Jenny Hale's new release this year is called It Started with Christmas. I love the covers on her books - they are some of my favourites! Here's the overview from Jenny's website:

Tin Heart :: Shivaun Plozza (April)
We started in a place that I was super comfortable - with some #loveozYA.
Tin Heart is the story of a girl who is trying to make sense of her life and self after receiving a heart transplant. I wrote more about this one in my review here.

Whistle in the Dark :: Emma Healey (May)
Our book club discussion for Whistle in the Dark was really interesting - a couple of us had gone into this title expecting a thriller or mystery, and been surprised to find ourselves in a family drama instead. What was also interesting was that the majority of us seemed to leave our meeting liking the book more that before our discussion. I wrote a bit more about this book and the impact our expectations can have on our reading experience here.)

 
The Yellow House :: Emily O'Grady (June)
I think I say it every month, and now I'm saying it about each book as I look back over them, but I honestly think The Yellow House has been my favourite book club book so far. This is more family drama, but around a far more sinister situation. This was one of those books that makes you feel uncomfortable the whole way through, but the writing was so wonderful that it was still incredibly readable despite the awful themes it covers. I written about this one previously too - click here if you'd like to read my review.

The Book Ninja :: Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus (July)
In a total about-face from the previous month, July's book was the fun and lighthearted The Book Ninja - about a book snob called Frankie who  decides to find love by leaving her favourite books on public transport. In the tradition of light romance, this one was full of almost too quirky characters in increasingly silly situations. I loved how recognisable Melbourne was as the setting for this one.

Under Your Wings :: Tiffany Tsao (August)
August took us back into the realms of family drama. Under Your Wings opens with Gwendolyn realising she is the only survivor of her twin sister having poisoned their entire family. As Gwendolyn lies in a coma she thinks back through her relationship with her sister Estella, piecing together what happened and why. This one blew my mind a bit and I really enjoyed it!


The Botanist's Daughter :: Kayte Nunn (September)
I missed the September book club meeting, but this one had been on my radar so I picked it up anyway. I still haven't read it, but you know I do love a book that brings together stories from different times - especially women's stories - so I'm looking forward to it!

The Second Cure :: Margaret Morgan (October)
Our latest read  The Second Cure was a clever investigation of how our beliefs are shaped, and the way our society can be driven by them. When the story starts the world has been swept by a strain of toxoplasmosis which is infecting people and changing the way they think, mostly to make them less politically conservative and to lessen their faith in the church. This was pretty heavy reading in parts - it got quite technical in some of the sciencey bits - and had a hint of Atwood's Handmaid's Tale to it, fitting into on the feminist dystopian niche that we're seeing a bit of lately. Having just finished this one on Friday I'm still thinking it over a bit, I might write up some more of my thoughts on it in a review here soon.

The Girl on the Page :: John Purcell (November)
Up next month is The Girl on the Page. I've seen this one all over social media, but actually know very little about it except that it is an insider's look at the publishing industry, and that it gets a bit racy haha.


I would love to know more about other people's book clubs! Do you have a favourite book you've read with your book club, or something every one hated? Let me know in the comments!

xo Bron

Chess Raven is a hacker who has grown up with nothing and no one. Her parents died when she was three and her foster care situation turned out badly - very badly. But on her sixteenth birthday, her life is turned upside down. Chess learns her mother was Queen of the Fae and her father was a brilliant physicist. The unique blend of her mother’s fairy blood and her father’s humanity gives Chess - and Chess alone - the ability to unlock a mysterious vessel that will unleash unimagined powers - with devastating consequences.
Thrown into a new world where nothing is at it seems, Chess must work out who to trust as vying forces race to control her. Or kill her. Reunited with her childhood friend Tom Williams, an enigmatic shape-shifting unicorn, Chess discovers love for the first time and is prepared to risk her life for it. But first she must learn to overcome a fear of her own power and stop waiting for other people to save her. She is the one she’s been waiting for.
I found a lot to love about this fun and fast paced fantasy novel and its fierce young protagonist!
Here are some of my favourite things about The Girl who Fell:

The fact that Chess is a reluctant heroine. This is 'the chosen one' trope, but with a difference from what we often see in these stories. Chess doesn't immediately accept her new 'destiny', and really struggles with her new powers and responsibilities.

While there's a battle going on in the story with a definite villain, everything isn't black and white when it comes to good versus evil. Chess doesn't automatically trust the people who are supposed to be on 'her side', and through her we question the motives of the 'good guys'.

Chess finds out her mother was Queen of the Fae, making her a pretty important. But she wants more than that. She fights against inequality she sees, and is appalled to see the conditions people are living with while she is offered luxuries.

The Girl who Fell is full of strong women in positions of leadership - not only Chess, but two of her closest allies (probably), and the leader of an organisation trying to get their hands on Chess are all women.

Ok, so this is maybe a minor/shallow thing, but there are shape-shifting unicorns (handsome ones!) - I can't leave that off the list!

This was a quick and easy read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to Chess in the next two books (out in April and September next year). I gave this one 3 stars and a sprinkle of magical handsome unicorn dust!

xo Bron

*** The Girl who Fell ***
On Goodreads
Source: Thanks to Nero Books for sending me a free copy for review (and for the other gorgeous swag in the photo!)
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Read it is you love: Early noughties late night B-Grade sci-fi tv like Dark Angel (this is a good thing! I loved this show!)
Find Chess Raven online here