The Book Zone Book of the Year 2015

Every year since 2010 I have posted a list of my favourite books of the year. This year, that list appeared first over on Middle Grade Strikes Back an hour or so ago, albeit missing a small number of YA books that I loved in 2015. In 2015 I seem to have read less YA books than ever before, but with my appetite for exciting action adventure stories being fully satisfied with books for this younger age group I have rarely felt the need to dip into the world of young adult fiction this year.

This originally started out as a Top 10 middle grade books of 2015 post, although I had a nagging feeling that this might not be as easy as I originally thought as 2015 has been a tremendous year for mg books in the UK. A quick look back through my goodreads account showed a huge list of MG books that I have given 5 stars to in 2015, so I've had to engage my brain even more to decide which among all those A Grade books should be elevated to the equivalent of the GCSE A*. The three YA books I have included were complete no-brainers.

And so, in no particular order, other than to leave my personal favourite middle grade book of 2015 to the end, these are the books I truly loved in 2015:


Bloodstone by Allan Boroughs

The sequel to the author's 2014 debut, the fabulous Ironheart. It's a hugely enjoyable action/adventure story in a post-apocalyptic setting filled with wonderful characters.


Fire Girl by Matt Ralphs

In Fire Girl, author Matt Ralphs has created a thoroughly entertaining blend of alternative English history and thrilling magical fantasy. Everything about this book is great: the plot, the pace and above all the characters. Special mention should also be given to Bramley the dormouse and one of my favourite lines of the year: "That's it, witch-child, burn it all down!"


The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

A thrilling middle grade historical mystery story set in Restoration London. The Blackthorn Key is perfect for lovers of mystery thrillers, and young readers will find the London of 1665 brought completely alive for them as they race through its back streets and alleyways with the young protagonist, Christopher. 


Demolition Dad by Phil Earle

A cracking middle grade British comedy stories, in a similar vein to Walliams and Dahl. It is laugh-out-loud funny and chock full of wonderfully engaging and endearing characters, elements that should make this a guaranteed  hit with young readers.


Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Hall by Gabrielle Kent

The last 18 months has seen a number of children's books featuring magic and adventure. Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Hall is, in my opinion, easily the best so far. It has shapeshifters, mythical creatures, time travel, ancient druidic magic, a rather splendid and mysterious butler, and the wonderful Hexbridge Castle itself - almost a character in its own right.


The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Katherine Rundell did not disappoint with her first book to be published since the multi-award winning Rooftoppers. A future classic is a phrase too often used these days, but rarely has it been more deserved than when applied to this thrilling, humorous and heart-warming story. 


Urban Outlaws by Peter Jay Black

This year has seen the release of two books in Peter Jay Black's thrilling Urban Outlaws series, Blackout and Lockdown. With its blend of heists, action and hi-tech adventure, this exciting, hi-octane series has now become one of my favourite series of the last year or so.


Murder Most Unladylike mysteries by Robin Stevens

This is another current favourite series that has seen the release of two books this year, both of them even better than last year's fabulous Murder Most Unladylike. Arsenic for Tea introduced us to Daisy Well's wonderfully dysfunctional family, and then First Class Murder took the two girls on murder-filled journey on the Orient Express. Jolly Foul Play is one of my most anticipated reads of 2016.


The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

Middle grade mystery stories are enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, led of course by Robin Stevens. With her debut, The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, Katherine Woodfine has leapt into the fray. The setting of a new department store in Edwardian London is wonderfully realised and the perfect location for this thrilling mystery adventure sotry.


Hamish and the Worldstoppers by Danny Wallace (illustrated by Jamie Littler)

The past 18 months have seen a much greater number of middle grade books published with accompanying illustrations. Danny Wallace's debut for kids, Hamish and the Worldstoppers, is my favourite of those published in 2015, both in story and artwork. It is the kind of book that has something for everyone: action, adventure, humour, fantasy and brave kids fighting battles against nasty monsters from another dimension.


