The Last Dragon by Polly Ho Yen

Yara has only glimpsed the last dragon on Earth twice in her twelve years. She’s got other things to worry about: her sister is in hospital, her parents are panicking, and her new teacher has labelled her a troublemaker and wants her out. But one evening, in the glow of the lights of the shopping centre in Milton Keynes, Yara finds herself being watched by the last dragon and, before it departs, it leaves her a gift: its only dragon egg.

Entrusted with the care of the last dragon egg, Yara discovers it is more powerful than she could ever have imagined. But there are others who want the egg and they’ll stop at nothing to steal it for themselves…

I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery

“I’m Tom’s dog, and he’s my human. We belong to each other.” 

Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner Tom – until one day the war comes too close… Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves. Rebel must bring Tom home before it’s too late.

Blog tour: Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White

Mars. 2045. 13-year-old Eva is the first Martian.

And world famous on two planets!

Fame, Type 1 diabetes and a sarcastic AI companion haunt her, but when her dad goes missing on the red planet, she must overcome the 'Ghosts of Mars' to save him.

The Martian for middle-grade, full of science, friendship and adventure, with elements of The Sword in the Stone.

Happy #BookBirthday! 23rd May 2024

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

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine

Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report.

Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders but, when she begins questioning the events surrounding her birth, she finds there’s a lot more to that tragic night.

Most people don’t spend their childhood on the run.

Reagan’s mother might be considered guilty of murder, but Reagan knows she’s innocent. Tired of running, she returns to Camp to clear her mother’s name.

Only, someone wants the past to remain buried – and will kill again to do so. If they’re to stay alive, Olivia and Reagan must work together fast to uncover the truth. . .

Ohimgod! by Aaron Asadi

It’s Tuesday and god has come back to earth. This all seems very well and good but Sam Dalton could really do without the anxiety – there are a lot of jobs to do and his garden is finally being sorted.

As god makes his presence felt, sending the world and Sam’s mum into a panic, life begins to do the one thing our homebody hero really doesn’t change.

With the media, governments, and the local townspeople forced to adapt to the return of biblical shock and awe, is Sam able to survive the peril and keep his utter sham of a life together?

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J Brown

THEY FOUND EACH OTHER. NOW THEY MUST RESCUE WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND. The highly-anticipated sequel to the queer genre-bending dystopian romance All That's Left in the World.

Against the backdrop of a ravaged world, Andrew and Jamie have settled in a new community, more in love than ever. Finally they've reached safety and have each taken on roles and responsibilities in this new life. But it's soon clear they want different things:

Jamie is ready to move on and take to the road, just the two of them.

Andrew wants to remain in the safety of numbers.

With a storm brewing up the coast they have no choice to head back into the wilderness where old enemies roam and they don't know who to trust. Can they find their way back to safety and each other?

Happy #BookBirthday! 16th May 2024

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

I Hope This Finds you Well by Natalie Sue

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.

Blog Tour: The Only Way Out is Death by Varun Gwalani

Twelve powerful people are kidnapped and imprisoned in an empty hotel.

Each one of them has three choices:

Live out the rest of their days peacefully in the hotel,

Die by suicide so the rest of their companions can go free,

Or murder one of their companions so they alone can go free.

The Only Way Out is Death follows the story of these twelve people from the perspective of a young lawyer, Kiriaki, told as the events unfold. She has to forge messy alliances, navigate complex relationships and feuds, and, above all, try to stay alive. Meanwhile, the mastermind of this death game is lurking just out of view, watching them closely, making sure they are primed for murder.

Will Kiriaki find the mastermind before it's too late for her?

Will she outmaneouvre the cutthroats before they cut her throat?

There are twelve selfish lives in the hotel.

Will it end in twelve selfish deaths?

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after -- and now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her sister: none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be.

One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she’ll be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that aren’t bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific!

Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in an experimental romantic edition of the show: and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the wilderness: without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How!?)

