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'''Golden Hour'''
In honour of its author, our blast from the - fairly recent - past this month is [[Withering Tights by Louise Rennison ]]. After killing off Georgia Nicolson of ''Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging''in a blaze of hedonism and vampires, it was time for Louise Rennison to start a new series, with a new teenage girl's first-person narrative. In ''Withering Tights'' we meet one Tallulah Casey, a lanky girl worried about her knees and underdeveloped cleavage, and off to stay at a posh drama performance workshop centre in the wilds of Yorkshire. Tallulah is just as memorable, fresh and funny. This is the first book about Tallulah and if you don't want to read it from the title alone, there is no hope for you. Thank you, Louise Rennison. For everything. We'll never forget you.
'''Books of the Month'''
In non-fiction, John thought very highly of [[Ray Davies: A Complicated Life by Johnny Rogan ]]. Undoubtedly one of the most versatile and gifted British songwriters of all time, the personality of Ray Davies of The Kinks is every bit as complicated as this magnificently detailed biography reveals his life to be. It's a long read which leaves no stone unturned. The author has interviewed Ray and his brother Dave, as well as other members of the band, managers, friends and associates, and built up a well-rounded picture of his career, personal life and character, in addition to appraising his group and solo recordings with enthusiasm as well as objectivity. An extensive discography ensures that the book will serve as a work of reference for the fan as well.
For teens, Jill was bowled over by [[Crush by Eve Ainsworth ]]. Anna's mother has left her father - and her brother, and Anna herself. That's how Anna sees it and although her mother wants contact, Anna is refusing it. It's not as though Anna sees this as some heroic defence of father and brother either: she's fed up with them, too. Her father is always distracted and he isdefinitely is definitely favouring little brother Eddie, who, as Anna sees it, is a spoiled brat. School has picked up on the fact that all is not right with Anna and has signed her up for counselling sessions. And then, Will appears. ''Crush'' is a look at how abusive relationships can twist an intense first love into something it shouldn't be. It's absorbing, moving, and handled with great sensitivity.
For the littler ones, John recommends [[My Book of Stories: Write Your Own Adventures by Deborah Patterson ]]. There certainly are other books for young readers to teach them creative writing, but none are quite like this. Its USP is in the writing, for this book like none other has gone right back to the experts. Using very familiar influences – Narnia, Hogwarts, treasure islands and other classics of children's literature – we get a full-on choice of tasks to do, and ideas for our own stories. It's a very clever volume, which leads by the best example to open up a world of creative writing and imaginative invention.