Let It Snow

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Paperback, 368 pages

Published 5th September 2013 by Penguin UK
(First published October 1st 2008)

My shelves: books-i-own, contemporary, christmas-books, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, really-good, short-stories, young-adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle - bring all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.

This was just what I wanted and just what I expected from these three talented young-adult authors. I have read a few of Green's books, one of Johnson's and not yet read anything from Myracle, but with the hype surrounding all three of them, I had high expectations and it's safe to say that they were met! This book is separated into three relatively short stories, but they all entwine. It's hard to tell that the stories are written by seperate authors as the style, quality and humour is constant from beginning to end.

The Jubilee Express is the first story in this book, written by Maureen Johnson. I've read Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes and really enjoyed it, but this was something quite different. Her writing was still very fun and humourous, but it also felt like it was more mature. This was probably my favourite of the three stories in the book. Even though it wasn't exactly the most realistic story you could find, it was extremely enjoyable. Jubilee was a really individual, quirky character that I grew to really like in a short space of time and I loved what became of her and Stuart. Johnson does an incredible job of setting the scene of a very snowy Gracetown and left me wanting more.

John Green's A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle was next which introduced us to more characters as well as continuing to develop characters that were in the previous story. I thought that this was definitely the funniest of the three tales and it had the most action. The romance that was established between Tobin and the Duke was my favourite as it just felt so natural between the characters - Green really managed to connect the characters together and ensure us that they were well bonded friends. The characters aren't perfect, but this just made them even more loveable.

Lauren Myracle's The Patron Saint of Pigs was probably the least strong of these stories, but this doesn't mean that it was bad, in fact it was enjoyable, with yet more development of previously mentioned characters. I didn't manage to connect with Addie as much as I did with the protagonists of the previous stories as I didn't really like her - she didn't have the same charming quality as the others. The main issue for me was the ending of this one as it seemed as though she was trying forcibly to get all of the mentioned characters (which was quite a few!) to intermingle. However, it was nice to see everything, and everyone, come together by the end of the book.

Overall, this was a lighthearted read that really managed to put me into the festive mood. The time period of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, alongside the snow covered setting of Gracetown was perfect for this time of year. I could've easily devoured this book in one sitting. The stories were charming, the romances slightly predictable but extremely enthralling, and most of all, they were fun. This is definitely something that I'd recommend and I can't wait to read more from these authors!

Angelfall (Penryn & The End of Days #1)

Angelfall (Penryn & The End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

Paperback, 272 pages

Published May 23rd 2013 by Hodder and Stoughton

My shelves: angels-demons, apocalyptic, better-than-expected, books-i-own, dystopian, fantasy, horror, really-good, sci-fi, series-or-companions, young-adult

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

If I'm being honest, I was a little weary of reading this book. It seemed to appear from nowhere, it was first self published and it was only available as an eBook for a long time. Sure, none of these things mean that it will necessarily be bad, but it didn't endear me to the idea of Angelfall - I'm one of those people who likes physical books. When I heard that it was finally being made into a paperback, I was delighted! I found that it was a real treasure and in fact far better than many other post-apocalyptic young-adult books that have been commercially released recently and in the past few years. It is evident that Ee has a talent for writing and it felt as every word had been carefully thought out and was important in this book.

The story does feel slightly commercial in the way that I feel as though it will appeal to many people. It seemed like an amalgamation of factors from other released books, but adapted. I certainly don't mean that this feels like a copy of other books, but that it does certain familiarities to several other things that I have read. However, the story is new, fresh and exciting. I have never read a book about Angels that has gripped me or that I have enjoyed as much as I did with this.

From the first page, I got thrown into the post-apocalyptic setting which was both fascinating and frightening. Ee has done a wonderful job of making everything seem very vivid and as though we are seeing things through Penryn's eyes. The writing and emotion feels authentic, raw and bold. From start to finish, the book is very eventful and had me on the edge of my seat. There was a certain addictive quality, just wanting to know where Penryn would take us next and what she would see. Most of what Penryn does see is gruesome and Ee creates some extremely macabre, horrifying and unsettling scenes.

