Cosmic by Frank Cotrell Boyce

A lovely story about Dads that brought tears to my eyes at the end (not sure if it was supposed to do that ...). A good Father's Day present perhaps for the biggest boy in the family (but only if he likes children's books and astronauts, I suppose!).

Another uplifting book that I have really enjoyed reading today. And now I have some grittier ones to get back to ...

The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd

Laura Brown's family survived the first big London flood - just - but two years later and the situation has deteriorated seriously - and throughout Europe. Can Laura keep the dirty angels together? Can she keep them alive? Can they overcome the Government?

Not quite as good as the first Diaries, perhaps a bit too extreme in places, but it certainly helps the reader to understand the situation facing many refugees throughout the world, and for that, a worthwhile book.

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd

Just realised that I've missed out two books I've read recently. The Carbon Diaries are set in the not too distant future when climate change has become even more problematic and the Government has decided to take drastic steps. Everyone has a carbon card - you can only use so much carbon per month, and if you use up your ration, well, no more transport, hot water or electricity for you until the end of the year. Of course, there is a black market, and the stress of loving more simply causes a lot of friction within the family, but eventually the community pulls together - but what will happen when London is flooded?

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

After all the "bleak" books I have read recently (even though they have been very enjoyable, full of escapism and occasional humour) it has been a pleasant if light change to read Framed last night and this morning. This book was also shortlisted for the Whitbread Award and the Carnegie Medal in 2006, and it is easy to see why - a feelgood book, easy to read, but with a deep theme. I really enjoyed the references to famous works of art throughout the book and the way they were able to transform a small Welsh town. And I must go and look up Manod now ...

Skinner's Festival by Quintin Jardine

Yes, another Bob Skinner book! The second one in the series. And another corker. Very gruesome. But great to read about Edinburgh, and I can imagine the scenes he describes of Princes' Street Gardens during the Festival. Role on book number 3!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

One of my favourite picture books growing up was The Tiger that came to Tea. But I was not aware that Judith Kerr was in fact a German refugee, or that she had written a children's book based on her experiences. I'm so happy that I picked up this book to read at the Imperial War Museum (highly recommended museum, by the way!). A great story, well written, with poignant moments but lots of love as well. An exciting adventure story, all the more amazing as it is based on real life.

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

And so I quickly came to the final installment. Monsters of Men is another one of the short listed books for the Carnegie Medal. In act, I've just checked and discovered that it is 2011's very worthy winner. (I'm glad I read it first without knowing that!)

This has been a truly fantastic series. There is so much fantasy and yet so much realism within the story of Todd and Viola. The characters, which include animals as well as different types of beings, are clearly drawn and every incident shines vividly within the imagination. I have lost myself in these books. I have escaped - if "escaped" is the right word to describe journeying to a land where women are branded, where animals talk, where everyone is caught up in a war and has to make life and death decisions, where you are at a risk of being controlled without your knowledge.

What an imagination Patrick Ness has. And how good of him to share it with the rest of us.

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

And so the "Chaos Walking" trilogy continues ... images of holocaust, genocide, war, terrorism ... one of my overriding thoughts was, if we had not had World War Two, and other terrorist events and wars, would this seem unbelievable? And what is so shocking and sad is that, while reading of the horrifying events, they don't seem as unbelievable and incomprehensible as they should, because equivalents have happened.

A moving way of helping young people understand the atrocities of war and life in war-torn countries. A shocking indictment on the human race. A beautifully written story of love and hope in a hopeless, bleak situation.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

With Monsters of Men being another of the Carnegie Medal Short Listers, I thought I'd better attempt the whole trilogy. As they were such thick books, I thought that this could take me a while. How wrong I was.

I remember hearing good things about this book when it was first published a couple of years ago. And it more than lived up to its reputation. With a talking dog, and a town where you can hear everyone's thoughts, the last boy in town is looking forward to becoming a man ... until he senses ... silence. An exciting story, you follow Todd and Viola through all sorts of struggles, adventures and misadventures, until you reach what you hope will be - hope. But will they make it through? I never looked so forward to reading the next book before!

The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff

Another Carnegie Short Lister, this was a much more romantic book to read after the darkness of my other more recent reads. Although there are difficulties faced by Pell in the book, the tone is lighter and more hopeful. An enjoyable book, and I did appreciate the lighter read.

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

My librarian suggested that I should read some of the Carnegie Medal nominees, and this was the first one I tried. Set in Zimbabwe shortly after the Civil War, the main character, Robert, is sad to be sent to boarding school and finds it hard to settle in. He gets involved with the wrong set of friends. An intriguing and desperately sad story, as the issues of the Civil War surrounding race and ruling assert themselves in the school. This dark and hard-hitting book asks you to contemplate that which you do not want to think about, as it makes you wonder if you should sometimes agree with the enemy, the bully, for the sake of the greater good.

The Butterfly Tattoo by Philip Pullman

Quite a sad story, and bleak. Pullman is a fine writer, and this is a good book, but suffers perhaps from a lack of hope and surfeit of disappointment. To clarify, the main character, Chris, eventually suffers from this, the book itself does not suffer. But it does make it sad to read.

I read this back in May, but I am a bit behind with my reviews so am trying to catch up now. Hence I do not have the immediacy that you might expect!