Black & Irish by Leon Diop, Briana Fitzsimons and Jessica Louis

This landmark publication in Irish history is a celebration of Black Irish identity. Featuring profiles of Black Irish public figures from the worlds of pop culture, politics, sport, business and the arts. Includes Ruth Negga, Gavin Bazunu, Phil Lynott, Paul McGrath, Emma Dabiri, Rhasidat Adeleke and Dami Hope. Published in collaboration with Black and Irish.

Blog tour: Nell of Gumbling by Emma Steinkellner

To everyone else, the Magical Land of Gumbling is something out of fairy tales. But to Nell Starkeeper, it’s just home. Sure, the town community center might be a castle, her dads run a star farm, and her best friend Myra is a fairy, but Nell is much more interested in finding out if she’ll get the seventh grade apprenticeship of her dreams with world-famous artist Wiz Bravo.

She’s pretty sure her entire life has been RUINED when she’s instead matched with boring old Mrs. Birdneck in the town archives. And of course her perfect rival Leabelle gets to work with Wiz, and mean girl Viola won’t let Nell forget it. Meanwhile, suddenly Myra seems more into hanging out with Leabelle and saving the town from some weird strangers who keep talking about turning Gumbling into a fancy resort than being friends with Nell anymore. Can Nell find a way to save everything that makes her world magical, while figuring out where she belongs in it?

Happy #BookBirthday! 26 Sep

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

Being Ace ed by Madeline Dyer

Discover the infinite realms of asexual love across sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary stories

From a wheelchair user racing to save her kidnapped girlfriend and a little mermaid who loves her sisters more than suitors, to a slayer whose virgin blood keeps attracting monsters, the stories of this anthology are anything but conventional. Whether adventuring through space, outsmarting a vengeful water spirit, or surviving haunted cemeteries, no two aces are the same in these 14 unique works that highlight asexual romance, aromantic love, and identities across the asexual spectrum.

Catch your Death by Ravena Guron

When three girls are stranded at the grand Bramble Estate in the middle of a snowstorm, they stumble into a murder plot. Someone has poisoned wealthy Emily Vanforte in the middle of a family dinner - which means Devi, Lizzie and Jayne are trapped in the house with a killer and a mystery to solve. With knives under floorboards, vanishing guns and secret passages in the walls, no one is safe and everyone is a suspect. But in a house of liars and corruption, will the girls save themselves...or learn to fit in?

Day One by Abigail Dean

Stonesmere will never be the same again...

A village hall, a primary school play, a beautiful Lake District town. Into this idyllic scene steps a lone gunman whose actions set off a train of events that will have devastating consequences for the close-knit community of Stonesmere.

At the epicentre of the tragedy is Marty, daughter of the teacher who dies trying to protect her pupils. What did she see? How is she involved?

In the weeks and months following the killings, conspiracy theorists start questioning what happened. For outsider Trent Casey, the truther movement offers him a chance to step into the spotlight to expose the 'sham' of the killings.

Marty's and Trent's lives will become entwined as events spiral out of control. The true story is gradually revealed, but at what cost to those caught up in the maelstrom...

Trouble by Lex Croucher

There's a new governess at Fairmont House, and she's going to be nothing but trouble.

Emily Laurence is a liar. She is not polite, she's not polished, and she has never taught a child in her life. This position was meant to be her sister's - brilliant, kind Amy, who isn't perpetually angry, dangerously reckless, and who does (inexplicably) like children.

But Amy is unwell and needs a doctor, their father is gone and their mother is useless, so here Emily is, pretending to be something she's not.

If she can get away with her deception for long enough to earn a few months' wages and slip some expensive trinkets into her pockets along the way, perhaps they'll be all right.

That is, as long as she doesn't get involved with the Edwards family's dramas. Emily refuses to care about her charges - Grace, who talks too much and loves too hard, and Aster, who is frankly terrifying but might just be the wittiest sixteen-year-old Emily has ever met - or the servants, who insist on acting as if they're each other's family. And she certainly hasn't noticed her employer, the brooding, taciturn Captain Edwards, no matter how good he might look without a shirt on . . .

As Fairmont House draws her in, Emily's lies start to come undone. Can she fix her mistakes before it's too late?

Thin Air by Kellie M Parker

Eight hours. Twelve contestants. A flight none of them might survive. A flight to Paris full of teenagers seeking opportunity turns deadly in this suspenseful, locked-door YA thriller. Perfect for fans of Diana Urban, Karen McManus, and Jessica Goodman.

