Today we hear from Bookbabbler Pamela..

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven out of Afghanistan. She hopes for a better relationship with her hard stepmother. And she hopes one day even to go to school. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the poetry she once taught her mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities, but surgery to mend Zulaikha’s face. But can Zulaikha dare to hope they will come true? Trent Reedy’s breathtaking first novel is based on his experiences serving with the US Army in Afghanistan and, in a land where hidebound traditions clash with an emerging desire for freedom, offers humanity and hope.

Words in the Dust is very much an inspirational and hopeful debut novel. Our protagonist is a young Afghan girl named Zulaikha. Zulaikha’s days are spent trying to please her hard step-mother, keeping up with her mountain of chores and looking after her younger brothers. But her existence is only made harder by the fact that she was born with a cleft lip. She hides her face in public with a chador, but that doesn’t stop the cruel taunts from local children…or morbid looks from adults.

Zulaikha’s life is changed when the American’s arrive. They wave to the children as the drive by in their large armoured cars with guns, tossing sweets and toys. But one notices Zulaikha, and word begins to spread about the girl with the cleft lip and when they tell her family that they can arrange for corrective surgery, Zulaikha is overjoyed.

While she is waiting to get her surgery, a chance encounter on an outing to fetch her brother brings Meena into Zulaikha’s life. Meena taught Zulaikha’s late mother old Afghani poetry and wants to continue her teachings with Zulaikha.

Having her mouth repaired and being taught to read and write is a life-altering change for Zulaikha. She can look beyond her family’s compound and know there is a bigger world beyond. And with Meena teaching her, a world of opportunity opens up.

Zulaikha’s story is steeped in reality and it has been awhile since I have been so moved. Her patience and deep-rooted faith makes Zulaikha one of the strongest and most inspirational characters I have ever encountered.

A lot of people would benefit from reading this book. Zulaikha can teach people a lot about how they view others, how they then are treated, and also how they view their own lives. Words in the Dust makes you evaluate everything – from wastage to kindness and the most prominent – common misconceptions about Afghanistan.

Extraordinarily moving.

Thanks, Pamela, and thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for sending us a copy to review. It’s out for you to buy this month…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Luke…

Killer Star by CT Furlong

When a mysterious man makes contact with the ARCTIC6, they are drawn into a complicated web of spies, secrets and sabotage.

The world’s most eminent scientists are working hard to find a new source of energy. But has their eagerness blinded them to the risks?
As the six friends are drawn deeper into the adventure a terrible choice lies before them…..

………..a choice that may divide the team forever

In C T Furlong’s latest book, we follow the ARCTIC6, Charlie, Renny, Iago, Cam, Tara and Aretha on their latest top secret mission. After reading Killer Genes, I was eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the ARCTIC6 adventures, and although I enjoyed this book I didn’t feel the story line was as interesting as in the previous book. The ARCTIC6 are contacted by the SOE (special operative unit) leader Edward Varken who needs their assistance to stop the possible creation of a killer star that could destroy the planet. The National Ignition Facility are attempting to create a new clean energy, however concerns are raised that if all doesn’t go to plan then it could lead to worldwide destruction. The ARCTIC6 need to assist the SOE in preventing the catastrophe, but can the leader of the SOE be trusted. Who is Edward Varken working for? And who is the mysterious man who is trailing the ARCTIC6.

The book is fast paced and I feel that if I wasn’t already aware of the characters, then I would have been confused by their relationships to each other and even their sex. Putting all this aside, I will be reading the next book, and I am hoping that the other characters apart from Renny will have more input in future stories.

Thanks, Luke, and thanks to Inside Pocket Publishing for sending us a copy. It’s out this month and here for you to buy now…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Pamela….

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & SE Wedel

Aimee and Alan have unusual pasts and secrets they prefer to keep hidden. Aimee’s deceased mother struggled with mental illness and hallucinations, and Aimee thinks it could be hereditary. After all, she sees a shadowy river man where there isn’t one. And then there was that time she and her best friend Courtney tried to conjure a spirit with a Ouija board …Alan is Courtney’s cousin. His family moved to Maine when Courtney’s father went missing. It’s not just Alan’s dark good looks that make him attractive. He is also totally in touch with a kind of spiritual mysticism from his Native American heritage. And it’s not long before Aimee has broken up with her boyfriend …But it’s not Aimee or Alan who is truly haunted – it’s Courtney. In a desperate plea to find her father, Courtney invites a demonic presence into her life. Together, Aimee and Alan must exorcise the ghost, before it devours Courtney – and everything around her.

