Kathryn's Inbox

The word hipster was first used in the 1930s.

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  “My soul is in the sky.” ~ William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

There's something absolutely lovely about this collection of three interconnected novellas, written by three different authors. A snowstorm proves to be a recipe for love for three very different teenagers.  First off in The Jubilee Express , we meet Jubilee who is being shuffled off on a train at the last minute on Christmas Eve to stay with her grandparents. Her quirky, though otherwise respectable parents have been arrested under some pretty bizarre circumstances. Then the train breaks down in a snowstorm. And the worst bit? Her boyfriend, who she misses dearly, doesn't even seem to care. Luckily for Jubilee, she soon meets Stuart who has a similar story about a girl who doesn't seem to care ... and then it turns out the pair have far more in common than matching broken hearts. Then along comes A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle  where groups of rival boys race to be the first to get to a local cafe on Christmas Evve, where a group of cheerleaders from the broken down train...

  The original Star Wars film, A New Hope, had a budget of 8 million USD. 

The Minute I Saw You is a beautiful and emotional story about two very different people, with very different but equally tragic pasts. Hannah is an optical dispenser, currently living in a small town in the UK. She likes to travel a lot and knows that she'll only be in her current job and her current home for a short while. For that reason, she's not too disturbed when she finds herself attracted to Sonny, a gorgeous photographer who lives a very cosmopolitan lifestyle in Europe. She knows there isn't a long term relationship in it. Then Sonny surprises her by--genuinely--wanting to be friends. As their friendship develops it becomes clear that both Hannah and Sonny have tragic life stories that they need to confront head on. But what happens when the walls that both have put up around themselves comes tumbling down. There is no denying it. This book was one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. Author Paige Toon is a master at allowing her readers to feel a range of emotion...

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  “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” ~ Anne Frank

  It takes 248 earth years for Pluto to complete one rotation around the sun.

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a retelling of two beloved fairytales ... with a twist. Opening with some character who are dwarves not unlike the ones in Snow White, who are fetching a little something for their Queen, who is in a situation not unlike that of Snow White. But there are a few little twists in there, which I don't want to spoil for others. Anyway, the Queen learns of a young woman trapped in a decades long sleep (see, I told you this was a retelling of two fairytales,) and she and the dwarves go on a noble quest to rescue her ... one that has the most unexpected of results. Neil Gaiman's work often translates well to a variety of formats and The Sleeper and the Spindle is no exception. The original version of this story was published in Rags and Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales . This version has been wonderfully crafted as a 70 page picture book with glossy pages and detailed pictures. The story itself is brilliant with unexpected twists and a strong female l...

HO. HO. HO.  Hogfather  invites readers to enjoy a Christmas on Discworld. Or, rather, Hogswatch, which takes place each year on the 32nd of December, and is celebrated with feasts and by the appearance of the Hogfather, a jolly fat man who drives a sleigh pulled by large hogs and who climbs down chimneys to deliver presents to children. Only this year, something is a little amiss. Why is Death driving the sleigh and creeping down chimneys? His exceptionally sensible granddaughter, Susan, doesn't want to know, but finds herself on an adventure to find out anyway. And what's going on with the tooth fairy? And the group of assassins? And why are there suddenly lots and lots of different creatures--from the God of Hangovers to the Cheerful Fairy turning up at Unseen University in droves?  A little darker than some of the previous Discworld novels, Hogfather is a clever satire on Christmas time, traditions and various festivities. As always, Sir Terry Pratchett is at his best...

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  “In the end, you have to choose whether or not to trust someone.”  ~ Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic & Baby

  John Lennon's middle name is Winston.

It had to happen eventually. What started as a soap-like series of paperbacks about a pair of sixteen year old high schoolers, genetically blessed Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, and their friends in 1983, soon became a massive franchise. By the time the series ended in 2003 there were books covering the lives of the twins and their friends from age seven (Sweet Valley Kids) all the way up to when they were on the cusp of their twenties (Elizabeth.)  From birthday parties that ended in tragedy to having their very old roller coaster installed in their backyard, to being seduced by vampires and solving mysteries whilst staring in Hollywood movies, there was very little that hadn't happened to Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield.  And then in 2011 Sweet Valley Confidential came along. It went where none of the other series had ever dared to. It featured Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield as adults. It's a great idea. However, what could have been a great nostalgia trip for old fans, ...

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  “Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.” ~ Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

What do you get when you pick up a book and it's about a kid whose mum is away, his dad is in charge and the all too familiar scenario of the household running out of milk? A rollicking adventure featuring time travel, a hot air balloon piloted by a stegosaurus who also just happens to be a professor, some aliens, intergalactic police, vampires (or well, wumpires,) and some, uh ponies. Fortunately, the Milk is a fun and twisty novel for kids, written and illustrated by the same pair who were responsible for  Coraline and The Graveyard Book.  And, of course, Neil Gaiman has written extensively for adults, writing the Sandman comic, as well as novels like American Gods, Neverwhere, and co-authoring  Good Omens  with Terry Pratchett just to name a few. Anyway, enough of that... Fortunately, the Milk opens with the dad character being left in charge of his son and daughter while their mum (presumably, a scientist,) leaves for a few days because she has to go to a conf...

  Kate Kerrigan is a pseudonym of author and journalist Morgan Prunty.

Growing up is never easy, and for some people it can be tougher than others. In Fun Home author and artist Alison Bechdel tells her memoirs of growing up in a dysfunctional family. The graphic novel takes its name from the family business, a funeral home that the kids rename fun home, even though, well, there's not that much fun happening in it. At the heart of Bechdel's dysfunctional home is her father, a man that uses a carefully constructed image to hide his true self from his children and the rest of the town. He is a perfectionist, and beneath that he is angry and cruel. However, Alison does not get a true glimpse of who her father is, until she comes out to her parents. Her father dies two weeks later, in what she strongly suspects (but ultimately cannot prove,) is a suicide. It's mucky, depraved stuff. What Alison learns is that her father had gone down a dark path, having affairs with his male students and the family baby-sitter, all of them teenagers on the cusp o...