Guest Post: Katie of Exploration of Creation’s Cosy Christmas Reads

Hello everybody!

Today, on the 3rd day of blogmas, I’m thrilled to welcome my lovely friend Katie to chat about some of her favourite cosy Christmas reads.

Over to Katie! 

The ‘My True Love Gave to Me’ anthology –This anthology has a ton of really festive, cosy stories, by a really wide variety of amazing YA authors. My personal favourite is Stephanie Perkins’s story (she’s also the editor, which is really cool – there’s also an awesome summertime anthology) but honestly a large majority of the stories were really, really enjoyable – I found this pretty unusual, because usually in an anthology, a good few are bound to not be my type of read. There are some other amazing YA authors in this book who I adore, too, like Rainbow Rowell & Jenny Han. I will definitely be re-reading this one during December. If you want to feel all cosy and happy and sappy this Christmas, give this one a go. It’s also super easy to pick up and put down whenever you like, because each individual story is so short (yet so well-rounded!!).

Let It Snow -This is a collection of three stories, written by Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle and the exceptionally talented John Green. I enjoyed the reading experience of this book SO MUCH. Not only was it super festive, but it was also so incredibly funny. I had never read anything from Maureen or Lauren before, so discovering their amazing writing styles was a great surprise, and I already knew and loved John Green, so this simply exemplified that adoration. If you want something really cheerful, but beautifully written, this Christmas, this is definitely the one for you!! 

Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone– Actually, I’d like to recommend the entire Harry Potter series because, a) I’ll do that every chance I get, with any possible excuse but also, b) all of the Harry Potter books have wonderfully cosy Christmas moments. The only exception is Deathly Hallows, where Christmas becomes this forgotten, hazy memory for Harry and Hermione, and it’s so eerie and sad to see how far they’ve come from their first Christmas at Hogwarts. I always love reading about what Harry got sent for Christmas, from the lovely treats he receives from Mrs & Mr Weasley, the hilariously weird things from Dobby and the ridiculously stingy “gifts” sent from the Dursleys. Ultimately, though, the Harry Potter books are so cosy and fun to read all year around, not just at Christmas.

Little Women– This is one of my ultimate favourite classic novels and it’s also one of the first books I read and fell in love with. It has some really festive, wonderful, nostalgic moments in it and the setting of the March house just leaps off of the page – it’s somewhere that sounds pretty magical at Christmas. If you’ve never read this book before, either because you haven’t come across it, or you’ve been too intimidated, I couldn’t possibly recommend it more. It’s really magical and beautifully written – also, I think it would be a great way to start getting into “classic” texts. The March sisters have some really complex, gorgeous relationships. I think I might re-read this one this Christmas.

Have you read any of the books Katie recommends? What did you think? What are your favourite cosy reads? (Both festive and not!). Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl. 

Amy xxx

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My Most Anticipated Releases of 2018 (January to April)

Hello everybody!

Welcome to day 2 of blogmas! Today, since we’ve kicked off the countdown to Christmas (related/unrelated point: I am in LOVE with my Thorntons Gruffalo advent calender this year), I thought it’d be fun to talk about some of the books I’m counting down to in the first few months of 2018. (There are a lot more, but these are my top ten! Of which 90% are MG, which isn’t really that surprising seeing I tend to love them most)

Onto the books!

The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson– I enjoyed Lisa’s debut The Goldfish Boy last year, ans I’m VERY excited for this one. If anything, it sounds even better, andif the synopsis is anything to go by I have a feeling I’ll adore Nate.

Sky Chasers by Emma Carroll– the Queen of Historical Fiction is a fitting description of Emma Carroll. I’m head over heels with each and every one of Emma’s books (particularly the Girl Who Walked on Air, with a brave, feisty yet relatable heroine, a darling little dog and also the dreamy Gabriel Swift). This is set in France and it’s about the first hot air balloon flight, and I have no reason to believe I won’t be raving about this to anyone who’ll listen to me too.

Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone– Confession: I have only read one book by Abi Elphinstone before, The Dream Snatcher, and while I liked it (and her short story from Winter Magic) very much, I’ve just never got round to the others. I will get round to them eventually! Sky Song sounds like too good an adventure to put off though, and everyone I know who’s read it thinks it’s exceptional.