She finds herself tied up — literally — in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away, alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships.

Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis

A woman accidentally reveals all her secrets in this witty and charming novel from the author of Eight Perfect Hours.

Two years ago, thirty-year-old receptionist Millie Chandler had her heart spectacularly broken in public. Ever since, she has been a closed book, vowing to keep everything to herself—her feelings, her truths, even her dreams—in an effort to protect herself from getting hurt again.

But Millie does write emails—sarcastic replies to her rude boss, hard truths to her friends, and of course, that one-thousand-word love declaration to her ex who is now engaged to someone else. The emails live safely in her drafts, but after a server outage at work, Millie wakes up to discover that all her emails have been sent. Every. Single. One.

As every truth, lie, and secret she’s worked so hard to keep only to herself are catapulted out into the open, Millie must fix the chaos her words have caused, and face everything she’s ever swept under the carpet.

The Word by Mary G Thompson

After her parents' divorce, seven-year-old Lisa's father convinces her to leave home in the middle of the night. After all, according to their radical religious beliefs, she belongs to him, and it is her duty to obey him. Ever the dutiful daughter—at least outwardly—and confused by the sinful changes in her mother, Lisa complies.

For the next nine years, Lisa and her father go from place to place—hiding out in a rural town populated by the cult, living on the streets, and preaching the Word. She is taught that her mother, who divorced her father and left the cult, is deemed "dead" by the Word's doctrine—a shell without a soul. The only school she's allowed to attend is one run by one of the cult's community leaders. They forbid reading books or watching television. She has to be small, quiet, and modest.

When the police finally catch up with them, Lisa returns to her mom's home in Oregon—a home with freedoms that Lisa has never really known. But her father has a plan to take back what's his—a plan that was set in motion the moment the police arrived at his home. Now Lisa must make a decision: follow the plan and go home with the hope that she'll see her father again, or risk everything to figure out what life could be when she makes her own choices.

Happy #BookBirthday! 9th May 2024

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

Blog tour: Who Watches This Place by Amy Clarkin

‘Would you kill someone to survive?’ he asked.

‘It’s not survival when you’re already dead,’ she replied.

Paranormal Surveyance Ireland – PSI – are on the hunt for ghosts. When The Merrion Hub, a fancy new start-up, is gripped by strange and disturbing happenings, the owners ask Archer and his team to investigate.

The gang are determined to prove to the world that ghosts are real, but tensions are running high: Éabha clashes with Raven over her new clairvoyancy gift, Fionn feels isolated by the team and Davis is frustrated by the journalist who’s determined to expose them as frauds.

None of that matters when there’s a startling disappearance. Can PSI remember how to work together in time to save their friend from a horrific fate?

Blog Tour: This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

From the New York Times bestselling author of Internment comes a timely and gripping social-suspense novel about book banning, activism, and standing up for what you believe.

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation.

But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors.

Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?

Dead Happy by Josh Silver

Friends. Welcome to Elmhallow.

Seb, along with a select group of participants, finds himself washed up on an isolated island called Elmhallow, under the guardianship of a mysterious couple. As the experiment steps up another level, Seb is forced to team up with Eleanor once more.

But where is Finn? And what does HappyHead have in store for them next?

Magicalia: Race of Wonders by Jennifer Bell

From the internationally bestselling author of Wonderscape and The Uncommoners, comes a spectacular new fantasy series inspired by astronomy, science and Pokémon, irresistible to fans of Nevermoor, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

When her dad is kidnapped, Bitsy and best friend Kosh are swept into a secret world of ancient meteorites and strange beasts called magicores, each conjured using a different emotion. Using a powerful beastiary called Magicalia, the friends must quickly become conjurors themselves, before following a trail of clues that will take them from London to India to Paris, in a race to rescue Bitsy’s dad from a mysterious villain…

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly (minor spoilers in review)

What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything, too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.

