Book Ideas for Christmas

 Not Sponsored or Paid | Not a Collaboration | No Affiliate Links | ARCs clearly defined in accordance with Disclosure Policy available here. 

Hi!

I thought I'd throw together a few ideas for books for Christmas.

All or most books should be available on the likes of Amazon, Book Depository, Book Station, Dubray, Eason, Kennys, Tesco, Asda - but please try to support your local Booksellers too. I'm sure if you see something here that you can't find, many would be happy to order it in for you, just ask. Personally I wouldn't order anything online from Book Depository at this point if it's for Christmas, you might be okay with Amazon Prime.

Autobiographies and Memoirs

I love a good autobiography or memoir. My four favourites this year were:

   

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming
This was a brilliant, dramatic story. It read like a novel, and I have heard it's even better in audio format. It's Alan's story of how making the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? lead to several discoveries about himself.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
Whether you're familiar with Leah or not, this is a really interesting look into the weird world of Scientology. It's packed with celebrity scientology gossip and gives a real insight into one of the more closed-off groups in society.

Fat Chance: My Life in Ups, Downs, and Crisp Sandwiches by Louise McSharry
2fm DJ Louise has written a heartwarming book that documents her life so far - from a fairly rocky start to her current life. She has been through a lot of downs but has maintained a great outlook on life, this was a really good read and would make a great gift.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Stephen King makes writing look effortless. He is full of tips and tricks about how to be a writer, and how to write well - this isn't a how-to guide, but it is a really interesting read about how he does things, peppered with little anecdotes about his life and relationships. I listened to this on audio and his dry, droll voice really made it a very entertaining listen.

Also Recommended:


  

On My Christmas List:

 

Adult Fiction 

My four favourite adult fiction books this year were:

   

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan
At this stage I can firmly say that Donal Ryan is one of my all time favourite authors. He writes rural Ireland in a way like no other - this is a novel about a married woman who has an affair with a young member of the travelling community.

Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
A guy from Cork waves his girlfriend goodbye when she goes overseas for work.........but never hears from her again. So begins a mystery and a journey to find her, it's a brilliant thriller and one I happily set an alarm for so I could finish it early one morning.

Himself by Jess Kidd
Set in Ireland in the 1950s and 1970s, this is about a small town turning on itself and letting all its secrets spill out when the arrival of a handsome stranger sets tongues wagging. It's atmospheric, it's full of dark humour, and it's hard to believe it's a debut.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
This is about a prominent Dublin Judge and his family. What happens when they suddenly find themselves in the position of needing to dispose of a body? A really brilliant crime, a brilliant thriller, and Laurence is probably one of my favourite characters of all time.

Also Recommended: 

  

On My Christmas List: 

 

Young Adult Fiction

So often this genre is dismissed or overlooked - give it a go, you might be surprised! Here are my four favourite YA reads this year:

   

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I liked this a lot - it would make for a great introduction to feminism for teenagers. It's set in a boarding school (one of my personal favourite settings) and focuses on Frankie, a teenager who will be damned before she lets an all-male secret society be in charge.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Have you ever watched Buffy and wondered what the non-Scoobies think? Do they know all the stuff that goes on around them, do they wish they were 'chosen' too? This is written for them, by them.

Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here by Anna Breslaw
A razor-sharp, witty story about a teenager who decides to draw on reality to write fan fiction after her favourite TV show is cancelled. Everything I wanted Fangirl to be.

Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger
I don't want to give too much away here because I went in blind - but it's essentially a story set in the modern future that poses the question: Would you give yourself up to save yourself? Loved it.

Also Recommended: 

  


On My Christmas List:

 

Books for Toddlers

My twins are 3 and they love books, some of their favourites are:

  

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
A very funny book - with no pictures. Just pages of words that have to be read in the silliest voices possible, nonsensical words and sentences. This one takes a few pages to get really into it but it's hilarious once you let go and embrace the madness!

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
I'd pretty much recommend any Dr. Seuss book - but this one about a mischevious cat who wreaks havoc with two small children is a firm favourite. I find that the twins especially love this one because of "Thing One" and "Thing Two".

