American Panda

By: Gloria Chao
Location: FIC CHA
Genre: Romance- Fiction

What a lovely, lovely surprise. American Panda is ownvoices contemporary fic about a Taiwanese-American girl struggling with her strict parents and with trying to carve her own path. And holy crap. It’s awesome.- Elise, Goodreads

“Weepingly funny.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Delightful.” —BuzzFeed
“Charmed my socks off.” —David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite and Mosquitoland

Four starred reviews for this incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth—that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

From debut author Gloria Chao comes a hilarious, heartfelt tale of how, unlike the panda, life isn’t always so black and white.

“And right now I had no idea where I ended and my parents began.” 

Wilder Girls

By: Rory Power
Location: FIC POW
Genre: Feminist Horror and LGBGT 

A modern day, female Lord of the Flies - count me in!

 I am no fan of horror so I stock this and get it ready for those of you are brave enough!

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

"I can see why Rory Power's debut novel Wilder Girls is getting serious buzz; it's not just a pretty cover, as it contains an excellent writing style that wavers between flowery prose and captivating horror. In terms of idea and compulsive page-turning, this book deserves all of the stars," Chelsea

Severance

By: Ling Ma
Location: FIC MA
Genre: SciFi - Dystopia 


"A quirky, cynical, yet important read that has made me think a lot about what matters most in my life"- Thomas

"I loved this book. It’s sharp and wry and contemporary -" Jessica

This book must be good, it has won a few awards. And has anyone noticed pink covres are now a thing!!!

Locus Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), Kirkus Prize for Fiction (2018), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction (2018), Aspen Words Literary Prize Nominee for Longlist (2019), Neukom Literary Arts Award Nominee for Debut Speculative Fiction (2019)

“To live in a city is to live the life that it was built for, to adapt to its schedule and rhythms, to move within the transit layout made for you during the morning and evening rush, winding through the crowds of fellow commuters. To live in a city is to consume its offerings. To eat at its restaurants. To drink at its bars. To shop at its stores. To pay its sales taxes. To give a dollar to its homeless. 
To live in a city is to take part in and to propagate its impossible systems. To wake up. To go to work in the morning. It is also to take pleasure in those systems because, otherwise, who could repeat the same routines, year in, year out? "-  Page 290

Maybe it's the end of the world, but not for Candace Chen, a millennial, first-generation American and office drone meandering her way into adulthood in Ling Ma's offbeat, wryly funny, apocalyptic satire, Severance.

Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. With the recent passing of her Chinese immigrant parents, she's had her fill of uncertainty. She's content just to carry on: She goes to work, troubleshoots the teen-targeted Gemstone Bible, watches movies in a Greenpoint basement with her boyfriend.

So Candace barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies cease operations. The subways screech to a halt. Her bosses enlist her as part of a dwindling skeleton crew with a big end-date payoff. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.

Candace won't be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They're traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?

A send-up and takedown of the rituals, routines, and missed opportunities of contemporary life, Ling Ma's Severance is a moving family story, a quirky coming-of-adulthood tale, and a hilarious, deadpan satire. Most important, it's a heartfelt tribute to the connections that drive us to do more than survive.

Storm and Fury

By: Jenifer L. Armentrout
Location: FIC ARM
Genre:  Fantasy, Paranorma, Romance
Series: The Harbinger #1

WHAT SECREETS HIDE BENEATH THE SKIN?

Gargoyle Protectors
Rising Demons
and One Girl with an explosive secret.

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed… 

“What are you going to do if it does get worse?” he asked.
“Maybe I’ll get myself a seeing-eye gargoyle.”
Zayne chuckled. “I can be that for you.”
“Uh, yeah, I feel like you’d grow very bored of that.”
“I don’t think so.” His fingers curled around my chin, bringing my gaze back to his. Air hitched in my throat. “I don’t think…there’s ever a boring second around you.” 

A Contract with God

By: Will Eisner
Location: GRA EIS
Genre: Graphic Novel

Through a quartet of four interwoven stories, A Contract With Godexpress the joy, exuberance, tragedy, and drama of life on the mythical Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. This is the legendary book that launched a new art form and reaffirmed Will Eisner as one of the great pioneers of American graphics.