Seventeen-year-old boarding school student Emily Walters is selected for an opportunity of a lifetime—she’ll compete abroad for a cash prize that will cover not only tuition to the college of her choice, but will lift her mother and her out of poverty.

But almost from the moment she and 11 other contestants board a private jet to Europe, Emily realizes somebody is willing to do anything to win. Between keeping an eye on her best friend’s flirty boyfriend and hiding her own dark secrets, she’s not sure how she’ll survive the contest, much less the flight. Especially when people start dying…

As loyalties shift and secrets are revealed, Emily must figure out who to trust, and who’s trying to kill them all, before she becomes the next victim.

The Ice Children by M. G. Leonard and Penny Neville-Lee

At the stroke of midnight on the dawn of December, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found frozen in the city park on a pedestal of ice. The doctor says his heart is beating, but no one can wake him.

Finn’s big sister, Bianca, suspects the beautiful sparkling book Finn got from the library has something to do with it all but the mysterious book has vanished and no one will listen.

As more children are frozen, Bianca realises she’s running out of time.

Is there a connection between the peculiar stranger wearing a top hat and the disappearing books?

The search for truth hurls Bianca into a fantastical winter wonderland where all is not as it seems…

Can Bianca remember her mission and find a way to save her brother and the other Ice Children before all their hearts are lost forever?

A future classic with a powerful message at its core.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received THREE books - and we've read THREE of them!

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

The Odyssey of Fletcher by Erik Dargitz

After a global virus seemingly wipes out the entire male population, a skinny, socially awkward, self-conscious video game junkie is somehow still kicking. And he's wildly unprepared for this new world. Out there waiting for him are physicians who want to study him, a cult of spiritual extremists who want to deify him and brutal gangs with far more nefarious intentions. Throughout his journey, Fletcher does his best to act like a real man, being that he's the only one around. Unfortunately, this only leads to more problems ... for him and humanity.

Erik Dargitz's debut novel is a satirical post-apocalyptic tale about the last man on Earth-who also might be the last man you'd pick for the job.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday! It's been a normal week here on the blog, but we are coming into several blog tours which will be a lot of fun!

Live like a Goddess by Jean Menzies

A gift for the young goddess in your life - with life lessons for living confidently, courageously and fearlessly.

Cultures around the world celebrate tales and myths of daring and brave goddesses. These legendary ladies were tenacious, smart and strong. Meet...

· Osun, the Yoruba goddess of love who refuses to be dismissed because of her gender and stands up to those who believe women are less important than men

· Rhiannon, the Welsh queen of fairies who won't let anyone make decisions for her and instead follows her heart

· Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and death who doesn't give into pressure, sets boundaries and is comfortable with being a single independent woman

From demanding respect and recognising unhealthy relationships, to standing your ground, helping others and using words instead of violence, these rich and sometimes forgotten female stories of the ancient past teach girls and young women everything they need to know, so they can be just as fierce and fearless in the future.

Home Sweet Hell by Gabby Hutchison Crouch

It's New Year's Eve, and the Rook family are at odds with one another.

Unfortunately, not only is their psychic rival Aurora coming to their hometown, but there's another visitor - Death. The newly appointed Replacement Reaper, who is not grim at all, but a very cute Canadian. He's here to end the world - albeit ethically and politely. This time, Armageddon is coming home.

Can the family overcome their differences in time to stop the ultimate New Year Countdown? Who is Aurora, really? And, is Death single?

Happy #BookBirthday! 14 Sep

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

10 Hours to Go by Keely Parrack

Lily wants to get home. Her friends want to get even. 

Lily needs a ride―a fire warning in Oregon has cancelled her train home to California. Her ex-best friend, Natasha, has offered to pick Lily up on her way back from Portland, though they're barely on speaking terms. 

As it turns out, Natasha's also giving a ride to Elke Azizi, the girl Lily got expelled from their school four years ago. Elke hasn't forgotten, and neither has Natasha. 

It's getting tense in the car, and it's not just about the past. There's smoke in the air, and with the wildfires nearby, staying on the road is becoming riskier by the hour. When Natasha and Elke decide to take a detour, Lily hopes it'll get them out of danger. She has no idea, though, what her former friends have planned for her. But as night comes, the plans change again when it becomes all too clear that leaving the main road was a mistake. 

