The Blurb On The Back:

Lilian Maeve Veronica Savage, international sex kitten, was born on the steps of The Legs of Man public house, Lime Street, Liverpool on a policeman’s overcoat. Her mother, the lady wrestler Hell Cat Savage, had no such luxuries as gas and air. She just bit down on the policeman’s torch and recovered afterwards at the bar with a large pale ale …

Paul O’Grady shot to fame via his brilliant comic creation, the blonde bombshell Lily Savage. In the first two parts of his bestselling and critically acclaimed autobiography, Paul took us through his childhood in Birkenhead to his first, teetering steps on stage. Now, in Still Standing, for the first time, he brings us the no-holds-barred true story of Lily and the rocky road to stardom …

Paul pulls no punches in this tale of bar-room brawls, drunken escapades and liaisons dangereuses. And that’s just backstage at the Panto … Along the way, we stop off at some extremely dodgy pubs and clubs, and meet a collection of exotic characters who made the world a louder, brighter and more hilarious place. From the chaos of the Toxteth riots and the Vauxhall Tavern Raid, to the mystery of who shot Skippy and the great chip-pan fire of Victoria Mansions, Paul emerges shaken but not stirred.


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Paul O’Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. The third in his autobiographical quartet charts the 1980s as he hones Lily Savage in Northern clubs (dragging Vera with him), overseas and London’s gay clubs and searches for love in all the wrong places. But tragedy isn’t far away as HIV starts to bite and O’Grady suffers more loss closer to home that even his sharp wit struggles to see the humour in.
The Blurb On The Back:

Birkenhead, 1973. The eighteen-year-old Paul O’Grady get ready for a big Saturday night out on the town. New white t-shirt, freshly ironed heads, looking good. As he bids farewell to his mum, who’s on the phone to his auntie, and wanders off down the street in a cloud of aftershave, he hears the familiar cry” ‘Oh, the devil rights out tonight, Annie. The devil rides out!’


The further adventures of Paul O’Grady - following on from the million-copy-selling At My Mother’s Knee - are, if anything, even more hilarious and outrageous than what has come before. As Paul struggles to get to grips with unexpected fatherhood and bereavement, he searches high and low for a job that lasts and somehow finds himself getting married in the process. Work takes him from an abattoir to a children’s home, from a hospital to a nightclub, and from penthouse to pavement. Along the way, he takes his first Savage steps on stage, tastes the exotic delights of Manila and invades Plans …

To say that The Devil Rides Out is action-packed is an understatement. Its extraordinary cast of characters includes lords and ladies, the legendary Vera, a serial killer, more prostitutes than you can shake a stick at and drag queens of every shape and size. Wickedly funny, often moving, and searingly honest, Paul’s tales of the unexpected will make your jaw drop and your hair stand on end. And you’ll laugh like a drain.

The Devil Rides Out - one hell of a read!


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Paul O’Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. The second in his autobiographical quartet charts 1973 to 1980 as he deals with his father’s death, becomes a father, bounces between jobs, marries a lesbian, struggles to find a partner, travels internationally and starts to develop Lily Savage within the London drag scene. Told with O’Grady’s biting wit, it’s sad, thoughtful, horrifying and honest.
The Blurb On The Back:

In this first volume of his multi-million-selling autobiography, Paul O’Grady tells the story of his early life in Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. It is a brilliantly evoked, hilarious and often moving tale of gossip in the back yard, bragging in the corner shop and slanging matches on the front doorstep, populated by larger-than-life characters with hearts of gold and tongues as sharp as razors.

At My Mother’s Knee features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress. It’s a book which really does have something for everyone and which reminds us that, when all’s said and done, there’s a bit of savage in all of us …


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Paul O’Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. Warm, hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking this is the first in his autobiography quartet, charting his life in Birkenhead from birth to his late teens and his relationship with his working class, Catholic parents and aunts. This 2018 reprint featured a new introduction by O’Grady where he says he’s softened some of the depictions of his family.
The Blurb On The Back:

Join Sparkle the unicorn and all your favourite characters from the Land of Nod in this TEN MINUTES TO BED LITTLE LIBRARY!

Meet all your favourite bedtimes friends in this Little Library. Perfect for younger readers, each chunky book will keep little hands occupied at home or on the move. And once you’ve enjoyed the stories, the four books come together to create a TEN MINUTES TO BED jigsaw!

Packed with colourful illustrations and fun rhyming interactions to the characters, this Little Library might just be too much fun for bedtime!


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton’s Little Library of 4 board books for very young readers is a cute affair with each book being the perfect size for little hands. I wasn’t impressed with the jigsaw puzzle element (which I think will confuse very young readers) and I preferred the illustrations to the rhymes (which try too hard for me) but young readers will enjoy them and parents will be grateful for the message of going to sleep.

