They Say I'm Pretty Funny For A Girl

By: Rebecca Elliot

Location: FIC ELL
Genre: Romance, Humour

Does anyone ever really want to 'fall' in love? Knowing me I'll just trip over it and graze my knee on the gravel of humiliation.

Haylah Swinton is fairly confident she's brilliant at being a girl. She's an ace best friend, a loving daughter, and an INCREDIBLY patient sister to her four-year-old total nutter of a brother, Noah. But she has a secret. She wants to be a stand-up comedian, but she's pretty sure girls like her - big girls, girls who don't get all the boys, girls who a lot of people don't see - don't belong on stage.

That hasn't stopped her dreaming though, and when the seemingly perfect opportunity to write routines for older, cooler, impossibly funny Leo arises... well, what's a girl to do? But is Leo quite an interested in helping Haylah as he says he is? Will Haylah ever find the courage to step into the spotlight herself? And when oh when will people stop telling her she's 'funny for a girl'?!

"This is a seriously funny, entertaining, at times poignant and always captivating journey into a particularly beguiling teenage psyche. The central character is loveable whilst endearingly flawed, thoroughly believable, always amusing and utterly believable. All other characters are well drawn and the dialogue is superbly authentic. The plot is satisfyingly page-turning and the humour is fresh, sharp and genuinely laugh out loud, whilst never losing the powerful underlying theme that being happy in one’s own skin is at the heart of success in life.Pretty Funny is a superb first novel. Highly recommended. I look forward to the sequel!" Gill Lee Goodreads

The Animal Book

By:Miles Kelly

Location: NF 590

Genre: Cute Animals

This is a really cool book, great for sitting down and looking at, you will learn heaps, say "awwwww" and become an expert for quiz nights. The photos are awesome and the facts fascinating... 

Four amazing chapters in The Animal Book: In Prehistoric Giants, meet the mega monsters that have ruled our planet throughout history. Awesome Animals shows how many creatures go to extremes to rise above the rest in the fight for survival.
Find out which animals are prepared to fight tooth and claw when it comes to the crunch, with weapons ranging from lethal toxins to electro-senses in Deadly Nature. Finally, Amazing Nature takes a look at the breathtaking drama of nature’s spectacular events, such as elephant processions

The Boneless Mercies

 

 By: April Genevieve Tucholke

Location: FIC TUC

Genre: Fantasy and Retelling

They called us the Mercies, or sometimes the Boneless Mercies. They said we were shadows, ghosts, and if you touched our skin we dissolved into smoke ...

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies – death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work.

Frey has no family, no home, no fortune, and yet her blood sings a song of glory. So when she hears of a monster slaughtering men, women, and children in a northern jarldom, she decides this the Mercies’ one chance to change their fate.

But glory comes at a price …

An epic YA fantasy set in a breathtaking new world, this is perfect for fans of V.E.Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor and Melinda Salisbury

"This was a fabulous and whimsical read with a Beowulf vibe to it! I loved the band of girls ... and boy. Their connection was so incredibly beautiful!

The mercy killings were sad yet incredibly right in the way they were done. I seriously loved Frey and reading from her perspective! I actually would have loved for this one to have been multiple POV. But that’s okay!

I’ll just say, wonderful writing, world building, story, and characters! I can’t wait to read more by this author!" Candance

Stars Like Us

    

By: Frances Chapman

Location: FIC CHA

Genre: LGBGT, Music

From the winner of the Ampersand Prize comes this smart, swoony LGBTQ YA novel about a teenage band on the way to the top – so long as they can hold it together.

Liliana’s hitting all the wrong notes. She’s a sixteen-year-old exchange student with a secret crush on Carter, her new band’s smoking hot guitarist – but she’s also got a girlfriend back home.

So when she writes a song about him and it lands the band a record deal, she quickly realises she’s in hot water.

Soon, Liliana will have to choose – between an alluring boy and the girl she left behind, between love and lust, and between the fame that beckons and staying true to the music that’s in her heart.

With shades of hit TV series Nashville, the musical passion of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and the band drama of Fleetwood Mac, this brilliant own-voices YA debut is perfect for music lovers everywhere

Taking Down Evelyn Tait

 

By: Poppy Nwosu

Location: FIC NWO

Genre: Young Adult- High School

The door creaks open and standing in the entrance is my absolute worst nightmare.
Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect brain.
Perfect sneer.
Evelyn Tait.

