Weekly recap, 31st May 2026

Welcome to the weekly recap! It's been very warm here this week, perfect for reading snowy books.

This week I posted

The Thing about Giants - breaking assumptions and making friends

Being Aro - you mean romance isn't the be all and end all?

The Tiny Magic Bookshop - the magic of books and found family

The Someday Garden - grief, gardening and a goose named Damnit

This week I read

Five Total Strangers - claustrophobic danger in the snow

The Inheritance - growing terror in an inherited house

Clearly I just wanted to scare myself before spending the weekend alone in a strange house.

Coming up

Tween wish fulfillment and meta commentary on genres!

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer—for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House—she doesn’t expect to fall in love.

But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place.

And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside.

This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie’s careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor’s owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires—including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer.

Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.

The Tiny Magic Bookshop by August C. Bloom

There's magic in a book ...

Max always felt too ordinary for the magical village of Lampton. No place more so than her mum's bookshop, where the recommendations are more than just a matter of taste - they're magic.

When Max's mum dies suddenly, she leaves her daughter Lamplight Books and makes one last wish: that Max would spend a year working in the bookshop before she sells it.

Max has no desire to uproot her busy life in the city to return to a place that always made her feel inadequate, but she can't ignore her mum's last request. So she decides on a trial run of two weeks - if she can't even last that long, then a year would be impossible...

Happy #BookBirthday! 28 May 2026

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

Being Aro ed by Madeline Dyer and Rosiee Thor

These twelve stories showcase aromantic people breaking generational curses, finding acceptance, and protecting the vulnerable while highlighting the infinite ways people find connection and love without romance.

A high school matchmaker learns a lesson about love. A rebellious spaceship pilot defies his culture’s compulsory coupling. A boy magically transforms banned romance novels into living dragons. A teen immune to romance, and the zombie virus, fights to survive the apocalypse. Being Aro is full of stories throughout real and imagined worlds that cross genres and disrupt the status quo.

The Thing about Giants by Christopher Galvin

Jacq is destined to hunt fearsome giants to protect her city--but when she meets a sensitive young giant named Corman in the forest, she realizes the world isn't quite what she's been taught. A page-turning adventure full of heart.

Thirteen-year-old Jacq Dyer is the daughter of two renowned giant hunters, although she's never had much stomach for what they do. In a city built from giants' bones, people rely on hunters to keep them prosperous and safe, and everyone knows that giants are violent, senseless creatures . . . aren't they? But when an accident leaves Jacq lost and injured in the wilderness, she ends up face-to-face with Corman, a frightened young giant, and Misneach, his overgrown badger. Corman has just lost his dad to hunters, and he and Jacq must learn to trust each other if they're going to find their ways home. 

But as they start finding out the truth about giant hunting--and the shadowy Resistance Jacq has grown up hating--they discover there's more at stake than either of their people know. 

With captivating world-building and rich characters, debut author Christopher Galvin offers an engrossing and thought-provoking tale.

Weekly recap - 24 May 2026

Happy Sunday! Welcome to the weekly recap. Missed a post, or curious about what's coming up? It's all right here.

This week, I posted

The Heirs - murder and mystery with five extraordinary siblings

The Blue Book of Nebo - language and belonging in post apocalyptic Wales

Just Another Dead Boy - romance and fate in a luxury resort

Really Rubie - tween drama and friendship at summer camp

This week, I read 

The Little House that needed a Witch - picture book about longing and belonging

Princess Diaries Graphic Novel - our favourite princess is back!

Princess (Apparently) - our new favourite princess is Caribbean!

Cursed Ever After - fantasy in a world where belief is more important than any spell

You Only Live Twice - a Muslim romance

Apparently this week I was all about how people see themselves and what happens when that's challenged

Coming up: For only the second time since beginning blogging, I have nothing due immediately! Would you read something long to clear it off the list or a few short things to gain some space?

Really Rubie by Maddie Frost

Hello, summer! Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the very first time. She and her best friend Riley Swisher will go away for an entire month TOGETHER, and they’ll even be able to spy on Riley’s crush Owen, who will be across from Camp Pineview, over at the boys’ camp, Moose-Ridge.

But when Riley drops a bomb—she can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle—Rubie has to go by herself. Which sort of makes her feel RAGE…how can she go to camp without Riley?! But her mom has already paid for it, so she’s stuck with her plushie chicken Jim the Duck and a cabin full of girls she doesn’t know.

But Rubie just might find another BFF, break out of her shell, and even meet a boy…all without Riley. Camp might be more eventful than Rubie ever thought it could be—will she sink or will she swim?

Just Another Dead Boy by Kelly McCaughrain

In a world where everyone knows the date they will die, Regan’s job to be the perfect girlfriend to rich boys with days to live. Her two rules: Don’t fall in love. Don’t have hope. So far, she’s been able to follow them, but will the last client between her and a full-time “Juliet” contract be the one that breaks her?