TEN MINUTES TO BED LITTLE LIBRARY was released in the United Kingdom on 27th April 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

Welcome to Dread Wood High.
It’s a scream …


Angelo and his friends have already defeated some seriously creepy creatures. But there’s no time to chill as a terrifying new enemy appears in the skies … giant vampire birds that feast on BLOOD!

Have Club Loser met their match with this fearsome flock of bloodsucking beasts? It’s time for the ultimate battle to take flight …


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The third in Jennifer Killick’s comedy horror quartet for readers aged 9+ raises the stakes with Club Loser facing real peril and serious injury and the horror is gorier. I love how the diversity in this book is not a big deal here and a scene where Club Loser try on clothes for the school dance is a joy but I was less fond of how Killick introduces a conspiracy element to explain how the Latchitts are able to do some of the things they do.

DREAD WOOD - FLOCK HORROR was released in the United Kingdom on 2nd March 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

Welcome to Dread Wood High.
It’s a scream …


Flinch is a game of fear. The more you scare your friends, the more points you get on the app. But things are about to get WEIRD …

Angelo and his friends start to investigate who is behind the game. Is it the people wearing the super-creepy clown masks? With adrenaline pumping and the fair arriving in town, it’s time for the REAL games to begin!


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second book in Jennifer Killick's comedy horror quartet for readers aged 9+ is a genuinely creepy read with some sharp lines and good twists. It helps if you have read DREAD WOOD as there are a number of callbacks to it (although I could follow the plot without having done so). I believed in the kids’ omerta about Flinch, while the parasites are suitably disgusting and the Latchitts menacing such that I’d definitely read more in this series.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

China: 1200AD.


The peaceful Song Empire has been invaded by the warlike Jurchen tribes from the north. Meanwhile, on the Mongolian steppes, a disparate nation of great warriors is about to be united by a chieftain whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan.

Our hero, Guo Jing, son of a murdered Song warrior, grows up with Genghis Khan’s army. He is humble, loyal, perhaps not altogether wise, and is fated from birth to one day confront an opponent who is the opposite of him in every way: privileged, cunning and flawlessly trained in the martial arts.


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This is the first ever English translation from Chinese of Jin Yong’s classic historical fantasy tale of kung fu masters and evil empires by Anna Holmwood. Originally published in 1958 (the first in a quartet), it has an action-driven, energetic plot and although the portrayal of grumpy kung-fu masters seems stereotypical now, it was innovative at the time and there’s a lot of fun to be had in seeing the various masters compete with each other.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

Do you believe in magic?


With all six of them crowded into the secret room behind the rear bookcase in Vernon’s Magic Shop, they were practically bumping elbows in the dim light. None of them minded, though; they were practising what they loved most: magic.

This is Leila, escape artist extraordinaire. She shares all her secrets with her magical best friends, <>The Magical Misfits. But she can’t escape the mystery that’s heading her way …


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Neil Patrick Harris’s MAGIC MISFITS SERIES focuses on Leila with Harris and co-writer Alec Azam doing a better job of integrating the backstory with the main mystery and mingling the genuine magic with the illusions while maintaining a chatty narrative style. Kids should enjoy the magic trick suggestions and code games and Lissy Marlin and Kyle Hilton’s illustrations have a fun anime quality to them that adds to the story.

THE MAGIC MISFITS: THE SECOND STORY was released in the United Kingdom on 4th October 2018. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

Do you believe in magic?

Magic comes in all shapes and sizes and colours and tastes and smells and feelings.

Magic may even come in the shape of a book …

When Carter Locke runs away he’s never felt more alone. But then he finds a gang of other young magicians …

and THE MAGIC MISFITS are born!


Street magician Carter knows that magic tricks are just that – tricks. But when he runs away he finds himself alone and in danger from a dastardly carnival ringleader. He could really use some magic now …

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Vernon leads Carter to a gang of other young magicians. Can the Magic Misfits use their skills to foil the ringleader’s most evil scheme yet? And will Carter find the real magic hiding in this story?


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Neil Patrick Harris’s debut fantasy novel for children aged 9+ (the first in a quartet) features great illustrations by Lissy Marlin and Kyle Hilton, a wonderfully chatty style and a diverse cast of characters while intertwining the fast-paced story with magic trick suggestions and games that kids should enjoy but the plot was a little unoriginal and the diverse supporting cast seldom rose above the page to achieve any real depth.

THE MAGIC MISFITS was released in the United Kingdom on 30th November 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

You are cordially invited to Sinclair’s Midnight Peacock Ball!


The festive season has come to Sinclair’s and Sophie and Lil are spending the holidays at snowy Winter Hall. As sinister secrets come to light, our intrepid heroines find themselves faced with a more baffling mystery than ever before!

