Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly (minor spoilers in review)

What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything, too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.

As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true self, a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.

If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

Blog Tour: The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks: Selected quotes

When the adults of Brockton, Connecticut, morphed into gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters nine months ago, the students at Jefferson High barricaded themselves inside their school.

Now eighteen-year-old Kay Kim is one of the Student Council members trying to keep her classmates from starving. Kay has no poker face and can’t keep her mouth shut when she knows she’s right, so when she accidentally learns a secret that threatens the delicate power balance at Jefferson, she’s dragged out of the school in the dead of night and dumped in the middle of town in a secret assassination attempt.

But when a raiding party of cheerleaders from crosstown rival Moore High comes to her rescue, Kay finds herself among ruthless, hard-partying road warriors who have adopted the feudal trappings of a once-popular video game. Life at Moore is violent and cliquish, but everyone is thriving. Everyone, that is, who survives the kingdom’s periodic monster hunts.

For Moore’s beloved King Max demands only two absolute fealty and that everyone at Moore help kill the “dragons.” If Kay wants to survive, she must be granted asylum at Moore–which means slaying dragons, not asking the wrong questions, and navigating the rival factions, love triangles, and political intrigues at court.

But when Kay discovers a deadly secret that reaches all the way to Jefferson, her inability to hide the truth might spark the revolution that burns both schools to the ground.

Content Warning: murder, violence, death, gore, body horror, starvation, suicidal ideation

Happy #BookBirthday! 25th April 2024

Happy Thursday! This week there is ONE book on our lists publishing!

Spotlight: Blog tour, Guns and Almond Milk by Mustafa Marwan

An adrenaline-fueled journey into war-torn Yemen, this novel is the perfect read for fans of fast-paced fiction.

Luke Archer, a British Egyptian doctor, runs from his problematic past in the UK and becomes a war surgeon. When he is taken hostage by Western security contractors in a besieged hospital in Yemen, he realizes that after spending years saving the lives of others, he needs to face the demons of his past in order to save his own.

Guns and Almond Milk is a study of identity, war and redemption. It is The Sympathizer mixed with M.A.S.H by the way of Ramy.

Born to Egyptian parents and raised as a first-generation British Muslim, Luke Archer struggles to be from two worlds at the same time. He is working in a humanitarian mission in Aden, at the height of the Yemeni conflict. Max Gorsky, Luke's new patient, is a security contractor working for the government forces. Rebel forces have taken over the city, and Max's team is now taking refuge in the city's hospital, in preparation for their final stand. Luke and his team find themselves caught in a deadly clash between the ruthless rebel group and the desperate security contractors. At the same time, Max and Luke need to settle debts from their shared past in the UK where they joined forces in fencing a multi-million-dollar stolen artifact operation that went wrong.

Guns and Almond Milk is a fast-paced story of love, murder, and thrill that provides readers with a fresh perspective on humanitarian work, religion, assimilation, and Middle Eastern politics.

Look out for other stops on the tour using the #GunsAndAlmondMilk hashtag!

The Weather Girls by Sarah Webb

It’s 1944. Twelve-year-old Grace Devine lives at Blacksod Lighthouse and weather station in County Mayo with her parents and little brother. When a German plane crashes nearby, she and her best friend Sibby risk their lives to save the young pilot. Grace’s family take him in, but their neighbours are horrified at having an ‘enemy’ in their midst.

Meanwhile, the Met Office in England suddenly asks Blacksod to send them weather reports every hour. But why? As the wind and rain howl outside, Grace begins to understand that something important is happening, something to do with the war – and she is right in the eye of the storm.

A tale of bravery, adventure and a remarkable friendship, inspired by true events from World War 2.

Apocalypse Cow by O.R. Sorrel

Mel loves Sasha and dreams of a day that Sasha might reciprocate her feelings (even though she's straight) - so the fact that it's thirty degrees outside in January and hasn't rained for a year simply passes her by. Mel is just about coping with being the only 'out' lesbian in school and all the sniping that Janis and Ella aim her way, as well as her dreary Saturday job with the stupidly posh Dorian... But when domestic animals suddenly lethally turn on the human race, and Mel finds herself stuck in a mansion with Dorian and Ella, her love-life suddenly turns on its head in the most extraordinary way.A screamingly funny LGTBQ+ love story from a brilliant new talent.

Happy #BookBirthday! 18th April 2024

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

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur.

A Cork Fairytale by Amy Louise O'Callaghan

The Three Bears can't agree on the perfect presents for a special friend. Can Goldilocks help them find gifts that are JUST RIGHT?

Join them on a fun-filled trip around Cork’s best-loved locations.

Shandon Tower – Fitzgerald’s Park – English Market – Everyman theatre

Blarney – Cobh – Blackrock Castle

A Blooming Great Day by Úna Woods

We go down the steps and ... What’s happening here?

