No Escape by M A Bennett

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Estranged twins Mabel and Kai each receive an unexpected invitation to stay for a week at their grandfather's Parisian chateau. Neither remember meeting their grandfather, and neither had any idea that he was still alive.

The author of a notoriously difficult puzzle book, their grandfather is bed bound and dying. His last wish? For Mabel and Kai to solve it. The prize: unimaginable riches. The catch? They are trapped in the house until one of them wins ... or dies trying.

Their only other hope for escape is a mysterious student who has been working for their grandfather and seems to have eyes for both twins. But the walls are closing in and the contest takes darker and darker turns towards the supernatural. In this deadly game, there can only be one winner.

O'Brien Picture Books

Tis the season! O'Brien have released some beautiful new picture books, and I'm here to run through a few of them and give you some idea what they're like. Hint, these would make great presents!

I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix and Andrea Hannah

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After a decade of war, the kingdoms of Avendell and Istellia have finally agreed to peace. As nobles and magic-wielders from both countries arrive at remote Castle Avendell for an historic, all-night masquerade to celebrate, King Costis summons an unlikely group to his chambers: the crown prince, his Istellian bride-to-be, his personal guard, a wild beast tamer, and the palace’s questionable new healer. But before Costis can reveal why he has gathered them, the castle goes dark.

When the lights come back, the king is dead—murdered with the princess’s knife, in a weak spot only his guard knew of, and with venom from one of the beast tamer’s monsters lacing the blade.

With no clear killer—and everyone a suspect—they make a risky pact: tell no one until the treaty is signed. But when a winter storm seals everyone inside, and someone aware of the king's untimely death begins to pick off guests one by one, the six suspects must work together to discover who killed the king . . . before one of them is next.

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller

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There's a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He's the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father's overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother's place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford

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Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world—a quest that risks almost-certain death—she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

Happy #BookBirthday! 11 Sep 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are THREE books on our lists publishing!

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

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Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful airheaded girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

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They still haven't found the body of the first and only boy who broke Alessandra's heart—and they never will. Since then, all of her relationships have been purely physical. And now at eighteen years old, Alessandra is ready for more. The plan is simple:

1. Make the king fall in love with her.

2. Get him to marry her.

3. Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

It's no small task, but Alessandra wants a kingdom and is going to do everything within her power to get it. She knows the freshly crowned Shadow King will be her toughest target yet. Shrouded in a mysterious power, no one is allowed to touch him.

But, as forces combine to try and keep Alessandra from earning the king's heart, she wonders if perhaps she's already lost her own.

🖤✨ Girls Who Grab Power ✨🖤

Theme Week Preview Post

Whether it’s through velvet-lined manipulation, artifact-driven chaos, or righteous fury, one thing’s for certain: these girls aren’t waiting to be chosen. They’re choosing themselves.

This week on the blog, I’m diving into a quartet of fantasy stories that ask one burning question:
What happens when girls go after power - and won’t let go?

🔥 On the Throne or in the Shadows:

We’ll start with The Shadows Between Us and The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller - two sister stories where ambition wears silk, and seduction is just another weapon in the arsenal. Think court politics, deadly charmers, and heroines who smile sweetly while sharpening their knives.

🧵 Magic, Mischief & Mayhem:

Then we’re shifting gears with A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford - a standalone full of magical artifacts, sisterly bonds, and unexpected consequences. It’s the whimsical wild card of the week, but don’t be fooled - power comes in many forms, and not all of them are polite.

⚔️ Fury Isn’t Just a Word:

Finally, we end with What Fury Brings - Levenseller’s latest, and a departure from her signature court drama. Here, the focus sharpens on gender, justice, and the brutal cost of truth. The politics may be different, but the stakes? Just as deadly.

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Whether you love ambitious heroines, twisted courts, magical MacGuffins, or watching the patriarchy burn (with style), you’ll find something to devour this week.

💬 Come for the power plays. Stay for the betrayals, banter, and a tarot card or two.

🃏 #GirlsWhoGrabPower starts tomorrow!

Pastures New by Clare Balding

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Sometimes home is where you least expect it...

Alex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years - until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.