Impulsive Lottie – heavy-metal fan, expert tomato-grower and frequent visitor to the principal’s office – is in even more trouble than usual.
Her best friend Grace has dropped an unlikely bombshell: she’s dating Lottie’s mortal enemy, good-girl Evelyn Tait.

Studious Jude, the boy next door, has the perfect war plan. Lottie will beat Evelyn at her own good-girl game, unveiling Miss Perfect’s sinister side in the process.

Taking life more seriously starts as fun, but soon offers its own rewards . . . so long as Lottie can manage gorgeous Sebastian’s sudden interest, Jude acting weird, and the discovery that she might actually be good at something.

Taking Down Evelyn Tait is a story about family, friends and embracing who you are. Even if that person is kind of weird.

This is the kind of story you can't help but fall in love with. It's full of mischief, messy family dynamics, chaotic friendships, and characters with pure hearts of gold. Lottie is mischief personified and she is a glorious blaze of magnetic energy on every page. Also her character arc? Love!

It really tackles the topic self-growth for the better vs the dangers of changing yourself to be someone you're not. (And how exhausting that can be.) Lottie is sick of being in trouble, but she also never means to be. And doesn't she deserve love for who she is right now too? (YES, LOTTIE, MY CHILD U DO.)

The whole story is gorgeously family-centric too and it balances the fun scenes with the emotionally vulnerable moments perfectly. It features a broken family being remade, and the ups and downs of figuring out life with a new step-mum and family. There's friction on both sides, but again, SO much love and growth. Kind of gets me in the feels when I see bitterness turn to understand and resentment turn to love.

And you NEED THE CUTENESS OF THIS ROMANCE. I can't even. Jude is the sweetest cinnamon son and he literally can't say no to Lottie's hairbrained scehmes. Also he's ridiculously in love with her. And she has no idea. We gotcha friends to lovers.

Basically this is the type of contemporary I love and it has such glorious chaotic energy that won me over instantly!  by G C Drews

The Light Between Worlds

 

 By: Laura Weymouth

Location: FIC WEY

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

“We sit for a long time without talking and watch the rain until our tea goes cold, and I am enormously, unspeakably glad to have found someone I can be silent with.”

Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from air strikes in a London bomb shelter. But that night took a turn when the sisters were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge.

When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves.

Now, Ev spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes.

Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was.

But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.

"If you have loved Narnia, you MUST look this book up next fall. I don't even have words to describe how much I adored it; the lyrical, literary prose, the deeply flawed but eminently relatable characters, the utterly phenomenal premise. This book is like nostalgia incarnate, and not quite like anything I've ever read. ❤️❤️❤️ DEFINITELY read it." Cindy

Given

 By: Nandi Taylor

Location: FIC TAY

Genre: Fantasy, Dragons and Love!

FIERCE WARRIORS. FIERY MAGIC. FATED LOVE.

YENNI is a fierce warrior princess, but her father is sick with a wasting illness - and she must find the cure. Should she fail, she faces losing her father and exile from her home in the kingdom of Yirba.

With only her wits, strength and sacred runelore to protect her she must travel the strange, magical and unwelcoming Empire of Cresh. And no one warned her about the DRAGONS. Especially not about WEYSH.

Weysh is a shape-shifter, sometimes a man, at other times a dragon. When he claims Yenni as his GIVEN - his destined partner - they are tied together by the bonds of fate.

Yenni is no man's - or dragon's - plaything. But other magic must be at work, because despite everything that she thought she knew, Weysh might just be her best hope to save her father and her home in the kingdom . . .

Rise

 By: Ellen Goodlett

Location: FIC GOO

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Rule #2

I only bought it because of the stunning cover!!! Oh- and we have the first one in the series too.

Dark pasts and forbidden romances haunt three ambitious sisters as they fight for their lives in this sequel to Rule, which New York Times bestselling author Elly Blake called "dazzling" and "pulse-pounding."

Sisters Akeylah, Ren, and Zofi are all a step closer to their dying father's throne, a step closer to the crown that will bring one of them to rule over Kolonya. But the sisters' pasts continue to haunt them. Each hides a secret marked with blood and betrayal, and now their blackmailer is holding nothing back. When King Andros discovers the sisters' traitorous pasts, the consequences will shake the entire kingdom to its core.


As Kolonya's greatest threat stalks closer and closer, weaving a web of fear and deceit around Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah, even the people they love are under suspicion. If the sisters are going to survive, they'll have to learn to trust each other above all else and work together, not only to save themselves, but to protect everyone and everything they hold dear.