Julia: This is not a book to aid in the Christian perspective. If anything, it's existential and nihilistic. It is a book that looks at disillusionment, frustration, loneliness, sex and violence in a mixed culture sharing a community of poverty. It's powerful, gritty and real. But don't look to it for faith or spiritual inspiration.

"This book is based on the memories that Will Eisner has about his own and his contemporaries’ experiences while growing up in New York. The book presents a selection of four stories, which are interconnected and based on a fictional tenement situated in 55 Dropsie Avenue, the Bronx, New York and narrates the personal and intimate memories that the author have about a bunch of characters from his past. 

The tenement was built around 1920 when the flow of immigrants afterWorld War I to New York was like a flood. By the 30s low paid city employees, laborers and their families thrived in these tenements, which became home to a whole first generation of Americans born to their foreign parents. There was no privacy within these apartment buildings and these stories that Will Eisner narrate in the graphic medium is based on the life as it was in these tenements during “the dirty 30s”. You can detect the dynamics of relationships, the culture, the depression and state of economy and everything that prevailed in the 30s within these frames". Pramod Nor

"I'm not quite sure what I just read. The title story is must clear cut, and heart breaking. The other stories tend to be on that line of rape and sexual power that make you feel a bit icky. There is also sucide and animal death.

Yet, the stories are extremely powerful. It is worth the read." Christine

The Thirteenth Tale

By: Diane Setterfield
Location: FIC SET
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Gothic

 I love this cover:)

“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.”

Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long.

Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Lisa said this on Goodreads about this book

"The book jacket describes The Thirteenth Tale by stating,
"It is a tale of Gothic strangeness, featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden, and a devastating fire."

In reality, it’s that and much more. This book lead me to wonder about identity, love, and the meaning of family. I have a feeling these characters will indeed be in the fiber of my clothes for quite some time."

My Secret Youtube Life

By: Charlotte Seager
Location: FIC SEA
Genre: Youth Fiction- Social Media

What if your favourite YouTuber’s life was a lie?
What if you were the one to expose it?

YouTuber LilyLoves has an amazing life: a rockstar boyfriend, a totally Insta-worthy London flat and a collection of beauty products that seems to grow daily (thanks, PO Box).

Sixteen-year-old Melissa’s life is way less amazing – LilyLoves is the only thing getting her through it. She’s Lily’s biggest fan and spends hours each night watching her videos and liking her posts. Melissa wants that life for herself – or at least to look like she has it . . .

As Melissa starts to grow in confidence – and followers - she discovers a crushing secret about Lily – the ultimate YouTube lie. Does she share Lily’s secret and crush her fame? Or will they both continue to live a lie – both online and off?

My [Secret] YouTube Life is the addictive debut novel from Charlotte Seager.

Jules read this and reckons the most important  thing she got from this book which she thinks is especially important  is to remind the younger generations to: Stay true to yourself and keep in touch with reality.

A Girl Like That

By: Tanaz Bhathena
Location: FIC BHA
Genre: Contemporary Ficture, Culture

A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. 

“Fascinating and disturbing.” —Jodi Picoult,

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.


"Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day Saudi Arabia. . . . Bhathena’s novel should spur heated discussions about sexist double standards and the ways societies restrict, control, and punish women and girls." —Publishers Weekly

"A powerful debut." —School Library Journal

"A Girl Like That completely broke my heart in a million ways, some expected and others not. I was not prepared for the sheer beauty of this writing, which—coupled with the plot—tore me to pieces yet also left me with a profound sense of hope. Every sentence is so carefully constructed, but at the same time, everything feels effortless and smooth. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Tanaz’s writing is of the most elegant I’ve ever read in YA. 

You will love some of these characters. You will hate some of these characters. But above all, you will form an unbreakable attachment to their complexity and realness. The book begins with a terrible road accident, narrated by two teenagers who are newly dead. You know this from the beginning, and yet Tanaz’s writing is so unbelievably special that I couldn’t help but bond with them, even when I knew their eventual fate. 

This is an important book, and it’s also a difficult one: difficult in that it exposes the reader to a variety of topics (rape culture, religious expectations, domestic abuse) that other writers may not tackle so openly, so courageously, and with such grace. It is shocking and eye opening and honest and so very needed. It’s also an #ownvoices novel, which I especially appreciate. 