With the help of their friends, can they uncover the truth in time to foil a truly diabolical plot? Or will Mr Sinclair’s Midnight Peacock Ball spell disaster on New Year’s Eve for the dauntless young detectives?

Prepare for the thrilling conclusion to the Sinclair’s Mysteries!


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The concluding novel in Katherine Woodfine’s mystery series for children aged 9+ is a tightly plotted, enjoyable read that wraps up all of the relevant series arc storylines without descending into mawkish sentimentality, gives a good sense of period and leaves open the possibility of a prequel series (which I’d definitely read).

THE MIDNIGHT PEACOCK was released in the United Kingdom on 5th October 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

”Though she be but little, she is fierce!”


When national dance competition Starwars comes to Bea’s school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. Shame her best friend agreed to enter with uber-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands …


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jenny McLachlan’s debut YA novel (the first in a quartet) is a breezy romantic comedy with a likeable main character and a plot that nods, winks and shimmies at DIRTY DANCING, complete with usual rom-com clichés. It’s easy to identify with Bea – she’s fun, easy going, insecure about her curves and has a loving relationship with her toddler sister, mum and nan. I believed in the way she’s too afraid of losing Kat to confront her about her repeated betrayal (although I still wished that there’d been a bit more of an attempt to indicate that it wasn’t alright) and I also believed in the anxiety she feels at Pearl’s bullying (particularly the calls and texts), although again, I wish that there had been more of a confrontation there. I was less interested in the romance – Ollie doesn’t have that much of a character to be interested in – he’s an all-round hottie there to prove that even curvy girls with boobs can get a hot boyfriend and the relationship ticks all the romance clichés. Nevertheless there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud lines and the story runs along at a pace that kept me entertained enough to want to read the rest of the quartet to see what happens to the girls.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

Benny Imura and his friends have made it to Sanctuary and found the jet, but they’ve discovered that civilization is struggling to regain its foothold in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Scientists are on the verge of finding a cure for the zombie plague. But what should be a cause for celebration is overshadowed by the disappearance of Dr McReady, a researcher who may have the critical formula for a cure, and Benny’s best friend, Chong, who hovers between life and death after being infected by an arrow dipped in the flesh of a zombie.

Desperate to help Chong, Benny convinced Captain Ledger to mount a search and rescue mission to find the doctor. But with the Reapers still pursuing their plan to turn all zombies into super-fast shock troops even if they can save Chong, can they save themselves?


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The final book in Jonathan Maberry’s YA zombie quartet is an event-filled thrill ride with a group of characters who really have to mature and deal with events that even adults find difficult to cope with. I particularly enjoyed the emotional damage that the characters suffer and which they recognise they’re suffering, even as they desperately strive to build a better future because they know that no one else can. It’s a dark book with some unexpected – and brutal – character deaths. If I have a complaint it’s that the denouement goes on a little too long with a couple of surprises too many for me and Saint John and his Reapers are rather two-dimensional and under-developed with the explanation for their loyalty not quite convincing. That said this is a solidly entertaining YA zombie quartet that I’d recommend to burgeoning horror fans.
The Blurb On The Back:

In the land of the dead, four friends search for the key to life …


Benny Imura and his friends are still reeling from the terror and tragedy that has followed them ever since they began their journey through the heart of the zombie-infested Rot and Ruin. But the group know that to survive they can’t look back, and instead must keep moving forward and hope they can find the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that plane does exist, then humanity itself must have survived … somehow, somewhere.

But as they travel across the wasteland, the friends discover that the zombies are changing … becoming faster, smarter and infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something more sinister behind this new invasion of the walking dead?


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The third in Jonathan Maberry’s BENNY IMURA QUARTET is a return to form with an action-packed, fast-paced YA story that expands on Benny’s world and introduces a new and dangerous threat to everything he knows. As Maberry says in his foreword, this is also a book about grief – both Benny and Nix are dealing with the deaths of those closest to them, which is having consequences for their own relationship and gives the book a solid emotional core. St John is an interesting antagonist, whose background I won’t spoil but who represents a very real physical and ideological threat but Mother Rose was less well rounded and I wished there’d been a scene between her and new character Riot to expand on their relationship. That said, it’s another dark book, I enjoyed the pace and the ending is such that I will definitely be reading the conclusion.
The Blurb On The Back:

Benny, Nix and Tom have returned from the heart of the Rot and Ruin with a plan. Ever since they saw a plane fly over the zombie-infested wasteland they’ve been clinging to the idea that there is somewhere out there where people live without fear. Now, after months of rigorous training with zombie-hunter Tom, they’re finally ready to leave their home forever and head into the unknown in search of a better future.

