Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth – but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

I absolutely loved Sarah Addison Allen’s last book, The Sugar Queen and have been looking forward to the paperback release of this, her third book for a long time. I’m pleased to say that The Girl Who Chased the Moon is as beautiful a book on the inside as it is on the outside.

The main focus of the story is seventeen year old Emily who moves to the quirky Southern town of Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather following the death of her mother. Emily only discovers the existence of her grandfather on her mother’s death and arrives in Mullaby knowing nothing about her family history there. As the townsfolk greet her with a mixture of curiosity and outright hostility she realises that there is much more to her past and her mother’s history than she could have ever imagined.

But Emily is only part of the story and although I liked Emily a lot and was eager for her to solve the mysteries of her mother’s past, my favourite character was Julia. Julia was at high school with Emily’s Mum Dulcie and the two couldn’t have been more different; Dulcie, the rich and privileged prom queen and leader in the popularity stakes; Julia, the punk outsider who internalised her suffering. Both women left Mullaby to heal but now that fate has brought Julia face to face with Dulcie’s daughter Julia is forced to come to terms with her past.

Addison Allen’s characters are beautifully written with just the right balance of quirkiness and realism. Emily and Julia’s stories are by turn heart breaking and full of hope and as the story progressed I found myself willing them both to get the ending they deserved. The mysteries of the past are cleverly woven into the story of the present as Emily meets Win, son of Mullaby’s Mayor and member of the Coffey family; the ruling elite in Mullaby and a family that only leave the comfort of their home in daylight. The Coffey family make it clear that a friendship between Emily and Win is forbidden as a result of her mother’s past actions but the two are instantly attracted. For Julia, it is the cakes she bakes that attract the attentions of the man she has been avoiding for most of her adult life. I really enjoyed the romantic elements of the book because they weren’t cliched at all. The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness and finding ‘home’.

Those of you who have read Addison Allen’s previous novels will already be familiar with the elements of magic and mystery that she imbues her stories with and ‘The Girl Who Chased the Moon’ is no exception. With a giant; wallpaper that changes according to the room occupant’s mood and the mysterious Mullaby Lights; there is more than a touch of the fairy tale to this story and I loved it.

I read ‘The Girl Who Chased the Moon’ in a couple of sittings, partly because it’s a fairly short novel at 272 pages but also because the mysteries had me turning the pages avidly to find out the answers. Sarah Addison Allen makes every word count – her powers of description and her ability to add an element of enchantment to the most ordinary objects really make her stand out as an author. Having read Sarah’s previous books her writing and storytelling ability goes from strength to strength. This is a book that will appeal to adult and young adult readers alike and I’d highly recommend it to those looking for a little bit of magic in their next read.

5/5

You can find out more about Sarah Addison Allen and her books at: http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/

A version of this review also appears at www.libripopulus.co.uk

I can’t believe we’re a quarter of the way through the year already but I’m pleased to say that March was the month I finally got back up to speed with my reading and blogging.

I read six books, three of which were new releases in March and one of which will be released later this month. My March reads were:

March book of the month

The Accidental Proposal by Matt Dunn

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

Summer of Love by Katie Fforde

Lizzy Harrison Loses Control by Pippa Wright

The Taker by Alma Katsu

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Reviews of the last two are coming soon. Of the six, only one was a Kindle read and three counted to towards the British Books Challenge that The Bookette is running. My book of the month for March is Katie Fforde’s Summer of Love, which is not only a great story but really transported me to lovely summer days and brightened up some of the duller days in March for me

I’ve also realised that I’m doing really well at trying new authors this year – of the seventeen books I’ve read so far this year, fourteen have been by authors that I’ve never read before. Needless to say, my wish list is ever growing as I discover authors that I really like!