I recommend A Girl Like That without hesitation for any reader who wants to dive head first into a complex tale of love, religion, and culture." Carlie- Goodreads review

Census

By: Jesse Ball
Location:FIC BAL
Genre: Literay Fiction, Dystopia

"A very moving and inventive novel about love and loss, the bonds of family, human capacity for both good and evil, and fathers and sons." Matthew 

Jesse Ball tells us in the introduction: 

“It occurred to me last month that I would like to write a book about my brother. I felt, and feel that people with Down syndrome are not really understood. What is in my heart when I consider him and his life is something so tremendous, so full of light, that I thought I must write a book that helps people see what it is like to know and to love a Down syndrome boy or girl. It is not like what you would expect, and it is not like it is ordinarily portrayed and explained. It is something else, different than that.”



When a widower receives notice from a doctor that he doesn’t have long left to live, he is struck by the question of who will care for his adult son—a son whom he fiercely loves, a boy with Down syndrome. With no recourse in mind, and with a desire to see the country on one last trip, the man signs up as a census taker for a mysterious governmental bureau and leaves town with his son. 

Traveling into the country, through towns named only by ascending letters of the alphabet, the man and his son encounter a wide range of human experience. While some townspeople welcome them into their homes, others who bear the physical brand of past censuses on their ribs are wary of their presence. When they press toward the edges of civilization, the landscape grows wilder, and the towns grow farther apart and more blighted by industrial decay. As they approach “Z,” the man must confront a series of questions: What is the purpose of the census? Is he complicit in its mission? And just how will he learn to say good-bye to his son? 

Mysterious and evocative, Census is a novel about free will, grief, the power of memory, and the ferocity of parental love, from one of our most captivating young writers.

Listen to your Heart

By: Kasie West
Location: FIC WES
Genre: Romance 

“I wondered if life was about facing fears. Sometimes we overcame them and sometimes they overcame us. On the days we won, we had every right to celebrate.”

Kasie West's adorable story of secrets, love, and friendship is sure to win over hearts everywhere.

Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend . . . until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.

We See Everything

By: William Sutcliffe
Location:FIC SUT
Genre: Dystopia 


 " Brilliantly written- thrilling, frightening asnd all too real and relevant. I urge you to read it " Sarah Crossan

Lex lives on The Strip – the overcrowded, closed-off, bombed-out shell of London. He’s used to the watchful enemy drones that buzz in the air above him. 

Alan’s talent as a gamer has landed him the job of his dreams. At a military base in a secret location, he is about to start work as a drone pilot. 

These two young men will never meet, but their lives are destined to collide. Because Alan has just been assigned a high-profile target. Alan knows him only as #K622. But Lex calls him Dad.

Bridget  Schurmann reviewed this book on Goodreads and if she likes it- we all like it. This is her review

This is a cracking good read. And so topical. There are parallel stories. Firstly Lex who is the son of one of the major movers and shakers in an underground movement in the resistance movement. Plotting against the power of the American Army who patrol their section of London stalking the perceived troublemakers with drones. Drones watch everyone and everything. A section which has been separated off from the rest of the city. It is surrounded by fences, there is a no go area between the houses and the fence and in the opening chapter of the book Lex is in this area, risking death to pick some berries which he wants to sell to get some cash. Should he get spotted by a drone he will be shot on sight. 

Watching Lex is a young American soldier, his job is to watch, to follow and to pass on anything he thinks is suspicious to his superior officers. He is a young man full of conflicting thoughts, his Mum hates what he does, she thinks it is immoral. He is proud to work for his country, to protect the American ideals to enforce the rules. But as he spends time following his target he becomes even more conflicted. This reaches a peak when he is required to make the decision to kill his target. 

This book tackles huge issues. Drones and their ability to kill remotely. The guilt that soldiers feel, how it feels to be spied on, to have your every move documented. Privacy and power and control. Love, family and consent. There is plenty to think about in this book. I was talking about it to one of the staff at school and he, as a member of the Army Reserves was telling me about experiences he had heard about which concerned drone pilots. I think this book is a fantastic and sharp novel and I will be recommending it often.

