The Bookbag
Hello from The Bookbag, a book review site, featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - fiction, biography, crime, cookery and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. It's the bag we take to the library and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of author interviews, and all sorts of top tens - all of which you can find on our features page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the recommendations page.
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The Diary of Dennis the Menace: Bash Street Bandit (Book 4) by Steven Butler and Steve May (illustrator)
Something is wrong in Beanotown. You'd normally think that the only thing wrong about the place is Dennis the Menace – his dastardly deeds and novel naughtiness. But no – this time it's worse. Someone is being a menace to everyone and it isn't even Dennis. The Colonel's garden gnomes are all bottom-up, and even the park plants spell out Bum-Face. And our hero has no idea who is out-menacing him. It's up to him and his naughty Gnasher to try and work out what is causing everyone – Softie or not – to be so worried. Full review...
A Trick of the Mind by Penny Hancock
Ellie doesn’t know what happened on the road that night. She felt her car bump something, but it was only slight. But now the newsreader on the radio is telling her there was a hit and run on that stretch. Can the two things be connected? Could she really have knocked down and injured an innocent man and not even noticed? Full review...
Max's Wagon by Barbro Lindgren and Eva Eriksson
Max had a wagon and he began putting his treasures into it. First it was his bear, then the dog, who was asleep on the chair and looking decidedly disinterested in what was going on, but he played his part. Then it was Max's ball and the contents begin to seem just a little precarious and were even more so when Max's car was added to the pile, but bear sat astride Dog and Max pushed the wagon whilst holding the car on top of the ball with the other. Then he added his cookie and Dog began to look just the tiniest bit distracted and bear fell out. Dog got bear and brought him back and he did the same when the car and the ball fell off the wagon (in the literal sense of the phrase). Then the cookie fell out... Full review...
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
The people of Fairfold know not to meddle with the faerie folk, they wear their socks inside out, fill their pockets with oatmeal and they stay out of the forest on the full moon. Tourists don’t know these things. People travel far and wide to see the faerie town and the sleeping boy in the glass coffin but one or two always go missing, never to be seen again. Tourists, the locals say, the folk don’t interfere with locals, if they do, you must be acting like a tourist. Full review...
Sew Japanese by Mariko Nakamura
I wouldn't normally find the idea of children's clothes with a national theme appealing as it's all too easy for them to look like fancy dress and kids can be all too picky about something like that. If you're going to put the effort into making something then you want it to be worn! But - I took one look at those two kids on the cover of 'Sew Japanese' - and I liked what I saw. There's a distinctive style but what comes across most of all is that they're clothes that kids can play in and feel comfortable with. Full review...
Stonebird by Mike Revell
People keep telling Liam he's the man of the house since his dad walked out on the family and went to live with his girlfriend in Australia, even though that's quite a burden to put on the shoulders of a ten-year-old. He tries his hardest to live up to everyone's expectations, but it's not easy: the family has to move house and school to be nearer Gran, who's suffering from dementia; his mum is falling apart because she simply can't cope with the pain of losing her remaining parent in this way, and his older sister is more interested in her new boyfriend than anything Liam's going through. And that's before the usual new kid in school bullying begins. Full review...
Tips From Widows by Jan Robinson
I'm not a widow and I secretly hope that I never will be, but I picked up Tips From Widows when a close friend (who is supporting someone who knows that becoming a widow is frighteningly close) mentioned the need to plan what to do. The death of a husband must be devastating, even terrifying, but as next of kin you have certain responsibilities and there are some things which you must do. Who better to give advice than other women who have experienced what must be the worst thing that life can throw at them? Full review...
Dementia: The One-Stop Guide: Practical advice for families, professionals, and people living with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease by June Andrews
Worldwide there are probably as many as 44.4 million people who suffer from dementia and many times that number of family, friends, carers and relatives who are affected by what is happening to the sufferer. There's no cure, but it's not terminal and the symptoms (memory loss would seem to be the most common, but in some cases there are hallucinations, sexual or verbal disinhibition, not being able to work things out, difficulty in learning something new, finding your way about, or coping with the normal symptoms of aging) affect everyone involved. If you talk to people who are aging then it's not uncommon for them to say that they'd rather have cancer than dementia as you're unlikely to be an endless burden on other people. Full review...
