Sources Say by Lori Goldstein

At Acedia High School outside of Boston, student council has always been nothing more than a popularity contest. Nobody pays attention. Nobody cares.

But all that changes when the Frankengirls show up. During the very first week of school, someone plasters the halls with Photoshopped images of three "perfect tens"--images of scantily clad girls made from real photos of girls at school. The student body is livid. And the two presidential candidates, Angeline Quinn and Leo Torres, jump on the opportunity to propose their solutions and secure votes. After their messy break up, Leo and Angie are fighting tooth and nail to win this thing and their constituents are mesmerized as they duke it out.

As if things couldn't be more dramatic, the school's two newspapers get involved. The Red & Blue is run by Angie's sister Cat and she prides herself on only reporting the facts. But her morals are tested when The Shrieking Violet--written by an anonymous source and based less on facts and more on fiction--blatantly endorses Leo. Rumors fly, secrets are leaked, and the previously mundane student election becomes anything but boring.

Devastation Class by Glen Zipper and Elaine Mongeon

An annihilation force of invading aliens. Human civilization on the brink of extinction. Earth’s only hope—seven cadets and the legendary starship they were never meant to command. No matter the cost, they will stop at nothing to survive. No matter the odds, they will fight to save their future.

The distant future. Earth’s Alliance forces have emerged victorious from a brutal nine-year war with the mysterious Kastazi—a vicious, highly advanced alien race. In the dawn of a new peace, the Alliance Devastation Class starship California embarks on a mission of science and learning with a skeleton crew of seasoned officers, civilian students, and inexperienced military cadets in tow.

For JD Marshall and Viv Nixon, gifted cadets and best friends, the mission holds special meaning: It offers an opportunity to prove themselves and begin to escape the long shadows of their legendary war hero parents.

Suddenly ambushed by a second wave of invading Kastazi forces, JD and Viv make the impossible decision to spearhead a mutiny to save the California and everyone on it. In command and quickly out of options, they are forced to activate the ship's prototype Blink Reactor—an experimental technology they expect to send them to the safe, distant reaches of space. When their escape transports them to a reality they don’t recognize and reveals unimaginably terrifying secrets, they must fight their way home to save not just everyone they love but also humanity itself. Standing in their way are an insurmountable enemy, saboteurs from within, a mystery eons in the making, and the fabric of time and space itself.

Weekly Roundup

Hi all! Another busy, busy week for us here. How was yours?

Michael Collins by Eithne Massey

From his childhood on a West Cork farm, Michael Collins dreams of fighting for Ireland's freedom. His dream comes true when he takes part in the 1916 Rising, but crashes with the surrender of the rebels and internment in a prison camp. Michael fights his way back to become a leader in the fight for independence, creating a spy ring of ordinary people, in a Dublin where nothing is quite what it seems.

But this story is not just about politics and war; Michael's crazy sense of humour, his friendships, his faults and his love of his Kerry Blue terriers are brought vividly to life.

This books shows us not just why Michael Collins became one of the bravest and most effective leaders Ireland has ever known, but also why he held the keys of 100 Dublin houses, houses where the families were willing to risk their lives in order to keep him safe.

One by One by Ruth Ware

Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.

When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn’t made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit.

As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further…one by one.

The Supermarket Ghost by Gordon Snell

Maria thinks it is going to be a dull summer until she meets a strange boy with an unusual request.

An exciting and unpredictable ghost story for younger readers that's a little scary, but not too scary!

Just One of Those Days by Jill Murphy

The charming third story about the famous Bear family, following Jill Murphy's modern classics Peace at Last and Whatever Next! When Mr and Mrs Bear wake up late, it's raining outside - and Baby Bear is late for nursery. Then Mrs Bear sits on her glasses at work and Mr Bear spills his coffee. Oh dear - it seems this is just going to be one of those days! But the loveable Bear family muddle through cheerfully, and there's even a surprise for Baby Bear when Mr Bear gets home from work. With all the hallmarks of an instant classic, Just One of Those Days is a gentle, warm story about a hectic family day, which parents and children everywhere will relate to - full of satisfying read-aloud repetition and rhythm - and with Jill Murphy's cozy, instantly recognizable illustrations.

