Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts

Friday, 24 January 2025

Children of the Night by M. A. Bennett


You've heard of Jekyll and Hyde, you've heard of the Invisible Man, but have you heard of Bran Castle? Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are whisked away to Transylvania, to the supposed home of Dracula himself. Lured there by a desire to understand more about their true natures, our foursome are instead plunged into the midst of a deadly mystery.

Children are going missing, townspeople are being brutally killed and a suspicious stranger keeps appearing from the shadows. Meanwhile, Ren is trapped in Bran Castle, where his fate lies in the hands of a strange - yet oddly familiar - host.

With terrifying twists and turns around every corner, can the group uncover the answers they seek, or will this be the end of the Young Gothics?

Saturday, 11 January 2025

The Morrigan by Kim Curran


They called me The Morrigan. I was magnificent. I was multitudes.
They twisted my story, stripped me away. But I will tell it now in my own voice.
It begins, as all the best stories do, in darkness.

From an ancient, storm-tossed sea, a tribe of gods reach the rocky shores of Ireland. Among them, a strange, hungry, red-haired girl. A girl who can change shape, from bird to beast to goddess. A girl who dreams of battle, of blood, of death and power.

She does not know yet that a woman who seeks to rule will always be in danger – or that there are far more treacherous figures in this land than the gods who raised her.

She does not know that one day love will burn so deep in her heart that its scars will never heal. That she will know pain so raw and pure it will almost tear her apart.

She does not know that her journey will take a thousand years. That her name will be remembered for a thousand more.

She is The Morrigan, and she is a girl with rage coiled in her chest. Beautiful, powerful, ravenous rage. A rage that will live forever.

An electric debut retelling of Ireland’s mythic goddess of war, from a bold and powerful new voice.

Friday, 10 January 2025

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman


An unprecedented condition is on the rise. It behaves like a virus, with the first symptom being a fever, but those who contract it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.

Almost everyone revels in this mass unburdening. But people in power—who depend on malcontents tuning into their broadcasts, prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince people they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Soon, campaigns start up convincing people that being happy all the time is dangerous. There’s even a vaccine developed to rid people of their inner peace and get them back to normal because, surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos.

It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their own agendas, and two teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in different ways by the virus find themselves enmeshed in the center of a dangerous power play. Can they reveal the truth?

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

A Wolf Called Fire by Rosanne Parry


The stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the wilderness survival story of the wolf pup known as Warm and is illustrated in black and white throughout. This Voice of the Wilderness Novel features extensive back matter, including a map.

Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Just as Warm is finding his place, enemy wolves destroy and scatter the pack. Warm helps lead the pups away from the fight, only to find himself alone with four pups to defend and feed. Can he be both the heart and the head of a new pack? Does he have to choose the aggressive leadership style of his father and brothers? Or is there another way?

A Wolf Called Fire is a stand-alone companion novel to A Wolf Called Wander . It’s inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who was the smallest of his pack and constantly bullied by his bigger brothers. Wolf 8 survived a tumultuous first year and grew up to be a different sort of leader—one who fought many rival wolves to submission but never killed any. He had a rare talent for mentoring young wolves and became the patriarch of the largest and most successful pack in Yellowstone by choosing a more collaborative and generous leadership style. Features black-and-white illustrations throughout and extensive back matter, including a map.

Saturday, 4 January 2025

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith


Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen. High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart, and at the centre of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything.

Friday, 3 January 2025

Dark Nation bks 1 - 6 by Grace Hamilton


An EMP devastates the world. And the battle for survival begins…

When a powerful EMP blast knocks out power across the country, schoolteacher Molly, former Marine Colton, and the five students they’re supervising on a trip are trapped inside a prison. Surrounded by hardened criminals and with no safe exit, it doesn’t take long for a riot to throw everything into chaos.

Meanwhile, Deb, Colton’s ex-wife, is lucky enough to fall in with a group of determined survivors. But her good fortune quickly turns into a nightmare when her people are captured by human traffickers, led by a vicious madman.

Molly and Colton must escape to safety with their students, while Deb is forced to lead her fellow survivors in a daring revolt. But in this savage new world, danger lurks around every corner. Is there any hope for safety as what’s left of society collapses?

Loyalties are tested, new bonds are forged, and survival is a daily battle in this dying world.

This boxset contains books 1-6 of the Dark Nation series, a thrilling post-apocalyptic EMP saga.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025

Five and the Forgotten Treasure by Chris Smith


When Fran, Tom, Maddy and Gilbert the dog stay with Professor George Kirrin for the holidays, they soon find themselves caught up in a robbery of a top-secret treasure map. Professor George will have to tell them about an old case of the Famous Five if they're ever going to catch the thief and rescue the forgotten treasure...

