Highlights From the BKMRK Party at The Boot & Flogger

Bookish dos are the best, especially when they're hosted by one of my favourite teams in publishing: Team BKMRK, the teen and YA division of Hachette! Last week they organised a sneak peek party for bloggers and booksellers to get a glimpse at what's in store over the coming months and, spoiler alert, they have tons of amazing reads coming out. From the highly anticipated King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo to the first young adult novel by Nikesh Shukla, Run Riot... If you love YA books then you *have* to check out what's in store for these guys and pre-order all of them right now, because wow!

What I Read in May 2018 – Round-Up & Mini Reviews

May was a whirlwind reading month stretching from 5-star to 2-star (yikes) novels. I've been getting a little bit experimental in books I've picked up and it clearly didn't always work out. Luckily though, there were some excellent books thrown in the mix as well (mostly, coincidentally, from publishers Scholastic) to make this a worthwhile reading month overall. Highlights included atmospheric Gatsby-esque historical fiction A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood, emotional coming-of-age Final Draft by Riley Redgate and post-Brexit political thriller Night of the Party by Tracey Mathias.

Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber

You've all heard me talk endlessly about Caraval by Stephanie Garber at this stage, which is an annual theatre performance, festival, treasure hunt and life-changing game all wrapped into one magical bookish package, and it has been one of the best novels I've read in recent years. Its innovative, atmospheric and highly original story, combined with the rich and vivid descriptions of the fantastical world it's set in, has has me hooked even nearly two years after first tumbling into this wonderland. And this week the intriguing story finally continues in its legendary sequel.

Dinner at The Elephant's Head in Hackney

Known for its hipster residents and eclectic mixture of shops, Hackney has become one of the most liveable areas in London in recent years. The East London borough han't only had a boom in independent coffee shops and artisan cafes but the restaurants have seen an evolution too. One such a foodie destination is the Elephant's Head – a traditional pub, restaurant and cocktail bar wrapped into on – which after a series of incarnations has recently returned to its Hackney hot spot under its original guise.

Night of the Party by Tracey Mathias

You may remember I was a part of the blog tour for super intriguing YA political thriller Night of the Party a few weeks ago, in which I interviewed author Tracey Mathias about what inspired the idea behind her novel, her writing research, and why you should be reading the book right now. I also shared a giveaway to win one of five signed copies, so if you haven't checked out that post yet make sure you do so now (the competition is open until 31 May). And if Tracey's excellent interview answers haven't already convinced you to pick up the book, definitely read my full review below!

Literary London: Harry Potter Walking Tour

It's no secret that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. In fact, the majority of my Literary London posts so far have been Potter-themed, from House of MinaLima (three times) and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play around its corner to the unmissable Warner Brothers Studio Tour. One wizarding must-do I had not yet checked off the list though was a Harry Potter walking tour of London. Focusing on filming locations rather than book-related references, I finally got a chance to experience it this weekend. While most of Britain was glued to the telly for the royal wedding, I was wandering through sunny London spotting obscure wizarding locations.

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Sometimes a book comes along that is so unexpectedly brilliant that you cannot stop thinking about its awesomeness, and young adult fantasy novel The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green is most definitely one of them. I hadn't heard about it before picking it up, though Sally Green had been on my radar because everyone always raves about her Half-Bad trilogy (which I've yet to read, soz), but when I opened the pages and saw the beautiful map of the world it's set in, I was sold.

Interview With 'Night of the Party' Author Tracey Mathias + Giveaway! [blog tour]

Night of the Party is an eerily timely young adult novel set in a post-Brexit Britain led by a nationalist party who forces everyone who is not BB (British Born) to return to their country. This timely and thought-provoking novel is one of the best books I've read so far this year, and I'm thrilled to have an interview with author Tracey Mathias for you guys today as part of the blog tour – as well as an opportunity to win 1 of 5 signed copies of this stellar read for yourself! 

Strictly Ballroom at the Piccadilly Theatre

As someone who grew up in the nineties I will always associate Baz Luhrmann with Romeo + Juliet (teenage me had a very big crush on Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo!), but the Australian writer, director and producer's work also includes Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom in his trio of outstanding musical films that have gained popularity far beyond its Australian roots. Though the first of the three – Strictly Ballroom – is perhaps the least known here in the UK, but with the dazzling theatrical adaptation opening in the West End that won't be the case for much longer.

What I Read in April 2018 – Round-Up & Mini Reviews

After a hit-and-miss March, April was an absolutely stellar reading month with several 5-star reads in a row I finished in a single day each until deep into the night as I just could not put them down! This included the follow-up to the imaginative Caraval by Stephanie Garber, the equally mesmerising Legendary; multi-layered YA high fantasy The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green; and the delightful contemporary companion novel to Dumplin' by Julie Murphy, Puddin'. I also reread one of my favourite books of all-time, the dystopian Shakespearean Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, as I picked it for my book club and it was as masterfully put together as I remembered.