Monday 18 March 2024

Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti and L.S. Biehler


In this queer reimagining of an Arthurian legend, Knights of the Round Table Lancelot and Tristan set out on a quest to find the missing magician Merlin but instead discover an unexpected romance perfect for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker and Squire.

When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. As the reluctant trio travels through Albion saving towns from treacherous foes and battling fae, their bonds deepen, and sparks fly between the two knights. Before they can sort through their complicated feelings, an unexpected dark force appears, bringing what just might be the end of Camelot.

From debut author James Persichetti and new talent L.S. Biehler, Tristan and Lancelot: A Tale of Two Knights will sweep readers away with an epic quest and a love story for the ages.

Saturday 16 March 2024

The End of Always by Rebecca Phillips


Ever since Isobel’s mom died, her dad won’t stop preparing for the rest of the world to end―attending doomsday survivalist meetings, packing bug-out bags, and drawing up plans for a secret backyard bunker. He’s methodically stacked and stored countless packs of batteries and bottles of water in the basement. And thirty-six cans of tomato soup.
But Isobel has no interest in it. She has enough to deal with between finishing high school and trying to shield her little sister April from their dad’s increasing paranoia. She’s managing to cope―until their dad decides to move them all to Endurance Ranch, a survivalist community in the middle of nowhere. When Isobel meets Dane, the son of a hardcore prepper couple, she doesn’t feel as isolated at the ranch as she first thought. But she wants to be in control of her own future. She realizes it’s going to be up to her to save her sister―and herself―from a life underground.

Friday 15 March 2024

The Tower Ghost by Natasha Mac a'Bháird


Sycamore Hill Boarding School, Donegal

1963

Clare is excited to start her first term at Sycamore Hill. New sports, new subjects, and new friends – chatty, confident Rose and quiet, nature-loving Molly.

But something strange is going on. The girls see a face at the tower window and hear the sound of crying – could the school be haunted? And does it have anything to do with the mysterious death of a pupil years earlier?

No one seems to want to answer their questions, but Clare and her friends are determined to investigate.

Can they solve the mystery before a killer strikes again?

Thursday 14 March 2024

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore (mild spoilers in review)


Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered

Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles' academic career took a turn for the worse (they don't talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”

At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.

When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.

Monday 11 March 2024

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson


He crossed an ocean, and it still wasn’t enough to escape his lifelong nemesis. Now he has to work with her.

Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood’s highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn’t even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.

He’s not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he’s been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything. As Finn’s not-so-brilliant plot backfires one scene after the next, catching him in the blasts, he’s forced to think about this impossible, infuriating…and maybe even lovable woman in an entirely new light.

Saturday 9 March 2024

Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari (minor spoilers in review)



Steeped in mystery and adventure, this brisk and beautifully crafted middle-grade debut set in modern-day India explores the complexities of the sibling bond.

When her older brother, Karthik—Kay-Kay, the golden child of the family—heads to camp for two weeks, Lena’s parents begin showering her with all the attention she craves. For a time, she’s the golden child and secretly wishes her brother wouldn’t come home. But when the scheduled train arrives and Karthik isn’t on it, Lena is stricken with guilt and fear for her beloved Kay-Kay. Her brother has vanished without a trace, and the police view him as a runaway. Incredulous, Lena undertakes a search of her own—reading mysterious poems left in his backpack, interrogating his fellows from the train, retracing his route, and encountering shadowy strangers along the way. 

Convinced Kay-Kay is still alive even when the rest of her family has given up, Lena steadily unearths her brother’s secrets as her determination to bring him home leads to a heart-stopping discovery. Perhaps Kay-Kay isn’t a golden child after all? Set in a vividly evoked modern-day India, this character-driven middle-grade mystery tackles rich themes—from the sibling bond to self-worth—in a taut and suspenseful adventure.

Friday 8 March 2024

Easy Eats for Teens by Brandee Jankoski


You have what it takes to be an amazing cook... and this is the jumping point you need if you want to discover all the skills to get you there.

Fancy yourself as the next big TV chef?