Now the three of them are trapped in the woods under a burning sky, with no easy way out. To survive, Lily must depend on Elke and Natasha―but after all that's happened, can she trust them with her life?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received ELEVEN books - and we've read TWO (and reviewed ONE) of them!

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

The Alanna Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Summaries below the jump so I don't destroy the page.

Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We're in the middle, or hopefully near the end, of a heatwave here, so we've been curled up in cool rooms with lots of books. (I know, I know...there's nothing we can't make an excuse to read more!)

A Whale of a Time by Lou Peacock and Matt Hunt

A brilliantly illustrated collection of 366 hilarious poems to keep you laughing all year round!

From rib-ticklingly funny to wryly witty, each poem in this uplifting collection is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and is perfect for reading aloud to share even more side-splitting hilarity with family and friends. Whether it’s a poem about socks or spaniels, eggs or elephants, this bright and brilliant collection will bring you cheer and laughter every day.

The spectacular range of poems for children includes work by John Agard, Maya Angelou, Hilaire Belloc, Brian Bilston, Lucille Clifton, Wendy Cope, Roald Dahl, Edward Lear, Spike Milligan, Ogden Nash, Grace Nichols, Jack Prelutsky, Michael Rosen, Christina Rossetti, Benjamin Zephaniah and many more.

A wonderful gift for all ages, this beautifully produced anthology includes luxurious cloth binding and ribbon marker.

What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell (mild spoilers in review)

From Sarah Hollowell, author of A Dark and Starless Forest, comes a spine-tingling, deliriously creepy YA speculative thriller about two best friends trapped in a corn maze with corpses that look just like them.

Best friends and high school seniors Sadie and Logan make their first mistake when they ditch their end-of-year field trip to the amusement park in favor of exploring some old, forgotten backroads. The last thing they expect to come across is a giant, abandoned corn maze. But with a whole day of playing hooking unspooling before them, they make their second mistake. Or perhaps their third? Maybe even their fourth. Because Sadie and Logan have definitely entered this maze before. And again before that.

When they stumble on the corpses in the maze, identical to them in every way (if you can ignore the stab and gunshot wounds)--from their clothes to their hidden scars to their dyed hair, to that one missing tooth--they quickly realize they’ve not only entered this maze before, they’ve died in it too. A lot. And no matter what they try, they can’t figure out what—or who —is hunting them.

Deeply unnerving, clever, and atmospheric, this time-bending, mind-bending speculative horror is a poignant meditation on the lasting effects of trauma and the healing powers of connection and forgiveness—all while delivering more surprise twists and turns than a haunted corn maze.

Happy #BookBirthday! 7th Sep

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

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie (huge spoilers ahead)

For July Fielding, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year.

Once , she had Alex to be her loyal best friend, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney, who pushed her during every cross country run, and who sometimes seemed to know July better than she knew herself. And she had Sam. Sam, who told her she was everything and left her breathless with his touch.

Now , July is alone. Every single person in her small town of Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex or Sydney. No Sam. July’s only chance at unraveling the mystery of their disappearance is a series of objects, each a reminder of the people she loved most. And a mysterious GET TH3M BACK.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received THREE books - and we've read ONE of them!

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

The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr

Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure...

Rachel and Robert have defeated the tyrant Malstain and become the heroes of Krasnia, but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of her ailing father, who's lost without their beloved mother.

From nowhere, a boy appears knowing the secrets of the hidden blood-red key. For the key is a way into the Hinterland - and Rachel must promise that, as a new key keeper, she will answer when it calls. When a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save Elsa. But her fate is linked to Krasnia, and Rachel must battle to save her home as she knows it.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We're looking forward to a day of quiet reading and catching up on our TBRs.

Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz

Everyone has a secret. Everyone has a motive. But only one of them brought a knife to the party . . .

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her best friend Kassidy and five friends on a luxury 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds - until Kassidy's boyfriend turns up dead.

And when a raging storm traps them on the island with two detectives, the sparkling young socialites become the prime suspects in his murder. There's the girlfriend, and the other girl. The old friend, and the new friend. The brooding enigma. And then, there's Izzy - the girl who brought the knife . . .

A glamorous and scandalous modern murder mystery, that'll have you reading through the night to find out whodunnit! Perfect for fans of ONE OF US IS LYING, THE INHERITANCE GAMES and KNIVES OUT.

