Our March Read~ The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

This month we read 'The Fault in Our Stars' by the YouTube celebrity John Green. The overwhelming consensus was that the book was an instant classic. While it is undeniably a book for teenagers, what comes across in it is the harsh reality faced by cancer sufferers. We found this honesty admirable, and was certainly rereshing from the usual sugar-coated romance fed to teenagers. It is clear that Green has experience with cancer sufferers and is unafraid to instill the emotions that he felt into the reader. Green's skillful method of dealing with such sensitive matters in a humorous manner is remarkable and certainly endeared us to the book.
What was, however, a blot on the horizon, was the hype, which a few of us found to dimish our enjoyment of the book. Green of course has an almost cult following in the 'Nerfighters', who follow both his and his brother Hank's adventures through their YouTube channel 'vlogbrothers'. Perhaps it was that before it had even been released it was destined for Bestseller lists worldwide that heightened our expectations, but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to them.
There is no doubt that it is a good book, and having topped the New York Times Bestseller List we are glad that it is recieving the critical acclaim that it no doubt deserves. Yet at it's core it is a simple story: boy meets girl, falls in love, yet they both have cancer. What is special about this book though is the small, intricate details that Green deals with, the conversations and emotions. Green clearly establishes that he needs no great adventure to tell a great story, he sees the extraordinary in the ordinary, and as such, so do we as the reader.

A Little' Ning Nang Nong' goes a "Ling Lang Long" Way!

Perhaps poetry is not your first choice when it comes to choosing a new book, but this wonderful collection of poems and short stories by legendary Goon, Spike Milligan, is one that will surely delight all readers, both young and old.
Who can resist a funny poem, soaked in silliness and dished up with delightful illustrations that would not be out of place in the back of any respectable school copybook.
No collection from this comedic genius would be complete without the splendidly silly, award winning, 'Ning, Nang, Nong', or indeed 'The Bongaloo', and all such Milligan musts are present in this anthology.   So, for all those who dearly love to laugh, 'A Children's Treasury of Milligan' will not disappoint.

Our Must-Reads This Christmas

If you're looking for something to read on a cold, wintry, night this Christmas, then take a look at our top reads

1. Dancing in the Dark
    P. R. Prendergast
2. The Hunger Games Trilogy
    Suzanne Collins
3.The Roman Mysteries
   Caroline Lawrence
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    Mark Haddon
5. Holes
    Louis Sachar
6. There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom
    Louis Sachar
7. Mister Monday
    Garth Nix
8. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
    Rick Riordan
9.  The Cherub Sequence
      Robert Muchamore
10. A Series of Unfortunate Events
       Lemony Snicket


Why don't you try reading a couple of these books over the holidays and tell us what you think!

A place to start...

We are a group of teenage students who share a common love for all things bookish! We read, we meet, we talk books.  This Book Club Blog is the place where you can find a list of our monthly reads, with the latest reviews, ratings and comments. So join us, pick up a book and get reading.  Once you have completed that final page, then the fun really begins.  As Louis L'Amour once said: 'There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.'  How right he was!