Nothing seems to stop Penryn from the search for her family. We are given a strong protagonist, a fantastic heroine. Around her are many more curious characters, including her abducted sister, Paige, and Penryn's mother, who is mentally unstable and claims to talk to demons - these both seem to be especially complex characters that I'm interested to watch develop. Raffe, the angel that is alongside Penryn for the majority of this book, is shown to have ethereal beauty and a strong personality, without any flowery writing, which was refreshing. The relationship between Penryn and Raffe was interesting to read about, as Raffe is essentially one of the enemies, simply by being an angel. I found Dee and Dum to provide some joviality to the harsh background of the apocalypse and I absolutely loved them.

There are a few things that if revealed would have helped me to understand things more, such as a little more information about the mythology and the reason of the apocalypse, but this is the first in a series and so I hope that, and assume it will be, explained further on in the next books which I simply can't wait to be released!

Dark Inside

Moments after several huge earthquakes shake every continent on Earth, something strange starts happening. An inner rage has been released and some people cannot fight it. For those who can, life becomes a battle to survive . . .

Are you ready to face the Dark Inside?

Something different today - I have been told by the publisher that DARK INSIDE by Jeyn Roberts will be released in the UK in paperback very soon! I actually read the book when it was first released in the UK in hardback and I really enjoyed it, so I'd like to bring your attention to it. I gave it a very firm four stars and wrote this short review of it, last year:

"Dark Inside was a fantastic yet disturbing read. Although I shouldn't judge books by their cover, it looked a bit boy orientated which I found a little peturbing after finding Grant's Gone disappointing. The story was interesting and easy to follow. Right from the beginning, I was thrown into a world that had been completely shaken up by an earthquake and the consequent turning of a group of humans into zombies. This is my first zombie novel and it surprised me how much I liked it. The zombies weren't described as being overly gruesome but were infact quite hard to distinguish from humans, which made them even more frightening and dangerous. There seemed to always be some tension between the main characters and whoever they met, for this reason, which really built up the suspense. The story is told in four points of view, by Mason, Michael, Clementine and Aries, all of whom I found to be very interesting and well developed. It was interesting to see how their different situations in different places affected them. The 'Nothing' point of view was effective, but I did think it could've been developed some more. I found the whole situation to be really captivating and the writing was good. The descriptions really did make me feel unnerved at points, the atmosphere was terrifying and on-edge. There was action throughout but it wasn't too much, the book did feel well balanced. I wasn't wholly satisfied with the ending and though it was nice to see the protagonists unite, I think it could've been even more exciting and expanded upon. This was much better than expected and I'd love to see more from Roberts."

I am so excited that I have since found out that this will be a series and can't wait to get my hands on the next book! If you haven't already read it, I'd urge you to pick this up and give it a go! The paperback will be released 24th May 2012 by Macmillan Kids.

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A Little Wanting Song

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

Paperback, 288 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Random House

(First published April 28th 2005)

My shelves: books-i-own, contemporary, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, young-adult
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads

A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords. . . .
CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.
ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.
Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

My Review

I had been quite excited to read this book, but unfortunately it wasn't as good as I thought it could be. I am a massive fan of contemporary/coming of age young adult literature and had high hopes for this book. I did enjoy this book, it was a quick and easy read, but it wasn't as good as  had expected it to be. I wasn't truly absorbed until about half way through the book, where I began to feel more knowledgable about the characters. Music isn't particularly my favourite subject either, and this is one main aspect of the book - this did tire me slightly at points. 

A Little Wanting Song follows two protagonists, Charlie and Rose. They are both characters that are reasonably easy to connect with (though I took a little time adjusting to Rose) but there isn't really anything about either of them that I really loved, although they did feel like very real characters. There were quite strong differences between the two in their thoughts and personalities, but their voices were very similar and at points it was a little difficult to differentiate between them. Unfortunately, because of this, the novel was not as brilliant as it could have been. Dave, Charlie's romantic interest and Rose's best friend, is likeable and had potential to be a strong character, but I thought that the romance was a bit too sudden. I simply just did not like Luke, Rose's boyfriend, but it would've been interesting to see why he acted the way he did. I did appreciate how everyone introduced to us did have a particular purpose or impact upon our protagonists lives, and that they also felt very realistic.

The relationships that are developed in this book are the main basis of this book and they are explored well. It was really interesting to see how Charlie and Rose interacted and how their friendship progressed. I enjoyed seeing them both overcome their internal struggles with their families, their past and their present troubles. Charlie, especially, had a lot of issues with her familial relationships, particularly her father, after the death of her mother several years ago. Crowley is talented in getting deep into the emotional states of her characters, it's clear to see, and this is why the book is enjoyable. It did take me a little while to adjust to Crowley's writing style but her writing is simple, yet good. I was surprised with how she made me feel quite strong emotion through certain phrases or paragraphs, rather than through specific events.

