Recommendations Round-up

Since it's the summer holidays and I have a bit of extra time I thought I'd do a brief round-up of some of my recent recommended reading. To save space I haven't included a blurb or synopsis but please click on the titles for more details on the story.

Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

I've just caught up with this series, which I've been meaning to read for a while, and I absolutely love it! A great combination of a boarding school story, spies, action and adventure, with even a little bit of romance thrown in. Highly recommended for a quick, fun read.

Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey

The third book in the Drake Chronicles series and I think my favourite so far. If you like vampires, some evil and some not, working alongside vampire hunters with a dash of humour and romance this series is for you. I'd also recommend the Evernight series by Claudia Gray.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Another YA book which focuses on a future world where society is very different. There is a bit of a fashion for dystopian YA books at the moment but I think this one stands out. Also recommended on this theme The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Matched by Ally Condie, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Carnegie Medal Winner

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness is the winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal. The book is the third and final part of the Chaos Walking trilogy - all of which are available from the library. Find out more at http://tinyurl.com/6k7vvp9.

Book of the Week

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Kane Chronicles. You can borrow both series from the Library and find out more at http://www.rickriordan.com/home.aspx.


The Kane Chronicles 1: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan


Carter and Sadie have nothing in common but their parents: their father Dr. Julius Kane, a brilliant Egyptologist, and their mother, a famed archaeologist who died under mysterious circumstances when they were young. The siblings barely know each other, but one night, their father brings them together at the British Museum, promising a 'research experiment' that will set things right for their family. His plans go horribly wrong.
An explosion unleashes an ancient evil - the Egyptian god Set who banishes Dr. Kane to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Now orphaned, Carter and Sadie must embark on a dangerous quest - from Cairo to Paris to the American Southwest, to save their father and stop Set from destroying everything they care about...

Love to Write?

Scottish Book trust is currently looking for enthusiastic writers between the ages of 14 and 17 to take part in their Young Writers Awards. You could have the chance to be mentored by an established writer as well as meeting industry professionals and visiting a top London publisher. Find out more at http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/youngwritersawards.

New Children's Laureate

Congratulations to Julia Donaldson, author of the bestselling book The Gruffalo, who has been appointed as Children's Laureate. Find out more at http://tinyurl.com/6gu9hr5