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James

“Congratulations, new kid. Welcome to the afterlife.”
What if death is only the beginning?

When Harriet Stoker dies after falling from a balcony in a long-abandoned building, she discovers a group of ghosts, each with a special power.

Felix, Kasper, Rima and Leah welcome Harriet into their world, eager to make friends with the new arrival after decades alone. Yet Harriet is more interested in unleashing her own power, even if it means destroying everyone around her. But when all of eternity is at stake, the afterlife can be a dangerous place to make an enemy.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday! This is it, the big one. A lot of books that were pushed back in the spring and summer landed today, the 3rd of September. Six books on our list published today, and another six in the last week, so let's get right to it!

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

US Cover               UK Cover

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey

Jessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential healthy-eating blog; successful PR company and wonderful daughter, Anna. Or at least that is what her thousands of followers believe.

The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter's Coco-Pops.

So as they say: fake it 'til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?

#Bookpost, week ending 1 Sep 2020

Happy Tuesday, all! A quiet week, right up until this morning when I unexpectedly received two new books!

As always, click the covers to go to the goodreads (or publisher's) page.

My Life as a Cat by Carlie Sorosiak

Leonard has never had a name. Or a body. Or a best friend. But he is excited to try being a human.

On their three-hundredth-birthday, every alien from Leonard’s home galaxy gets to spend a month in the body of an Earth Creature. Leonard was supposed to become a forest ranger in Yellowstone National Park – but there was a mix-up.

And now he’s stuck as a stray cat.

Luckily for Leonard, he meets a young human called Olive – and together they set out on a journey to find home.

Twelve by Andrea Blythe

Twelve is a poetic retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Bewitching and beguiling, this short series of linked poems takes the reader to the underground realm and back, following the stories of twelve princesses and their life after the magic shoes.

American Royals 2 by Katharine McGee

US Cover                                      UK Cover

Beatrice Washington now rules America as its first ever queen, but her family are more concerned about rushing through her arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. No one can know that her heart really belongs to her bodyguard - but even their love is under threat.

Meanwhile, Princess Samantha is under more scrutiny than ever before - and she still longs to be with her sister's fiancee. But with no sign of Bea's wedding being called off, she's surprised to find someone else catching her eye.

Nina Gonzalez is also tangled up with someone she never expected to be. She and Ethan are both nursing broken hearts, and it's not long before they find themselves pulled irresistably together.

Luckily for Daphne Deighton, Prince Jeff's grief for his father makes him a prime target for her attentions. She's the closest she's been in years to getting what she wants . . . so why can't she let the idea of her and Ethan go?

As the royal wedding of the century creeps ever closer, will these four young women get what they want - or will their hearts be broken forever?

Weekly Roundup

G'morning all! Welcome to the end of another busy week on the blog. In a couple of weeks we'll be dropping back to a more relaxed schedule, but for now, here's the roundup of everything we did this week.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

US Cover                                  UK Cover

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer - the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule, if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder - and more peril - than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected... or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

Love and Other Detours by Jenna Evans Welch

From Italy to Ireland, love can be found anywhere....
Travel to beautiful Tuscany with Lina who, still grieving her mother’s death, is forced to spend time with a father she never knew. But Lina isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine or fairy-tale landscape. All Lina wants to do is go back home...until she’s given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy.

Suddenly, Lina is uncovering a world of magic and romance. It’s a world that inspires her, along with the ever so charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and uncover a secret that has been kept for far too long—a secret that will change everything Lina thought to be true.

In the green hills of Ireland, Lina’s best friend Addie is just trying to make it through her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, hoping that she can stop thinking about the one thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget.