With shocking reveals and suspenseful storytelling, this breathtaking sequel to Rule will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Incendiary

 By: Zoraida Cordova

Location: FIC COR

Genre: Fantasy, Magic

Series: Hollow Crown #1

Incendiary was an action-packed fantasy set in a world inspired by 15th century Spain, reimagining the Inquisition.

I am Renata Convida.

I have lived a hundred stolen lives.
Now I live my own.

Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata's ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.

Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred--or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned "hollow" during her time in the palace.

When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez's top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.

But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom--and end the war that has cost her everything.

"I found the whole tale engaging from start to finish and appreciated the original elements Cordova brought to her book which really sets it apart from other fantasies. The action gets going pretty much immediately which allows your attention to be captured from early on yet the story doesn’t lack plot or character development either despite throwing you in at the deep end. The twists that are interspersed throughout are well thought out with some of them really taking me by surprise and there is also an emotional side to it all. A compulsive and fascinating opening instalment has me lusting after the sophomore offering already. Highly recommended." Lou

Normal People

 By: Sally Rooney

Location: FIC ROO

Genre: Romance, Discovery, Ireland

In Normal People, Sally Rooney tells the story of two deeply damaged people who develop an intense relationship that transcends the norms.

"I feel like there are any number of reasons I could have hated Normal People, but I didn’t. I actually kinda loved it. It's a weird, awkward, depressing novel about a connection formed between two very different people who find exactly what they need - and perhaps a lot that they don't - in each other" Emily

“It was culture as class performance, literature fetishised for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys, so that they might afterwards feel superior to the uneducated people whose emotional journeys they liked to read about.”

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.

This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person's life - a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us - blazingly - about cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege. Alternating menace with overwhelming tenderness, Sally Rooney's second novel breathes fiction with new life. 

The Lost Soul

 

 By: Zana Fraillon

Location: FIC FRA

Genre: Fantasy, Friendship, Homelessness 

A powerful story of hope and friendship, from the author of The Bone Sparrow.

 "It's a story about loyalty, betrayal and the importance of memories and how they shape who we are."

A boy awakens in the Afterlife, with a pocketful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious Atlas to guide him as he sets out to piece together the mystery of his final moments...

Back on Earth, Twiggy is a street kid with a missing dad. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends, better even than blood family itself. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other. But the all-powerful Boss who rules the streets has other plans.

Loyalty will be tested, and a cruel twist of fate will lead to an act of ultimate betrayal that will tear the friends apart ...forever?

"This book is an amazing mix of fantasy and realism. It is written so amazingly well that you just can't put it down. It reminds you of the problems some people have described in such a meaningful way.
All the characters have so much depth that you almost become friends with them. The book really makes you feel like you're there. This is my most favourite book ever written. I hope you enjoy it too." Mani

"A glorious questing fantasy with expertly imagined realms and a story of family and love and belonging which shines a light on homelessness and poverty as a part of our society which is usually banished to the shadowy corners.
This novel has a big-hearted social message AND it is a brilliant, emotionally satisfying adventure for young readers 10+ with snappy smart characters and deeply moving tear-jerking moments
😭Sob." Emma

Across the Risen Sea

 

 By:  Bren MacDibble

Location: FIC MAC

Genre: Climate Change , Mystery, Survival Ecotopian

"The third novel from this multi-award winning NZ author, Across the Risen Sea follows her theme of climate change as in How to Bee and The Dog Runner. It's a heart-stopping adventure, with a mystery, bravery and friendship all rolled in to one"

"Part detective mystery, part adventure at sea, this beautifully imagined novel immerses you in Naoma’s world, with glimpses of our old world left behind. As the narrator, Naoma’s childs eye view is clear and honest throughout, her child’s viewpoint works brilliantly in revealing her world to us. Neither dystopian nor utopian, perhaps the word ecotopian describes this novel more accurately, with courage and hope as the message it conveys." Hannah

Neoma and Jag and their small community are 'living gentle lives' on high ground surrounded by the risen sea. When strangers from the Valley of the Sun arrive unannounced, the two friends find themselves drawn into a web of secrecy and lies that endangers their whole way of life. Soon daring, loyal, Neoma must set off on a solo mission across the risen sea, determined to rescue her best friend and find the truth that will save their village.

In a post climate change affected world, this adventure with sinkholes, crocodiles, sharks, pirates, floating cities, vertical farms and a mystery to solve poses the question of how we will all live 'afterwards'. Will kindness and a sense of community win over selfish greed to preserve our planet - and humanity?