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This is a short story about a hungry caterpillar who is stocking up on food before he becomes a butterfly. It's lovely to read with toddlers, it has bright child-friendly drawings and it's fun.

Also Recommended


  


On Our Christmas List:



Books For Older Children (8+)

My 12 year old will pretty much read anything, but he enjoyed these a lot over the past few years:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
This is a series of books written in cartoon style. They focus on misfit Greg and his experiences with family and school.

Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
David Walliams is like a modern day Roald Dahl - he is fond of using words like boobs and bum though, so that's something to be mindful if that concerns you (for the record it doesn't concern me, I was reading Stephen King at 11 so I don't believe in censoring children - but for very young children maybe just have a quick read through yourself first and see what you think). This one is about a boy who is sent to live with his very eccentric Granny.

Moone Boy by Chris O'Dowd
Based on the popular TV series, this is the story of Martin and his imaginary friend. There's a follow up, too (The Fish Detective) which my son also enjoyed.

Also Recommended:




On Our Christmas List:




Hopefully that gives you some kind of ideas for a bookish present for someone! Remember - if in doubt, go for something you enjoyed yourself.

Owlcrate Unboxing October 2016

Not Paid or Sponsored | Not a Collaboration

Hi!

This is now my fourth Owlcrate - it's a subscription box from America that ships monthly, and contains a hardback YA (Young Adult) book plus a ton of other bookish gifts. It's expensive, but after my first three month subscription ran out, I had no qualms in cancelling all my other subs (bar Netflix) to keep this one.

The theme this month was Once Upon a Dream. 

I have to admit, I wasn't as impressed with this box as I have been with other months. I think the main thing that took the shine off it was that I already have the book - I requested it as an ARC a few months ago after reading a sample chapter in one of the Buzz Books collections. I hadn't read it - but it was still just a little bit "oh" when I saw it.

I really like that there's a signed bookplate included every month, and a letter from the author. It makes the experience that little bit more special, I always stick the bookplates inside the front covers so they're like signed copies. There was also a tattoo this month. This particular book is a modern day fairytale set in Brooklyn, based on a Russian folktale (Vassalissa the Beautiful). It's about a young girl named Vassa who has to break a curse with the help of her talking wooden doll...

Next up this month were two wearable items - an oversized beanie hat from Whosits & Whatsits. The red feather represents Peter Pan, which I thought was pretty clever. I'm not a hat person at all, because I find them restrictive, so oversized is great and I will probably wear this walking. The bracelet is by The Geeky Cauldron (amazing name) and is based on Sleeping Beauty, with the little spinning wheel. I won't wear this, but it's a cute item and it's exclusive to this box.

Finally, we had a bookmark promoting a dystopian series, a fabric paperclip bookmark by My Heart My Tribe, an Owlcrate badge, and a "Passport to Oz" mini travel notebook by The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild.

That was it! I don't know, I think we were so spoiled last month, it was always going to be hard to live up to that epic September box.

The theme for November was revealed via a beautifully illustrated spoiler card:

I really dislike Alice in Wonderland and everything related to it. It gives me the creeps. I actually considered putting my subscription on hold and skipping the November box (for all of about ten seconds), but I know that the people at Owlcrate are really creative with their themes, so it's unlikely that it will be a complete Alice tribute box. Hopefully!

If you'd like to sign up to Owlcrate you can use the code WELCOME15 for 15% off.

Books I Read in September

Not Sponsored | ARCs Clearly Defined | Review Policy Here

Hi!

If I could use one word to describe my reading in September, it would be...........Netflix. It completely took over, I got sucked in, and it destroyed my reading time. This tends to happen around this time of the year, because I do a lot of crafting for Christmas, so it's easier to watch TV and craft than it is to read and craft, plus there's really nothing on telly apart from GBBO, so..Netflix.

I finished six books in September, and thankfully, there wasn't a dud in the pile.

Review Copies

Flabyrinth by Jules Coll
I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by Jules, an Irish TV Producer. She has lost over nine stone - this is her story, focusing on her relationships with food and on finding herself and the courage to lose weight. It's a really warm, witty read, full of great Irish humour and brilliant stories (the whole Susan Boyle lookalike thing just made me smile so much). It's a lovely read, and made me want to be best friends with Jules. She has completely changed her life and her attitudes - she's a very inspirational lady to follow.

