This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Peek Ahead: February 2022

Happy February! Or at least end of January. Let's have a look at the month ahead and what will (probably) be coming up!

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We had a great week here on the blog, with a blog tour stop (two more coming up in the next few weeks!) as well as our normal features.

Blogtour: The Dominion Defiant by Chris Cloake

 

An ancient adversary in the east seeks to invade Ordefima and claim the treasures it holds.

When his beloved sister is captured, Rupert, the youngest son of the ruling family, is sent to save her. As the power of the enemy increases, can he overcome personal tragedy, emotional entanglements and lost allegiances to emerge as the hero? Or will subversive forces and increasing austerity inspire the people to rebel against him?

The Dominion - Defiant is the second book in the fantasy trilogy. If you like epic adventure, dark brooding menace, vivid characters and imaginative settings, then you’ll love this latest instalment by popular author Chris Cloake.

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

Sabriya has her whole summer planned out in color-coded glory, but those plans go out the window after a terrorist attack near her home. When the terrorist is assumed to be Muslim and Islamophobia grows, Sabriya turns to her online journal for comfort. You Truly Assumed was never meant to be anything more than an outlet, but the blog goes viral as fellow Muslim teens around the country flock to it and find solace and a sense of community.

Soon two more teens, Zakat and Farah, join Bri to run You Truly Assumed and the three quickly form a strong friendship. But as the blog’s popularity grows, so do the pushback and hateful comments. When one of them is threatened, the search to find out who is behind it all begins, and their friendship is put to the test when all three must decide whether to shut down the blog and lose what they’ve worked for…or take a stand and risk everything to make their voices heard.

The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla

THE BUNKER IS DESIGNED TO KEEP THEM ALL SAFE.

In the end, very few people made it to the bunker. Now they wait there for the outside world to heal. Wolfe is one of the lucky ones. She's safe and employed as the bunker's pharmacist, doling out medicine under the watchful eye of their increasingly erratic and paranoid leader.

BUT IS IT THE PLACE OF GREATEST DANGER?

But when the leader starts to ask things of Wolfe, favours she can hardly say no to, it seems her luck is running out. Forming an unlikely alliance with the young Doctor Stirling, her troubled assistant Levitt, and Canavan - a tattooed giant of a man who's purpose in the bunker is a mystery - Wolfe must navigate the powder keg of life underground where one misstep will light the fuse. The walls that keep her safe also have her trapped.

How much more is Wolfe willing to give to stay alive?

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday! We had a lovely quiet week this week, perfect to allow us to catch up a bit on the TBR. (In fact we couldn't wait and we've already read this week's book!)

The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Another week over here on the blog, and indeed out there in the real world as well. How was your week?

Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian

Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other?

The Big Book of Tarot Meanings by Sam Magdaleno

Interpreting card meanings is the most exciting aspect of reading tarot. However, it is also the most challenging for beginners. For example, basic tarot interpretation would have you understand that The Lovers card has to do with relationships—but what if your question had to do with career or health? How are you left to interpret the meaning?

The Big Book of Tarot Meanings is an exciting new approach to beginner tarot. Rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy, this comprehensive guide divides each tarot card interpretation into specific meanings for all the most-queried categories. No longer will you have to vaguely extrapolate meaning and insight for diverse questions from the same generic description often given in other beginner tarot books. These carefully chosen categories give you greater scope to use your intuition when interpreting the tarot, and enables you to apply these interpretations to the card positions of any tarot spread, be it the much-loved classic Celtic Cross or one you have created for yourself.

With The Big Book of Tarot Meanings, you’ll never struggle again to know how the cards are answering you.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! We've had a slight upset with our record keeping, but we're fairly confident in saying that this week, there are FIVE books from our various lists publishing!

The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris

Strange things have been happening to Layah and her younger sister, Izzie, ever since their mother dragged them to a rain-soaked cottage miles from anywhere in the Lake District: there is a peculiar whistling at night, a handful of unusual feathers appear on their doorstep and there are murmurings of a shadowed woman in the forest. And their mother is behaving very oddly. Layah is mourning the loss of her dear grandmother in Poland - and can almost hear her Babcia's voice telling her the old myths and fairy tales from that magical place.

And as the holiday takes on a dark twist, Layah begins to wonder if the myths might just be real.

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday, all! We had a good week this week with several new titles coming in - one of which we've already reviewed! As always, you can click on the covers to find out more about each book.