She's inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.

Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she's speed-reading The Idiot's Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse and its community now relying on her, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance. Then she can finally get back to the carefree life she thought she wanted.

But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.

Will she pack her bags - or has she landed exactly where she's meant to be?

A Fellowship of Games and Fables by J Penner

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From cold rivalry to hot cocoa and warm hearts. The third in a heartwarming cozy fantasy series by J. Penner.

Jez, a grumpy Fennex, wants nothing to do with the cold, snow or bustling winter games descending on the charming town of Adenashire. She’d rather curl up for a nap. But a drunken boast lands her smack in the middle of the festivities and, even worse, fake dating her friend, Taenya, a woodland elf.

Plagued by chronic fatigue and past heartbreak, Jez has long guarded her heart. Not to mention she has a secret she’d rather not share. Yet, Taenya’s warmth and patience begin to melt her icy exterior. Together, the two women tackle challenges—from ice sculpting to scavenger hunts—and their pretend relationship sparks genuine feelings.

With the unwavering support of her friends, and amidst the cozy, festive cheer of winter, Jez discovers that love and acceptance are within reach, even for those who would rather hibernate in the shadows.

Happy #BookBirthday! 4 Sep 25

Happy Thursday! This week there are TWELVE books on our lists publishing!

A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J Penner

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Spilling the tea has never been so cozy... The second in a heartwarming cozy fantasy series by J. Penner.

In the quaint town of Adenashire, Doli Butterbuckle, a people-pleasing sunshine dwarf, is content with her simple tea magic and circle of friends. It's true she's never quite lived up to family expectations, but life is just fine—until her parents arrive with an inherited dragon egg and a charming gargoyle harboring a secret stroll into her life.

As Doli grapples with her newfound responsibility and discovers a long hidden side of herself, she must face an overbearing family, a sinister plot, and a mischievous dragon that refuses to stay out of trouble.

But with the help of her loyal friends and newfound love, Doli embarks on a heartwarming adventure, revealing that embracing her true self is the most enchanting path of all.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

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She doesn't need to have magic in order to be magic.

In the heart of Adenashire, where elvish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs.

So, when her orc neighbour (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma.

Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she'll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Though Arleta may not yet believe in herself, she makes her way to Langheim - with the help of a very attractive woodland elf - and competes.

On this journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships and potential romance, Arleta will have to decide whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize after all. But win or lose: her adventure is only beginning...

Escape to Adenashire for a charming cosy fantasy where every twist is a treat and every turn a step closer to home.

Cosy Reads Week

Theme Week: Cosiness, Real and Imagined
What if you could pack up your life and start fresh somewhere softer? What if magic wasn’t about saving the world, but simply making it nicer to live in?

This week on the blog, we’re diving headfirst into the comforting world of cosy reads - books that won’t raise your blood pressure, but might raise your spirits.

We’re exploring cosiness across genres:
✨ In J. Penner’s Fellowship series, magic is quiet, friendships are strong, and the stakes are delightfully low.
🌿 In Pastures New by Clare Balding, the comforts are rooted in the very real mud of a Welsh farm - and the slow, steady joy of building something with your own hands.

Whether it’s fantasy or nonfiction, fictional inns or farmhouses, these books ask what it means to feel at home- and what happens when the world gives you a second chance to find it.

So get the kettle on. Pull up a quilt. We’re going on a journey where the cosiest thing of all might just be hope.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic

A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons

A Fellowship of Games and Fables

Pastures New

The Deep Well by Laura Creedle

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When April Fischer was five, the voice from the well told her to fly.

Ever since April survived the strange and brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago, she has been in the spotlight. At first, as the subject of internet urban legend. Then, as a horror movie inspiration. And most frighteningly, as the darling of a cult that believes that on her seventeenth birthday she will come into universe-altering power.

April has unanswered questions about what really went down at the mine-most of all, what happened to her father, the foreman on the drill site, who disappeared on that day. Until the week before her birthday, when she is given a collection of documents and the words He's alive.