Dolphins Down Under

By: Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson
Location: NF 599.53 
Genre: Dolphins

As a kid I spent a lot of time at Goosebay which is near Kaikoura. We did heaps of fishing in our boat - Kotare. That was the first Maori word I learnt. While we were out on the briny fishing for Hapuka , Kaiwhai and  Soldier Fish the dolphins would come and play. It is a memory of childhood delight, so bouncey , happy and smiley. I could watch them all day. I just hope my grandchildren have the opportunity for the same experience.
This book will help us understand them more and by understanding comes knowledge and knowledge protects.


New Zealand dolphins, also known as Hector’s dolphins, are fascinating and beautiful animals. Found only in New Zealand waters, their numbers are now under constant threat—especially from human fishing activities. This book introduces the dolphin to readers of all ages. The authors have devoted the last 30 years—more than a dolphin lifespan—to intensive study of the dolphin’s distribution, behavior, biology, reproduction and communication, using photography as their principal research tool. They have identified over 100 individuals and recorded their life events.

This review is by Tui Allen from Goodreads.com and it is stunning! If you are a teacher- read this review!

The first paragraph states, “New Zealand dolphins, also known as Hector’s dolphins, are absolutely remarkable animals. Found only in New Zealand, they are as ‘kiwi’ as the kiwi. They are rare, fascinating and beautiful.”
From there on, everything that needs to be said on this heart-wrenching and controversial topic, is said concisely and accurately in an easy conversational style that is clear, user-friendly and tight. The authors have left all the scientific jargon and endless but sometimes necessary detail, where it belongs in their voluminous scientific papers. Here they bring the topic to life in a slim handy volume which will be easily usable by children in secondary schools and to anyone of any age from there up. 
Beginning with the delicious cover image of two dolphins clearly displaying their perfection of form for their special wild environment, the photographs throughout bring everything to life, both the beauties and the hard truths that need to be faced. 
The book is the perfect tool we need to circulate nationally and internationally, everything that needs to be known about NZ dolphins. It could help to save animals that can contribute so much to our nation’s prestige, should we save them from their imminent demise and which could also be the cause of the country’s eternal shame should we fail them, in which case NZ’s clean green image will take a serious knock. There are people all over the world watching carefully to see how this country treats these dolphins and many of them care far more for their fate, than that of our flightless birds. 
If these dolphins become extinct, New Zealand will go down in history as the nation that was the first to cause the extinction of a marine dolphin. The research here described by these committed and professional scientists will leave you in no doubt that the major threats to their continued existence are human ones. The book showed clearly what a treasure we have right here on our doorstep and how important it is that we learn to value these animals as they deserve.
There are chapters about the dolphins’ behaviour, communications and biology, as well as one called Conservation Problems and Solutions, and another which describes a typical day of the field research work. There is also a section describing ways individuals can help the dolphins.

It could become a useful secondary school text and ought to be required reading for every politician who has anything to do with conservation and protecting this nation's tourism image and biodiversity. How marine conservationists will wish for the scientific research methods described here to be adopted by the so-called “researchers” from Japan who kill their cetacean research subjects and sell the meat as food. 
While it is obviously an objective and factual text, this has not stopped the authors from occasionally exhibiting a humour that the dolphins themselves might approve. An example of this is their description of the "Milo Method" of attracting dolphins to approach your boat of their own accord. It made me laugh out loud and did not detract from the seriousness of the topic at all.
I thought I knew everything I needed to know about the conservation of our special dolphins but I learned much of value from this book. I will be keeping it in pride of place, re-reading whenever possible and never lending it to my friends.(They have to buy their own copy)
This book is a treasure, as are the New Zealand dolphins. 

Fish

By: Stephen C, Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen  
Location: NF 658.3 LUN
Genre: Self Help, Leadership

I'm on a Non Fiction roll today. This book was requested for us to buy from our Acting Principal last year, Mr McDonnell. 
When he asks for a book -I get it in.