This book wasn't particularly remarkable or memorable, but it was enjoyable. It's a simple and quick enough read, but the characters and relationships were surprisingly complex. I will look forward to reading more of Cath Crowley's books in the future, but this one just didn't strike me as great.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Paperback, 260 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Ember

(First published October 26th 2010)

My shelves: books-i-own, christmas-books, cover-appeal, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, young-adult, contemporary, really-good
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

My Review

From the very first page, I knew that I would love this book. It grabbed me from the first page and failed to let me go. Although I was slightly disappointed by Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, written by the same two authors, I was still very excited to read this book and rightly so.

The story is told in two alternating points of view from Dash and Lily. Both characters are very well developed and their personalities are very distinct. I loved both characters as they both felt very unique and it was easy to connect with both of them. Dash is described as a bookish, snarly type and Lily is a quirky but usually sensible girl, looking for some adventure. The characters both felt very natural and unlike others that I have read about before. Dash and Lily had fantastic chemistry and they complimented each other. Their friendship and the progression of it wasn't cliché and it had all of the awkwardness that you'd expect from two people meeting in the way that they did - this made them all that more endearing. The humour in this book was also excellent and give me a lot of laughs throughout.

I thought the main form of communication in this novel - notes via a red Moleskine notebook - was fantastic! It immediately made me want to go to a book shop and hunt down a book that may be waiting for me, or to start an adventure of my own in a similar way. The whole idea of communicating with someone unknown felt thrilling, intriguing and slightly dangerous. I felt as though I was with Dash and Lily on each step of their journey, starting and ending in The Strand, the bookshop where the whole adventure began.

Although this book is set during Christmas, this is a book that could be read at any time of the year as Christmas is simply the backdrop - theirs a light festive feeling behind the whole thing, but it certainly doesn't dominate the book. The characters and plot are the main focus and it's better off this way as it's very effective.

This book is definitely something that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary young-adult stories, quirky characters and fantastic humour.

The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Paperback, 400 pages

Published October 27th 2011 by Ebury Press

My shelves: adult-fiction, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, cover-appeal, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, title-appeal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads

All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas...


So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like a dream come true. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies - all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card.


But her winter wonderland is ruined when she finds herself snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

My Review

As soon as I saw the beautiful cover, teamed up with the very festive title, I just had to pick up this book! As you can all probably tell by now, I love a good, seasonal read, but I'm usually a little disappointed when novels are simply based around Christmas with a few references of snow are chucked in, but this one was very festive indeed.
This story is told over the period of Christmas and revolves around the friendships and relationships of our protagonist, Lydia. Lydia spends her Christmas with her best friends, her ex-boyfriend, an old flame and a handsome handyman. I thought that Bailey had a good idea of all of these relationships and the characters all connected very well. The bonds between them felt solid, even though there were several characters. I think it would've been even better if Bailey had perhaps cut one or two characters out to leave room for more progression of the others, but she still did a very good job. Lydia's friends, Alex, Joanna and Kathy all had very strong personalities and were fun to read about - they were all very diverse but worked fantastically as a group of friends. There was a lot of humour in this book and it did have me laughing a few times, which is always a positive point! The children in the novel provided great entertainment and their joviality was fun to read about. As for Lydia's romances, I thought that her and Jackson's relationship was the most interesting and I would've liked to have seen her and Jackson interact more when they met again. Stephen didn't interest me at all, unfortunately, but Will was presented as a perfect, down to earth guy who had a lot going for him.
The ending was predictable, but it was a good one. The book wasn't extremely compelling and I did feel it drag at points - perhaps because I knew where it was going - but it was still a pleasure to read. Bailey did a great job writing this debut novel and although it wasn't completely amazing, I can see definite potential for more compelling reads by her. This was an enjoyable Christmas read and I think that Bailey is one to watch.