As April uncovers more about her childhood at the mine, the cultists' beliefs don't feel as impossible as she once thought, and she begins to hope that she truly can bring her father back. But even though she never wants to go near the edge of the open-pit mine again, there are forces in Copperton who want to see her fail . . . or watch her fly.

Gill picture books

This week we have two upcoming picture books from Gill Books! These are perfect for the holiday series. Let's dive in!

Happy #BookBirthday! 28 Aug 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are  books on our lists publishing!

When we were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

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At an elite New England boarding school, eight students are selected for an exclusive storytelling workshop with the one and only Meredith Graffam—an enigmatic writer, director, and actress. For sixteen days, they will live in the isolated estate of the school’s founder, surrounded by snowy woods and a storm-tossed seas. Only one of the chosen will walk away with a lifechanging opportunity to realize their creative dreams.

Everyone, including Graffam, has a compelling reason to be there—Effy, the orphan, Isaac, the legacy, Ness, the wallflower, Ramon, the outsider, and Arlo, whose unexpected arrival leaves Effy spiraling—but only the most ambitious will last the term. Graffam’s unorthodox methods push the students past the breaking point, revealing their darkest secrets, taking unthinkable risks, and slowly starting to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places comes a psychological thriller about the monsters who walk among us—even in the glittering upper echelons of society—and the ways in which we seek redemption for the wrongs we’ve done.

Every Day Matters Desk Diary 2026

Designed as a resource for enriching daily life, the bestselling illustrated Every Day Matters Diary will guide you on a journey of awareness and fulfilment as you go about your everyday activities. Jess Sharp returns as the illustrator of this inspirational diary with new, vibrant illustrations alongside one life-enhancing theme a month for you to focus on. Themes this year include:

• Intention
• Dreams
• Self-worth
• Empowerment
• Stillness
• Adaptability

Focusing on a different uplifting theme each month, but in a different way each week, allows you to be inspired to bring about positive change in your daily life. Each week-to-view spread features an inspiring quote that encourages reflection on the month’s theme, an exercise to further your overall wellbeing and a gratitude practise to encourage you to reminisce on three things you loved each week.

The combination of uplifting illustrations and engaging content will appeal not only to those who use the diary year after year but also to new users looking for something beautiful and inspirational.

Thirst by Darren Simpson

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Nobody talks about the strange happenings in Maimsbury. No one speaks of the hooded figures glimpsed in the woods, nor the children's game that went so horribly wrong. But most of all, nobody dares whisper their doubts about the river they have worshipped for centuries. Like everyone in Maimsbury, Gorse is used to the sacrifices made every spring to the River Yeelde. The life of a farm animal - in return for a year of plenty - seems a fair trade. That is, until a tragedy leads Gorse to a blood-curdling discovery. Because this year is a Brim Year, and after giving so much, the river needs more than an animal's life to sate its thirst...

Post Wave Picture Books

Post Wave Books is treating us to a fantastic batch of fresh picture books, each bursting with creativity, play, and discovery. Whether you’re making noise in Too Quiet!, exploring fantastical worlds in My Best Friend Tilly, diving into storytelling chaos with Pencil’s Best Story Ever, or hunting for hidden treasures in Mr Search, Mrs Find, there’s something here to spark imagination and laughter for kids (and adults) of all ages. Let’s dive in!

Role Model by Elle McNicoll

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Aeriel Sharpe doesn't want to be anyone's role model. But, when her mother is elected to be the most important politician in the country (yes, that one), she is thrust into the spotlight. With the world's eyes on her, friends don't seem that friendly and she feels trapped by everyone's expectations.

They want her to be the voice of every autistic teenager, but Aeriel must find a way to speak for herself...

It's not easy being thirteen... and it's even harder when you're the most famous teenager in the country

Happy #BookBirthday! 21 Aug 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are TWO books on our lists publishing!

Uncle Zeedie by Colm Field

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Uncle Zeedie is weird, but at least he's rich and his house is amazing. That's what George and Lacey tell themselves when they arrive at his isolated mansion in the Welsh woods. Only something here is worse than weird. Uncle Zeedie seems unhinged, serving them rotten food, and skulking around at night. The house is decaying, blood stained, and stinks of sour milk. And George is seeing kids that aren’t there. They’re dead, these kids. And if the rumours are right, Uncle Zeedie is the one who's killing them.