Perhaps you want to prove to your parents that you can cook just as well as they can… Or maybe you just love food and want to discover the art of cooking.

Whatever the reason you’re sniffing out recipe books, there’s a reason that you haven’t found the right one yet.

You keep finding delicious-looking recipes that you’d love to be able to whip up… but there’s a problem. There are all these mysterious new words and techniques standing in your way – and probably a few strange ingredients too.

You need delicious yet simple recipes that you can be sure you’ll pull off, racking up your skills and your culinary knowledge as you go. You need something that gives you a strong foundation so that you can later access any recipe book you feel like trying – and understand what you’re meant to do with the ingredients.

Thursday 7 March 2024

Tuesday 5 March 2024

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé


Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.

And then a student is found dead.

The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.

Monday 4 March 2024

Pirates of Darksea by Catherine Doyle


Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Ruled by the Pirate King, Captain O'Malley, Darksea's tranquil waters have, of late, been haunted by an invisible and deadly monster – a monster that is eating the once-beautiful islands in gigantic bites.

On the other side of the horizon, at his home in Galway, Max Reid and his family are battling a different monster. His big brother Christopher is in hospital and getting sicker – and his parents have begun to talk of miracles.

Then one night a loud, bright red parrot taps on Max's bedroom window, carrying an invitation from the pirate king. Captain O'Malley needs a new crew member for a dangerous quest; and the reward is everything Max has been hoping for.

But in Darksea, not everyone is as they seem. When Captain O'Malley's secret threatens to upend their mission and destroy Max's chance to help his family, Max realises he's going to have to navigate much more than he bargained for…

Saturday 2 March 2024

Plot Twist by Breea Keenan


Becca Taylor is having a bad summer.

Her best friend is dead. Her good-for-nothing ex is back in her life. And her career is in freefall.

So, when fellow writer Riley O'Connell invites Becca to the charming Irish countryside, she can't pack her bags fast enough, even though they have never met.

But happily-ever-after isn't quite so simple.

And Riley is not a sensitive female romance novelist like Becca assumed. No, he is definitely a man. A hot, six-foot tall, Irish man.

But with their complicated pasts getting in the way, Becca and Riley just can't get on the same page.

So can fate give their love story a rewrite?

Friday 1 March 2024

Blog tour: Snowglobe by Soyoung Park (some spoilers in review)


In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate - controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold — but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart. A groundbreaking Korean novel translated into English for the first time! “ The Hunger Games meets Squid Game in Soyoung Park’s dystopian thriller Snowglobe ” – Entertainment Weekly

Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty - four - hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city. The residents of Snowglobe have everything: fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star — and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life. Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.

Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.

Content Warning: torture, murder, forced work, socioeconomic inequality

Thursday 29 February 2024

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Toxxic by Jane Hennigan


Forty-four years ago, as any schoolgirl can tell you, the moth’s eggs hatched and an army of caterpillars spread their tiny toxic threads on every breath of wind. Since then, men have been cloistered, protected from birth against the deadly poison.

But now there’s a vaccine – a way that men can leave the facility without dying or suffering from psychosis. Emerging, into their new world, eyes wide with wonder at every new experience, the truth soon becomes clear.

This world was not made for men. And they are not safe.

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Moths by Jane Hennigan


Where were you at the beginning? Or at the end? And where are we all now? 

Forty years ago, the world changed. Toxic threads left behind by mutated moths infected men and boys around the globe. Some were killed quietly in their sleep, others became crazed killers, wildly dangerous and beyond help. All seemed hopeless. But humanity adapted, healed and moved on. Now matriarchs rule, and men are kept in specially treated dust-free facilities for their safety and the good of society, never able to return to the outside. 

Mary has settled into this new world and takes care of the male residents at her facility. But she still remembers how things used to be and is constantly haunted by her memories. Of her family, of her joy, of… him. 

Now the world is quiet again, but only because secrets are kept safe in whispers. And the biggest secret of all? No one wants to live inside a cage… 

Exploring male violence against women, homo-normativity, and gynocracy, Moths is a powerful assessment of life through the lens of a main character in her 70s. A remastered and revitalised version of the previously self-published, smash-hit dystopian thriller by the same name, Moths shows us a new, post-pandemic world.

