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Blogging about all things books - Fantasy, YA, LGBT and Romance!

#TTPBookChat - February 2021: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

18/2/2021

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#TTPBookChat - February 2021: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This month, our book club chat was all about The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

The Turn The Page Book Chat takes place on the day after the podcast goes live at 7pm (UK). To join, just follow #TTPBookChat on Twitter. 

You can catch our review of the book here and listen to our podcast chat here. 

Next month, we'll be chatting about A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. If you'd like to join us, read the book and tune in on March 16th for our podcast and on March 17th at 7pm (UK) for the next Twitter chat! 

Please note: This chat may contain spoilers!

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Turn The Page Podcast: Episode Six: Planning Your TBR

15/2/2021

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Turn The Page Podcast: Episode Six: Planning Your TBR
Sophie and I are finally back with a brand new Turn The Page episode. 

This month, we're bringing you the episode that should have gone out in January which, somewhat ironically, is all about planning.

We'll be chatting about how to plan your TBR for the next year and we'll be covering things like planners and journals, reading challenges and our most anticipated books of 2021.

​As always, we'll also be reviewing our recent reads and discussing our book club selection for December, which was The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. 

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Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

28/1/2021

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​Rating: 4.5 STARS
Picture
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Series/Standalone: Winternight Trilogy #1
How I got this book: Bought
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

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TW: Death, rape, child-marriage, paedophilia, mental health, religion 

I finished reading this last night and couldn't wait to write my review. 

Unlike the last book I read and reviewed, I had absolutely no trouble rating this one; it was fantastic! 

"Sleep is a cousin to death, Vasya. And both are mine."

The Bear and the Nightingale was so much better than I expected it to be, partially because the synopsis hadn't actually won me over and so I wasn't sure whether I'd like it. 

Think of this book like a really dark Russian fairytale. It centres around the household of Pyotr Vladimirovich; his three sons and three daughters. The landscape is wintery Russia, and the story begins on a dark, freezing night in mid-winter as four of the six children gather around the fire, listening to an old fairytale about the winter demon, as told by Dunya, their nurse.

I struggled a little at first with the different names for each character, trying to stay wrapped up in the story while getting my head to understand that Sasha, Sashka and Aleksandr were all the same person. But it didn't take long for me to figure it out and fall back under the author's spell. 

The writing in this book is beautiful and gripping, and the author paints a gorgeous picture of the wintery Russian landscape, made even more immersive given that I read this while watching the snowfall outside my window. 

​The masterful storytelling and dark plot held me under its spell from start to finish, and I never wanted to stop reading. But I honestly hadn't expected the book to be so dark. It reminded me a little of The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, which was equally gripping. 

In terms of the historical accuracy of the book, i.e. the prejudice, the expectations and superstitions rife at that time, I felt the author captured the period perfectly. 

Not long into the book, we meet Vasya, our heroine. Vasya is a headstrong character who I grew to love immediately. Her fire and stubbornness created a character who was instantly compelling, and I truly enjoyed the growth and strength of her character.

This book is filled with characters to love and hate, and the author does another trick that I love in books, where she changes how you feel about certain characters from one point to the next. When we first meet Anna, Vasya's soon-to-be stepmother, we pity and sympathise with her, hoping she'll triumph in the story, but as time passes, she becomes a character almost to despise. 

The opposite can almost (but not quite, as he's quite a repulsive character) be said about the priest who comes to live in Vasya's home. When we first meet him, he's a dark, untrustworthy character, but as things befall him, there's a point where he's quite pitiable. 

Then we have all the mythical creatures in the book. They're so varied, each having their own purposes and personalities that I could picture them clearly and there were so many times when I just wanted to step between the pages and explore this dark and magical land. 

From what felt like an almost subdued beginning, this book grew in intensity until everything came to a crashing climax. ​

I flew through pages, and after finishing the book, I'm completely ready to continue the story and dive into the second instalment. 

"Now here me. Before the end, you will pluck snowdrops at midwinter, die by your own choosing, and weep for a nightingale."

Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale was one of the best debut novels I've ever read, and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone who enjoys dark, twisted fairytales and monsters, and heroines who defy all expectations. 
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#TTPBookChat - December 2020: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

11/1/2021

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#TTPBookChat - December 2020: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
This month, our book club chat was all about The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith.

The Turn The Page Book Chat usually takes place on the Friday after the podcast goes live at 7pm (UK). To join, just follow #TTPBookChat on Twitter. 