But when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, their travel plans change. Soon, Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle with Ian and his Irish-accented friend, Rowan. And as the trio journeys through magical forests and past countless castles, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

No matter where Lina and Addie’s travels take them, one thing is true: romance and adventure are on the horizon.

Have You Seen the Dublin Vampire? by Úna Woods

In an old part of Dublin, right down by the sea, There's a moon-shaped park with a creepy old tree.

The Dublin Vampire lives there.

The Vampire wakes up as the sun's going down. He hops on the ghost bus and rides into town.

Have you seen the Dublin Vampire?
A funny, warm picture book set throughout Dublin, home to Dracula's creator, Bram Stoker.

Featuring well-known sights around Dublin, including The Crescent (Marino), Five Lamps, O'Connell Bridge, Trinity, Grafton St, Natural History Museum, St Stephen's Green, Bewley's, Dublin Castle and Temple Bar.

Star Trek Nerd Seach by Glenn Dakin

It’s a puzzle book, Jim, but not as we know it. This is no conventional ’search-and-find.’ Each of its detailed, full-color pages is packed with out-of-context items and cosmic continuity errors that only a true fan can spot. It would be illogical to resist this challenge, when the accuracy of the whole Trek universe is at stake.

Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and the Enterprise crew have discovered that a series of exploding tribbles have been hidden by the Klingons in locations visited by the Enterprise. Kirk and his crew must seek and find each exploding tribble. At the same time, fans must spot items from every story in The Original Series, also concealed in the pictures. This is next-level Where’s Waldo for adult fans, plus a chance to save the galaxy into the bargain!

The book opens with an article exploring the grand tradition of fans spotting continuity gaffes in the world of Star Trek. Then this is followed by an explanatory spread telling the reader how to use the book. A feedback session at the back clears up all quibbles with tribbles and debates about the non-interference directive!

Three levels of engagement:
• TRIBBLE TREK: SPOT the all-important EXPLODING TRIBBLE
• NERD ALERT: Spot five continuity errors, mistakes within the featured episode itself.
• THE ARTEFACT INCIDENT: Find the out-of-context items from other episodes, ten to a spread.

A Whale of the Wild

For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, everyone! This week three books from our lists have published.

Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher

It's 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked--from buses to grocery stores. It's almost impossible to survive as an undocumented immigrant, but that's exactly what sixteen-year-old Vali is doing. She and her family have carved out a stable, happy life in small-town Vermont, but when Vali's mother's counterfeit chip starts malfunctioning and the Deportation Forces raid their town, they are forced to flee.

Now on the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to her tía Luna's in California, a sanctuary state that is currently being walled off from the rest of the country. But when Vali's mother is detained before their journey even really begins, Vali must carry on with her younger brother across the country to make it to safety before it's too late.

Gripping and urgent, co-authors Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher have crafted a narrative that is as haunting as it is hopeful in envisioning a future where everyone can find sanctuary.

The Haunted Lake by PJ Lynch

Jacob and his father are the only people who fish Lake Spetzia, which was formed when the river was dammed and their town was flooded. The villagers say the lake is haunted, but Jacob and his father don’t want to leave, because Jacob’s mother is buried in the cemetery below the water. As Jacob grows up, a village girl named Ellen falls in love with him, and he with her. 

But before they are married, Jacob disappears—lured underwater by the ghosts who inhabit the sunken village. Years go by, with Jacob held captive by the watery spirits and Ellen never giving up hope that she will find him, until a fateful night when Jacob sees the light of Ellen’s boat floating above. Can he break free and reach the surface? 

Masterful illustrations alive with achingly expressive characters and eerie underwater light bring readers into acclaimed creator P.J. Lynch’s rich world of love, loss, and hope.

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

#BookPost week ending 25 August 2020

Hi all! A quieter week here on the blog, but that gives us a chance to catch up on our TBRs!

As always, click on the covers to be taken to the Goodreads page.

The Companion by Katie Alender

The other orphans say Margot is lucky.

Lucky to survive the horrible accident that killed her family.

Lucky to have her own room because she wakes up screaming every night.