Why’s everyone wearing this old-fashioned gear?

Eccles Street looks like it did years ago.

A lady in a big poofy dress says hello.

It seems like just another ordinary day for Rosie and her grandad. But as soon as they step outside, they find themselves on a blooming great adventure around Dublin on the 16th of June, 1904!

Happy #BookBirthday! 11th April 2024

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

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

A flannel-wearing man’s man inexplicably finds himself living out all the rom-com movie tropes as he falls in love with a true-blue princess. 

Luke Edgewood isn’t a romantic. Or, at least, he’s always felt certain things like rom-coms were invented as punishment for average guys. Besides, he’s always preferred to be a behind-the-scenes guy who lives a quiet life being a good friend, neighbor, and brother. So when he travels to the island of Skymar to work a few months on restoring abandoned buildings, he never expects to find himself directly in the middle of a romantic, trope-filled story. From a meet-cute that was anything but cute and an aging orphanage in need of as much tender care as the children it houses, Luke begins to wonder if he and his heart may be victims of some sort of hidden-camera movie moment. 

Only a few years out of university and attempting to find her feet in royal adult life, Aliana Roselynn St. Claire, youngest daughter of the king and queen of the Skymarian Islands, pours her energies and talents into charities and art throughout her beloved Skymar. Her parents do not seem very interested in her love of interior design but lavish her with praise over her support of Skymar’s largest orphanage and place her in charge of the renovations of the dilapidated building. Happy to escape her mother’s strong encouragement of building a romantic relationship with Ally’s lifelong acquaintance, the earl of South Waithe, she escapes to the secluded mountains to take charge of the orphanage’s renovations. 

When Ally learns the man she’d literally run into at the coffee shop is the one who has been hired to help with the orphanage’s repairs, she’s determined to keep her royal status as secret as possible. From fundraisers to fake dates to sleigh rides and snowball fights, Ally and Luke begin to discover that the wrong first impressions may lead to a romantic possibility with rom-com flavored magic included. But when Ally’s true identity is revealed and royal expectations bring Luke out of his preferred anonymity into the spotlight of the royal life, will their budding relationship fall prey to a very unhappily-ever-after ending?

Please note this summary comes from Goodreads, but the female character is Elliana, Ellie, not Ally in the novel.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Me and my Cat

Be prepared to fall in love with your cat all over again as you read these heartwarming stories of pet parenthood, and the unconditional love, companionship and amusement our cats provide.

We're all crazy about our cats. We can't get enough of them, and we can’t read enough about them. This book contains 101 of our very best cat stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul’s extensive library. Get cozy, cuddle with your cat and immerse yourself in these heartwarming, amusing, inspirational, and occasionally tearful stories about our favorite furry friends.

Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace

Rory is having a weird week. A really weird week.

He has been turned into a ridiculous, small, feathered dinosaur. Pretty awkward.

Rory can’t use a human toilet. He can’t hold a video game controller in his little dino claws. His breath smells really bad. And his new carnivore body can’t stop craving sausages.

Rory finally gets his friends to take his embarrassing situation seriously, and together they embark on Operation Make Rory Human Again. But it's not easy.

Will Rory be stuck as a dinosaur forever?

Zero Stars, do not Recommend by MJ Wassmer

Vacation Checklist:

Pack swim trunks.

Apply sunscreen.

Survive the apocalypse?

Professional underachiever Dan Foster is finally taking a vacation. Sure, his life has been average at best, and yeah, he’s never quite lived up to his potential. But after a few Miller Lites in paradise with his girlfriend, Mara, things are starting to look up.

Then the sun explodes.

With the island resort suddenly plunged into darkness (he really should’ve sprung for the travel insurance), Dan’s holiday goes from bad to worse when elite guests stage a coup and commandeer supplies. As temperatures drop and class tensions rise, revolution begins to brew on the island, and Dan accidentally becomes a beacon of hope for the surviving vacationers. But when one six-person plane is discovered that could get them back to the mainland, Dan realizes he has a choice to make.

Does he escape the island with Mara? Or does he stay and fight to become the most unlikely hero of the end of the world?

Happy #BookBirthday! 4th April 2024

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

The Cheat Book by Ramzee

Forgotten your homework and need to WING it?

Wish you could talk your way out of DETENTION?

Want to SQUASH your bullies and RISE to the top?

Join Kamal as he attempts to go from PUKE BOY to POPULAR!

Kamal is better than anyone else in his school at fading into the background. When you're a refugee and you've started a new school three times in as many years, you learn to keep your head down.

But, after a major puke incident in front of the whole school, being invisible is no longer an option. And when Kamal finds a mysterious CHEAT BOOK in the library that promises to help him gain popularity, he sees a chance to finally make his mark . . .

Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.