The Imagination Box by Martyn Ford

This modern, exciting and very funny take on the classic genie-in-the-lamp tale still has me chuckling now when I think about it, many months later. You see, it has a talking finger monkey called Phillip, and it's worth reading purely for this. However, if you expect more from your books than a talking finger monkey called Phillip, then it is also a thoroughly entertaining, funny mystery adventure story.

Young Adult

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

It's a brilliant heist story. That's usually enough to grab my attention on its own. But it's also a heist carried out by a team of misfits, each with their own special abilities, assembled to carry out a seemingly impossible mission. All set in Leigh Bardugo's wonderfully imagined fantasy world. Even if I had read nothing by YA this year, I can't believe that there would have been many books I enjoyed reading more than this one.

Railhead by Philip Reeve

I was sold on this book when I heard Philip talk about it and read a passage from it at an event some time before its publication. It's trains in space! What more could you possibly need to know? OK, so it is also a fantastic space opera style science fiction story for older middle grade/young adults, the kind of which has been sorely missing for this age group in recent years. 


And my two favourite books of 2015 are (and this will come as little surprise to some as I have been singing the merits of the MG book all year, and the YA book is the final instalment in my all-time favourite YA series ):

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Middle Grade Book of the Year: The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone

I have heaped so much praise on this book over the past year that I am finding it difficult to find any superlatives that I have not already utilised. Simply put, in a year when there have been so many fabulous middle grade books published in the UK, Abi Elphinstone's debut, The Dreamsnatcher, still manages to stand head and shoulders above the rest. The sequel, The Shadow Keeper, would be the book I am most looking forward to reading in 2016 if I hadn't already been incredibly fortunate to be sent an early proof. Needless to say, when it arrived I dropped everything to read it, and hand on heart, I can honestly say it is even more wonderful and magical than The Dreamsnatcher.



Young Adult Book of the Year: Darkest Night by Will Hill

I have reviewed all five books in Will Hill's brilliant Department 19 series, and now, with the publication of this final instalment, I can say with all confidence that this is my favourite series of books for this age group... ever! As I said in my review, I had "never looked forward to and simultaneously dreaded reading a book so much since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and Will Hill did not disappoint in the slightest. This finale was everything I had hoped for, and brought the whole story to an incredibly satisfying end. In the summer my wife and I borrowed her parents' motor home and rove down through France. Carcassonne was high up on my list of must-visit towns, but it was only as we walked into the old town that I remembered it as the setting for the final battle between the forces of good and Dracula, with his legions of vampires. Never could a real-world location be more fitting for such a finale!

The Book Zone Books of the Year 2014

As I mentioned the other day in my Bookish Reflections of 2014 post, there are very few YA books tat have rocked my world this year, and every one of them was a 'next in series' book. Apologies for the repetition but in the interest of keeping this list in one place they were:

• Department 19: Zero Hour by Will Hill 
• Our Lady of the Streets by Tom Pollock 
• Zom-B by Darren Shan 
• The Shadow's Curse by Amy McCulloch 

As I mentioned in the last post, for me and my reading 2014 has been all about Middle Grade and in this respect it has been a truly glorious year. So much so that for the first time since I started blogging I'm not going to be able to name a specific Book of the Year. Last year I twisted the rules to have a YA and a Middle Grade Book of the Year, but with four or five titles vying for that MG spot this year I just cannot make up my mind, and even when I do I find I have changed it an hour later. I will leave my absolute favourites of the year until the end of this post, so if you are impatient please feel free to scroll down to the fanfare! And so, in no particular order:

The Tornado Chasers by Ross Montgomery

I loved Ross's debut, Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door, and The Tornado Chasers was just as fabulous. Both books are unlike anything else I've read for this age group in recent years (or ever?), in the best way imaginable. I can't wait to read his third book, Perijee and Me, due out in July.

The Tin Snail by Cameron McAllister

A heartwarming story of the little people being victorious against the Nazi war machine in France during World War II. It is charming and funny and would make a fabulous family TV drama for a Christmas Day evening.