Monday 26 February 2024

Lie or Die by A J Clack (slight spoilers)


Ten strangers trapped in a television studio
Forty-two remote cameras
One rule: Trust no one

When a casting call is announced for new reality TV show Lie or Die, Kass is tricked into auditioning by her best friend. Big Brother meets Mafia, Lie or Die pits contestants against each other as they try to discover who is a murderous agent and who is an innocent player. But when contestants start to turn up dead (the real kind, not the fake kind), Kass realises that not being eliminated and winning the game is the least of her worries. No longer a game of truth and lies, Kass and her friends are in a fight for survival. ‘Reality’ just got very real.

Saturday 24 February 2024

The Haven by Fiona Neill (spoilers in review)


Sixteen year old Cass Sawyer wakes up in the woods with a head injury. She has no recollection of what happened.

But she recognises where she is. The Haven. The idyllic, off-grid retreat her parents claimed would heal their broken family.

As Cass searches the now deserted buildings, memories begin to trickle through.

Her father’s erratic behaviour. Her mother’s pleas that they go back to town. The Haven’s charismatic, free-spirited leader. The strange girls that hang on his every word.

And a nagging feeling: that Cass has done something terribly wrong.

What happened at The Haven? Where is Cass’s family?

And will they ever escape?

Friday 23 February 2024

Nina Peanut is Amazing by Sarah Bowie


Nina Peanut – super-star in the making, frozen pizza chef, creative genius, owner of the world’s stinkiest cat. The funniest new friend for all kids, everywhere. 

Nina Peanut creates amazing videos – so why is it only her nan and best friend Brian who watch them? Surely everyone should be interested in her SERIOUS and NOT-STUPID videos about potatoes with faces? Nina dreams about being as popular as class queen bee Megan Dunne, who films NOT AMAZING AT ALL content of her pampered dog, Princess Trixie Bell. So when Nina’s stinky cat Les wanders into one of Megan’s videos by accident, and goes viral, Nina and Les are suddenly internet famous! But is overnight stardom as wonderful as Nina always imagined it would be?

Thursday 22 February 2024

Wednesday 21 February 2024

The Escape Room by L D Smithson


Everything is a clue.
Bonnie arrives on a remote sea fort off the coast of England to take part in a mysterious reality TV show. Competing against seven strangers, she must solve a series of puzzles to win the prize money, but this is no game - and the consequences of failure are deadly.

No one leaves.
Under scrutiny from the watching public, the contestants quickly turn on one another. Who will sacrifice the most for wealth and fame? And why can't Bonnie shake the creeping sense that they are not alone?

The only way out is to win.
When the first contestant is found dead, Bonnie begins to understand the dark truth at the heart of this twisted competition: there's a killer inside the fort, and anyone could be next. If Bonnie wants to escape, she needs to win...

Are you ready to play?

Monday 19 February 2024

Meet me in the Fourth Dimension by Rita Feinstein



It’s easy to believe in the apocalypse when you’re losing your religion.

NASA has assured everyone the passage of rogue planet Malachite will be safe, but Crosby's been getting other messages―from a fortune teller and Malachite truther message boards. And now she believes that Malachite will kill everyone who doesn’t ascend to the fourth dimension―a higher plane that transcends physicality.

She tries to prepare her friends and family to leave their bodies behind and raise their frequency by changing their diets, wearing the right crystals, and moving into her friend’s bunker before it’s too late. But no one is listening.

The more time she spends trying to talk her roommate and her quirky friends into her apocalypse plans, the more Crosby is forced to face the cracks in everything she believes to be true.

This novel in verse explores the danger and humanity of conspiracy in a post-truth world through empathy, friendship, and forgiveness.

Friday 16 February 2024

Artezans: The Forgotten Magic by LD Lapinski


For the last 400 years, magic has been fading...

