Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! It's been a fairly normal week on the blog, with both the #Bookpost and #BookBirthday posts back!

What's New, Harper Drew? by Kathy Weeks and Alexsei Bitskoff

Welcome to the hilarious WORLD of Harper Drew... there's a whole lot of DRAMA, but luckily she has tried and tested methods to deal with it! Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries.

My name is Harper Drew. I'm using my new journal to take note of all the totally ridiculous things that seem to go on around me with my family and friends. I seem to be the ONLY ONE who sees this all of this stuff for what it is. Completely BEYOND normal.

Recently I've been logging Drew Dial Ratings for all the mayhem. On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is someone to SAY or DO something that would be less sensible than (for example) ... a demented camel?

First up is the annual Drew trip to France... and while there might not be camels, there are BATS and Llamas - and my brother Troy who is so obsessed with his hairstyle, he won't even go swimming... that's a whole lot of ratings. I'm just hoping I land an invite to Maisie Felix's party when I'm back to distract me from the Drews... for one whole evening!

The start of a relatable new illustrated series, all about embracing your family, and finding unique ways to deal with life's dramas.

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell (spoilers in review)

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.

The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.

But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, y'all! This week there was ONE book from our lists publishing, and we are very happy to celebrate it!

Guest review: A Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett

In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. But when an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia - first given to the Queen in the 1960s - shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition, she begins to realise that something is up.

When a body is found in the Palace swimming pool, she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have suspected. With her trusted secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is determined to solve the case. But will she be able to do it before the murderer strikes again?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday all! A quiet week on the bookpost front, I'm guessing because a lot of our usual contacts are only starting back this week. It's giving us time to catch up on some books!

Fearbook Club by Richard Hamilton, Marco Marone and Dave Sharpe

When shy 6th-grade shutterbug Whit Garcia starts middle school, he’s forced to join a yearbook club with three other weirdos who will never be voted “most likely to succeed.” But after the ghosts of missing students start haunting them, Whit, Hester, Hillary and Press must solve the supernatural secret behind these spirits — or their yearbook club will be voted most likely to join them.

But are these ghostly students the real bad guys? Or are they just warning Whit and his friends? Warning them about a darkness beyond their schoolyard…a darkness that threatens to swallow the school – and its occupants – whole.

The sophomore offering from Seismic Press, FEARBOOK CLUB is a story all about fitting in, fighting ghosts and forming friendships with other misfits, especially when you’re a misfit yourself. Springing from the pen of writer Richard Ashley Hamilton (How To Train Your Dragon, Guillermo Del Toro’s Trollhunters) and artist Marco Matrone.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This week included a new-to-us feature, we hope you liked it! 

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram

Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful breakup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.

But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.

Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies by Logan Macx

An addictive new spy series for Alex Rider fans who love breathless plot, cutting-edge tech and action-packed adventure.

When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the secretive Möbius Programme to crack an unbreakable code. They are immediately plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, that takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum, to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the mysterious ship Nightfall. Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk will be pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøkelsøy, and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.

Happy #BookBirthday

For the first time in a while, happy #BookBirthday! (And yet there were no new titles this week. Doors, windows, etc.) Read on for a look at what's publishing from our lists this week - FOUR titles for the new year!

The Ship of Clouds and Stars by Amy Raphael

Nico Cloud desperately wants to be an explorer, but her parents think adventures aren’t for girls. Fate intervenes when Nico chases a kitten on board a ship . . . and then the ship sails out to sea!

NICO IS AN ACCIDENTAL STOWAWAY.

Lucky for her, the ship belongs to a famous scientist who is on a quest for new discoveries. But clouds are brewing overhead and cunning pirates are determined to wreck the crew’s mission. Can Nico steer the ship to victory and prove her parents wrong?

Zommunist Invasion: Sentient

Intelligent zombies with an insatiable appetite for brains. A guerrilla band on the run. Can a new secret weapon change their unravelling fate?

Jennifer lost her sister. With nothing left to live for, she throws herself into the fight against the Soviet invaders with no care for her own safety.

When she returns to the Sniper hideout, she learns of a new weapon that could be the key to defeating the Soviets—but the secret to making it lies hundreds of miles away.

What’s worse, the zombie virus has mutated. The infected have transformed from mindless monsters into intelligent predators—and they’re rounding up truckloads of humans for food.

