The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book by E Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is fifteen and has a shrink. But before you make up your mind about her, you should know that she has had a pretty awful (and eventful) past ten days. She has:
* lost her boyfriend
* lost her best friend (Kim)
* lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
* did something suspicious with a boy
* did something advanced with a boy
* had an argument with a boy
* drank her first beer (someone handed it to her)
* got caught by her mom (ag!)
* had a panic attack (scary)
* lost a lacrosse game (she's the goalie)
* failed a math test (she'll make it up)
* hurt Meghan's feelings (even though they aren't really friends)
* became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
* and had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom (who knows what was in the boys'!?!).

But don't worry, Ruby lives to tell the tale. Through a special assignment to list all the boys she's ever had the slightest, little, any-kind-of-anything with, comes an unfortunate series of events that would be enough to send any girl in a panic. 

Told in first person narrative but with Ruby speaking directly to the reader, it was very much in the same vein as Georgia Nicholson's Diaries by Louise Rennison, just as hilarious and awkward in recounting the teenage years. 

The time line kind of jumps all over the place but it works, just about! As Ruby is telling the story to her therapist, we see it play out as she's recounting it, so we do sort of knowing what's about to happen but seeing all the pieces fit together is very satisfying. Through Ruby's boy history, we see how her friendships evolved, her confidence and her understanding (or more likely lack thereof) of the male species grew and how her relationships with friends, family and various boys made her the person she is. 

It isn't told in a very serious manner, which works because some of Ruby's escapades are just so ridiculous that they couldn't happen to anyone else! As well as Ruby's relationships, we see how she deals with her panic attacks. I really liked how this nod towards mental health was handled, in a not so subtle but also not so serious way; not undermining them, just acknowledging they are problem to be dealt with, without blaming Ruby for having them in the first place.

All in all, a fantastic start to what will surely be a great series. I immediately went onto to book two, to follow Ruby in her insane life.

Here is how things stand at the beginning of newly-licensed driver Ruby Oliver's junior year at Tate Prep: 

Kim: Not speaking. But far away in Tokyo.
Cricket: Not speaking.
Nora: Speaking--sort of. Chatted a couple times this summer when they bumped into each other outside of school--once shopping in the U District, and once in the Elliot Bay Bookstore. But she hadn't called Ruby, or anything.
Noel: Didn't care what anyone thinks.
Meghan: Didn't have any other friends.
Dr. Z: Speaking.
And Jackson. The big one. Not speaking. 

But with a new job, an unlikely but satisfying friend combo, additional entries to "The Boy Book" and many difficult decisions help Ruby to see that there is, indeed, life outside the Tate Universe.

In book one, we learn about Ruby's world. In book two, we learn more about her world view and how everything is not as it seems.
Kim has left for Japan, leaving her so-called true love to fend for himself, which he does by leaving mixed messages to Ruby in the form of notes in her cubby. And while Ruby is half convinced they are meant to be together, she resists his charms and gets a job in the zoo, looking after animals. 

Ruby is conflicted throughout most of the book; she is learning to deal with her emotions and what leads to her panic attacks but she's also re-learning how to be a better person through this, like with empathy and not taking things for granted. I really liked this development, as Ruby desperately needed to see things for how they were, not hiding behind a mask, whether this be Jackson supposedly playing hard to get or Meghan surprisingly being smarter than she appears. 

I adored book two, with Ruby learning different approaches to friendship, its excerpts from The Boy Book, and its mad mix of characters that draw out every embarrassing and heartfelt reaction for Ruby. I'm really beginning to fall in love with this series and cannot wait for books three and four in August. 

Both published 14th July 2016 by Hot Key books. Thank you to the publisher for my copies in exchange for an honest review.

Songs About A Girl by Chris Russell

When sixteen-year-old aspiring photographer Charlie Bloom receives the invitation of her dreams - to take backstage photos for chart-topping boyband Fire&Lights - it's an offer she can't refuse. Overnight she is launched into a world of bloggers, paparazzi and backstage bickering and soon becomes caught between the dark charms of the band's lead singer and songwriter, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson.