Angels in the Snow

Angels in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

Paperback, 384 pages

Published October 1st 2010 by Mills & Boon

My shelves: adult-fiction, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, mum-has, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Description via Goodreads

Have yourself a very magical Christmas, full of romance and sparkles! Stella Martin has come back home to the Lake District for Christmas. But is she brave enough to face the man who proposed, then immediately dumped her two Christmas Eve's before? Daniel Buchannan is not looking forward to Christmas - and even less when Stella reappears in the village. But this year will be different! Patrick Buchannan has to make Christmas special for his kids. Luckily, his son Alfie has a plan to make it happen. Alfie knows a lot about the magic of Christmas. And when snowflakes are falling, Christmas carols are ringing out, and the hills of the Lake District are shimmering in the snow, it's possible to believe in Christmas miracles.

My Review

Angels in the Snow is a feel-good, easy to read Christmas book which centers around two main characters. This story is seperated into two parts, the first telling the story of Daniel and Stella and the second telling the story of his twin brother Patrick, and Hayley. Both stories come together at the end, leaving us with a satisfying ending.
Whilst I found Patrick to be the more attractive and the stronger character out of the twins, I actually found Daniel's story to be more effective and enjoyable. I felt that there was slightly more depth and emotion within the story of Daniel and Stella, as well as it feeling slightly more realistic. Although it was Patrick and Hayley who were meant to have more of an instant spark, I thought that the chemistry between Daniel and Stella to be a lot stronger. Daniel was a little brash for me at times, but I loved Stella. She seemed very down to earth and had a great personality. Her firm friendship with Patrick was lovely.
Alfie, Patrick's child and Daniel's nephew, features in both stories and keeps them connected together in a skillful way. He is only meant to be ten years old, but seems to have more insight than his age. He is a likeable character and his humour is certainly that of a charming child. He really manages to bring all of the family together.
This is an engaging read, as long as you don't look too far into it. It is very predictable and rather quite unrealistic - especially the second story - but overlooking this, it is an enjoyable Christmas book that should leave you with a glow.

The Gift

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Hardcover, 305 pages

Published January 1st 2009 by Harper Collins

My shelves: books-i-own, adult-fiction, chick-lit, christmas-books, cover-appeal, magical-realism, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Description via Goodreads

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else.
On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou’s life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed.

My Review


I'll admit that I found Cecelia Ahern to be a better writer than I assumed that she would be. I've not read any of her other books before and from the genre she's known for, chick-lit, I was simply expecting something simple and fun. This book dealt with some every day problems and issues and it was trying to teach us something. The story is set in modern day Dublin, nearing Christmas, and the story is well set with clear, visible descriptions.
In this book, Ahern is trying to tell a story about giving the gift of time. However, near the end, she does come across as though she is giving a lecture and the fact that she is clearly telling the reader what to do and appreciate just doesn't come across well - unfortunately, I found the last, ending paragraph to sound a bit pretentious - not a good way to end a story. I do appreciate the lesson that is given which is to spend time with your loved ones and to let them know that you care about them. Though I don't think it's something that really needs to be pointed out, it gives a nice seasonal message to the story. I found the strong points of the novel to be in the working out of relationships between Lou and his family as they felt very realistic. The dynamics between Lou and his wife and children were especially well explored.
I didn't feel as though Ahern had a very clear direction for this story and her characters weren't very solid. The story is told in the form of a policeman (Raphie) telling a teenage boy (known as Turkey Boy) the story of a case that he worked on. For me, the story of 'Turkey Boy' and conversation between him and Raphie in a few short chapters were more intriguing and felt better developed than the main story of Lou. I couldn't bring myself to like Lou at all - there was simply no part of his persona that appealed to me. Gabe, the character brought into the novel in order to give a message, had a huge amount of potential to be interesting, but he seemed to flit in and out of chapters without any development. Both Lou and Gabe had an uncertainty to them, as though Ahern herself didn't really have a firm idea of them herself.
As for the magical realism in this book, I totally was not expecting it and it completely threw me off. For some people, this may be a nice surprise, but it wasn't for me. I enjoy magical books, but the 'magical cloning pills' that were thrown into this just felt completely random and made the whole thing feel a little disjointed. I know that they were an important component to the storyline, but it almost completely ruined this book for me.
The climax of the book comes around near the end and I can see it being a twist that will either work for you or that you'll really, really resent. Thankfully, for me it worked. Despite reminding me of the ending of One Day by Nicholls (which I didn't enjoy), I found this to be effective in bringing closure to the tale and the message.
This book was not something that I'd particularly recommend, as I didn't enjoy it all that much. However, it was nice to sample what Cecelia Ahern has to offer and I found that her writing was quite creative. I'll certainly be reading more from her in the future, but this one was nothing amazing.

