Book Reviews From The Bookbag
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. We can even direct you to help for custom book reviews!
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Harmless Like You by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
This is the debut novel from Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, but you would never know it. It is an accomplished, unusual, poetically written story about a young Japanese girl, Yuki Oyama, who has lived most of her life in New York. As such, she feels an outsider: the American girls at school ignore her and she finds the rituals of her parents' home suffocating. Her father has hopes of her studying medicine, but the only thing Yuki enjoys is art. Full review...
A Whisper of Horses by Zillah Bethell
A Whisper of Horses is set in a dystopian future, where most living things have been long since eradicated by 'the Gases.' The few remaining survivors try to eke out a living in the ruined city of Lahn Dan, split into three distinct class groups: Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu) and Gold (Au). Serendipity, a young Pb girl has always been fascinated by the statues and artworks in the city, which depict riders on majestic horses. Of course, she has never seen a real horse; no-one has. When Serendipity finds a map that hints that there may still be horses living in 'Grey Britan', she makes the brave decision to try and escape the walled city to go in search of her dream. Full review...
Prince Arthur: The Tudor King Who Never Was by Sean Cunningham
Prince Arthur was the eldest son of Henry VII. Had he lived longer, there might have been no Henry VIII, thus paving the way for a very large counterfactual 'what if' in British history. The name Arthur, that of the mythical King several centuries earlier, had great expectations attached, never to be fulfilled. Full review...
Constellation by Adrien Bosc
October 28, 1949. 02:51, following reports of good weather and visibility on, the pilot makes contact; the flight has reach 3,000 feet, he has the airport in sight, he is preparing to land. The estimated time of arrival came and went, the landing had not happened. A search is initiated, which eventually establishes that the carrier had crashed into a mountainside in the Azores, killing all 37 of its passengers and all 11 of its crew. Full review...
Spectacles by Sue Perkins
A dash of drama, a sprinkling of gossip and a smattering of laugh-out-loud funny make for the best sort of memoir. Full review...
The Strays by Emily Bitto
Lily comes from an ordinary suburban family, but on her first day at a new school she meets Eva: the super-confident middle daughter of artist Evan Trentham. The girls fast become firm friends, to the exclusion of all those ar ound them and it isn't long before Lily is spending more time at the Trentham's than she does at home. Why wouldn't she? Their life is everything her family's isn't. Full review...
Boy X by Dan Smith
When Ash McCarthy wakes up in some sort of medical facility he immediately knows something is wrong. But he doesn't suspect just how much until he steps outside and finds himself on a remote tropical island. Then he smells the blood and begins to find the bodies. A deadly virus has been released and, to make matters worse, it's being taken off the island to be sold as a weapon that could wipe out humanity. The antidote is being taken with it and, unless Ash can stop them within 24 hours, everyone on the island who has been infected (including Ash's mum) will die. Full review...
Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I wasn't sure what to expect when I asked for this book to review. It claims on the front cover to be not exactly a memoir, and it isn't. Yet, also, it kind of is. In fact, I would struggle to describe or decipher exactly what it is. It is so unlike any book I've ever read before. Full review...
Through the Mirror Door by Sarah Baker
Angela doesn't like her Aunt or cousins but living them with has to better than the series of children's homes she's had to put up with. She's, therefore, determined to bite her tongue and behave like an angel when she's invited to join their family holiday in France. Her cousins don't make this easy but Angela soon has bigger concerns to occupy her mind – namely the mysterious boy on the other side of the Mirror Door and the fact that he appears to be dying, alone and uncared for in 1898. Full review...
The Witch's Kiss by Katharine Corr and Elizabeth Corr
Merry is an average teenager. She's also a witch. She's trying not to be, but she is. Then Jack comes into her life and she can't help falling under his spell. One problem – he's part of an evil, centuries-old curse that Merry now has to break. If Merry has lost her heart, will she lose her life too? Or can true love's kiss save the day? Being a witch is dangerous – but being in love is even worse… Full review...
Warrior Bronze (Gods and Warriors Book 5) by Michelle Paver
Hooray and boohoo! The final instalment of Michelle Paver's Gods and Warriors series has arrived. This series is set in the Bronze Age amid the Greek civilisations of the mainland (Mycenaean) and Crete (Minoan). Our two central characters represent both: Hylas, the boy searching for his sister, is Mycenaean, and Pirra, the daughter of a high priestess, is Minoan. Together, they are trying to defeat the evil Crows who are ravaging lands far and wide. But to do that, they need to retrieve the dagger of Kronos from deep inside Crow territory. If they fail, the evil gods known as the Angry Ones will rule all the land and all the people. Full review...