After Obsession was one of those rare books that took me totally by surprise.

Aimee and Alan are two teens who come from two completely different backgrounds but have one crucial thing in common – they both have secrets they are desperate to keep. Alan is part Navajo and greatly believes in the history of his ancestors and their gifts and has an incredible destiny to live up to. Aimee has dreams that sometimes come true and has a healing touch.

Aimee lives in a quiet Maine town with her father, brother and grandfather. Aimee’s life was flipped upside when her mother died in the river near their home. A river that has claimed more than one life.

Alan comes from Oklahoma, but is forced to move with his mother to his aunt’s house as she has recently lost her husband to the water. Alan cousin to Courtney, who happens to be Aimee’s best friend, and while there is an electric charge the first time they meet, it isn’t the strangest part. They dreamed of each other first.

When Courtney starts acting odd and the rest of the town’s people get meaner, crankier and just plain bad, Aimee and Alan know what is the cause of it. The River Man, an evil spirit. And together they have to do what they can to put things right.

After Obsession was a pleasure to read – a beautiful and tender love story while also being steeped in horror. What I enjoyed most was the enjoyable and informative trip into Alan’s Indian background and learning more about his beliefs and history.

The story flips between Aimee and Alan’s POV and this is done very well, both characters were smart, funny and easily held the reader’s attention.  Fans of Carrie Jones’s other series will not be disappointed by this book.

But the best part? Gotta be the Cheeto.

Thanks, Pamela, and thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending us a copy. It’s out to buy this month..

Today Sarah reviews Velvet, by our author in residence, Mary Hooper, and we have 5 copies up for grabs!

Velvet – Mary Hooper

Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet’s very life is in danger …

After reading Fallen Grace earlier in the year, I was very excited about reading Mary Hooper’s latest novel Velvet.

Set in Victorian and Edwardian London, Velvet follows the story of an orphaned laundry girl who is taken under the wings of a mysterious medium; Madame Savoya. At first, Velvet is in awe of her new luxurious surroundings and Madame Savoya’s generosity. However, Velvet’s suspicions are aroused when the Medium profession in London becomes under intense scrutiny from officials and police.

Velvet is an excellent heroine, she is both young and brave, but streetwise at the same time. The majority story is told in the first person from Velvet’s point of view and we see how she is determined to make her own way in life, which I thought was similar to the character of Grace in Fallen Grace.

Madame Savoya is an interesting character; charming and beautiful she seemed too me like one of those people who is just too good to be true. The way that the story is structured with some chapters devoted only to Madame Savoya’s medium sessions gives us an insight into parts of her character and her profession that Velvet does not see. I also think this shows the reader that perhaps Velvet’s employer is not quite what she shows herself to be.

Mary Hooper’s description of London at this time is remarkable and so evocative. I enjoy reading her books very much and if you like historical fiction then Velvet will not disappoint. This is a fantastic book that is easy to read and even easier to become totally engrossed in!

I was fascinated by this book as I knew very little of Mediums and how popular they were in Victorian and Edwardian London. I was also shocked to read about the Baby Farming in the story, as again this is something that I knew nothing at all about. Hooper’s addition about her historical research at the end of book was very informative and an excellent addition to the story.

Thanks, Sarah! Bloomsbury Children’s Books have kindly given us 5 copies of Velvet to giveaway, so to be entered into the draw, comment on this post or retweet it. We’ll pick 5 winners at 7pm on Sunday (UK only), so good luck!

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Liz…

He’s So Not Worth It by Ally Ryan

Ally Ryan, come on down to the Jersey Shore and forget your troubles!

Have you recently been humiliated in front of your friends and family at your former best friend’s birthday party? Was your almost boyfriend partly responsible for that humiliation by withholding some vital information about where your estranged father is? Did you come home to find said estranged father sitting on your stoop?

If so, then it sounds like you could use a vacation! The Jersey Shore is the place to be. Your mother may be living with her boyfriend of only a few months, but at least the stunt Shannen pulled has put some of your friends back in your court. Even so, you’re still angry and what better way to get over Jake than to blow off some steam with local guy, Cooper. People will hardly recognize your new attitude, but the old one wasn’t getting you anywhere, so who cares!

Jake Graydon, an exciting opportunity is waiting for you in the service industry!