Dead Silence by S A Barnes

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed—made obsolete—when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn’t right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! It's been a fairly normal week on the blog, with both the #Bookpost and #BookBirthday posts back!

What's New, Harper Drew? by Kathy Weeks and Alexsei Bitskoff

Welcome to the hilarious WORLD of Harper Drew... there's a whole lot of DRAMA, but luckily she has tried and tested methods to deal with it! Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries.

My name is Harper Drew. I'm using my new journal to take note of all the totally ridiculous things that seem to go on around me with my family and friends. I seem to be the ONLY ONE who sees this all of this stuff for what it is. Completely BEYOND normal.

Recently I've been logging Drew Dial Ratings for all the mayhem. On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is someone to SAY or DO something that would be less sensible than (for example) ... a demented camel?

First up is the annual Drew trip to France... and while there might not be camels, there are BATS and Llamas - and my brother Troy who is so obsessed with his hairstyle, he won't even go swimming... that's a whole lot of ratings. I'm just hoping I land an invite to Maisie Felix's party when I'm back to distract me from the Drews... for one whole evening!

The start of a relatable new illustrated series, all about embracing your family, and finding unique ways to deal with life's dramas.

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell (spoilers in review)

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.

The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.

But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, y'all! This week there was ONE book from our lists publishing, and we are very happy to celebrate it!

Guest review: A Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett

In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. But when an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia - first given to the Queen in the 1960s - shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition, she begins to realise that something is up.

When a body is found in the Palace swimming pool, she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have suspected. With her trusted secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is determined to solve the case. But will she be able to do it before the murderer strikes again?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday all! A quiet week on the bookpost front, I'm guessing because a lot of our usual contacts are only starting back this week. It's giving us time to catch up on some books!

Fearbook Club by Richard Hamilton, Marco Marone and Dave Sharpe

When shy 6th-grade shutterbug Whit Garcia starts middle school, he’s forced to join a yearbook club with three other weirdos who will never be voted “most likely to succeed.” But after the ghosts of missing students start haunting them, Whit, Hester, Hillary and Press must solve the supernatural secret behind these spirits — or their yearbook club will be voted most likely to join them.

But are these ghostly students the real bad guys? Or are they just warning Whit and his friends? Warning them about a darkness beyond their schoolyard…a darkness that threatens to swallow the school – and its occupants – whole.

The sophomore offering from Seismic Press, FEARBOOK CLUB is a story all about fitting in, fighting ghosts and forming friendships with other misfits, especially when you’re a misfit yourself. Springing from the pen of writer Richard Ashley Hamilton (How To Train Your Dragon, Guillermo Del Toro’s Trollhunters) and artist Marco Matrone.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This week included a new-to-us feature, we hope you liked it! 

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram

Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful breakup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.

But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.

Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies by Logan Macx

An addictive new spy series for Alex Rider fans who love breathless plot, cutting-edge tech and action-packed adventure.

When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the secretive Möbius Programme to crack an unbreakable code. They are immediately plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, that takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum, to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the mysterious ship Nightfall. Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk will be pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøkelsøy, and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.

Happy #BookBirthday

For the first time in a while, happy #BookBirthday! (And yet there were no new titles this week. Doors, windows, etc.) Read on for a look at what's publishing from our lists this week - FOUR titles for the new year!

The Ship of Clouds and Stars by Amy Raphael

Nico Cloud desperately wants to be an explorer, but her parents think adventures aren’t for girls. Fate intervenes when Nico chases a kitten on board a ship . . . and then the ship sails out to sea!

NICO IS AN ACCIDENTAL STOWAWAY.

Lucky for her, the ship belongs to a famous scientist who is on a quest for new discoveries. But clouds are brewing overhead and cunning pirates are determined to wreck the crew’s mission. Can Nico steer the ship to victory and prove her parents wrong?

Zommunist Invasion: Sentient

Intelligent zombies with an insatiable appetite for brains. A guerrilla band on the run. Can a new secret weapon change their unravelling fate?

Jennifer lost her sister. With nothing left to live for, she throws herself into the fight against the Soviet invaders with no care for her own safety.

When she returns to the Sniper hideout, she learns of a new weapon that could be the key to defeating the Soviets—but the secret to making it lies hundreds of miles away.