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There’s something wrong with the house. There’s something worse in the woods.

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PRE-READING THOUGHTS
I'm always interested in horror aimed at younger readers — when it's done well, it often manages to be creepier than adult horror, because it doesn't rely on shock value. From the blurb, I was expecting a decaying house, missing children, and an unreliable adult or two. But what I didn’t expect was how smart and slippery this book would be about what’s really going on.

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POST-READING
As I thought...
The dread is immediate. From the moment George and Lacey step into Uncle Zeedie’s home, nothing feels safe. The food is rotten, the furniture is crumbling, and Zeedie himself is more sinister than eccentric. The setting has that “trapped in a nightmare” energy from page one.
It surprised me by...
How cleverly it handles misdirection. Fields keeps the reader off-balance in the best way, toying with your assumptions without ever pulling the rug so hard it feels like cheating. The sibling bond between George and Lacey also gives the book real heart — they don’t always agree, but the way they protect each other grounds the horror beautifully.

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✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

📘 Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
🎬 Coraline meets The Others

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

Featured Song: “Youth Knows No Pain” – Lykke Li

Vibe Album: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish

Artist Recommendation: Agnes Obel — for that eerie, echoey haunted-house-in-the-woods sound

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✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

🎨 Colour Palette: greyscale with mold green accents

🎬 Soundtrack: floorboards creaking on their own

❄️ Season: late winter — that cold, wet, marrow-deep chill

😰 Mood: anxious, claustrophobic, and questioning your own memories

👃 Scent: spoiled milk, damp curtains, something feral just out of sight

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★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

Death - Nightfall Tarot 

Death strikes a terrifying figure atop his horse, but the young girl in front of him isn't afraid - she knows that things aren't always what they seem, that Death is only one thing changing into another. It's a lesson that George and Lacey learn during their adventure.

Uncle Zeedie publishes on the 4th of September, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

How to Survive a Horror Sequel by Scarlett Dunmore

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Can you be a final girl and survive your own horror movie - twice?

Almost a year after the horrors of Harrogate, Charley and her mum find themselves stranded in a small village called Glendale, AKA 'The Devil's Punchbowl'. Then she befriends the local misfits and learns of her new home's ties to witchcraft - and realises that Glendale has even more secrets than she bargained for.

However, the town's troubled past might just be the key to Charley understanding her ability to speak to the dead, especially with Halloween approaching. But after a series of disappearances, the ghosts acting differently this time, and the Harrogate Killer making a shocking return, Charley realises she might have taken on more than she can handle.

Before she can flee town, a new terror is unleashed, placing her friends and family in danger. Charley's horror knowledge will be put to the test once more, and if she and the Harrogate Killer don't figure out how to work together, they'll be trapped in Glendale forever. Or worse - buried in it.

The Story of my Anger by Jasminne Mendez

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Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever.

Yuli is accustomed to playing various roles: the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli's rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.

The Steps by Wendelin Van Draanen

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Fourteen-year-old chess whiz Ruby Vossen tries to keep to herself. She refuses to be a pawn in her wealthy family’s web of deception.

But ever since Ruby’s mother and aunt died in a car wreck, the battle lines drawn within the Vossen clan have ruled her life. Ruby’s father and uncle became irreparably estranged, and within months, Ruby’s cousin/BFF was banished from her life, her father remarried, and she wound up with a gold-digging stepmom who has two teens of her own—The Steps.

So when strange and dangerous things begin happening on the Vossen estate, Ruby sees only one logical explanation: The Steps are scheming to inherit the Vossen fortune. And as things get more and more intense, it seems like killing is in their playbook.

Luckily, Ruby has her own playbook, and she’s not about to go down without a fight. She’ll even break her dad’s rules to get her cousin back on her side of the chessboard . . . It’s time to check-mate The Steps before they can finish the Vossens off.

Secrets, lies, and lethal threats abound in this clever, quirky thriller by the award-winning, bestselling author of Flipped and the Sammy Keyes mysteries.