As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true self, a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.

If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

Blog Tour: The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks: Selected quotes

When the adults of Brockton, Connecticut, morphed into gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters nine months ago, the students at Jefferson High barricaded themselves inside their school.

Now eighteen-year-old Kay Kim is one of the Student Council members trying to keep her classmates from starving. Kay has no poker face and can’t keep her mouth shut when she knows she’s right, so when she accidentally learns a secret that threatens the delicate power balance at Jefferson, she’s dragged out of the school in the dead of night and dumped in the middle of town in a secret assassination attempt.

But when a raiding party of cheerleaders from crosstown rival Moore High comes to her rescue, Kay finds herself among ruthless, hard-partying road warriors who have adopted the feudal trappings of a once-popular video game. Life at Moore is violent and cliquish, but everyone is thriving. Everyone, that is, who survives the kingdom’s periodic monster hunts.

For Moore’s beloved King Max demands only two absolute fealty and that everyone at Moore help kill the “dragons.” If Kay wants to survive, she must be granted asylum at Moore–which means slaying dragons, not asking the wrong questions, and navigating the rival factions, love triangles, and political intrigues at court.

But when Kay discovers a deadly secret that reaches all the way to Jefferson, her inability to hide the truth might spark the revolution that burns both schools to the ground.

Content Warning: murder, violence, death, gore, body horror, starvation, suicidal ideation

Happy #BookBirthday! 25th April 2024

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

Spotlight: Blog tour, Guns and Almond Milk by Mustafa Marwan

An adrenaline-fueled journey into war-torn Yemen, this novel is the perfect read for fans of fast-paced fiction.

Luke Archer, a British Egyptian doctor, runs from his problematic past in the UK and becomes a war surgeon. When he is taken hostage by Western security contractors in a besieged hospital in Yemen, he realizes that after spending years saving the lives of others, he needs to face the demons of his past in order to save his own.

Guns and Almond Milk is a study of identity, war and redemption. It is The Sympathizer mixed with M.A.S.H by the way of Ramy.

Born to Egyptian parents and raised as a first-generation British Muslim, Luke Archer struggles to be from two worlds at the same time. He is working in a humanitarian mission in Aden, at the height of the Yemeni conflict. Max Gorsky, Luke's new patient, is a security contractor working for the government forces. Rebel forces have taken over the city, and Max's team is now taking refuge in the city's hospital, in preparation for their final stand. Luke and his team find themselves caught in a deadly clash between the ruthless rebel group and the desperate security contractors. At the same time, Max and Luke need to settle debts from their shared past in the UK where they joined forces in fencing a multi-million-dollar stolen artifact operation that went wrong.

Guns and Almond Milk is a fast-paced story of love, murder, and thrill that provides readers with a fresh perspective on humanitarian work, religion, assimilation, and Middle Eastern politics.

Look out for other stops on the tour using the #GunsAndAlmondMilk hashtag!

The Weather Girls by Sarah Webb

It’s 1944. Twelve-year-old Grace Devine lives at Blacksod Lighthouse and weather station in County Mayo with her parents and little brother. When a German plane crashes nearby, she and her best friend Sibby risk their lives to save the young pilot. Grace’s family take him in, but their neighbours are horrified at having an ‘enemy’ in their midst.

Meanwhile, the Met Office in England suddenly asks Blacksod to send them weather reports every hour. But why? As the wind and rain howl outside, Grace begins to understand that something important is happening, something to do with the war – and she is right in the eye of the storm.

A tale of bravery, adventure and a remarkable friendship, inspired by true events from World War 2.