Edward Crane has always feared he won't have any magic at all. Sure, he's part of a powerful magic Artezan family, but he's adopted. His twin sister, Elodie, isn't so worried, but then everything always seems to work out perfectly for her.

So when Ed discovers he does have an Artezan power after all, he's relieved. And it's more than he ever could have imagined - in fact, it's a dream come true. But the problem with dreams is that sometimes they twist themselves into nightmares.

And with Ed's new abilities growing by the day, there's a chance that this nightmare will become all too real...

Thursday 15 February 2024

Wednesday 14 February 2024

Trigger by C G Moore




Jay wakes in a park, beaten and bruised. He can’t remember what happened the night before. But he has suspicions.

Jay realises he has been raped — and that his ex-boyfriend may have been involved.

Counselling sessions cause Jay to question everything. His new friend Rain encourages his pursuit of justice. Jay wants answers, but his search will lead him down a perilous path.

Tuesday 13 February 2024

We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller


Jordan Elliot is a fat, nerdy lesbian, and the first junior to be named editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Okay, that last part hasn’t happened yet, but it will. It’s positive thinking that has gotten Jordan this far. Ever since Mackenzie West, her friend-turned-enemy, humiliated her at the start of freshman year, Jordan has thrown herself into journalism and kept her eyes trained on the future.

So it’s a total blow when Jordan discovers that she not only didn’t get the editor-in-chief spot, but she’s been assigned the volleyball beat instead. And who is the star and new captain of the volleyball team? Mackenzie West. But words are Jordan’s weapon, and she has some ideas about how to exact a long-awaited revenge on her nemesis.

Then things get murky when forced time together has Mack and Jordan falling back into their friendship, and into something more. And when Mack confesses the real reason she turned on Jordan freshman year, it has Jordan questioning everything—past, present, and future. If Jordan lets her guard down and Mack in, will she get everything she wants, or will she be humiliated all over again?

Monday 12 February 2024

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall


Hollis Beckwith isn’t trying to get a girl—she’s just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a boyfriend: Chris. Their relationship isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she’s a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris’s favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery—but his unfortunate “No Girlfriends at the Table” rule means she’ll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Enter: Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria’s cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in-game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armor, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in-game crush develops between Hollis’s character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis’s stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants…or if she’s content to just play pretend.

Saturday 10 February 2024

A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders


It’s 1973 and 12-year-old Jenny is in shock. She’s just been cast as one of the lead roles in a feature film. She’s going to be a child actor! Soon she must jet off to France, to the idyllic Château Mouchotte, where she will join her film family: three other children and two renowned actors.

The glitz and glamour of being on set is a million miles away from Jenny’s normal life, but showbiz is never straightforward and there’s one fierce and famous actor that threatens the whole shoot. It’s up to Jenny and her friends to keep the peace and save the film. Jenny is about to experience a life-changing summer in the spotlight!

Friday 9 February 2024

Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan


Ireland, 1846 Nell is working as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Once she loved school and books and dreaming. But there's not much choice of work when the land grows food that rots in the earth. Now she is scrubbing, peeling, washing, sweeping for Sir Philip Wicken, the man who owns her home, her family's land, their crops, everything. His dogs are always well fed, even as famine sets in.

Upstairs in the Big House, where Nell is forbidden to enter, is Johnny Browning, newly arrived from England: the young nephew who will one day inherit it all. And as hunger and disease run rampant all around them, a spark of life and hope catches light when Nell and Johnny find each other.

This is a love story, and the story of a people being torn apart. This is a powerful and unforgettable novel from the phenomenally talented Sarah Crossan.

Thursday 8 February 2024

Wednesday 7 February 2024

The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover


Audrey St. Vrain has grown up in the shadow of someone who doesn’t actually exist. Before she was born, her mother, Camilla St. Vrain, wrote the bestselling book Letters to My Someday Daughter, a guide to self-love that advises treating yourself like you would your own hypothetical future daughter. The book made Audrey’s mother a household name, and she built an empire around it.