The road has never been so dangerous. Can Jennifer and the Snipers outmaneuver the sentient zombies in a desperate bid to save their country?

Sentients is the fourth installment of the high-octane Zommunist Invasion apocalypse series. If you like stories with high stakes, narrow odds, and compelling characters, you’ll love this action-packed, 1985 zombie adventure.

Peek ahead: January 2022

Happy January, all! This is a new (to us) feature where we look at some upcoming books and titles we have or are hoping to get to read. We're going to do our best to keep it going all year!

Weely roundup

Happy Sunday, and happy new year! I hope this is a fantastic year with many books for us all to gush about. Here's the roundup for this week, including a brand new type of post! (New to me. Not new to literally any other book blogger.)

What Can I Say? by Catherine Newman and Debbie Fong

Middle school is an essential time to learn and practice social skills, including how to get along with others, talk about hard things, be an ally, and a good friend. In What Can I Say?,Catherine Newman, author of the bestseller How to Be a Person, provides supportive guidance and instruction to help kids establish or and maintain meaningful relationships and effective communication with friends, teachers, family members, and others in their communities. Talking the talk can be tricky, and every page of this super-useful book provides easy, accessible scripts and guidance on the right thing to say in all kinds of situations, from how to be inclusive, listen, give advice, argue, stick up for yourself, and ask for help to how to turn down a date, express sympathy, deal with offensive comments, respond to bullying, and be trustworthy. Humorous, graphic-style illustrations that play our familiar scenarios reenforce Newman's friendly, non-judgmental tone and her commitment to helping kids develop the skills to express themselves clearly while showing empathy, care, and generosity towards others.

Year on the Blog: 2021

Hi all! I thought I'd do a quick roundup of the year on the blog. Now the more I looked at the records, the more interesting stuff I saw, so this might be a bit haphazard! Some records are coming from Goodreads and some are from the stats of the blog here.

Serendipty ed by Marissa Meyer

Love is in the air in this is a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Gilded, Marissa Meyer. The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker. From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that's been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle and Abigail Hing Wen.

The Revelry by Katherine Webber

I am a girl of Ember Grove and these are my woods…

Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry - the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited. When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can’t remember anything from the night before.

Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about the Revelry, Bitsy chokes on the words. But this is just the beginning, and what starts out as a run of bad luck starts to feel like a curse. As Bitsy’s life goes from bad to worse, things only get better and better for her best friend.

It’s as if there’s only so much luck to go round and Amy’s getting all of it…

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all!  Christmas notwithstanding - only one of these titles was specifically a Christmas gift - we had a great week with several deliveries from publishers, which we are really looking forward to digging into. In fact, we already reviewed one of these books!

Ah...That's Gas by Sarah Cassidey and Kunak McGann

What has Ireland really been talking about for the last forty years? Those iconic moments, controversies and unexpected fads that we just could not get enough of.

From the team that brought you The A to Z of Being Irish and A-Z of an Irish Christmas, this is Irish culture with a light touch and lashings and lashings of rose-tinted nostalgia.

Weekly Roundup! (Happy Christmas!)

Happy/Merry Christmas/holidays, y'all! Hope you had really good ones, whatever a good one means to you. We are basically all still in food comas, so here's the roundup for the week.

The Colour of Hope by Ross Mackenzie

'Why am I different?'
'I don't know, lassie. I wish I did. And I wish you didn't have tae hide it.'

The Dominion is cursed. Years ago, the Emperor and his Necromancer stole all the colour from the world. Now they keep it for themselves, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in cold shades of grey.

That is until a miracle baby is born - a little girl who lives in brilliant colour. But the child's life is in danger from her first breath. Soon the Emperor's murderous ripper dogs and black coats come hunting. A drifter mage, Sandy Burns, intervenes, hiding the wee miracle in the forest, raising her as his own. Rumour of ‘the rainbow child’ spreads, giving hope to those who had lost it ... but bringing danger and adventure to Sandy and his daughter.

