Archive for October 2018

Recommended Reads: Books Selected by Book Bloggers. Featuring @robdog60 @EntertaininglyN @LiteraryElf @Chrikaru

I love to find out what other book bloggers are reading, and what they thought of books. I've discovered some awesome reads by checking out book blogs and reading reviews. This is why I like to do these round up posts to showcase the books that other book bloggers rated highly.

It also gives me the chance to spread the love to the book blogging community. I love how supportive everyone is and this is just a little way I can give back.

So here we go, prepare yourself to add more books to your TBR...

You might also like: Ways To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

Recommended Reads by Book Bloggers

@robdog60 recommends The Warning by Kathryn Croft

Recommended Reads Selected by Book Bloggers

About the book:

My little boy’s room was empty, his bed neatly made. Alarm bells should have rung immediately. Then the knock on the door came. All I remember is a thick fog wrapping itself tightly around me. This couldn’t be happening to us.

Three years ago, nurse Zoe's son Ethan was found drowned in a muddy river by their home, along with his best friend Josh. With no witnesses, their deaths were ruled a tragic accident.

Heartbroken, Zoe and her family, move away from her home. They’re just beginning to get back to some kind of normality, when, out of the blue, Zoe receives an anonymous email:

You need to find out the truth about what happened to your son. Don’t let this rest. Don’t believe the lie.

Shaken, Zoe starts an obsessive hunt for the truth. But why is her husband so reluctant to help?
And why is Josh’s mother so determined not to believe her?

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller about a mother’s desperate search for the truth. Fans of The Girl on the Train, and Gone Girl will be hooked from the very first page.

Check out the review at: http://www.robinlovesreading.com/2018/10/blog-blitz-warning.html

@EntertaininglyN recommends The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson

About the book:

Ever since Riley Thomas, reluctant medium extraordinaire, accidentally released a malevolent spirit from a Ouija board when she was thirteen, she’s taken a hard pass on scary movies, haunted houses, and cemeteries. So when her best friend pressures her into spending a paranormal investigation weekend at the infamous Jordanville Ranch—former home of deceased serial killer Orin Jacobs—Riley is one-hundred-percent not ready.

Shortly after their arrival at the ranch, the spirit of a little boy contacts Riley; a child who went missing—and was never found—in 1973.

In order to put the young boy’s spirit to rest, she has to come to grips with her ability. But how can she solve a mystery that happened a decade before she was born? Especially when someone who knows Orin’s secrets wants to keep the truth buried—no matter the cost.

Check out the review at: https://entertaininglynerdy.com/paranormal-mystery/#more-443

@LiteraryElf recommends Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

About the book:

THE EPIC NEW NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BOOK THIEF

'If The Book Thief was a novel that allowed Death to steal the show... [its] brilliantly illuminated follow-up is affirmatively full of life.' Guardian

'This is a tale of love, art and redemption; rowdy and joyous.' Times

'Bridge of Clay is one of those monumental books that can draw you across space and time' Washington Post

Here is a story told inside out and back to front

Five Dunbar brothers are living – fighting, loving, grieving – in the perfect chaos of a house without grown-ups. Today, the father who left them has just walked right back in.
He has a surprising request: Who will build a bridge with him?

It is Clay, a boy tormented by a long-buried secret, who accepts. But why is Clay so broken? And why must he fulfil this extraordinary challenge?

Bridge of Clay is about a boy caught in a current, a boy intent on destroying everything he has in order to become everything he needs to be. Ahead of him lies the bridge, the vision that will save both his family and himself.

It will be a miracle and nothing less.

At once an existential riddle and a search for redemption, this tale of five brothers coming of age in a house with no rules brims with energy, joy and pathos. Written in Markus Zusak's distinctive style, it is a tour de force from a master storyteller of the heart.

Check out the review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2563010871

@Chrikaru recommends Ascension by Victor Dixen

About the book:

'This thrilling space odyssey will keep you turning pages late into the night' C. J. Daugherty, author of NIGHT SCHOOL

Six girls, six boys. Each in the two separate bays of a single spaceship. They have six minutes each week to seduce and to make their choices, under the unblinking eye of the on-board cameras. They are the contenders in the Genesis programme, the world's craziest speed-dating show ever, aimed at creating the first human colony on Mars.

Leonor, an 18 year old orphan, is one of the chosen ones.
She has signed up for glory.
She has signed up for love.
She has signed up for a one-way ticket.
Even if the dream turns to a nightmare, it is too late for regrets.

Check out the review at: https://chrikarublog.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/book-review-ascension/

@theartsyreader1 recommends A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

About the book:

A companion tale to Sarah J. Maas's #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Rosesseries that takes place several months after the explosive events of A Court of Wings and Ruin

Told from the perspectives of Feyre, Rhys and other key characters, this story bridges the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming novels in the series.
Feyre, Rhys and their companions are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated – scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Check out the review at: http://theartsyreader.com/book-review-a-court-of-frost-and-starlight-sarah-j-maas/

Have you read any of these? Which ones will you be adding to your TBR?

