Black Leopard- Red Wolf

By: Marlon James
Location: FIC JAM
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Dark Star Trilogy #1

"Not everything the eye sees should be spoken by the mouth.”

"Imagine the X-Men in a fantastical ancient Africa, on a wild roadtrip through nonstop magical terrors."- Spence

The epic novel from Marlon James, the Man Booker Prize-winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings: an African Game of Thrones.

In the stunning first novel in Marlon James's Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child.

Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard.

As Tracker follows the boy's scent--from one ancient city to another; into dense forests and across deep rivers--he and the band are set upon by creatures intent on destroying them. As he struggles to survive, Tracker starts to wonder: Who, really, is this boy? Why has he been missing for so long? Why do so many people want to keep Tracker from finding him? And perhaps the most important questions of all: Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?

Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written a novel unlike anything that's come before it: a saga of breathtaking adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf is both surprising and profound as it explores the fundamentals of truth, the limits of power, and our need to understand them both.
 

Eliza and her Monsters

By: Francesca Zappia
Location: FIC ZAP
Genre: Contemporary, Romance and Mental Health

I have been waiting for this title, it got cancelled, I re-ordered it and finally it is here! It is one of the highest rated books on Goodreads we have in the library. It has 7000 reviews and sits on 4.26- That is very very good!


“A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and Her Monsters is absolutely magical.”—Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times–bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona in this acclaimed novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. “A must-have.”—School Library Journal

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community.

Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. The paperback edition includes bonus material and never-before-seen art from the author.

Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book

Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten

Kirkus Best Book 

I just binge read this in a day. No regrets. 4.5 stars. 

"As someone who isn't the biggest fan of contemporary, THIS is the kind of contemporary for me. It's a celebration of fandom and online life. It's like Fangirl on steroids. It deals with mental health, and negativity online beautifully. AND, one of the fandoms the protagonist was a part of is actually a real serial novel the author puts up on Wattpad and Tumblr. So cool. This is a love letter to fandom and I ADORED it." Samantha

How to Make Friends With The Dark

by: Kathleen Glasgow
Location: FIC GLA\
Genre:Young Adult- Real Stuff   

this book 
is for the grievers 
this book 
is for the left behind
this book 
is for every broken heart
searching for a home

Kathleen Glasgow

'A haunting, beautiful, and necessary book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.' - Nicola Yoon

'A book as fierce, tender, and rare as its aptly named heroine, Tiger. How to Make Friends with the Dark is a gorgeously nuanced meditation on grief and family, and the incredible love that can pull you through the darkest of times.' - Meg Leder, author of Letting Go of Gravity

'In this raw, powerful, and heartbreaking meditation on loss and grief, Glasgow writes with unflinching beauty. We meet Tiger Tolliver at her most broken - at her darkest moment - and yet, somehow, How to Make Friends With the Dark teaches us how to let the light in.' - Julie Buxbaum, NYT bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things


It's the brightest day of summer and it's dark outside. It's dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

Here is what happens when your mother dies.



That's how it feels for Tiger. It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. And now it's Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.


"Grief is extremely personal. No two people experience and process their grief in the same way. Kathleen Glasgow's novel How to Make Friends with the Dark beautifully explores the complexity, the isolation, the raw pain you feel when someone you love dies." Amy

Love, Lie and Repeat

By: Catherine Greer
Location: FIC GRE
Genre: Contemporary Thriller

"I love books like this that seduce you into another world-- a world of raw beauty and whispered secrets, new loves and hidden fears" Tara

Three girls, loyal to each other - that never happens. All the groups of three implode eventually. Two in, one out. Change. Betrayal. Again. And again.

But not us. I make sure of it. I make Ash and Ruby see that our power is in our three-ness. We can do what no other trio can.

Together, we’re strong.

Thick, thin, boys, mothers, divorce, other girls, secrets, lies, all of it.

I'll keep us together.

Watch me.

Intoxicating and intense, lush and chilling, LOVE LIE REPEAT is the unmissable debut novel from Catherine Greer. 