The Christmas Mystery

The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

Paperback, 247 pages

Published October 7th 1999 by Phoenix Press (first published 1992)

My shelves: books-i-own, childrens, christmas-books, classics, historical, magical-realism, read, read-in-2011, translated, young-adult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Description via Goodreads


The bestselling modern classic. Fifty years ago a girl disappeared from her home in Norway. She ran after a lamb and found herself travelling right across Europe to Palestine, and back through 2000 years to meet the Holy Family in Bethlehem. There she met angels, shepherds, wise men and other biblical characters who joined her on her pilgrimage; and she heard of many of the things that happened in the world in the last 2000 years. In present-day Norway, a boy acquires a strange old Advent calendar. Hidden in each of the windows is a tiny piece of paper. Little by little these pieces unfold the girl's story, and as we learn what happened to her, another story is revealed - that of the strange old man who made the calendar.

My Review


It's really quite a risky thing to try and retell one of (if not the) most well known stories in the world, especially if you're going to put a twist on it. However, I'm pleased that Gaarder did it because he managed to execute it very well. The choice of chick-lit Christmas themed stories is bountiful, and I do enjoy them, but to be able to read a different take on the original Christmas story is a rare treat.
I believe this book was primarily targeted at Children, but this could certainly be classed as a family book. Gaarder shares an important story and he also incorporates some more philosophical questions in this book - infact, because of this, I'd probably recommend it more for older children, perhaps 8yrs +.
The story of the birth of Christ is retold in this book, in the form of following young girl named Elisabet as she travels through different countries and time, retracing the steps of several biblical characters (sheep included), as they make their way to Bethlehem.
This story as staged as a story inside another story. The protagonist, Joachim, stumbles across a magical Advent calendar in an old bookshop, and each day he opens a new window, another part of the story is revealed. Reading this book during Advent was fantastic and like Joachim and his parents, I was eager and excited for another window to be opened to see what happened next during Elisabet's journey.
The Advent format of this book was really exciting and it wouldn't be a bad idea to use this book as a type of calendar itself (if you could resist reading on!). I'd urge people to pick this up for a slightly different, easy to read but interesting Christmas read.

Miracle on Regent Street

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris
Paperback, 484 pages
Published October 13th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Ltd


My shelves: adult-fiction, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, read, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, cover-appeal
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Description via Goodreads

Evie Taylor, a girl with a big heart, gets lost in the big city. For the past two years, Evie has lived an invisible life in London. Her neighbours think she’s just moved in, her sister mistakes her for a live-in nanny, and even Evie’s manager at work can’t remember her name. But all that is about to change …this Christmas has brought a flurry of snow and unimaginable possibilities into town. Evie works in the stockroom of an old-fashioned, family-run, London fashion department store. Hardy’s is a beautiful, wood-panelled jewellery box of a building, but it’s in dire need of a makeover. One day Evie overhears that if the entire store’s takings don’t turn round by Dec 26th – 3 weeks’ time – the family who own it will be forced to sell to one of the big chains. Hardy’s is in need of a Christmas miracle. Determined to save her beloved store, Evie hatches a plan to secretly transform it into a magical place to shop again. But has the time come for her to be noticed too? When an accidental romantic encounter with handsome, enigmatic Joel gives her the chance of a whole new identity, she takes it.

My Review


Miracle on Regent Street was a light, festive read. Straight from the beginning, we are introduced to London, where Evie works and resides. The story begins on the 1st December and the atmosphere that is created surrounding the festive holiday is almost magical. Harris manages to make London come alive with her vivid descriptions of the city. The Christmas feeling is very clear too, with the sights, sounds and smells being explored throughout the book. Evie is a likeable character, as are her friends, particularly Lily and Sam. As characters, their personalities were realistic and their thought processes seemed authentic, but their actions just didn't seem very believable. Harris did well to include a strong community of different people - different in age, culture and mannerisms. For me, Lily was one of the strongest characters and I managed to get a good, bold image of her. Sam was slightly cliché, but sweet and I found the relationship between Eve and her sister to be the most interesting, relationship in the book and I enjoyed seeing it evolve.
I feel as though the main issue with this book is that it's very unbelievable. Notably, in the sub-plot, Evie pretends to be one of her co-workers and pretty much gets away with it-something which, in the real world seems practically impossible. My other concern with this book was the length. It was fairly lengthy at nearly 500 pages, and I feel as though it could've been condensed down a lot more which would've made it, in my opinion, more enjoyable.
The storyline of friendship and Evie finding her identity made for a fine plot, it wasn't very complex, it was simple and it was seasonal. This wasn't a bad book, but it was nothing spectacular.

