Blog tour: The Switch Up - Katy Cannon guest post

I am thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Katy Cannon's new book 'The Switch Up'. I finished reading this a few days ago and absolutely loved it. Don't forget to stop by the blog next week to read my full review. It's the perfect summer read to pack in your suitcase!

For today's blog tour stop, I have a fantastic guest post from Katy herself. It's the ultimate 'Surviving Summer: An Introvert's Guide and it's a great read that I could really identify with.

Summer is a great time for getting together with friends, going out and doing things, and making the most of the great weather. Of course, for introverts (like me) it’s also a time to start panicking about being expected to do All The Peopling All The Time.

Don’t get me wrong; I like people, I like spending time with friends, and I like getting out and doing things. I even like sunshine, as long as I have enough sunscreen on. I just find all of the above – what I call Peopling - mentally and physically exhausting, after a while.
So, over the years, I’ve come up with my own methods for keeping my summers fun and enjoyable, not overwhelming. Here they are:

1. Build In Downtime. If you know that spending a lot of time with loads of people is going to leave you exhausted, try to schedule your summer so you have breaks between big social gatherings. This might take a bit of planning, but having a day – or even a morning, afternoon or evening – to yourself between commitments with friends or family will help you re-energise and enjoy your time with others more.

2. Make Your Own Fun. You don’t have to spend your time alone moping in your room or doing homework though (well, not all of it, anyway). Try jotting down some activities that do give you more energy and make you happy. Mine include reading, getting outside in the sunshine for a walk (or more reading), listening to podcasts, going to the cinema - or a museum or exhibition - by myself, following an online yoga video, and daydreaming (which sometimes turns into napping). Whatever your list is, having it there in front of you when you get your downtime will remind you of all the fun things you can use it for.

3. Pick Your People. Even for us introverts, some people are more draining than others – and a select few can even make us feel better than or as good as being alone! So pick who you spend your summer with carefully. Okay, so you can’t choose your family, and friendship groups often include at least one person who doesn’t thrill you, but just thinking about how different people make you feel can be a starting point. Even a subtle shift towards spending more time with those people who energize you, and building in more downtime between time spent with those who don’t, can help improve your summer.

4. Set Goals and Say No. These two sort of go together. If you’re anything like me, saying ‘no’ to people who want to spend time with you can be difficult. I’ve found that what helps me is having a really good reason I can’t hang out. So, I always keep a summer goals list – maybe a handful of books I want to read, an exhibition I want to visit, a project at home, that sort of thing. Then, when I need to not be Peopling, I can say with confidence that I have something else I really need to do that day. Because I do. It’s on my list, and it matters to me – and friends will respect that. (Really good friends will also totally understand if you tell them ‘I can’t People today. Can we People tomorrow?’ incidentally.)

5. Be You – and Love It. Above all, embrace being an introvert! All it means is that you find more energy in time alone than in large groups – like a third or more of the population. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful and reflective – which can lead to being more creative, more empathetic and able to build long lasting friendships. So, love who you are, and love summer again!

Huge thanks to Katy for writing such a lovely guest post and don't forget to check out all of the other stops on the blog tour. My review will be going live on the blog on publication day (13th June).

Review: Maresi Red Mantle - Maria Turtschaninoff

Maresi Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff, published by Pushkin Children's Books on 6th June 2019

Goodreads synopsis:
For Maresi, like so many other girls, the Red Abbey was a haven of safety in a world ruled by brutal men. But now she is a young woman and it is time for her to leave. She must take all that she has learned from her sisters and return to her childhood home to share the knowledge she has gained.

But when Maresi returns to her village, she realises all is not well - the people are struggling under the rule of the oppressive Earl, and people are too busy trying to survive to see the value of her teachings. Maresi finds she must use all the terrible force of the Crone's magic to protect her people, but can she find the strength to do so when her heart is weakening with love for the first time?

Review:
'Maresi Red Mantle' is the third and final book in the Red Abbey Chronicles. It follows Maresi as she leaves the sanctuary and safety of the Red Abbey and returns to her childhood home of Rovas. She is reunited with her mother, father and siblings but after so many years apart, she has to learn how to be a part of the village and its community. Maresi returns with a mission to carry out and the story follows her as she tries to bring knowledge to Rovas, while facing new challenges and adversity along the way.

The book layout is a series of letters that Maresi writes to the loved ones she has left behind at the Abbey - Jai, Ennike Rose, Sister O and the Venerable Mother. I liked the epistolary format because it felt like being privy to Maresi's inner thoughts and feelings in a very confiding way. It's not always a style that I enjoy but I thought that in this case, it worked really well.

The text is translated from the original Finnish by A.A Prime and the language flowed off the page, with no awkwardness at all.