A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens– as a longtime Murder Most Unladylike fan, I feel like I’ve been waiting FOREVER for this book! As good as the Guggenheim Mystery was, I’m in desperate need of some Wells and Wong goodness. Also, I’m intrigued to see how Daisy and Hazel’s friendship may change when this book is set at Hazel’s home in Hong Kong (not to mention Hong Kong itself!)

Brighstorm by Vashti Hardy– this is a debut novel, and it’s an MG adventure with a skyship and twins, which are very relevant to my interests/tastes, and I’ve heard praise from a couple of authors who’ve already received proofs. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on it!

Battle of the Beetles by M.G Leonard– I’m unbelievably excited for the conclusion to this trilogy, which I’ve been in love with since soon after Beetle Boy’s release. I adore the charcaters and the beetles, the plot and the writing style, and the villain Lucretia Cutter is so evil! These feel like modern classics, and I’m desperate to find out what the ending will be.

A Witch Alone by James Nicol– I really liked the Apprentice Witch last year, and I’ve been waiting for ages on the sequel. I’m planning to reread to remind myself of the characters too, and I can’t wait to see what happens to Arianwyn next.

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron– this is Sophie Cameron’s debut novel and I’m looking forward to it for a number of reasons. It’s set in Edinburgh, some friends I really trust with book recommendations loved it and I’m a pretty big fan of some good magical realism.

Beyond the Odyssey by Maz Evans- I have adored the first two installments of this series this year, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Elliot next, to see more crazy antics from the gods and to experience another rollercoaster of emotions; going from laughter to tears in very short spaces.

When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth– if you’ve read basically a single other post on this blog, you will know I love Running on the Roof of the World by this author a huge amount. I cannot wait for her 2nd novel, which is set to feature a leopard!!

Thank you for reading! What’s your advent calender this year? What books are top of your wish list next year? I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl. 
Amy xxx

My Winter Memories by Jess Butterworth

Hello everybody!

Welcome to the FIRST day of blogmas! Today, I’m massively excited to welcome Jess Butterworth, whose book Running on the Roof of the World is one of my very favourites of 2017 (and if I had to choose from my top 3, this would be the one I’d pick). Over to Jess, with her beautiful post about her winter memories. 

I love winter and the frosty mornings where grass crunches under your feet and silvery spider webs cling to hedgerows. 

One of my earliest memories of winter is getting snowed in at my grandma’s house in the Himalayas. There was so much snow my parents had to dig tunnels for me to be able to walk through it. The tunnels were deep and I couldn’t see over the top of them. I was surrounded by glittery white snow and it was magical. That year will always be remembered as the year of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. 

Other stories I adored curling up with in winter months included The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson, The Elves and the Shoemaker by Brothers Grimm and The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. 

From the age of 16, I worked weekends in a vintage furniture and gift shop in a medieval granary building in Bradford-on-Avon, next to a tithe barn. There was no heating and in winter I remember buying a pair of boots 2 sizes too big so that I could fit my thick socks into them. The owner was the key keeper for the tithe barn and some evenings I got to bolt and lock shut the creaky giant wooden doors of the barn, alone by torchlight. Each time, long shadows would creep across the wooden beams and my footsteps would echo off the stones, and I’d leave wanting to read Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. 

The shop transformed into The Christmas Shop every November, filled with orange clove candles and cinnamon pinecones; multi-coloured trees and twinkling decorations. Customers would enter as we were setting it up, nailing garlands to the walls and draping fairy lights, and back out quickly, saying, ‘Oh no, it’s too early for Christmas…’

I always understood what they meant, but I loved it anyway; every day I would come home covered in glitter with the urge to write wintry stories about fairies, woodland creatures and magic. During my last year there I discovered The Snow Merchant by Sam Gayton and read it veraciously during my lunch breaks. 

This year I’m spending Christmas somewhere completely new, in Acadiana in Louisiana. Christmas pudding will be replaced with pecan pie and I’ll be reading the Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair and James Rice, where Father Christmas is dressed in muskrat pelts and pulled along in a boat by alligators.  

I’ll also have wintry reads from some of my favourite authors keeping me company, including Emma Carroll’s The Snow Sister, Mimi Thebo’s Dreaming the Bear and Winter Magic curated by Abi Elphinstone. 

Thank you so much to Jess for writing this post. I can personally recommend both the Emma Carroll and Winter Magic; and I may be rereading both too! What are your favourite winter memories? I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl 

Amy xxx