You can catch our review of the book here and listen to our podcast chat here. 

Next month, we'll be chatting about The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. If you'd like to join us, read the book and tune in on January 19th for our podcast and on January 22nd at 7pm (UK) for the next Twitter chat! 

Please note: This chat may contain spoilers!

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Book Review: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

8/1/2021

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​Rating: 5 STARS!!
Picture
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy/LGBT
Series/Standalone: Hells Library #1
How I got this book: Bought
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell ... and Earth.


Review by Sophie. 

Trigger warnings: Suicide.

Oh My Lord! (Pardon the pun) But where do I even start with this book to tell you just how AMAZING it is!

This book is literally about a library from Hell where all unfinished books sleep, but every now and then a book wakes up and manifests into characters, escaping into the real world to seek out their authors.

The concept of this book is fantastic and really like nothing I’ve ever come across before. Hackwith has created a magical world, with good plot twists and a steady pace while giving the BEST personalities to all of the characters!
 
“No story, written or unwritten, is static. Left abandoned too long and given the right stimulation, a book goes wrong in the head. It is a story’s natural ambition to wake up and start telling itself to the world. This, of course, is a buggered pain in the arse.”
 
Claire Hadley is the librarian of the unwritten wing in Hell’s library. Her job is mainly to repair damaged books and to safeguard unfinished books as they sleep. Clare comes across as a very blunt and stern librarian who follows all the rules. It’s her way or no way. She’s extremely protective of the library and will do anything to protect it.
 
“Librarians serve as the readers the unwritten books never had. It anchors them, quiets them, and assists in keeping them asleep in their bindings. Walk careful in the long shadows of abandoned stacks, for you walk footpaths of restless dreams.”
 
Claire is accompanied by her assistant (former muse) Brevity, and I can’t tell you how much love I have for her, she's so funny. Her one liner’s, and her personality as a whole is really fantastic! Brevity made me laugh so much during this book.
 
Claire receives a visit from a very new demon called Leto, who’s very sweet and is afraid of pretty much everything.
 
“He said something about... ah, you know who," Leto said.
"Lucifer's our ruler, not a dark wizard, Leto. You can say his name," 

 
And you really find yourself just wanting to wrap him in bubble wrap throughout the whole thing.
 
The three of them head to earth to retrieve the missing book before it does too much damage to itself. Whilst there, they encounter a visit from Ramiel – a fallen angel who's desperately trying to redeem himself. Ramiel is searching for the Codex (The devils book/bible) which he believes Claire has. During a brawl, Leto snatches the pages to the codex from Ramiel and once back in the library Claire discovers what it actually is and sets out to find it herself in an attempt to stop a war between heaven and hell from breaking out.
 
The trio are also accompanied by Hero – the original character from the missing book, out of the unwritten wing, and Andras – Claire’s mentor and good friend.
 
This book really does have it all, it captured and drew me in right from the beginning and it played out perfectly and everything tied up nicely at the end. The plot twists and relationships are perfect, and I literally can’t stop thinking about this book. I love the representation of different sexualities and thought that it was perfectly demonstrated.
 
The writing is truly beautiful and every line needs to be appreciated. I’m not sure where how this will continue and think it might be better suited as a stand-alone, but only time will tell as its definitely now on my TBR.
 
So, if you’re into Libraries, Demons, sarcastically funny muses, Hell hounds, Hero’s, Damsels, angels, magic and realm exploring, this is definitely a book you should read.
Review by Kayleigh

Trigger warnings: Suicide.
I did not expect this book to be a 5-star read for me. It was, without doubt, a cover buy and I went into it on a whim, hoping it'd be okay and that I wouldn't completely hate it. 

I have no idea why I thought it'd flop for me, I just did.

And I am SO glad I was wrong. 

I fell headfirst into this book, caught up on the very first page at the image of a librarian chasing down a character that'd escaped from a book and then stabbing her so she'd return to the pages. 

As far as first chapters go, it was certainly eventful and straight away lets you know that Claire is a badass character who isn't to be trifled with....and I love that about her. 

She gave me badass Mary Poppins vibes! 

"Claire lived by the firm moral philosophy that one could never have too many pockets, too many books, or too much tea."

I also love that she's pansexual! This book is NOT a romance, it doesn't contain a romance plot, and I loved that a non-romance novel still brought Claire's sexuality into the light. 