Wild-child Regan works at a luxury resort as a “Juliet” for the Romeo & Juliet Service, promising to provide the illusion of star-crossed romance to rich boys on end-of-life retreats. She gets to live life on the edge—skydiving, partying, and doing a host of other people’s bucket-list thrills—then moves on to her next client. But when world-famous Death Date researchers the Dalys arrive, she’s tasked with her hardest client yet, their overachieving stone-faced son. Jude Daly sees right through the setup—he thinks she’s a parasite, and, frankly, she thinks he’s an entitled jerk. They agree to fake romance for the sake of Jude’s parents and Regan’s job, but as contempt turns into something else, news breaks of the first ever Death Date survivor. Will Regan break her ironclad rules so she and Jude can take on Fate together—before his impending Death Date catches up with them? A compelling and heartbreaking love story, in which Regan realizes she might have to stop living like today is her last—and start living like it isn’t.

Happy #BookBirthday! 21 May 2026

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

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

Dylan was six when The End came. 

Now he is fourteen. Since the disaster that changed everything, Dylan and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the village of Nebo in north-west Wales, learning new skills and returning to old ways of living. They trap rabbits, tend the vegetable garden, and take turns caring for Dylan's little sister, Mona.

Dylan does not remember the time before they were alone, before the electricity went off for good, before the “normal” twenty-first century world disappeared.

His mother, Rowenna, has given him a simple task: to write in a journal, the book now in your hands. 

When, one night, Dylan asks his mam to write too—the story of The End and of the life before that he cannot remember—the Blue Book of Nebo is created.

“We’ve agreed not to read what the other has written, just in case," Dylan writes. "In case of what, I’m not sure.”

Together, they take turns writing their histories, what they remember, and what they can piece together of the outside world—and the secrets they have kept from each other for the past eight years.

What brought The End?

What was life like before?

Where did Dylan's baby sister Mona come from?

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects…

Octavius the Maestro.

Fola the Brain.

Bilal the Olympian.

Perdita the Artist.

Romeo the Failure.

These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father's impossibly high standards.

Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.

Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren't the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . .

Weekly recap 17th May 2026

Welcome to the weekly recap! 

This week, I posted:

The Last Dragon House - adventure and found family with only some light scorching occasionally

Forlorn Harbor - YA horror, Twilight Zone style. What's your ironic punishment?

A Flood of Memories - floods both literal and metaphorical in Malaysia

Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous - Stardew in real life, or sort of real

This week, I read:

The Someday Garden: Magic and mystery in a garden in Maine, where all the spooky things ever happen

A Flood of Memories - yep, cutting it very tight there

The Blue Book of Nebo - language and memory in post apocalypse Wales

All we have left - cosy apocalypse.

Apparently this week I was all about the memories we keep when everything else falls away.

Coming up:

It's all about princesses next week! 

What have you been reading?

Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K England

When Oaklin Nettlewood accidentally joined an evil world-ending cult, mind control magic forced them to do unspeakable things. Years later, the realm's heroes have finally saved the day, defeated the villain, and shattered the last remnants of the spell...leaving destruction in their wake. And so, with a spell-damaged memory and whole bushel of trauma, Oaklin escapes to a small farm on the edge of Mossley's Rest and swears an oath: After all the things they were forced to do with their magic, they will never use it again. Ever.

The no-nonsense ghost granny who lives in Oaklin's house has other ideas. As she coaxes Oaklin out of their shell and back into the world, they find companionship (a grumpy horse and a very good dog), friendship (a local bard and magical baker who should just kiss already), and tentative romance (a paladin-librarian who makes Oaklin's heart come alive for the first time in ages.) Magic even seems possible again--though strictly for foraging magical mushrooms and protecting the farm from bugs.

Healing comes in gentle waves, and Oaklin doesn't have to do it alone. So what does it mean when an inquisitor comes to town to hunt former cultists just as Oaklin begins to think that maybe, just maybe, they deserve a happy ending after all?

A Flood of Memories by Nadia Mikail

It's raining in Sarawak, Malaysia - a lot - and Leila, now living in Kuala Lumpar, must go home to help her Mak before the floods become serious. But she hasn't been home since the death of her father - and she's not quite ready to confront what's waiting for her there. Life with Pak was complicated.

But Arthur is in Sarawak, the boy she's thought about ever since they first met at school - Arthur, who offers her support, care and love, but at a cost perhaps too great for Leila.

As the floodwaters rise and her family and home become threatened, can Leila confront the enormity of her own past in order to move forwards properly in her present? A beguiling and meaningful novel which explores the fine line between care and control, between love and abuse in families, and shows that it is possible to move on to a brighter future.