Apocalypse Cow by O.R. Sorrel

Mel loves Sasha and dreams of a day that Sasha might reciprocate her feelings (even though she's straight) - so the fact that it's thirty degrees outside in January and hasn't rained for a year simply passes her by. Mel is just about coping with being the only 'out' lesbian in school and all the sniping that Janis and Ella aim her way, as well as her dreary Saturday job with the stupidly posh Dorian... But when domestic animals suddenly lethally turn on the human race, and Mel finds herself stuck in a mansion with Dorian and Ella, her love-life suddenly turns on its head in the most extraordinary way.A screamingly funny LGTBQ+ love story from a brilliant new talent.

Happy #BookBirthday! 18th April 2024

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

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur.

A Cork Fairytale by Amy Louise O'Callaghan

The Three Bears can't agree on the perfect presents for a special friend. Can Goldilocks help them find gifts that are JUST RIGHT?

Join them on a fun-filled trip around Cork’s best-loved locations.

Shandon Tower – Fitzgerald’s Park – English Market – Everyman theatre

Blarney – Cobh – Blackrock Castle

A Blooming Great Day by Úna Woods

We go down the steps and ... What’s happening here?

Why’s everyone wearing this old-fashioned gear?

Eccles Street looks like it did years ago.

A lady in a big poofy dress says hello.

It seems like just another ordinary day for Rosie and her grandad. But as soon as they step outside, they find themselves on a blooming great adventure around Dublin on the 16th of June, 1904!

Happy #BookBirthday! 11th April 2024

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

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

A flannel-wearing man’s man inexplicably finds himself living out all the rom-com movie tropes as he falls in love with a true-blue princess. 

Luke Edgewood isn’t a romantic. Or, at least, he’s always felt certain things like rom-coms were invented as punishment for average guys. Besides, he’s always preferred to be a behind-the-scenes guy who lives a quiet life being a good friend, neighbor, and brother. So when he travels to the island of Skymar to work a few months on restoring abandoned buildings, he never expects to find himself directly in the middle of a romantic, trope-filled story. From a meet-cute that was anything but cute and an aging orphanage in need of as much tender care as the children it houses, Luke begins to wonder if he and his heart may be victims of some sort of hidden-camera movie moment. 

Only a few years out of university and attempting to find her feet in royal adult life, Aliana Roselynn St. Claire, youngest daughter of the king and queen of the Skymarian Islands, pours her energies and talents into charities and art throughout her beloved Skymar. Her parents do not seem very interested in her love of interior design but lavish her with praise over her support of Skymar’s largest orphanage and place her in charge of the renovations of the dilapidated building. Happy to escape her mother’s strong encouragement of building a romantic relationship with Ally’s lifelong acquaintance, the earl of South Waithe, she escapes to the secluded mountains to take charge of the orphanage’s renovations. 

When Ally learns the man she’d literally run into at the coffee shop is the one who has been hired to help with the orphanage’s repairs, she’s determined to keep her royal status as secret as possible. From fundraisers to fake dates to sleigh rides and snowball fights, Ally and Luke begin to discover that the wrong first impressions may lead to a romantic possibility with rom-com flavored magic included. But when Ally’s true identity is revealed and royal expectations bring Luke out of his preferred anonymity into the spotlight of the royal life, will their budding relationship fall prey to a very unhappily-ever-after ending?

Please note this summary comes from Goodreads, but the female character is Elliana, Ellie, not Ally in the novel.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Me and my Cat

Be prepared to fall in love with your cat all over again as you read these heartwarming stories of pet parenthood, and the unconditional love, companionship and amusement our cats provide.

We're all crazy about our cats. We can't get enough of them, and we can’t read enough about them. This book contains 101 of our very best cat stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul’s extensive library. Get cozy, cuddle with your cat and immerse yourself in these heartwarming, amusing, inspirational, and occasionally tearful stories about our favorite furry friends.

Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace

Rory is having a weird week. A really weird week.

He has been turned into a ridiculous, small, feathered dinosaur. Pretty awkward.

Rory can’t use a human toilet. He can’t hold a video game controller in his little dino claws. His breath smells really bad. And his new carnivore body can’t stop craving sausages.