Are your grades so low your parents have grounded you for the summer? Did you the girl you really like unceremoniously leave you behind? Would you rather eat dirt than see your friends again? Then a job at the local coffee shop is just the ticket! Surprisingly, Ally’s father is the new manager so you get to be reminded of her nearly every day. Maybe it’s time to start flirting with your best friend’s ex or even taking school a bit more seriously. Especially when you finally see Ally and she’s hanging around with some loser and it couldn’t be more clear that she is over you.

Have a great summer! (from Goodreads)

I’ve been looking forward to He’s So Not Worth It ever since I finished She’s So Dead to Us last year – I loved the first book , so naturally, I jumped at the chance to read book two! While I did enjoy it, I didn’t love it as much as the first one and I wasn’t a huge fan of the cliffhanger at the end (I’m getting a little tired of cliffhangers, to be honest). Still, it was a good book and a nice addition to the series.

Ally, who I adored in the first book, was one of the main reasons I didn’t like this one as much. I understand that she was going through a lot (having her dad back in her life so suddenly and all the rest of it), but I felt she became less likeable, more whiny and even a little mean at times. It was just a little too drama-y for me, and I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the decisions she made. While she was at the Jersey Shore, it was almost like she became a different person – and Cooper! What did she see in him! I really didn’t like him and couldn’t understand why Ally was putting up with him at all. And everything with Jake as well – I wish she’d have just let him explain things to her right from the beginning, and then they wouldn’t all be in the mess they ended up in. If they’d just had one long conversation without interruption, maybe they could have sorted things out! To be fair though, I get some of the drama with her dad – he just waltzed back in almost as if nothing ever happened, and didn’t even say sorry! He was awful. And I also do think Ally did become more like her old self toward the end, and I started to like her more again. It’s just it was too late and a bunch of other stuff had already happened…

I think I probably enjoyed Jake’s chapters more than Ally’s, and I liked that he was trying to get serious, and improve his grades and everything. He really wanted Ally back, but she wouldn’t listen to him, so he was stuck in Orchard Hill for the summer while she was off in the Jersey Shore. I really liked Jake in She’s So Dead to Us, mostly because he was so funny and I loved the way his mind worked! I did like him in this one too, but again, not as much. He just did too many stupid things (a bit like Ally) and I found myself sighing because of him half the time. And I just knew spending all that time with Chloe would mess everything up (I did not like Chloe. At all). However, his humour was still there and I did find some of his thoughts hilarious, so I’m glad that despite the fact we lost the Ally/Jake tension because they were separated, at least not everything had changed.

My favourite character was Annie, and I loved, loved, loved her pages in the book! Her “Crestie research” was absolutely hilarious and she really made the book for me.  I don’t get how anyone could NOT like her – she was absolutely brilliant! She was a great character, and definitely the best part of the book.

Overall, He’s So Not Worth It was a funny, drama-filled read, great for the summer, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book in the series. I’ll still be reading the next one because I’m really curious as to how the cliffhanger will play out (I can see the drama and chaos now), and I do recommend this to anyone who liked the first book, or anyone who likes witty contemporary reads.

Thanks, Liz, and thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending us a copy. It’s out for you to buy this month…

Today we ask put our questions to our author in residence, Mary Hooper….

Tell us a little about yourself

I live about 30 miles outside London, so not too far when I have to do research (inevitably in London). I have a husband and a cat, two little grandchildren, drive a Beetle.

Of the many books you’ve written, do you have favourites or favourite characters, and if so, what and who?!

I am very fond of Eliza Rose, because I had such fun writing that book, and it still makes me cry when I get to the end. Come to think of it, though, I love all my heroines – they are all a lot braver than I could ever be.

How do you come up with your plots and characters?

This is another version of that question that all writers dread: “Where do you get your ideas from?” It is almost impossible to say where stuff comes from. Sometimes you make it up, sometimes you copy things, sometimes you read something and it sets off a chain reaction. It usually starts with the author thinking, “What if…?”

What is it you most enjoy about writing historical novels?

I like finding out things (writers are always nosy) and I think things that happened a couple of hundred years ago are so much more fascinating than modern stuff. Well, don’t you think that Highwaymen, Midwives, Plague, Funerals and Frost Fairs are much more compelling than websites, Twitter, Blackberries, i-tunes and texting?

Tell us about Velvet

The year is 1900 and Velvet works as a laundress in a great big old steam laundry. Following an accident, she is selected by Madame Savoya, a medium (someone who purports to talk to spirits) to go and work at her luxurious house. Madame and her assistant, George, are kindness itself and Velvet immediately falls for the good-looking George. But is all as it seems…?