Charlie's growing notoriety makes her a daily target for bitchy bully Aimee Watts and her clique, and though she seeks comfort in her best friend, Melissa, her life spirals ever further out of control.

As her connection with Gabriel deepens, Charlie stumbles upon a spine-tingling truth: all the songs he has written for Fire&Lights' debut album are, impossibly, linked to her and her past. How can this be? What dark secrets has he uncovered? Why is Melissa acting so strangely all the time? And will this rivalry between Gabriel and Olly eventually tear the band apart? 

Boy-next-door band member Olly used to go to Charlie's school so when he emails and asks her to photograph the band behind the scenes at their next show, she isn't sure what to think. Almost manhandled into it by best friend Melissa, Charlie is whisked into the band's world of reporters, groupies, screaming fans and massive shows. As we get into it, we see more about the inner workings of the band, how they balance their friendship and the work. 

This book is all about that fantasy of saying "I'm with the band".  Much like Love Song, it's about a girl who gets tangled up in the messy inner workings of a budding boy band but with a twist: this band's new album has songs about her. Not in a "we're meant to be together even though he's never met me" way but in a "these lyrics are written in my dead mother's notebook" way. Spooky huh?

So while Olly is the one to ask Charlie into their world, Gabriel is the one that everyone talks about and draws hearts around. A strange love triangle develops, Charlie getting stuck between heart throb but trouble Gabriel and sweet and unassuming Olly. Honestly, I wanted Gabe to take a hike, he was way too much trouble but I can see the appeal. But of course if Charlie hadn't stuck around and gotten to know him, he wouldn't have opened up and they definitely wouldn't have figured out this link to their pasts. 

It wasn't all about the band either, which I really liked. We saw Charlie's home life, struggling with her relationship with her dad, getting unwanted attention from bullies and then trolled when her name comes out as the band's photographer. Between the school yard bully and loads of randoms off the internet, Charlie was in over her head but I think she handled it as best she could.

I can really see why this book has kind of blown up the blogosphere. It has everything from romance and boy bands to dealing with paparazzi and internet bullies. I loved just about every second of it and that cliff-hanger? Boy, bring on book two!

Published 26th July 2016 by Hodder. Thank you to the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight-for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry-only to find that there is no place left to go but down-into the Valley of the Dolls. 

Apart from getting a recommendation from Sophie, I didn't have any expectations about this story, and yet it still surprised me! Set over years, we follow three young women grow up in the glamorous world of New York, where of course nothing is as shiny as it appears to be.

Anne started of very innocent in the big city, working as a secretary in a talent agency and falling head over heels in love with womaniser Lyon. It isn't until years later when she started popping pills, when her life isn't going the way she wanted. I liked Anne, she was a little naive and could appear quite cold but really she just wanted love. And even after seeing what the entertainment industry did to people, she stayed a good person, standing by Neely even as she flipped out and slept around.

Speaking of, Neely was another that started the story quite naive. She was determined to get into the theatre industry. But as one would expect, when she gets her big break she turns into a huge diva and only get worse over the years. In fact by the time she was in her late twenties, early thirties I think (around the time she was huge in the theatre world but just worrying about getting old) I couldn't believe I used to like her! She was just awful in the way she treated people, her friends and her husband, quite a lot of the time I wanted to strangle her!

Finally, Jennifer was beautiful but not that talented, not that special. Yet I actually kind of liked her. She was very aware that all she had was her looks, and that might have made her superficial but as least she knew that about herself! As for her back story, that just made my heart ache. 

One thing that made this difficult to read was the horrible dated language about anyone different, especially LGBT and women. But it was portraying a dog-eat-dog world, cruel and vicious, so why would their language be any different? All in all, while I do have mixed feelings about some things, I did really enjoy it. It gave such a glamorous world a reality check and seeing how cutthroat and ruthless some people could be to get what they want was a little terrifying but the mad variety of characters was what made this.

Published May 2008 by Little. First published 1966.

