WWW Wednesday

Hello hello my lovelies,


Today is Wednesday so it's time for WWW Wednesday. The premise is really simple. I need to talk about:

• What I am reading now
• What I have just finished reading
• What I am going to be reading next.

This meme is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

I am currently reading The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow by Emily Ilett.

Synopsis

"Shadows were meant to stay stuck, like ears and promises." On the morning of Gail's birthday, she watches her shadow slip under the kitchen door. She's not surprised it decided to leave. Her dad has gone for good. Her big sister Kay, once Gail's best friend, has disappeared into sadness -- and now her shadow has left too. Determined to make things right, Gail chases after the shadows. But her adventures take her to unexpected places and she soon discovers that where there are shadows, there's darkness, and that she's not the only one looking for something missing... In a world of light and shadow, despair and hope sit side by side. Can Gail recover what the sisters have lost? A lyrical, immersive, and luminous tale of sisterhood, The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow tells of bravery, the power of friendship, and being strong enough to ask for help when we really need it. Emily Ilett, winner of the 2017 Kelpies Prize, is an arresting, vital new voice in children's literature.

I have just finished reading Pages & Co. Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James.

Next I think I am going to start The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L.D.Lapinski. This is an ARC and is to be published in April 2020.

Synopsis

Pack your suitcase for a magical adventure! Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and The Polar Bear Explorers' Club.

At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .

When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds.

But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness - and takes our world with it.

A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.

That's it for my @wwwwednesday. Hope to see you again next week.

Happy reading,

Allison x

Review - Pages & Co. Tilly and the Bookwanderers.

Hello hello my lovelies,

So I've finished my first book of the year. It took longer than expected as I was away with my family over Christmas and didn't get much reading done at all.

Anyway, no more excuses! 

Here is my review for Pages & Co. Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James.

Synopsis

A magical adventure to delight the imagination. A curl-up-on-the-sofa snuggle of a debut from a uniquely talented author.

Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents' bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories.

One day Tilly realises that classic children's characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of `book wandering' - crossing over from the page into real life.

With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

I'm going to start off by saying that having read this book, I think that if there was ever something that I wish I could do, it has to be book wandering like Tilly. Imagine being able to actually go into a page of your favourite book and talk to characters, feel and smell the setting and watch the story unfurl before your eyes. Wouldn't that be amazing!

Tilly is a curious girl with a love for books. She has been brought up by her grandparents who own a book shop (something else idyllic right there!). Her dad died before she was born and her mother went missing shortly after that. Living in a bookshop and being surrounded by people who enjoy the beauty of reading means that she has fostered that love too. 

However, things aren't all as they seem. She thinks she sees characters from her favourite book. She hears her grandparents having secret conversations. This piques her curiosity and Tilly sets off to find out what is happening. 

Entwined with this, is her desire to find out what she can about her mum and dad and her developing friendship with the boy across the road.

The chapters rolled at a quick pace and I really enjoyed the chapter titles. They added more quirkiness and set the my mind wondering what each title meant. There were titles such as: Readers are so Messy and Some Books are Loved and Some are Forgotten.

I have to say that my heart skipped a beat and I was extremely excited when Tilly ends up in an old Peter and Jane Ladybird book. I was brought up on these and I could actually picture the illustrations from that book as I was reading this one. I think it was at this point that I just wanted to be Tilly!

As Tilly book wanders more and more, some things are as she expects and some things just aren't and the sentences quicken as tension builds on the adventures; but the final twists which round the book up are something I would never have guessed in a million years. Obviously I'm not going to give that part away. You'll just have to read it to find out.

You can tell that Anna James has a deep set love for books and reading as that comes through so clearly and there are some gorgeous quotes to boot.

'Bookwandering is, at its core, the magic of books and imagination pushed to the limit, and then tipped over a little bit further.'

'Be brave. Be curious. Be kind.' This I feel I should give to my class.

'But I think a bookshop is like a map of the world. There are infinite paths you can take through it and none of them are right or wrong. Here in a bookshop we give readers landmarks  to help them find their way, but every reader has to learn to set their own compass.' 

If you weren't a book lover before you read this book, you certainly would be after. It really is a little book of warmth and love that makes you feel good and affirms all you think of about books and reading. It's a real gem of a book and if I could, I'd personally thank the author for bringing back memories of my childhood and allowing me to read a book in which I smiled practically the whole way through. 

Rating: 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy reading

Allison x

First lines Friday and Friday 56

Hello hello my lovelies,

How are we doing? Can you actually believe we are in another decade?! I know it's a real cliche but time does seem to fly quickly.

Anyway, on to today's meme. I am joining in with 2 today. 

First up is First Lines Friday. This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words. All you have to do is reveal the first line or so of a book (it doesn't have to be your current book) and then reveal what it is.

So here is mine:

It was my dad who gave me the idea of using quantum physics to find my mum.

Any ideas?

Hmmm?

Ok, ok. It's The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge.

Synopsis

"A book with a big brain, big laughs and a big, big heart." - Frank Cottrell-Boyce An extraordinary novel for anyone who's ever been curious. When Albie's mum dies, it's natural he should wonder where she's gone. His parents are both scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about Albie's mum being alive and with them in a parallel universe. So Albie finds a box, his mum's computer and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space to find her... "Christopher Edge's warm hearted writing sucks you in from the start with a sparkling take on parallel worlds, fuelled by a delightfully fresh understanding of quantum physics and a fearless ability to take on life, loss and dreaming big while never talking down to his readers. Bananas will never be the same again. I have one complaint about this book. I wanted it to be longer." - Samira Ahmed Cover illustration by Matt Saunders.


The second meme today is The Friday 56 and is hosted by Freda's Voice.


Simply turn to page 56 or 56% on your ereader and post a snippet. Simple as that!

So here is my snippet from 56% on my kindle:

He started when he saw the title of the book. 'Treasure Island! An interesting book for you to have selected - what do you know of the isle of treasure? And I wonder what our captain knows of it to have this here book among his collection.'

It's from Pages & Co, Tilly and the Bookwanderers.



You never know, I may have inspired you to add another book to your growing TBR. I hope so!

Happy reading,

Allison x