The Haven

By: Simon Lelic
Location: FIC 
Genre:  Sci Fi - Suspense

"A good potboiler with a fast, engaging plot." Rachella
"A fantastic series opener" Aofe

An adrenaline-fuelled adventure in a new series by top thriller writer Simon Lelic. Ollie Turner isn't sure he's ready to be a hero ...

Snatched from his bed in the middle of the night, Ollie Turner is thrust into a world of danger and excitement.

Below the streets of London he discovers a secret city: a network of tunnels that lead him to the Haven, a sanctuary for kids run by kids, and the headquarters of an organisation that fights for justice everywhere.

Soon Ollie is caught up in the Haven's battle: a quest to stop 'Mad Maddy' Sikes from destroying the city. But time is running out for Ollie and his new friends. Will they manage to stop Sikes before it is too late? And who is the traitor in their midst?

The Red Scrolls of Magic

By: Cassandra Clare
Location: FIC CLA
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Eldest Curses #1

From #1 New York Times bestseller Cassandra Clare and award-winner Wesley Chu comes the first book in a new series that follows High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood as they tour the world after the Mortal War. The Red Scrolls of Magic is a Shadowhunters novel.

A warrior chosen by angels and a well-dressed demon's child, in love and intent on adventure through Europe. What could go wrong?

All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.

Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.

Sky In The Deep

By: Adrienne Young
Location: FIC YOU
Genre: Historical Fiction


Vikings
in
FICTION!!!!

“Vegr yfir fjor.” Honor above life.” 

A 2018 Most Anticipated Young Adult book from debut author Adrienne Young, Sky in the Deep is part Wonder Woman, part Vikings--and all heart.

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield--her brother, fighting with the enemy--the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother's friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she's spent her life hating. 


"I really can't rave enough. The prose was gorgeous, and Adrienne Young has a way of taking hold of your heart with her use of language. I'm just in awe. 

As usual, I'll leave you with a list of reasons you should snag this book:

-Epic battle scenes
-Vikings. Are. So. Cool. I mean, cmon. Clan wars? Yes, please.
-You'll find yourself attached to EVERY CHARACTER
-Emotional friendships
-Fantastic worldbuilding & perfect pacing
-All the feels. 
-Yes, there's a perfect smidge of romance that doesn't detract from the story - it enhances it. 
-And that romance may or may not be enemies-to-lovers - the best trope ever.
-Eelyn is the type of heroine we need more of in literature

So, my point is - read this book, and help me to convince Adrienne to write us another thousand books!" Brittany

The Rip Curl Story

By: Tim Baker
Location: NF 920 BAK
Genre:  Sport Biography, Surfing, Business

I bought this one for Jonnie and Cam, but I figure it will be a popular read!

50 years of perfect surf, international business, wild characters and the search for the ultimate ride.

The Rip Curl Story is the remarkable tale of two young surfers – Doug ‘Claw’ Warbrick and Brian Singer – who pursued an audacious dream to make a living in pursuit of the ultimate ride.

The brand they built, Rip Curl, not only satisfied their own surf wanderlust, but also inspired countless others, riding the wave of the global youth revolution of the late ’60s.

Rip Curl’s mantra became ‘the Search’: the pursuit of new waves on distant shores, new thrills – skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing – and better equipment to elevate the experience. Along the way they supported the careers of many of the world’s great surfers – from Midget Farrelly to Michael Peterson, Tom Curren to Damien Hardman, Pam Burridge to Stephanie Gilmore, and of course Tyler Wright and Mick Fanning.

Bestselling surf writer Tim Baker tells this implausible story in an irresistible series of ripping yarns, offering rich life lessons, a maverick business primer and a wild ride of adventure, good times and outlandish ambitions spectacularly realised.

The Rip Curl Story will make you want to surf more, travel further, follow through on that great business idea and pursue your own Search.

You're Safe With Me

By: Chitra Sounder and Poonam Mistry 
Location: PIC SOU
Genre: Indian Picture Book

I just went to India for my 14th time.  I kind of like the place:)
The art in this book is exquisite, the story beautiful!