My Favourite Books of 2011

It's nearing the end of the year and so it would take me a very long time to list all of the reviews that I've written in 2011. Instead, I thought it would be good to review a select few of my favourite books that I've read this year.


A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness


Every single one of my Goodreads friends rated this five stars and I can now see why. I tried not to get myself hyped up for this book and didn't really look into what it was about, I just started to read and I'm glad that's what I did.
I don't really know what to say about this book because I feel as though it is something that you have to experience for yourself.
It made me cry. Not just a few tears either, but quite hysterically - it made my stomach turn and it felt truly heart wrenching. That may sound overdramatic, but it's not - the emotions that this book stirred inside me were extremely strong. The subject matter, loss and grief, is very poignant and Ness has managed to handle it almost perfectly. Conor is a very authentic and well developed character. I could really connect with him and felt what he was going through. The writing was beautiful and vivid - along with the fantastic illustrations, I was thrown into Conor and the monster's world, like I was there with them, struggling through the visions and nightmares. I think anybody who has lost someone that they love will relate to this. It pulls up memories and the deepest, hidden emotions. For me, it felt as though some of my silent thoughts were being revealed on paper.
This is a truly special book and I can see that it could really help a lot of people who have gone through, or are going through, loss of a loved one. The fact that the story was based on Siobhan Dowd's idea, who unfortunately passed away before it's writing, just makes it even more emotive and real. Ness has certainly done this story justice. A true treasure.



Love is the Higher Law - David Levithan


This was such a beautifully written book. I really enjoy Levithan's writing and this book definitely didn't disappoint. 9/11 is always going to be a sensitive subject and here, I thought it was handled exceptionally well. I loved how the three likeable and realistic main characters lives all came together and the relationships between all three of them was both touching and tasteful considering the background subject. The whole novel was extremely poignant without feeling too heavy. As it was based upon some of Levithan's true memories of the day in New York, the book was only more intriguing. Claire, Jasper and Peter all dealt with things in their own way and the differences were fascinating. The voices felt very authentic and it was easy to relate to their anxiety, sadness and confusion before, during and after the attack on the Twin Towers. I think that the message throughout this book is important, inspiring and it was very well displayed - to stand united and to look after each other is important, and just because some people try to ruin things, we should still go on.




Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson


This book was amazing. I really thought that the author put a lot of effort in to make the character seem realistic and troubled, without being whiny or irritating. Obviously the book handles sensitive subjects and I found that they were handled well. I thought the formatting of the book was extremely effective and gave it an 'edge' that some books don't have - it really allowed me to get in the mind of Lia and share her thoughts. The writing was absolutely beautiful and I loved the Wintergirls comparisons. I didn't want to put this book down as it was extremely compelling and both Lia and Cassie were interesting. A book that I'd recommend to any Young-Adult reader




Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins


I love this book, Paris and Étienne St. Clair. Though I feel a little embarrassed to write it, this book is so romantic and it gave me lots of warm fuzzy feelings inside in the best possible way - it just made me feel so happy. There isn't an amazing, shocking, earth-shattering plot, but this just feels so real and works so well. It really didn't take me long to get pulled into the whole story. Perkins is a fantastic writer and it's hard to believe this is her first novel. Her writing flows really well. It is apt and realistic for her teenage protagonist, Anna. Anna is a likeable character who is your average girl who has been 'dumped' in Paris by her parents to study at the School of America in Paris. Her new found group of friends are also likeable and realistic - whilst reading this book, you really feel like you get to know everybody in the School. Étienne/St. Clair is handsome, has a wonderful personality and yet is still slightly flawed which makes him even more loveable. Both Anna and Étienne make mistakes, they're not perfect, but their relationship seems like it really could be perfect together. The backdrop of Paris may be cliché for a romance, but it works so well. Perkins described the city fantastically and I really got absorbed into the atmosphere. This is definitely a book I'd recommend.




