Matthew Wainwright - Out of the Smoke - Book Review (Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books)

We recently had an author guest post by Matthew Wainwright about his experiences of being a debut author (Read Here). Unfortunately, having his book published in the midst of a global pandemic (October 2020) has not been ideal. However, after reading the guest post, I really wanted to read this book as it covers a setting that I'm very fond of. I did have my reservations regarding the editorial side of the book with it being published by a very small publisher (Wakeman Trust). However, my concerns were unnecessary as the narrative runs as freely as the River Thames and has been very well edited. The book cover is amazing and I think it might have been produced by the author himself. I'm really pleased to able to get behind this fantastic book and give it a massive thumbs up.

This is a Young Adult book that introduces a host of characters that will melt the reader's heart. It's a story set in Victorian London that shows the harsh realities of that era. The plot is gripping as it delves into the working and living conditions of a group of chimney sweeps (or soot monkeys) as they were known. These boys could be as young as 4 years old! Billy is one of the main characters you follow as you plunge into the criminal underworld of Victorian London. Unfortunately, he clashes with the notorious gang leader (Archie Miller) who is a very bad man as he believes that gangland life is the best place for an education. 

This is a fully immersive and fantastically told story with historical detail that makes the book shine with reality and realism. It was a real treat to get to know the characters and the bloody side of the gangland culture (a way of living) that was so prevalent at this time. It magically weaves a plot of faith (from a Christian standpoint) but is not overly used, in my opinion. There is just enough of a driving force to show the strong feelings of religion at that time. I really liked the introduction of the British politician and social reformer the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury. When the 'Poor Man's Earl' offers Billy a chance to exchange his gangland life for an education, he must decide what to do. What would you do in this situation? I thought it was very well thought out and researched; it certainly encompassed the narrative very well. 

This story was a glorious read. I would love for more people to read this book and, by doing so, to support the author and small publishing company. Whilst it's a sad, heartfelt, and sorrowful story, it is still full of hope, courage, and fighting spirit. If you want to know more about Billy, Tosher, and Clara and follow their plight, then please pick up a copy from your local bookshop. This is a heartfelt story for all ages. It's one that you will reflect upon and take to your beating hearts. 

Catherine Bruton - Another Twist in the Tale - (Nosy Crow) - Book Review (Mr.Ripley's Enchanted Books)

I've always enjoyed the ability to pick up a book and read it from cover to cover. However, like many others, I've really struggled of late to keep my focus and concentrate. Fortunately, this book has been a turning point as I have really enjoyed it. Another Twist in the Tale is the second book by Catherine Bruton and was published by Nosy Crow (5th November 2020). The story takes us back to Victorian London as we gatecrash a world created by the great man and author Charles Dickens. You've heard the tale of Master Oliver Twist, but have you heard the tale about Twill Twist?

Well walk this way, my fellow reader, and watch your step on the slippery, cobbled streets rife with pickpockets, gangs, and cutthroat thieves. It's time to discover the mysterious tale of TWILL TWIST who was separated at birth and discarded on a rubbish heap. Here the imagination begins as we set off on a thrilling journey that will entertain the socks off a spider and send you spinning into a Victorian frenzy full of mayhem and mishaps. 

This is an action-packed adventure full of life where characters gamble the odds and undertake daring rescues. The book is very well executed and delivers the time period rather well; the plot is compact and full of intrigue and suspense. Weaving through the thick smog with the child catchers chasing you will leave you with an uneasy feeling in your bones. It is a perfect introduction to the young and old as we visit some very familiar Dicken's characters such as Jack Dawkins (better known as the ARTFUL DODGER) and Fagin (a miser and cheat who would swindle his own mum out of the clothes on her own back). 

I loved every minute of this book; it's a magical walk into fantasy and beyond. It really depicts Victorian hardship through the feminist characters all of whom you will be cheering on and hoping for the best. The world is depicted full of dark promises and nefarious deeds that you will enjoy from the very first page to the last. The ending is brilliant and leaves a hint of another adventure yet to come. There's plenty to reflect on as you pop on the kettle, crack open the Jammy Dodgers, and ask for more. MORE?! Absolutely! 

Teaching Resources

They have also produced some Activity packs which we hope you will enjoy – they can be downloaded here as PDFs.  There is a teaching pack, some activity sheets, and some stylish bookmarks!