Roald Dahl Day

Matilda by Roald Dahl
In honour of Roald Dahl Day, I re-read one of my favourite Dahl books. I bought this new Puffin Classics clothbound edition recently and I love it - would you believe I've never owned a copy, I always borrowed mine from the library. I highly doubt there are many people who haven't read this - but just in case, it's the story of little Matilda Wormwood, a bookworm born into a family of TV addicts. Matilda longs to read, to learn, but having a pretty horrible family combined with a dragon Headmistress doesn't bode well for her. Until she meets her new teacher, Miss Honey, who discovers that Matilda might have something very special about her. A gorgeous book and one to pass on to the next generation.

Young Adult

I'm going to Deptcon2 in a few weeks' time, so I'm mostly reading YA at the minute to prepare for that - I read two YA books in September.

The Graces by Laure Eve
The Graces are an enigmatic and beautiful family. River is obsessed with them - she wants to befriend them, to find out their secrets, to become one of them. But what if she got her wish - would it be everything she wanted, or would it show her that the Graces really aren't what they seem? This has been likened to The Craft, and I can definitely see the similarities, but for me it was a little younger than that. Not a bad thing by any means - I enjoyed it - but I really feel like the next book will go a lot darker and I'm looking forward to that.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover
This is about two 18 year olds who meet one year on November 9. There's an instant attraction - but for various reasons, they decide not to pursue a relationship. Instead, they won't have any contact with each other except a meeting every year on November 9 and after 5 years if they still feel the same, they'll be together. It sounds like a ridiculous premise in the age of Social Media to just not even want to find out more about someone (I'd have been on Facebook like a big creep within 5 minutes of the first meeting), but it's actually a pretty emotional book in places and has some really great build-up scenes. Quite hot in parts, if you catch me. I was imagining the male lead as Pacey Witter circa his heyday and it made quite the page turner...

Other Fiction

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
12 people have been chosen as contestants in a Survivor style reality TV show. But a few days into filming, something goes drastically wrong. How do you survive when you don't know you're the last one left? This was so clever, I loved how it was a mix of the show, the present day account of the last one left, and the message boards online describing what people at home thought. A great ending, a great premise, reminded me of Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan
Over the past few years, Donal Ryan has become my favourite Irish author. He's one of a very few authors who could sell me his shopping list - I'd be happy to read anything the man wrote. In this, his third novel, we meet Melody Shee, an ordinary woman in her thirties from rural Ireland who is pregnant. But her husband is not the father. We follow Melody through her pregnancy, and we learn about a nearby travelling community and how they impact on Melody's life. Excellent - some have said his best yet. I'll respectfully disagree and say that The Thing About December is a hard one to top - but as always, you can't go wrong with Donal's writing, it's magic.

And that's it! This feels like a tiny little post this month, and I suspect October may be the same, but I'm going to make a real effort to read more over October, it's always been one of my favourite reading months for horror/dark themes.

As always, you can check out my BOOKS 2016 page for clickable covers and links to full Goodreads reviews.

Owlcrate Unboxing September 2016

Not Sponsored | No Samples | Not a Collaboration

Hi!

This was my third and final box of a three month subscription, and the one that would decide whether or not I would resubscribe. The theme, as revealed in the August box, was "Darkness".

This box was absolutely wedged - I think this is the most we've gotten in a box over the past three months.

First up - the book. The choice for September was Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. This is about three queens, triplets, equal heirs to the throne on the island of Fennbirn. One can spark flames at will, one has the power to poison, and the third can control nature. The night the sisters turn sixteen - the life-or-death battle for the crown begins.

It's not my usual genre, but as with all other Owlcrate books, I'll happily read it and report back in the October round-up. Also included with the book was a paper fortune teller, a signed bookplate (I bloody love these) and a letter from the author.

The spoiler last month told us that we'd be receiving an item from Out of Print inspired by Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and here it is - a gorgeous black canvas print featuring a quote from the book. The bag contained a card with a $5 discount code for the site.

The spoiler card for September is a fabulous owl print, and we got a badge to match. We also got badges last month, it makes me wish I still had all my badges and bottletops from the 90s!

