I am reading a lot of Junior fiction at the moment as I started a new teaching job and am teaching new texts. Reading new material and making new resources are my favourite things to do. I have particularly loved 'Prince of Mist' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and 'The Good Thieves' by Katherine Rundell. Super choices for 11- 14/15 year olds.

This was super! It was quite similar to 'Little Fires Everywhere' in that the types of characters, relationships and messages were similar, but they are so good that it doesn't matter... I love Ng's writing and the awareness she brings to the reader of different life experiences is so important ✨️

It says a lot about my mood that I have just read two Katee Robert's back to back! Sometimes only a little romance and a whole lot of spice can provide the escapism that I currently need in my life! These are both great... but super spicy 🌶🌶❤️❤️😉

Sunshine and smut 🌶💛🌞
I love this Dark Olympus series!

Curled up in bed with Corey to finish this one. I flew through this, it was a pacey read that definitely kept me gripped. The context of Nigeria was central and was so interesting, as was the idea of mob mentality and the why did it happen, as opposed to whodunnit. I felt the narrative style was a bit jarring at times and because it was fast paced there were elements that felt under developed. However, I will def read the next one in the series.

My fave in this series so far! I am feeling much warmer towards these characters and am beginning to understand the love people have for it . .. although, it's still no ACOTAR!

This was not what I expected, I thought it was going to be a typical, comfortable whodunnit, but what it really was, was hilariously, darkly witty. Tension and suspense were combined with astute and beautifully crafted domestic observations- it was such a good read! A real surprising wee find- it is a rerelease of a Faber classic; it was Waterstones Book of the Month in July, and that's what made me pick it up, and I'm so glad I did!!!

Made some pancakes and finished my book.... like my pancakes, this was fluffy and warm lol....unlike the pancakes, it was seriously spicy 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Eating and reading rubbish 😉

Excellent! I love this series and this was possibly the best yet! It is so much more than a murder mystery or whodunnit .... it made laugh out loud and even managed to make me feel quite tearful at certain moments. There is definitely a complicated underlying discussion on feminism and the way it impacts all relationships- it is subtly sewn into the characters and plot. There is just so much to enjoy and digest her- loved it 🧡👍

Happy Saturday! Coffee and a book (a good book) while Lily has a riding lesson .... best time of the week 💞🐎☕️🍫📚

Matching my nails to my current reread! I've had a spate of not terrific reads, so I've delved into an old fave to boost my desire to keep reading ... I get a bit discouraged when I get a run of not-so-terrific books. I'm going to follow this up with the next Cormoran Strike novel, Troubled Blood, as I know that won't let me down 👍✨️

The cover is fabulous .... the rest of the book is not! Oh dear, it was only sheer pig headed determination that made me actually finish this .... ugh! Sorry, that is harsh, but it really is just a mish mash of other stories and King even allows that there is nothing new in there, nothing original.... Mind you, everyone is different and I get that some people will love it- fair play! 💖

Literally haven't read any Stephen King since I was a teenager!

This is a tough one for me to review as it was so gorgeously written that I really enjoyed reading it ... that being said it was sllllooooowwwww! I love a slow burn but this was so slow it was fizzling out. Also, the parallel story of Hadley the actress wasn't present enough to make any real impact... although I did like the ending! Also, does anyone want to come sort out these bookshelves for me!?

Summer reading has started 🌻🌞📚

I am ridiculously stubborn and forced my way through this book.. and about ¾ of the way through I kind of got why some people love it! The world building and politics are intense... I know more about the history and religions of this world than I do about the real world! It felt like it could have been 3 or 4 separate books, but the epic rush to the final battle was very clever and I did enjoy it ... to a degree. 🍊🍊🍊

I'm only 124 pages in, and not going to lie, I'm struggling ... do I keep going!? This gets so many good reviews, but I'm just not feeling it 😕 Cody the kitten is more interested than I am lol

You know it's good when the plot is nearly secondary to the writing and characters! These just keep getting better 💙 Also, peony season is my fave 😍

The weather is gorgeous in N Ireland at the mo, so lots of reading in the garden in these lovely warm, bright evenings 🌤💛

Matching my nails to my novel! Love this sweetly funny book. My Senior book club have chosen this as their summer holiday read- a perfect choice for sunny days 💙💛

Unpopular opinion- this series is not a patch on ACOTAR or CC! I genuinely don't get the fuss! I appreciate SJM's world building and characters.... but the writing...... the repeated cliche phrases and the timing!!! Wtf with pace.... it always explodes in the last 50 pages!? Sorry, it's not awful,it's just frustrating.

Not a book recommendation, but a good one all the same! This is so clever and funny and moving and heart wrenching.... just watch it 💞💞💞💞💞

Finished my reread of this beautiful book. I think loved it even more the second time round- it is so moving and human. Highly recommend...although the themes of grief, death, suicide and Cancer are dealt with in a sensitive but brutally honest manner- it's good to be aware. Can't wait to see the film...although I'm nervous, I've heard it isn't a patch on the book. Anybody seen it? X

Rereading this before I go to see the film ❤️

I had forgotten just how good this is! It really leads you through the full spectrum of emotions- from laughter to tears to heartwrenching moments of gentle beauty....one of my all time faves! All pupils should have to study this! I reread it to help my son who is currently studying it ❤️

This is fabulous! The lessons we learn from those that care for us (or don't care) and those we learn from the world around us, shape us and we, often unintentionally, pass those onto the next generation...and so the cycle continues....unless it is intentionally broken. This is heart breaking, 'triggering' and darkly amusing. This took me some time to get through as it was one that required all my concentration; I probably need to read it again!