When the moon rises high and the stars twinkle, it is bedtime for the baby animals of the Indian forest. But tonight, when the skies turn dark and the night grows stormy, the little ones can't sleep. SWISH-SWISH! CRACK-TRACK! FLASH-SNAP! goes the storm. Only Mama Elephant with her words of wisdom can reassure them, "You're safe with me."

Fearless

By: Chloe Phillips- Harris
Location: FIC HAR 
Genre: Real life horse race- Mongolia!

This book is about an amazing kiwi woman challenging herself on a big adventure! I love stories like this for our students!
Check out her Facebook page- it is inspirational;
https://www.facebook.com/ChloeAdventurer/



The real-life adventures of a young woman pushing the limits, trusting her instincts and living her life off the beaten path



Suffering through searing pain and delirious illness in frigid, makeshift conditions, Chloe Phillips-Harris, at the age of 25 years, summoned every ounce of determination to brave the world's most gruelling horse race - the Mongol Derby. This 1000-kilometre endurance race across the wild steppes, desert and mountains of Mongolia - a competition with no marked course, no support team, that requires riders to switch horses every 40 km - saw almost half the competitors drop out along the way, but Chloe persevered.



Fearless recounts Chloe's childhood growing up on a run-down farm in a remote corner of New Zealand, with the odds stacked against her, and shares her life-long dedication to animals that has led her to train wild stallions and help save neglected working animals, travelling to some of the most remote and diverse places on the planet - all of which prepared her to overcome unimaginable challenges during a ride like no other.

Ajax. The Kea Dog

By: Corey Mosen
Location: NF 636.73 MOS
Genre: Kea, the cheeky wee things and Dogs!     

The highly illustrated, heartwarming story of conservation heroes, dog Ajax and his handler Corey, who traverse remote parts of the South Island tracking kea nests.

Together, Corey and Ajax traverse the steep high country throughout the South Island searching out kea nests. Their part in the kea conservation effort is essential and both Ajax and Corey can rightly be called conservation heroes.

This heart-warming story describes how Ajax was trained to be one of the very few kea detection dogs in the world and tells of his various escapades in the unpredictable wilds of the steep back-country, including flying in helicopters, working in blizzards, heavy rain and dense fog, escaping from angry wasps and sleeping out in the bitter cold.

The strong connection between Ajax and Corey has proved vital to their survival and the important work that they do. Ajax is slowing down now and soon his high-country days will be over.

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone

By: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Location: FIC SOL
Genre: Contemporary Youth Fiction  

“Am I still ambitious if I've failed?” 

“Sonatas and concertos tell stories. They make you feel every possible emotion, sometimes all within a single piece…they are joy and tragedy and fear and hate and love. They are everything I never say out loud.”


“Heartfelt, deeply moving.” —Buzzfeed
“Dark and thought-provoking.” —Publishers Weekly
“A stunning debut.” —VOYA

A poignant, lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and shocking results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother’s Huntington’s disease.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon.

But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington’s, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It’s turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters’ own bond in ways they’ll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.

When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s. The other tests positive.

These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving?

"You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is a heartbreaking, poignantly written tale that touches familial relationships, Jewish culture and religious practices, and the exhilarating thrill of first loves, while simultaneously addressing physical illnesses and mental health. It should be noted, however, that the novel also contains heavy content such as self-harm and suicidal ideation. A trigger warning has been provided by the author herself.

I picked up You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone as my first read of 2018, and I am infinitely glad that I did because – no exaggeration involved – this book ripped me apart, destroyed the most fragile parts of my soul, and then proceeded to piece me back together into a hot mess that’s emotionally stronger and ready to charge into unknown waters." Sheala

AWOL Series

By: Andrew Lane
Location: FIC LAN
Genre: For fans of Cherub   

High-octane action and fast-paced adventure - guaranteed.