The Chicken Nugget Ambush by Mark Lowery
Roman Garstang and his class are embarking on their school residential trip to Farm View Outdoor Survival Centre. Events leading up to departure day mean than Roman is not all that excited about the visit - mostly due to the jam doughnut incident which in turn leads to a solely chicken nugget diet prescribed by his doctor. Well, not exactly prescribed by his doctor, but this was the message his mum chose to hear. A typical school residential setting provides the backdrop for exploring children's relationship when they are away from home. Some of his class mates are fully prepared for the trip, others shudder at the thought of a bit of mud in their finger nails and a stereotypical survival 'expert' in Mad Dan leads the children on their adventure. Full review...
The Creeper Man by Dawn Kurtagich
The Creeper Man won't get you if you just stay away from the woods
In 1980 three little girls summon a protector out of Python Wood. But with a grinning mouth and without eyes, The Creeper Man is not their protector.
In 2016 two sisters, Silla and Nori, runaway from London and their cruel father to La Baume, the country house in which their crazy Aunt Cath lives. Away from fear and hurt, the girls are finally happy and loved. They're finally safe… Until the trees start moving closer. Full review...
The A-Z of Victorian Crime by Neil R A Bell, Trevor N Bond, Kate Clarke and M W Oldridge
Victorian crime has never ceased to cast its spell. Is it because such terrible goings-on took place sufficiently long ago that they do not disgust us in the same way as equally dreadful events from, say, the last few days of which we read from today's papers or online coverage? Whatever the reason, there is an endless fascination with murders and other major transgressions of the law from the era of gas lamps and swirling fog – true Victorian melodrama, misbehaviour and horror from real life writ large. It is amply catered for in this title, the joint work of four authors. Full review...
The Return by Dulce Maria Cardoso
I often claim to know most of my history from reading story books (a.k.a. novels). Sometimes, however, you need to know the history before you have a context in which to sit the story. Portugal is one of those countries about which I know quite literally nothing, and in 1975 I was about twelve years old – old enough to register that there was a war going on in somewhere called Angola, but back then, there were wars going on all over the place. Western European empires around the world were in their death throes. Some went more peacefully than others, albeit none of them trailing much glory in their wake. Full review...
Holy Sh*t: A brief history of swearing by Melissa Mohr
Holy Sh*t as the name suggests looks at both swearing, in Biblical terms, to swearing, also usually in Biblical terms but with rather more emphasis on the act, rather than the deity. This book takes the reader on a journey from the Old Testament, when swearing your allegiance to the one true God was a prerequisite for staying alive, to the Middle Ages where swearing on the same God was punishable by rather grisly death. That takes care of the Holy, now onto the part you are really interested in, the Sh*t. Full review...
The Beauty of Her Age: A Tale of Sex, Scandal and Money in Victorian England by Jenifer Roberts
The name of Yolande Stephens (nee Duvernay) is not that well-known in the annals of Victorian England, but behind it lies an enthralling rags-to-riches saga. How did a young girl born into poverty in Paris become one of the most celebrated ballerinas of her time in England, and after that one of the richest women in the country, with a fortune on her death which rivalled that of Queen Victoria? Full review...
Owl Song at Dawn by Emma Claire Sweeney
Maeve Maloney runs the Sea View Lodge guest house that her parents ran before her. The house has harboured many memories for Maeve over the past 80-years-plus, most of which she's managed to keep at bay. However, her suppression is endangered when Vincent comes to call. Far from being an ordinary guest, Vincent is a link to that past Maeve thought she'd outrun but now has to relive. Add that to trying to teach Steph and Len to fib effectively and life becomes very difficult indeed. Full review...
Sing to Silent Stones: Violet's War (Sing to Silent Stones 1) by David Snell
Although born to Victorian parents, Violet is a modern Edwardian young woman. She believes in women's suffrage and the right to fall in love with whomever she chooses. Her choice is Frank Balfour, one of her father's employees which is not without its problems. Encouragingly for some people around Violet, as war darkens the nation's mood, Frank goes to do his bit. This leaves Violet with more than memories of their fond farewell; Frank leaves her a son. What follows feels like the end of her life to Violet but it's just the beginning of adventures that will take her to war too; behind enemy lines to witness dark days and amazing bravery. Full review...