Happy #BookBirthday! 14th May 26

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

Forlorn Harbor by Jim Doran

Squeaky-clean Martina Ramirez is about to commit her first crime with a group of six schoolmates—breaking and entering into an abandoned movie theater. The trespassers soon find themselves trapped inside, and while trying to discover a way out, they are startled by a projector playing a film on its own. It shows a vintage episode of a horror series, and one of the group is trapped within the film. The only method of escape is to survive the episode, but the story doesn’t play fair. As the night wears on, the projector displays more episodes, ensnaring the others one by one. Martina tries to help her classmates, hoping that they’ll trust her. However, the events onscreen continue to work against her. And when Martina’s turn arrives, she must face her own ominous trial…alone.

The Last Dragon House by Liv Mae Morris

Siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood have never met a dragon—Olly doesn’t even think they’re real. But when the strange and brilliant Dr. Lady Abernathy offers Olly a job at her mysterious house, the Atwoods learn that these incredible beasts are very much alive—and they need help.

Dragons have been forced into hiding, and as caretakers of the Dragon House, Dr. Lady and Olly are the only protectors these magnificent creatures have left. But when evil forces conspire to poison Dr. Lady, Olly and his dragon friends find themselves locked in a race against time, political conspiracies…and one very large corgi. Can Olly recover the antidote before it’s too late? And can Jenny harness her stirring powers to keep Dr. Lady alive until then? Or could this be the end of the Dragon House—and dragons—as they know it?

Common Criminals' Club: Death Before Detention by Alison Weatherby

This is the story of how we . . .

- Discovered a dead body

- Launched an investigation

- Battled mean girls, feral bats, and nearly destroyed our three-year friendship all in the noble pursuit of solving a complex murder

Mae Flynn is used to the chaos of her rural Irish Catholic boarding school, but she isn’t expecting to discover a dead body in the school kitchen. To make matters worse, the hapless victim, Conor Haddock, was the previous owner of the school building and had recently been talking about selling up, alongside getting on the bad side of seemingly every adult Mae knows. In other words: the suspects are endless.

Along with her best friends, the self-named Common Criminals' Club, Mae is determined to solve the murder. But the more she uncovers, the more she begins to suspect that everyone around her is hiding something. Soon it’s not only her lessons and friendships at stake, but her very life . . .

Bromantasy by Marie Roche

Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for?

Juniper Reilly is good at only two things: demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Oh, and getting in brawls at the local tavern, backed by his roommate, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Morn Elmthorn (Mo, for short).

But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—though that’s worrying for an entirely different reason.

But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When the brave, totally 100% platonic bros realize the “fearsome monster” is actually just a scared little girl, they’ll begin to wonder who the real villain is… and if Juniper and Mo can find their own happy ending along the way.

In a kingdom utterly unprepared for Juniper and Mo’s single shared brain cell, BROMANTASY is what would happen if David Rose starred in THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

Happy #BookBirthday! 7th May 2026

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

Questor's Academy: The Box of Locks by Sam Hay

Tom Friday was never meant to be a magical-object-guarding, super-brave secret agent. But on a visit to the Natural History Museum he gets embroiled in the world of the Questers Academy – protectors of mythical treasures and artefacts from around the world.

Questers student Leesha is determined to be the youngest ever agent for Questers, but first she’ll need to prove her worth. That’s where Tom comes in. Tom is a super-recogniser, someone with the ability to pick out people from a crowd after barely glimpsing them for a moment. Together Leesha is sure they can solve a complex and intriguing quest: to find the key to the mythical Box of Locks, before it falls into the wrong hands.

Faced with a bunch of complicated ciphers and coded clues, the new friends must learn to trust each other in order to beat the forces of darkness and save the world from potential apocalypse.

Common Decency by Tom Allen

It may be quiet in the suburbs, but it's far from peaceful...

Oak Drive can be found nestled tidily in an unassuming English town. Its uniform front gardens overlook a midsized common which the street's residents survey with quiet, some might say smug, pride.

This is the sort of place where it pays to sweat the small stuff, and let the big things look after themselves. Bins should be placed back in their right positions in a timely fashion and paintwork should share the same tasteful but muted palette.

Sometimes, however, the big things do not look after themselves - and all hell can break loose in sleepy suburbia.

Common Decency chronicles the lives and interactions of the street's residents as they band together to save a beloved oak tree from destruction at the hands of ruthless developers.

As tensions rise and repressed neuroses and resentments seep out, the secrets of Oak Drive threaten to shatter the well-ordered veneer, revealing some rather more surprising truths. . .

The Monster and the Clown by Mats Strandberg and Sofia Falkenhem

Frank must outwit the ringleader of the monstrous circus in this new story in the just-scary-enough illustrated chapter book series about a warm-hearted boy-turned-werewolf trying to find his pack.

The people of Yrred are terrified of monsters, and fear is spreading like wildfire. So when Kruger the Clown comes to town, they leap at his offer to catch the creatures haunting Yrred and force them to perform at his circus. Only Frank knows the town’s secret—and his own. He is the monster they’re all afraid of. But he’s also a nine-year-old boy, who has finally found friends like him. Frank and his monster friends must reveal the truth of Kruger’s cruel circus before the hateful plan takes hold. The Monster and the Clown is a spine-tingling adventure about a creepy clown, a daring rescue, and having the courage to stand up for what’s right.