Blog Tour: Girl Hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe's debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy's video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple's YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. Now, for the first time, Lucy's writing about the incredible personal journey she's been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn. 

Firstly, I don't watch Lucy's videos, and when I heard about this book, I didn't know who she was but I was interesting in her story; it's something different to what I usually read and of course very inspirational by the sound of it. And while I did have a few niggling issues, I really enjoyed it. I liked Lucy's whole background, from making friends to moving to a bigger secondary school, getting bullied, all of these experiences made Lucy who she is and proved that she is more than just her sexuality.

The book was purely chronological, which might not have been the best way of setting it out as an autobiography, as the first few chapters on childhood friends was a little boring, but I actually took it as a story. That way, the back story just built up to the main plot, learning and accepting her sexuality and meeting Kaelyn.

Like I said, I was reading like a story, almost fiction in the way its set out and that worked for me. However, I would have loved some more of modern-day Lucy, like how she and Kaelyn worked as a couple and some more mention of their YouTube channel. I can understand why Lucy would want to keep some aspects of their relationship private but just skating over the "getting to know you" part of their relationship felt like I was skipping a chapter! Having said that, I did enjoy how it wasn't just about them, there was an overarching message about the LGBT community and how it supports each other and how the girls contributed to it, that was very touching to hear about.

There is also a tour-wide giveaway to win one of 3 copies of this brilliant book! Click here to go to the rafflecopter page.

Published 24th June 2016 by Scholastic. Thank you to the publisher and Faye Rogers PR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there. 

But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war. 

Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

Apart from Sophie shoving it under my nose, I didn't know much about the story before I started it. And I'm really glad I had so many recommendations because I absolutely loved it! It reminded me very strongly of Firefly in the ragtag group coming together on an adventure. We follow a crew on their job of punching holes in the fabric of time to create portals across space. It balanced character stories with epic space adventures and I loved it for that.

I instantly fell in love with all of them; Kizzy was very easy to love, with her random outbursts, her manic humour and her partner in crime Jenks was awesome and his love for Lovey, the ship's AI, was adorable and brought up all these questions on sentience and the soul. Then there was Sissex in all her glorious scales and feather, Dr Chef with his multiple limbs and complicated language, their navigator Ohan and engineer Corbin. Add in the mix newcomer Rosemary and their captain Ashby, and we have humans, humanoids and aliens living together, each with their own histories and reasons for being part of this crew.

What I especially loved was how this alien mix just blew human mannerisms out of the water! It contained surprisingly in-depth alien backgrounds, from Sissex's reptile race that has no inhibitions, to Ohan's religious beliefs that has them referring to themselves as a Pair. With the characters own explanations and odd documents like excerpts from books and emails, we got a pretty clear picture of each species completely different beliefs, actions, backgrounds and languages. I also loved how humanity was put in its place!

Let's not forget the aim of this story: taking on a previously impossible mission to create a travel route to a hostile part of space. We encounter a terrible alien species that challenge the rest of the universe's peaceful ways. Between their own crew and new contact with that species, Chambers challenges all misconceptions about what it means to be human, or a good person in a vast universe. I loved everything about this, I'm sure you can guess how much I adored the characters, but the story and the emptiness of space pulled everything together in an amazing tale of love and adventure. 

13th August 2015 by Hodder and Stoughton.

Notes on Being Teenage by Rosalind Jana

How would you describe yourself? Do you like to stand out, or fit in? Are you an Instagram junkie, or is Snapchat more your thing? Are you watching Zoella on YouTube, or reading Rookie on your phone? We're all different, and no-one's teenage years are the same. But we do all have one thing in common - being a teenager is about discovering who we are, and who we want to be.

Even though I am out of my teenage years, I like to read non-fiction based on those years. I remember my teens with equal parts horror and love, so any helpful advice to give to my 12 year old self would be lovely, and this was just that.

I actually hadn't heard of Rosalind Jana before I saw this book but after reading it, I will have to look her up. Her story of a brief modeling career, battling surgery on her back, her parent's tough backgrounds and still having a positive outlook was inspirational. 