You might also like: Awesome Reads: Book Recommendations From Book Bloggers

Tips For Getting Kids To Read

I love spreading the joy of reading, even more so when it's to children. It's a special feeling as an author when someone tells me they read one of my books to their kid and the kid asked to read it again... and again... and again.

Beginning a child's favourite author is one of the best feelings ever. You become part of their magically journey to becoming a future reader and book lover.

For today's post I wanted to share some ideas for how you can encourage a love of reading from a young age, and raise your own bibliophile.

Read to them/together

Introducing kids to books at a young age is the first step. It's never too early to read to them. I started reading books to my kids when they were babies. It was soothing for them to hear my voice, and as they got older they knew that books meant quite time to snuggle with mummy.

Just because they might be too young to read themselves doesn't mean they won't enjoy being read to.

Rhyming books tend to go down particularly well with younger kids. Books by Julia Donaldson were (and still are) household favourites for us. I know The Gruffalo off by heart from having read it to them so many times. My kids do too.

Explore alternative ways of enjoying a story

Not got a lot of free time to sit and read to them? We all lead busy lives and finding the time, and energy, at the end of a busy day is not always easy. The good news is you can still build your child's love of reading by getting them some audio book versions. My kids loved (and still love it) when they have an audio CD to go with the book. These are great for the evening to get them to relax before bed. You tuck them in and let them fall asleep listening to the story.

Encourage independent reading

They should also have the chance to "read" for themselves as they get older. There are a lot of cardboard, and plastic covered soft books available. These formats allow the child to explore the book by themselves without the risk of damaging it or hurting themselves (no paper cuts :)). Perfect for toddlers.

Make reading fun

Interactive books are great for younger kids too. There are lots of books out there that have different textures and materials on the pages, buttons to press, etc... Some even come with a built in puppet to make reading time extra fun. They all have in common the fact that they teach the child that reading and books are fun.

Go beyond the book

Another way to encourage a love of books in children is to create activities to go with the book they're reading. This is why I set up a board on Pinterest to go with my children's picture story book The Box (check out the board here). It's packed with ideas of crafts you can make with a simple cardboard box.

I'm not the only one that thought to do this.

Jennifer Miller (@jlmiller516 ) from raisethemrighteous.com shared this will me:

"I make reading into an event with my three-year-old. When we read Blueberries for Sal for the first time we made blueberry muffins. "

I've also had reviews posted to the Amazon page of The Box that comment on this. Here's an example of one of the reviews:

"The Box took me right back to my childhood and my children's childhood. Now, I can read it to my grandchildren and tell them how I played with a box and how their Mom or Dad did. Jo Linsdell has written a fun book with illustrations that will touch your heart and take you back in time. It has just the right number of words and sentences to connect to your toddler's imagination and stay within their attentive span. When I get a new book for the grandchildren I often bring something to go with it like seeds and a shovel for a book about a garden. How neat is this. I will only need to find a discarded box! Imagination is a wonderful thing to promote. This really does deserve 5 stars."

Jennifer Miller (@jlmiller516 ) from raisethemrighteous.com also had a suggestion for slightly older kids.

I teach graphic memoir at a university. To get students engaged I have them create their own graphic memoirs. They love it and get a better sense of how to read a memoir when they write one.

Visit the library

Take your kids to your local library when you can. A lot of libraries offer group reading sessions and other activities. It also means you'll have a large supply of reading materials to discover. Our local library is specifically for children (you can take a behind the scenes tour here), but many libraries have a special children's area.

Let them pick their books

Whilst you can suggest books you think your child might enjoy reading, it's best to let them choose their own books.

My 10 year old loves reading the Scooby Doo mystery series, as does his 7 year old brother. In fact, they often read them together, and have read most of the series. Here's an example of one of the books. Whilst the eldest is at an age where he can read more grown up books (less pictures, more text), he still enjoys reading these. As long as he enjoys reading I don't care what type of book he chooses. He has plenty of time in the future to discover other books for the older age range.

Show YOUR love of reading

Kids learn by example. If they see you reading, and enjoying/talking about books, they will most likely want to read more themselves.

Books are a big part of my life and so my kids have grown up seeing me reading most days, and a house full of books. They ask about the books I'm reading, especially if it's one they have an interest in themselves e.g. The Percy Jackson series.

Whilst we don't go into details about the thrillers I read (I don't want to scare them), they will ask what the book is about and I'll give a very simplified version to them. They will then ask every so often if I've worked out who did it.

They get particularly excited when I manage to read a book in one sitting. To them this means I have some kind of super power, and usually leads to a discussion about the book, reading, and/or books in general.