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton was one of Chris Smith's favourite series as a child. Now, this bestselling author weaves the action, adventure and danger of this thrilling and exciting world into a brand-new story, perfect for every generation of readers. Join the adventure!

Can the new Famous Five catch the thief and find the forgotten treasure before it's too late? Join the original Famous Five and a new group of children in this exciting new adventure by bestselling author Chris Smith, inspired by Enid Blyton.

Monday, 30 December 2024

Buffalo Flats by Martine Levitt


Based on true-life histories, Buffalo Flats shares the epic, coming of age story of Rebecca Leavitt as she searches for her identity in the Northwest Territories of Canada during the late 1800s.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Leavitt has traveled by covered wagon from Utah to the Northwest Territories of Canada, where her father and brothers are now homesteading and establishing a new community with other Latter-Day Saints. Rebecca is old enough to get married, but what kind of man would she marry and who would have a girl like her—a girl filled with ideas and opinions? Someone gallant and exciting like Levi Howard? Or a man of ideas like her childhood friend Coby Webster?

Rebecca decides to set her sights on something completely different. She loves the land and wants her own piece of it. When she learns that single women aren’t allowed to homestead, her father agrees to buy her land outright, as long as Rebecca earns the money —480 dollars, an impossible sum. She sets out to earn the money while surviving the relentless challenges of pioneer life—the ones that Mother Nature throws at her in the form of blizzards, grizzles, influenza and floods, and the ones that come with human nature, be they exasperating neighbors or the breathtaking frailty of life.

Buffalo Flats is inspired by true-life histories of the author’s ancestors. It is an extraordinary novel that explores Latter-Day Saints culture and the hardships of pioneer life. It is about a stubborn, irreverent, and resourceful young woman who remains true to herself and discovers that it is the bonds of family, faith, and friendship—even romance--that tie her to the wild and unpredictable land she loves so fiercely.

Saturday, 28 December 2024

The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow by Kristen Martin


The real history of being an orphan in America is nothing like the myth, and nothing like the American dream.

The orphan story has been mythologized: Step one: While a child is still too young to form distinct memories of them, their parents die in an untimely fashion. Step two: Orphan acquires caretakers who amplify the world’s cruelty. Step three: Orphan escapes and goes on an adventure, encountering the world’s vast possibilities.

The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow upends this. Pairing powerful critiques of popular orphan narratives, from Annie to the Boxcar Children to Party of Five, journalist Kristen Martin explores the real history of orphanhood in the United States, from the 1800s to the present. Martin reveals the mission of religious indoctrination that was at the core of the first orphanages, the orphan trains that took parentless children out West (often without a choice), and the inherent classism and racism that still underlies the United States’ approach to child welfare.

Through a combination of in-depth archival research, memoir (Martin herself lost both her parents when she was quite young), and cultural analysis, The Sun Won’t Come out Tomorrow is a compellingly argued, compassionate book that forces us to reconsider autonomy, family, and community. Kristen Martin delivers a searing indictment of America’s consistent inability to care for those who need it most.

Friday, 27 December 2024

From Below by Darcy Coates


No light. No air. No escape.
Hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface, a graveyard waits…

Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course…a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean’s surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life.

Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia’s rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished.

But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them.

Wednesday, 25 December 2024

Manga Biographies; Charles M Schultz by Yuzuru Kuki

Charles M. Schulz is the creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, and many more wonderful characters who inhabit the world of Peanuts. Now, learn how a shy, young Schulz first became a cartoonist and how he spent nearly 50 years drawing the beloved newspaper comic strip which has captivated the hearts of readers worldwide.
The Manga Biographies series explores the fascinating lives of legendary figures who accomplished extraordinary feats, all told through the fantastic lens of Japanese manga storytelling.

Monday, 23 December 2024

Planet Perfect by Amy Bearce


Fourteen-year-old Meg knows aliens are real. Everyone does. But she's not happy with them. Extraterrestrials landed on Earth twenty years ago and took off fast. They didn't leave behind advanced science or miracle cures. Instead, they delivered an alien reality TV channel. Beamed to the whole galaxy, Planet Perfect is Earth's obsession. But no Earthling has ever been invited--until now. 
Meg wants to fight climate change, not play games. But when she is one of two Earth teens invited to Planet Perfect, she agrees to go. Planet Perfect makes its own clean energy with zero waste. Such knowledge could save Earth. Meg needs to stay in the competition so she can figure out this technology. 
But the show is harder than expected. The host demands almost impossible tasks with lots of drama. And when Meg finds out that Planet Perfect has a secret that threatens Earth, she realizes she has to win to prove her planet deserves a seat at the intergalactic table.

