Five Characters I’d Love to Follow on Social Media

Hello everybody! Today, I’m taking part in my first Top Ten Tuesday of 2020, and today’s theme is characters we’d like to follow on social media, which I had SO much fun thinking about. Onto the post!

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Nick Hidaka– otherwise known as Lion Boy, Nick remains one of my ultimate fictional crushes and will be until I’m old enough that it’s creepy. We all have those people we follow because we fancy them, and if he was real he’d absolutely be mine! Also, he’s hilarious and I think he’d be a blast on Twitter.

Lara-Jean Song-Covey– I don’t actually really like eating any baked goods, but I bloody LOVE looking at pretty photos of them. Therefore, LJ is 100% someone I want to be following. I’m also super into looking at pretty clothes, so she really would be a dream Insta follow for me.

Daisy Wells– I don’t know how Daisy would feel about social media given she is from the 1930s but I feel like she’d enjoy sharing her observations with the world and letting everyone know what an amazing detective she is. I have a feeling I’d really like her Twitter, if she had one! Also, I can’t just do a list of MMU characters

Cosmo Walker– I, Cosmo was my absolute favourite book last year, and if Cosmo had an Instagram I’d follow it in a HEARTBEAT. Like, I can’t tell you how much less I’d scroll social media if I didn’t follow so many animals. I’d just love to see his little golden face pop up on my screen all the time! And hopefully he’d have videos of him dancing as well?!

Izzy O’ Neill– Izzy is feminist and hilarious. She’d be a very on brand follow for me, and I think I’d absolutely love hearing what she had to say about current affairs, but also just getting to keep up with her life would be great given her series is now over.

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Which characters would you most like to follow on social media, and which social media specifically do you want to follow them on? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Amy x

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’ve Picked Up Because of Blogger Recommendations

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m taking part in Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and today’s prompt was to pick a past topic. I’ve decided to go for books I’ve picked up because other bloggers have recommended to me; some of which I’ve read and others that are still on my TBR (and I haven’t got a full ten, which I just want to point out in case anyone thought I couldn’t count 😜). Onto the post!

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#sixforsunday : Books With Numbers in the Title

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m once again linking up with Steph’s #sixforsunday meme, for my last post with this of the year (as the December themes are mainly things I already have planned for blogmas which I can’t narrow down to just 6 books!). I really hope it comes back next year though; the prompts are brilliant!

Onto to the books!

Take Two by Perdita and Honor Cargill– this is the 2nd book in the Waiting for Callback trilogy, and if anything I loved it even more than the first! It takes place on theStraker movie set and follows Elektra’s mishaps and misadventures there. 

The 13 Series by Michelle Harrison– this is a dark middlegrade fantasy/magical realism wuth faeries much darker than the Rainbow Magic ones, and I think they’re really enjoyable. Red/Rowan is such a good character in particular, and I really like Oberon the dog!

One False Note by Gordon Korman– this is the 2nd in my beloved 39 Clues series (I think I might write a post on why everyone should read these in the New Year…), and it takes Dan and Amy’s clue hunt to Austria.

First Class Murder by Robin Stevens– this is a superb murder mystery set on the Orient Express, and Daisy and Hazel decide to investigate. This book introduced fellow sleuth Alexander and Hazel’s dad Mr Wong,  both of whom I love, and Daisy and Hazel are as awesome as ever.

The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell– this is the first book of the Uncommoners trilogy, which takes place in the phenomenal world of Lundinor.

Take Two by Sienna Mercer- and for a bit of symmetry, I’m going to finish the post off with another Take Two. This one is the 5th in the My Sister the Vampire series,  and features Olivia and Ivy on a film set. It’s one of my favourites of the series, especially as it introduces Olivia’s love interest Jackson. I REALLY must get round to rereading this series soon; if not all then at least the first few.

What books with numbers in the title do you love? What do you think of my choices? Are anyon your TBR? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl!

Amy xxx

#sixforsunday: Books With Colours in the Title

Hello everybody! 

Today I’m taking part in Steph’s amazing #sixforsunday meme, where today’s prompt is to think of books with colours in the title. I’ll admit I found this quite hard, so I’ve decided to use some books where it’s a shade of the colour. Onto the books!

Scarlet Ibis– I have a very hit and miss relationship with Gill Lewis, but I do love Scarlet Ibis. It’s about a girl called Scarlet, who is put into foster care seperately from her autistic brother, and their journey back to each other. It’s a really lovely book.
Indigo Blue– this is my 2nd favourite Cathy Cassidy standalone. It’s about Indie, as she and her mum and little sister leave mum’s boyfriend, and her trying to work out why. It’s incredibly sad in places, and I worried a lot about Indie as I read, but it also has that classic Cathy Cassidy feel of happiness in tough times and glimmers of hope especially at the end.