Young World by Soman Chainani

America is on the brink of collapse, and the youth have lost all faith in their leaders. As a pivotal election approaches, Benton Young, a high school senior trying to impress a girl, impulsively uploads a video, daring everyone to interfere with the vote and write him in for President. The video explodes online, igniting election chaos and a national revolt, until the Supreme Court intervenes to put Benton in the White House. Galvanized by Benton’s rise, more global youth take to the streets, and more governments fall, until eight of the world's most powerful nations are led by teenagers.

When these young leaders convene at their first summit in Sweden, they face the monumental task of setting a new course for history. But the first night, their unity is shattered when a leader is murdered in cold blood . . . and Benton is the only suspect. Hunted by enemies young and old, he must untangle a deadly web of secrets, betrayal, and power plays—while the future of the world hangs in the balance.

With globe-spanning action, stunning twists, and an electric new brand of storytelling, Young World is a heart-stopping thriller that asks: What happens when the future really does belong to the young?

Happy #BookBirthday! 30 Apr 26

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

Last to Leave by Teresa Richards

Video game streamer Fallon joins a 1920s-themed murder mystery game, and the only thing more important than figuring out whodunit is who has the most fans.

When seventeen-year-old up-and-coming video game streamer and content creator, Fallon, earns a coveted spot in the new murder-mystery reality game, SleuthIt, her objective seems pretty straightforward: play the game, solve the mystery, and win the million-dollar prize. The fact that she’ll do it all on livestream with seven other young content creators only makes things better—after all, increased exposure is influencer gold, and winning will catapult her gaming channel to the next level.

But unbeknownst to each other, the contestants are interconnected, and when one of them turns out to be Fallon’s online gaming partner, Dante, she starts to doubt the objective of the game. The intrigue runs much deeper than Fallon ever thought—the eight contestants chosen for the show are not the only players in the game, and the interlopers have hidden agendas and competing interests.

As secrets come out and the lines between ally and adversary blur, Fallon will have to figure out what game she’s really playing, who might be playing her, and what she’s willing to sacrifice in pursuit of fame and fortune. Because, in the end, no one can have it all.

Blog Tour: The Redwood Bargain by Markelle Grabo

To free her cousin from an indentured contract, Katrien agrees to fulfill their lord’s bargain with the fabled “Redwood Man.” Three maids before her have posed as his stepdaughter, Lady Zaviera, and met this lord of the forest as promised. But Katrien means to be the first to fool him—and live.

Impersonating a Lady is no easy feat, especially one as beautiful and aloof as Zaviera. With six weeks before she’s sent off, Katrien is put through endless lessons, even as The Redwood Man’s suffocating vines overtake the manor and threaten its staff.

Zaviera takes a special interest in her training, and their shared interests grow into shared affections. But The Redwood Man awaits his prize. Caught between duty and desire, her future and her past, Katrien must navigate a tricky bargain—or risk failing those she holds dearest.

Wench by Erynne Rivers

Maid Marian’s life is over.

Her cowardly father has betrothed her to the most reviled man in the land: the Sheriff of Nottingham. Devastated, she’s sent on the quickest path to meet her husband, through the fae-infested Sherwood Forest.

But everything changes when her carriage is attacked by the most feared fae of all: the Merry Men, followers of the infamous Robin Hood. Kidnapped and waiting on the Sheriff’s rescue, Marian finds herself surrounded by the magical creatures she’s been raised to fear. But the more time she spends in their presence, Marian realises that not everything she’s been taught by her family is true.

And Marian can’t help but find herself drawn to her captor – the sinfully handsome Robin, who stands between her and returning to life amongst the humans.

As the Sheriff's men close in on Marian's location, she will soon be faced with the ultimate choice: the family she’s always known, or the love she can choose for herself…

Reality TV for Snobs by Ali Barthwell

Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 20 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors.

Much like reality itself, reality TV has one main problem: There’s just too much of it. Whether you’re a devoted fan who wants to share your passion, a specialist who doesn’t have time to watch every show, or a skeptic who still wants to understand all the references, you’re going to need a guide.

Great news: Reality TV for Snobs offers explanation and analysis of 20 influential shows. Learn about:

• The massive cultural impact of The Bachelor
• The ultimate fate of all those top models from America’s Next Top Model
• The genesis of that Real Housewives meme you keep seeing
• What really happened on the set of Survivor

And many more secrets, facts, and insights!

This is the second installment in the Outsider’s Guide series, which offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal. Join the conversation—or convince your favorite snob to join it with you!

Happy #BookBirthday! 23 Apr 2026

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

Andromeda by E. S. McLeod

Blessed by the gods with unparalleled beauty, Andromeda lives a life of ease within her Aethiopian palace walls. Content with her sanctuary, the young princess has no concerns other than the royal expectations her parents have for her – until a single, fateful proclamation changes everything.

