The Mountains of Instead

Championing fiction as an escape from pandemics, politics and bad TV.

All Things Scottish (especially Zachary) - Guest Post by Jeri Smith-Ready plus EXTREMELY Exciting International Give Away

Following the success of last year's Shade and on the run up to the release of follow up Shift, I am delighted to welcome author Jeri Smith-Ready as a guest here at The Mountains of Instead. I heart Jeri. She's fun, generous with her readers and writes excellent stories (she also put my nam…
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Shift Blog Tour Announcement

I was lucky enough last year to read an early version of Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready.  As publication approaches, I'm now lucky enough to be taking part in an awesome blog tour promoting what I can promise you is a brilliant follow up to Shade.
The blog tour started today and I've listed all t…
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A Winner Has Won... Chime by Franny Billingsley

The winner (chosen by random.org) of the outstandingly quirky and orginal Chime by Franny Billingsley is
Isabelle!
Congratulations, Isabelle - an email is on its way to you.
Thanks again to Bloomsbury for facilitating this giveaway.


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From Both Sides Now (Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman)

Where She Went Gayle Forman Doubleday Children's 2011
Where She Went is the follow up novel to last year's If I Stay (review here). This review contains spoilers for If I Stay so please, er, don't stay if you haven't read the first book.
Adam is living the dream. He's a successful …
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In Celebration of MOI's Joyeux Anniversaire - a giveaway! (Yep, I'm running with the French thing. What?).

As promised, I've decided to run a giveaway for my one year blogoversary.  I will be giving away any book that I've read since starting this blog.  You can find lists of these books (along with links to reviews) on my Books of 2010 and Books of 2011 pages.  There's a lot of them - you h…
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MOI est L'Un! (see what I did there?)

It's true!  The Mountains of Instead is officially a whole year old!  Nope, I can't believe it either.  When I first started blogging, I wasn't convinced that I'd stick at it a month never mind twelve of them.  Nor was I convinced that anyone other than my mum would actually read my…
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What Dreams May Come (Review: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare)

City Of Fallen Angels Cassandra Clare Walker 2011
City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in The Mortal Instruments series. If you have not read the previous three books then don't read this, read them, as this review contains spoilers for all the previous titles. It may, depending on your person…
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Almost, At Times, The Fool (Review: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta)

The Piper's Son Melina Marchetta Candlewick Press 2011
Tom is a man floundering. From an erstwhile inseparable family and indomitable group of friends, he finds himself seeking oblivion – something he's been finding pretty successfully for the last year. When a knock on the head unwillingly …
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A Winner Has Won!

The winner of Dark Mirror by Mary Jo Putney is 
Samantha J  (chosen by Random.Org)
Well done Samantha, an email is on it's way to you.
Thanks to all who entered and an extra special thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for facilitating this give away.
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Win a copy of Chime by Franny Billingsley

I recently reviewed the captivating and ingenious Chime by Franny Billingsley (review here) and am delighted to have two copies to give away, thanks to Bloomsbury.  I can't recommend this book enough, particularly to those of you who love to play with language.  
To enter, just fill in the form …
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Come To My Arms, My Beamish Boy (Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley)

Chime Franny Billingsley Bloomsbury 2011
Briony is a wicked girl, of this she is certain. Her ability to see the strange creatures in the swamp surrounding her home and her tendency to favour her wicked left hand would have had her convinced that she was a witch even without evidence of many her wicke…
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