While the world considers Audrey lucky to have Camilla for a mother, the truth is that Audrey knows a different side of being the someday daughter. Shipped off to boarding school when she was eleven, she feels more like a promotional tool than a member of Camilla’s family. Audrey is determined to create her own identity aside from being Camilla’s daughter, and she’s looking forward to a prestigious summer premed program with her boyfriend before heading to college and finally breaking free from her mother’s world.

But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the book’s anniversary, Audrey can’t help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each other’s lives—not as the someday daughter and someday mother but as themselves, just as they are. What Audrey doesn’t know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staff—including the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silas—will upset everything she’s so carefully planned for her life.

Tuesday 6 February 2024

When I Feel Red by Lily Bailey


'I feel like I'm always ... last. Like I'm running to try and keep up with everyone but it's no good.' 
April has always marched to the beat of her own drum, but would life be easier if she learned to fit in? Now that she's in Year 8, things have got even worse. She's much more likely to be trying to rescue an animal in need than worrying about who's dating who at school, which April just finds BORING. Plus, her lessons feel like they're in a foreign language, and it suddenly seems impossible to make it through the week without landing in detention. 
As family worries and classroom romances ramp up, it feels like everyone around her is pulling away - even her best friend Ben. But when the pressure's on, can she find a way to fit in and still be true to herself? 
An empowering follow up to When I See Blue about finding your place in the world from the inspiring author and mental health activist, Lily Bailey.

Monday 5 February 2024

Blog tour: Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee



Hannah Tate can hardly believe her sleep - deprived eyes when she finds an engagement ring hidden in the closet. Killian, her super responsible, incredibly attractive boyfriend — and the father of her new baby, Bowie — is finally going to propose. But a romantic night out goes horribly wrong when Killian reveals he’s dumping Hannah, not proposing. 

Furious and heartbroken, Hannah takes Bowie and moves in with her mama and stepdaddy in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Hannah realizes that her parents’ cabin has vacation property gold written all over it — and could save her mama from going broke. Again. 

Only problem? The cabin’s décor is . . . mildly terrifying and it’s in desperate need of renovation. Hannah hires the hot carpenter living in the treehouse next door to fix up the place. Not only does River respect Hannah’s business acumen, he looks at her like she’s a woman, not a hot mess. And Hannah can’t deny that River awakens something new inside her. 

Can Hannah embrace a future that looks different from the picture - perfect family she once dreamed of . . . and maybe start living life on her own terms? 

Saturday 3 February 2024

Just Happy to be Here by Naomi Kanakia


In this YA standalone perfect for fans of Tobly McSmith and Meredith Russo, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school must choose between keeping her head down or blazing a trail. Tara just wants to be treated like any other girl at Ainsley Academy. That is, judged on her merits—not on her transness. But there’s no road map for being the first trans girl at an all-girls school. And when she tries to join the Sibyls, an old-fashioned Ainsley sisterhood complete with code names and special privileges, she’s thrust into the center of a larger argument about what girlhood means and whether the club should exist at all. Being the figurehead of a movement isn’t something Tara’s interested in. She’d rather read old speeches and hang out with the Sibyls who are on her side—especially Felicity, a new friend she thinks could turn into something more. Then the club’s sponsor, a famous alumna, attacks her in the media and turns the selection process into a spectacle. Tara’s always found comfort in the power of other peoples’ words. But when it comes time to fight for herself, will she be able to find her own voice?

Friday 2 February 2024

Into the Witchwood by Méabh McDonnell



Never, ever, set foot inside the Witchwood

Surrounding Rowan’s home is the dark, dangerous Witchwood. At the heart of it, sitting at the bottom of an ancient well, is a powerful Witch.

Six months ago, Rowan’s mother went into the woods – and never came back out. Nothing has been the same ever since. She fights with her dad and her little sister, and her Nana won’t even speak to her. There’s only one thing that can fix it; Rowan needs to bring her mum home.

There’s magic lurking in the shadows. Watching her. Can Rowan enter the Witchwood and save her mum?

After all, she’s a witch too...

