Well, I never thought that Harry Styles would have any influence on my life whatsoever. But I picked this book up in a library sale entirely because of his (somewhat irritating) song. I have no idea whether Harry has actually read the book, but it was apparently lying around whilst he was writing the song and he liked the title.…
Remember when you were a kid, and you had your favourite pudding EVER? The one your mum only made once in a blue moon? And it was so delicious you just couldn’t stop yourself eating it, but at the same time you really wanted to make it last as long as possible? Well, The Vet’s Daughter IS that pudding. Right from…
For the last few years now, I have been feeling increasingly bah, humbug about Christmas. It just seems to get earlier and pushier every year, which frankly always makes me want to dig my heels and fold my arms. I’m usually busy pretending it isn’t happening until at least the first week in December, at which point I start to…
For someone who loves Southern American literature, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get round to Twain. I had never read any of his books I picked up Puddn’head Wilson earlier this year – and I enjoyed it so much, I was spurred on to catch up with some of his other books. So here is…
There are plenty of ‘Classic Books’ I have never read for one reason or another. There are only so many hours in the day afterall. ‘Classics’ are typically well known and have had a lot of stuff written about them, so I’m not going to witter on. Here is the first of my super quick reviews of those I’m finally…
You know those reality TV shows where a couple of slightly dim-witted and over-privileged teenagers go off on a voyage of self discovery? They spend far too much time worrying about their hair and their clothes, and seem to have no common sense whatsoever. And they get into ‘hilarious’ situations because they don’t think things through. But they know they…
“As in life, so in a game of hazard, skill will make something of the worst of throws.” Treasure Island. Heard of it? Of course you have. Read it? Quite possibly. But have you read Moonfleet? Possibly not. And that’s a damn shame. The gist The story revolves around John Trenchard, an orphan living in the village of Moonfleet on the…
I did not read No Flying in the House when I was six. If I had read it when I was six, I would have loved it. Why? Because what what six year old girl doesn’t want a three inch talking dog who can perform 367 tricks? And what six year old girl does not want to be part fairy,…
I was given Joan Aiken’s The Last Slice of Rainbow when I was probably around eight. I loved it before I even read it. Something about the title, the pictures, the names of the stories – they’re all the exact formula to appeal to an eight year old booklover. I remember almost not wanting to read it, for fear that…