Writing and reviews with an environmental, science fiction, and fantasy touch
The Unwinding: Gin’s Story came as a Net-galley suggestion. Juliana Rew is the editor of the Third Flatiron Anthologies, so I was keen to see what sort of book she wrote herself. I am now totally insecure as a writer.
Pan’s Labyrinth came out on July 2nd. Wait a minute, I hear you say, surely that’s been out for ages? Well, not the book, apparently. Guillermo del Toro directed the film and Cornelia Funke has helped him get it into
30 Days Wild is over for another year so it’s time to wind things up on the blog. First, a summary of the last few days, and then a quick review of the month. Days Wild 27 -30 In truth
Needlemouse is out this week, or at least, so it says in my Netgalley list. Goodreads says it’s been out since April. Since the publishers were kind enough to send me an ARC via NetGalley I’m sticking to what it
Hi there, Spacetime Reading Challenge buddies! It’s halfway through the year – so how are you doing? My Spacetime Reading Challenge progress I’m at 7 out of my target of 10 (Interstellar Explorer). I feel I’m not reading enough scifi
Week 4 of 30 Days Wild sees me completing the Gardenwatch missions, and adding in more Random Acts of Wildness. There are only four days left in June, as I’m writing this for Thursday. There’ll be a final round-up on
Countdown is this month’s prompt in the Fiction in Fifty Words meme. Rebecca Douglass organises this, so join in any time you like. The year’s prompts are listed, together with the minimal instructions, on her page here. This is the
The Dark Portal is the first in the Deptford Mice series by Robin Jarvis. I added it to my list ages ago, possibly at that Children’s Fiction workshop I did so long ago. Then I found a copy in the
More Random Acts of Wildness in the third week of 30 Days Wild. Such a wet week last week, I feel I should get out and see things a little more… planned or unplanned. Gardenwatch – Bird Detective As already
Caged Bird is the prompt for this months’ WEP+IWSG short story competiton. It’s a blog meme, but it’s also a competition, since there are winners, although nobody is a loser. The standard is generally impressive. This month was a great
The Seagull is the 8th in the Vera novels, and my first. This is thanks to my bookclub reading them out of order. If you’ve seen an episode of Vera on TV, you won’t mind a bit, at least, I
Second week of 30 Days Wild… after several Random Acts of Wildness last week, what have I planned this week – and done? Gardenwatch – Bird Detective As explained last week, this is a citizen science project for BBC Springwatch
Five facts about trees today, from guest author Patricia Lynne. You’ll remember she launched her new YA book, Leaves of Fall last month. I thought it was a great random act of wildness for #30dayswild as well. Five Incredible Facts
Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer. The surname rang a bell, so I requested the ARC from Netgalley – I wasn’t disappointed! Lara’s famous aunt is Lucinda Green, champion three-day eventer. Like Lara, I grew up on Lucinda’s books of her
One week into 30 Days Wild… well, nearly, since I’m writing this on Thursday. What have I done that’s wild this week? Gardenwatch It’s a gift! BBC Springwatch programme started last week, and I caught up with it last Friday
Total immersion in my fictional world. That’s the thing that makes writing so exhausting—for me, at any rate. I thought I might write about this for this month’s Insecure Writers Support Group post, because I felt I really learnt something
Flying machines feature more strongly in the Princelings series as time goes on. I took the opportunity to visit Shuttleworth Air Museum on their annual Festival of Flying at the weekend. This post’s especially for Paul 🙂 …and for #30DaysWild
The Lie Tree was a non-winning nomination in our Great Middle Grade Reads Book of the Month last year. I thought it sounded good so I added it to my TBR. Then I saw it in the library…. This one
30 Days Wild is the annual happening (event/inspiration/activity/experience) promoted by the UK’s Wildlife Trusts to bring us closer to the nature that is all around us. The recently published Global Biodiversity survey, shows over 1 million species in imminent danger
Cage Bouts are six rounds between three contestants. Again, you read the three pieces (each under 500 words) and vote for the one you want to win. These run from Monday (today) to Saturday, and voting closes six days later,
‘Kill the Black One First’ was a phrase shouted by rioters at Brixton as the police officers formed a barrier. This memoir from Michael Fuller is a powerful and thought-provoking book. I’m very grateful to the publishers and Net-galley for the
Sweet Home Alabama is the prompt for this month’s Fiction in Fifty words. You can join in by making your own fifty word story in response to the prompt. Link yours to (or just post it in) the comments on
Leaves of Fall was published yesterday! It’s the latest from Patricia Lynne, who blogs beautiful words and writes a darn good plot. Read more about it: Leaves of Fall by Patricia Lynne genres: Teen & YA / post-apocalyptic Armory was
Save Week is the next stage of WRiTE CLUB 2019. For the last three weeks we’ve been choosing between pairs of finalists. Now, before we get into the next round of battles, there’s Save Week, where we vote to save
Sassinak was listed for one of the Space Opera Group’s books of the month for April, and unusually I got it read within the timescale. It’s another for my SpaceTime Reading Challenge – which seems to be going rather well