• Another Twist in the Tail Teaching Pack– 4.5mb
• Another Twist in the Tail Activity Sheets – 3.3mb
• Another Twist in the Tail Bookmarks – 3.3mb

Festive Guest Post - Amy Ephron - The Other Side of the Wall - Tess & Max’s Top Ten Favorite Things about London at Christmastime

Today on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books we have a wonderful guest post by Los Angeles based author Amy Ephron. We're going to take a winter festive walk with Max and Tess looking at their top favourite things to do in London at Christmas time.  

What would you do? 

Check out the post for inspiration and take a walk on The Other Side. If you would like to read my book review then please click the link below. Thank you for reading and have a GREAT Christmas. 
                             
                            The Other Side of the Wall by Amy Ephron
            Philomel Books | Hardcover ISBN: 9781984813275 | $16.99 |Ages 8-12
                     Mr. Ripleys Enchanted Books - BOOK REVIEW HERE
                                              
                                               ABOUT THE BOOK:
In this new adventure with Tess and Max, internationally bestselling author Amy Ephron takes readers to London at Christmastime, where a new fantastical journey awaits.

It’s Christmas break and Tess and Max are in London, staying at the posh Sanborn House with their Aunt Evie. As they wait for their parents to arrive, there is an unusual snowstorm that makes the city seem as if it's caught in a snow globe. Perfect weather for an adventure in Hyde Park. But when Max, Tess, and Aunt Evie leave to search for a cab, they find a horse and carriage and driver curiously waiting for them at the curb. And that's just the beginning...

Soon Tess is charmed by a mysterious boy named Colin who lives at the hotel all year round--on the 8th floor. But Max is sure the elevator only had 7 floors the day before. And how come everyone at the hotel seems to ignore Colin? Things seem to get stranger and stranger. There's a 1920s costume party in Colin's parents' apartment. A marble that seems to be more than it appears. And a shadow that passes mysteriously by Tess and Max's hotel window.

Tess & Max’s Top Ten Favorite Things about London at Christmastime

1. Ride the London Eye, the big Ferris wheel, and marvel at the Christmas decorations sparkling all over the city. (Hope Tess doesn’t have to rescue anyone.) 

2. Have tea at Harrods. (No Nutella, please.) 

3. Go to Hyde Park, especially if it’s lightly snowing. 

4. Watch the ceremony of the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. 

5. Shop at a bookstore and check out the mysteries as their Dad likes British mysteries. Check out the poetry section for something that would appeal to their mom. Persuade Aunt Evie that they both need new chapter books. Max might even distract Aunt Evie, while Tess buys a book about British birds and hides it in her backpack for Aunt Evie to open on Christmas, too. 

6. Go to Victoria skateboard park. Awesome 

7. Convince Aunt Evie to take a drive in the blue Bentley all the way to Hampton Court. And, once there, try to navigate their way through the maze. (Careful, you never know what’s on the other side.) 

8. Split a prime rib dinner on Sunday night at a fancy pub in London. 

9. Wander Kew Gardens at night on their amazing new dark walk and explore the “immersive light trail.” 

10. Go to Portobello Market, the outdoor antique fair, with Aunt Evie. Hope Aunt Evie magically finds another matching glass to the crystal one that was their grandmother’s. and Tess finds a snowball with a horse and driver and carriage inside and when you turn it up-side-down and turn it right again, it looks as if snowflakes are falling all around the carriage and the cobblestoned street.

                                         (Photo by Katrina Dickson)
   About the Author

Amy Ephron (www.amyephron.com) is the author of The Castle in the Mist, her first book for young readers, which was nominated for a SCIBA Award, and of Carnival Magic, a companion book. Amy has also written several adult books, including A Cup of Tea, which was an international bestseller. Her novel One Sunday Morning received the Booklist Best Fiction of the Year and Best Historical Fiction of the Year awards and was a Barnes and Noble Book Club selection. She is a contributor and contributing editor at Vogue and Vogue.com, and her work has appeared in numerous other publications. She was also the executive producer of Warner Brothers' A Little Princess. Amy lives in Los Angeles with her husband; between them, they have five children. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @amyephron.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Peter Bunzl - COGHEART - Book Review

When 13-year-old Lily's inventor father vanishes after a Zeppelin crash, Lily's determined to hunt down the truth behind his disappearance, helped by Robert, the local clockmaker's son, and her wily mechanical fox Malkin. But shadowy figures are closing in and treachery lurks among the smoky spires of London - along with a life-changing secret.

