Pip and Posy: How Are You?

A chunky board book with handy tabbed pages to help young children turn the page and build book-confidence.

Like all friends do, Pip and Posy sometimes get upset, feel cross and feel scared. This book explores how they cope when they feel these different emotions, and what they can do to help each other feel better.

Happy #BookBirthday! (13/10)

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

The Other Ones by Fran Hart

Sal lives in a haunted house.

He longs to be ordinary, but when the strangest of strangers arrives on his doorstep – a fellow outcast called Pax – his life grows even more complicated.

Sal goes on to develop an unlikely friendship with Pax, whose love for all things spooky drew him to the house and its inhabitants. But as the two grow closer, the true nature of the hauntings is gradually revealed.

Will Sal find the courage to conquer his ghosts, or will he risk losing Pax for good?

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday, all! We missed last week's #BookPost as we were on a blog tour, so this week is a double post. We got some great stuff this fortnight!

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

Cursed by Marissa Meyer

Adalheid Castle is in chaos.

Following a shocking turn of events, Serilda finds herself ensnared in a deadly game of make-believe with the Erlking, who is determined to propel her deeper into the castle’s lies. Meanwhile, Serilda is determined to work with Gild to help him solve the mystery of his forgotten name and past.

But soon it becomes clear that the Erlking doesn’t only want to use Serilda to bring back his one true love. He also seeks vengeance against the seven gods who have long trapped the Dark Ones behind the veil. If the Erlking succeeds, it could change the mortal realm forever.

Can Serilda find a way to use her storytelling gifts for good–once and for all? And can Serilda and Gild break the spells that tether their spirits to the castle before the Endless Moon finds them truly cursed?

Romance and adventure collide in this stunning finale to the Rumpelstilskin-inspired fairy tale.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! This week was another light-on-reviews week as we had other features instead!

Cover reveal: Division X by August Hill

Welcome to the cover reveal for August Hill's novel, Division X! The perfect book to add to your October TBR!

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out - not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way.

But that impossible dream has somehow come true for El and her classmates. And what's more, she didn't even have to become the monstrous dark witch she's prophesised to become to make it happen. Instead of killing enclavers, she saved them, and now the world is safe for all wizards. Peace and harmony have enveloped all the enclaves of the world.

Just kidding.

Instead, someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in El's stead, and everyone she saved is at risk again with a full-scale enclave war on the horizon. And so, the first thing El needs to do after miraculously escaping the Scholomance, is to turn straight around and find a way back in.

Happy #BookBirthday! (6/10)

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

Wren by Lucy Hope

A dark, gothic adventure set on the island of Anglesey in North Wales and featuring a very fantastical beast…

Wren lives in an ancient castle in the mountains near the sea. The wind whistles through it and the walls sing to her. Wren is busy inventing things, and her father is busy disapproving.

But the castle contains a mystery and as Wren is drawn further into it, she realises the answer lies in the very foundations of her home, foundations that are being shaken to their core…

The next fantastic novel from Lucy Hope, author of Fledgling!

Blog tour; Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin

‘I’ve got two claws, Katie. Two giant, evil, freaking Freddy Krueger monster things. I am not calm.’

Evie Wilder is living a very normal life. Except for the fact that her mum has gone missing, she’s just found out she’s a werewolf, she and her sister have to go into hiding from supernatural beings, and there’s not a single

helpful vampire slayer to be found.

With the help of Kevin, the dorky-hot teenage manager of the guesthouse where Evie and Kate go to lie low, Evie begins to learn to harness her wolfish abilities. But there’s something a bit odd about Kevin that Evie can’t quite put her finger on.

Meanwhile, reports of animal attacks are increasing, local teenagers have started to go missing, and Evie is about to find herself at the centre of a supernatural showdown.

At Midnight ed by Dahlia Adler

Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh tales with unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of acclaimed YA writers to breathe new life into a storied tradition.

Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:

Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin”

Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale”

H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White”

Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood”

Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl”

Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel”

Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots”

Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude”

Alex London, “Cinderella”

Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker”

Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom”

Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty”

Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid”

Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird”

and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert

Once upon a time . . .

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We had a lovely normal week here on the blog, but next week is going to be fun!

We Disagree About This Tree by Ross Collins

Bear and Mouse have finally overcome their differences and are living together in perfect harmony . . . until it’s time to decorate the Christmas tree! Bear wants dazzling lights, while Mouse prefers gigantic baubles . . . and, wait a minute, did Mouse just put a MANATEE on the top?! A topsy-turvy tree is definitely THE LAST STRAW and it looks as if Christmas is RUINED. But maybe, just maybe, Bear and Mouse can reach a compromise in time . . . ?

The Empire by Michael Ball

Welcome to The Empire Theatre.

'It's the jewel of the north, The Empire. Lord Lassiter bought it for his second wife, Lady Lillian and she supervised every detail of the restoration. There's not a finer theatre in the country'.

But The Empire is not just a theatre. From music hall to vaudeville, from revue to grand musical spectacular, it holds a special place in the nation's heart. For its audience, for its actors and singers, for the stagehands, the front-of-house staff, for its backers and its debtors - and above all for its owners - it truly is a palace of dreams.

And for young Jack Treadwell, struggling to adapt to civilian life after the horrors of the trenches, it's a lifeline. When he receives a letter out of the blue inviting him to work at The Empire, he leaps at the chance. After all, it's owned by the family of his former commanding officer, Edmund Lassiter.

But as Jack soon discovers, it is not just the actors who are donning a disguise. With whispers of a cover-up, a scandal and sibling rivalry, tensions rise, along with the curtain. For there is treachery at the heart of The Empire and a dark secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover the truth before it is too late, and the theatre that means so much to them all goes dark?

Following the lives and loves of the Lassiter and Treadwell families, from the aftermath of the Great War and the Roaring Twenties to the dark days of the Second World War and the Blitz, Michael Ball's debut fiction series charts the story of the high notes and the low notes of British musical theatre in all its glamour, greasepaint and glory.

Happy #BookBirthday! (29/9)

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

A Sliver of Darkness by CJ Tudor

The debut short story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, featuring ten bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Timeslips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor's novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In Final Course, the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In Runaway Blues, thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In Gloria, a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a cold-hearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in I'm Not Ted, a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen, fatal consequences.

Riveting and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! We've had a pretty good week this week - and for the first time in a while, we haven't finished any of these yet!

As always, you can click on the covers to learn more about each title.

Billy Conker's Nature-Spotting Adventure by Conor Busuttil

Hi, I’m Billy Conker!

I love to explore our natural world and discover all the amazing creatures living there, from snails and bees in my back garden to polar bears and great blue whales on the other side of the planet.

Now I need your help! We’re on a mission to find wild animals in their natural habitats. It won’t be easy: some are already struggling – or even endangered – and these are the hardest to spot.

Are you ready? Come on, then! Follow me and let’s get started …

Billy Conker is a young conservationist. He loves visiting different places around the world, discovering all the amazing animals and plants there and finding out how he can help them. Join Billy as he explores ponds and forests, oceans and coral reefs, deserts, prairies, cities and more!

Weekly roundup (25/9/22)

Happy Sunday, all! After all those blog tours last week, we had a normal week this time around, with our usual four reviews.

Bizzy Bear Memory Game: Things that Go

Bizzy Bear’s fun memory game slider book!

Play and learn with Bizzy Bear!

With four fun scenes, three memory games and lots of things that go to spot, this busy book is designed to improve memory, build vocabulary, and promote book-confidence. And with no messy cards to tidy up afterwards, parents will love it too!

Discover things that go in four settings – on the construction site, in the city, at the airport and in outer space!