But as soon as they start their journey, everything begins to go wrong. They are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of a rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all, it seems that the evil zombie-bounty hunter Charlie Pink-eye might still be alive … and out for revenge. Can they make it out of the Rot and Ruin alive?


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jonathan Maberry’s sequel to YA zombie horror ROT AND RUIN has some great scenes and character development but overall it was a disappointing affair that felt like a rerun of many of the themes and storyline in the first book. That said, the ending was a big wrench that promises an interesting next instalment, which I will definitely be checking out.
The Blurb On The Back:

My name – my True Name – is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl …


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The concluding book in Julie Kagawa’s IRON FEY quartet differs from the earlier books in that it’s told from Ash’s point of view and whether that works for you depends on whether you already liked Ash as a character. Because I was never that taken with him, I never really engaged with the book as much as I should have done and because this builds on the central romance between Ash and Meghan, the ending is a foregone conclusion. That said, the final quarter of the book gives a strong insight into Ash’s character. All in all, although I’m not a romance fan I do enjoy Kagawa’s world building and will definitely be checking out her next book.

THE IRON KNIGHT was released in the UK on 6th January 2012. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be seventeen.

Although, technically, I won’t actually be turning seventeen. I’ve been in the Nevernever too long. When you’re in Faery, you don’t age. So while a year has passed in the real world, age-wise I’m probably only a few days older than when I went in.

In real life, I’ve changed so much I don’t even recognise.


MY NAME IS MEGHAN CHASE.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the ore of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

THIS TIME.

THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The third in Julie Kagawa’s IRON FEY series is another brilliantly descriptive, vividly imagined affair and I continue to love her Iron Faeries. However, as with THE IRON KING and THE IRON DAUGHTER, the romance storyline does nothing for me and although Meghan develops more in this book and becomes a stronger character, I remain perplexed as to what Puck and Ash see in her and she still relies on the boys to tell her what to do and how to think. I’ll read the final book in the quartet to see how Kagawa brings the overall story to a close, but you really will get more out of this if you’re already a fan of Ash and Meghan.
The Blurb On The Back:

I’ve been in the palace of the Winter fey for a while now. How long exactly? I don’t know. If If I ever get out of here, I might find a hundred years have passed and all my family and friends are long dead.

I try not to think about that, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder.

My name is Meghan Chase.


Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fitted in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey – ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting the prince who betrayed her, deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Having enjoyed THE IRON KING, I was really looking forward to reading this sequel. However while I love Kagawa’s imagery (and the descriptions of the Iron Court and the Iron Faeries are wonderful), I’m not a big romance fan and love triangles in particular leave me cold. The romance/love triangle in this book is no exception and my big issue with it is that I never understood why Puck and Ash would be fighting over Meghan who is completely useless. That said, I will continue reading the series because I love the visuals so much.
The Blurb On The Back:

Nearly fourteen years ago, a freak virus swept across the world turning the living into the undead. Benny Imura was only a toddler, but his last memory of his parents is tainted by the image of them becoming zombies, and he blames his older brother, Tom, for not saving them.

Now Benny is fifteen, and Tom wants them to put their difficult relationship behind them and work together in the “family business”: as zombie killers. It’s the last thing Benny wants to do, but he needs a job and he thinks it’ll be an easy ride.

But when they head into the Rot and Ruin, an area full of wandering zombies, Benny soon realises that there’s more to the job than just whacking zombies. And, as he’s confronted with the truth about the world around him Benny makes the most terrifying discovery of all, that the worst monsters you can imagine might actually be human ...


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jonathan Maberry has written a chilling YA zombie apocalypse novel that revolves around a main character whose preconceptions are slowly challenged and who discovers unpleasant truths about the world he knows and the people he cares about. Although it’s a little slow to start, the world-building is great and there is plenty of action as the story progresses, including some chilling zombie attack scenes. There’s a set-up for a sequel, which I will definitely be reading.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the free copy of this book.
The Blurb On The Back:

My name is Meghan Chase.

In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be sixteen. Countless stories and songs have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her ...

I DON’T THINK IT WILL BE THAT WAY FOR ME.


Meghan Chase has a secret destiny – one she could never have imagined ...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fitted in at school ... or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her little brother is taken, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

She could never have guessed the truth. Meghan is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will have to choose between a normal life and her magical destiny – and between her best friend and a darkly dangerous prince.

It’s time for Meghan to enter the faery world ...


The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

What makes this YA take on the Seelie/Unseelie courts stand out from the rest is the introduction of a new court of iron – the depiction of which is both visual and visceral and had enough original elements to hold my interest and ensure I will read the next in the trilogy. Otherwise there’s much here that’s familiar, including the mandatory love triangle element featuring a dark and brooding male hottie with a tragic past. It’s not the best book I’ve read in this field, but it’s entertaining and breezily told.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

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