For the second month running, A Discovery of Witches the most popular review on the site last month. If you’d like to own a signed copy of the book, Genre for Japan has five up for auction until midnight tomorrow (3rd April) to raise money for the Red Cross Japanese Tsunami Appeal. March was of course dominated by the horrifying events in Japan and I’d like to say how proud I was of the blogging and publishing world in it’s response. Keris Stainton set up Authors for Japan and raised over £12,000. Congratulations to all involved.

April is going to be a busy month – look out for reviews of new releases; Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal, Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox and What Women Want by Fanny Blake amongst others.  I’m also hoping to have a couple of author interviews to share later in the month.

I’ll be taking a short break during the last week of April and will be having an enforced holiday from the blog as the place I’m staying doesn’t have Internet access … I hope my scheduled posts will work!

Finally, don’t forget to check out my giveaway to win a copy of Marked the first book in the House of Night series. It closes at midnight tomorrow so get those entries in!

Happy reading everyone

Lots of exciting new releases in February so here are my six hot picks for the month …

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning
Released 3rd February
Published by Corgi
Website: http://sarramanning.blogspot.com/

I love reinvention stories and this sounds fab!

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the number one rule is that good-natured fat girls like her don’t get guys like gorgeous, handsome William, heir to Neve’s heart since university. But William’s been in LA for three years, and Neve’s been slimming down and re-inventing herself so that when he returns, he’ll fall head over heels in love with the new, improved her.

So she’s not that interested in other men. Until her sister Celia points out that if Neve wants William to think she’s an experienced love-goddess and not the fumbling, awkward girl he left behind, then she’d better get some, well, experience.

What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Celia’s colleague Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he’s such a man-slut, and so not Neve’s type, she certainly won’t fall for him. Because William is the man for her… right?

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell
Released 3rd February
Published by Headline
Website:http://www.maggieofarrell.com

I’m a huge fan of Maggie’s books and the paperback of her latest novel is released next month. This book won the 2010 Costa Novel award and now in the running for Book of the Year which is announced on 25th January. Good luck Maggie!

When the bohemian, sophisticated Innes Kent turns up by chance on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin, and leaves for London.  There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life for herself, with Innes at her side.  In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child.  Elina, a painter, struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with sense of herself as an artist, and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood, memories that don’t tally with his parents’ version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, so an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by fifty years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.

The Girls’ Guide to Homemaking by Amy Bratley
Released 4th February
Published by Pan Macmillan
Website:http://www.panmacmillan.com

This is Amy’s debut novel so I’m really looking forward to discovering a new writer.

‘What makes you happy? What do you want from life?’

I ran through a list of things that I supposed would make me sound cool. And then I told the truth.

‘A home,’ I said. ‘A home with some people in it I love.’

On a mission to have the perfect home, with tweeting bluebirds and a white picket fence, Juliet hits a major stumbling block – reality. On the first night with her boyfriend in their new flat, Juliet discovers that Simon has been sleeping with her best friend. After growing up in a dysfunctional family with secrets that haunt her, there’s no way she is prepared to build her nest on a broken branch.

Heartbroken and seeking an escape from her troubles, Juliet retreats into the comforting world of her grandmother’s 1950s homemaking manuals, discovering tips like ‘put a ribbon in your hair to brighten your husband’s day’ and though Juliet knows that won’t get her anywhere, she discovers that craft and homemaking are back in style. Taking control of her life, Juliet is determined to get her home with a heart. But who will win hers?

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Released 8th February
Published by Headline
Website:http://www.panmacmillan.com

So excited about this one – I think it’s going to be huge! Look out for a review very soon and check out the brilliant website which launched today.

An epic, richly inventive, historically sweeping, magical romance.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Released 17th February
Published by Hodder
Website:http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/

I’m so excited that this is finally coming out in paperback. Addison Allen’s The Sugar Queen is one of my favourite books ever so very much looking forward to reading this one.

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth – but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Crystal Balls by Amanda Brobyn
Released 26th February
Published by Poolbeg Press
Website:http://amandabrobyn.com

I love the cover of this one and I’ll admit to having a fascination with tarot cards and fortune telling too! This sounds like a fun and funny debut!