Happy Sunday morning! This is my daughter, Norah's, current fave book. She can quote it and finish the sentences and I am reading it in my dreams 🙄🦑🐙

Birthday book haul! Going on an Ian McEwan binge as I'm going to hear him speak at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy at the end of the month! Any McEwan recommendations? I'm reading Lessons at the minute!

Coffee and a good book is happiness....I'm easy to please. I'm still not entirely convinced by this SJM series.....it's no ACOTAR! At least I now know who Aelin is!!!! Not sure how I feel about Chaol.... or Dorian!? 🤔

Great wee read! Loved the narrative structure and the pace of the novel. It covers a number of years but it isn't at all laborious .... and the ending is really moving. Look forward to watching it on Prime! 🎶🎸🎸🎸🎸

Happy Easter everyone! I got this gorgeous edition of 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' in a charity shop- it was 3 books for a £1!!!! 💛

Best in the series so far! These just keep getting better and I really didn't see the twist coming at the end 🙊 Highly recommend... I'm off now to watch the 3rd series .... I won't let myself watch until I've read each book lol.

This was recommended by a student! It was a pretty powerful read. I haven't read any other Heather Morris books, but I will now. I felt the writing style was a bit sparse and straightforward.... but because this was a true story, and a gut wrenching one at that, maybe that was a good thing!?

One of my all time faves. I finished this today with my Year 9 class! C S Lewis's childhood home, 'Little Lea' is literally around the corner to the school I teach in ... I have been known to peer through the gates 😉

I've been teaching this novella for 17 years and it never gets old. Every year, even the hardest pupils, react to the ending... I love seeing my students react to literature 💛

Loved this because it made me so conflicted .... was I supposed to dislike Margery Kemp so much? I loved Julian the Anchoress! Is this a normal response to these women???? Anybody read this and feel the same? Corey, my cat, had no strong feelings on the matter 🙄🐈‍⬛

Happy St Patrick's Day from N Ireland ☘️🍀
This is my book of the year (so far).....flipping gorgeous! Bittersweet and so clever; spanning countries and time periods with beautiful threads that tie the whole thing together 💚

Smut, snow and seriously good coffee ... don't judge, but this is bliss.... although I really do HATE driving in snow!!!

Read this in a couple of nights.... it is blizzarding here in NI tonight and this is def the book for curling up in front of the fire with.... creepy, eerie but also so beautiful. ❄️👍

The book is good, the coffee is good and watching Lil ride is good....all good 👍

I'm a day late but I hope you all had a wonderful World Book Day 🌏 📚 nothing unites like a love of literature 💛

I have a real soft spot for decently written smut 🤷‍♀️ Katee Robert writes ridiculously spicy books and manages to inject romance in characters that I actually care about. The plot is a bit thin, but because it is part of a series, I can see an overarching plot beginning to emerge and that really helps the narrative structure.... I liked it! 👍 ❤️✨️

Ok, so I just finished listening to this today .... and I just don't know what to say .... it's fascinating, but also unbearably sad and completely surreal, especially when Harry is reading it to you. Part of me wants to hug him and the other part wants to give him a shake! 💔🤯

Smut, coffee and horse riding = perfect Saturday morning 🌶📚☕️🐎

Finished this reread at 2am this morning... even on second read I couldn't put it down- I was, again, sucked into Henry and Clare's gorgeous love story. I can't wait to discuss this with my Senior Book Club in school. I have read some pretty scathing reviews of this ... and I can see that some of it is potentially problematic...Etta and Kimy? Grooming? Any thoughts? ✨️❤️📚

My daughter, Lily, is 10 and she highly recommends this series. It seems to be a Nancy Drewesque series that is good for kids who are graduating from 'Secret Seven' and 'Famous Five'. It seems to use some great extended vocab and it definitely made Lil think 👍💛

'Throne of Glass' was definitely better than 'Assassin's Blade'. I'm beginning to realise that SJM has stock characters that make her series' all a bit samey...although, to be fair, they are good characters! Starting a reread of an all-time fave- 'The Time Traveler's Wife'. Am reading with my Senior Book Club in school 💛👍

I would have rated this a pick if I didn't feel like I need to read it again...I definitely missed something first time through it. There is a dark underlying current that I didn't entirely understand because it is wrapped up in a beautiful, sparse prose. It was bizarre... But in a good way 🤷‍♀️

Finished 'The Assassin's Blade' and have started 'The Book of Goose'. Unpopular opinion, but I'm not a massive fan of SJM's writing.... but I generally fall in love with her characters. However, I just didn't really get Celaena, for such a badass, she was oddly immature and naive, blundering through her adventures in a self-obsessed and shallow way...but maybe that is supposed to reflect her age and allow for dramatic character development 🤔