I found the story really moving and emotional, particularly in the second half. Maresi learns a lot about herself during the course of her life and her revelations are sometimes hard to face and painful but they help her grow into the woman that she wants to become. There is a strong feminist theme throughout the series, focusing on the idea that women can be as strong as men. Turtschaninoff shows through Maresi's choices and decisions that you don't have to concede to a man but can learn to live together in a mutually supportive way; as equals rather than being subservient.

Maresi is a wonderful character and I thoroughly enjoyed following her story as she grows into a unique and caring individual. She embodies the importance of reading and knowledge and that this should be shared with others to help people to grow and feel empowered. The book is a fitting end to the series and to Maresi's journey and it's one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Blog tour: Maresi Red Mantle - Maria Turtschaninoff

I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour today for Maresi Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff, which is the final instalment in the Red Abbey Chronicles. I have a wonderful guest post from Maria about writing a trilogy.

I have written a trilogy that is very un-trilogyesque in style and execution. MARESI is written from the perspective of a young girl chronicling one spring in her life at an all-female Abbey. NAONDEL, the second novel, is actually a prequel set hundreds of years before the events in MARESI and written from the perspective of several first-person narrators. They all tell their own stories of how they came to be in an evil man’s harem, and about their eventual escape. The tone and intent in each story is different. MARESI RED MANTLE is written in epistolary form, as Maresi writes letters back to the Abbey after returning home to the province of Rovas and her tiny native village. There are no answers from the Abbey in the book. The text Maresi wrote in the first novel was intended for the Abbey archives and was written by her with that in mind, so the tone is somewhat different to the one she uses in the last novel, when she writes letters to her friends and teachers. In the letters, too, the tone varies: she writes of different things and in different ways when she’s writing to Sister O, her teacher and guardian of the Crone’s secrets, and when she’s writing to her friend Jai or her friend Ennike, now the servant of the Maiden and keeper of knowledge about the female body and love. We get to see new sides of Maresi, as she shows her fears and insecurities to some recipients and not to others. How does she wish to present herself? What worries her, what occupies her mind? During the course of the correspondence Maresi grows and changes quite a lot, while in the first novel she’s the same throughout, as it’s written looking back at a major event that took place.

            So, in short, to me there has been very little of the trilogy in the writing of the Red Abbey Chronicles. I have not had one continuous story, written in the same manner and style. I think I am fairly incapable of doing so: my mind would get bored. I need to challenge myself with something new every time. Of course, this has led to a lot of cursing and hair-pulling during the writing process! I have complained often and loudly to my husband about why I must make it so difficult for myself. Why can’t I just find one way to tell a story and stick with it?

            But there we have it: I can’t. And the result is this: a trilogy that has very little of the trilogy to it, with a prequel in the middle and a different style every time.

            Are the Red Abbey Chronicles now ended? It’s hard for me to say. I have written two books previously, set in the same universe as the Red Abbey Chronicles, ARRA and ANACHÉ. They have not been published in English yet, unfortunately. But to me all five books are part of the same weave, a tapestry that I knit of this imaginary world of mine, book by book. And I am by no means done with the world. For each book I’ve written there are threads left untied, characters whose stories I would love to dive into and learn more about. Will they all be tied to the Red Abbey? Probably not. But the longer I write in this world the more the stories become intertwined. In MARESI RED MANTLE there are references to both the novels ARRA and ANACHÉ, and I foresee more of this kind of intermingling in the future.

Book to film/TV adaptations for 2019

There are a whole host of books being adapted for film or television this year, so I thought I would pick a few that I'm really excited about. To be completely honest, I can't name many book adaptations that I've enjoyed. I absolutely hate it when they change the endings for film or TV and I always tend to think that the book is better. One of my favourite books is The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger but I was very disappointed by how the film turned out. That aside, I can't help but watch to see what producers do with books that I've read and at the moment there are quite a few upcoming adaptations that have got me genuinely intrigued and excited.

 

The Goldfish by Donna Tartt

 

I first read this back in 2014 and it was one of my favourite books of the year. It reminds me of 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, in the scope of the story and the way that it follows the main character Theo's life from boyhood to adulthood. It shows the consequences of one terrible day during his childhood and how that reverberates throughout his whole life. A worthy winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this is being made into a film starring Nicole Kidman and Luke Wilson.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 

This is a book that I've read over and over again and seen many film and TV adaptations of. It's one of my favourite classics and never fails to make me laugh, smile and cry. I always identified closely with Beth when I was growing up, although I loved Jo's wild and courageous spirit and Meg's motherly nature. I adored the recent BBC adaptation and I can't wait to see the latest big screen adaptation when it's released in December. The cast is phenomenal: Emma Watson, James Norton and Meryl Streep, plus a whole host of other famous faces.

 

 

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

 

A BBC and HBO co-production, this is the one that I think everyone is waiting for. The full-length trailer is currently available to watch and it looks amazing! Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda all star and the script has been written by Jack Thorne, who collaborated with J.K. Rowling on 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'. I definitely need to re-read this trilogy, prior to the official release.  

