Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week, there's ONE book from our lists publishing - but next week is going to be a banger, so watch out for that!

Sadé and her Shadow Beasts by Rachel Faturoti

Twelve-year-old Sadé has been escaping to an imaginary world ever since her mum passed away - with its candy-floss lilac sky, she goes on endless adventures atop her purple-winged bird, Nix. But soon she discovers that frightening shadow beasts live here too and they are seeping into the real world.

Luckily, when her sister signs her up to an anonymous grief counselling group, Sadé finds her anxiety gets better.

But then she's asked to perform spoken word in the talent show. The beasts won't let her get on stage: Tiger appears with her long sharp claws, Lion with his piercing blue eyes, and Fox stands on his giant hind legs.

Will Sadé find the courage to say what she needs to - can she banish the shadow beasts for good?

A story about a girl dealing with the death of a parent - with the help of a school support group and a colourful world only she can see.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday! This week we received THREE new books! As always, you can click on each cover to learn more about the book.

The Lighthouse by Alex Bell

On Bird Rock, gannets circle and thick mist surrounds the lighthouse at its centre, hiding the secrets of a tragic past within ... From the second they set foot on the island to join their dad and his new family, Jess and Rosie feel that something's wrong. Nightmares haunt their dreams and there seems to be someone, or something, else with them in the lighthouse - their home for the summer. Counting down the days until they can leave, Jess and Rosie decide to investigate. But when Rosie disappears, the countdown takes on a new meaning. Especially when no one but Jess remembers Rosie at all... Alex Bell's chilling novel is part of the Red Eye series, perfect for fans of Juno Dawson's SAY HER NAME and Kat Ellis's HARROW LAKE.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Hope you've had a good week.

The Truth About Everything by Bridget Farr

Gut a fish. Rewire a truck. Survive the collapse of the US government. All lessons fifteen-year-old Lark has learned during “homeschool” with her conspiracy-theorist-Doomsday-prepping parents. If only she’d also learned the fundamentals of human biology or even how to read. When Lark gets her first period and realizes how much she doesn’t know, she ignores her fears of everything outside their rural Montana farm and secretly attends school for the first time.

At high school, Lark discovers the world is very different than she has been told, from the basics of the internet to government takeovers that never happened. Lark uncovers the holes in her parents’ beliefs and realizes that she must decide her own truth. But it won’t come without sacrifices.

Powerless by Jeff O'Handley (mild spoilers in review)

Sunspots, Al-Qaeda, North Korea—no one knows why the power goes out in sleepy little Harpursville, how much of the world is affected, or how long it will last. In one instant virtually every modern convenience stops working, leaving the townspeople scrambling.

For Kevin Barton, the problem is compounded by the presence of his sixteen-year-old daughter's best friend, Dina, who's been stranded at the house after yet another sleepover. When Kevin's attempt to escort Dina home ends in robbery and humiliation, their "second daughter's" overnight visit becomes a permanent stay. Kevin doesn't really mind. Dina helps with everything from hauling water to digging a garden, and she does it with a smile. But with food scarce and hunger eating away at reason, her large appetite and constant presence sets the household on edge, causing a rift between Kevin and his wife, Monica.

Help is offered by the man who stops Harpursville from sliding into everyone-for-themselves chaos but then he gives Kevin an unthinkable ultimatum. With the peace of the town and Kevin's own family hanging in the balance, he faces a two-front war. Can Kevin find the power in himself to protect everything he holds dear?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week there are FOUR books from our lists publishing!

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we got FIVE new books! PLUS, an email mistake meant we missed a new book last week, so I've added it in this week! We've already read one of these so the link is under it, and one is from a blog tour, link to be added shortly!

As always, you can click on the cover to learn more about the book.

Blog tour: Chameleon Dad by Debbie Thomas

When Connie gets a letter from the dad she thought was dead, she sets out to discover why he left her, eight years ago, sitting in an airport café with only her pet chameleon for company.

Since then she’s lived with her foster mum, a cleaner at the airport, and dreams of seeing her dad again.

With her new friend, a fearless, fossil-hunting boy called Thyo, she tracks her dad down. But as he reveals his true colours, Connie starts to wonder if she’s made the biggest mistake of her life.

The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean (mild spoilers in review.)

James has been a prince all of his life, and since he was born, he's been thrust into the spotlight as the first Black heir to the throne. But when his father unexpectedly dies, James is crowned king at seventeen. Now, the secrets he could keep as a prince with no real responsibility - namely, his sexuality and hidden relationship - are rocked as his life irrevocably changes.

When his boyfriend suddenly goes missing, the royal secrets and scandals that only he knows start to leak online. And when it becomes clear that whoever is behind the messages isn't going to stop anytime soon, James begins to question everyone around him .

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This was a nice, normal week for us - watch out for next week though!

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

The Discworld is very much like our own – if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . .

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it’s not half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son.

Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check that the baby in question was a son.

Everybody knows that there's no such thing as a female wizard. But now it's gone and happened, there's nothing much anyone can do about it.

Let the battle of the sexes begin . . .

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron

How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?

Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week there is ONE book from our lists publishing. 

The Wilderness Cure by Mo Wilde

A captivating and lyrical journey into our ancestral past, through what and how we eat.

Mo Wilde made a quiet but radical pledge: to live only off free, foraged food for an entire year. In a world disconnected from its roots, eating wild food is both culinary and healing, social and political. Ultimately, it is an act of love and community. Using her expert knowledge of botany and mycology, Mo follows the seasons to find nutritious food from hundreds of species of plants, fungi and seaweeds, and in the process learns not just how to survive, but how to thrive. Nourishing her body and mind deepens her connection with the earth – a connection that we have become estranged from but which we all, deep down, hunger for.