When the queen defies the gods with a blasphemous claim, Poseidon, fearsome God of the Seas, delivers a deadly ultimatum that puts the queen’s life in Andromeda’s hands. Poseidon sends his loyal servant, the shape-shifting Ceto, to seal the princess’s fate.

But Ceto is not just a servant. With a sharp tongue and hardened heart, she has little interest in the princess’s appearance – and even less in the games of gods. Yet an undeniable tension begins to bloom between them, and both quickly realise Andromeda’s beauty is not only a gift, but a weapon to wield. As Poseidon’s judgement draws ever closer, the two women find themselves pulled into something far more passionate – and dangerous – than either could have predicted...

The Ship's Cat by Alex Howard

From the bestselling author of The Ghost Cat comes an epic new adventure for feline fans. The Ship's Cat is the Odyssey with cats - a heroic yet feel-good tale of unlikely friendship on the high seas.

When street-savvy London stray Archie accidentally stows away on a flight to Turkey, he's just looking for shelter. But after stumbling onto a fishing boat in a quiet cove, Archie discovers he's no ordinary feline - for with his polydactyl paws, he brings uncanny good fortune to vessels at sea.

From the sun-drenched harbours of the Mediterranean to the bustling decks of ocean racers, Archie becomes a legend among sailors. Yet beneath the viral fame and whispered tales of 'the magical ship's cat', Archie yearns for something deeper: a forever-human who will love him not as a talisman, but as a companion.

It may be luck that drives Archie on this great Odyssey around the world, but love will be what calls him home - not to some place, perhaps, but to someone.

Heartwarming, adventurous and quietly profound, The Ship's Cat is a tale of resilience, belonging, unexpected friendship and the mysterious ways love finds us.

Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler by Amelia Tait

The start of a brilliantly funny accidental time-travel diary series for tweens. It’s Back to the Future meets Judy Blume, with a 13-year-old girl who tackles timeslip mishaps, laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments, and one unpredictable adventure after another.

Hi! I’m Lily. My birthday is in two weeks and I have a big secret: Every New Year's when the clock strikes midnight, I time travel to a new century. Mind-blowing, right!?

Thank goodness my cat, best friend, and school crush always turn up, too. But I still have a ton of problems… like why is my arch-nemesis, Georgia, so good at ye olde insults? How does anyone survive in Ancient Rome without chicken nuggets? Why are my brother’s clothes so ridiculous in every century? And why on earth can’t I stay in one era!?

The Between-Worlds B&B by Amy Mae Baxter

Margo is bored. It’s the summer before she graduates and she has no idea where her life is going. When she gets locked out, and checks into a lovely B&B, Margo is greeted by surprisingly handsome receptionist, Finn. The rooms are cosy, there’s a grand library and a huge swimming pool, and the breakfast smells amazing.

But Margo soon suspects that it’s all too perfect, and that magic is in the air. She’s fairly sure that one of the other guests is a fairy princess, for one thing. Is this a B&B for magical beings? But Margo doesn’t have a magical bone in her body, so what is she doing there?

The Unchosen One by Amy Sparkes

Tassie has always dreamt of a life of adventure and exploration. Instead, she’s stuck in the Citadel under the care of the Chief Steward, well away from any form of danger. When the Wisest of the Wise Witches comes to visit and proclaims her the Chosen One, destined to save her people from death and destruction, Tassie realizes why she’s spent her life under lock and key—in order to fulfill a prophecy. Can she refuse the role and find an alternative? Along with her best friend, a griffin named Spin, she embarks on a hilarious epic quest through magical lands in a race against time.

Looking for Aurora By Zainab Boladale

Aurora Kutti's life seems perfect: she's a beauty and fashion icon for her many TikTok followers.

But below the surface it’s a different story. All the freebies and product launches can’t stop her feeling empty. All the glamour is scripted, and she’s not even sure she knows who she is anymore.

When Aurora’s ‘momager’ pushes her towards yet more fame, she decides to make herself disappear. But can she find herself, or is she lost forever?

Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham

Temmi, a young trash collector stuck in a dead-end job on a garbage planet, finds herself with a golden ticket she never expected: an opportunity to compete in an intergalactic dating show starring the brother and sister heirs to the galactic empire. Twenty-four women will compete on a televised program to marry the prince and princess—and future emperors—and to win the dynasty’s favor for their home planet.

Temmi may have been hand-picked to date the quiet, bookish prince, who is immediately taken by her brash personality and their shared passion for the sciences. But she can’t seem to keep away from the princess—and even though it couldn’t be a worse idea, their chemistry is undeniable.

But when contestants start turning up dead, and conspiracies begin to swirl around anti-imperial motivations of several contestants, Temmi among them, so much more than feelings are at stake.