Scarlett– were you wondering what my very favourite Cathy Cassidy standalone was? Wonder no more, it’s Scarlett! It’s about rebel Scarlett who has been going down a bad path since her parent’s divorce as she is expelled from school and is sent to stay with her dad. There, she meets Kian and his gorgeous horse Midnight, and her life soons starts to change. I want toread it again just from thinking about it!

The Mystery of the Black Salamander – this is part of one of my favourite ever series; Adventure Island by Helen Moss, and this book sees Emily, Jack, Scott and Drift the dog investigate the theft of the world’s new biggest supercar.

Ketchup Clouds– This book is so unique. It’s told in the form of letters to a murderer on Death Row from a girl called Zoe Collins who has a dark secret. I’m very fuzzy on the plot now, so I may have tk dig it out for a reread.

The Rainbow Beauty series– this doesn’t just have one colour in the title, it has a full rainbow! (Yes, I’m thinking outside of the box here. This was MUCH harder than I’d thought it would be!). This is a lovely series about following dreams when you thought your life was over and family and friendship (and romance, in the form of main character Abbie’s relationship with Marco). The perfect summer read!

The Black Circle– to finish off, another book with black from an all time favouirte series; the 39 Clues. This isn’t one of my favourite instalments, I’ll admit, but I do love the investigation into who NRR is and also how much information about Rasputin/The Russian Royal Family there was in it.

So there’s my list of books with colours in the title! Can you think of any? Have you read any of my list? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl!

Amy xxx

#sixforsunday: War Books

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m taking part once again in #sixforsunday, hosted by wonderful Steph. Today’s theme is war books, of which I’ve read some amazing, heatbreaking stories.

Onto the books! 

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo- this is one of the first things I remember ever crying over. It’s a gorgeous book about how World War One rips apart the life pf a boy called Albert and his horse Joey, and their journey to find each other again.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker- shamefully, I haven’t yet read this one, but it’s so similar in synopsis to War Horse I couldn’t resist including it. It’s a very similar story, except it’s about a boy and his fox. I can’t wait to finally devour it (though I am certain it’ll make me cry!)

Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian- Speaking of books which make me cry, this absolutely destroyed me. It’s about shy, strange Willie Beech as he is evacuated to the countryside and is sent to live with Mr Tom Oakley, and how it changes his life forever. While this is an amazing book, I definetely wouldn’t allow anyone under about 10 to read it as some parts really preyed on my mind aged 14.

Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll- Another evacuee story, although this one has much more of a focus on Jewish refugees! It’s a fabulous read, as is everything by Emma Carroll, and I highly recommend it. It focuses on Olive and her little brother Clive as they move to the seaside, and are taken in by the mysterious lighthouse keeper. 

Carrie‘s War by Nina Bawden- I can’t remember a great deal about this one, but it was my first time really learning about the war and what it was, when it was my class book in P5 or P6, and I definetly remember liking it more than most of the stuff (read: drivel) we got forced to study.

A Million Angels by Kate Maryon- This was a really sad story about a girl called Jemima whose dad is away fighting in Afghanistan, and again I found it a reakky upsetting read. It also explores World War Two through the eyes of Jemima’s gran. 

What do you think of these books, if you’ve read them? Are any on your TBR? What books set during wartime would you recommend? I’d really love to hear from you down in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl. 

Amy xxx

#sixforsunday: Diverse Books

Hello everybody! Today, I’m taking part in the FABULOUS Six for Sunday meme, hosted by the lovely Steph. Today’s prompt was diverse books, so without further ado here are 6 I love!

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli- I love this book huge amounts. It’s about Simon, who is in love with an Internet correspondent called Blue, as he comes out to his friends and family and everything that happens in his life during that period. It’s so funny and cosy and clever, and Simon is so incredibly sweet. 

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli- Becky Albertalli’s 2nd novel is diverse both in terms of race and sexuality, and one of it’s main themes is the main character Molly discovering that being fat doesn’t make her unattractive or inferior, which I think was really refreshing to see in a book! 

The Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries by Robin Stevens- These books feature a Chinese main character in Hazel Wong (who I desperately want to be my best friend/sister, please and thank you) and they explore the racism that ethnic minorities would face during the time period. My heart absolutely breaks for Hazel in some scenes; the way she gets treated can be awfully unfair. We also some LGBT romances taking place, and other ethnic minority characters are introduced as the books go on.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman- This book is incedibly diverse; not one of the main characters is straight, and it’s utterly amazing. It starts off with such light humour and gets darker and deeper as it develops, and also features one of the most evil characters I’ve ever read (I won’t say who, cause spoilers, but I really hate them. If you do too, please come hate on them with me! 😠)

Susie Day- One of my favourite things about Susie Day is that her books are incredibly diverse, and I think it’s done very naturally and explored amazingly. They’re also just generally great contemporary MG!

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson- This books features two trans protagonists, David and Leo, and I adore it. They’re both fabulous characters and there are scenes which take my breath away. I highly recommend it!

What are your favourite diverse books? I’d love to hear in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl!

Amy xxx

#sixforsunday: Thrillers (Scary Books)

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m taking part in Six for Sunday, hosted by the lovely Steph and for today’s theme of Scary Books I decided to talk about some thrillers I really enjoyed. 

Onto the books!

Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy- This is the story of Jennifer Jones, and what happened the day three friends walked out of town and only two come back. I think it’s better to go in blind for this to really enjoy it, but it’s a slow-burning thriller that’s also, in my opinion, incredibly touching.

The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke- This is another slow-burner, but trust me, the shocking ending (I gasped, genuinely and audibly) makes it so worth it. It tells the story of Faith, whose sister Laurel was kidnapped when they were children, and how her life changes dramatically when Laurel very unexpectedly reappears. Faith is such a witty, complex character who I really enjoyed spending time, the flawed family dynamics are fascinating and as the subject matter would imply, is completley chilling in places.

Girlhood by Cat Clarke – Yes, I’m including another Cat Clarke book. #sorrynotsorry. This was part of the Zoella Book Club earlier this year but I read it just before that was announced, and I loved it. It takes pkace in a very twisted boarding school called Duncraggan, and it focuses on toxic female friendships after new girl Kirsty arrives and starts behaving strangely. It’s not a conventional thriller in terms of it being about crime, and I’m not a huge fan of the ending, but it most definetely kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Day I Met Suzie by Chris Higgins – this is about Indie’s life and how it unravels as Suzie arrives at college and turns everything upside down. It’s such a chilling story, as it feels like something that could happen in real life. Details are revealed at exactly the right moments, at the perfect pace and I genuinely felt awful for Indie when I was reading. I highly recommend this one!

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus– Described as Pretty Little Liar meets the Breakfast Club, this tells the story of what happens when 5 teenagers walk into detention, and only 4 come back out. It’s fast paced, with characters I fell in love with, and I highly recommend it.

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie- This was the first thriller I read, and as that was quite a long time ago I can’t remember a huge deal about the plot. It’s about Lauren as she discovers her adoption possibly wasn’t totally legit, and her journey to discover what happened to her. It all got a bit nuts (even more so in the other books of the trilogy) but it was totally gripping and I loved side character Jam.

Thank you so much for reading! What are your favourite thrillers? What did you think of my choices, if you’ve read them? I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl 😊

Amy xxx 

#sixforsunday: Books That Made Me Cry

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m taking part in Steph’s fabulous Six for Sunday meme, and today’s theme is books that made us cry. I cry at quite a lot of books, so I’ve decided to speak about six which particularly emotionally destroyed me! 😭

Let’s get started! (In noparticular order)

Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen – I‘m not sure what it is about this book that makes me cry. I think it’s Ade. His bravery and narration is wonderful; the real star attraction of the story, and also the community spirit we see as the book progresses. Even the opening pages make me well up now, because I know all of the journey that’s to come.

Being Miss Nobody by Tamsin Winter- This has been one of my favouritereads this year, and it made me incredibly emotional. I cried quite a bit, but I also laughed and smiled. It’s a very special book, and I can’t wait to reread it and read more from Tamsin Winter. 

Running on the Roof of the World by Jess Butterworth- Like the above, this book is a total emotional rollercoaster, and I cried several times. In one scene involving the yaks (which I won’t spoil), Jess Butterworth broke my heart. She put it back together by the end though, and her writing is so stunning and special I don’t mind anyway.

Summer’s Dream by Cathy Cassidy- Summer’s struggle with anorexia, which we see in this book most prominently, is devastating, and certainly made me cry in places.

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls- Sam’s story tore my heart apart, and the ending cemented this. It’s such a beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking story, and even though I barely ever hear anyone mentioning it anymore I think it’ll stay with me forever. 