And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate.

But it wasn't luck that made the Suttons rescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home. Margot was handpicked to be a companion to their silent, mysterious daughter, Agatha. At first, helping with Agatha--and getting to know her handsome older brother--seems much better than the group home. But soon, the isolated, gothic house begins playing tricks on Margot’s mind, making her question everything she believes about the Suttons . . . and herself.

Margot’s bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha – but the real nightmare has just begun.

The Rose Princess by Ivy Hollins

In a kingdom of fairies and dragons, Talia is reassuringly normal… until she isn’t. Plucked from her quiet town and thrust into a life as heir to the throne, and betrothed to a powerful duke, she must face up to a terrifying question: what if the curse is real? What if she really is destined to be trapped in eternal sleep?

Duke Caradoc has spent his whole life dominated by his mother, the fierce Duchess of the Northern Wastes. But when he meets Talia, betrothed to him since childhood, he knows that his mother’s lust for power has gone too far. The curse must be stopped… and the answer might lie in Caradoc and Talia’s mysterious dreams.

The Nemesis by SJ Kincaid

Three years ago, Tyrus Domitrian shocked the galaxy by killing the woman he swore to love forever. The woman for whom he upended the Empire. The woman with whom he wanted to build a new and brighter future.

Now, the once-idealistic heir apparent has become the cruel Emperor Tyrus, wielding his authority with an iron fist, capable of destroying planets with a single word, controlling all technology with a simple thought. He has bent the Grandiloquy to their knees, and none has the power to stand against him.

But there is a muttering among the Excess. They say that Nemesis is not truly gone. They whisper of her shadow spotted in distant star systems. They say that Nemesis lives. That she will rise, and rally the people to topple the man who was once her truest love—and is now her fiercest enemy.

Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday! It's been another busy week on the blog, including a new irregular feature, so let's jump right in.

The One and Only Ivan book to movie comparison

A gorilla named Ivan tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Stella as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Luna by Holly Webb

Hannah knows there is something special about the wooden bear cub puppet from the moment she buys it at a Christmas market. So when the puppet gets broken, she cries herself to sleep.

Woken by a growling noise, she finds herself in a stable wearing strange old-fashioned clothes. Then she comes face to face with a real-life bear cub! The cub has been locked in ready to be put on show at the local market. Can Hannah return the bear to the wild and find a way back to her own time?

Blog tour; Read at your own Peril, by Patrick Hueller

Kevin shouldn't be writing this. And you shouldn't be reading it. After all, reading is now a crime--and for good reason. After the Coma Outbreak, everyone knows what happens to people who read. Their eyes slam shut. And they never get out of their desks again.

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale

There's nothing worse than peaking in high school. Nobody knows that better than Josie Pie.

She was kind of a big deal—she dropped out of high school to be a star! But the bigger you are, the harder you fall. And Josie fell. Hard. Ouch. Broadway dream: dead.

Meanwhile, her life keeps imploding. Best friend: distant. Boyfriend: busy. Mom: not playing with a full deck? Desperate to escape, Josie gets into reading.

Literally. She reads a book and suddenly she's inside it. And with each book, she’s a different character: a post-apocalyptic heroine, the lead in a YA rom-com, a 17th century wench in a corset.

It’s alarming. But also . . . kind of amazing?

It’s the perfect way to live out her fantasies. Book after book, Josie the failed star finds a new way to shine. But the longer she stays in a story, the harder it becomes to escape.

Will Josie find a story so good that she just stays forever?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, guys and girls. This week four books on our lists published. Sadly they weren't our favourites of the year, but  we encourage you to try them!

The Pharaoh's Curse by Holly Webb

Brave, clever and never more than a whisker away from adventure! When the museum's visitors are gone for the day, it's time for the cats to come out to play...
The kittens are curious when a rare Egyptian papyrus comes to the museum on loan. But from the moment the artefact arrives, things start to go wrong and rumours of an ancient curse begin to spread. When a pipe leaks and the Egyptian gallery is flooded, the kittens find themselves trapped. Will they be the next victims of the pharaoh's curse?