In fact, very few of the participants of Love Galaxy have come on the show to find love. Sexy, snarky, and revolutionary, this fast-paced thrill ride will hook lovers of reality TV, fans of thoughtful sci-fi, and anyone who lives for drama.

Secret of the Selkies by Laura Keohane

‘They came from the sea, shrouded in cloaks and mystery’

A lonely summer looms ahead for Lana, with only Nan and Grandad for company. Still, it’s better than being stuck at home, living in her perfect brother’s shadow. But Carrig Cottage has magic and secrets of its own. When Lana finds a strange coat in the attic, and a book about mysterious, magical seal people – selkies – she also uncovers an incredible family secret. Lana is on the edge of a whole new, impossible world. Is this where she truly belongs?

Happy #BookBirthday! 9 Apr 26

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

The Ministry of Manners by David Solomons

A BOLD NEW MIDDLE-GRADE ADVENTURE FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR DAVID SOLOMONS EXPLORING WHAT'S LOST IN KEEPING QUIET AND WHAT'S FOUND IN FIGHTING BACK.

Be quiet. Be polite. Or be silenced.

Alfie and Margot Hawthorne have grown up under the Ministry of Manners, where politeness isn't a choice - it's the law. And one wrong word can change your life. He knows how to stay out of trouble, but she has never been one for quiet obedience.

When the Ministry takes Margot, everything changes. Inside the Manners Retreat, she fights to stay herself in a place built to erase her. Meanwhile, Alfie falls in with the Unsilenced - those who still dare to speak. But the Ministry has plans of its own. And if they succeed, rebellion won't just be punished. It'll be impossible.

An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke

In theory, the dragoness of Summer can make any resident on her island the ruler, if the previous Lord Summer is so careless as to die without an heir. In practice, absolutely no one expected her to choose Teddy, the last lord’s middle-aged fancy man. With his quick wit, heaps of charisma, and excellent dress sense, Teddy brings plenty of virtues to his new role, but statecraft, pedigree, and decorum are not among them. That’s all right: he’s done his duty to the island, and his five-year-old daughter, Zinnia, will make a brilliant Lady Summer when her time comes.

Except when a ship of desperate mainlander thieves arrives, Zinnia’s caught in the fracas and taken hostage. Teddy jumps into the rescue mission without delay, even though his days of adventures on the mainland are long buried with his lover. But his sailors have never seen their destination, and worse, the hard-liner admiral who leads them thinks Teddy’s a worthless dandy. Against a conniving robber baron, a sorceress who’s tamed her own dragon, and ordinary people with everything to lose, the crew faces terrible odds. But with all he loves in danger, Teddy must prove there’s more to him than he’d ever intended to show.

The Bookshop Sisters by Sarah Webb

It’s 1956. When thirteen-year-old bookworm Rosy Heron and her big sister Martha are sent to Dublin to help their aunt Toto in her busy bookshop for the summer, their quiet lives change overnight.

The two sisters quickly become part of the Baggot Books team as junior booksellers and bicycle delivery girls. But the bookshop is also full of secrets. Where does their aunt disappear to at night, and what exactly is happening in the basement of the shop? Rosy is determined to solve the mystery, but she’s not the only one interested in the goings-on in Baggot Books …

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook for Kids!

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✦ BLURB ✦

The best-selling (and wildly hilarious) Worst-Case Scenario series is back with 40 extreme survival tips for kids ages 8 to 12, great for adventurous fans of the I Survived series.

Erupting volcanoes. Ravenous sharks. Pooping in the woods.

The great outdoors is a weird, wonderful, and scare-your-pants-off terrifying place. Whether you’re freezing in the Arctic, escaping quicksand in the jungle, or befriending tarantulas in the desert, this guide has you covered.

Bust this guide open and discover step-by-step instructions for surviving the most extreme situations that Planet Earth can throw at you. Learn how to:

• Dodge a charging rhinoceros
• Ride out a sandstorm
• Navigate by the stars
• Build a snow cave
• Cross piranha-infested waters
• And much more!

Yeah, the outdoors can be scary, but you’ve got this indispensable, laugh-out-loud survival guide. So what are you waiting for? Get out there!

Happy #BookBirthday! 2 Apr 26

Happy Thursday! This week there are TWO books on our lists publishing - and they're both from O'Brien Press!

from the top, Sally Flynn by Méabh Collins

Sally loves musical theatre and dreams of a career on Broadway. Living near a theatre with her dad, she can practically see her dreams come true.

Writing her own musical is Sally’s first step to a life of fame. It’s so annoying that friends and family KEEP hinting that maybe her musical is not really about a lonely frog, but actually about her own life. She’s sure no one ever said that to Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Armed with new skills from a course packed with main-cast-energy theatre kids, Sally is ready to take her show public. Will her performance prove to her friends that she’s over any problems? The show must go on, after all.

Honey by Imani Thompson

The first time, Yrsa doesn’t intend to kill.

But the Cambridge professor sitting opposite has manipulated her friend, stolen her research. When she flicks the bee into his Sanpellegrino, she thinks he’ll get a nasty sting.