The Climbing Boys by Ann Murtagh

Dublin, 1830: When his da breaks his arm, Hugh ‘Scholar’ O’Dare has to leave school to work as a chimney sweeper with his brothers. When a travelling sweep's apprentice starts going after their jobs, Scholar is tasked with scaring him off, but a shocking secret comes to light. Who will they turn to, and how will the secret change their futures?

Happy #BookBirthday! 31 Aug

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

A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford

The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake?

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls.

Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence?

When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares that lie ahead.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received SIX books - and we've read THREE of them (and, unusually these days, posted a review on one!)

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

In Between Worlds by Nicola Pierce

In 1849, the Thomas Arbuthnot set sail for Australia.

Onboard were 194 Irish girls.

I heard the emotion in Sarah’s voice as she asked, ‘Will we ever come back?’

‘Come back where?’

‘Home,’ said Sarah. ‘Do you think we will ever see Ireland again?’

Maggie and Sarah are on their way to Australia. Their homes and their lives have been devastated by famine, with death coming to so many. Even when they sought refuge in the workhouse they found horror and heartbreak there.

When the girls are given the chance of a new life on the other side of the world, they know they have to say yes – no matter the price.

On board ship, they are caught in between worlds. How will they find the courage and strength to build new lives in a strange land?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We've had a fraught week here, but with some scrambling and rearranging we still managed to keep to our posting schedule.

Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls

Tirzah, Sophia, and Polly are best friends who’ve left boarding school and gone back to very different lives. The year is 1896, and Polly is teaching in an orphanage, Sophia is scouting for a rich husband at the London Season, and Tirzah is stuck acting as an unpaid companion to her grandmother. In a series of letters buzzing with atmosphere and drama, the friends air their dreams, hopes, frustrations, and romances. Can this trio of very different young women—one industrious, one artful, and one in exile—find happiness and love near the dawn of the Edwardian era?

Dropped! by Alice Kuipers

Dex is dropped onto a deserted tropical island to be a player in a social media competition. Dex is one of six contestants on Dropped! , an internet reality show. He’s glad to escape his real life after being dumped by his girlfriend, Lola, and destroying his social life. He and the other contenders have to spend five days on a deserted island, and the person who gains the most likes and followers will be the winner. The prize is a ton of money and status as an influencer. Keeping people watching is the challenge, and Dex will do whatever it takes. He needs to win―it’s the only way to get Lola and his popularity back. But on the island, away from his ex, he finds himself flirting with the gorgeous and popular Amina. When Dex keeps placing behind Amina, he realizes he has to be more daring to get the engagements he needs. But how extreme will he need to be? And is it worth it to win?

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

People to Follow by Olivia Worley

Ten teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realize that this time, the price of being “cancelled” could be their lives.

A reality show on a remote Caribbean island. Ten teen influencers. One dead body.

Welcome to “In Real Life,” the hot new reality show that forces social media’s reigning kings and queens to unplug for three weeks and “go live” without any filters. IRL is supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, watched closely by legions of loyal followers. But for these rising stars--including Elody, an Instagram model with an impulsive streak; Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Logan, a disgraced TikTok celeb with a secret; and Max, a YouTuber famous for exposés on his fellow creators—it’s about to turn into a nightmare.

When the production crew fails to show up and one of their own meets a violent end, these nine little influencers find themselves stranded with a dead body and no way to reach the outside world. When they start receiving messages from a mysterious Sponsor threatening to expose their darkest secrets, they realize that they’ve been lured into a deadly game…and one of them might be pulling the strings.

With the body count rising and cameras tracking their every move, the creators must figure out who is trying to get them canceled—like, literally—before their #1 follower strikes again.

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received THREE PLUS ONE books - and we've read THREE of them!

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

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go?

In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It's a book - an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door.

What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary powers on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want.

But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals - individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons - a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because some doors should never be opened.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! It's terrible weather here, so we are curling up with some lovely books.

Creeping Beauty by Andrea Portes

Bitsy is no one’s ideal princess.

She’s heard it all: that it’s a shame she’s so plain, so lacking in grace. That the best thing for her to do is simply wait (and wait some more), and hope some prince will grant her a happy ending.

Then Bitsy pricks her finger on a spindle and falls down, down, down.

Into a world where cutthroats and con artists are more common than curtsies. Where no one ages and everyone is beautiful. Where an inscrutable evil rests at its core.

A land where Bitsy’s fate and her future are solely in her own hands—and neither are what she expects.