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

As I mentioned in my review earlier this year, this is "like Holmes and Watson, but set in a girls' boarding school in the 1930s, and with a soupçon of Jeeves and Wooster thrown in for good measure". Although not a modern setting, it goes a long way towards making mystery stories for kids cool again. I can't wait to read Arsenic and Tea, the next Wells & Wong story due out in January.

Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen

At times frightening and claustrophobic but ultimately heartwarming, Boy in the Tower is a modern take on the Day of the Triffids/nature fights back scenario. Narrated by Ade, a young boy who has to care for his agoraphobic mother, it is a wonderful story about friendship and hope, when all the odds are satcked against you. 

Compton Valance by Matt Brown

In 2014 we have been treated to two books by Matt Brown featuring his wonderfully named time-travelling hero, Compton Valance. The Most Powerful Boy in the Universe was laugh out loud funny from beginning to end, and then 

The Time-Travelling Sandwich Bites Back raised the bar even higher. I even delayed reading David Walliams' Awful Auntie as both books arrived at the same time (and then only realised last week that I still hadn't read said Walliams book). Matt Borown is more than ably abetted by Lizzie Finlay and her fabulous illustrations, but it looks as if we have to wait until July for the next Compton valance outing, Super F.A.R.T.s versus the Master of Time.

The Sword of Kuromori by Jason Rohan

An action story with a great reluctant hero and a kick-ass (literally) female character in the form of Kiyomi, this fast-paced and exciting book is full of spirits and monster from Japanese mythology. What more could you ask for?

Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black and Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret by D.D. Everest 

Although by different authors, published by different publishers and not in any way at all related I have put these two together for good reason. For a while I have been craving for a new Harry Potter-style story, set in a magical world that the protagonist did not realise existed, and in 2014 two came along at pretty much the same time. Publishers and writers have obviously decided that enough time has passed since the Harry Potter series came to a conclusion, and I am in complete agreement. Both of these books were fabulous starts to their respective series and I'm really looking forward to following their characters' further adventures.

The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

This one very nearly made it into my Top 5 of the year. It is a brilliant fantasy adventure story with a set of characters that are so well developed that they make the story so believable, even though it is set in a bizarre fantastical world. This is not a book to be hurried, nut is one for confident MG readers to luxuriate in reading.

The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

The Luck Uglies is another must-read from 2014. It is another fab debut fantasy story, with an original setting and some fabulous characters. It is a fast-paced adventure story with some great humour, but also some really dark moments. I loved it!

The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett

Beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, this is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page, and may also haunt your dreams. It's a funny and moving story of an unusual friendship, and is also pretty damn scary at times.

It's almost time for me to reveal my Top 5 MG books of 2014, but before I do there are a handful of others that deserve honorable mentions. A couple of these are aimed at a slightly lower age group, but certainly deserve to be mentioned in this post. 2014 has not only been a great year for Middle Grade in the UK, but also for funny books, and a handful are shown below (and yes, I know that SF Said's Phoenix was published in 2013, but I only read it recently and felt it deserved a belated mention as I loved it so much):

 

   

 

Fanfare!!! 

My Top 5 Books of 2014

And so, in no particular order, because that order seems to change by the hour, these are my very favourite books of 2014:

A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson

When I read this towards the tale end of 2013 I genuinely thought I had already found my 2014 Book of the Year. I truly loved Lara Williamson's debut, that I described at the time as being a "captivating and inspirational story that pulls mercilessly at the heart strings, whilst also having the reader crying with laughter". 

Infinity Drake: The Sons of Scarlatti by John McNally

For me, this book ticked every single box (see my review if you don't believe me), but I am more than a little confused as to why I have not heard this book mentioned far and wide. It is probably the best action book I have read all year and should be pushed into the hands of any action-loving reader. Perhaps it was the fact that publisher HarperCollins put a 9+ age rating on the back cover that has put off older readers. Seriously, this book is bloody brilliant for anyone aged 11 and above.

Ironheart by Allan Boroughs

This is a perfect old school action/adventure story. Need I say more? Oh, alright then. It has a great post-apocalyptic world with none of that gloomy, yawn-inducing dystopian rubbish, and a superb female protagonist. And also the female protagonist's ass-kicking mentor just also happens to be female. How refreshing! And here's a little something to whet your appetite: the sequel, Bloodstone, is even better and it's due out in just a couple of days!