The chapters were split into things like clothes, friendships, family life, beauty tips and school. As a fashion model and writer, she also highlighted creative outlets, like sewing your own clothes, starting a blog, getting into photography and more; admitedly, the clothes stuff kind of went over my head (as much as I'd like to, I don't know my way around a sewing machine!) but I did appreciate the brilliant continuous feminist message about self-esteem and body image.

Overall, Rosalind's advice was sound, very helpful and covered loads of topics from bullies to losing your virginity! I definitely would have loved this at age 13, especially the advice on school and exam stress. As she covered lots of aspects of life, nothing was very detailed but definitely an author to watch.

Published 9th June 2016 by Wayland. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

When We Collided by Emery Lord

Meet Vivi and Jonah: A girl and a boy whose love has the power save or destroy them.

Vivi and Jonah couldn't be more different. Vivi craves anything joyful or beautiful that life can offer. Jonah has been burdened by responsibility for his family ever since his father died. As summer begins, Jonah resigns himself to another season of getting by. Then Vivi arrives, and suddenly life seems brighter and better. Jonah is the perfect project for Vivi, and things finally feel right for Jonah. Their love is the answer to everything. But soon Vivi's zest for life falters, as her adventurousness becomes true danger-seeking. Jonah tries to keep her safe, but there's something important Vivi hasn't told him.

Vivi is new in town and just blows into Jonah's life, taking over creative outlets, helping with the kids, bringing Jonah out of his shell. We immediately see Vivi throwing pills into the sea so there's a hint of something wrong but nothing is revealed. As for Jonah, again there's something immediately off with his family life but it takes a while for him to open up.

Jonah has lost his father, his mother won't/can't get out of bed, and that leaves six kids fending for themselves as best they can. As much as it hurt to see this, I could understand the complexity. I mean, it's not like the mother wants to abandon her children but depression is funny like that. And by "funny" I mean annoying and strange as hell!

I liked how no one's life was perfect. Sure, bipolar and grief and depression are a lot and a little extreme but the point is that everyone has their secrets, their dark sides and that's nothing new. Speaking of, there were brilliant portrayals of bipolar behaviour. Vivi was her own hurricane of emotions, manic and creative but nuts with her priorities and time keeping and... balance I guess, which is the point. Throughout the book, Vivi explicitly says that she doesn't like the label of bipolar disorder and definitely doesn't like the pills that dulls her senses. We see her spiral out of control and it broke my heart to see her so unfocused and literally manic, especially by the end. I liked how it wasn't specifically saying that drugs are the answer but they can help even out your brain chemicals. 

All in all, a proper knockout of a book and definitely worth all the hype surrounding it. The mental health stuff was very important and balanced nicely with their characters and the romance. Which I did adore; as different as they seemed, Vivi and Jonah was utterly adorable together and evened each other out. 

Published 7th April 2016 by Bloomsbury.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier

The Restoration Court knows Lady Dona St Columb to be ripe for any folly, any outrage that will relieve the tedium of her days. But there is another, secret Dona who longs for a life of honest love - and sweetness, even if it is spiced with danger. Dona flees London for remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds there the passion her spirit craves - in the love of a daring pirate hunted across Cornwall, a Frenchman who, like Dona, would gamble his life for a moment's joy.

Dona feels trapped by her gender, her age, her life so she takes her children and runs away to Cornwall, her husband's property not seen in years. There, she finds gossip of a french pirate terrorising this part of the coast. 

Nearing thirty, Dona wanted more out of life and I loved this about her, it made her come across as such a modern woman, considering when this novel is set. She loved her life, her family but wanted more; her court life, the socialising and dinner parties, boring small talk, I can understand how it was sucking the life out of her - god, it was unbearably boring! And her husband, while caring, did not understand her at all. 

Then she meets the Frenchman, the pirate captain. With him, Dona feels alive again. It wasn't just the possibility to love, it was the romanticism of piracy, literally running for your life and having no restrictions nor responsibilities. It was thrilling, leaving her standard life for a few hours and having nothing but the boat and her captain and crew to rely on. 