Trash by Andy Mulligan- this story tells of 3 boys in a 3rd world country, eho have to sift through trash to survive. The subject matter is heartwrenching, and all too real, and it’s the first book I remember being absolutely broken by. I can’t remember everything about it now, as it’s quite a few years since I’ve read it and I’m too scared to pick it up again, but it had a huge effect on me at the time. 

Thank you so much for reading! What books made you cry, if any? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

See you soon with a new post, 

Amy xxx

#sixforsunday: My Halloween TBR

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m once again taking oart in the Six for Sunday meme hosted by Steph from A Little But a Lot. Today’s theme was books from your TBR, but as my TBR has considerably more than 6 books (closer to 600, I think 😂😂*), I decided to write about some of the books I’m hoping to read in the next few weeks, inspired by Halloween. 

Let’s get started!

The Witch’s Kiss/The Witch’s Tears by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr– I’ve wanted to read these books since I heard of them but I’ve still not got round to reading them. I love both the authors on Twitter, I finally have copies (thanks to Zoe’s giveaway of them, during her readathon) and they seem perfect for this time of the year seeing they’re about witches and magic.

Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray-Williams- I picked this up on a whim a few months ago in Waterstones, and from the pages I’ve looked at it, will be adorable. I’ve been seriously slacking in the children’s classics department recently, so I’m excited to get into this one.

Evie‘s Ghost by Helen Peters- I bought this months ago, having heard one of my favourite authors (Emma Carroll) sing it’s praises, and ghost stories are a perfect read for Halloween. I’m pretty sure Louise loved this too, and I really trust her recommendations!

A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan– I’m not 100% sure what the plot of thos book is, but it sounds quite creepy and menacing, and I’ve seen some fabulous reviews for it. I’m hoping it’ll be similar to Trenton Lee Stewart’s the Secret Keepers, but better paced.

The Curse of the Werewolf Boy by Chris Priestly –I’m on the blog tour for this book next month, so I need to read it soon anyway, but it fits perfectly into my Halloween plans. Boarding schools with mysterious elements are one of my favourite bookish things, so I’m looking forward to this one,

What books are you planning to read in the run up to Halloween? What do you think of my TBR plans? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl!

Amy xxx

* it’s not that bad yet 💜. It’s probably around 200 I think, but I’ve never counted so I’m not sure.*

#sixforsunday : My Favourite Genres

Hello everybody!

Today, I’m once again taking part in Steph’s Six For Sunday meme. Today, the theme is our favourite genres. Let’s get started on mine, along with some of my favourite books/authors within them!

In no particular order…

Romance- I always enjoy a swoony romance. There’s just something about watching two characters falling in love that hooks me in to a book. Some recent favourites include A Quiet Kind of Thunder, Anna and the French Kiss and the Start of Me and You. 

Contemporary- I also love contemporary novels without romance, such as Beautiful Broken Things and Wing Jones (I know this does have some fabulous romance, but it also has quite a separate storyline so I regard it more as contemporary than romance). Even though I barely ever see it, I also love contemporary MGs. Being Miss Nobody, which fits that description, has been one of my top three reads this year, and another great example of contemporary MG is Susie Day.

Mystery- Even though I said this was in no particular order, mystery may well be my favourite genre of all. It got me back into reading at a time when I fell out of love with it (I’m forever indebted to Laura Marlin and Adventure Island, which I still reread often) and I think the quality of MG mystery being released at the minute, for example Robin Stevens’s Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries, is absolutely sublime. 

Adventure- Recently, I’ve started to read some more middle grade adventure stories. I fell head over heels for the lyrical contemporary adventure Running on the Roof of the World, as you’ll probably already know if you’ve read some of my posts before, and I also loved the more action packed Defender of the Realm. 

Fantasy- WhileI don’t enjoy some more epic fantasies, I do love some more understated ones. Prisoner of Ice and Snow is a wonderful MG fantasy and I can’t wait for the next in the series! Polly Ho-Yen’s stunning books also have some fantasy elements, along with contemporary and magical realism.

Historical- It’s absolutely fascinating to read about other times and places, and these books are often based on real facts and sometimes even events. Emma Carroll really is ‘The Queen of Historical Fiction’ and Karen McCombie’s recent historical/timeslip offerings are also excellent.

Thank you so much for reading! I’d love to hear about your favourite genres in the comments down below or on my Twitter @GoldenBooksGirl. 

See you soon with a new post,

Amy xxx