Young Bond and James Bond meet Alex Rider and Cherub in this brilliantly written, fast-paced spy action thriller. All credibly delivered from somebody who knows all about counter-intelligence...

Kieron and his friend Sam are shocked to see a man kidnapped in a Newcastle shopping centre right in front of their eyes. The boys quickly realise that the kidnapped man left something behind in the scuffle - an earpiece and glasses. Kieron puts them on and realises he can see not what is front of him, but a busy, tourist city, somewhere very hot - in Mumbai...

Kieron has accidentally stumbled upon the undercover world of Rebecca 'Bex' Wilson - a freelance agent working for the British Secret Intelligence Service. And without her handler Bradley (the man who was kidnapped), Bex is in trouble. She doesn't know who of her usual contacts she can trust, and like it or not, she is going to have to use teenage Kieron to get her out of danger. Before Kieron and Sam know it, they are part of a mission to stop a weapon of mass destruction from falling into the wrong hands...

Barbed Wire Heart

By: Tess Sharpe
Location Fic SHA
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

"Harley is one of the most complex, fascinating, dangerous characters I've encountered in years." --Lisa Gardner

"Terrific. " --David Baldacci

"Pulls off something rare." -- Chicago Tribune 

"Possibly the most powerful, original female character we've had in decades." -- New York Journal of Books 

"A ballad of survival sung by a voice you'll never forget." --David Joy

"Highly satisfying." --Publishers Weekly 

Never cut the drugs--leave them pure.
Guns are meant to be shot--keep them loaded.
Family is everything--betray them and die.

Harley McKenna is the only child of North County's biggest criminal. Duke McKenna's run more guns, cooked more meth, and killed more men than anyone around. Harley's been working for him since she was sixteen, dreading the day he'd deem her ready to rule the rural drug empire he's built.

Her time's run out. The Springfields, her family's biggest rivals, are moving in. And they're coming for Duke's only weak spot: his daughter.

Duke's raised her to be deadly -- he never counted on her being disloyal. But if Harley wants to survive and protect the people she loves, she's got to take out both Duke's operation and the Springfields. Blowing up meth labs is dangerous business, and getting caught will be the end of her, but Harley has one advantage: She is her father's daughter. And McKennas always win.

"Rich characters written into a moving and vibrating story line. There is violence, cunning, and tenderness in this story. Written in such a way that you cheer on some of the characters, even though they may not be honest people. Not without twists to the story, this is one that will keep you turning pages late into the night."- Sandi

Aurora Rising

By: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Location: FIC Kau
Genre: It has it all.. Sci Fi, Love, Fantasy, Space Opera!
Series: Aurora#1

Firstly: a combo of Kaufman and Kristoff!!! WOW!

Secondly:-  4.39 stars on Goodreads! WOW!

Thirdly:- A Protagonist called Tyler nick named Ty!
YES Please!!!
Tyler is always a hero for me!

Fourthly: love quotes “Who am I to deny gravity, Aurora? When you shine brighter than any constellation in the sky?”  A Ha!!!!


The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

Aurora Rising is going down as my favorite book of 2019. I honestly don’t know if anything I read for the rest of this year will come anywhere near the magnificence that is this wonderful, hilarious, heart-wrenching, suspenseful adventure in space.- Goodreads reviewer

Opposite of Always

By: Justin A Reynolds
Location: FIC REY
Genre: Romance, Sci Fi, Time Travel

“Don’t be afraid. Take chances. And when those don’t work out, take more.”

Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.

He almost made valedictorian.

He almost made varsity.

He almost got the girl . . . 

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.

But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves

"The Opposite of Always is a fascinating, thought-provoking, poignant book, one I enjoyed tremendously. Justin A. Reynolds has created a group of memorable characters and dropped them into the middle of an inexplicable situation, and then each time, it's like he shakes the dice a bit and a whole new scenario reveals itself, giving his characters even more to deal with. Jack and Kate are adorable, even if they're not always completely sympathetic characters.

