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Were you a Puffineer? Sadly I wasn't but if I was eight again I know I'd be nagging my mum to sign me up because it's back. Puffin books' children's club has been relaunched having closed in the 80s. The first ever copy was issued in 1967 and membership grew and grew at one point reaching 200,000. The new version is now open for subscriptions before it officially launches in January. Subscribers (there's a special rate currently on offer) receive a magazine every two months and their choice of six free Puffin books over the year they will also be able to join Puffin Island an exclusive area of the website. Puffineers also get a Puffin Post membership pack which looks really fab. I'm a big kid at heart so I'd love this - there's puffin notepaper, membership book with secret code, bookplates, bookmark, pencil, notebook, enamel badge and puffin beanie toy. The Puffin Post website says: "When relaunching Puffin Post we knew we were doing something special, but the response from the original Puffineers of the 60s, 70s and 80s has been amazing. Puffin Post has been an important part of so many people's lives: now it can be a part of yours too!" The magazine sounds like a lot of fun as it's going to be packed with activities, games, competitions and interviews with authors. A pre-launch version apparently includes interviews with Charlie Higson, Eoin Colfer, Cathy Cassidy and a Michael Morpurgo short story. It sounds right up my street. I've seen lots of images of old covers online too and they had some fantastic designs, I hope the new ones will be as good. A fantastic old Puffin Post cover The Puffin Post is run by 'a group of eccentric puffins known as Ptolemy's Pteam! I hope Gordon Ramsay doesn't get to hear about them! The Puffin Post website says: "Puffin Island has even more games, competitions, downloads, features and exclusive interviews, and is a great place to meet new friends, share your stories, poems and artwork and puffinise your life. Take a trip to the Lost Library for articles from the Puffin Post magazine; join your fellow Puffineers for a Clifftop Chat; join in the octo-fun at Oscar's Funfair or rub shoulders with authors in the Puffin Pavilion." Bookseller.com also says the magazine will be edited by children. "From writing poems and stories for the magazine and suggesting feature ideas to sending in the latest playground jokes and adding unusual words to the online glossary, kids will be involved at every level." P.S Welcome to anyone directed here via the black box widget. My question was custard or ice cream? A dilemma I often face when choosing apple pie!

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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare is fast-paced, exciting, hilarious, and heartbreaking.

In City of Bones, the first book, Clary Fray’s world is turned upside-down. She has never thought of herself as being anything other than ordinary, until she sees a group of teenagers kill a demon—and finds that no one else can see them. Soon after that, Clary’s mother mysteriously disappears, and she is plunged into a world in which vampires and werewolves are real. She discovers that she is a Shadowhunter—a race of demon-slayers. To top it all off, she finds herself caught in a nasty love triangle with Simon, her best friend, and Jace, an arrogant, handsome Shadowhunter. Just as she seems to be falling for Jace, she finds out that Valentine, the villainous man who kidnapped her mother* is her father, and Jace is her brother. Oops.


As City of Ashes begins, Clary’s mother is lying in the hospital in a coma, the Clave** suspects that Jace is a spy for his father, and Clary is very romantically confused.

Valentine goes after the second Mortal Instrument, the Soul-Sword, and is more of a jerk than ever. Jace is an angry, angst-ridden teenager.*** Simon seems to be becoming more than a friend to Clary, but she’s still struggling with her feelings for Jace. And—my word! Is our love triangle becoming more of a… love… square? Indeed it is! Speaking of love shapes, Alec gets a boyfriend.****

On top of all the aforementioned drama, Clary and Jace seem to be discovering mysterious powers. And, of course, there is still the lingering question: are they really siblings?*****

City of Ashes is fabulous—at least as good as City of Bones, if not better. Also, there are more flying motorcycles.

I give City of Ashes four and one-half daggers.

*He also stole the Mortal Cup, which is used to make more Shadowhunters, so that he can build an ARMY OF DOOM.
** That’s the big scary Shadowhunter government.
*** But really, he has every right to his emo-ness.
**** No, I’m not telling who it is. I think you can figure it out if you try, though.
***** I’m hoping no.

Riding a flying motorcycle, battling Valentine, and hoping beyond hope that Jace and Clary aren't related,

PS City of Ashes comes out on March 25.


Avery adds:

Here I sit, reveling in the glorious-ness of the Advanced Reader Copy.
Very little is more satisfying than reading a book that is not yet on the shelf. That being said, City of Ashes is a particular type of ARC. Not only is it not yet available for the reading pleasure of the general public...It's really good! Vampires, werewolves, betrayal, corruption, love shapes, and Jace Wayland, all wrapped up in a lovely package of well written awesomeness.

I laughed. I cried. I ranted passionately to Aislinn about the events that transpired. (Which was rather frustrating, I might add, as I couldn't rant to her until she'd finished reading it.)

In short, City of Ashes is an awesome book.

Four and a half seraph blades...er...that is, daggers!

Shadowhunter-wannabe-ly,

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