Gilded Tarot Royale Mini by Ciro Marchetti and Barbara Moore

This fun mini-edition of the bestselling Gilded Tarot Royale is perfect for on-the-go readings. Small enough to fit in a pocket or a purse, you can carry your deck everywhere. It also makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for tarotists. Whether you are an expert reader or just starting your tarot journey, a tarot mini will be an exciting and practical addition to your collection. With borderless cards, richer colours, and stylish design improvements, this mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale retains the powerful readability of the original Gilded Tarot with a more contemporary look. Following the RWS style and abounding with medieval magicians, priestesses, emperors, and knights, the Gilded Tarot Royale Mini will continue to inspire tarot readers for years to come. This is a mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale (9780738765181). Cards measure approximately 1.7 x 3 inches. Please note that this deck does not come with an instructional booklet.

All the Feels by Olivia Dade

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

#Bookpost! w/e 19.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! Last week was quiet on the book front, but this week seems to be shaping up better...and of course it will include CHRISTMAS DAY! Is anyone planning on celebrating Jolabokaflod?

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We are heading into Christmas week and very excited for the big day. What books are on your wishlists?

All That's Left in the World by Erik J Brown (quite large spoilers in review)

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people on Earth. They don't know what they'll find on their perilous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity - this is How I Live Now with the heart of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.

Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ...

But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (spoilers in review)

 

Would you choose to find out the length of your life?

One spring day, small wooden boxes arrive for every person, all over the world, from suburban doorsteps to desert tents. All the boxes feature the same inscription, “The measure of your life lies within,” and vary in only two ways: the name of the recipient and the length of the single string inside. Instantly, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy, first to ascertain their origin and meaning, and then to confront the truth of the strings.

Told through multiple perspectives, The Measure introduces an unforgettable cast of characters whose lives weave and interlock with one another upon the arrival of the strings: a doctor who cannot save himself, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, and a politician whose string becomes a powder keg in an increasingly turbulent world.

As society divides itself, the truth has the power to unravel their long-held beliefs and relationships all while forging new alliances and philosophies about our time on this earth and our place in the community. Both heartbreaking and profoundly uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious meditation on life, family, and society that challenges us to consider the best way to live life to the fullest.

Puffling and the Egg by Erika McGann and Gerry Daly

When Puffling finds a lost egg on Skellig Michael, she sets off to return the egg to its nest!

She travels all over the island searching the owner of this stray egg, meeting lots of new friends along the way ... but who lost this mystery egg? And what kind of baby animal is going to hatch from it?

#Bookpost! w/e 12.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! We are deep in the unique - let's say 'fun' - that is retail at Christmas. However, we have some lovely books to look forward to! We've been really lucky and received some of the most talked about books at the moment.

Blog tour: Shadow Winged by Jilleen Dolbeare

Morning all! Today we are lucky enough to have this fab extract from a new series in the urban fantasy genre. Let us know what you think!

Weekly roundup!

Happy Sunday, all!

B was struck down by a terrible head cold this week (don't worry, tested and came back clear, she just wanted to die) so we missed a review, but we're hoping to be back on track next week!

A Galway Fairytale/Síscéal ó Ghaillimh le Caitriona Sweeney

Fans of A Dublin Fairytale will be enchanted by this modern take on the Hansel and Gretel fairytale set in modern-day Galway.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week we had FOUR books from our lists publishing. There's currently nothing at all for the rest of the month, but things often show up at short notice!

In one of those stragne coincidences, these books were all 'ok but not great' in our opinions. Please remember these are just opinions! Everyone has their own.

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended, in this wry, embracing novel.

Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and evrryone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.

Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.

Blogtour: The Blue Pendant

Welcome to the blog tour for the exciting new novel based on Greek legends!

#Bookpost! w/end 5 Dec 21

It is still weird to me that this is 2021. Anyone else have that? I'd want to start getting over it quite quickly, I guess...anyway, happy Tuesday!

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartthrobs in front of the cameras and best friends backstage.

But privately, the pressure to stay in the closet has Ruben confiding in Zach.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe with an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, the two come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben realize they will never truly have the support they need.

How can they hold tight to each other when their whole world is coming apart?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! In keeping with everything lately, this post is a little late. Retail at Christmas, man.

The Wild Swans by Jackie Morris

A girl loses her beloved brothers when they are turned into swans by her wicked stepmother. She embarks on a vital quest with one purpose: to find them and turn them back into boys again.

