When we were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

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✦ BLURB ✦

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 Movie 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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

“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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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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✦ BLURB ✦

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...

Julie Tudor is (not) a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich

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A hilarious and twisted debut of one woman who's convinced her coworker is in love with her - and it just might result in murder.

Julie Tudor is not a psychopath.

Julie Tudor is 49 and has it all: a fantastic job (well-maintained spreadsheets are the linchpin of an efficient office), a beautiful house (some may wonder how she got the money for it, but nothing has been proven) and the man of her dreams (this too, has not been proven).

Julie Tudor is not a stalker.

Sean is 25 and the love of Julie’s life. The only problem is, he thinks he’s in love with someone else.

And Julie Tudor is definitely, definitely not a serial killer. But Julie has found herself in a similar situation before. And if there’s one thing Julie knows, it’s how to get rid of the competition… After all, what’s a little murder in the name of true love?

Happy #BookBirthday! 3 July 2025

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

Pawmistry by Megan Lynn Kott

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From the past hidden in their paws to the future predicted by their leftover kibble, discover the true magic of cats in this hilarious guide to feline divination.

Pawmistry is a tongue-in-cheek guide to the feline oracle and the supernatural signs your cat may leave behind. Written and illustrated by the beloved creator of Cat Tarot Megan Lynn Kott, this playful and informative book offers instruction in a number of types of divination to practice with your cat, where messages and portents may be delivered by scattered cat toys, particular tail positions, and sleeping on your face. What does that barf in your shoe really mean? You may even consider learning the dark magic of their litterbox leavings (if you dare). Each section includes write-in pages to record your own cat's messages from the universe, and a removable, fold-out Feline Divination Board included with the book will allow you to take your arcane partnership to the next level.

MAKE CAT PLAY TIME PAWMISTRY TIME: Using the easy step-by-step instructions, turn your cat's daily routine into opportunities for mystical discovery. Play with toys to consult the oracles! Discover messages from the universe in leftover kibble! Dare to read the dark portents hidden in their litterbox!

FOR CAT LOVERS: This is a unique gift for the "crazy cat person" in your life—even if it's yourself! Learn the mystical meanings behind the "slow blink" or the past hidden in your kitty's bean toes, and celebrate the magic of cats.

DIY SHAREABLE CONTENT: Along with playful instructions and illustrations, the book also includes a fold-out Feline Divination Board—a talking board for cats—which not only makes for a fun interactive element, but also a perfect photo opportunity to share with friends.

GREAT GIFT: This playful book is perfect for a birthday present, white elephant gift exchange, or to celebrate a new cat adoption. Add it to the shelf alongside You Need More Sleep: Advice From Cats by Francesco Marciuliano, Ask Baba Yaga by Taisia Kitaiskaia, and Crafting with Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya and Amy Hirschman.

Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea! by Emma Swan

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Jump on board with Silver, the Cruise Ship Kid, in the hilarious new detective adventure series from debut author and West-End actress, Emma Swan.

There's 4 things you should know about me:

1. I live on a cruise ship

2. My name is Silver. Yes, really

3. I've never had a best friend my own age :(

4. I'm definitely not a detective

Somehow, though, I'm now investigating the CASE OF THE MISSING MEGA-EXPENSIVE WATCHES. But, I've got a plan. If I can solve the crime, then surely the kids on board will want to be friends with me. Right?

I've had lots of help (interference) from the Gang, but I won't tell you about them because they are all over 80 and prefer playing bingo to solving crimes.

So, do you want to be definitely-not-a-detective too and help me catch the thief at sea?

THIS BOOK IS:

- 50% crime-solving + 50% friendship = 100% FUN!

- Written in diary form

- Inspired by the author's childhood growing up on an actual cruise ship!

- Filled with doodles, activities and lots of space to scribble!

- Pamela Butchart meets Tom Gates, set at sea.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle

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Lily—a bored, beautiful twenty-something—wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

Cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she’ll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.

Circle of Liars by Kate Francis

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Seven liars in the circle.

Only one can survive…

Seven teens arrive for a school retreat - only to find an abandoned motel and a sinister text message waiting for them: I know what you did a year ago.

Each of the seven buried a guilty secret about their tragic school fire. And now someone is out for revenge.

Every hour they must choose the guiltiest one among them to cross over the white line that circles the motel and be killed. Otherwise, they all die.

But who deserves to live, and who to die? Because only one of them can survive…

Real when I'm With You by Lucy Powrie

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Seventeen-year-old Effie is fed up of playing third-wheel. She can often be found hanging out at the local coffee shop "Love You a Latte" while her so-called friend Chelsea and her boyfriend kiss in front of her.

One day, following a snide remark from Chelsea about never having a boyfriend, she declares she can absolutely get a date if she just asks for one, so she strides over to the counter and asks the irresistibly cute barista Aiden to pretend to put his number in her phone. Of course, he obliges with a grin - what ensues is a whirlwind of fake dates. But when their fake dates are exposed, Effie and Aiden decide to carry on dating for good, but then, spoiler, nobody believes they really are in a relationship.