This is an international bestseller with inspirational stories and new resources to transform your life. Imagine a workplace where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. In this engrossing parable, a fictional manager has the responsibility of turning a chronically unenthusiastic and unhelpful department into an effective team. Seattle's pike place fish is a world famous market that is wildly successful thanks to its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service. By applying ingeniously simple lessons learned from the pike place, our manager discovers how to energise and transform her workplace. Addressing today's most pressing work issues with an engaging metaphor and an appealing message, fish! offers wisdom that is easy to grasp, instantly applicable, and profound.

"This was required reading for a staff meeting at work, but I'm glad I read it and found it to be mostly enjoyable. It was quick and easy reading with a good message. There was also a fictional storyline presenting the lessons which made it more interesting and engaging. I enjoyed the story aspect and thought it was kind of cute. All in all, the book was a little cheesy and I don't think it will change my life, but it was worth the little bit of time it took me to read. I'd love to see these ideas implemented and can see the positive impact it would have. " Stephanie

Dealing with Depression

By: Jan Marsh 
Location: NF 616.85
Genre: Real life stuff 


It is good to highlight these books that we get into our library, depression is real and for many of you it impacts your life, it could be a family member, a friend or even yourself. This book gives great tips on how to get your life back and how to help and support others too as well.

Dealing with Depression offers a simple, easy to follow, non-judgmental and, above all, effective exploration of depression and how to manage it. A range of strategies is outlined, including the physiological fundamentals of sleep, healthy diet and exercise as well as ideas from positive psychology that help us to take care of ourselves. Learning to regulate emotions and show compassion to ourselves and others not only reduces the impact of depression but also improves life and relationships, building resilience and decreasing the likelihood of recurring depressive episodes.

Part One provides the essential background information for understanding depression. It demystifies depression and aims to remove any sense of shame about it. Instead it explains depression as a process that follows the laws of nature and is no more shameful than catching the flu.

Part Two gives specific tips to improve well-being in body, mind and spirit. This prescription for physical, mental and spiritual fitness can go a long way towards both curing and preventing depression. Good self-care can improve connections to the world and to other people, creating resilience for facing the ups and downs of life. Case studies follow six people who suffered from depression for a variety of reasons and who have used the strategies outlined here to successfully deal with their depression and get their lives back.

PLAGUE World

By: Alex Scarrow
Location: FIC 
Genre: Horror
Series: ReMade #3  

"Scarrow's devastated landscape and the terrifying entity that has taken it over are vividly rendered . . . Adrenaline-laced post-apocalyptic fun" Kirkus

This has our country in it!!!!

It happened within a week. Survival was just the start of it. It has a plan . . .

Leon is stuck in England. Grace is on her way to New Zealand and Freya to the 'New United States' in Cuba. The virus has assimilated all of humanity except for these three communities and now it is prepared to talk with them.

How they each choose to respond to the virus, will ultimately decide their fate in Plague World, the apocalyptic finale to the Remade trilogy from bestselling author of the TimeRiders series, Alex Scarrow.

A superb doomsday thriller for children - this is Stephen King suitably toned down for younger readers - edge of your seat stuff, brilliantly written.  

Books Monthly

As Happy As Here

By: Jane Godwin
Location: FIC GOD
Genre: Coming of Age 

A beautiful coming-of-age story about three teenage girls from very different backgrounds who find themselves sharing a hospital ward, for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Fiona Wood

Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change.

A beautiful coming-of-age story about identity, expectation, class, justice, society, fairness, and, above all, kindness. 

Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change.

"This is a book that I wish I'd read growing up. It is a lovely, coming-of-age story of three young girls who find themselves in a hospital room together. Then they witness a crime. As they band together to solve the crime, they learn to overcome each others differences and challenges to help each other grow and blossom. Such a lovely, unique voice with a hint of mystery" Laura

As Far As The Stars

By: Virginia MacGregor
Location: FIC MAC
Genre: Romance

'I defy you not to fall in love' Clare Mackintosh

You know the scenes, people in airports awaiting news, any news, of  people that they know in a plane crash. You feel the tension through the media, you sense the fear, you know that they hope but in vain. So what do you do, what do they do....?

How do you change what’s already written in the stars? 

Christopher is the sort of guy that no one notices, yet when Air catches sight of him making intricate paper birds in the airport, she can’t look away.

But their worlds are about to collide in ways they never expected. Someone they love is on Flight 0217 from London Heathrow. And it’s missing.