Crystal Balls is a comedy about a girl who becomes addicted to psychic & clairvoyant readings. She, subconsciously, begins to act out those bogus readings which of course take her further away from the truth and from where she is supposed to be, naturally causing chaos and distraction in her life.

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season; she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle; and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet.

For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night . . .

Until she finds her closet harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tender-hearted woman who is one part nemesis – and two parts fairy godmother . . .

I’ve had The Sugar Queen on my ‘to read’ pile for quite a while. Having read it, I really do wonder why I’d left it there for so long. I’d read Sarah Addison Allen’s previous book Garden Spells and enjoyed it but The Sugar Queen is in a different league.  Sarah Addison Allen has a magical way with words and the worlds she creates are real but with just enough of a touch of enchantment and myth to be almost fairytale like.

In The Sugar Queen we meet downtrodden Josey. Her life revolves around her mother for whom nothing is ever good enough, as she tries to atone for being a difficult child. Now in her late twenties, Josey longs to escape but doesn’t know how so she hides the things that make her feel good (sweets, travel brochures and paperback romances) in a secret space in her wardrobe and indulges when she can to make herself feel better. Her secret is safe until one day she finds local waitress Della Lee has adopted her sanctuary as her hideout and is intent on giving Josey advice on life and love. The book follows Josey as Della prompts her to try new things and emerge from the shadow of her mother with surprising consequences.

I really warmed to Josey from the first page of the book when she describes her feelings about winter and why it is her favourite season. Winter is also my favourite season and I’m sure this is in part why I enjoyed the book so much. As more of Josey’s history emerged I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I loved the way that Della’s presence slowly changed her routine and got her meeting new people. Della is very much a fairy godmother figure throughout the story (albeit a bleached blond, chain-smoking one from the wrong side of the tracks) as she discovers that Josie has had a long term crush on the local postman Adam and sets about manoeuvring Josey to develop her relationship with him. Despite the complete contrast between Josey and Della’s upbringing and personalities, they find that they have much more in common than they ever imagined and I really enjoyed the way their relationship developed through the book.

Josey’s is the main story, but there are several other subplots and a number of mysteries that need to be solved. I loved the way that the quirky cast of characters mixed and their stories crossed. Love and forgiveness is a strong theme throughout The Sugar Queen; Della introduces Josey to Chloe who has just found out that her boyfriend has cheated on her; Della is trying to come to terms with an abusive relationship and Josey’s mother Margaret needs to reconcile a lost love. I had guessed the twist in the story a long time before I got to it but this book is such a pleasure to read that it didn’t matter.

Another reason that I loved this book is that one of the main characters has a very special relationship with books. Since childhood they have appeared to her at times of need. They follow her and even though she doesn’t want to read them are persistent enough to stick by her. I love the idea of having books just pop up when you need them and thought the magical books were a fab addition to the story.

This truly is a magical read and if you are looking for the perfect book to warm your heart this winter - look no further

5/5

You can find out more about Sarah Addison Allen at: http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/

I thought I’d celebrate Halloween on the blog by going against the trend and reviewing some lovely girly chick lit books!  I’ve raided the ‘to read’ pile and chosen three books that have magical theme to them and maybe the odd ghost thrown in. I’ll be reviewing them through the week starting tomorrow and ending on Sunday. I’ve even created myself a little banner to go with my theme – complete with bookaholic pink witch!

The books I’ve chosen are:

• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
• Could it be Magic by Melanie Rose
• Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Please stop by during the week to check out the reviews and let me know what your magical Halloween recommendations are.

I thought I’d share some of the books I’m planning to add to my shelves during August.

Top of my must buy list for next month is The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. I absolutely loved the first book in the trilogy, The White Queen which came out last summer and can’t wait to get my hands on this. I haven’t read anything historical for a while so it will make a nice change. It’s released on 19th August and the synopsis is:

The second book in Philippa’s stunning new trilogy, The Cousins War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series – The White Queen – but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses.