Thursday 1 February 2024

Saturday 27 January 2024

My First Book of Irish Birds


Robin, magpie, swan, eagle, swallow, owl.
Introduces the youngest readers to the feathered friends they can see flying all around Ireland!
With simple text and pictures, this bright and colourful board book is perfect for children learning how to understand the world around them.

Friday 26 January 2024

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Spoilers for The Inheritance Games series)


Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

Thursday 25 January 2024

Wednesday 24 January 2024

Blog tour: Red by Annie Cardi (spoilers in review)


Moving to Hawthorne was something Tess and her mom never anticipated, but after Tess’s mom loses her job, it’s their only option. Tess’s grandparents welcome them into their home, but with the condition that Tess and her mom attend church, something Mom isn’t too pleased about. But Tess enjoys the church community, finding a place in youth group and the church choir. Faith fills a void Tess didn’t know she had.

After a very personal decision goes public, Tess faces daily harassment and rejection by her former friends, and singing in the church choir is no longer an option. When she meets some kids in the music room, her only place of solace in the school, who don't judge her for what's happened, she learns to find her voice again. Against the backdrop of the Spirit Light Festival, Tess will need to find the strength to speak out if she has any chance of ending a silent cycle of abuse in Hawthorne.

Saturday 20 January 2024

The Green Budget Guide by Nancy Birtwhistle


Saving money doesn't have to cost the earth.

How can you remove even the toughest stains? How can you make the best use of your microwave and keep meals healthy and tasty? How can you remove mould safely? Sunday Times bestselling author Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle is here to answer all of these questions and more, featuring 101 thoughtful, cheap and time-saving tips and tricks on how to run a budget home – all while protecting the environment.

Born in post-war Hull in the 1950s, and formerly a single working mum to two kids, Nancy is no stranger to frugality. Building on her astonishing 12p laundry detergent and wildly popular recipe, ‘Pure Magic’, The Green Budget Guide includes more of the inspired, sustainable and budget friendly hacks that have made Nancy so loved by readers and followers on social media, as well as tips and tricks from a lifetime spent learning how to run a household efficiently by saving time and money.

Thursday 18 January 2024

Monday 15 January 2024

The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka


“Murder owls are extreme,” Jude said. “What’s more extreme than murder owls?”

Madigan Purdy is stuck in her home town library.

When tens of thousands of owls descend on the building, rending and tearing at anyone foolish enough to step outside, Mad is tasked with keeping her students safe, and distracted, while they seek a solution to their dilemma.

Perhaps they’ll find the inspiration they seek in her favorite childhood book, The Silent Queen….

With food and fresh water in low supply, the denizens of the library will have to find a way out, and soon, but the owls don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave…

The Parliament is a story of grief and missed opportunities, but also of courage and hope.

And of extremely sharp beaks.

Thursday 11 January 2024

Wednesday 10 January 2024

Dragon Rider by Taran Matheru


New York Times bestselling author Taran Matharu’s debut adult fantasy series introduces an immersive story written in the tradition of the viral cultivation genre. Discover a rich world of magic, warriors, and dragons, in which a fearless orphan and an ambitious handmaiden flee from the empire that would imprison them, with a dream to return to their homelands and a determination that’s unbreakable… Can an orphan captive learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders to stand up and avenge his people? Jai lives as a royal hostage in the Sabine Court—ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Steppefolk, led a failed rebellion and was executed by the very emperor Jai now serves. When the emperor’s son and heir is betrothed to Princess Erica of the neighboring Dansk Kingdom, she brings with her a dragons. Endemic to the northern nation, these powerful beasts come in several forms, but mystery surrounds them. Only Dansk royalty know the secret to soulbonding with these dangerous beasts to draw on their power and strength. This marriage—and the alliance that forms—will change that forever. But conspirators lurk in the shadows, and soon the Sabine Court is in chaos. With his life in danger, Jai uses the opportunity to escape with the Dansk handmaiden, Frida, and a stolen hatchling. Hunted at every turn, he must learn to cultivate magic and become a soulbound warrior if he has any chance of finding safety, seizing his destiny…and seeking his revenge.