The Soup Movement by Ben Davis

To aid his recovery from a life-threatening illness, Jordan and his family move out of the city for a healthy new start. Jordan's getting enough funny looks as the new boy at school as it is, without his Mum giving him homemade soup every day for lunch! But when Ethan meets a homeless man called Harry, and gives him the soup, it is the start of an unlikely friendship.

The Stone of Destiny by Caroline Logan

Begin the journey; discover your destiny...

Set against a backdrop of Scottish myths and legends, follow the epic quest by a changeling, a selkie and a prince to find an ancient and powerful object, and save the kingdom.

Ailsa doesn’t believe in faerie tales, only the monsters in them. But, with the mark on her face, most people consider her one of them—a changeling.

Her secluded life shifts when she rescues two selkies from bloodthirsty raiders. Now she must act as their guard as they travel to the capital and then, with the help of the Prince of Eilanmor, journey north to find the Stone of Destiny - the only object protecting them all from the evil faerie
queen.

But all her life a malignant creature has stalked her through the forest. Can Ailsa find the Stone of Destiny before something wicked finds her?

#Bookpost, week ending 18th August 2020

Happy Tuesday! This week we got some books that are so exciting, we've already read and reviewed them. We'll note them below.

As always, click on the covers to be taken to Goodreads! (Or another website, a couple of times, Goodreads doesn't seem to have all of these yet.)

The Island That Didn't Exist by Joe Wilson

When twelve-year-old Rixon's great-uncle leaves him an island in his will, Rixon can't quite believe it. Things get even more confusing when the mysterious island can only be located on a very ancient map, and only then by using a big magnifying glass. 

Does the island actually exist? And if so, does it really belong to him? There's only one thing for it. Rixon is going to have to go there and find it for himself. 

And what he finds when he gets there might just hold the key to the future of the planet: four children hidden away from society with an altogether different set of values. But soon Rixon is fighting for his own life, left in a cave with a rising tide, floating out to sea on a leaky inflatable and fending off the attacks of a multimillionaire tech giant and his super yacht. Can Rixon keep the island's secrets? And will he even want to. . .?

Ignite the Sun by Hanna C Howard

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun...

Sixteen year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.

Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria's need to please them is greater even than her fear of the dark. So she heads to the royal city--the very center of the darkness--for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel's court.

But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of the sun with a ragtag group of rebels who could help her bring back the Light ... or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with challenges: an insufferable CEO; sexist male coworkers; and an infuriating—yet distractingly handsome—intern, Nolan MacKenzie, aka “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss.”

Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project—and Melody’s running the show.

When Nolan is assigned to Melody’s team, she’s sure he’ll be useless. But as they grow closer, she realizes he’s smart and sexy, which makes Melody want to forget he’s her intern. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes, even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man.

With her project about to launch, Melody suddenly faces a slew of complications, including a devastating trolling scandal. Could the man she’s falling hard for help her play the game to win—in work and in love?

Roundup

Happy Sunday! It's been a busy week here on the blog, so let's have a quick look back at the posts.

Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner

A story of mock trial, feminism, and the inherent power found in a pair of knitting needles.

Raina Petree is crushing her senior year, until her boyfriend dumps her, the drama club (basically) dumps her, the college of her dreams slips away, and her arch-nemesis triumphs.

Things aren’t much better for Millie Goodwin. Her father treats her like a servant, and the all-boy Mock Trial team votes her out, even after she spent the last three years helping to build its success.

But then, an advice columnist unexpectedly helps Raina find new purpose in a pair of knitting needles and a politically active local yarn store. This leads to an unlikely meeting in the girls’ bathroom, where Raina inspires Millie to start a rival team. The two join together and recruit four other angry girls to not only take on Mock Trial, but to smash the patriarchy in the process.