Urban Outlaws by Peter Jay Black

Back in March I described this high tech actioner as "Leverage for kids" and I stand by that statement. I loved its brilliant action set-pieces and its team of fearless young characters, and just like with Ironheart I found myself longing to read a sequel. Thanks to the fabulous Peter Jay Black I have been able to do this and Blackout is even better than its predecessor.

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler

This truly is a brilliant fantasy story that is perfect for book lovers of all ages. Imagine being able to enter books, and use them as portals to other worlds. Surely that is every book lover's dream? Every bibliophile feels that books are magical items, but in Django Wexler's world they literally are. Another book whose sequel I simply cannot wait to read, although it looks as if we might have to wait until May in the UK.

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As I have already said, 2014 has been an amazing year for Middle Grade fiction in the UK and it looks as if this trend will continue at least for another year. Not only have we got the aforementioned brilliant sequels that I have already read (Bloodstone and Urban Outlaws: Blackout) and many other sequels to the stunning debuts mentioned above, but there are also a plethora of other debuts currently on my radar. one of these I have already had the good fortune to read, and that is the brilliant The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone (review coming soon). Simply put, if all of the new MG books in 2015 are even half as good as The Dreamsnatcher then 2015 will eclipse 2014 for quality of Middle Grade books. 

Bookish Reflections on 2014

This is not my annual Books of the Year post; that is still to come, but I wanted to express a few thoughts about 2014. It has been a funny old year as far as my reading and blogging is concerned. 2014 started with me wading almost waist deep in the books I had to read as a member of Booktrust's Bookbuzz panel, so whilst there was plenty of reading going on I just did not have the time to do a great deal of blogging. Of course, I fully intended to throw myself back into blogging once my work with Bookbuzz was complete, but more than ever before work has completely taken over this year, and this hasn't left a huge amount of time for much else and something had to go, and sadly that something was the time I had previously spent on this blog. I have come perilously close to quitting on a number of occasions, but it all honesty this blog simply means too much to me.

That isn't to say that I haven't found the time to read though, and I've read as much if not more than ever over the past twelve months. However, ironic as it may seem in a year when UK YA really exploded, I have read less YA books than in any of the previous years that I have been blogging. In fact, the number of YA books I've read this year probably barely creeps into double figures, and of those only a very small minority of these linger in my memory as being outstanding, all of which are sequels or books in ongoing series, and three of which are by writers who have previously been Book Zone Book of the Year. 

Department 19: Zero Hour by Will Hill (now my favorite YA series of all time and the final book in the series, Darkest Night, is my most anticipated read of 2015. In fact, I have not been so excited about a book's release since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007); 

Our Lady of the Streets by Tom Pollock (the final instalment of a truly mind blowing urban fantasy trilogy); 

Zom-B by Darren Shan (the continuing series, now up to nine books and still going very strong);

The Shadow's Curse by Amy McCulloch (the second book in Amy's outstanding fantasy duology)

This doesn't mean that there haven't been a huge number of brilliant British YA books released in 2014, it just means that I haven't read them. When I look at other bloggers' lists of their favourite books of 2014 I see a huge number of contemporary YA, by which I mean teen 'issues' stories. And I just have no interest in reading these kind of stories. I spend a large part of my job dealing with, or hearing about, teen 'issues' and I don't need to go home and continue reading about them in novels. For me, reading is about escapism. And this is why I really love Middle Grade.

Middle Grade is a term that some people in the UK turn their noses up at, but it works well for me as a category, and not only has 2014 been a great year for UK YA, but it also the year that Middle Grade in the UK reared its head and started to strike back. For too long YA has hogged the limelight as far as the media attention, both mainstream and social media, is concerned. However, in 2014 there seems to have been a shift in the balance of power and more and more UK publishers have been releasing outstanding Middle Grade titles. 