Happy #BookBirthday! 14 Aug 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are FIVE books on our lists publishing!

Torchfire by Moira Buffini

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Welcome back to a world where songlight - or telepathy - is either your greatest power or your greatest curse.

Elsa has fled Northaven and is urgently seeking a safe haven.

Nightingale is being held Captive by Sister Swan and forced to use her songlight against her own people.

Piper has been promoted up the ranks of the Airmen, where nothing but bloodshed is demanded of him.

Rye has stumbled across an incredible airship, the likes of which has never been seen before . . .

All four are united by their desire for peace.

But peace between the Aylish and Brightland feels more fragile than ever now that evil Brother Kite has seized power.

And there is a new threat, not just to Brightland, but to Ayland and the world beyond. The airship that Rye has discovered is owned by the Teroans, a race of elite Torches that left Earth after its destruction. Back on a reconnaissance trip, they are keen to resettle on their recovering planet, but mere human beings are seen as second class citizens and accepted collateral damage.

The future of civilisation is on a knife edge, with those from Brightland wanting to stamp out songlight, those from Ayland wanting harmony and those from Teroa wanting songlight to rein, whatever the costs . . .

A sequel to rival all others, proving this to be the most exciting trilogy to have been published for decades!

for the rest of us ed by Dahlia Adler

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This YA anthology from a host of talented, award-winning authors features a year of festive stories from a variety of perspectives, shining a light on the celebrations of many cultural and religious groups.

For too long, “holiday story” has been synonymous with “Christmas story.” But from Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it’s clear that Americans don’t just have one holiday. In this delightful and meaningful anthology for teens, fourteen acclaimed authors reclaim the phrase “holiday” to showcase the beautiful and diverse ways that people celebrate.

Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn’t one way to experience a holiday.

Break Room by Miye Lee with Sandy Joosun Lee, translator

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Eight unsuspecting people receive an invitation to participate in a mysterious new reality show called Break Room. But what starts as an opportunity for fame is quickly revealed to be something far more unsettling when they learn how they were chosen – voted in by their own co-workers as the people they’d least like to share a break room with.

But there’s another twist. Among them is an imposter – a mole planted by the show’s producers. The only way to win the prize money is to uncover the saboteur before time runs out.

Labelled as “villains”, the participants are left to grapple with the alarming realisation that their actions might be perceived differently by others. As alliances shift and paranoia festers, the contestants begin to realise that the true challenge isn’t surviving the show – it’s facing their own selves.

Welcome . . . Step into the world of the reality show, Break Room, where every smile hides suspicion, and every word could be a clue.

Oxford Blood by Rachel Davis Featherstone

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Love, Lies, Legacy...High-achieving state-school pupil Eva has one dream – reading English at Oxford. If she gets in, not only will she receive a world-class education at an elite university, but she will be fulfilling the dreams of her mother and gain some independence from her father, the overprotective Inspector Dawkins.

At the same school, Eva's best-friend George is also hoping to go to Oxford. The attraction between him and Eva is undeniable, but they’ve agreed to put any romance on hold until their places at Oxford are secured. Eva cannot be distracted from her goal – although when they are both invited for interview week, their future together feels oh-so close.

Until George shows up dead.

The police rule his death an accident, but the behaviour of some of the other interview candidates has Eva suspecting foul play. When a shocking secret about George is revealed, Eva finds suspicion falling on her. What was meant to be one of the most important weeks of her life is fast turning into a nightmare.

All eyes are now on Eva, including the anonymous posters behind OxSlay, a gossipy social media forum exclusively for Oxford students. But amongst the conspiracy theories, lurk hidden clues. Could they help Eva clear her name - and catch the killer?

Happy #BookBirthday! 7 Aug 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are  books on our lists publishing!

Blog tour: Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods

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In the legendary ballet theatre of New Kora, the girls on stage enchant the audience each night with their grace and divine beauty. Before Emberlyn became the show's star, it was her dream to become one of the ballerinas… until she learned the price of their living nightmare.

A curse has bound the girls to the show's mastermind, Malcolm, so they must obey his every command. They are controlled by the magic’s invisible strings that has the power to wield their limbs like marionette dolls. Only the commands don’t stop when the curtain comes down, and the girls live a life of fear from Malcolm’s wickedness and the twisted truth that each dancer is destined to turn to dust when the curse finally consumes her.

