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On Writing: World Building
Hey everyone, how is it going? So I recently mentioned that I might do some posts about writing and I got a very positive response, so first of all thank you for that, and secondly I guess this means you’re about to see several of these posts on my blog. Don’t worry, book blog readers, I promise I won’t be changing the theme of this blog– I’ll just be talking about writing alongside my book reviews and articles. In the coming days, I’ll also be hopefully posting up videos for youtube which cover the same topics, so if you’d prefer to listen to me bumble about writing instead, then you…
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City of Ghosts Book Review
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab From Goodreads: Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one. When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the…
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Posts About Writing?
Okay guys, so this is more of a question/poll than an actual post. I’ve recently gotten back into writing and querying, as well as doing some buddy writing and other things. A while ago, I uploaded some writing advice posts. At the time I felt like I had said about all I was comfortable saying about writing, especially given that I’m not an expert and I don’t work in the industry. Part of this reservation also stemmed from the fact that, when I started my blog, I was done drafting and editing The Heir of Ink and Magic and had already been through a few rounds of querying. However, I’m now embarking…
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Onyx and Ivory Book Review
Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett From Goodreads: They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs…
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Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? Book Review
Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? by Holly Bourne From Goodreads: Welcome to Camp Reset, a summer camp with a difference. A place offering a shot at “normality” for Olive, a girl on the edge, and for the new friends she never expected to make – who each have their own reasons for being there. Luckily Olive has a plan to solve all their problems. But how do you fix the world when you can’t fix yourself? Thanks so much to my awesome friend Moon for buying me a copy of this book at YALC. The novel was released a few days early at the convention, and I did read it…
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Writing Advice: Pitching to Agents in Person
Hello, everyone and welcome to a special writing advice post today. I recently got back from YALC, where there was an agent arena that allowed people to pitch to agents, and it got me thinking that now would be a good time to post about the mechanics of that, and how to improve your book’s chances of getting noticed. What is pitching? It’s where you either meet an agent face to face or you do a social media event where you get to discuss your book for a limited amount of time. Face to face pitching is very like a job interview [but with less questions from the interviewer]. The…
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My [Secret] YouTube Life Book Review
My [Secret] YouTube Life by Charlotte Seager From Goodreads: What if your favourite YouTuber’s life was a lie? What if you were the one to expose it? YouTuber LilyLoves has an amazing life: a rockstar boyfriend, a totally Insta-worthy London flat and a collection of beauty products that seems to grow daily (thanks, PO Box). Sixteen-year-old Melissa’s life is way less amazing – LilyLoves is the only thing getting her through it. She’s Lily’s biggest fan and spends hours each night watching her videos and liking her posts. Melissa wants that life for herself – or at least to look like she has it . . . As Melissa starts to grow…
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How Do You Like Me Now Book Review
How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne From Goodreads: ‘Turning thirty is like playing musical chairs. The music stops, and everyone just marries whoever they happen to be sitting on.’ Who the f*ck is Tori Bailey? There’s no doubt that Tori is winning the game of life. A straight-talking, bestselling author, she’s inspired millions of women around the world with her self-help memoir. And she has the perfect relationship to boot. But Tori Bailey has been living a lie. Her long-term boyfriend won’t even talk about marriage, but everyone around her is getting engaged and having babies. And when her best friend Dee – her plus one, the only person…
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Save the Date Book Review
Save the Date by Morgan Matson From Goodreads: Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect. The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster. There’s the…
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A Skinful of Shadows Book Review
A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge From Goodreads: This is the story of a bear-hearted girl . . . Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding. Twelve-year-old Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts which try to possess her in the night, desperate for refuge, but one day a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard. And now there’s a spirit inside her. The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, and it may be her only defence when she is sent to live with her father’s rich and powerful ancestors. There is talk…