The Humans by Jonny Marx and Charlie Davis

This book showcases the greatest achievements of ancient civilisations, peoples and iconic figures from history. From the Nubians to the Native Americans, and the Akkadians to the Aztecs, our predecessors have pioneered a plethora of wonderful and wacky inventions, technologies and practices. They've constructed monumental buildings and sprawling cities, created languages, modes of transport, art, medicines, music, stories, myths and more.

Let's delve into the past and discover what humankind accomplished in the centuries and millennia since the first civilisations were formed…

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

The story that I thought

was my life

didn’t start on the day

I was born
Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white.

The story that I think

will be my life

starts today
Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?

How to Rule a City by KJ Parker

This is the story of how the City was saved, by Notker the professional liar, written down because eventually the truth always seeps through.

The City may be under siege, but everyone still has to make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor and impresario. Nobody works harder, even when he's not working. Thankfully, the good citizens of Classis appreciate an evening at the theatre even when there are large rocks falling out of the sky.

But Notker is a man of many talents, and all the world is, apparently, a stage. It seems that the Empire needs him - or someone who looks a lot like him - for a role that will call for the performance of a lifetime. At least it will guarantee fame, fortune and immortality. If it doesn't kill him first.

The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

Glasgow, 2025. Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a patient with flu-like symptoms. Within three hours he is dead. This is how it begins.

The unknown virus sweeps through the hospital with deadly speed.

The victims are all men.

Dr Maclean raises the alarm. But by the time the authorities listen to her, the virus has spread to every corner of the world. Threatening families. Governments. Countries.

Can they find a cure before it’s too late? Can they stop THE END OF MEN?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday! It's been a fairly quiet week for new titles, just three on our lists.

Sonia O'Sullivan by Natasha Mac a'Bháird

Born in Cobh, County Cork, Sonia O'Sullivan is Ireland's best ever athlete, having won Olympic Silver and multiple World Championship gold medals, both on the track and cross country.
As a child, Sonia wasn't national champion: but only because these weren't held for girls! Her first major international race was in 1990, when she finished 11th in 3,000 metres in the European Championships. Less than a year later, she took more than 5 seconds off the previous world indoor 5,000m record.

It wasn't success all the way, and Sonia had some very difficult days, but she's an amazing example of what determination, hard work and natural talent can achieve: she's a real role model for girls and boys alike.

This fast-paced, engaging telling of her life is aimed at young readers.

The Love Square by Laura Willliams

She’s single. But it can still be complicated...

Penny Bridge has always been unlucky in love.

So she can’t believe it when she meets a remarkable new man.

Followed by another.

And then another...

And all of them want to date her.

Penny has to choose between three. But are any of them The One?

---

I enjoyed Our Stop very much last year. The Love Square is just as good, with extra food and friends. Seriously, some of the food descriptions...

Ok, this isn't literature. It's probably never going to win an award. And that's a shame, because it really deserves to; it's fun, light, with surprising moments of pathos and depth. I was glued to it as I watched Penny stumble along, making very understanable mistakes and fumbles as she went.

I love her family support system, how they're close and caring despite being physically apart. Penny's colleagues, in both her places of work, are great too. Penny's ability to create a form of family wherever she is is amazing. This line sums it up beautifully;

(in) Bridges cafe on a back street of Stoke Newington, family that were friends and friends who were like family ( ) came together and celebrated...

I can't wait to see what else Laura Jane shares with us. It's going to be great.

Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay

Each contestant has their own reasons—and their own secrets—for joining the new virtual reality show CUT/OFF that places a group of teenagers alone in the wilderness. It’s a simple premise: whoever lasts the longest without “tapping out” wins a cash prize. Not only that, new software creates a totally unprecedented television experience, allowing viewers to touch, see, and live everything along with the contestants. But what happens when “tapping out” doesn’t work and no one comes to save you? What happens when the whole world seemingly disappears while you’re stranded in the wild? Four teenagers must confront their greatest fears, their deepest secrets, and one another when they discover they are truly cut off from reality. Sci-fi, mystery, and romance converge in this high-stakes, fast-paced read that will leave you guessing to the very last moment.