When the troupe is invited to perform in the glitzy city of Parlizia, Emberlyn knows this could be her best chance to save them all. She meets an elusive boy made of shadows with a magical connection to the girls. Together, they work to unravel the haunting truth about their creation and fight for their survival. But the cost of freedom might be too high, and as she dances closer to the edge of darkness she realizes she might break the curse… or break her own heart forever.

How Bad Things can Get by Darcy Coates

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Prosperity Island. Its history is filled with shipwrecks, cannibalism, and a string of unexplained deaths. And now... it hosts the party of the century.

A content creator millionaire and more than a hundred of his fans land on the beach. The plan: five days of elaborate games, drinking, and suntanned fun. Among the guests are a woman trying to hide from her bloody and notorious past, and a video journalist hunting for the next big scandal.

The celebrations have barely started when the first guests go missing. Games take a deadly turn. And attendees are forced to question whether they've really been invited to paradise...or whether something much darker is boiling just under the surface.

Traitors in Space by Tim Collins + Steven Wood

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Catch the aliens before they catch you in this exciting extraterrestrial choose-your-own-adventure featuring illustrated puzzles perfect for fans of the Among Us game.

Imagine you are a brilliant young scientist who has been chosen for a research mission to a distant planet. On your way back to Earth, you are woken early from cryosleep by the ship’s computer. It has detected an alien lifeform, but you don’t see any sign of one.

You look at your fellow crewmates and wonder if one of them has been taken over by an alien intelligence. Can you work out who can be trusted and who the aliens are before they take over your mind too?

Approximately twenty illustrated puzzle missions are woven into the narrative at key turning points for full immersion in the story. Featuring over forty-five potential endings, gripping plot twists, and atmospheric illustrations, this alien adventure is truly out of this world.

All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi

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Each night, Winter Moon counts her earnings dreaming of escape. Once she’s saved enough, she and her grandmother can finally take flight and disappear. But when her spiteful mother steals her money and blows through it all in one day, Winter is forced to turn to her estranged father, who recently reappeared in her life after being absent for more than a decade. They agree upon a simple contract: she spends time with him in exchange for payment.

It’s not easy reconciling the past and the present, though, and when she’s struck with a sudden loss, Winter flounders in grief and rage. The only person offering a hand is Joon, the new boy at school who sees Winter when no one else does.

When Winter discovers a secret her father has been keeping from her, things get even more complicated. As she navigates grief, first love, and forgiveness, Winter begins to forge connections, new and old, that make her question everything: her future, her conviction to disappear, and what it really means to be family. Winter knows that broken things can never be fixed, but can they come back together in a different way?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday! This week there are THREE books on our lists publishing!

How to Get Magically Popular by Radhika Sanghani

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Sabina Patel has never been popular. And in her new school, in a new town where she doesn't know anyone, Sabina feels more out of place than ever.

When she accidentally unlocks magic powers and starts to see visions of the future, Sabina worries that she'll be even more unpopular than before. But she quickly becomes one of the most popular girls in school, with everyone desperate for her to predict their test answers, prom dates and class election results.

Then she starts seeing futures she'd rather not know about and Sabina's not sure if she's unlocked a gift or a curse.

A book about learning to be happy in the present, rather than letting the future take over your life.

We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall

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Two years ago, Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a mall shooting. She still carries souvenirs from that the fragment of a bullet lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and guilt for ignoring her sister’s warnings that the sweet boy next door was anything but.

So when billionaire turned TV host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show, she can’t turn down a chance at the whopping cash prize that could send her sister to college. But when she and the other contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. The set is empty. The gates close without warning, trapping them inside. And then one of them turns up dead. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident quickly transforms as more contestants start dropping like flies. With time and resources running low, surviving this show takes on a whole new meaning. Mercy must figure out who to trust. Before she’s next.

Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch

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‘On the whole, Aloysia Papplewick was proud of this year’s crop of Prattling Pumpkins; but that didn’t mean that they were proud of her.’