Rory finally gets his friends to take his embarrassing situation seriously, and together they embark on Operation Make Rory Human Again. But it's not easy.

Will Rory be stuck as a dinosaur forever?

Zero Stars, do not Recommend by MJ Wassmer

Vacation Checklist:

Pack swim trunks.

Apply sunscreen.

Survive the apocalypse?

Professional underachiever Dan Foster is finally taking a vacation. Sure, his life has been average at best, and yeah, he’s never quite lived up to his potential. But after a few Miller Lites in paradise with his girlfriend, Mara, things are starting to look up.

Then the sun explodes.

With the island resort suddenly plunged into darkness (he really should’ve sprung for the travel insurance), Dan’s holiday goes from bad to worse when elite guests stage a coup and commandeer supplies. As temperatures drop and class tensions rise, revolution begins to brew on the island, and Dan accidentally becomes a beacon of hope for the surviving vacationers. But when one six-person plane is discovered that could get them back to the mainland, Dan realizes he has a choice to make.

Does he escape the island with Mara? Or does he stay and fight to become the most unlikely hero of the end of the world?

Happy #BookBirthday! 4th April 2024

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

The Cheat Book by Ramzee

Forgotten your homework and need to WING it?

Wish you could talk your way out of DETENTION?

Want to SQUASH your bullies and RISE to the top?

Join Kamal as he attempts to go from PUKE BOY to POPULAR!

Kamal is better than anyone else in his school at fading into the background. When you're a refugee and you've started a new school three times in as many years, you learn to keep your head down.

But, after a major puke incident in front of the whole school, being invisible is no longer an option. And when Kamal finds a mysterious CHEAT BOOK in the library that promises to help him gain popularity, he sees a chance to finally make his mark . . .

Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

Blog Tour: Royal Scandal by Aimée Carter

The second book in the Royal Blood series about an American girl who threatens the royal family by exposing their darkest scandals—even as they get more sinister.

American girl turned monarchy nightmare, Evan Bright, has gotten used to the press about her but the media attention has only seemed to get worse. From desperate clickbait articles about her and the President’s son to Royal Record headlines pitting her against Princess Maisie, it seems everyone is dying for Evan to return back to America for good. Meanwhile Evan is receiving mysterious threats about her real story being reveled in a tell-all biography.

When more information is leaked about Evan, she fears she will always be Britain’s media villain. But the threats escalate when there is an attempted assassination with no suspects...and Evan believes the person is in the palace’s walls.They say what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger...but what if it’s the royal family who wants you dead?

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

Sophie Chi is in her first year at Wellesley College (despite her parents’ wishes that she attend a “real” university, rather than a liberal arts school) and has long accepted her aromantic and asexual identities. Despite knowing she’ll never fall in love, she enjoys running an Instagram account that offers relationship advice to students at Wellesley. No one except her roommate knows that she’s behind the incredibly popular "Dear Wendy" account.

When Joanna “Jo” Ephron―also a first-year student at Wellesley―created their “Sincerely Wanda” account, it wasn't at all meant to be serious or take off like it does―not like Dear Wendy’s. But now they might have a rivalry of sorts with Dear Wendy? Oops . As if Jo’s not busy enough having existential crises over gender, the fact that she’ll never truly be loved or be enough, or her few friends finding The One and forgetting her!

While tensions are rising online, Sophie and Jo are getting closer in real life, bonding over their shared aroace identities. As their friendship develops and they work together to start a campus organization for other a-spec students, can their growing bond survive if they learn just who’s behind the Wendy and Wanda accounts?

Happy #BookBirthday! 28 Mar

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

The Girl who Couldn't Lie by Radhika Sanghani

A fresh, funny story about white lies, brutal honesty and a bangle with special powers, from award-winning journalist and author Radhika Sanghani.

Priya Shah lies. A lot. She pretends everything in her life is perfect, so she doesn't disappoint anyone.