This hunger is about much more than food. It is about accepting and understanding our place in a natural network that is both staggeringly complex and beautifully simple. THE WILDERNESS CURE is a diary of a wild experiment; a timely and inspiring memoir which explores a deeper relationship between humans and nature, and reminds us of the important lost lessons from our past.

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received THREE new books which we're very excited about. In fact, we've already read and reviewed one of them! As always, you can click on each cover to learn more about the book.

H.A.W.K.S by M.A. Bennett

The gripping final instalment in the twisting series that will have fans of One of Us is Lying and Pretty Little Liars hooked.

Determined to crush the Order of the Stag once and for all, and in a desperate last throw of the dice, Greer walks willingly into the lion's den by accepting a sinister invitation to Castle MacLeod, a Scottish stately home in the Isle of Skye.

Greer will be aided and kept safe by Shafeen and Nel, and the enigmatic Abbot Ridley. Plus, of course, Henry de Warlencourt who will accompany her and insists he has changed his colours. But as their darkly fraught romance evolves, can Greer trust him as she places her life in his hands?

A deadly and shocking finale that will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday! No glitches this week so we had a full slate of reviews.

The Siege by John Sutherland

Nine hostages. Ten hours. One chance to save them all.

Lee James Connor has found his purpose in life: to follow the teachings of far-right extremist leader, Nicholas Farmer. So when his idol is jailed, he comes up with the perfect plan: take a local immigrant support group hostage until Farmer is released.

Grace Wheatley is no stranger to loneliness having weathered the passing of her husband, whilst being left to raise her son alone. The local support group is her only source of comfort. Until the day Lee James Connor walks in and threatens the existence of everything she's ever known.

Superintendent Alex Lewis may be one of the most experienced hostage negotiators on the force, but there's no such thing as a perfect record. Still haunted by his last case, can he connect with Connor - and save his nine hostages - before it's too late?

Go Hunt Me by Kelly DeVos

Alex Rush is ready for the trip of a lifetime.

She and her friends have made some creepily awesome films together throughout high school, so with only a few months left before they go their separate ways for college, they’re determined to make the best one yet: an epic short film that reimagines the story of Dracula, filmed on location at a remote castle in Romania.

But when they get there, it’s not quite the majestic setting they planned for. Menacing weapons line the walls, the twisted halls are easy to get lost in, and with no connection to the outside world, the group is unexpectedly off the grid. After just a few hours spent under its roof, Alex and her friends have no trouble imagining how this dark, terrifying castle inspired one of the most enduring horror novels of all time.

Only soon they no longer have to use their imaginations to understand the location’s terrifying history—just as they get the film’s first shot rolling, one of Alex’s friends disappears, and she’s nearly certain she saw a cloaked stranger lurking in the shadows. As more members of the group begin to meet an untimely demise, Alex is desperate to stop the bloodshed, even if it means facing a monster she never thought would be let loose.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week there are SEVEN books from our various lists publishing!

Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff

New York City. June, 1982. When eighteen-year-old Beth arrives in Manhattan for a prestigious journalism internship, everything feels brand new – and not always in a good way. A cockroach-infested sublet and a disaffected roommate are the least of her worries, and she soon finds herself caught up with her fellow interns – preppy Oliver, ruthless Dan and ridiculously cool, beautiful, wild Edie.

Soon, Beth and Edie are best friends – the sort of heady, all-consuming best-friendship that's impossible to resist. But with the mercury rising and deceit mounting up, betrayal lies just around the corner. Who needs enemies … when you have friends like these?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday! This week we received EIGHT new books, plus a new one for the tarot blog! As always, you can click on the covers to learn more about each book, mostly from the publisher's own webpages this week.

Careful What You Wish For by Mahtab Narsimhan

A lonely teen discovers a website that grants wishes.

Eshana is a bit of a social misfit. She feels more comfortable talking to people online than in person. One day she discovers a website that claims to be a safe space where young people can support each other in making their dreams come true. She starts talking with someone called Wise One. They hit it off immediately. Eshana admits to the Wise One how hard it is for her to make friends. The next day she goes to school and suddenly everyone wants to talk to her. Eshana is thrilled. But then, after telling Wise One about a girl who has been bullying her, she hears that the girl has been injured in a car accident. Are Eshana’s wishes really coming true? If so, is having the life she’s always wanted worth the costs?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday! Hope you're all enjoying the Bank Holiday, if it's a Bank Holiday where you are!

Birdsong by Katya Balen

The blackbirds’ song uplifts and restores in this captivating novella from one of the most exciting voices in children’s fiction.

After a devastating car crash, Annie is unable to play her flute and retreats from the music she’s always loved. She exists in a world of angry silence – furious with her mum and furious she can’t seem to play her beloved flute any more.

Then she meets Noah, who shows her the blackbirds’ nest hidden in the scrubland near their flats. As their friendship grows, the blackbirds’ glorious song reignites Annie’s passion for music. But when tragedy strikes again, will her fragile progress be put at risk?

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni

Kiva thought she knew what she wanted—revenge. But feelings change, people change... everything has changed.

After what happened at the palace, Kiva is desperate to know if her friends and family are safe, and whether those she wronged can ever forgive her. But with the kingdoms closer to the brink of war than they’ve ever been, and Kiva far away from the conflict, more is at stake than her own broken heart.

A fresh start will mean a perilous quest, forcing mortal enemies and uneasy allies together in a race against the clock to save not just Evalon, but all of Wenderall. With her loyalties now set, Kiva can no longer just survive—she must fight for what she believes in. For who she believes in. But with danger coming from every side, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, does she have what it takes to stand, or will she fall?

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.

Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston's I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.