In the whimsical world of Tangleroot Valley, magic flows like the seasons, and every witch has her cat dragon – except Aloysia Papplewick.

She’s far from bonding with her fiery feline familiar, and with her magical farm in chaos, her prattling pumpkin patch meddling in her life and the annual Harvest Festival to prepare for, Aloysia has enough to handle – even before her best friend’s insufferable brother, Hollis, brings danger and distraction to her door.

When she and Hollis are whisked away on a quest to a mysterious mountain, Aloysia must contend with magic, mayhem – and a spark she never expected.

Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson

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I’m a liar, to begin with.

Well, if I’m being exceedingly honest with you, I was nothing at all to begin with. Then I was my father’s testicles. Then the weaver of Fate itself, which is when the lying started. After that, it all got a bit complicated.

Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, Aphrodite convinces everyone she’s the goddess of love whose rightful place is among the Olympians. But being a goddess isn’t quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she’s had enough…

From the award-winning author of Herc, this is the riveting tale of how a nobody became a goddess, and then planned to take down the most powerful god of them all.

Happy #BookBirthday! 24th July 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there is ONE book on our lists publishing!

The Library of Second Chances by Molly Reid

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How does a girl with her head permanently stuck in a book look beyond stories and start over? If only it were that simple . . .

Chloe's life feels like a book with a missing chapter. Stuck in a rut and back in her quiet hometown of Wellbridge, Chloe finds that she has traded big-city dreams for her childhood bedroom, working at the local library and hiding behind the pages of her favourite books. But one stormy night when she seeks refuge in the library after a disastrous date, everything changes.

Under the watchful eye of Mrs. Cook, the warm-hearted head librarian who seems to know more than she lets on, and Clementine, the library's whisker-twitching cat, Chloe discovers that the library seems to hold more than stories. Here, books glow with secrets, characters leap from pages, and the shelves hum with enchantment. More importantly, it has an ability to nudge people toward what they need most - whether it's healing, hope or a second chance. But is there more to the library's magic?

Chloe must accept that she needs to face her past and learn that sometimes, the right book - or the right person - can rewrite your entire story.

My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle

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“Lonely Leena” is close with her young single mother. Still, she’s always secretly dreamed of more (and, when she was a kid, asked Santa for it). A huge family to cheer her on at graduation. A gaggle of smiling faces at the holidays. But one call from the hospital, and her mother’s hidden past comes to light: Her grandfather is in the ER, and her aunt is with him in recovery. Sorry—her WHO?

But with family comes family secrets—Leena’s mom’s, and as Leena grows close with her new family behind her mother’s back, her own. Leena’s mom warns that Leena’s grandfather Tariq’s financial generosity doesn’t come without strings attached… like Leena converting to Islam, fighting for a spot at a top university, and adhering to the restrictive rules that she ran from all those years ago. Leena isn’t sure who to trust, yet she’s certain that she adores Tariq and her mom—and that she’s the only one who could heal old hurts. After so many years, is it even possible? And if she can’t, will she have to choose between them?

A big family was the dream, but all this drama isn’t.

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown

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The world of unknowable objects—magical items that most people have no idea possess powers—has been quiet for decades, but the three current members of a secret society have remained watchful, meeting every six months in the basement of a bookshop in London. They are pledged to protect their archive of magical items hidden away, safe from the outside world—and the world safe from them. But when Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of a new artifact coming to light in Hong Kong, he sends Magda Sparks—author by day and newest member—to investigate.

Within hours of arriving in Hong Kong, Magda is facing death and danger, confronted by a professional killer who seems to know all about unknowable objects, specifically one that was stolen from him a decade before. Magda is forced to flee, using an artifact that not even the rest of the Society knows about.

Returning to London, Magda learns hers is not the only secret being kept from the other two members. And that the most pernicious secret is about the nature of the Society’s mission. Her discoveries will lead her on a perilous journey, across the Atlantic to the deep south of the United States, now in pursuit of not an unknowable object, but an unknowable person: the professional killer she first faced in Hong Kong. In doing so, Magda begins to understand that there are even more in the world who are chasing these magical items, and that her own family’s legacy is tied up in keeping all these secrets under wraps.