Here is another exciting book that will hit the bookshops early September 2016. Peter Bunzl's debut title 'Cogheart' will be published by Usborne displaying a brilliantly striking image. The quirky and delightful cover illustration has been created by Becca Stadlander and cleverly designed by Katherine Millichope. It is one of my favourites and, in my opinion, appeals to all readers of all ages. 

This is an enchanting read from the very first page. It is a Victorian tale that will deliver a massive helping of immersive imagination. After reading a non-fiction book called Living Dolls by Gaby Wood, the author was inspired and a seed was planted about automatons. The book provides many thought provoking questions about independent thinking and feelings from the perspective of mechanical robots. 

This adventure is filled with automata characters that you will really take to your heart. The mechanical animals and the house servants are a great work of creative imagination. They are a key success to the clockwork beating heart of this book. Peter has done a fabulous job building a fantastical fantasy world that you will truly get wrapped up in. He's unlocked and turned the winding key of his imagination and put it down on paper in a mechanical heartbeat of passion.  

You'll laugh with the cantankerous clockwork fox called Malkin, who has lots of personality and very opinionated. You will also cry with the main character Lily (heroine) and feel her pain and heartache along this deadly adventure of intrigue. You might find some parts of the plot a little stilted in places, as perhaps more action/back story needed at some points, in my opinion. However, with that said, the story creativity is very strong and certainly strong enough to make this book a really enjoyable read.   

In places this story feels deliciously gruesome, which I personally love as a reader. Some characters do die in a rather hideous way, but I will say no more. The book has a massive dollop of mystery that will keep you on your reading toes throughout. At the moment I haven't been reading many steampunk adventure books like this, which are fuelled by murder and some very nasty bad guys. I really enjoyed the European flavour that crept in at times.

This is a classic action adventure, with many film-like qualities. It is a promising start to a great new series, and one that I would certainly recommend to read. With the sequel already poised, this is an absolute cracker from a new voice in town.  

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Lyn Gardner - Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret - Book Review (Nosy Crow)

Murder, mystery and musical thrills in the shadowy streets of Victorian London in this new series from Lyn Gardner. This is historical fiction with a popular twist: murders and mysteries set in the glitzy world of the Victorian music hall which will appeal to fans of Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather but with added detective drama!Rose was left by her mother at the door of Campion's Palace of Variety and Wonders as a baby. It is her home, and she loves it, but she never stops wondering who she really is. When murder threatens to destroy the music hall, Rose will need all her performance skills to crack the crime and delve into a murky past of blackmail, subterfuge and abduction...

You only need to skip and dance through the first page before you find yourself straight into a dark narrative not for the feint of heart. You'll be ceremoniously whipped into a murderous storm as you visit Easingford Hall. The plot is a dark maelstrom of treachery, seen through even darker eyes than the devil himself, the new Lord of Easingford, Henry Edgar Easingford. He will stop at nothing to claim the title and wealth that he so desires. The Stolen Secret is a cracking start to a new series from the author of the Olivia books and theatre critic from the Guardian. 

This is a brilliant story that you will really struggle to put down. It is complex and cunning like the characters themselves. You will easily take to Rose Campion, as she is very determined, lively and head strong, but she has a heart of solid gold. You first meet Rose escaping from the top floor window of Miss Pecksniff's Academy for Young Ladies. Shinning down the drainpipe, Rose will hurtle you into a non-stop adventure of danger, discovery, a world full of crime, colourful characters and MURDER.

This book reminded me of the fantastic times that I spent reading Julia Golding's Cat Royal series. In my opinion it is equally enchanting and holds many similarities. It's a historical snapshot of Victorian London with a fantastic theatrical flourish that oozes period charm. When a brilliant young actor goes missing, Rose and her friends from the music hall get on the case and try to solve the mystery afoot. The music hall is a fantastic place to visit, it's almost a character in itself. It superglues the narrative to engaging heights resulting in a brilliant and captivating read.

The story is a fantastic and dramatic mystery that will sweep the curtains down on your fantasy feet as you flit along the dark and deadly squalor of Victorian streets. You need to make sure that you do not find yourself being pick-pocketed in the process. It's full of shady villains found lurking down the poverty stricken alleyways. However, some humour can be seen through the horror - it will leave you thinking about the possible outcomes and lighten the intentions for any younger readers. Will Rose Campion and her acting friends get to the final act? Will they fail to work out the solution to the biggest mystery in London? Roll up and find out...

This is another great read from Nosy Crow, a publisher on the rise picking a range of fantastic books and bringing them to the world for readers to enjoy. It is a great start to the series; I will certainly be looking out for the next instalment. Out now.... so what are you waiting for?