Dibley. Though I thought she could possibly have been a little bit more helpful to Aveline.

This was every bit as good as the first book, just as scary and thrilling. I loved the suspense and eerieness. I'll definitely be buying myself a physical copy as soon as it is released and already I can't wait for the third book in the series.

The Crackle Dawn Dragon - Abi Elphinstone

The conclusion to the Unmapped Chronicles is superb, just as wonderful as the other books. Full of adventure, suspense, magical places and fantastic characters. 

The descriptions really brought the places to life and I loved all the whimsical names and creatures. I absolutely adored it just as much as the previous books, I've been trying to think of some more original emotions but I can't do any better! The narrator is delightful, giving it an amazing storytelling quality, like listening to a bedtime story.

My only criticism is that I'm sad it's over and I want more books in the Unmapped Kingdoms!

 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!