What’s worse, the zombie virus has mutated. The infected have transformed from mindless monsters into intelligent predators—and they’re rounding up truckloads of humans for food.

The road has never been so dangerous. Can Jennifer and the Snipers outmaneuver the sentient zombies in a desperate bid to save their country?

Sentients is the fourth installment of the high-octane Zommunist Invasion apocalypse series. If you like stories with high stakes, narrow odds, and compelling characters, you’ll love this action-packed, 1985 zombie adventure.

Peek ahead: January 2022

Happy January, all! This is a new (to us) feature where we look at some upcoming books and titles we have or are hoping to get to read. We're going to do our best to keep it going all year!

Weely roundup

Happy Sunday, and happy new year! I hope this is a fantastic year with many books for us all to gush about. Here's the roundup for this week, including a brand new type of post! (New to me. Not new to literally any other book blogger.)

What Can I Say? by Catherine Newman and Debbie Fong

Middle school is an essential time to learn and practice social skills, including how to get along with others, talk about hard things, be an ally, and a good friend. In What Can I Say?,Catherine Newman, author of the bestseller How to Be a Person, provides supportive guidance and instruction to help kids establish or and maintain meaningful relationships and effective communication with friends, teachers, family members, and others in their communities. Talking the talk can be tricky, and every page of this super-useful book provides easy, accessible scripts and guidance on the right thing to say in all kinds of situations, from how to be inclusive, listen, give advice, argue, stick up for yourself, and ask for help to how to turn down a date, express sympathy, deal with offensive comments, respond to bullying, and be trustworthy. Humorous, graphic-style illustrations that play our familiar scenarios reenforce Newman's friendly, non-judgmental tone and her commitment to helping kids develop the skills to express themselves clearly while showing empathy, care, and generosity towards others.

Year on the Blog: 2021

Hi all! I thought I'd do a quick roundup of the year on the blog. Now the more I looked at the records, the more interesting stuff I saw, so this might be a bit haphazard! Some records are coming from Goodreads and some are from the stats of the blog here.

Serendipty ed by Marissa Meyer

Love is in the air in this is a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Gilded, Marissa Meyer. The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker. From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that's been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle and Abigail Hing Wen.

The Revelry by Katherine Webber

I am a girl of Ember Grove and these are my woods…

Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry - the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited. When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can’t remember anything from the night before.

Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about the Revelry, Bitsy chokes on the words. But this is just the beginning, and what starts out as a run of bad luck starts to feel like a curse. As Bitsy’s life goes from bad to worse, things only get better and better for her best friend.

It’s as if there’s only so much luck to go round and Amy’s getting all of it…

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all!  Christmas notwithstanding - only one of these titles was specifically a Christmas gift - we had a great week with several deliveries from publishers, which we are really looking forward to digging into. In fact, we already reviewed one of these books!

Ah...That's Gas by Sarah Cassidey and Kunak McGann

What has Ireland really been talking about for the last forty years? Those iconic moments, controversies and unexpected fads that we just could not get enough of.

From the team that brought you The A to Z of Being Irish and A-Z of an Irish Christmas, this is Irish culture with a light touch and lashings and lashings of rose-tinted nostalgia.

Weekly Roundup! (Happy Christmas!)

Happy/Merry Christmas/holidays, y'all! Hope you had really good ones, whatever a good one means to you. We are basically all still in food comas, so here's the roundup for the week.

The Colour of Hope by Ross Mackenzie

'Why am I different?'
'I don't know, lassie. I wish I did. And I wish you didn't have tae hide it.'

The Dominion is cursed. Years ago, the Emperor and his Necromancer stole all the colour from the world. Now they keep it for themselves, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in cold shades of grey.

That is until a miracle baby is born - a little girl who lives in brilliant colour. But the child's life is in danger from her first breath. Soon the Emperor's murderous ripper dogs and black coats come hunting. A drifter mage, Sandy Burns, intervenes, hiding the wee miracle in the forest, raising her as his own. Rumour of ‘the rainbow child’ spreads, giving hope to those who had lost it ... but bringing danger and adventure to Sandy and his daughter.