The Strange Tale of Barnabus Kwerk by Erica McGann and Phillip Cullen

Barnabus Kwerk lives in the biggest, fanciest house in Undle.

His family are stinking rich. They’re also dreadful people. Barnabus doesn’t want to be like the rest of the Kwerks. He wants to go to school and make friends and be happy. But that isn’t possible as long as he remains trapped in the attic bedroom of the Big House.

When a stranger calls one stormy night, Barnabus is fascinated. His Aunt Jemima is like no-one he has ever met before. She knows secrets – about the Kwerks’ dark past, about Barnabus’s mother, and about a glorious golden machine at the centre of the Earth.

She offers Barnabus a life of adventure. But every great adventure has danger at its heart.

Happy #BookBirthday! (21/9)

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

Monochrome by Jamie Costello

16-year-old Grace awakes one morning to find the sky leaden, the sun huge ball of ash, the clouds like threatening rubble, and reports of unexplained accidents occurring on roads and rail. These are the hallmarks of an apocalyptic movie, but it quickly becomes apparent that everything, to the rest of her family, seems normal; Grace is one of only a handful of people in the country who are seeing the world in shades of grey.

Soon, however, the whole of society is in the grip of the Monochrome Effect, or 'greyout', which eliminates the ability of humans and animals to see colour. The greyout moves from person to person, but it isn't a transmissible disease: the effect on the optic nerve can be traced from microplastics in the ocean, the result of unchecked pollution, now in all water systems.

When Grace starts to experience intermittent 'colour episodes', she is asked to join a government-run study with other teens who have seen flashes of colour since the Monochrome Effect began. She is told that she will be helping find a cure; be part of something that could save the world. But the reality is much more sinister, complex and dangerous than she could ever have imagined - colour vision is now currency, and to those in power, worth the ultimate price...

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This was an excellent week for new books - and yes, we have read one already!

As always, you can click on the covers to learn more about each title.

Mourne Country by Gareth McCormack

‘I have seen landscapes which, under a particular light, made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.’ – C.S. Lewis

The magnificent mountains of Mourne have long inspired artists and writers. Here, author and photographer Gareth McCormack shares his passion, knowledge and stunning pictures of these sweeping peaks, including the great Slieve Donard, Slieve Bearnagh and Slieve Binnian, with its otherworldly granite tors.

He travels further into Mourne Country, to the towns of Newcastle by the sea, Dundrum and Kilkeel, and the estates of Tollymore, Rostrevor and Castlewellan, and finds monuments that bear witness to lives long ago, from pre-historic dolmens to smugglers’ routes, Norman castles to traditional stone walls.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We were lucky enough to be on TWO blog tours this week, which did cut into our reviews a little, but I think you'll agree it was worth it!

The Game by Scott Kershaw

To save their life, you have to play.

Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message from an unknown number.

THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.

To save them, each must play The Game – a sinister unknown entity that has a single rule: there can only be one winner.

IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.

But what is The Game – and why have they been chosen?

There’s only one thing each of them knows for sure: they’ll do anything to win…

WELCOME TO THE GAME. YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING.

Blog tour: The Past that Haunts by Jennifer Porter

 

Congratulations to author Jennifer Porter on the release of novel, The Past That Haunts! Read on for more details and an exclusive excerpt!

  The Past That Haunts (Wardman Chronicles #1) Publication Date: September 12th, 2022 

  Genre: Paranormal/ Mafia Romance 

 Lilith Wardman was six when her parents died. Since then, she’s gone through the motions of life, dreaming of what might have been had her world not been ripped apart. 

 Yet at the age of twenty-three, she finds herself thrust into a fresh nightmare. Two sides are pitted against each other in a brewing vampire war, and Lilith is caught in between them. One wants her dead. The other will put their lives on the line to save her. 

 When Dominic Rosini kidnaps Lilith, he claims he accepted his boss’s offer to protect her. Little does she know, Dominic is driven by motives of his own. His boss made a promise Dominic intends to keep, despite his growing attraction to the frightened mortal. 

 Trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, can Lilith trust the feelings she’s developing for Dominic? Or will the delicate life she built be left in shambles once more?

Happy #BookBirthday! (15/9)

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

Blog tour: The Book of Secrets by Alex Dunne and Shona Shirley MacDonald

The door flew open, and Granny stared out at Cat with wild eyes.

‘So,’ she said, almost in a whisper, ‘they’re back.’

For the first time in over fifty years, the Trooping Fairies are in the small town of Clonbridge for their annual Revels. Their arrival awakens other creatures, who have mischief and chaos in mind.

Eleven-year-old Cat is in more danger than most. She has the Sight, like her Granny before her, and that makes her a magnet for all things supernatural. But when the wild magic hurts her family, she needs to find a friend she can really trust. Together they face real danger and must use all their wits and bravery to save those they love, before the sun rises …

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received two new books that look very exciting, and as is becoming normal we've read one already!

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

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin

The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.

When eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up, she’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize. The other people there seem to know her, but she doesn't know them – not even the pretty, chiseled boy who tells her his name is Connor. A voice inside her head keeps saying that everything is okay, but Dylan can’t help but freak out. Especially when she borrows Connor’s phone to call home and realizes she’s been missing for three days.

Dylan has lost time before, but never like this.

Soon after, Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and must grapple not only with the many people currently crammed inside her head, but that a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out has put them there. Her only distraction is a budding new relationship with Connor. But as she gets closer to finding out the truth, Dylan wonders: will it heal her or fracture her further?

Kate McLaughlin’s Pieces of Me is raw, intimate, and surprisingly hopeful.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We've had a nice week here on the blog.

Rebel Girls Handbook

All Rebel, all the time. The Rebel Girls Handbook is the ultimate ticket to trivia, activities, and more about 300+ extraordinary women featured across the bestselling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.

Malala Yousafzai fights for girls' education around the world. . . and there's an asteroid named after her. Florence Nightingale was a nurse who saved lives during the Crimean War. . . and she had a pet owl named Athena. María Isabel Urrutia is a Colombian weightlifter. . . and the inspiration for a character in the film Encanto.

The Rebel Girls Handbook includes amazing facts and beautiful illustrations of Rebel Girls past and present, all packaged together in a fun, easy-to-flip-through format. Spotlights on the home countries and traits of trailblazing women let readers explore the Rebel universe like never before, while activities encourage them to join in and make the book their own.

Plus, find QR codes inside that unlock awesome bonus audio stories on the Rebel Girls app!

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

1946. Three years after a cataclysmic event which tore their lives apart, a mother and daughter flee Poland for Paris, shame, and fear at their heels, not knowing how hard it is to escape your past.

Nearly eighty years later, Gretel Fernsby lives a life that is a far cry from her traumatic childhood. When a couple moves into the flat below her in her London mansion block, it should be nothing more than a momentary inconvenience. However, the appearance of their nine-year-old son Henry brings back memories she would rather forget.

Faced with a choice between her own safety and his, Gretel is taken back to a similar crossroads she encountered long ago. Back then, her complicity dishonoured her life, but to interfere now could risk revealing the secrets she has spent a lifetime protecting.

Happy #BookBirthday! (8/9)

Happy Thursday, all! This week there are THREE books from our various lists publishing - plus one mystery one we'll be on the blog tour for next week!

Murphy's Law by Muireann Ní Chíobhaín and Paul Nugent

Meet Murphy ... the unluckiest dog in Ireland!

Whatever could go wrong, would always go wrong,

when I was around.

Wherever I set a paw,

bad luck was always sure to follow.

We called it, 'Murphy's law'!

A picture book for young readers about an accident-prone dog whose tail is always getting him in trouble.

Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! Once again we've already read one of these books - we just couldn't wait! 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman--and a killer--of a certain age.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all, and welcome to our 1200th post! (It's just a normal Sunday post, I'm afraid. Sorry.)

Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer

To save their kingdom, they must embark on a dangerous journey...

The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals.

But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir.

When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship.

This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they seemed to be. . .

Murder at Snowfall by Fleur Hitchcock

A gripping thriller for readers who like danger and mystery and chills and spills from the comfort of their sofas… Unputdownable.

When Lucas and Ruby find an abandoned trunk covered in snow, Lucas says there’s bound to be a body inside. Ruby laughs but what if he’s right? Nervously she starts to open it, and immediately wishes she hadn’t. From that moment on, they’re drawn into a thrilling mystery, one that they have to solve before the falling snow smothers all trace of wrongdoing…

Happy #BookBirthday! (1/9)

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

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery's fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help - and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake-and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! We had an excellent week for new books this week, and we are excited to share! We've even already reviewed a couple.

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

Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky

One of Us Is Lying meets Lord of the Flies meets Fyre Fest in this wickedly addictive and funny YA thriller.

Rafi Francisco needs something really special to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the hearthrob musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. Rafi lands herself a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River will be the headliner.

But when Rafi arrives on the Caribbean island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers and (very minor) celebrities, they quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. And it’s not just confronting beauty gurus-gone-wild and spotty WiFi. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that he might be hiding even darker secrets than she suspected . . .

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Here is the weekly roundup in case you missed anything you might be interested in.

2023 Nature Month-By-Month: A Children’s Almanac By Anna Wilson & Elly Jahnz

Take an inspirational journey through the seasons with this updated edition of Nature Month-by-Month: A Children’s Almanac.

Beautifully illustrated by Elly Jahnz and written by nature-lover and wild swimmer Anna Wilson, this fantastic, fully illustrated guide to 2023 includes nature spotter guides, indoor and outdoor craft and activity ideas, seasonal recipes and celebrations of religious festivals and special events.

A wonderful gift to treasure and explore over the coming year, this gorgeous almanac, which has been updated with one third new material and revised design throughout, will encourage young readers to connect with nature and the world around them.

Our Big Day by Bob Johnston and Michael Emberly

Uncle David and Simon are going to get married! There's lots to do, from making the invitations to arranging the decorations, but when the wedding rings go missing just before the ceremony, Bear the dog has to use all of his special skills to help save the day!

This fun and engaging picture book is a celebration of love, family and weddings and is a gentle introduction for children to the idea of same-sex partnerships and marriage equality.

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen (spoilers in review)

One born to rule. One to forfeit…

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.

As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, identities that threaten my very life.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! We had a good week for new books this week, and we're even read one of these already!

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

Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter (one spoiler at end of review)

CAT LADY [n.]

Single, independent, crazy, aloof, on-the-shelf, lives alone . . .

It's safer for Mia to play the part that people expect. She's a good wife to her husband Tristan, a doting stepmother, she slips on her suit for work each morning like a new skin.

But beneath the surface, there's another woman just clawing to get out . . .

When a shocking event shatters the conventional life she's been so careful to build, Mia is faced with a choice. Does she live for a society that's all too quick to judge, or does she live for herself?

And if that's as an independent woman with a cat, then the world better get ready . . .

Fresh, funny and for anyone who's ever felt astray, CAT LADY will help you belong - because a woman always lands on her feet.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We did end up missing one review this week, but otherwise it's been normal.

Fox & Son Tailers by Paddy Donnelly

FOX & SONS - Makers of the Finest Traditional Tails for All Animals and Every Occasion!

Rory’s dad, Fox, is a tailer. The BEST in the business! Animals come from all over to have their tails made by him. Rory helps his dad in the shop and one of his jobs is measuring the customers for the tails - which isn't always easy!

But Rory is bored of making the same old tails. He has his own amazing ideas ...