The Lovers of Amherst by William Nicholson
2013: Alice Dickinson has decided to write a screenplay about the 19th century affair between Mabel Todd and Austin Dickinson (no relation). 1881: Austin, brother of reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, has an unhappy marriage but isn't looking for happiness outside it till he meets Mabel. The very liberated Mabel may be married too, but her husband believes in freedom within wedlock. There follows one of the most scandalous relationships to face small town New England; a relationship that Alice wants to research on-site. While there, Alice discovers that inappropriate romance still exists but this is the 21st century so she feels ready for the consequences. Full review...
Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans
The conscripted men and women of the Kingdom's military forces are battling the Slyts in Luitox. The Kingdom's might may include the latest weaponry and the ability to thaum but the Slyts are elusive and have their own ways. The jungle is as hot as hell which is apt as they will all face their own hells and some may even survive. The odds aren’t good though; if the enemy doesn't get them, their own flying craft may. Nobody wants to be on the back of an overheated rag! Full review...
Esperanza Street by Niyati Keni
Joseph's parents send him to work for Auntie Mary and her B&B business on Esperanza Street. Over the years there life for Joseph goes on the way it has for countless other youngsters from this Filipino town of Puerto. His mother may have died too young and Joseph only sees his father one day a week (and has to suffer church for part of that!) but there's a rhythm to the market outside and foreign visitors within Auntie Mary's walls that's familiar and comforting. It's a rhythm that's been there for generations but things change, sometimes with catastrophic results. Full review...
Emily Sparkes and the Friendship Fiasco by Ruth Fitzgerald
When it comes to books for the younger age range, I tend to be more interested in the adventure stories, the fantasies, and the mysteries than the more realistic contemporary books. Occasionally, though, something in that genre comes along which completely captivates me - and Ruth Fitzgerald's debut is one of those books. I picked it up to take a quick look after it was recommended to me as being a perfect 'mood-buster', and within 5 pages I was enchanted. (I was also attracting some strange looks on the Tube, having burst out laughing loudly three times by the end of the fifth page - there are definite queries as to how suitable this is as a public transport read!) Full review...
Love Hurts by Malorie Blackman
Love Hurts is all about heartache but it doesn't leave you bereft. Mixed in are enough moments of heartsease (and heart's joy!) to keep you believing in love. And we all want to believe in love, don't we? If you are one of the few who don't, you might as well look away now. The rest of us are in for a treat. This anthology has been gathered together by Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman, one of our favourite YA authors here at Bookbag, and certainly one who understands exactly how to write about the highs and lows of love as it is experienced by young people. Full review...
Arsenic For Tea (A Wells and Wong Mystery) by Robin Stevens
Some detectives have a dark and sorrowful past. Others are gifted – or burdened – with extraordinary skills, and a few are so intellectual they can barely relate to the people around them. But Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells, heroines of this delightful detective series, are just ordinary schoolgirls who enjoy solving puzzles and mysteries and who somehow end up right at the centre of the occasional deadly drama. Full review...
A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor
The year is 1876 and two little orphaned flower girls wander barefoot through the crowded London streets selling posies of violets to the people passing by. The older sister, Florrie, walks with a stick for support, but keeps a tight grip on her little sister's hand at all times. Rosie, 'little sister', is blind and views eight-year-old Florrie as her 'little mother' The two are inseparable and share a deep bond that carries them through the hardships they face on a daily basis. Everything changes one fateful day when Florrie has her stick knocked from beneath her and little Rosie is snatched by one of the 'bad men'. Florrie searches frantically for Rosie, but she seems to have vanished. As the years pass, Florrie never gives up her search, eventually dying of a broken heart. Full review...
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Lilac is the untouchable LaRoux princess, daughter of the richest man in the Universe. Tarver is a decorated war hero, allowed to mingle outside his social circles because the upper classes love to celebrate his heroism. After chance meeting aboard the Icarus - the most luxurious ship space travel has to offer - neither Lilac nor Tarver can deny the attraction blossoming. But Tarver knows he isn't good enough for Lilac, and Lilac knows that her father has very strong ideals about who she spends time with. It's over before it's even begun. Full review...
Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War by Jerry White
It seems that only recently, with the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War upon us, that historians have really looked thoroughly at the social history aspect and the effect it had on the population at home. Jerry White, who has already made a study of London over the last three centuries or so in previous titles, now turns his attention to life in the capital during those momentous four years. Full review...
The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom by Alison Love
In Soho in 1937, Italian singer Antonio has found himself a wealthy patron. His patron’s wife, Olivia, is known to Antonio from a chance encounter at the Paradise Ballroom - and the spark they felt on that meeting starts to deepen as war begins to creep up on them. In an uncertain world, everything about their lives is under threat – the government perceives foreigners as threats and the war wreaks havoc with nerves and relationships. Full review...
One Shot at Glory by P J Davitt
Dave Shaw wants nothing more than to be a footballer. He has the talent. He has the desire. He has a supportive family. And he has a place at the Wolston Rovers junior academy, where his instincts as a goalscorer are highly visible. A golden future beckons - and with it, the professional contract Dave dreams of. But a serious injury brings all Dave's dreams crashing down... Full review...
ZOM-B Bride (Zom B Book 10) by Darren Shan
REPEATING STANDARD WARNING! If you haven't read the first book in this series, STOP READING NOW! NOW! Spoilers ahoy! Full review...
Mighty Small by Timothy Knapman and Rosie Reeve
Max the mouse has a secret. He is a superhero! He can't run super fast, or jump really high, or do anything particular 'super' but still, he has a cape and he likes to wear his underpants over his trousers, if his mum isn't looking! He is sure that if he just tries hard enough he will figure out what his super power must be. Full review...
A Word Glittering with Spikes by Nigel McClea
We're going to follow the fortunes of two couples (or are they 'would-be couples' or 'might-have-been couples'?) as they navigate the treacherous waters of love. David Castledine's first meeting with Jenny could hardly have been less auspicious: he hit her. He didn't actually mean to hit her but he threw a stick for his aunt's dog to chase and it caught her on the head. Head wounds bleed profusely and this one was no exception, so David had to take her back to his aunt's apartment to clean her up. I suppose there have been worse meetings, but it's difficult to think of one! Full review...
In The Wolf's Mouth by Adam Foulds
In Sicily, bandits steal the sheep of a young shepherd. Distraught, he seeks out his local Mafioso for help. Sixteen years later, two men are traveling to Sicily - one, a young English officer, and the other an American infantryman. They are all soon thrust into a war that is greater and more terrible than anything they could have dreamed, and they all must find different ways to survive its terrors. Full review...
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
I regret to inform you that I have had to take my own life.
Cody finds out that her best friend Meg has committed suicide by email. A flat, formal, email. We follow her over the ensuing months as she searches for answers. How could she not have realised that her friend was in such pain? What had caused that pain? When packing up Meg's belongings, Cody finds emails on her laptop to a boy that has broken her heart. Is Ben McAllister the cause of Meg's suicide? But there's an encrypted file, too. And when Cody finally opens it, she finds information that will take her on a journey, not only through Meg's life, but also her own... Full review...
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Arnold Spirit, or Junior as he is known on the Spokane Indian Reservation where he lives, is about to face the biggest challenge of his life, fourteen years that have already seen their fair share of challenges. He knows the decision to go to the rich all-white school, in the nearby town of Reardan, is a necessary one. It means travelling twenty-two miles every day to a town where he's going to be even more of a target, even more out of place, than he already is on the rez. It means risking the wrath of the other Indians, who will see him as a traitor, a turncoat. And worst of all, it means losing his best friend and partner in crime, Rowdy. However, it is the only way he can possibly break through the vicious cycle of impoverishment, depression and rampant alcoholism that has taken over the lives of so many of the inhabitants of the reservation, and it is a path that he must walk for the sake of not just his future, but that of his tribe. Full review...