Then he’s dead. And Yrsa, who – let’s face it – has been bored for a while, is alive.

It’s a sweet feeling, finally having some control.

People Pleaser by Byrony Gordon

Olivia Greenwood has been trying very hard to please people for a very long time.

But today is going to change Olivia in a big way. A soul-crushing career disappointment, a fiery young woman with a chip on her shoulder and a cigarette in her hand, and one single blue hallucinogenic gummy all lead to a raucous night out and one hell of a hangover. And when Olivia wakes up the next morning, it seems she's unable to please anyone but HERSELF.

So who actually is Olivia Greenwood, when she's not trying to be what everyone else wants her to be?

What's That Spooky Sound? By Gerry Daly

It’s the morning after a big storm. Badger, red deer, owl and pygmy shrew hear a strange sound. It’s coming from across the stream, beyond the big tree, over the rocks … Maybe it’s from the big dark hole? One by one, they set off to investigate.

Just what is that sound? It’s kind of … spooky …

Happy #BookBirthday! 26 Mar 26

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

How to lose the Lottery by Jay McKenzie

Buy a lottery ticket✅

Win your wildest dreams✅

Lose everything…?

One lucky ticket is about to change everything.

Edie and Ron have been together for nearly fifty years, keeping each other afloat by the skin of their teeth. They’ve always been ordinary – until something very extraordinary happens.

Winning the lottery is everything they’ve ever wanted – well, almost.

Because for the last twenty years, Edie and Ron have been running from a secret that tore their family apart. And when you can suddenly buy everything you’ve ever wanted, you realise that the only thing you really want is the one thing money can’t buy.

Join Edie as she finally takes control. She’s had enough of playing the hand she’s been dealt – it’s time to risk it all.

The Porosity of Souls ByTerry Campbell

The human soul is an ethereal sponge, collecting and absorbing emotions—good and bad—and holding them for eternity. But the darker emotions—fear, anguish, loneliness—are far denser, more destructive…and sometimes, they can crack the soul.

A man in a bleak, futuristic society where physical sex is banned will stop at nothing to acquire the one thing he cannot have—love. A mayor in a small Canadian town must watch helplessly as his entire population falls victim to a ferocious plague. A stained-glass window inspires an artist, but not in the spiritual manner in which he imagines.

Let your soul absorb their emotions and more in eighteen disturbing tales of horror.

Small Magics by Alex Dunne

‘Magic isn’t only found in old ancient forests or dusty old castles … it’s everywhere, all the time …’

Molly Flynn never had a place to call home until she was sent to live above a mysterious antique shop with Pat, Priya and their foster kids, Wren and Lorcan. Her new family are anything but ordinary, though, and Molly is soon swept into their world of small magics.

But things start to turn frightening: someone is attacking magical creatures. No one is safe …

Can Molly and her newfound family defeat the dark magic before it’s too late?

Survival Show by Juno Dawson

10 CONTESTANTS. 1 KILLER STAGE. NO SECOND CHANCES… SING FOR YOUR LIFE!

Taryn Beck and her family don’t have much, and her younger brother needs vital medication to survive. Medication they can’t access or afford. So Taryn secretly enters Starmaker, the most watched reality TV show in the world.

The rules are simple; young women from all over the globe compete to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. If you win, a life of luxury awaits . . . But there’s a catch. Eliminated contestants are literally eliminated.

Taryn soon realises that reality TV is far from real. She and her fellow trainees are pitted against each other in cruel challenges and she is determined to expose the brutal regime and destroy Starmaker from the inside.

Get ready for the performance of Taryn’s life.

What we Did to Survive by Megan Lally

Hannah is having an incredible spring break. A week at a resort in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and her family is perfect for de-stressing from senior year, even if it’s awkward being around Emmy's older brother, Jackson, who she’s had a crush on for as long as she can remember.

Still, the beach is gorgeous. So is the guy they meet in the surf. Except Hannah is now the third wheel in Emmy’s vacation romance.

Eager to impress Emmy, her wealthy new boyfriend charters a private sailboat to make the most of their last day in paradise, and Hannah and Jackson are invited along. As the clouds roll in and the skies darken, their boat is the only one leaving the marina. And the further they get into open water, the more unsettled Hannah becomes. A storm is brewing onboard that’s as deadly as the one racing toward them. Forget surviving graduation. Who will make it back to land alive?

Happy #BookBirthday! 19th Mar 26

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

The Pledge by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

Lawyer Thea has just won the biggest case of her professional life when she receives a mysterious invitation, and finds herself on a jet, being whisked off to a private Caribbean island.

Except this is no holiday.

Thea's fellow guests represent the world's richest individuals and, on arrival, each is challenged to make The Pledge - to give half their fortunes to fight climate change.

But underneath the billionaire lifestyle is a game of survival of the fittest. And, by the morning, their manipulative and misguided host is dead.

