The Mountains of Instead

I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman for a long, long time.  I first came across him in my mid-teens, when a copy of Good Omens was pressed into my hands.  I'd long since discovered, Terry Pratchett, the co-writer of this gloriously apocalyptic tale of a young anti-Christ, but Gaiman was a myster…

Hello, Ladies and Germs!
Exciting times are a-coming here in The Mountains of Instead over the next few weeks.  Firstly, there will be reviews of Melina Marchetta books!  Yes - I've read more and loved them and you must all read the reviews and then rush off to read the books too.  And then lobb…

Like many avid readers, and I suspect even more book bloggers, I often get asked for reading recommendations.  I secretly relish being asked - there is nothing nicer than the opportunity to introduce books that you love to people that you care about.  However, as a YA book blogger, I also often get…

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…

I saidtothemanwhostoodatthegateof

A very Merry Christmas,  from The Mountains of Instead

I love it when questionnaires and surveys appear on blogs. I'm eternally nosy so when this end of year number from The Perpetual Page Turner started circulating I was delighted. I had originally planned to take part in Persnickety Snark's Five challenge, but computer and internet issues hav…

This post contains some spoilers for This World We Live In (Susan Beth Peffer), Sea (Heidi Kling), Hush, Hush (Becca Fitzpatrick), Twilight (Stephenie Meyer), and Perfect Chemistry (Simone Elkeles).
Firstly, let me state that I am not anti-love. I enjoy a good romance. The really swoony ones creep …