Half a step away in the wheel of alternate universes, George Washington became a king instead of a president. In present day America, his descendants still sit the throne, active and involved in all the day to day affairs of state. The king's three children struggle to define themselves and find their roles in the monarchy.
Saturday, 31 August 2019
Friday, 30 August 2019
Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant and Lydia Corry
A mighty enchantress is asked to be godmother to a newborn princess, to help her be the best that she can be. She accepts, but then thinks of the task ahead of her. What makes one a good princess? To answer that question, she sends her mirror on a quest through time and space, to observe princesses and record their triumphs.
Thursday, 29 August 2019
The End of the World Survivors Club by Adrian J Walker
Beth has managed thus far without her (mostly) useless husband, but when her children are taken from her she'll need friends old and new to help her cross a new, terrifying ocean to track them down.
Verify by Joelle Charbonneau
In a future version of Chicago, the death of a teenager's mother is the catalyst for her to begin questioning, peeling back the layers of her world to discover the truth hidden underneath.
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
The Children of Lir by Laura Ruth Maher and Conor Busuttil
Everyone knows the story of the Children of Lir, one of the great tragedies of Irish folklore. With this beautiful new book from O'Brien Press, designed specifically for young readers, the next generation can be introduced to the story.
Monday, 26 August 2019
The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden
Some few years into the future, social media has been aggregated on a government controlled platform. Everyone is on it, if they're anyone. The system tracks everything, and anyone can like, dislike...or condemn. And if you get enough condemns, the #Hivemob takes over.
Cassie believes in the Hive. Things are so much better now; no doxxing, no trolling. Unless it's in service of the #Hivemob, of course. And when she ends up on the wrong side of it, she realises just how many things don't add up about the Hive...
Cassie believes in the Hive. Things are so much better now; no doxxing, no trolling. Unless it's in service of the #Hivemob, of course. And when she ends up on the wrong side of it, she realises just how many things don't add up about the Hive...
Wednesday, 21 August 2019
The Girl who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson
Yanka, raised by a bear until she was two, has always wanted to know about her past. She loves the fairy tales told by her friend Anatoly, picking them over for scraps of truth to tell her who she is. An accident in the village sends her careening into the forest in search of answers, and she will find a whole new world waiting for her.
Tuesday, 20 August 2019
The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce
Rebecca longs to be like her confident, forthright boss, Vanessa. So when Vanessa handpicks her for a special project, she's thrilled. Less so when it turns out not to be an event - they are event managers, after all - but overseeing the refurbishment of Vanessa's house. Mousy Rebecca is sure she can't manage a team.
Until she arrives, and they mistake her for Vanessa and immediately get to work. Oops? But it won't matter for a little while, surely! Just to keep the refurbishment on track! What can go wrong...?
Until she arrives, and they mistake her for Vanessa and immediately get to work. Oops? But it won't matter for a little while, surely! Just to keep the refurbishment on track! What can go wrong...?
Monday, 19 August 2019
The Unfettered Child by Michael C Sahd
A young girl is caught in a war between Mages and Elves in this fantasy from first time novel writer Michael. When Elves attack her tribe, Samara discovers previously unknown magic powers. Under the uncertain tutelage of a dismebodied Elf, she sets out to chase down the survivors of her tribe.
Sunday, 18 August 2019
Daughter of the Storm by Tina Callaghan
Lia searches for the secrets of her father's family on an isolated Irish island in this horror novel from Tina Callaghan. As the storms of winter sweep in to leave her trapped with the islanders, who all seem to know more than they're telling, she faces down the horrific truth and fights to leave the island alive.
Friday, 16 August 2019
Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier
A wonderful followup to Isle of Blood and Stone, this novel sweeps the reader into an aquatic adventure featuring strange lands and magic. It's readable alone if you haven't read Isle; the main character this time around was a minor character in that one, and a few of the main characters from there show up as minors in this one, but it's very much it's own story.
Wednesday, 14 August 2019
Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff
Ireland, or possibly the world, has been overtaken by creatures called skrakes. They're zombies, or possibly some kind of parasite, it's never really clear. Orphen has lived with her mother and another woman on a small island for her whole life, training for the day she'll visit the mainland. Sadly, her mother dies first, and during her first visit Maeve is bitten. Orphen decides to take her cross country to a place that may or may not exist to look for help, despite having been taught all her life that once someone is bitten there's nothing to be done for them.
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Run, Hide, Fight Back by April Henry
Loosely based on actual shootings and exhaustively researched by April, this novel covers approximately three hours, starting with a sudden shoot out in the food court of a mall. Caught in the chaos are six teenagers, five hiding in a store and the sixth in the mess of hostages, trying to watch over his young sister.
Monday, 12 August 2019
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll
I have to admit, I've never read Speak. I'm aware of it, of course; you can't work in children's books and not know it at least by reputation. But I wasn't reading YA when it came out first, and when I started working there were so many new titles it always slipped by. If all this version did was give me a chance to read it, I'd be grateful for just that much.
Sunday, 11 August 2019
A Treason of Thorns by Laura Weymouth
It's an odd thing, but Laura Weymouth makes me so happy to be depressed. Her novels are hard to get through; her characters suffer deeply. But it's suffering that has meaning, and that's important.
Friday, 9 August 2019
Irish Mammy in your Pocket by Sarah Cassidy and Kunak McGann
Veteran O'Brien authors Kunak and Sarah have taken the unique wisdom of the Irish Mammy and distilled it into this pocket sized volume. Next time you're worried about something, open this book to a random page, and let your Irish Mammy give you wise advice like:
Thursday, 8 August 2019
The Heart of the Circle by Keren Landsman
It's wizards - for a loose definition of wizards - versus normals in this translated work from Israel.
Wednesday, 7 August 2019
The Warehouse by Rob Hart
A terrifyingly plausible read. The Warehouse is set almost totally on the campus of an Amazon-type company that runs almost all of America. Their huge warehouse campuses include living areas, recreation and stores. You never need to leave. All your needs are catered for. After all, Cloud is a family.
Monday, 5 August 2019
The Grace Year by Kin Ligget
The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett, is one of this year's big titles. Tapping into the 'dangerous women' craze started by The Handmaid's Tale, this one features a town where the girls are sent into the wild for a year to expel the magic that drives men wild. If they survive, they can come home to be married or assigned a job in the fields and dairies. The novel follows one particular group of girls as they go on their Grace Year and struggle to survive.
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