But who cares what anyone else thinks? This is Effie and Aiden's story.

This is Where we Die by Cindy R. X. He

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Sadie, Will, Isla, Anthony, Emily, and Charlie are survivors. They were the six (out of eight) to make it out alive from a ski holiday turned horrific nightmare two years ago. Although… nobody knows exactly what happened; the exact details hushed up via the wealth and connections of Sadie’s rich parents.

When an exclusive private island with a mansion for rent goes viral on social media, their high school graduating class persuades Sadie to rent it for the weekend. The six arrive first in Sadie’s private helicopter and wait for the rest of their classmates to arrive via boat the next day.

Nobody else ever arrives. Cut off from the rest of the world, with no cell service, and no means off the island, paranoia and terror mount as the six teens start dying. Their past has finally caught up with them, and they’ll need to figure out who is killing them off one by one, before they all wind up dead.

The Namaste Club by Asha Ellas

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Just inland from Florida’s sun-splashed Treasure Coast is the Namaste Club yoga center. An exclusive oasis of palms, lakes, and adorable guest villas, it’s perfect for getaways where Shakti, a serenely blond Instagram influencer, holds yoga retreats for well-heeled Miami ladies. The Namaste Club is a place of reflection, a place of release and redemption…or at least, that’s the sales pitch.

This weekend, however, is Transcendence Week, and a new bunch of South Florida burnouts have arrived. There’s Indira, fabulously wealthy after her divorce from the fast-frozen fruit king of Florida. There’s Indira’s bestie Jessica, also divorced and trying to get her groove back. There’s Barbara, heir to a massive family fortune, who’s taken a vow of silence for the retreat that will be sorely tested. And then there’s Carol Anne from Vero Beach, a happy tradwife and proud gun owner who recently did something...inadvisable; she’s just here while things cool off in her hometown.

And then, of course, there’s Daniel, the toned, man-bunned apprentice yoga instructor. He’s cute if you like that sort of thing. And many of the rich ladies do.

Last but not least, there’s Bubba, the retreat center’s resident twelve-foot American alligator. Before Transcendence Week is over, Bubba will have his moment of glory as well—when one of the visitors winds up in his jaws.

Who will be living their best life? Who will get their comeuppance? Pour yourself a spicy margarita and settle in for your new favorite read!

After we Burned by Marike Nijkamp

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A terrible accident. A horrible loss. A regrettable tragedy. That's all anyone in Fenix can talk about when a fire consumes the local high school, taking the life of a student. The town mourns, except who really knew--let alone cared about--Eden when she was alive? And why was she in the building that night?

Five teens each hold a piece of the truth about what happened. They also have their own secrets, secrets they will fight to protect with the same fury as the blaze that killed Eden. But silence is meant to be broken, and this story can't be extinguished...

She deserved more. They all did.

Happy #BookBirthday! 19 June 2025

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

Struggle for Existence by Geoff Jones

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Escaping Earth was just the beginning.

Two days before a comet wiped out civilization, mysterious pods carried dozens of people to a strange menagerie inhabited by deadly specimens from Earth’s past.

Sierra Preston made first contact with an alien that had been observing humans from an invisible floating platform. The creature claimed the comet was sent by a race known as gorgers and warned that no one could leave the menagerie.

Sierra isn’t about to let that stop her.

The Preservation of Species trilogy continues in Struggle for Existence, a post-apocalyptic science-fiction adventure filled with unforgettable heroes, terrifying monsters, and heart-pounding action.

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong

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Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful–to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn't proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the self-turning butter churns from the kind-of-flaming swords, and above all: avoid complications. The Guild’s uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling’s residents–and each other–they realize the Guild’s hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guest’s shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spell book that could hold the secret to restoring her power, she finds herself turning to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous and icy historian who might be the only person who can help her unlock the book’s mysteries. The fact that he also happens to be her one-night stand from years ago is totally irrelevant.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and trying not to fall in love is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell

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Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to Hera, goddess of family. Heracles’ mother raised himto revere Hera, as her attempt to avoid the goddess’ wrath. Unbeknownst to Heracles, he is yet another child Hera’s husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock.

Hera loathes every minute of Heracles’ devotion. She finally snaps and sends the Furies to make Heracles kill himself. But the moment Heracles goes mad, his children playfully ambush him, and he slays them instead. When the madness fades, Heracles’s wife, Megara, convinces him to seek revenge. Together they’ll hunt the Furies and learn which god did this.

Believing Hera is the only god he can still trust, Heracles prays to Hera, who is wracked with guilt over killing his children. To mislead Heracles, Hera sends him on monster-slaying quests, but he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, cures the illness of the Lernaean hydra, and bonds with Crete’s giant bull.

Hera struggles with her role in Heracles life as Heracles begins to heal psychologically by connecting with the monsters—while also amassing an army that could lay siege to Olympos.