The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth’s daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty.

Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders

I read The Xmas Factor by Annie Sanders (actually two authors Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders) last Christmas and have been looking forward to reading more by them. Their latest book sounds fab and is out on 19th August.

Lucy spends her days beavering away at her sewing machine, making divine, flamboyant clothes that express all the passion and flair that she cannot, and at night she sits alone with her latest creations, fretting over her struggling business. Her life is one of unfulfilled ambitions and missed opportunities. Then one evening Lucy meets the beautiful, fey and enigmatic Micah, who has an uncanny knack for foretelling fortunes, and manages to convince even the cynical Lucy. So when Micah tells her that her future isn’t looking too rosy – in fact she doesn’t have one – Lucy embarks on a spree of ‘what the hell and why not’. She faces her demons, confronts those that have annoyed her, and takes risks for the first time in her life, convinced that the accident he predicts will befall her. When the day of her prophesied demise comes – and goes – Lucy storms round to challenge Micah, who sheepishly admits he must have got it wrong this time. The appalled and angry Lucy has a hell of a mess to put right now, and demands that Micah help her do some damage control. So begins an edge-of-the-seat, race-against-time to repair Lucy’s reckless actions. But halfway through Lucy asks herself if everything is worth mending? Has she inadvertently improved her life just as she thought it was about to end? And why is Micah so reluctant to help her untangle her biggest gaffe of all?

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen.

I read and really enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen’s first book Garden Spells and have her second, The Sugar Queen on my ‘to read’ pile. I love the magical element to her books and have read lots of excellent reviews of her new release which is out next week on 5th August.

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother`s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren`t solved in Mullaby, they`re a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town`s sweet tooth – but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a humminbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily`s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a new release as it came out in hardback last summer but Atom are releasing it in papaerback with a new cover design on 5th August together with the next book in the series Guardian of the Gate.

Without the Keys, something terrible will happen. Something that cannot be undone. And with them, I might bring an end to the riddle of the Prophecy and my strange part in it. If Alice and I are on conflicting sides of the Prophecy, the Keys would be dangerous in her hands. Which means I have to find them. And I have to do it before my sister. This is the story of sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe’s quest to discover her role and her twin sister’s in a powerful prophecy that has affected twin sisters for generations. But nothing can prepare her for what she discovers – about herself, about her family, and about the danger that goes from haunting her dreams to becoming her reality.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one but I wasn’t sure it was really my thing until I read the extract over on the Penguin site. Now I just have to decide which cover to go for!

John Smith is not your average teenager. He regularly moves from small town to small town. He changes his name and identity. He does not put down roots. He cannot tell anyone who or what he really is. If he stops moving those who hunt him will find and kill him. But you can’t run forever. So when he stops in Paradise, Ohio, John decides to try and settle down. To fit in. And for the first time he makes some real friends. People he cares about – and who care about him. Never in John’s short life has there been space for friendship, or even love. But it’s just a matter of time before John’s secret is revealed. He was once one of nine. Three of them have been killed. John is Number Four. He knows that he is next . . .

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

I’ve read all of Lauren Weisberger’s books and she is one of my favourite authors so I can’t wait to get my hands on this. It is due to be released on 19th August

Heartbreak, headlines and Hermes – welcome to Brooke’s new world…

Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York – she’s the breadwinner working two jobs and he’s the struggling musician husband. Then Julian is discovered by a Sony exec and becomes an overnight success – and their life changes for ever.

Soon they are moving in exclusive circles, dining at the glitziest restaurants, attending the most outrageous parties in town and jetting off to the trendiest hotspots in LA.

But Julian’s new-found fame means that Brooke must face the savage attentions of the ruthless paparazzi. And when a scandalous picture hits the front pages, Brooke’s world is turned upside down. Can her marriage survive the events of that fateful night at Chateau Marmont? It’s time for Brooke to decide if she’s going to sink or swim…

Lot’s of great books! What are you most looking forward to reading in August?