I love YA rom-coms, and throwing a little time travel into the mix certainly took this book to a different dimension. As if the teenage years aren't confusing enough without time travel! Obviously this book requires a healthy dose of suspending your disbelief, but if you're a sucker for love stories, even tragic ones, and you like time travel, The Opposite of Always is one for you. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes the person most in need of saving is ourselves."- Larry Goodreads.com

Now is Everything

By: Amy Giles
Location:  FIC GIL  
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Abuse

"I'm a million shattered pieces. Tiny shards that will cut anyone who tries to clean up my mess."

TRIGGER WARNINGS: child abuse & domestic abuse (physical & emotional), suicide/self-harm

This story sounds like my mums own story...

"It's such a heartbreaking book about a seventeen year old girl that grew up in an emotional/physically abusive household. It's about a girl who never had the freedom to make choices for herself. Who always took a beating and could never be good enough for a father that never cared for her. Who was forced to do things she didn't want to. Who lived in constant fear and anxiety of how bad her father would break her little sister and force her to grow up a way no child should, a way she grew up. Who was afraid to speak up and get help." Sana

The McCauleys look perfect on the outside. But nothing is ever as it seems, and this family is hiding a dark secret.

Hadley McCauley will do anything to keep her sister safe from their father. But when Hadley’s forbidden relationship with Charlie Simmons deepens, the violence at home escalates, culminating in an explosive accident that will leave everyone changed.
When Hadley attempts to take her own life at the hospital post-accident, her friends, doctors, family, and the investigator on the case want to know why. Only Hadley knows what really happened that day, and she’s not talking   


Powerful and haunting, Now Is Everything explores the complexities of family and abuse, as we follow one girl on her courageous journey to choose love over hate and hope over fear.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be

“Hadley is living the hidden, complex life that so many young people know - a teenager trapped inside her dysfunctional family. This beautiful and sad book will push you toward an unexpected conclusion. You won’t be able to put this novel down.” —Peter Brown Hoffmeister, author of Too Shattered For Mending

“An incredibly powerful and moving debut that is not to be missed, Now Is Everything tackles the tragic reality and heartbreak of familial abuse that will haunt you long after you’ve turned the last page. This book is a must read and Hadley’s story is way too important to not be shared; I cannot sing enough praise for Amy Giles and her gorgeous debut.” —Erin L. Schneider, author of Summer of Sloane
“Now Is Everything is equal parts heartbreaking, unflinching, and hopeful. Hadley’s story will no doubt reach readers who need it.” —Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters

Whisper

By: Chrissie Perry
Location: FIC PER
Genre: Romance , Disability 

“It doesn't matter if she's deaf," he says, My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands.”

When I go swimming, I am no different from anyone else. Everyone is deaf underwater. 

Demi swims to forget her problems. The mess she's made with Jules, the only guy who seems to understand her. Being ignored by her old friends while she tries to fit in at a new school. And how hard it is to adjust to being deaf – especially when her family keep acting like she isn't. 

Then Demi meets Ethan, who doesn’t seem to care that she’s different. But she can’t hear what his friends are whispering about her. Can Demi trust him - or is she out of her depth?

"There's a lot we could all learn from Demi; acceptance of our frailties, courage to face the world with the abilities we're given and to constantly fight for what's right and what we believe in. This book was poignant, funny and real with strong characters who'd burry a hole in your heart. This is such a lovely book with some pretty valuable lessons we - deaf and hears, alike - could use. " Joy

Pacifica

By: Kristen Simmons
Location: FIC SIM
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, SciFi 

This cover needs to be seen big!

We talk about global warming and climate change, we talk about how this will impact our lives and their styles. Maybe this book spells out the reality, especially if we do nothing now....

Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of Article 5 and Metaltown, brings her trademark action, romance, and frightening prescience to Pacifica, a science fiction tale of high seas adventure.

Blue skies. Green grass. Clear ocean water. An island paradise like the ones that existed before the Melt.

A lucky five hundred lottery winners will be the first to go, the first to leave their polluted, dilapidated homes behind and start a new life. It sounds perfect. Like a dream.