What are you working on at the moment?

A book set in 1813 – Regency time – but not with fops and dandies, tea dances and polite society taking the waters, but much more about the dark side: the difficult lives that ordinary people led.

When you’re not writing, what do you love to do?

Read, see friends, eat out, swim in the sea. And oh, I have just bought an inflatable canoe and have been paddling up and down the Thames. Have only fallen in twice so far…

Thanks, Mary! You can find out more about Mary and her books here. Look out for our review of Velvet coming soon, along with a giveaway…

Today we hear from Luke…

Sektion 20 by Paul Dowsell

Alex lives in East Berlin. The cold war is raging and he and his family are forbidden to leave. But the longer he stays, the more danger he is in. Alex is no longer pretending to be a model East German and the Stasi has noticed. They are watching him.

One false move will bring East and West together in a terrifying stand off which will change everything for Alex and his family… for ever

Well to be honest, this is the type of book that I would usually read a few pages, put down and forget about. But I am so glad I didn’t. I wish I had read this book when I was doing my history GCSE as I am sure I would have had a clearer understanding of the subject and got a better grade!!

In the book, we follow Alex who lives with his family in East Berlin. Alex tries to be the perfect model citizen, however, he longs to be like his western counterparts and enjoy the freedoms they have but instead he lives in a restricted world where everyone is frightened of coming to the attention of the state security police (the STASI). He becomes increasingly rebellious and disillusioned at school and his teachers are noticing. His girlfriend Sophie’s parents have noticed too, and dislike Alex. It’s not long before he comes to the attention of the STASI and Agent Eric Kohl and that’s when the story becomes intriguing. Once I started reading this, I struggled to put it down. The book is fraught with tension and it left me guessing till the end. You develop a real sympathy for Alex and his plight.

The book is very well written and researched and a book I would highly recommend.

Thanks, Luke, and thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending us a copy. It’s out for you to buy this month…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Sarah…

Traitor’s Kiss by Pauline Francis 

This is the captivating true story of the young Elizabeth I, as she struggles to survive the treacherous world of Tudor England. After the death of her father, Henry VIII, a young Elizabeth journeys to London to live with her father’s widow, Katherine Parr, and her new husband, Thomas Seymour, brother-in-law to King Edward. Surrounded by malicious whisperings of her late mother’s witchcraft, Elizabeth is desperate to escape suspicion and discover the truth about her mother. A young stranger asserting Anne’s Boleyn’s innocence sends her on search a that takes her on a dangerous midnight journey to Bedlam, the hospital for the insane, to meet her mother’s former lady-in-waiting. This encounter changes the way she views her mother – and herself. Meanwhile, at home, Elizabeth’s reputation is increasingly under threat, as her stepfather, Thomas Seymour makes unwanted advances toward her. Her stepmother witnesses a kiss and Elizabeth is sent back to Hertfordshire in disgrace. Here she falls seriously ill and rumours abound that she is hiding a pregnancy. When Thomas Seymour is arrested for treason in a plot to overthrow King Edward, Elizabeth is implicated by association. Now it is up to her to defend her integrity – and her life…From the author of the best-selling Raven Queen comes a new masterpiece of historical fiction.

Traitor’s Kiss is a fast moving story based around the early life of Queen Elizabeth I when she was still a young princess and sister to King Edward VI.

The novel is based around real life events and follows Elizabeth as she tries to find out information which may prove her mother Anne Boleyn was innocent. In the dangerous Tudor world of plots and accusations; Elizabeth soon finds that her quest may lead her into great peril.

The plot of this novel is gripping, we are taken from the beauty and splendour of the rich Tudor courts to the shocking horror found at the depths of Bedlam. To make matters harder for Elizabeth, her stepfather Thomas Seymour (husband of Katherine Parr; Henry VIII’s last wife) makes unwanted advances towards her and compromises her position in the household. A new accusation soon takes shape with Elizabeth herself at the centre of a terrifying scandal. Traitor’s Kiss is told in the first person from Elizabeth’s point of view, which makes the reader feel that they’re really there witnessing these events first hand. Elizabeth comes across and as self assured and somewhat naïve at the same time. It is definitely a different portrayal to the side of Elizabeth I that we are usually shown.

Overall, Traitor’s Kiss is a real page turner and I felt that I didn’t want to put this book down. I also really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth’s early life, which I knew little about. This is a great historical fiction novel that I would recommend to anyone interested in the Tudor and Elizabethan periods and in historical fiction in general.