Tuesday 9 January 2024

The Costumes of Downton Abbey by Emma Marriott


An inside look at the intricate costuming of the popular PBS series, including character costume choices and the historic fashion trends characteristic of the aristocracy during the Edwardian era.

Appealing to Anglophiles, costume and sewing aficionados, and fans of the hit series, The Costumes of Downton Abbey presents—with comprehensive historical detail and beautiful imagery—the design decisions and wardrobe intricacies that shaped the glamour and elegance of the characters of Downton Abbey.

Featuring the fashion of both upstairs and downstairs cast members, this title explores the unique daytime, evening, special occasion, and wedding wardrobes that led to a 2011 Emmy and several Emmy nominations for Outstanding Costumes for a Series. Detailed photographs, fan-favorite stills from the television series, and designer notes and insights make this a delightful and informative guide to the role costumes played in the character portrayal, story development, and art direction of the series.

Monday 8 January 2024

With or Without You by Eric Smith


All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and Ortiz families have a well-known food truck rivalry. Jordan and Cindy have spent all of high school making cheesesteaks and slinging insults at each other across their shared Philadelphia street.

But the truth? They’re in love, and it’s all just an act for the tourists.

When the fake feud lands them a reality tv show pilot, Jordan and Cindy find themselves having to lie on a much bigger scale. Trapped between pursuing their dreams or their love, can they find a way to have their cheesesteak and eat it too?

Thursday 4 January 2024

Wednesday 3 January 2024

You Wouldn't Catch me Dead by Tess James-Mackey


The only thing worse than being lost . . . is being found.

Keely planned to keep her head down at her new school - she isn't there to make friends or memories, she just wants to be left alone.

In order to get into college, she is roped into a programme that involves camping in the Welsh wilderness with five over-keen try-hards. Her plan is to keep her head down, keep her mouth shut and get through the next few days.

But Keely is running from something. Something that drove her family out of their home and to this quiet town. And when her fellow explorers start disappearing and the bodies begin to pile up, she has to ask herself: did she run far enough?

Monday 1 January 2024

Folklore Oracle by Mike Bass


The only oracle deck to tap into the current interest in folklore. These beautifully illustrated cards feature famous characters, plants and animals from across UK and US folklore, from White Bison and Sasquatch (Big Foot) to Herne the Hunter, Sheela-na-gig and the Green Man.

This wonderful linocut-style card deck features characters and beings from the folklore of the UK and the US:

Creatures such as Mermaid, the Brownie, the Boogyman, Sasquatch, Black Shuck and the Jackalope.
Divinities such as the Green Man, the Muse, the Banshee, Pan, Sheela-na-Gigh and Herne the Hunter.
Trees such as Oak, Maple, Willow, Yew, Hazel and Redwood.
Animals and birds such as Fox, Raven, Badger, Rattlesnake, Wolf and Eagle.

A booklet details a profile for each card, including three quality keywords, a story to bring the character or being to life, three divinations (each linked to one of the quality keywords) to show what the card means when it comes up in a reading, and suggested practices for working with character’s energy.

Use the deck as an oracle to answer questions, to fire up creativity, connect with nature, and enrich daily life with a sense of magic.

Thursday 28 December 2023

Tread Softly ed by Nicola Reddy Illustrated by Erin Brown


With poems by W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde and James Joyce, Katharine Tynan, Alice Milligan, Lady Wilde and Lady Gregory, J.M. Synge, Jonathan Swift, Austin Clarke and many others, this collection will delight readers young and old.

Let the words of these masters – some heart-remembered, others new to discover – and the radiant illustrations by Erin Brown bring you from bee-loud glade to fields of light, from purple glen to caves ‘neath the glittering waves.

Wednesday 27 December 2023

The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales


A fanfic writer brings her favorite TV character to life in this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers novel full of humor and heart.

Ivy Winslow has the house to herself for a week while her parents are away. She’s planning to use this newfound freedom to binge-watch her favorite fantasy TV show, H-MAD, and hang out with her best friend, Henry. She’ll also have to avoid her former best friend-turned enemy (and neighbor), Mack. But things quickly go awry when Ivy wakes up to find Weston, the gorgeous, very fictional main character of H-MAD in her bedroom, claiming to be her soul mate.