The Nicest Girl by Sophie Jo

Sixth-former Anna Campbell is the go-to girl when anyone needs anything. Teachers, friends, random strangers... It never occurred to her that she could say no. After all, Anna Campbell's always been too 'nice' to say no. But Anna is sick of being that girl, the nice girl, and she's going to do something about it. Only, is she prepared to risk losing everything she cares about - even herself - along the way...? A novel for anyone who's ever struggled to put themselves first.

Happy #BookBirthday! (16/8)

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

Bad Fruit by Ella King

LILY IS A GOOD DAUGHTER

Every evening she pours Mama a glass of perfectly spoilt orange juice. She arranges the teddy bears on Mama's quilt, she puts on her matching pink clothes. Anything to help put out the fire of Mama's rage.

MAMA IS A GOOD LIAR

But Mama is becoming unpredictable, dangerous. And as she starts to unravel, so do the memories that Lily has kept locked away for so long.

She only wanted to be good, to help piece Mama back together. But as home truths creep out of the shadows, Lily must recast everything: what if her house isn't a home - but a prison? What if Mama isn't a protector - but a monster . . .

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received two new books which we're very excited about! As always, you can click on the cover to learn more about each book.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We've had a usual week here on the blog, despite the heat wave. However, B is not well so we may miss Monday's review - it's unsure as of yet! 

The Lighthouse by Alex Bell

On Bird Rock, gannets circle and thick mist surrounds the lighthouse at its centre, hiding the secrets of a tragic past within …

From the second they set foot on the island to join their dad and his new family, Jess and Rosie feel that something’s wrong. Nightmares haunt their dreams and there seems to be someone, or something, else with them in the lighthouse – their home for the summer.

Counting down the days until they can leave, Jess and Rosie decide to investigate. But when Rosie disappears, the countdown takes on a new meaning. Especially when no one but Jess remembers Rosie at all…

Lucie Yi is not a Romantic by Lauren Ho

Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be.

Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he’s honest, and most important, he’s ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants.

Happy #Birthday! (11/8)

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

The Fox's Tower by Sam Thompson

When Willow witnesses her animal-loving father, Silas, get kidnapped by a group of foxes and a huge wolf-like creature, she pursues them into the woods. There she meets wolves who tell her they know her father. Together they boldly enter the enormous tower the foxes have built deep in the forest. In the tower Willow discovers the dark project of the chief fox, Reynard, to create new life forms from magical clay buried in the Deep Forest where few can enter. To rescue her dad Willow must brave the Deep Forest and dig deep in herself to foil Reynard’s evil scheme to remake the world – but she also finds herself siding with the foxes against their new oppressor, the charismatic but wicked lion Noble.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! As expected, B had several books waiting which we are thrilled to dig into!

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

Tarot by Numbers by Liz Dean

Do you want to learn tarot, but feel overwhelmed by all the card meanings? Tarot by Numbers teaches you one of the easiest ways to read cards in an instant—to look at each card’s number.

Numbers are tarot’s operating system. In a tarot deck, there are 22 major arcana cards numbered 0 to 21, plus four suits of 56 cards, named the minor arcana. Just like playing cards, these minor cards are numbered Ace to 10. Even at a glance, you can see how the Ace might reveal beginnings (the idea) and the Ten, an ending (or ultimate expression of the idea). Combine the numbers with other immediate clues such as the card’s suit (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles), colors, and main image and you will be able to quickly discern the card’s meaning.

With Tarot By Numbers, you’ll discover what numbers mean in a reading, along with some professional number techniques, such as finding your tarot Birth Card by adding up the numbers in your date of birth, and discovering your ‘tarotscope’—which tarot cards influence each year of your life.

This book is perfect for tarot newbies who need an accessible route into tarot (without having to read all the history, myth, and symbolism), as well as the more experienced practitioner looking to refresh their tarot connection.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Welcome to this week's roundup of activity here on the blog.