The dark and deadly world of Heartless meets the empowering twist of Cruel Beauty in this thrilling, unpredictable, multigenre retelling of one of the most beloved fairy tales: where instead of falling asleep to await her prince, this sleeping beauty finally wakes up.

Tag, you're Dead by Kathryn Foxfeld

When teen reality star Anton Frazer unveils his latest stunt - a live-streamed, citywide game of Tag in which the prize is to be one of his live-in acolytes - his fans go wild. The whole world is watching.

The contestants are kitted out with body cams, GPS trackers and pressure sensors that, if activated by a competitor, will send them out of the running. They venture into night-time London to hunt each other down.

Four contestants in particular have alternative motives for being there, secret reasons to want to win despite the risk: money, revenge, obsession, and fame. And one of them will stop at nothing to be the victor at the end of this adrenaline-and-fear fuelled night...

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

Blog tour: L Ron Hubbard presents Writers of the Future Vol 39

 

The Best New SF & Fantasy of the Year

L. Ron Hubbard; Kevin J. Anderson; S. M. Stirling; Lazarus Chernik; Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Samuel Parr; Spencer Sekulin; L. H. Davis; Devon Bohm; Arthur H. Manners; David Hankins; David K. Henrickson; J. R. Johnson; Elaine Midcoh; Marianne Xenos; Jason Palmatier; and T. J. Knight

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received SEVEN books - and we've read FOUR of them!

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

The Bear Behind by Sam Copeland and Pippa Curnick

Meet Ivor, a little boy in a big world, who absolutely, categorically, definitely does NOT like any sort of attention. So it’s more than a minor catastrophe for Ivor to discover on his first day of school that he has a great big . . .

BEAR BEHIND!

And as the bumbling bear begins to cause chaos and calamity, Ivor’s hope for a normal first day at school quickly fades . . .

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We had a good week on the blog, with a #BookBirthday after the last two weeks of not having any!

Double Trouble at the Dead Zoo by Alan Nolan

Dublin, 1859

Bram: Boy seeking adventure (and things to write about)

Molly: Part-time sneak thief and full-time Dublin legend!

When Bram and his best pal Molly meet a lonely boy called Sanjit in Dublin’s Natural History Museum, they can see he needs some friends. So they, along with Molly’s gang, The Sackville Street Spooks, take him under their wing.

Sanjit tells them the tale of the dread (and very dead) pirate, Captain Lamprey and his links to the Museum. Soon the new shipmates find themselves outwitting vagabonds and villains, hot on the trail of a mysterious long-lost treasure … the Rajapur Ruby!

But little do they know that not everyone they come across is who they claim to be!

Where CAN that ruby be?

The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson and Melissa Castrillon

I wish the snow girl would come to life. Then I would have a friend, a real friend I could trust, and I wouldn't feel so alone.

When Tasha builds a snow girl with her grandpa, all she wants is for her to be real. If only wishes on snow could come true... Then Tasha meets Alyana, a friend made of wishes, starlight, snowfall and magic. But when your best friend is made of winter, what do you do when spring comes?

Happy #BookBirthday!

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

The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan (Major spoilers in review)

In this queer YA psychological thriller from the author of Some Girls Do , perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder , the sole surviving counselors of a summer camp massacre search to uncover the truth of what happened that fateful night, but what they find out might just get them killed.

“Shocking, captivating, and utterly chilling. A delicious thriller that will have you tearing through pages to get to the end, where you won’t be disappointed.” —Jessica Goodman, bestselling author of They Wish They Were Us

Sloan and Cherry. Cherry and Sloan. They met only a few days before masked men with machetes attacked the summer camp where they worked, a massacre that left the rest of their fellow counselors dead. Now, months later, the two are inseparable, their traumatic experience bonding them in ways no one else can understand.

But as new evidence comes to light and Sloan learns more about the motives behind the ritual killing that brought them together, she begins to suspect that her girlfriend may be more than just a survivor—she may actually have been a part of it. Cherry tries to reassure her, but Sloan only becomes more distraught. Is this gaslighting or reality? Is Cherry a victim or a perpetrator? Is Sloan confused, or is she seeing things clearly for the very first time? Against all odds, Sloan survived that hot summer night. But will she survive what comes next?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received FIVE books - and we've read FIVE of them!

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

The Name Drop by Susan Lee

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! We've had a pretty quiet week - no #BookBirthdays again, but everything else is as normal!