REMADE (Remade 1) by Alex Scarrow
It started as one of those news stories no one really paid too much attention to, just another virus infection in a faraway country. But as knowledge of the pathogen and its capabilities spreads, the medics, biologists, epidemiologists are the first to realise that the world is staring at an extinction level event. With no species barrier and seemingly limitless transmission capability, the virus is utterly unstoppable, mercilessly liquidizing its victims, leaving just bare bones and tufts of hair as a reminder of what once was. Leon was never cut out to be a hero, but fortuitous circumstances find him somehow among a small group who manage to escape the initial purge. However, as Leon tries desperately to look after his injured younger sister, Grace, he soon comes to realise that the ever-looming threat of the virus is far from the only danger in this post-apocalyptic world. Full review...
50 Things You Should Know About Space by Raman Prinja
Space is a cold and desolate place, but learning about it does not need to be. Nothing else quite captures the immensity that is Space – all the stars and planets out there that could contain alien life. How can you capture this majesty and put it onto a page so that you inspire the youth of today to be the astronauts and astronomers of tomorrow? A series of dry fact is perhaps not the best option, unless they happen to be a very specific type of child. Full review...
The Death of Robin Hood by Angus Donald
War rages across the land. In the wake of Magna Carta, King John's treachery is revealed and the barons rise against him once more. Fighting with them is the Earl of Locksley - the former outlaw Robin Hood, and his right hand man Sir Alan Dale. When the French enter the fray, Robin and Alan must decide where their loyalties lie - with the king or their land. Death may wait for us all, but can Robin Hood pull off his greatest ever trick and cheat the Grim Reaper one last time just as England needs him most? Full review...
Eden Summer by Liz Flanagan
Best friends for longer than they can remember, Jess and Eden have always been there for each other, through the good and the bad, though there's been a lot more of the latter over the last year. They've needed each other for support more than ever. But now, Eden is missing. The police are on the case, but Jess is wracked with worry. Overwhelmed by grief, Eden hasn't been herself all summer, her behaviour erratic and often veering towards the dangerous. Desperate to find Eden, Jess takes the search into her own hands. As she makes her way through the West Yorkshire countryside, she finds herself retracing the summer she and Eden spent together, digging up buried memories and secrets in the hope that they might yield some insight into where her friend might be. Full review...
Rose in the Blitz by Rebecca Stevens
Rose's father died a while back. She still misses him, even though life goes on and her mother is remarrying tomorrow. Rose knows deep down that Sal is a nice guy but, but, but... a wedding? It's sent her into a spin. Sal doesn't smell right. His woolly jumpers are embarrassing. His beard is weird. Rose isn't looking forward to the wedding. Full review...
Captain Firebeard's School for Pirates by Chas Strathie and Anna Chernyshova
How do you become a pirate? I'm guessing you just fall into the job – after all, with only so many waterways and so much treasure to go round, you'd never have one pirate teaching another all he knows, would you? Well, in the world of this book you would – for the most peculiar-looking pirate ship is the Rusty Barnacle, and it is, as you'd guess, where Captain Firebeard teaches his pupils in the language and history of pirates. But have innocent Tommy, nervous Milton and gung-ho tomboy Jo bitten off more than they can chew? Or can their plans to surprise their teachers actually bring home the loot? Full review...
This is Not a Science Book: A Smart Art Activity Book by Clive Gifford
This is Not a Science Book explores the often-overlooked link between science and creativity. This interactive book encourages readers to get cutting, glueing, twisting, colouring and shading in order to create a variety of at-home experiments that are as entertaining as they are educational. The activities are also perfect for a rainy day; making this book a welcome resource during the long (and often wet) school holidays. Full review...
Animal Babies by Laura Barwick
Let's face it: with a fluffy lion cub on the cover, inviting readers to take a peek inside, only the most hard-hearted of individuals could resist the temptation to pick up Animal Babies to explore the further delights within its pages. Once hooked, the reader is rewarded with a visual feast of adorable baby creatures, each page seemingly cuter than the last. Full review...