Next up are two great little items - the fortune telling bath bomb by Da Bomb Fizzers is a cute addition, and what makes it cuter is the story behind it - the company was set up by two young sisters who loved bath bombs. Every bomb has a surprise inside - in this instance, it's a yes/no, so you can treat it like a one-off fizzy magic eight ball!

The candle, named "Celaena's Cake" is by The Melting Library and it's inspired by the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. This was created exclusively for Owlcrate and smells unbelievable - like cake, caramel, cookies - really sweet and sickly in the best of ways.

We got some bonus reading material this month - the 36 page first installment of a new weekly serial. There will be 15 episodes, it's a dystopian series about teenagers left to save the world. A number of different authors are involved, this one is written by Matthew Cody.

The bookmark is inspired by Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, exclusively created by Evie Bookish. 

The little 'passport' is very cute, it's actually an excerpt from the upcoming book Moon Chosen by P.C Cast.

The last thing in the box was the spoiler card for the October theme, and it will be.............*drumroll*

Once Upon a Time! The box will contain an item from Whosits and Whatsits. They've got a Hocus Pocus item on the front page of their site, so YAY.

So - the big question. Did I resubscribe?

Abso-bloody-lutely. This is the best subscription box I've tried to date. By a mile.


If you want to sign up, they offer a 15% discount for new subs - use WELCOME15 on the website to avail of it.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the next three months bring.

Books I Read in August

Not Sponsored or Paid | ARCs Clearly Defined | Review Policy Here

Hi!

This month started off great, but slowly went into a decline when I went on holiday for a week and only read one book, then I came home and rediscovered Netflix. I watched Stranger Things (loved it so much I might do a post on it) and the first season of Gilmore Girls for about the eleventh time. That guitar man still wrecks my head (Babette comes a close second). Anyway - I've started my Christmas crafting (fellow crafters know that Christmas season begins in August) so that means my reading has to take a back seat, but rest assured I'm still getting through my books before they take over the entire house.

In August, I read 12 books, 1 short story, and abandoned a book for the first time in ages.

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

Join on Facebook here

The choices for August were Solar Bones by Mike McCormack and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate by Naomi Klein.

Solar Bones by Mike McCormack
This was a real treat - fans of Donal Ryan, Eimear McBride, or Sara Baume may enjoy. It's essentially a 200+ page sentence - there are no full stops in here - but it just works. It's about a man, an engineer from Co. Mayo, sitting at his kitchen table reminiscing about key moments in his life. I still don't know how the author managed to cover an entire life without a full stop, but he did, it's beautiful, and it works. There's a little too much info on the back cover for me, but it was still incredibly enjoyable nonetheless, I ached for it when it was over.

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate by Naomi Klein
Ahh, the one I abandoned. I'm all for a bit of discussion on climate change, on what we can do to help and what we can do to ensure that our planet will still exist for future generations, but this book just made me feel like it's too late - capitalism took over, greed took over, money took over, and we destroyed our planet. We haven't met targets, we haven't done enough, and we haven't put the planet first. We're screwed, basically. Every chapter was another example of how screwed we are. I got about half way through and couldn't read it anymore, it was making me miserable (which I suppose is the point, to be fair). A bit too academic for me.

Short Story

Kindle Singles are small eBooks that are very cheap to buy. Most of them are under €1, and there are a huge range available, from essays to classics, novellas and tie-ins. You can check the full range out here.

Guns by Stephen King
King is one of those authors who sucks me in no matter what the subject, so I wanted to see what he thinks of America and guns. It's only a few pages long (25) - it's just an essay on what he believes would improve the current situation. He's a gun owner himself, so he's not proposing an outright ban - but what he says makes a lot of sense. He also talks about the decision to pull the Richard Bachman story Rage from publication.

Owlcrate

I've blogged about Owlcrate before, and in August I received my second book. I also read the book that was sent in the July box.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Young Adult. A fantasy story about Good v Evil, and two teens who find themselves on opposite ends of the scale. But how do they know that the good side is really good, and who are the evil ones? Enjoyed this, even moreso because a boy and girl were able to work together without the inevitable insta-love clichés.

