Recent Links Recap 24th - 30th Jan

More links I think you'll enjoy reading! Not that many this week, simply because I've been so busy I haven't read that much myself, but hopefully the quality makes up for it.

Last week we had the second #CountdownML chat on Twitter, looking at releases from 28th Jan - 22nd Feb - check out our full preview here, highlights of books we've read/are looking forward to reading here, and the Storify of the chat here!

It's been a great week on Teens on Moon Lane - I'm really thrilled to have just announced that from next Saturday, we'll be running a YA/MG version of the wonderful #6degrees meme which Annabel Smith and Emma Chapman originated -thanks so much, Annabel and Emma, for letting us do this! Check out full details here.

I'm really hoping that lots of people will participate in the #6degrees meme - for other opportunities to join in with fun stuff, BookTube channel Bookish Brits are looking for love month contributors and Faye is running Finish it Feb again - sign-up here!

Also on ToML, our 5-4-3-2-1 feature continued with the author of The Island, Olivia Levez, taking part, and Clare Furniss wrote us a brilliant guest post about the inspirations for her new novel How Not To Disappear.

And on this blog, Robin Stevens wrote a fabulous post about the Trebizon series by Anne Digby - just reissued by Egmont with gorgeous Lucy Truman illustrations! And I really enjoyed writing a Top Ten Tuesday post pairing recent YA/MG releases with classic books (inspired by my participation in the 2016 Classics Challenge!)

Offline, it's been a superb week for doing great things! I'll talk about cinema and theatre in my planned stage and screen monthly recap - maybe up later this week, I hope - but other wonderful things included a brilliant time at book club last Sunday having spent a great afternoon on the Saturday checking out the Alice exhibition at the British Library, bookshopping, and eating cake with my friend Caitlin - she has an awesome post about the weekend, and the power of good weeks, here.

It was also fabulous to catch up with Debbie, Sophie and Grace - and to congratulate Sophie and Grace on their new roles with Maximum Pop Books! - for a meal prior to the Waterstones Piccadilly event with Anna James chairing a panel on Feminism in YA on Thursday. The panel - Holly Bourne, Holly Smale, and CJ Daugherty - was just as lively and interesting as you'd expect from that combination, and Sophie wrote a wonderful recap for Maximum Pop.

In between doing ALL OF THE THINGS, I've been trying to vote in the Great Big Childrens' Book Poll, but there are some TOUGH decisions to be made! Matilda or Hermione for best hero?! If you'd like to choose from a wide range of brilliant heroes, evil villains, and 21st century classics to be, vote here at National Book Tokens!

I've also been reading (a lot more than usual, this month!) Again, hoping to do a monthly recap soonish but one of my favourites is a book that's not published here, but which I picked up in Foyles after reading about it on the Bloomer List, Betsy Cornwell's stunning feminist steampunk Cinderella retelling Mechanica. I was delighted to finish it to be greeted with the news we have a sequel AND prequel coming, and to see fan art for it from Laya, one of the most talented fan artists I've ever seen!

It's been a big week for several of my favourite bloggers and sites - today is the sixth birthday of my favourite Tumblr, Pretty Books! Amazing job over the last 6 years, Stacey!

Oh No Not Another Blogger got to interview Emma Gannon, who I think is incredible - loved this interview!

And Mara, one of my favourite people on Bookstagram, got to give Buzzfeed some brilliant advice on creating the perfect reading nook!

Also even more great bookish news, as YA Shot announced details of their scheme for author visits to schools and libraries, and of the next YA Shot festival - I can't wait for this, having loved last year!

Of course, the HUGE news in the world of YA and MG books was that Frances Hardinge had won the overall Costa award - a magnificent achievement!

Finally, after lots of talk earlier this week about the importance of brilliant cover designers it's always great to see new ones from some of my favourites! Maggie Hall is one of the best around and her cover for Dahlia Adler's Out On Good Behaviour, which sounds incredible, is stunning as always.

Anything I've missed this week? Leave me a comment and let me know!