As the book continues, we meet more characters, and we're treated to multiple narratives that actually work and don't detract from the overall plot! Instead of derailing the plot into separate storylines for each character, the multiple POV's simply provided additional insight into each character that made me really feel for them as they dealt with each new challenge. 

The characters themselves are brilliant, and none are quite what they seem. The longer I read, the more my perceptions of each character changed from sarcastic Hero to sweet Leto. I loved each and every one of them. 

"Oh, good. I would hate to cause him a laundry bill and when I inconsiderately die all over him."

The language is easy to read, and the pace is super-fast; I sped through this book and then tried to make the last 50 pages last longer because I just didn't want it to end. 

In fact, the ending is the only thing that has me concerned about the sequel. It finished in such a place that I'm honestly not sure how the author's going to continue it. 

Aside from the characters who drive the story brilliantly, I also loved the world-building in this book. The author delivers an enchanting library, a haunting arcane wing, a captivating Valhalla and a 'not all that it seems' Heaven, alongside many locations on Earth that really come to life. 

The writing style of the book reminded me a lot of Pratchett and his satirical take on religion. It felt very reminiscent of Good Omens in how the demons and angels are portrayed, but the concept was truly original. 

Brace yourself for laughter and adventure from the off, but you can also expect some harder to deal with topics (grief, loss, betrayal) and a bit of heartache further down the line from one or two characters in particular. 

"And for that...for that, Watcher, I will remember you. And one day I will bring all of Hell upon you."

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves books, especially writers (although it might increase your anxiety to finish all those unwritten book ideas). I also think fans of Good Omens and Sorcery of Thorns will particularly enjoy The Library of the Unwritten. 

"It can take decades to learn to wield words properly. But you need only look at the hungry demons at our door to know the power of inspiration."

The Archive of the Forgotten, book two of the Hell's Library series is due to be released on 9th February 2021.
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Turn The Page: Episode Five: Christmas Special 2020

22/12/2020

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Turn The Page: Episode Five: Christmas Special 2020
Happy Holidays!!

This month, Sophie and I decided to throw a festive bookish party to celebrate all things bookish at this time of year! 

In this episode, we're talking about; our favourite festive books and films, bookish traditions, our favourite books of 2020, our most anticipated 2021 reads, our November book club selection (The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith) and as always, we review our recent reads. 

In this special festive episode, you'll also find really awful jokes, a blindfolded book cover game (inspired by a video by Mina Reads) and ridiculous lyrics to make all your favourite festive tunes a little more bookish! 

Also, don't forget to listen to the whole podcast to discover a bonus entry for the international giveaway below!

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Podcast Update: Turn The Page Podcast - Christmas Special!

21/12/2020

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Podcast Update: Turn The Page Podcast - Christmas Special!
It's almost time for the Turn The Page Christmas Special! 

With things being so different year and many of us still isolated away from friends and family, Sophie and I have decided to throw a very special Bookish Christmas party episode of the Turn The Page podcast!

Running tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd December, this episode will be packed with:

  • Festive music
  • Really bad jokes
  • Party games - feel free to join in! 
  • Our best reads of 2020
  • What we're looking forward to reading in 2021 

As always, we'll also be reviewing our book club selection which was, The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith and we'll follow that up with a Twitter chat on Tuesday 29th December at 7pm (UK Time).

We'll also be revealing our Winter Book Club Selection which is a historical, fairytale set in Russia!

On top of all of that, we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who's listened to the podcast so far! We're absolutely chuffed that the podcast has had over 100 listens already and so, to say thank you, we're going to be hosting a giveaway. 

Full details of how to enter will be given in the podcast and in our blog on episode release day (Tuesday 22nd December) so don't miss that for your chance to win a book(s) of your choice (worth up to £20!) 

The giveaway will be running internationally (to everywhere that Book Depository ships to)!

So again, a huge thank you to everyone who's supported the podcast so far, we cannot wait to share our Christmas special with you tomorrow!

You can find details on how to listen to the podcast here!
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#TTPBookChat - November 2020: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

28/11/2020

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#TTPBookChat - November 2020: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
This month, our book club chat was all about The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune. 

The Turn The Page Book Chat takes place on the Friday after the podcast goes live at 7pm (UK). To join, just follow #TTPBookChat on Twitter. 

You can catch my review of the book here and listen to our podcast chat here. 