But when she puts on a bangle left to her by her Ba - the one person she was always honest with - she finds herself unable to tell a lie.

Priya is mortified. She tells her dad she hates his cooking, she tells Dan Zhang about her huge crush on him, she shares her best friends' secrets at school. She can't get the bangle off, and she can't stop the truths pouring out of her.

As more things go wrong, and Priya's truth-telling spirals out of control, can Priya learn to be honest without hurting the people she loves?

Blog Tour: Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

Six Muslim teens are falsely accused of a deadly attack in this timely and harrowing examination of Americas justice system, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed.

As fireworks pop at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig and a beach town is left reeling from the aftermath of tragedy. At the center are six Muslim teens.

An old soul stuck in a modern world. An aspiring doctor caught in the wrong place. An influencer with a reputation to protect. A perfect daughter with secrets. A soccer star headed for Stanford. An immigrant in love. Six strangers with something to hide and everything to lose. Faced with accusations of terrorism, the Six are caught in a political game that will pit them against one another. As police investigate what really happened that night, which secrets will be worth the cost of freedom?

They each must decide: Betray the others to guarantee their own futures, or expose their secrets to earn justice for them all.

The Murder Plague by Scott Michael Powers (spoilers in review)

An engineered virus that attacks the brain leaks from a research lab and spreads quickly, causing infected people to go into psychotic rage. Before almost anyone knows what is happening, a well-armed America is terrorized by a pandemic of violence.

Kanetha Wilson—friend of the first victim—is first to recognize that something is not as it seems. She inspires a small cadre of scientists and others into a breakneck, lonely, and lawless mission to identify and stop the murder plague. They must rebel against scientific and political establishments and public opinion hardened against taking pandemics seriously. More importantly, they must stay alive themselves, when crazed murderers maymight appear anywhere, and when madness might be only a breath away.

Set in Orlando, Florida—where tourists from all over can quickly spread contagion—The Murder Plague is a dystopian thriller transpiring not long after the COVID crisis. Scott Michael Powers, author of the UFO-hunt thriller The Roswell Swatch, delivers a fast-paced tale full of suspense, riveting action, high stakes concerns for science and society, and heart.

Read The Murder Plague and see what the next genetic engineering accident might cause, and what it might take to stop it.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (mild spoilers in reviews)

You wait ages for The One . . . then 203 come along at once

One night Lauren finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband. All the evidence – from photos to electricity bills – suggests he’s right.

Lauren’s attic, she slowly realises, is creating an endless supply of husbands for her.

There’s the one who pretends to play music on her toes.

The one who’s too hot (there must be a catch).

The one who makes a great breakfast sandwich.

The one who turns everything into double entendres (‘I’ll weed your garden’).

And the one who can calm her unruly thoughts with a single touch.

But when you can change husbands as easily as changing a lightbulb, how do you know whether the one you have now is the good-enough one, or the wrong one, or the best one? And how long should you keep trying to find out?

Happy #BookBirthday! Mar 21

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

Legends of the Cliffs of Moher by Eithne Massey and Lisa Jackson

Meet a secret mermaid and a grumpy saint, a greedy prince and the magical foals that became a famous wave. Beware slippery, slidey monsters and lovestruck hags! In these stories, you will find adventure laced with humour and enchantment.

Perfect for reading aloud to little ones or for older children to read themselves, this beautifully illustrated book will bring you to a place where magic happens.

Stories inspired by the Cliffs of Moher from long, long ago. Legends include: The Mermaid of Moher, The Hag, The Lost City, The Magic Foals, The Giant Eel of Kilmacreehy.

The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti and L.S. Biehler

In this queer reimagining of an Arthurian legend, Knights of the Round Table Lancelot and Tristan set out on a quest to find the missing magician Merlin but instead discover an unexpected romance perfect for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker and Squire.