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Young Adult. Pure escapism - a teenage girl writes some song lyrics on her desk at school and is astonished when she sits down the next day and finds a reply - so begins a pen-pal type relationship with a mystery person. It's obvious and it's predictable but it was a lovely escape for a few hours and very sweet.

Young Adult

I tend to read a lot of Young Adult books, especially in the Summer. I decided to give Cassandra Clare a go after enjoying the short story from the Stephanie Perkins collection last month, so I chose The Mortal Instruments series.

City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments #1 by Cassandra Clare
Enjoyable fantasy tale about a girl named Clary Fray who is dragged into a world of demons, shadowhunters, and vampires. A bit childish in places but enjoyable.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I thought this was a gay story about two teenage boys who find solace in each other - instead it focused on one whiny teenage boy who makes a connection with another but tries to hide it. I understand that this may be something that many teens identify with, but at its core nothing happens. One of the characters is interesting, funny, kind, spirited - unfortunately, he's not the one we hear most from. Disappointing.

Nothing Tastes as Good by Claire Hennessey
I love seeing Young Adult books by Irish authors, more please! This one is about a girl named Annabel who has died. In order to be granted a request, Annabel must take on a charge - but she gets stuck with an overweight girl. The horror. Annabel had serious issues with food during her life so she assumes that her job is to make the girl lose weight, but as time progresses she realises that she may not be right, and that she may need to face up to a few things. Enjoyable, easy to read.

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
I saw this sitting by the counter at Charlie Byrne's bookshop on a recent trip to Galway and I had to get it - I hadn't read it in years. It's a charming, heartwarming children's book about a boy named Tom who goes to stay with his Aunt and Uncle for a Summer, and discovers a magical garden that nobody else can see. I adored it and I remembered why I repeatedly borrowed it from the library as a child, it could have actually been one of the first books that ever made me cry!

Trouble by Non Pratt
Hannah is a fifteen year old girl who is popular with boys for the wrong reasons. She has a bad reputation - so nobody is really surprised when she ends up pregnant. New boy Aaron has transferred from his old school but he's hiding something, he agrees to pose as the Dad of Hannah's baby to help her and help him feel like he's doing something worthwhile. I enjoyed this, I liked Hannah's sense of wit and I liked the portrayal of teen pregnancy as awkward and gritty, not glam and attractive.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (Received as an ARC via NetGalley)
The reason I requested this on NetGalley was because I had heard that it drew comparisons with Girl, Interrupted by Susannah Kaysen, one of my favourite books as a teenager. There were similarities, but they're completely different books and deal with somewhat different themes. The main character is struggling with self-harm, and this was graphic and hard to read in places. This took me over a week to read, which is unusual for me. It was only okay, I thought.

Non-Fiction

Fat Chance: My Life in Ups, Downs, and Crisp Sandwiches by Louise McSharry
Louise McSharry is probably best known in Ireland as a radio DJ, and has come to the attention of the media over the past few years after her experience with cancer - this book is all about her childhood, her teen years, her career, her experience with that damn disease, and her life to date. It's a funny, warm, touching memoir and I want Louise to move in with me so we can eat pizza and play with makeup. Her outlook on life is refreshing and her confidence and attitude are inspiring. Loved it.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts I and II by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, & J.K Rowling

And there it is...

Hogwarts. Never seen this view of it before.

Still get a tingle, don't you? When you see it? 

I pre-ordered, like so many others. I even used Address Pal so that it'd get here on publication day. I had a countdown on my diary. I wondered if I should save it until I finished reading the original Potter books but I couldn't help it - I lashed into it.

It's in play format, which is fine, but it completely lacked the magic that J.K Rowling brings with her descriptions. I wasn't keen on the storyline, I wasn't keen on the relationships between the older characters, and I hate what they did to Ron. He was never going to rule the world, but he's practically a parody of himself in this. Massively disappointing, but my expectations on this one were always going to be enormous and I'm not sure if anything would have lived up to what I wanted. It was nice to revisit certain characters but I'm not counting it as part of the series, to me it reads like Fan Fiction.

And that's it!

I'm not sure if September will be a great reading month, but we'll play it by ear (it's the 8th today and I haven't finished one book yet). See you for the October round up!