While I did really like this, it was almost missing something after the dark thrills of Rebecca. Having said that, the second half was much better than the first, when Dona shed her inhibitions and just did what she wished. It was pure romance, getting swept off her feet, and it was lovely to read Dona and her pirate find love and new life. 

Published 16th July 2016 by Virago. First published 1941.

Night Owls by Jenn Bennett

Meeting Jack on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus - turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive . . . and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists.

On midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. But Jack is hiding much more - and can she uncover the truth that leaves him so wounded?

A unique and profoundly moving novel, Night Owls will linger in your memory long after the final page.

I've been really looking forward to this one. I know most people read it last year when it came out and I'm actually quite angry with myself for letting it sit on my kindle for so long! We see Bex bump into Jack on the night bus of all places and get instantly drawn to him and his backpack full of spray cans.


Art was a huge part of this story. Bex wants to make a career out of drawing anatomically correct, medical illustrations, which is completely different to anything I've read and I loved how it wasn't portrayed as emo or goth, just scientific and important to learning. Then there's Jack and his giant gold lettering, drawing attention to the little important things in life worth taking a moment to appreciate, illegal as it may be. However they drew or scribbled, it was all about expressing themselves.


Then there was the other side of the coin and Jack's real reason for becoming a graffiti artist: his mentally ill sister. With the stigma around mental disabilities, we saw how the whole family was effected when Jack's sister was admitted into the psych hospital for schizophrenia. As a politician, their father was worried about his image, how it was affect his job as mayor. But all Jack could see was how his twin sister was being hidden away and ignored.

There was also a very mature attitude to sex. As they grew closer and started talking about progressing their relationship, it turns out that it was his first time, but not hers, so Jack (bless his heart) asked her what he should do and not do, to make sure it was good for her! If only all boys were like this, open and honest rather than taking things too seriously or acting up. Also that Jack wasn't intimidated or emasculated by the fact that Bex had already had sex, because that's just sexist to assume otherwise. My feminist brain was overjoyed by this mature and honest talk about sex before they attempted anything, plus it was still sexy and true to real life with all its awkward fumbles and funny, intimate moments when they finally did it.

It was very funny, beyond adorable and dealt with so many hidden issues very well. I thought it was getting a contemporary romance but it dealt with everything from first loves and first times to crime and mental health, and I loved it for that.

Published 13th August 2015 by Simon and Schuster.

Weekly Highlights: the 'Mid Year Update' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

I can't believe we're halfway through the year - it's been a hell of a 2016 so far! I got a new job, way more hours and finally some stability with my savings (fingers crossed I can move out sooner rather than later now!). My probably-too-many-hours did knock my reading but I think I'm back on track with finding a work/life balance and that includes blogging and my online life. In other news, it's the summer holidays and I am very excited to spend my days lazily reading or going on adventures in my fiancé's new car!

On The Blog

Review of Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (5 stars)

Review of The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (4 stars)

Review of The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke (4 stars)

Review of The Rebel of the Sands by Alywn Hamilton (5 stars)

Review of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (4 stars)

Review of The Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (5 stars)
Review of The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L Armentrout (4 stars)
Review of Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading

Just finished The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers which was so clever and the futuristic space setting was brilliant. I'm now onto Valley of the Dolls, which will be my (modern) classic for the month.

On My Bookshelf

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

My name is Amanda. I’m 18. When you look at me, you might see that I’m pretty and popular; you might think my life is easy. But being me has never been easy. Because I haven’t always been Amanda. When I was born, I was named Andrew. Now, at my new school, I finally feel like myself. But do I owe my new friends the truth about my past?

This one kind of sprung up on me but it sounds like The Art of Being Normal and then I saw it on kindle for just over £1, so yes please!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

I'm new to Jay Kristoff, but I loved Illuminae and I'm really excited about this one. Thank you Netgalley!