But the task is complicated. She must pick nettles with her bare hands and turn them to yarn, to spin and knit into shirts for each of the eleven brothers. And all the while she cannot speak, for if she does, even so much as a whisper, it will be like a knife in the heart of each swan-boy. And so she knits, silent. And where there is silence people will put words.

The Wild Swans is a beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Jackie Morris's enchanting retelling, complete with delicate watercolour paintings throughout this new edition. A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.

The Big Reveal by Jen Larson (unmarked spoilers in review)

Addie is a talented dancer, a true-blue friend, fat, fierce, and driven. When she's accepted into the prestigious dance program of her dreams, she thinks nothing can bring her down—until she realizes she doesn't have enough money to go. Refusing to give up, Addie and her friends decide to put on a top-secret, invitation-only burlesque show to raise funds. But word soon gets out, and the slut- and body-shaming begin. Has Addie been resisting the patriarchy, or playing right into its hands?

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Mathieu and E. Lockhart, The Big Reveal asks hard-hitting feminist questions while reveling in some of life's greatest joys: chasing your passions, falling in love, and embracing yourself exactly as you are.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Hi all! This is the first of (currently) three weeks this month with no new books on our lists! That can change at any time, of course, but we're currently using the time to get ahead on next year's books. Watch out for them coming up soon!

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield

For fans of Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying and films like I Know What You Did Last Summer comes a gripping thriller about murder, mystery, and deception.

Blackmail lures Ava to the abandoned amusement park on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group finds themselves cut off from the real world. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she's willing to go to survive. The teenagers have only their secrets to protect and each other to betray.

Loki; A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowel

Packed with doodles and cartoons, this is the wry, witty and very funny diary of Norse god Loki and the trials of being trapped on Earth as a weedy eleven-year-old boy.

After one prank too many, trickster god Loki is banished to live as a "normal" school boy. If he can show moral improvement within one month, then Loki can return to Asgard ... and if he can't? Then it's eternity in a pit of angry snakes. To keep track of his progress, Odin has handed over this magical diary in which Loki is forced to confess the truth. (Even when that truth is as ugly as a naked mole-rat.) As if moral improvement and the indignities of school weren't challenging enough, Loki is banned from using his awesome godly powers and (even worse) must put up with Thor tagging along and making him look bad. Anyone reading Loki's diary is about to learn that this is one god who hasn’t a clue how to tell good from bad, trust from tricks, or friends from enemies...

#Bookpost! Week ending 28th November 21

Happy Tuesday, all! This is a drive-by book post I'm afraid, but we are really looking forward to reading these books! We'll be busy, for sure!

You'll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Back in middle school they were best friends. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They'll ditch school and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Why did they stop hanging out, anyway?

As soon as they pull out of the parking lot Cal knows why. Ivy's already freaking out about missing class, and heartthrob Mateo is asleep in the backseat, too cool to even pretend like he wants to be there. The truth is they have nothing in common anymore.

At least they don't until they run into the fourth student ditching school that day. Brian "Boney" Mahoney is supposed to be accepting his newly won office of class president. Which is why Ivy follows him into an empty building, only to walk into the middle of a murder scene. Cal, Ivy, and Mateo all know the person lying on the ground of that building, and now they need to come clean. They're all hiding something. And maybe their chance reconnection wasn't by chance after all.

Blogtour: When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari and Natalie Sirett

Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai’s family suffers a huge loss.

Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This week was practically back to normal as we (mostly) finished up with NaNo and got back on track.

The Maid by Nita Prose (some spoilers unmarked in review)

A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down...

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Bookbirthday, all! We have two books on our lists this week.

Blogtour: My First Animal Moves by Darryl Edwards

Nathan loves to play, but he loves his video games more.

Can a trip to Animal Moves land convince him there’s more fun outdoors? Best-selling author and speaker Darryl Edwards has created this fun adventure inspired by his passion for encouraging kids to move in an ever-increasing sedentary environment.

MY FIRST ANIMAL MOVES

Discover the joys of animal moves with your little cubs in this first book of movement. Join Nathan and his cute, but sometimes lazy, dog as they crawl, jump and balance their way through the animal kingdom re-enacting moves designed to emphasise fun. It’s all in this exercise for kids book that focuses on family fun boredom busters.

Welcome to the book tour for My First Animal Moves by Darryl Edwards. This book will get kids and parents moving!