Magic has always been too powerful to reveal to the world. But Magda will learn there might be something even more powerful:

The truth.

The Healing Power of Movement by Hannah Glancy

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In The Healing Power of Movement, Hannah Glancy explores the joy of being physically active and reveals how exercise can boost physical, mental, and spiritual health. Glancy, an experienced yoga teacher, hill runner, and fell walker, emphasizes the ways in which getting our bodies moving can make us feel closer to nature and the world around us, demystifying the often-intimidating world of physical activity.

The Healing Power of Movement  is the perfect introduction to understanding exercise for people who want to live a fulfilling, active life that puts healing and nature at its heart.

Happy #BookBirthday! 17 July 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are TWO books on our lists publishing!

A Beautiful Evil by Bea Fitzgerald

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When the Gods make the first human woman, Pandora, they impress on her just one certainty: that she has been made to love and be loved by her husband, the titan Epimatheos. But certain that the gods who torture his brother Prometheus do not bring Pandora as the gift they claim, Epimatheos wants nothing to do with her.

Hurt and confused, Pandora struggles to find purpose and meaning in her new life. Worse, having failed the very gods that made her, how will she ever earn their love again? Though with Matheos's brooding melancholy, constant snipes and seemingly permanent glower, Pandora's beginning to suspect she was made for some other purpose: because surely it's not to love this insufferable (albeit rather handsome) man.

But as Pandora and Matheos work to uncover the truth of her creation, that fated connection between them feels increasingly difficult to ignore. And with that comes greater risk. Because Prometheus left his brother with one final warning: that their love would be humanity's doom.

The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr

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Millions of letters arrive in the mail. Murders are uncovered, affairs revealed, family secrets exposed. These are the first Confessions. This is our last chance. 

LLIAM is the world’s most powerful supercomputer, built to make the toughest decisions for its users. Where to work, who to marry, and even who should live or die. But when LLIAM suddenly goes offline with no explanation, the world is thrust into chaos, paralyzed by indecision. Stocks plummet, stores are shuttered, planes sit grounded on runways as humanity scrambles to re-adapt to an uncertain, analog world. Then the first letters arrive…

On every continent, in every language, mysterious envelopes arrive in the mail, exposing people’s darkest secrets, and most shocking crimes. All beginning with the same chilling “We must confess.” 

With millions of people suddenly made to confront their past transgressions, and society fast unraveling, CEO Kaitlan Goss must track down the only person who can help undo the resulting violent Maud Brookes, an ex-nun who taught LLIAM what it means to be human. But when Maud receives a letter herself, revealing Kaitlan’s own unforgivable sin, the two women are forced into a deadly game of deceit as the world teeters on the brink.

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

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When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera in a tower, she takes a photo just for fun. But there’s something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Jenine and her best friend, Bree, soon realize the camera is capable of capturing the dead. But the ghosts seem to be following the friends. And with each new photo taken, the specters become clearer and closer…

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

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Two hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every eighteen-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.

Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.

Happy #BookBirthday! 10th Jul 2025

Happy Thursday! This week there are TWO books on our lists publishing!

How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore

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Horror movie buff Charley Ryan isn’t expecting much when she’s enrolled at a girls’ boarding school on a remote island. That is, until someone starts killing off the senior class. From elaborate scare tactics to severed heads in fridges, these gruesome murders are straight out of Charley’s favorite films. To top it off, she’s also seeing the ghosts of her former classmates.

No one’s surprised when Charley’s taste in movies makes her the prime suspect. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to find the killer before her campus becomes more graveyard than school. She’s equipped only with her encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema and the help of her trusty cinephile best friend, Olive—oh, and those pesky ghosts, if they can shut up long enough to lend a helping hand.

With a plot twist sure to make you SCREAM, this is an addictive love letter of a slasher that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold

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Seven authors enter the manor

Can they survive the story within?

When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.

Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.

You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.

With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

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Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely…but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane's day that when Arthur doesn't show up one morning, she's instantly concerned. And then another day passes, and another.

Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.

Books have a way of bringing even the loneliest of souls together...