The Midnight Guardians

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The foundation of the idea is the many worlds theory, in which a new universe blossoms from every choice and decision. It’s a beautiful concept, but Matt Haig doesn’t explain it in any depth; his concern is the psychological effect that seeing all these versions has on Nora – and on her willingness, or unwillingness, to live. Right from the start, The Midnight Guardians truly had everything I love about Middle Grade books: it’s wondrous and full of magic, with lovable characters you find yourself rooting for from the start, quests and adventures, so much hope, and an endless amount of imagination. More than that, even: imagination—and kindness—as the one thing that makes it possible to save the people you love most. Hope shines the brightest… When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must travel to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister. But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything…

The Guardian New network of European sleeper trains planned - The Guardian

Another thing I really did enjoy reading about, however, was the humour between each of the characters. The jokes were neverending and quite often had me laughing out loud - but again, I feel that the humour was perhaps too sophisticated for some younger readers and may just have confused them. The whole novel has the air of a skilful exercise designed to confront depression and anxiety. What’s the best that could happen in your life, and what’s the worst? What can you change, and what can’t you? These are big questions that are difficult to respond to with elegance and depth, and sometimes in moments of Nora’s elation or suicidal lows, the narration lapses into the trite and obvious – “the prison wasn’t the place, but the perspective”; “the paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life”. Contrary to the fantastical premise, the novel turns out to be a celebration of the ordinary: ordinary revelations, ordinary people, and the infinity of worlds seeded in ordinary choices. Some of the characters were downright scary as well. The Midwinter King would have been the kind of character who gave me nightmares when I was younger, and the depictions of the raids on london, although I'm sure being historically accurate, are a lot more sinister than the blurb or cover of this book would suggest to potential readers. The book is beautiful and whimsical, and sometimes terrifying, it made me laugh and it made me cry. It truly has everything that I love in a book, and I cannot recommend it enough. I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy, and it will definitely sit amongst the more special books on my shelves.

One is about the garlic, which – whether whole but crushed for a gentle flavour, sliced for a stronger one, or chopped for the fiercest flavour – should sizzle gently. It should just shimmy in the oil: you don’t want it to colour or burn, or it becomes a bitter bully; you want it only to soften and release its scent. Beautiful. A magical, big-hearted adventure full of wit and warmth . One of the best children's books I've read for ages." Anna James

The Guardian Matt Haig: ‘I have never written a book that - The Guardian

But there are darker forces at work, even than the bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything. Glorious! I think this is Ross Montgomery’s best book an adventure across WWII wintry Britain with a Kindertransportee, a boy dressed in shorts and his three imaginary friends. A joy of a joy of a thing .” Katherine Rundell Just as in the other two films (Before Sunrise and Before Sunset), what is miraculous about Before Midnight is the talking. Not talking things out, or talking things through, just talking. Two or more people having a conversation somehow turns out to be as gripping as a thriller. The second scene of this film shows Jesse and Celine driving home from the airport: a scene that plays out, in one continuous take, for around seven or eight minutes. And what happens? Nothing, or rather everything. They talk about important things. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add salt (about 2 tsp for every litre) and stir. Add the spaghetti, stir and set your timer for two minutes before the end of the recommended cooking time.Spoilers preclude discussion of exactly which horror tropes are eventually used to bring those anxieties to life, but Flanagan is once again concerned with death – and how to defeat it. He wants to explore ancient, heavy questions about religion – whether there is an afterlife or a God; why any such deity would allow suffering; which belief system captures the story’s essence; why humans crave these answers. Too often, though, he does this by sitting two characters down on chairs and having them conduct a long, long debate about it. Even when the townsfolk’s hysteria spills over and the gore starts flowing, the talky interludes persist.

The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery | Waterstones

I inhaled this wonderful book in one sitting ... humour, beautiful writing, heartbreak, hope, and a fat badger in a waistcoat. I'll be recommending it to everyone ." Katya Balen Every single person in this world can view a work of literature and have completely different thoughts and opinions. My opinion is not meant to offend you. If you do not want to see a review criticizing your favorite book (or a book you enjoyed), then I recommend not to proceed with reading this review. The Comfort Book will no doubt confirm the views of Sarah Ditum, who earlier this year wrote an article in the Spectator headlined “The banality of Matt Haig”. “Life is hard; make it easier on yourself by not reading Matt Haig,” she advised. “Oh, and breathe.” Did her words leave a mark? “Occasionally, in low moments, that headline will become the voice in my head,” says Haig. “But I felt she was saying stuff that has been said about me before, so I was used to it. She was also doing what she said I was doing – being prescriptive. People don’t like to be told not to read things.” Ditum argued Haig’s recovery had no lessons for others, but he insists people tell him constantly that his experience echoes their own. My reason for reading this one is twofold. Firstly, it was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Awards 2021. Secondly, it has a very pretty front cover. Haig once said he didn’t want to be seen as “Mr Depression”, but is that now inevitable? “I can’t control how other people see me,” he says. “I’m just grateful that I’ve got the freedom, thanks to my publisher, to write about what I want to write about. If I suddenly want to write a fairytale, or about Father Christmas or vampires or aliens, I can do it.” He enjoys the genre-busting variety, although he jokes about having a less “messy” writing career. “I dream about getting a detective – obviously, a detective with mental health problems – and following him through [all my books], but I haven’t found my magic detective yet.”

In December last year, ÖBB, the German rail company Deutsche Bahn, SNCF and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) announced the signing of an agreement to launch new night train services in Europe. This is the first step in developing the Trans-Europe Express (TEE) 2.0 network, proposed by the German presidency of the Council of the European Union. This partnership plans to launch four new services to 13 of Europe’s largest cities in the coming years. Midnight Trains is the latest arrival in what is becoming a crowded market. Across Europe, state-run railways are facing new competition from private operators looking to introduce night trains. Fans of rail travel have waited some time for new night train routes to come along … only to find, a bit like buses, several turning up at the same time. Stories in progress: Midnight Series (deleted scenes), Bedtime Stories, Unknown Relations: Goblet of Fire and Hayden's Journal. His fears were unfounded. Canongate rescued him. He realised the key was to write for himself and not worry about critical expectations or the division between literary and commercial fiction. The Humans gave him confidence and confirmed his new publisher’s faith in him; Reasons to Stay Alive, which was derived from a blog he wrote in 2014, established him firmly in the public mind as a teller of stories and an open, uninhibited, ego-free chaperone through the maelstrom of life. Embark on a mythic, comic, classic adventure with the finest fellowship since Frodo set a hairy foot beyond the Shire.” David Solomons