#Bookpost, week ending 11th August 2020

Happy Tuesday, all!

This was a good week, but it looks even better because we discovered a couple of titles that had slipped the net over the last couple of weeks. As always, click the covers for goodreads and we've added comments here and there!

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.
The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be "normal." But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star's help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.
Sheetal's quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family's champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens--and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday, everyone! Let's get straight to it and see what happened on the blog this week.

Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti

Sydney Reilly has a bad feeling about going home to San Francisco before she even gets on the plane. How could she not? Her mother is Lila Shore—the Lila Shore—a film star who prizes her beauty and male attention above all else…certainly above her daughter.

But Sydney’s worries multiply when she discovers that Lila is involved with the dangerous Jake, an art dealer with shady connections. Jake loves all beautiful objects, and Syndey can feel his eyes on her whenever he’s around. And he’s not the only one. Sydney is starting to attract attention—good and bad—wherever she goes: from sweet, handsome Nicco Ricci, from the unsettling construction worker next door, and even from Lila. Behaviors that once seemed like misunderstandings begin to feel like threats as the summer grows longer and hotter.

It’s unnerving, how beauty is complicated, and objects have histories, and you can be looked at without ever being seen. But real danger, crimes of passion, the kind of stuff where someone gets killed—it only mostly happens in the movies, Sydney is sure. Until the night something life-changing happens on the stairs that lead to the beach. A thrilling night that goes suddenly very wrong. When loyalties are called into question. And when Sydney learns a terrible truth: beautiful objects can break.

Animal Crackers by Sarah Webb and Alan Nolan

A book of animal facts that will appeal strongly to children, illustrated with black & white animal art/doodles, activities and quiz pages - a highly interactive, fun and informative book.

Happy BookBirthday

Happy Thursday! This week has been very big in publishing; several books on our list have published.

Blog tour: Alexandra Forever 2291

Alexandra Forever 2291 — Book One: The Strange Matter of the Red Dwarf

This sci fi adventure opens on the crest of a gravity tsunami, when a red dwarf star system punches through the fabric of space-time and barrels toward the Milky Way Galaxy. The Early Warning Centre can only watch helplessly as colonized space braces for impact.

Questions arise. Is it merely a star system? Or, is something else altogether?

The dire situation takes an unforeseen twist in this science fantasy when an SOS transmission from a long-lost experimental starship, The Invictus, is traced to the sole planet orbiting the red dwarf.

Alexandra, Post Office Marshal and living goddess, is in an action-packed race against time when she is conscripted to retrieve either the Invictus itself or, failing that, it’s top-secret data, before the ship is lost to imminent galactic collision, or worse, falls into the wrong hands.

Bookpost! Week ending 4 Aug 2020

Happy Tuesday, guys! It's been a strange week. But we're back. We received two books this week, so our list is starting to drop a bit!

Unusually, both books we received are already published, so we're trying to get them read as quickly as possible. Watch out for reviews coming soon!

The Wish List by Sophia Money-Coutts

Be careful what you wish for… 

Florence Fairfax isn’t lonely. She loves her job at the little bookshop in Chelsea and her cat, Marmalade, keeps her company at night. But everything changes when her stepsister, Mia, announces that she’s engaged to her boring golf-playing boyfriend. That’s when Florence meets Irish love coach, Gwendolyn.

…because you just might get it!

When Gwendolyn makes Florence write a wish list describing her perfect man, Florence refuses to take it seriously. Finding someone who likes cats, doesn’t wear pointy shoes and can overlook her ‘counting habit’? Impossible! Until, later that week, a handsome blond man asks for help in the bookshop…

But is Rory the one, or is he simply too good to be true? Florence is about to find out that her criteria for finding Mr Right aren’t as important as she thought – and that perhaps her perfect man has been right there all along…

Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday! It's been a quieter week than we thought it would be, but sometimes that's what you need. We did manage to do a few things, so let's have a look.