Thanks, Sarah, and thanks to Usborne Children’s Books for sending us a copy. It’s out now and here for you to buy now…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Pamela…

No Use Crying – Zannah Kearns

Secrets, secrets, secrets, she thought. It’s just another word for lying. The discovery of a grandfather Niki thought had died years ago means a sudden move to London and the start of a whole new life. Niki has to learn quickly to fit in and survive in the school halls and on the tough streets. And at the same time she must get to know her grandad and come to terms with the fact that her mum has been hiding the truth. But when Niki suddenly discovers her mum’s biggest lie of all, could it change their relationship – and Niki’s own sense of identity – for good?

Life is simple for fourteen-year-old Nikita. Niki and mum Angie, live with the Monroes and their dog Popper in the quiet hamlet of Oakley. But when Niki comes home one day, she is delivered a bombshell of a shock. They are leaving the first stable home Niki has had for years to move to London…to stay with a grandfather Niki thought to be dead. But it turns out, that wasn’t all Angie lied about.

It’s tough starting over in a new place – even tougher to be a private school, posh-sounding Afro-Caribbean who doesn’t understand the slang at a hard-as-nails Tooting comprehensive.

Niki’s life is now filled with things she doesn’t understand – why people of colour ridicule other races – why her mother lied about her grandfather being dead – why she won’t talk about her father and why people would want to hurt people they don’t even know. Niki’s story was a pleasure to read and I thought she was a very strong character, incredibly likeable and sympathetic. No Use Crying is primarily Niki’s story to tell, but she holds all the strands of the subplots together, making them just as interesting and moving as her own. Angie’s relationship with her own father was thought-provoking and even brought a tear to my eye.

No Use Crying was an amazing, emotional rollercoaster of a read. A perfect coming of age story that will benefit many teens, ranging from the younger to older readers. Parents alike could learn a thing or two from this starkly honest debut novel.

Thanks, Pamela, and thanks to Frances Lincoln for sending us a copy to review. It’s out this month and here for you to buy now…

Today we’re taking part in The Last Seal blog tour, so here Jonathan reviews it for us…

The Last Seal by Richard Denning 

What caused the Great Fire of London? The Last Seal offers an explanation… September 1666: a struggle between two secret societies threatens to destroy London. Three hundred years previously the Praesidum defeated and incarcerated a demon beneath the city. Now the Liberati aim to release it and gain its power for themselvesAgents of the King are seeking four suspected foreign spies who are, in reality, disparate and unlikely heroes: GABRIEL, the sole remaining member of the Praesidum, crippled by his fear of failure; FREYA, a young thief orphaned by the Great Plague, driven by poverty and self-interest; TOBIAS, a cynical physician, obsessed by his desire for vengeance against the Liberati cavalier who killed his father, and finally and most vitally, BEN, a Westminster schoolboy, whose guilt over his parents’ death threatens to destroy him. Yet these four must overcome their personal problems and work together if they are to foil the evil plans of the Liberati, protect the city and gain the means to defeat the demon. Thrown together by chance when Ben finds an ancient scroll revealing the location of arcane seals that bind the demon beneath London, the story launches into a battle between the Liberati and Praesidium, a battle which takes place within the Great Fire of London. Ultimately, Ben and his friends must confront and defeat both the demon and the evils of the Liberati to save their city and themselves.

The first chapter of the book explains haw a powerful Warlock released a demon called Dantalion. But very soon after the Demon had been released it was imprisoned in a stone tablet by a man in an organisation called the Praesidium. The rest of the book is set in 1666 right at the beginning of September.

Ben who is a school boy at Westminster had his parents killed by a small fire 6 months ago.  The last thing his Dad gave him was a necklace with a strange engraving of a portcullis on it. He has run off during his Latin class to try and do something more exiting in the rest of London. He soon comes to a book shop that mysteriously has the same sign as on his necklace. He goes in and is looking about when a strange man walks in and threatens the shop owner, Gabriel, and asks for a scroll. Ben leaves and Gabriel slips the scroll into Ben’s bag without anyone realising. Later upon reading the scroll Ben finds the Portcullis symbol on it and also realises it is information on how to release Dantalion. What will Ben do?

This book is good because it mixes magic and historical fact into one story. I found some parts of this book tedious because it has too much detail, but overall it was quite good. I would rate it 17/20.

Thanks, Jonathan! To find out more about the book, the author and the blog tour, check it all out here. The next stop on the tour will be on the 16th September, at Ya Yeah Yeah. You can buy it here now..