When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. As the reluctant trio travels through Albion saving towns from treacherous foes and battling fae, their bonds deepen, and sparks fly between the two knights. Before they can sort through their complicated feelings, an unexpected dark force appears, bringing what just might be the end of Camelot.

From debut author James Persichetti and new talent L.S. Biehler, Tristan and Lancelot: A Tale of Two Knights will sweep readers away with an epic quest and a love story for the ages.

The End of Always by Rebecca Phillips

Ever since Isobel’s mom died, her dad won’t stop preparing for the rest of the world to end―attending doomsday survivalist meetings, packing bug-out bags, and drawing up plans for a secret backyard bunker. He’s methodically stacked and stored countless packs of batteries and bottles of water in the basement. And thirty-six cans of tomato soup.

But Isobel has no interest in it. She has enough to deal with between finishing high school and trying to shield her little sister April from their dad’s increasing paranoia. She’s managing to cope―until their dad decides to move them all to Endurance Ranch, a survivalist community in the middle of nowhere. When Isobel meets Dane, the son of a hardcore prepper couple, she doesn’t feel as isolated at the ranch as she first thought. But she wants to be in control of her own future. She realizes it’s going to be up to her to save her sister―and herself―from a life underground.

The Tower Ghost by Natasha Mac a'Bháird

Sycamore Hill Boarding School, Donegal

1963

Clare is excited to start her first term at Sycamore Hill. New sports, new subjects, and new friends – chatty, confident Rose and quiet, nature-loving Molly.

But something strange is going on. The girls see a face at the tower window and hear the sound of crying – could the school be haunted? And does it have anything to do with the mysterious death of a pupil years earlier?

No one seems to want to answer their questions, but Clare and her friends are determined to investigate.

Can they solve the mystery before a killer strikes again?

Happy #Bookbirthday! Mar 14

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

Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore (mild spoilers in review)

Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered

Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles' academic career took a turn for the worse (they don't talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”

At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.

When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson

He crossed an ocean, and it still wasn’t enough to escape his lifelong nemesis. Now he has to work with her.

Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood’s highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn’t even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.

He’s not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he’s been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything. As Finn’s not-so-brilliant plot backfires one scene after the next, catching him in the blasts, he’s forced to think about this impossible, infuriating…and maybe even lovable woman in an entirely new light.

Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari (minor spoilers in review)

Steeped in mystery and adventure, this brisk and beautifully crafted middle-grade debut set in modern-day India explores the complexities of the sibling bond.

When her older brother, Karthik—Kay-Kay, the golden child of the family—heads to camp for two weeks, Lena’s parents begin showering her with all the attention she craves. For a time, she’s the golden child and secretly wishes her brother wouldn’t come home. But when the scheduled train arrives and Karthik isn’t on it, Lena is stricken with guilt and fear for her beloved Kay-Kay. Her brother has vanished without a trace, and the police view him as a runaway. Incredulous, Lena undertakes a search of her own—reading mysterious poems left in his backpack, interrogating his fellows from the train, retracing his route, and encountering shadowy strangers along the way. 

Convinced Kay-Kay is still alive even when the rest of her family has given up, Lena steadily unearths her brother’s secrets as her determination to bring him home leads to a heart-stopping discovery. Perhaps Kay-Kay isn’t a golden child after all? Set in a vividly evoked modern-day India, this character-driven middle-grade mystery tackles rich themes—from the sibling bond to self-worth—in a taut and suspenseful adventure.

Easy Eats for Teens by Brandee Jankoski

You have what it takes to be an amazing cook... and this is the jumping point you need if you want to discover all the skills to get you there.

Fancy yourself as the next big TV chef?

Perhaps you want to prove to your parents that you can cook just as well as they can… Or maybe you just love food and want to discover the art of cooking.

Whatever the reason you’re sniffing out recipe books, there’s a reason that you haven’t found the right one yet.