Gilded Tarot Royale Mini by Ciro Marchetti and Barbara Moore

This fun mini-edition of the bestselling Gilded Tarot Royale is perfect for on-the-go readings. Small enough to fit in a pocket or a purse, you can carry your deck everywhere. It also makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for tarotists. Whether you are an expert reader or just starting your tarot journey, a tarot mini will be an exciting and practical addition to your collection. With borderless cards, richer colours, and stylish design improvements, this mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale retains the powerful readability of the original Gilded Tarot with a more contemporary look. Following the RWS style and abounding with medieval magicians, priestesses, emperors, and knights, the Gilded Tarot Royale Mini will continue to inspire tarot readers for years to come. This is a mini edition of the Gilded Tarot Royale (9780738765181). Cards measure approximately 1.7 x 3 inches. Please note that this deck does not come with an instructional booklet.

All the Feels by Olivia Dade

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

#Bookpost! w/e 19.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! Last week was quiet on the book front, but this week seems to be shaping up better...and of course it will include CHRISTMAS DAY! Is anyone planning on celebrating Jolabokaflod?

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We are heading into Christmas week and very excited for the big day. What books are on your wishlists?

All That's Left in the World by Erik J Brown (quite large spoilers in review)

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people on Earth. They don't know what they'll find on their perilous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity - this is How I Live Now with the heart of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.

Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ...

But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (spoilers in review)

 

Would you choose to find out the length of your life?

One spring day, small wooden boxes arrive for every person, all over the world, from suburban doorsteps to desert tents. All the boxes feature the same inscription, “The measure of your life lies within,” and vary in only two ways: the name of the recipient and the length of the single string inside. Instantly, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy, first to ascertain their origin and meaning, and then to confront the truth of the strings.

Told through multiple perspectives, The Measure introduces an unforgettable cast of characters whose lives weave and interlock with one another upon the arrival of the strings: a doctor who cannot save himself, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, and a politician whose string becomes a powder keg in an increasingly turbulent world.

As society divides itself, the truth has the power to unravel their long-held beliefs and relationships all while forging new alliances and philosophies about our time on this earth and our place in the community. Both heartbreaking and profoundly uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious meditation on life, family, and society that challenges us to consider the best way to live life to the fullest.

Puffling and the Egg by Erika McGann and Gerry Daly

When Puffling finds a lost egg on Skellig Michael, she sets off to return the egg to its nest!

She travels all over the island searching the owner of this stray egg, meeting lots of new friends along the way ... but who lost this mystery egg? And what kind of baby animal is going to hatch from it?

#Bookpost! w/e 12.12.21

Happy Tuesday, all! We are deep in the unique - let's say 'fun' - that is retail at Christmas. However, we have some lovely books to look forward to! We've been really lucky and received some of the most talked about books at the moment.

Blog tour: Shadow Winged by Jilleen Dolbeare

Morning all! Today we are lucky enough to have this fab extract from a new series in the urban fantasy genre. Let us know what you think!

Weekly roundup!

Happy Sunday, all!

B was struck down by a terrible head cold this week (don't worry, tested and came back clear, she just wanted to die) so we missed a review, but we're hoping to be back on track next week!

A Galway Fairytale/Síscéal ó Ghaillimh le Caitriona Sweeney

Fans of A Dublin Fairytale will be enchanted by this modern take on the Hansel and Gretel fairytale set in modern-day Galway.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week we had FOUR books from our lists publishing. There's currently nothing at all for the rest of the month, but things often show up at short notice!

In one of those stragne coincidences, these books were all 'ok but not great' in our opinions. Please remember these are just opinions! Everyone has their own.

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended, in this wry, embracing novel.

Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and evrryone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.

Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.

Blogtour: The Blue Pendant

Welcome to the blog tour for the exciting new novel based on Greek legends!

#Bookpost! w/end 5 Dec 21

It is still weird to me that this is 2021. Anyone else have that? I'd want to start getting over it quite quickly, I guess...anyway, happy Tuesday!

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartthrobs in front of the cameras and best friends backstage.

But privately, the pressure to stay in the closet has Ruben confiding in Zach.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe with an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, the two come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben realize they will never truly have the support they need.

How can they hold tight to each other when their whole world is coming apart?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! In keeping with everything lately, this post is a little late. Retail at Christmas, man.

The Wild Swans by Jackie Morris

A girl loses her beloved brothers when they are turned into swans by her wicked stepmother. She embarks on a vital quest with one purpose: to find them and turn them back into boys again.