The Boy Who Wept Blood (Erebus Sequence 2) by Den Patrick
Anea is now the ruler of Demesne but, rather than retain the current aristocratic system of ruling houses, she works towards a republic, empowering the plentiful but poor peasants. As no turkey votes for Christmas, not all ruling houses align with her ideas, making life treacherous – fatally so for some. Dino, her half-brother is doing all he can to protect her but, Anea's desire to spend most of her time with her scientific machines isn't doing her any favours in the popularity stakes. For Dino hiding away is not an option; he's got questions and he wants to live long enough to answer them. Full review...
The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne
Angus inherits a Scottish island from his grandmother that holds fond memories from his childhood. Although it's totally remote Angus, his wife Sarah and daughter Kirstie decide to move there from London. Yes, daughter singular but they haven't always only had the one child. Kirstie used to have a twin, Lydia, till 13 months ago. Lydia died in a tragic accident, the circumstances of which have never fully been revealed. At least everyone believes it was Lydia who died but what if…? Full review...
Secrets and Dreams by Jean Ure
When Mum and Dad won the lottery thirteen year old Zoe and eleven year old Natalie were given the chance to choose something big which they really wanted. Natalie chose to have a pony (and there was a puppy too, but no one was counting) and Zoe decided that she really wanted to go to boarding school. Dad - particularly - wasn't keen on the idea, in case Zoe would have to mix with posh people, but eventually he came round and Zoe started at St Withburga's - and just chance you're thinking of jokes about cheeseburgas, Nat got there before you. Full review...
Catherine Certitude by Patrick Modiano, Sempe (illustrator) and William Rodarmor (translator)
What little I know of Patrick Modiano was gained from the number of 'no, we've never heard of him, either' articles and summaries that came our way when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature at the end of 2014. They suggested his oeuvre was mature, slightly thriller-based but not exclusively so, and asked lots of accumulative questions regarding identity with regard to the Vichy government during WWII. Identity is a lot more fixed in this musing little piece, for the adult voice-over looks back over a wide remove, and says there will always be a little bit of her living the events and situations of the book. Those situations are of a young dance-school attendee, and her loving and much-loved father, living a cosy life in Paris – even if the girl never once really works out what it is her father does for a living… Full review...
The Bus Is for Us by Michael Rosen and Gillian Tyler
As a child of the 80s I sometimes yearn for an era free from Aliens in Underpants or rough Gruffalos. An era of Alan and Janet Ahlberg telling gentle stories that had an old fashioned feel, but were still great for the modern kid. Thankfully, I am not the only person out there that craves this as some books are still being produced that describe the simple pleasures such as riding the bus. However, I think that these kids have obviously never tried to catch the Number 9 at rush hour. Full review...
Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly
Death by Misadventure.' This is the official verdict as to the cause of death of Lady Lavinia Truelove, trampled to death by a notoriously ill-tempered horse, which she foolishly tried to approach in its stall. The horse panicked and reacted badly, resulting in a gruesome and bloody attack, witnessed by two boys from the village. Most people would dismiss the event as a tragic accident, but detective Joe Sandilands suspects that this could be cold-blooded murder. Could his judgement be clouded by the fact that he has a very personal axe to grind with the 'grieving' widower, who has been showing increasing attentiveness to Dorcas, the girl he plans to marry? Full review...
Whale in the Bath by Kylie Westaway and Tom Jellett
It’s bath time, which is often not a favourite time of day. Really, it’s a sign that the fun is over and it’s time for bath, maybe a story, and then bed, at least for the little ones. The grown ups get to stay up later. Hmpf. But Bruno is not moaning too much about getting in the bath, though you get the impression that’s a battle he’s had, and lost, in the past. The problem is…there’s a whale in the bath. And whales are pretty big so there’s not much room for Bruno to hop in beside him. Full review...
Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry by Gareth Murphy
It’s not difficult to find a history of popular or recorded music, written around the musical names who made it happen. Cowboys and Indies takes a different approach. While there is plenty in these pages about several of the most important stars, there is just as much again if not sometimes more about the movers and shakers, the inventors, managers, impresarios, and record label founders without whom there would not have been a record industry. Full review...