I am J - Cris Beam


Wonderfully written and thought out, I Am J is certainly something that I'd recommend to others. There are few books out (that I'm aware of) that describe the thoughts and feelings of transgendered teenagers and it's good to see that there's one that's so authentic. This book really encapsulated how it must feel to be stuck in the wrong gendered body. J's thoughts and struggles seemed very real and it was interesting to see how his world and the people around him changed as he started his physical transition.
The strongest point of this book, for me, is that it seemed so realistic. I've never felt as though I've been assigned the wrong gender, but if I had then I'd imagine I'd feel very much like J did and have some of the same struggles. I found the changes in his relationship with his family and friends to be interesting but sometimes their actions did feel a little forced or fake - the only issue that I had with this book. This novel opened my eyes that little bit more to the transgendered community and hopefully it will allow a lot more people to be informed or to even feel more comfortable with themselves. If I was questioning things, J covered it and managed to give me more information. I also found the inclusion of J's best friends self harm issues and the fact that J was a Jewish/Puerto-Rican to be impressive.
Beam has made an inspiring choice to write this and her own experience with other trans- men and women are apparent. I really hope that Beam writes more as she has so much to offer.


Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys


I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. The subject is so interesting and heart wrenching and it is really felt through the characters. All of the characters are well formed and play their own part, they're easily distinguishable and their personalities are strong. The story, based on true to life events and memoirs, is also strong and intriguing all the way through - it was hard to put this down. The events and emotions are portrayed extremely well. I felt bonded to the characters which made this novel even more powerful. The changing scenes were well set, the atmosphere clear thanks to good writing. An amazing read that I feel will stay with me for a while to come.



Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult


Without a doubt, this is one of the most effective and best novels that I have ever read. Wow - it's really hard to describe this one, but one word I could certainly use is intense. The amount of surging emotions I felt was bizarre, feeling anger, sadness and joy all within a few pages - Picoult's use of humour was fantastic in this novel and I found myself laughing out loud at numerous points yet I did have to pause to reflect at times as the emotive issues left me sometimes seething, sometimes upset - but I still didn't want to put this down. The soundtrack to this book was a great idea for both the storyline and the feeling of the book, but it just made it way too intense for me to listen and read at the same time. I was interested in all of the featured issues and events - not just the issue of LGBT people vs. society and religion but also of alcohol abuse and mental illness. I felt a connection and thought that almost all of the characters were very well developed and striking. The writing was superb and drew me in right from the beginning. I had high hopes and expectations for Sing You Home and I certainly was not disappointed. Picoult has outshone herself. Although I find it hard to put into words, there is so much that I love about this book and it is most definitely one of my new favourites.




Life As We Knew it - Susan Pfeffer


This is a fantastic dystopian novel by Pfeffer which I really enjoyed reading. When I first began reading the book, I didn't feel particularly enamoured by the protagonist, Miranda, or her writing. However, after reading on for only a little while, I found myself absolutely absorbed into the story. One of the great things about this book is that it's realistic and I could actually imagine it happening - it's quite unnerving in that aspect. It's not hard to put yourself in Miranda's position and think about what you would do if the catastrophe actually happened. The tension is great. I can understand why people may see this book as a little repetitive but it's still realistic, it would be that way. I found the family to be endearing and the way that they worked together wasn't unlike how I'd imagine a lot of family units would work. I found Miranda to be a little irritating and some things she did at the beginning of the book irked me, but I couldn't blame her for most of her thought processes or actions and I connected with her a lot more as the book and situation progressed. I loved reading this and it is an easy read that I'd recommend.


Divergent - Veronica Roth


Divergent is a fantastic debut from Roth. Roth obviously has a talent for writing and her action scenes in this book particularly shine through. With more expansion and exploration in following books, this series could get even better.
I found this book to be so exciting - it was fast paced and so I never got bored. I just wanted to keep reading on as more things were revealed about the dystopic society. The factions in the book really intrigued me - I couldn't get enough information about them and look forward to learning more in the next books. The characters are all reasonably strong and I admire Tris, the protagonist, for her determination (yet her doubts and fears still give her realism). The romance was a little cliché, but I still absolutely loved it.
Around the end third of this book, the action became more intense and I couldn't put it down - it was truly enthralling and well done. So much more was being revealed and it'll be interesting to see how things turn out in the next book. I'll certainly be wanting to read the next installment of Divergent.


For more of my 2011 book reviews, you can check out my 'Read-in-2011' book shelf on Goodreads.