But the task is complicated. She must pick nettles with her bare hands and turn them to yarn, to spin and knit into shirts for each of the eleven brothers. And all the while she cannot speak, for if she does, even so much as a whisper, it will be like a knife in the heart of each swan-boy. And so she knits, silent. And where there is silence people will put words.

The Wild Swans is a beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Jackie Morris's enchanting retelling, complete with delicate watercolour paintings throughout this new edition. A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.

The Big Reveal by Jen Larson (unmarked spoilers in review)

Addie is a talented dancer, a true-blue friend, fat, fierce, and driven. When she's accepted into the prestigious dance program of her dreams, she thinks nothing can bring her down—until she realizes she doesn't have enough money to go. Refusing to give up, Addie and her friends decide to put on a top-secret, invitation-only burlesque show to raise funds. But word soon gets out, and the slut- and body-shaming begin. Has Addie been resisting the patriarchy, or playing right into its hands?

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Mathieu and E. Lockhart, The Big Reveal asks hard-hitting feminist questions while reveling in some of life's greatest joys: chasing your passions, falling in love, and embracing yourself exactly as you are.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Hi all! This is the first of (currently) three weeks this month with no new books on our lists! That can change at any time, of course, but we're currently using the time to get ahead on next year's books. Watch out for them coming up soon!

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield

For fans of Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying and films like I Know What You Did Last Summer comes a gripping thriller about murder, mystery, and deception.

Blackmail lures Ava to the abandoned amusement park on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group finds themselves cut off from the real world. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she's willing to go to survive. The teenagers have only their secrets to protect and each other to betray.

Loki; A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowel

Packed with doodles and cartoons, this is the wry, witty and very funny diary of Norse god Loki and the trials of being trapped on Earth as a weedy eleven-year-old boy.

After one prank too many, trickster god Loki is banished to live as a "normal" school boy. If he can show moral improvement within one month, then Loki can return to Asgard ... and if he can't? Then it's eternity in a pit of angry snakes. To keep track of his progress, Odin has handed over this magical diary in which Loki is forced to confess the truth. (Even when that truth is as ugly as a naked mole-rat.) As if moral improvement and the indignities of school weren't challenging enough, Loki is banned from using his awesome godly powers and (even worse) must put up with Thor tagging along and making him look bad. Anyone reading Loki's diary is about to learn that this is one god who hasn’t a clue how to tell good from bad, trust from tricks, or friends from enemies...

#Bookpost! Week ending 28th November 21

Happy Tuesday, all! This is a drive-by book post I'm afraid, but we are really looking forward to reading these books! We'll be busy, for sure!

You'll be the Death of Me by Karen McManus

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Back in middle school they were best friends. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They'll ditch school and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Why did they stop hanging out, anyway?

As soon as they pull out of the parking lot Cal knows why. Ivy's already freaking out about missing class, and heartthrob Mateo is asleep in the backseat, too cool to even pretend like he wants to be there. The truth is they have nothing in common anymore.

At least they don't until they run into the fourth student ditching school that day. Brian "Boney" Mahoney is supposed to be accepting his newly won office of class president. Which is why Ivy follows him into an empty building, only to walk into the middle of a murder scene. Cal, Ivy, and Mateo all know the person lying on the ground of that building, and now they need to come clean. They're all hiding something. And maybe their chance reconnection wasn't by chance after all.

Blogtour: When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari and Natalie Sirett

Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai’s family suffers a huge loss.

Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This week was practically back to normal as we (mostly) finished up with NaNo and got back on track.

The Maid by Nita Prose (some spoilers unmarked in review)

A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down...

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Bookbirthday, all! We have two books on our lists this week.

Blogtour: My First Animal Moves by Darryl Edwards

Nathan loves to play, but he loves his video games more.

Can a trip to Animal Moves land convince him there’s more fun outdoors? Best-selling author and speaker Darryl Edwards has created this fun adventure inspired by his passion for encouraging kids to move in an ever-increasing sedentary environment.

MY FIRST ANIMAL MOVES

Discover the joys of animal moves with your little cubs in this first book of movement. Join Nathan and his cute, but sometimes lazy, dog as they crawl, jump and balance their way through the animal kingdom re-enacting moves designed to emphasise fun. It’s all in this exercise for kids book that focuses on family fun boredom busters.

Welcome to the book tour for My First Animal Moves by Darryl Edwards. This book will get kids and parents moving!

Wish you were Here by Jodi Piccoult (unmarked spoilers in review)

Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. The whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.