If you're willing, I'd really appreciate you letting us know if you find this roundup useful or if you'd rather see something else here instead?

The Gathering Dark anthology

A cemetery full of the restless dead. A town so wicked it has already burned twice, with the breath of the third fire looming. A rural, isolated bridge with a terrifying monster waiting for the completion of its summoning ritual. A lake that allows the drowned to return, though they have been changed by the claws of death. These are the shadowed, liminal spaces where the curses and monsters lurk, refusing to be forgotten.

Hauntings, and a variety of horrifying secrets, lurk in the places we once called home. Written by New York Times bestselling, and other critically acclaimed, authors these stories shed a harsh light on the scariest tales we grew up with.

Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin

She has a million followers on social media.

She uses her fashion-forward eye to pick the perfect angle and filter on every photo.

She’s iconic.

She’s a trend-setter.

She’s Marie Antoinette, the year is 3070, and she’s arrived in the Franc Kingdom to marry the prince, secure an alliance, and rake in likes from her fans.

Versailles is not the perfect palace Marie’s seen on The Apps. Her life is a maze of pointless rules, and the court watches her every move for mistakes. Her shy husband Louis is more interested in horses and computer-hacking than producing heirs. Versailles seems like a dream full of neon-lit statues, handsome android soldiers, and parties till dawn. Under the surface, it’s a creepy den of secrets: surveillance in Marie’s bedroom, censored news feeds, disappearing courtiers.

When Marie and Louis become king and queen long before they’re ready to rule, any efforts to aid their suffering subjects are stamped out by the mega-corporations of the First Estate. Between riots in Paris and image-wrecking social media firestorms, Marie can’t afford to lose her head. Using her social media savvy and Louis’ hacking knowledge, they try to fix their reputations and change their kingdom for the better, but the royals may find it’s already too late. They’re ruling over the end of an era.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! This week there are FOUR books on our various lists publishing.

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite

London is all Cynthia knows, so when her parents abruptly uproot the family after a traumatic incident, to a place where there is only one bus an hour and the faint smell of horse manure continuously permeates the air, it's a culture shock, to say the least. As is transitioning to a private school.

At her new school, Cynthia is one of the only black students. Goofy Thomas, her white lab partner, immediately takes her under his wing. He's kind and sweet, and her parents are pleased - someone like Thomas will be good for her 'future prospects'.

As much as Cynthia likes Thomas though, she can't help noticing Isaac, the only other black student in her year. He is aloof and doesn't seem to like her, but there's something about him she cannot quite get enough of...

But when it turns out both boys have been keeping secrets from her, secrets that link back to the life Cynthia thought she had left behind in London, she realises that not everything is as it seems.

Will Cynthia be able to forgive the lies and follow her heart?

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday all! Just one book this week as we wait for B to return, no doubt to shower us with new reads!

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

The Story of Greenriver by Holly Webb

The animals of Greenriver are in danger. Can Sedge and Silken find their way along the river to each other in time to save their home? A gorgeously illustrated adventure story that readers aged 8+ will treasure.

Last spring, the otters’ home flooded. Now the water is high again.

Young otter Sedge believes he can save his holt from another flood – but he has to be brave enough travel downstream for help.

Downriver, the beaver lodge is also at risk. Silken – who is too small and weak to do the work needed to strengthen the beavers’ dam – feels something calling her up the river.

As the two animals unknowingly swim towards each other, they are drawn to the spirit of Greenriver, who takes the form of a snow-white otter, Lady River.

But will Lady River hear their plea for safety?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! With no #Bookpost and no #BookBirthday this week, it's been quieter than usual on the blog, but we still have all the usual reviews.

Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston

She was very tired.

She lay down, her soft head on her soft paws.

The sunset licked her face.

The snow covered her like a blanket.

Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous.

Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own - finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she'd lost, with help from a determined little fox.

Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.

Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.

Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.

Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.

As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.