You can listen to an interview with Kate Forsyth, talking about The Beast’s Garden in episode 32 of Tea in the Treetops podcast! The Beast’s Garden is a retelling of the Grimm’s The Singing Springing Lark, an early (and more complicated) version of the much loved Beauty and the Beast…. Read more »
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
I will admit about 20% through this book I nearly put it down as a DNF, even though it had a beautiful cover and the synopsis had me intrigued I was finding it very difficult to get into. Thankfully I kept going because I then finished the remaining 80% in… Read more »
Review: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, Natasha Pulley
It is 1884. The Irish Republican movement Clan Na Gael has set off a clockwork bomb at the Home Office in London, but telegraph clerk Thaniel Steepleton has miraculously survived thanks to a strange pocket watch, left at his apartment a few weeks previously. The watch was made by “K…. Read more »
Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke
Originally published eleven years ago, Susanna Clarke’s debut novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has now been adapted into a much-anticipated television series, currently airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom. I first read this amazing book probably close to ten years ago and I remember loving it at the… Read more »
Review: Skin, Ilka Tampke
Ailia is a foundling, without a place in society and not allowed to undertake the learning that she yearns for. The Mothers, the mysterious guardians of her people, have other ideas, calling Ailia to their realm to teach her the knowledge she will need to lead her people against the… Read more »
Review: The Walled City, Ryan Graudin
The Walled City is billed as YA but is full of brutal and heart-breaking issues. The Walled City itself is a kingdom of thieves, prostitutes and drug lords. Three teenagers live there – Mei Yee, who was taken from her family as a young girl and forced to be a prostitute for the drug… Read more »
Review: First Impressions, Charlie Lovett
A good book is like a good friend. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. When you first get to know it, it will give you excitement and adventure, and years later it will provide you with comfort and familiarity. And best of all, you can… Read more »
Mini Review: We Are Not Ourselves, Matthew Thomas
The fact that they were there, that everything they owned wasn’t enough somehow, disturbed her, suggesting a bottomlessness to certain kinds of unhappiness. I was very excited to get a copy of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!). It was ranked highly on Goodreads and seemed to hold a lot… Read more »
Review: Masquerade, Kylie Fornasier
This is Philippa and Angelya’s joint audio review of Masquerade. It’s an excerpt from Episode 11 of the Tea in the Treetops podcast, recorded on August 5, 2014. To listen to the full episode, click here. If you are reading in a feed reader and cannot see the player below,… Read more »
Review: Masquerade, Kylie Fornasier
It’s just a mini review today as I promised Angelya we would do a proper review/discussion of this one in our podcast next week as she’s still reading it. Anyone who listens to our podcast will most likely know that ever since attending PTA Live Brisbane earlier in the year… Read more »