The totally brilliant, put-it-in-your-calendar-worthy #ukmgchat also started for the first time back in March, and now more and more people are chatting on Twitter about the Middle Grade books that they have read and loved. Seriously, if you have not yet discovered the #ukmgchat then you should check it out - the next one is 8pm GMT on 14th January with special guest Robin Stevens. The UK Middle Grade book boom looks set to continue next year, and I have already read three MG books to be published in 2015 that I've given five stars to on Goodreads, and I have a pile I can't wait to dive into over the holidays. It's a great time to be a lover of Middle Grade fiction, and I will be mentioning some of my favourites of 2014 in my Books of the Year post, so watch this space.

As well as a large amount of Middle Grade fiction, in 2014 I have also read a huge number of comics and graphic novels. Some of these have been long available titles that have been sitting unread on my shelves, others have been brand new in 2014. If I have time I might also write a separate post about these.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me through this difficult year, and I hope you have not found my lack of posts disappointing. I would love to promise that 2015 will be better, but I would hate to break a promise, so all I will say is that I will try to do my best.

The Book Zone Book of the Year 2013

Even though I have been a bit quieter on the blogging front in 2013, I think I have read more books than ever before and met my Goodreads target of 200 books for the year some time ago. I think I have also read a much greater mix of books in 2013, including adult fiction, Young Adult, books for younger readers and, of course, comics and graphic novels (favourite comics of the year post to come later). The only drawback of reading so many books is that it makes it much harder for me to name my favourites of the year, and choosing my Book Zone Book of the Year has never been harder (so much so that I have had to tweak my rules yet again). I've just spent some time on Goodreads going back through all the books I have read this year, and in no particular order, apart from the final Book of the Year, these are my top reads of 2013:

Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud

Spooky and funny in equal measures this one was a definite contender for my overall Book of the Year. I have long been a fan of Jonathan Stroud's brilliant Bartimaeus series and the longish wait for this book to be published was worth every minute. We were very fortunate to be able to welcome Jonathan in to school earlier this term to speak to the Year 7 pupils and it has been a joy to see so many of them reading and talking about Lockwood & Co ever since. If you ever get the chance to listen to Jonathan talk about his work then don't, whatever you do, turn it down.

Stay Where You Are and then Leave by John Boyne

I am a huge fan of John Boyne's writing for children and so was extremely excited when he came into school earlier this term. I wasn't the only one - there were staff and students pretty much queuing up to get copies of his books signed. In my opinion, Stay Where You Are and then Leave is even better than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and I am sure that it is destined to become a much talked about classic in the future.

The Rig by Joe Ducie

Joe was one of the winners of the first Guardian Hot Key Book Young Writers prize, and deservedly so. If you are looking for a book that is a great story with non-stop action for an 11+ action loving boy or girl then The Rig should be high on your list. 

Russian Roulette by Anthony Horowitz

The Yassen Gregorovich origin story that fans have been waiting years for was finally delivered by Mr Horowitz in 2013 and it was well worth the wait. Personally, I think Russian Roulette is the best he has written and I loved the way it tied so neatly into Stormbreaker, the first Alex Rider book.

ACID by Emma Pass

Another very strong contender for my Book of the Year, and given that it is a dystopian novel, a genre that I have become rather tired of this year, that is praise indeed. Emma Pass injects a frenetic pace to her story, whilst also delivering a superb female lead character, who I descrived in my review as being "the Lara Croft of dystopian YA: independent, fierce, resourceful and seriously, seriously kick-ass." ACID also has one of my favourite book covers of the year.

Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones

If you have a 9+ child then buy this book for them now! It's not too late to get them an extra present for their Christmas stocking and this one will go down a treat. Murder and mystery in Victorian London with a main character who just happens to be part of a travelling freak show. The sequel, Wild Boy and the Black Terror is one of the books I am most looking forward to reading in 2014. The hardcover edition of this book is gorgeous, and another of my favourite book covers of 2013.

The Book of Doom by Barry Hutchison

My Books of the year list would not be complete without an offering from Barry Hutchison, and The Book of Doom is another fab story from Barry. The second in his Afterworlds 'series', it is a laugh out loud funny and irreverent fantasy story with great characters, as we have come to expect from this author. Tragically, this is probably the final Afterworlds book, although personally I would love to read more and more.