Ivy realizes that her fanfic writing has somehow brought Weston as she’s imagined him to life. But it turns out that the tropes she swoons over in her stories are slightly less romantic in reality, and her not-so-fictional crush is causing some real-world problems. To figure out why Weston is here and what to do with him, Ivy decides to team up with Henry and (against her better judgment) Mack. But with Mack back in her life, Ivy starts to wonder if Weston, her “perfect guy”, is the one who’s truly perfect for her . . . or if that was someone else all along.

Tuesday 26 December 2023

Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain


A bittersweet Northern Irish romance that takes a new look at teen pregnancy, the magic and mess of first relationships, and a young woman's right to choose her own future.

Beneath the New Year's Eve fireworks, shy science-nerd Mel and slacker songwriter Sid get pregnant on their first date. Any sixteen-year-olds would expect trouble – but this is Northern Ireland 2018, where abortion is still illegal. Mel's religious parents insist she must keep the baby, whilst Sid's feminist mum pushes for a termination. Mel and Sid are determined to do this together, but they soon discover that pregnancy is totally different for boys and girls. When their relationship starts to fall apart under all the pressure, Mel finds herself feeling alone with the impossible dilemma of the Little Bang growing inside her.

Wednesday 20 December 2023

Jane Eyre abridged by Patrice Lawrence


"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will."

As a young orphan, Jane Eyre is thrown upon the mercy of an aunt and cousins who are anything but merciful, and when they send her away to an austere boarding school for charity cases, it seems she will never be allowed to forget her humble beginnings. However, Jane has a quiet inner strength and resourcefulness, and when she take on a role as governess at Thornfield Hall, she quickly gains both the affection and respect not only of her young pupil, but also the child's guardian, the fierce and brooding Mr Rochester.

Perhaps Jane has finally found the love for which she has always longed? But Mr Rochester has a dark secret. A secret that will rock Thornfield Hall to its very foundations...

Monday 18 December 2023

Stitch by Pádraig Kenny


Stitch is not a monster - he's a creation.

He and his friend Henry Oaf were brought to life by the genius Professor Hardacre, and have spent all their days in a castle deep in the woods, far from humankind. But when the Professor dies and his pompous nephew comes to take over the laboratory, they soon find out that his sights are set not on scientific discovery, but personal glory. And Henry is his next experiment.

Can Stitch and Henry escape his clutches and make their way in a world they were never built for - and may never be ready for them?

A magnificent gothic adventure full of heart for age 8+

Thursday 7 December 2023

Saturday 2 December 2023

It's too dark, Puffling by Erica McGann and Gerry Daly


Puffling lives on Skellig Michael, and she loves her cosy underground nest. But her little puffling friend is too afraid to sleep in his burrow - 'I don't like the dark. It's too dark in the dark.' So Puffling takes him to visit a playful rabbit, a happy crab, a friendly blue shark, and many other animals on Skellig. Each one tells the little puffling what they love most about the dark. Can Puffling convince her little friend not to be afraid?

Friday 1 December 2023

One of Us Is Back by Karen McManus


Ever since that day in detention, life hasn't been easy for the Bayview Crew.

Now Nate is trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with Bronwyn, who is struggling to balance her new life at Yale with her memories of Bayview.

Addy's about to leave Bayview behind and take a leap into the unknown and Phoebe's tired of keeping secrets. Everybody's ready to move on.

Until a mysterious billboard arrives.

Time for a new game, Bayview.

And when a member of the crew disappears, it's clear this 'game' just got serious - and no-one understands the rules.

Everyone's a target. And now that someone unexpected has returned to Bayview, things are starting to get deadly.

Simon was right about secrets - they all come out in the end.

Thursday 30 November 2023

Thursday 16 November 2023

Thursday 9 November 2023

Thursday 2 November 2023

Monday 30 October 2023

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft


Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.