Next month, we'll be reading The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith. If you'd like to join us, read the book and tune in on December 22nd for our podcast and on December 23rd at 7pm (UK) for the next Twitter chat! 

Please note: This chat does contain spoilers!

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Turn The Page: Episode Four: Book Adaptations

22/11/2020

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Turn The Page: Episode Four: Book Adaptations
We are FINALLY back with another episode of the Turn the Page podcast. 

As well as being in the middle of another lockdown, we had a few hiccups that prevented us from recording for a while. But, we're happy to say that we've now updated our tech and we are back up and running! 

In this episode, we're talking about; our favourite book adaptations, #NaNoWriMo, #Audiblegate, our August book club selection (The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune) and as always, we review our recent reads!

Here's a little of what you can expect from episode four:

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Book Review: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

13/11/2020

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Rating: 4.5 STARS! 
Picture
Genre: LGBT/YA/SCI-Fi/Fantasy
Series/Standalone: The Extraordinaries #1
How I got this book: Bought
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
In Nova City, there are people capable of feats that defy the imagination. They're called Extraordinaries.
There is Shadow Star: a protector who can manipulate darkness in his quest to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
His arch-nemesis is Pyro Storm: an Extraordinary capable of controlling fire who is bent on bringing Nova City to its knees.
And then there's sixteen-year-old Nicholas Bell: who isn't Extraordinary in the slightest.
He's Shadow Star's number one fan, writing fan fiction of their adventures together and dreaming of a day where he too dons a costume and fights crime. Too bad ADHD isn't a superpower, otherwise Nick would be golden.
Instead of stopping villains and their convoluted schemes of global domination, Nick must contend with starting his junior year, a father who doesn't trust him, and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick's short, uneventful life. It should be enough.
And it is...until a fateful encounter with Shadow Star forces Nick to realize his true destiny. He's tired of being ordinary, and he'll do whatever it takes to become something more.
Something Extraordinary.


I want this book to become a TV series! ​

This book was our third Turn The Page book club selection.

I loved this book. It was so fantastic to see, as always, the brilliant representation that you can almost guarantee from a TJ Klune book.

Nick is just a brilliant character; he's smart, funny and adorably clueless about what's going on. At the same time, he's struggling with the grief of losing his mum while feeling at odds with his dad, who he thinks wishes he were normal. 

Nick is neurodivergent, and it was so refreshing to read a fun, sci-fi fantasy with a disabled hero.
​
“For the most part, he'd accepted that some people were born to be Extraordinaries, and some people were born to be medicated so they didn't spin out of control. Fair? Not really, but Nick was learning that his brain could do things that others couldn't. In a way, he had his own superpower, even if it was called a disorder.”

I really enjoyed following Nick's story as it takes unusual turns that are, for the most part, very funny, but sometimes much darker. 

Surprisingly, the action sequences in this book were also really great, and it's those, interspersed with Nick's inner monologue, his awkward banter with Seth, his annoyance with Owen, and his hilarious friends, that I feel would make a fantastic tv show. 

But, I did have a few issues with some aspects of the book. Nick's dad, I did not get on with. I just don't feel that he's a great parent. Yes, he worries about Nick, but he's also one of the main reasons that Nick feels so insecure about himself, and it's clear through much of what happens (no spoilers!) that he's lied to Nick a lot. 

Then there's the issue with the glorification of the police force to a certain extent. I understand that this wasn't intentional and that the book was written, I think, before the recent light that's been shone on police brutality in America. However, the simple fact that Nick's dad is forgiven for doing punching someone in his position of power just doesn't sit well. That being said, the author did address this in his own blog post, so you're welcome to read that here and form your own opinion.

My other issue was that the plot twists were really predictable. But, saying that, I wonder if it was intentional because, while they're clear to the ready, they are not at all clear to Nick who's in the dark, meandering in all directions until he figures it out, which was actually a lot of fun to read. There were so many times where I just wanted to step into the book and help Nick, to tell him what was going on, but his cluelessness led to funny and heartbreaking scenarios that made his story all the more compelling. 

Overall, I really enjoyed TJ's first YA novel. Having read a lot of his adult novels, I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I was really surprised. No, this book didn't affect me the way that The House in the Cerulean Sea did, but it's a very different book; it's harsher, and it has more grit to it. 

But, I'd still highly recommend The Extraodinaries, and I can't wait to find out what happens to Nick and the gang in book two. 
​
“Be gay. Do crimes.”
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