Hello Darkness by Anthony McGowan

Hello Darkness took me completely by surprise in that it was not at all what I expected when I picked it up. It almost defies description: it is noir; it is humorous; it is a crime thriller... ah, what the hell, I give up. Just go and get your hands on a copy and expect it to linger in your thoughts for some time after the final page has been turned.

Goth Girl by Chris Riddell

Goth Girl is certainly one of the most beautifully packaged books I have got my hands on in 2013, but it is more than just a pretty book - substance certainly rivals style with this one. Chris Riddell has written a gloriously spooky and whimsical tale with a great main character in the form of Ada Goth. oh yes, and as it is a Chris Riddell story it is also chock full of his beautiful illustrations.

The Battles of Ben Kingdom by Andrew Beasley

Rather wonderfully, as I totally loved The Claws of Evil, the first book in Andrew Beasley's The Battles of Ben Kingdom series, in 2013 we were also treated to the sequel as well. If anything, The Feast of Ravens is even better than its predecessor and I can't get enough of this wonderful alternative Victorian world that Andrew has created.

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

A good few of my young relatives and children of friends have received this book as a gift since it was published back in September. This came oh so close to being named a Book of Year, and I have been agonising over the decision for some time. It is another beautifully presented hardback book. with Sarah McIntyre's stunning illustrations perfectly complementing Philip Reeve's witty and clever storytelling. Another perfect stocking filler this Christmas.

Department 19: Battle Lines by Will Hill

No other book came closer to being named as one of my Books of the Year for 2013 (books plural I hear you ask? Read on for a new twist in the tale). However, and I'm sorry about this Will, but you have been pipped to the post. However, I am still shouting from the rooftops about how much I love this series, and this most recent episode is the best so far. It will take something of a miracle for anything to beat Department 19 as my series of the whole decade. However, as I'm not sure if I will have the energy to be blogging still in 2019/2020, we may as well take that as given and award the honour right now.

The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock

Tom Pollock's first book in his Skyscraper Throne trilogy was the winner of my Book Zone Book of the Year 2012, and as this sequel is even better then how could it not appear on this list? (please note, that my rules prevent the same author winning two years in a row). Teen or adult, if you love urban fantasy then these two books should be top of your wishlist this Christmas, and if you're not lucky enough to receive copies from generous relatives then I can't think of much better to spend your Christmas money on in the New Year.

And now it's time to announce my Book Zone Books of the Year. Yes, you did read that correctly earlier - I have decided to award it to two books this year. The reason for this is that I have read more books for the U14s then in previous years, and the two books I have loved the most, one YA and one for younger kids, are just so completely different that is has made it an impossible choice. This year there is therefore a Book Zone YA Book of the year and a Book Zone Book of the Year for younger readers. And they are:
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The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch and Darcy Burdock by Laura Dockrill.

I read very little epic fantasy, and yet The Oathbreaker's Shadow had me gripped from beginning to end. Everything about this book is brilliant, especially the incredible world that Amy McCulloch has built and the quality of her prose is to die for. The sequel, The Shadow's Curse, is another of my most desperate-to-read books due out in 2014. It is very rare that I will read a new-release book more than once these days due to time constraints, but I have read this one twice and it is even better the second time around.

What more can I say about Darcy Burdock that I have not already said. This book is flippin' brilliant! It is perfect for kids and just as perfect for adults. I've bough multiple copies this year, giving them as gifts to kids and adult friends, as it is a happy book - the prefect remedy for when you're feeling down or stressed and need a lift (I've read it three times already). Laura Dockrill has been into school twice this year, and has been fantabulous on both occasions and if you have any doubts that a book about her girl, with a girl in a pink dress on the cover, is not as much for boys as it is for girls then how's this for evidence to dispel them: one of our naughtier boys at school loved it and Laura so much that, having seen her when she came in to speak to all of our Year 7, he came back on a Saturday lunchtime to listen to her again as part of our Wonder of Words festival.