Our 5 favourite new Windows Phone apps of the week

We’ve worked ourselves to the bone this week, trialing Windows Phone apps from dawn to dusk so that we could find the very best of the best to send your way. It’s a hard-knock life and no mistake. So! What have we got?

App title: Book Search

What is it? A shortcut to searching for ebooks online

Why we love it? This saves us visiting numerous online book sites by running searches through Google Books and Project Gutenberg right from the app; and it’ll also index any books you’ve already downloaded to your phone, if you’ve got an extensive library already. A decent research tool for bibliophiles.

Who it’s perfect for: (e)book lovers

App title: Spongebob Squarepants

What is it? An app to go with the decidedly brilliant kids’ TV show.

Why we love it? It lets you watch Spongebob vides without messing about running your own YouTube searches. They’re all decent quality, too. Note – this isn’t an official app, but it does the trick and it’ll keep the kids entertained (if you’re brave enough to hand over your lovely Windows Phone…).

Who it’s perfect for: children

App title: Pinterest

What is it? A third party app for the popular virtual pinboard.

Why we love it? It works well, it looks decent and it’s a welcome addition to the small bundle of pinterest clients that have cropped up in the Windows Store. Share images, recipes and articles, make themes boards and leave comments – if you can do it in the desktop, you can do it with this app – or at least, we haven’t caught them out yet. Shame about the ads, but there’s also a Pro version if you want to splash out

Who it’s perfect for: Pinners

App title: Tawkable Chinese  

What is it? A language game

Why we love it? This is just awesome: learn Chinese vocabulary as part of an interactive game using your phone’s speak and listen functions. You’ll have to download Mandarin Chinese as a new language on your handset, which is a little time consuming, but it’s well worth it. Educational and fun. Seriously!

Who it’s perfect for: Travellers, tourists, business people on the move, students…

App title: Vein Rush   

What is it? A medical game (really)

Why we love it? It’s not free, but it’s very cheap, and gruesomely excellent: in this self-styled biology-strategy game you have to fend off disease and stop hordes of evil bacteria from destroying poor John. One for hypochondriacs and pre-med students alike! We’re hooked.

Who it’s perfect for: Gamers