Saturday, 21 December 2024

The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks


When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.

As a grieving teacher, a reclusive artist, and a narcissistic celebrity children’s author lead the others in trying to understand why they’ve been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone… is up.

And so begins a race to the top, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares, as the group fights to hold onto its humanity, while the twisted horror of why they’re here grows ever more apparent – and death stalks their every move.

Friday, 20 December 2024

Welcome to Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy


When an American-style residential camp is set up in the grounds of an English stately home, the teenage camp counsellors are looking forward to a fun summer of activities.

But right from the outset, things don’t feel quite right at Camp Miller. Rumours circulate of a tragedy that took place in the grounds and there are unexplained sightings of a ghostly presence.

Then the incidents begin – a near-drowning out on the lake, a fatal fall from a cliff-face … Are these tragic accidents or is there something more sinister going on at Camp Killer?

Wednesday, 18 December 2024

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and Manga Classics


Welcome to Les Misérables from Manga Classics! Victor Hugo’s classic novel of love & tragedy during the French Revolution is reborn in this fantastic new manga adaptation by Crystal S. Chan! In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever. “Les Mis” has been adapted for stage and screen, and loved around the world by millions of readers. The gorgeous art of SunNeko Lee brings to life the tragic stories of Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert, and the beautiful Fantine, in this epic Manga Classics production of Les Misérables!

Monday, 16 December 2024

After Life by Gayle Forman


One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.

Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.

This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.

Saturday, 14 December 2024

The Revenge by Hannah Jayne


After a bad breakup, Tony's ex-girlfriend Hope embarrasses him in front of the whole school and spreads vicious rumors. Tony is devastated and in a moment of revenge, he makes the location on her phone public. But a week later, when Hope calls Tony and begs him to stop the prank, he hears a shriek and a car door slamming. Then the call is dropped.

Too late, Tony realizes that he may have put Hope's life in danger. Can he trace Hope's movements and save her before time runs out?

Friday, 13 December 2024

North is the Night by Emily Rath


With the dark, mythical magic of the Winternight trilogy, and the slow-burn romance of Spinning Silver, NORTH IS THE NIGHT is a feminist fantasy adventure that shows the power of female friendship and how love -- both romantic and familial -- can conquer even death itself.

In the harsh interior of the Finnish wilderness, best friends Aina and Siiri are inseparable despite their opposite natures: Aina is gentle and cautious while Siiri is headstrong and brave. But their friendship is put to the test when Aina is kidnapped by a death goddess and taken to the mythical underworld Tuonela.

Determined to save her friend, Siiri embarks on a dangerous journey north to seek out Vainamoeinen, the only mystical shaman to travel to Tuonela and return alive. As the dark winter looms, Siiri uses all the strength she possesses to survive her journey, which is plagued by trappers, a band of roving wolves, and a cunning snow witch with her own quest for power. But finding Vainamoeinen is only the beginning. Siiri must convince him to share his magic so she can sneak into Tuonela and save Aina.

In Tuonela, Aina is forced to play the sadistic games of Tuonetar, the cruel queen of the underworld, alongside other captured maidens. But Aina's kindness allows her to make allies in the dark, harsh environmen. She soon discovers that Tuoni, the god of death and king of Tuonela, is also a victim of Tuonetar's spells that can only be broken when he remarries. To save him and the other girls, Aina offers herself as his bride.

As she spends more time in the underworld, Aina falls in love with Tuoni and must make a decision that will alter the course of her fate forever . . . not knowing her fearless friend is on the way and plotting a daring escape.

An extraordinary story of love, of courage, of friendship and of magic, NORTH IS THE NIGHT is the stand-alone first novel in an incredible duology.

Wednesday, 11 December 2024

The Party by Natasha Preston


ARE YOU INVITED?

In the heart of the English countryside, Bessie and her closest friends gather at a remote castle for a secret party destined to make this the best spring break ever. But when one of them dies, the party takes a lethal turn . . .

Trapped inside as a deadly storm rages, it soon becomes clear Bessie and her friends are being stalked by a killer. As the body count rises, and secrets about the past unravel, Bessie begins to suspect that she doesn't know her friends quite as well as she thought.

But as the party turns into a hunt, can Bessie make it out alive?

Monday, 9 December 2024

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst


New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.