Thea must navigate secrets, lies and scandals as the group's suspicions turn on her. Now, she's not just relying on her courtroom wiles to win a case; she's fighting for her life.

Because, when another guest dies, it's clear she's not just stranded on the island - she's trapped with a killer . . .

A Friend for Tiny Ghost By Tatyana Feeney

Tiny Ghost is all alone. He’d love someone to play with, but no one can see him.

Until one day Sam visits a big, old house. And he can see Tiny Ghost! Can a small boy and a tiny ghost be friends?

Well, maybe …

The Drop by S R Masters

Seven hundred feet in the air, no one can hear you scream.

Some might say that thirtysomething Cady Ellison landed herself a strange creative career, but Cady finally feels like she's found her footing. Now an online theme park influencer, she is invited to the opening of a brand-new park by her old friend, Danny, who wants to use her online profile to help build buzz for its flagship ride, Hysteria, a record-breaking 650 foot-tall roller coaster.

When she arrives at the half-complete theme park site in the middle of the desert, Cady is unexpectedly met with her old college friend group: Femi, an award-winning actor, Naseem, a decorated novelist, and Winston, a member of a popular rock group. Wanting them all to sing the praises of Hysteria online, Danny has arranged an exclusive private ride for them, capped off with the stunning desert sunset. But when their coaster cars get to the top of the first hill, the ride stalls 650 feet above ground. With no one due on site for days and over 100-degree heat awaiting them once the sun rises, the four friends soon realize that they must unravel the secrets from their complicated past if they are to find their way to safety.

The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C M Waggoner

Once upon a time, a somewhat wicked witch named Gretsella lived in a cozy little cottage in the Dark Forest of Brigandale. She dispensed herbs and tinctures at reasonable prices, met with her slightly oddball coven on a regular basis, and had absolutely no need of any further company whatsoever, thank you very much. But then one afternoon, Gretsella came home to find a screaming infant on her doorstep.

Against all her better judgement, she took the baby in. She named him Bradley.

Eighteen years later, Bradley has grown into a bafflingly likable young man under Gretsella’s extremely tolerant—one might even say doting—eye. But the witch’s hopes for an unremarkable yet fulfilling life for her son are shattered when small woodland animals start prophesying that he is the lost prince and should ascend to the throne. Bradley ignores Gretsella’s advice that prophecies and talking chipmunks are to be avoided at all costs, and sets off for the capital. But soon confusion and chaos are reigning, and scheming courtiers are using Bradley for their own ends. Sometimes a witch has to roll up her sleeves and take matters into her own cauldron. So Gretsella sets off to bring about the downfall of her darling son…

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride

Yearbook superlatives turn deadly in this darkly funny young adult thriller.

The rumor mill has never been kind to Meadowvale High seniors and best friends Rick and Martina, labeling them outcasts (sure), stoners (no comment), and pranksters (okay, this one’s fair). But for the most part, they have successfully flown under the radar.

That is, until they’re targeted in a prank that replaces yearbook superlatives with grisly forecasts of student and faculty deaths. Sure, Rick and Martina were never going to be voted Most Likely to Succeed . . . but Homecoming’s Cutest Corpses? Thanks for the cute, no thanks on the corpse.

At first, the senior class is annoyed by the prank. But when the body of Mr. Stephens, Most Likely to Sleep with the Fishes, is dredged from the bottom of a lake, suspicions arise that something truly sinister is going on. And as more people turn up dead in the exact ways the yearbook promised, it becomes clear someone’s killing off the student body one page at a time.

Now Rick and Martina must find the yearbook killer before their vicious superlative comes true. So much for surviving high school without drawing attention. Now Rick and Martina just want to survive.

How I Would Change: To the Death by Melissa Welliver

Welcome to Blood Island, where the struggle for survival against the bloodthirsty undead is captured on camera for entertainment.

When Bloodwatch, the shadowy organisation behind the ever-watchful cameras, descends upon the island to shoot a new high-stakes reality show, Astrid finds herself thrust into the spotlight. The prize at stake? A coveted ticket off the island. Paired with Luke, a risk-taking outsider harbouring secrets of his own, Astrid discovers the perilous costs of winning the adoration of a legion of fans.

Caught in a deadly game where the undead and other contestants close in, Astrid must navigate her developing feelings for Luke and the treacherous terrain of reality TV, where there can be only one winner.

Escaping the past is impossible when the present threatens to devour you.

Monsters by Stéphane Servant Translated by Sarah Ardizzone Illustrated by Nicolas Zouliamis

Roll up, roll up to discover the Circus of Dreams!

The circus is coming to the village at the end of the world. There will be knife-jugglers and fire eaters, death-defying acrobats and wonders too strange to name!

Of all our fantastical acts, the most shocking and terrifying of all is the Monster of Dreams.

At the mid-of-night this fearsome creature will be revealed. Come and take a look - if you dare...

But what is a monster, really?