The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is fifteen and has a shrink. But before you make up your mind about her, you should know that she has had a pretty awful (and eventful) past ten days. She has:
* lost her boyfriend
* lost her best friend (Kim)
* lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
* did something suspicious with a boy
* did something advanced with a boy
* had an argument with a boy
* drank her first beer (someone handed it to her)
* got caught by her mom (ag!)
* had a panic attack (scary)
* lost a lacrosse game (she's the goalie)
* failed a math test (she'll make it up)
* hurt Meghan's feelings (even though they aren't really friends)
* became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
* and had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom (who knows what was in the boys'!?!).
But don't worry, Ruby lives to tell the tale. Through a special assignment to list all the boys she's ever had the slightest, little, any-kind-of-anything with, comes an unfortunate series of events that would be enough to send any girl in a panic.

I've found I absolutely love Lockhart's writing and her characters are just brilliant, so finding out that they are re-printing her older series sent me into a tiz! I also got book two in the Ruby Oliver series, The Book Boy. Thank you Hot Key and Netgalley!

The Deviants by CJ Skuse

When you set out for revenge, dig two graves

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

I'm really excited about this, I adore CJ's writing and can't wait to see what her latest has in store! Thank you Mira Ink and Netgalley!

Girl Hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe
An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe's debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy's video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple's YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. Now, for the first time, Lucy's writing about the incredible personal journey she's been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn.

I've never read anything like this so I'm really looking forward to it, and the buzz around is amazing. Thank you Scholastic and Faye Rogers PR!

July TBR

From the above, I'm prioritising The Boyfriend List. I also (still) have Songs About A Girl, and then Read Me Like A Book, which is a library book. Apart from that, I'm leaving it to chance/ how I feel. Is there any books that should be pushed to the top? Check my TBR on Goodreads and let me know!

Reading Challenges Update

Alphabet - I'm actually doing really well with this one! A few titles can easily be doubled up between challenges so the only letters I've got left now are: B, J, K, O, Q, X, Y and Z. I've got You Know Me Well or The Young Elites for Y, Queen of the Tearling and Banished by Liz de Jager lined up but I am stumped for the end of the alphabet. Any suggestions?

Classics - I'm going strong on this one, especially recently. I've read one classic a month steadily but I have quite a few that I want to read over the summer and a few for October/Halloween.

British Books - my current count is 14, I think I've read at least 2 every month so this challenge is going great!

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield

June's life at home with her stepmother and stepsister is a dark one – and a secret one. She is trapped like a butterfly in a net.

But then June meets Blister, a boy in the woods. In him she recognises the tiniest glimmer of hope that perhaps she can find a way to fly far, far away from her home and be free. Because every creature in this world deserves their freedom . . . But at what price?

June struggles through her teenage years with a truly terrifying step-mother who torments her. And it wasn't just nasty comments and the occasionally back hand, it was over-feeding, making June eat dog food off the floor, nearly drowning her with ice cubes, sneaking into her room and cutting her hair. These are the parts that made me physically sick, it was just awful what June suffered through. The one thing that June could count on was her best friend Blister.


Living a few miles away, Blister was June's secret and she went there to escape home. But June didn't tell Blister how bad things were because she was scared he wouldn't believe her. Especially at age 10, I just felt so sorry for June, how the world had completely turned against her with her absent father, horrible classmates and untrusting teachers. No one should go through any of this, definitely not a child.


Quite a lot of the taunts were incredibly racist. At some point, you've got to wonder what happened to June's stepmother that made her so utterly horrible. But it was also the kids at school; June must have been the only kid in town with dark skin and that must have been a foreign concept to the school kids because they tormented her - pulling her hair, calling her names, painting her skin. It made my skin crawl and all I wanted was to pull her out of their and give her a hug.


The whole story made me sick and super uncomfortable; even though it was very compelling and well written, I really struggled to pick it up and plough through. I'm glad I did, it's a very important story, especially how June feels trapped and limited in who she thinks she can tell.


Published 30th June 2016 by Electric Monkey. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.