Wish you were Here by Jodi Piccoult (unmarked spoilers in review)

Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. The whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday! The end of Nano is in sight and we are tentatively starting to read again, so hopefully we'll be back on schedule soon! For now, we received some amazing books and have already read and reviewed one because we just couldn't wait.

The Macmillan Fairy Tales Collection

A beautiful hardback treasury, containing over fifty fairy tales from around the world, introduced by award-winning author Michael Morpurgo. The perfect gift for fairy tale lovers of all ages.

This glorious collection contains much-loved favourites from Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, such as The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel, alongside lesser known fairy tales, such as the Chinese story of Bayberry, who rescues his sister, Little Red, from a devious dragon.

Bringing together amazing stories from across the world, there are tales of witches from Russia, tree ghosts from India, magical moon spirits from Japan and many more. Fully illustrated throughout, with beautiful colour and line-work images from iconic Golden Age illustrators, including Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane and Warwick Goble.

A sumptuous 480 page gift hardback, complete with a foiled cut-through cover, gold foiled edges and a ribbon marker, The Macmillan Fairy Tales Collection is a book to share and treasure.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday! Another quiet week. We've been hit by the dreaded Third Week NaNo Blahs, but we're all more or less on track still!

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

The final pages of Girls of Storm and Shadow brought a jaw-dropping conclusion that had the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in uncertainty. But one thing was certain - the Hidden Palace was the last place that Lei would ever consider home. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls would plague her forever. She could not be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren.

The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever?

Girls of Fate and Fury is the epic conclusion to the "glittering" and "adrenaline-soaked" series by Natasha Ngan, hailed as "a stunning, new talent" for her "beautiful, lush, lyrical" writing.

Happy #BookBirthday

 Happy #BookBirthday!...but there are no books from our lists publishing this week, so this is just a general wish to everyone publishing this week. I hope your book sells the best!

The Sugar Skull Tarot Deck and Guidebook by David A Ross and Caroline Martinez

This light-hearted, beautifully illustrated deck and guidebook brings the spiritual mysticism of sugar skulls to a fresh interpretation of each of the major and minor arcana to help you hone your intuition.

Sugar skulls, or calaveras, are traditionally made by hand to celebrate the Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos. Colorful and lovingly crafted, they are offerings for loved ones who have passed into the spirit realm.

The sugar skulls depicted throughout this deck are there to remind us of our spiritual journey and help us reach our full potential. Just as the Fool progresses throughout the entirety of the Major Arcana, we all have our own personal journeys that are represented through the tarot.

Whether it’s the Magician shooting the sugar skull bullseye, the High Priestess seeing her reflection in the water (thus revealing her inner truth in the form of a sugar skull), or the Fool feeling confident that he will create and manifest the perfect sugar skull by the time he finishes his journey, we all have an unrealized version of our true potential. The Sugar Skull Tarot Deck and Guidebook offers a refreshing new take on a timeless tradition and is the perfect tool to recognize the inner potential inside each of us. Let the brightly colored illustrations offer you all the inspiration you need to be the best person you can truly be so you can present a more accurate representation of yourself—confident, magical, and ready to give and receive love—to the world.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday! This is a very quick update of the three books we were lucky enough to receive this week!

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday all! This week was a lot lighter than most as we're into the dreaded week two of Nano. We are all just about still keeping up!

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week we had SIX books on our lists publish.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?

#Bookpost! Week ending 7th November

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Because of due dates, we have actually already read and reviewed almost HALF the books we got last week! Yeah, impressive, right? That's a whole two books, yep!

Margot Mertz Takes it Down by Carrie McCrossen and Ian McWethy

Veronica Mars meets Moxie in this hilarious and biting YA contemporary novel following Margot Mertz, a girl who runs an internet cleanup business and embarks on a quest to take down a revenge-porn site targeting the girls in her school.

For the right price, high school junior Margot Mertz will go to the ends of the internet to remove your nip-slip, dick pic, or embarrassing DM. At least that’s what it says on her business card. Margot founded a now notorious company that helps students, teachers, even a local weatherman, discreetly clean up their digital shame. And since her parents lost her college fund, Margot is happy to work for anyone…if they can pay, she can clean.