 

 

Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

 

Since the start of the year, I've been on an Agatha Christie reading binge. I've now read most of the Poirot and Miss Marple stories but I'm still catching up with all of her stand-alone novels, this one included. 'Death Comes as the End' is being adapted for the small screen by Gwyneth Hughes and is set to air over Christmas.

 

 

 Do you enjoy book to film/TV adaptations? What are your favourites?

 

Which ones are you looking forward to seeing in 2019?

Review: Dear Ally, How Do I Write a Book? - Ally Carter

Dear Ally, How Do I Write a Book? by Ally Carter, published by Orchard Books on 4th April 2019

Goodreads synopsis:
Ally and her author friends want to help YOU write the book you've always dreamed of. Part agony aunt, part writing guru, this writing guide is thoughtful, witty and best of all, useful.

Review:

You don't have to be a teen to find 'Dear Ally, How Do I Write a Book?' hugely informative and useful. If you have any interest at all in writing for a YA audience then this is the best guide to get you started. I'm a huge admirer of Ally Carter and I've read all of her books, so I was instantly intrigued when I heard about this title. I've read a number of other guides to fiction writing but they have all been designed for adult writers. This is the first really useful book I've come across that is written by a YA author and packed full of tips and advice for those who want to write YA fiction. It is one of those titles that you know you'll continually be picking off your bookshelf and referring back to. 

The book is broken down into chapters such as 'Planning your book', 'Developing your plot' and 'Editing your book'. The structure is linear and takes you through every stage of the writing process, from creating your characters, to building your world. There is a wealth of thoughtful and useful advice but Carter also makes it explicitly clear that there is no single right way to write. Everyone has their own style and their own process which is crafted and developed over a period of time. You just have to find what works best for you and sometimes that only comes through trial and error. 

Interspersed throughout the book are questions and answers from a number of other well-known authors, such as David Levithan, Stephanie Perkins, Marie Lu and Holly Black. I found these really interesting and insightful, as it helped to show the unique nature of the writing process, as well as providing author stories about the road to publication. Ally Carter often refers to her own journey in becoming a YA author and some of the insights she shares about choosing characters, settings or plot lines were fascinating. 

Ultimately you do have to find your own way and write about things that matter to you but if you have always dreamt of becoming a published author, or even just want to nail that next NaNoWriMo challenge then this is THE book you must read.    

Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely - Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books on 29th January 2019

Goodreads synopsis:
Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Review:
I'm going to stick my neck out now and say that this is the best fairy tale retelling I've ever read. I often have high hopes for this type of book, only to end up disappointed but there was nothing disappointing about 'A Curse So Dark and Lonely'. Brigid Kemmerer has got the perfect balance between old and new elements of the story with this wonderful fantasy twist on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.  I've read other books by the same author but this is my absolute favourite. Kemmerer's storytelling skills and way with words are both sublime and her characters come alive in such a way that you never stop rooting for them. We may only be in April but I have a feeling that I've already found one of the best books of 2019.

The essential elements of Beauty and the Beast are there to see (Prince must make a girl fall in love with him to break a curse) but they're interwoven in such a unique and original way that it felt like capturing all the best elements of a truly classic tale with fresh, modern touches that transformed it into something new and wondrous.

The narrative switches back and forth between Prince Rhen of Emberfall and a young girl called Harper of modern day Washington, D.C. She is inadvertently transported to Emberfall by the Prince's Commander Grey. Both were strong voices in the story that I equally enjoyed reading. The Prince has been cursed to live his 18th year over and over again, until he can find a girl who will fall in love with him. The problem is that the Prince is hiding a terrible secret which threatens the lives of everyone in the kingdom and makes him a little less marriageable material.

I absolutely loved Rhen and Harper. The latter has cerebral palsy but doesn't let this stop her from being a real bad-ass! She is clever, resourceful, independent and brave. She won't be won over easily and isn't swayed by fancy dresses or the comfort of the castle. She is used to being underestimated and thought weak, so the development of her character was excellent because Kemmerer shows her growing in confidence, refusing to be pushed aside and becoming more and more integral to the future of Emberfall. I was also won over by Prince Rhen but my favourite was probably Commander Grey. He's not the love interest (although could have been) and has a steely personality which begins to soften in the presence of Harper.

The story is so much more than just a romance though and it would do it an injustice to label it as such. It is also about saving a kingdom, preventing a war and finding your true place in the world, wherever that may be.

'A Curse So Dark and Lonely' is the perfect combination of fantasy, adventure, romance and heroism. The sequel, 'A Heart So Fierce and Broken', is set for 2020, although that is such an unbearably long time to wait! I'm excited to find out what happens to the people of Emberfall next. Kemmerer leaves you with the taste of anticipation and a wish to return as quickly as possible to this incredible world.