You keep finding delicious-looking recipes that you’d love to be able to whip up… but there’s a problem. There are all these mysterious new words and techniques standing in your way – and probably a few strange ingredients too.

You need delicious yet simple recipes that you can be sure you’ll pull off, racking up your skills and your culinary knowledge as you go. You need something that gives you a strong foundation so that you can later access any recipe book you feel like trying – and understand what you’re meant to do with the ingredients.

Happy #Bookbirthday! Mar 7

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

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.

And then a student is found dead.

The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.

Pirates of Darksea by Catherine Doyle

Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Ruled by the Pirate King, Captain O'Malley, Darksea's tranquil waters have, of late, been haunted by an invisible and deadly monster – a monster that is eating the once-beautiful islands in gigantic bites.

On the other side of the horizon, at his home in Galway, Max Reid and his family are battling a different monster. His big brother Christopher is in hospital and getting sicker – and his parents have begun to talk of miracles.

Then one night a loud, bright red parrot taps on Max's bedroom window, carrying an invitation from the pirate king. Captain O'Malley needs a new crew member for a dangerous quest; and the reward is everything Max has been hoping for.

But in Darksea, not everyone is as they seem. When Captain O'Malley's secret threatens to upend their mission and destroy Max's chance to help his family, Max realises he's going to have to navigate much more than he bargained for…

Plot Twist by Breea Keenan

Becca Taylor is having a bad summer.

Her best friend is dead. Her good-for-nothing ex is back in her life. And her career is in freefall.

So, when fellow writer Riley O'Connell invites Becca to the charming Irish countryside, she can't pack her bags fast enough, even though they have never met.

But happily-ever-after isn't quite so simple.

And Riley is not a sensitive female romance novelist like Becca assumed. No, he is definitely a man. A hot, six-foot tall, Irish man.

But with their complicated pasts getting in the way, Becca and Riley just can't get on the same page.

So can fate give their love story a rewrite?

Blog tour: Snowglobe by Soyoung Park (some spoilers in review)

In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate - controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold — but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart. A groundbreaking Korean novel translated into English for the first time! “ The Hunger Games meets Squid Game in Soyoung Park’s dystopian thriller Snowglobe ” – Entertainment Weekly

Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty - four - hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city. The residents of Snowglobe have everything: fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star — and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life. Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.

Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.

Content Warning: torture, murder, forced work, socioeconomic inequality

Happy #BookBirthday! 29 Feb

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

Toxxic by Jane Hennigan

Forty-four years ago, as any schoolgirl can tell you, the moth’s eggs hatched and an army of caterpillars spread their tiny toxic threads on every breath of wind. Since then, men have been cloistered, protected from birth against the deadly poison.

But now there’s a vaccine – a way that men can leave the facility without dying or suffering from psychosis. Emerging, into their new world, eyes wide with wonder at every new experience, the truth soon becomes clear.

This world was not made for men. And they are not safe.

Moths by Jane Hennigan

Where were you at the beginning? Or at the end? And where are we all now? 

Forty years ago, the world changed. Toxic threads left behind by mutated moths infected men and boys around the globe. Some were killed quietly in their sleep, others became crazed killers, wildly dangerous and beyond help. All seemed hopeless. But humanity adapted, healed and moved on. Now matriarchs rule, and men are kept in specially treated dust-free facilities for their safety and the good of society, never able to return to the outside. 

Mary has settled into this new world and takes care of the male residents at her facility. But she still remembers how things used to be and is constantly haunted by her memories. Of her family, of her joy, of… him. 

Now the world is quiet again, but only because secrets are kept safe in whispers. And the biggest secret of all? No one wants to live inside a cage… 

Exploring male violence against women, homo-normativity, and gynocracy, Moths is a powerful assessment of life through the lens of a main character in her 70s. A remastered and revitalised version of the previously self-published, smash-hit dystopian thriller by the same name, Moths shows us a new, post-pandemic world.