But when a fellow student hires her to take down some leaked nudes, Margot discovers a secret revenge porn site featuring Roosevelt High girls. And hell hath no fury like Margot when she sees girls’ butts shared without their consent. With the help of an unwitting ally, the popular and uncomfortably handsome Avery Green, Margot will gain access to the far flung cliques of Roosevelt High. Anything to find the mastermind (read: asshole) behind the site. But the more she digs, the deeper and darker the case becomes until Margot realizes that some jobs are so dirty, no one can come away clean. Even her. Gross.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! You'll be glad that know that we are all still on target for completing NaNoWriMo, although with a certain amount of project-switching...

Because of due dates, this was a very busy week despite being the first week of NaNo, so here's the roundup in case you missed anything.

Feather and Flame (Queen's Council 2) by Livia Blackburne

She brought honor on the battlefield. Now comes a new kind of war...

The war is over. Now a renowned hero, Mulan spends her days in her home village, training a militia of female warriors. The peace is a welcome one, and she knows it must be protected.

When Shang arrives with an invitation to the Imperial City, Mulan’s relatively peaceful life is upended once more. The aging emperor decrees that Mulan will be his heir to the throne. Such unimagined power and responsibility terrifies her, but who can say no to the Emperor?

As Mulan ascends into the halls of power, it becomes clear that not everyone is on her side. Her ministers undermine her, and the Huns sense a weakness in the throne. When hints of treachery appear even amongst those she considers friends, Mulan has no idea whom she can trust.

But the Queen’s Council helps Mulan uncover her true destiny. With renewed strength and the wisdom of those that came before her, Mulan will own her power, save her country, and prove once again that, crown or helmet, she was always meant to lead. This fierce reimagining of the girl who became a warrior blends fairy-tale lore and real history with a Disney twist.

A Puppy's First Christmas by Holly Webb

Aria is excited to celebrate her puppy’s first Christmas – they’ll make snowmen and eat lots of food, and she’s even bought him a special present with her pocket money! But when Aria’s family come to stay, Jackson becomes over-excited and scares Aria’s younger cousin.

On Christmas morning things only seem to get worse. Jackson is shut out of the living room while gifts are being opened, Aria can’t find his present and then the puppy eats Grandma’s fluffy winter boots! With her parents refusing to take her side, will Aria and Jackson get their perfect Christmas after all?

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

Going Viral by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc

When Claire Draper's fictional love story goes viral in the wake of a pandemic, the line between reality and fiction is blurred. But will she be able to tell the difference?

Claire is a junior in high school when a worldwide pandemic strikes, and she's in the epicenter of it all in New York City. Suddenly, Claire is forced to isolate with her family indefinitely, which means she won't be able to see her friends or even her girlfriend, Vanessa, in person for a long time.

At first it's not so bad, but the longer the pandemic lasts, the more Claire feels her priorities changing. That's when she looks outside her bedroom window and notices something new: A girl who lives in the building across the street sitting on her fire escape.

So Claire starts writing a story online about a girl who falls for the girl across the street. To Claire's surprise, the story goes viral-and it seems people think it's true. But how true is true? And what if Vanessa finds out? Will Claire be able to manage her newfound internet fame before everything spirals out of control?

Blogtour: It Calls from the Doors (Anthology)

Open the door to your nightmares.

They are the silent guardians of our inner spaces. We throw them open to welcome friends and family. We shut them tight against the darkness and trust them to keep us safe. But they also hide our true natures, ward off intruders, and seal away what can never be allowed to escape.

But, what happens when the thing that we rely on the most, welcomes the bad things in? What happens when our protector becomes the thing we fear?

Turn the key, pull back the bolt, unfasten the latch and let the darkness through. Discover 19 tales of terror and despair that lurk on the other side of the Doors in the fourth instalment of Eerie River Publishing's horror series.

Fledgling by Lucy Hope

A dark, gothic adventure set in the Bavarian forest, with angels and owls and magic and a boy who isn’t all that he seems to be…

A cherub is blown into Cassie Engel’s bedroom during a thunderstorm, triggering a series of terrifying events. Cassie must discover if its arrival was an accident or part of something more sinister.

With a self-obsessed opera singer for a mother, a strange taxidermist father, and a best friend who isn’t quite what he seems, Cassie is forced to unearth the secrets of her family’s past. As the dark forces gather around them, can Cassie protect all that she holds dear?