Convinced that her brother was on a different flight, Air drives them hundreds of miles across the country, on a trip that will change their lives forever.

But how do you tell the person you’re falling for that you might just be the reason their life has fallen apart? 

"I started this book with no expectations at all and was completely taken by surprise. 

This book was beautifully written. There were moments of extreme calmness then I'd remember what exactly what the novel was about. Some parts made me laugh and then I would think about the main characters, so young and what they were having to cope with. "As Far as the Stars" was totally gripping, dealing with the subject of death so tactfully and considerately. This was such an emotional and realistic read and one that I highly recommend." Bridget

My Name is Not Peaseblossom

By: Jackie French
Location: FIC 
Genre: Re-telling (Midsummers Night Dream) Fantasy, Fae

'A wonderful read for anyone whether they are discovering A Midsummer Night's Dream for the first time or revisiting the classic tale.' 
- Books+Publishing, four stars

Titania rose to her feet. 'What is going on here, Peaseblossom?' she demanded.

I bowed to her. 'I apologise, Your Majesty. But I'd rather be known as Pete.'

'Pete?' She frowned. 'That's no name for a fairy.'

'No, it isn't,' I said, meeting her eyes.
At court, he's known as Peaseblossom, a servant to the Fairy Queen.

But as Pete, he prefers pizza to sugarplums and denim to daffodils. He wants to choose his own life too. But how can he when a fairy's sole duty is to obey the all-powerful Queen Titania?

This is Shakespeare's popular and delightful comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream with an added army of Amazons, a sea serpent and a selkie called Gaela, who luckily for Pete makes the best pizza in the world.

It is also a story of the intrigues of the Fairy Court, of vampire plots to dominate the world and of impossible loves that might just come true. Not by enchantment, but when two hearts thread together, making a magic of their own.

'By melding the old and the new, French cleverly raises questions about free will and the abuse of power ... A wonderful read for anyone whether they are discovering A Midsummer's Night Dream for the first time or revisiting the classic tale.' - Books+Publishing

I Am Change

BY: Suzy Zail
Location: FIC ZAI
Genre: Fiction, Feminism,

They told her that her body belonged to men and her mind didn’t matter. They were wrong.

“What if I don’t want to marry?” Lillian held her breath. She had never said the words out loud. “Not want to marry?” Her aunt frowned. “What else would you do?”

Set in a Ugandan village, Lilian has learned to shrink herself to fit other people’s ideas of what a girl is. In her village a girl is not meant to be smarter than her brother. A girl is not meant to go to school or enjoy her body or decide who to marry. Especially if she is poor. 

Here is a great review by Laura Altman

"Trigger warnings: rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation.

Lilian, a young girl growing up in rural Uganda, has big dreams. She's hungry to learn and plans to be the first person in her family to graduate primary school, hoping to one day be a teacher or an author. Unfortunately, Lilian's mother has other plans for her, viewing a good marriage as the only thing that can save her from a life of poverty. Though Lilian is fiercely intelligent, will she be strong enough to resist her mother's pressure and carve out the future she desires? 

I Am Change isn't the type of book I would usually reach for. Generally, I read for pleasure and escape, so I tend to stick to fantasy. I Am Change is the opposite of that; it's gritty, intense and raw. Zail interviewed over 30 girls and spent time in Uganda to research for her novel, and her commitment shows, for the book often seems achingly real. As such, this book isn't an easy one to read. The women in Lilian's world are treated terribly and their existence revolves entirely around pleasing the men in their lives. There are also some very upsetting scenes, almost every woman in I Am Change is violated in some way. We see schoolgirls allowing boys to touch their breasts in exchange for basic stationary supplies, wives being forced to lick their kitchen floors after displeasing their husbands, and even a woman who chooses a life of prostitution to escape her family's attempts to force her to undergo a circumcision procedure. While many of the people around Lilian see this injustice and accept it, attempting to make the best of the situation, Lilian rages against ill treatment and tries to find a way to make her life better.

Zail tells readers that education is the way to escape injustice and poverty. This is an important and empowering message, and I hope the young women who read this book really take this lesson to heart. I Am Change is a powerful and deeply moving book that's certain to make readers cry. "