The only problem? Marin Carey spent her childhood on those seas and knows there's no island paradise out there. She's corsario royalty, a pirate like her father and his father before him, and she knows a con when she sees one. So where are the First Five Hundred really going?

"A harrowing world. Pacifica will have you breathlessly fearing our own future."--New York Times bestselling author Sara Raasch

"A bleak, futuristic world that's utterly believable and terrifying, and yet from out of it springs the greatest of hope, carried on the back of its fierce main characters. I was swept away."--Mindee Arnett, author of Avalon 

An Elephant in my Kitchen

By: Francoise Malby- Anthony
Location: 920 MAL
Genre:  Non Fiction- Elephants:)

I love Elephants- a lot. I went to Kenya to the Elephant Baby Rescue home- The David Sheldrick  Wildlife Trust. They are the cutest things ever!

"Beautifully tragic and yet inspirationally uplifting... if "An Elephant In My Kitchen" is not already on your to read list, add it now and make it number one" Ashleigh

"If this is not the cutest book you;ll read this year, I don’t know what is. It’s a lesson of hope and resilience and a lesson we should all, as humans learn. Elephants are amazing and I applaud this woman for doing what she’s doing and bringing awareness to us all about how we can learn from these giant beasts. The stories of how elephants help each other, warm to each pother, support and nuture each other is fascinating and I can’t believe some of the stories to be honest – they’re so heartwarming and made me teary eyed.

The story is not all love and roses however – infact the main part is the struggle of getting this reserve to how it is today, how the author went against everything and everyone she knew in many ways to follow her dream. And there’s a lovely afterword to tell you the updates of what happened next.

Delightful and needs to be on the screen at some point. I can help pick the cast – what a lovely job that would be!" The Book Trail reviewer

Friday Black

By: Nana Kwame Adeei Brenyah
Location: FIC ADJ
Genre: Short Stories, African American, Scfi Fi, Fic!

In the stories of Adjei-Brenyah’s debut, an amusement park lets players enter augmented reality to hunt terrorists or shoot intruders played by minority actors, a school shooting results in both the victim and gunman stuck in a shared purgatory, and an author sells his soul to a many-tongued god.

Adjei-Brenyah's writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage, and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that black men and women contend with every day. 

These stories tackle urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world.

"Named as one of the most anticipated books of Autumn 2018, Friday Black is a refreshingly original anthology of stories that use fiction as a device to explore and discuss some very prominent real-world issues, and because of that, this is a collection that is thought-provoking and with much substance to it - something that always really appeals to me.

Although the stories maintain objectivity, they are also brutally honest about the situation the world is currently in. Amongst the major real-world issues that are explored are discrimination (between races, cultures etc), prejudice, capitalism/capitalistic societies, consumerism and materialism. These are merely a few of the problems that make up the core of each of the twelve tales. This is a refreshing, exciting and compelling way to view contemporary subjects.

This is a wonderful compilation of short stories that speak to the world we currently inhabit. Unless you've been burying your head in the sand for many a long year (actually, more like a couple of decades), each of these separate concerns should be already known to you. Friday Black shines a light on these matters bringing them to the forefront of our minds. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've had the pleasure to read this year, and it certainly lives up to the title of 'most anticipated of 2018'. Friday Black makes the reader think about the state of the world and our future here on earth, it does also have a message of hope which, in my opinion, is absolutely vital right now. Despite having finished reading this quite a while ago, I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. It feels like a book that will leave an indelible imprint both in my mind and in my heart for the foreseeable" Lou - Goodreads

A Curse so Dark and Lonely

By: Brigid Kemmerer
Location: FIC 
Genre: Fantasy- retell 

A modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast!

This is hands down one of the best fairy tale retellings I have ever read- Lola

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

All in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

"This is a beautifully vivid, lush and heart-wrecking retelling that pushes together people who think they have to fight alone. But they absolutely don't. It's a story that weaves loneliness and wanting together, threaded with a girl who brings hope to a boy who is terrified of the monster inside him"- C G Drew