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston (mild spoilers in review)

Six strangers arrive at the home of preeminent puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev for the reading of his will. Among them are the deceased's widow, who'd already begun divorce proceedings, a virologist troubled by actions in his past, and a convicted murderer on day release. The potential beneficiaries will split Vasiliev's $150M fortune if they participate in his last great work.

The choice is leave the house with nothing or continue in the hope of solving the six interconnecting escape rooms within this house.

Once there, the participants soon discover Puzzle House is far deadlier than it appears, and that making their way through the rooms may be a matter of life and death. Someone is watching their every move, toying with them, turning them against each other. With their lives on the line, they are forced to wonder, is it all just a deadly game created by a gleeful sadist, or something far more sinister?

Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann

To the rest of the world, he was the little boy who went missing on the Fourth of July.

To me, he was everything.

My heart hasn't been the same since he disappeared, but I've learned to build my life around that missing piece.

Twenty-two years later, the last thing I expect is for that missing piece to come back.

His name is Oliver Lynch, and this is his story.

This is our story.

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore (Major spoilers in review, seriously do not read if you want to be unspoiled, you are officially warned)

Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn't uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.

Not literally, of course. She doesn't believe in ghosts. Going to her dad's school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.

But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe-probably-definitely-a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.

When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library's secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.

Except following her father's footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren't just myth. And if she isn't careful, she'll be next.

Reminder, there are SPOILERS below this cut, this is your very last warning!

#Bookpost

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received THREE books - and we've read THREE of them!

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

If I Have to be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Your first love will always haunt you...

The most haunting, heartwarming debut of 2023. Perfect for fans of strong female leads and supernatural stakes in Buffy, with all the sweetness and romance of To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

Cara's just trying to stay on top of all her classes, excel at her extracurriculars, and prepare for college - which means not speaking to the dead, an ability she inherited from her grandmother. Ghosts are trouble, and Cara doesn't need to add their problems to her own.

But then she stumbles upon the body of Zach - the super popular but very newly dead high school golden boy - in the woods, and guess what? He wants her to resurrect him.

Cue trouble.

Miranda Sun's debut touches on the power and conflicts in a mother-daughter love, first romance - and finding your place in the world while honouring your culture. Full of heart, humour and thrills, If I Have to be Haunted will put a spell on you.

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, all! It's been cold and rainy most of this week - all the better to curl up with a book!

Eve by Cat Bohannon

How did wet nurses drive civilization? Are women always the weaker sex? Is sexism useful for evolution? And are our bodies at war with our babies? In Eve, Cat Bohannon answers questions scientists should have been addressing for decades. With boundless curiosity and sharp wit, she covers the past 200 million years to explain the specific science behind the development of the female sex. Eve is not only a sweeping revision of human history, it's an urgent and necessary corrective for a world that has focused primarily on the male body for far too long. Bohannon's findings, including everything from the way C-sections in the industrialized world are rearranging women's pelvic shape to the surprising similarities between pus and breast milk, will completely change what you think you know about evolution and why Homo sapiens have become such a successful and dominant species, from tool use to city building to the development of language.

Gwen and Art are Not In Love by Lex Croucher (spoilers in review)

Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other. 

When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies. By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured. But how long can they keep up the ruse? 

With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen's infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight ...

Wings of Glory by Dermot O’Leary and Claire Powell

It's 1940, and the world is at war. Linus, a swift, has always dreamed of flying with the Royal Bird Force and making a name for himself as a squadron leader. So when he and his sister, Ava, have the opportunity to volunteer, he jumps at the chance.

But it's a dangerous journey, and Ava goes missing before they manage to reach the airfield for training. Now, Linus has two missions: help the war effort and find his sister.

Linus will face bomber planes, arrogant falcons, and a spy who's determined to take him down...

He is brave and fast and kind - but can Linus prove that helping win the war is more about the size of your heart than the size of your wings?

#Bookpost!

Happy Tuesday, all! This week we received FOUR books - and we've read FOUR of them!

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

Red River Seven by A. J. Ryan

A man awakes on a boat at sea with no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. He's not alone - there are six others. None of them can remember their names, but all bear the scars of recent surgery.

When a message appears on the onboard computer - Proceeding to Point A - the group agrees to work together to survive whatever is coming.

But as the boat moves through the mist-shrouded waters, divisions begin to form, and the group is plagued by questions. Who is directing them, why have their memories been wiped, and what are the screams they can hear beyond the mist?