White Stag

By: Kara Barbiera   

Location: FIC BAR

Genre: Fantasy and Romance

Sometimes you buy a book because It is simply beautiful of the cover- and this is one such example! It is just beautiful and I wanted it on my shelf facing outward.

The first book in a brutally stunning series where a young girl finds herself becoming more monster than human and must uncover dangerous truths about who she is and the place that has become her home.

As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—wastaken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost ofher connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites anancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.

"White Stag is fast paced and sucked me in right from page one. It was driven by a good mix of both plot and character development so that if either slowed a bit, my intrigue of the other carried me through.

Let him know how strong I am now. Let him know what I can do...let him smell the blood of the goblins I killed, let him smell the wild and the wind and the anger in my veins, so he knows I’m not the same as I was before

A human girl many, many years bound to the Goblin world, the Permafrost, in servitude finally finds an opportunity to revive and show her strength and change her circumstances.

Perfect for those who enjoyed Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince! But with cruel and vicious Goblins in glamour to appear more...human like and attractive (and no, thankfully, the MC does NOT let us know every sentence “how beautiful” they are and does not drool about it constantly—kudos to the author)."  Mara

The Loop

By: Ben Oliver   

Location: FIC OLI

Genre: Sci Fi Dystopia     

 

The Maze Runner meets The Matrix, this debut is easily one the best and most memorable books I have read all year..

”This sense of futility, of hopelessness; this is what happens when you take compassion out of leadership, when you take mercy out of judgment, when you let the machines decide the fate of humans.”

Luka Kane has been inside hi-tech prison the Loop for over two years.

A death sentence is hanging over his head but his day-to-day routine is mind-numbingly repetitive, broken only by the books brought to him by the sympathetic warden, Wren. Then everything starts to change: rumours of war are whispered in the courtyard and the government-issued rain stops falling. On Luka's last, desperate day, Wren issues him a terrifying warning: breaking out of the Loop might be Luka's only chance to save himself - and the world ...

Book 1 in a dark, original, twisty and totally unputdownable new series.

"Many books have claimed to be 'the next Hunger Games or Maze Runner' but few can actually meet that hype. I'm happy to say that this book has met these expectations and then some!

This book is mostly set inside a prison known as the Loop, where inmates are subject to torturous conditions and crippling loneliness. We explore this setting through the eyes of Luka Kane, a flawed and very relatable YA protagonist who keeps you engaged as the mysteries of the prison and the world around it begin to unfold. The side characters threaten to overwhelm at first given their rapid and frequent introductions but ultimately result in a cast of characters that you will route for all the way, Igby and Malachai being particular standouts.

I cannot give away any plot here, as it's something you really must experience yourself. There are so many twists and turns right up until the end it'll leave you weepy at the fact the next book isn't out till 2021!!!

In closing, YA dystopian fans should get ready, as this book is going to be your next obsession." James

Ali Cross

By: James Patterson

Location: FIC PAT

Genre: Mystery, Thriller    

Fantastic ! Love Ali Cross - even more than his dad Alex. Cannot wait until next one ! ELLEN

James Patterson's blockbuster Alex Cross series has sold over 100 million copies, and now he's bringing those thrills to a new generation! Alex's son Ali is eager to follow in his father's footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Alex Cross
The brilliant DC detective who never gives up on a case.

Ali Cross
The tenacious kid who's determined to follow in his father's footsteps.

The case that finally gives him a chance
Ali knows Gabe Qualls better than anyone, so when his friend goes missing, Ali jumps right into action. Being Alex Cross's son has taught him the skills he needs to solve the mystery: intelligence, persistence, and logic. One thing he didn't inherit? Patience.

Because Ali knows that with every day that passes without the police finding Gabe, the less likely it is that he'll ever be found. And being Alex Cross's son, he refuses to accept those odds.

Witchmark

By: C.L.Polk

Location: FIC POL

Genre: Fantasy, History, LGBGT   

"An amazing book; an extraordinary first book.

Enthralling, fast-paced, and romantic, Witchmark unveils a fascinating world. Polk writes with assured ease. I can't wait for her next book!" Elizabeth

C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance.

In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.

When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen. 

Impossible Causes

By: Julie Mayhew
Location: FIC MAY
Genre: Mystery, Thriller


For readers of All the Missing Girls and You Will Know Me, Impossible Causes is a gripping thriller about isolation, power, and the lies that fester when witnesses stay silent.

For six months every year, Lark Island is fogged in, its occupants cut off completely from the mainland. The community is small, tight-knit, and deeply religious. Lark seems like a good place for 16-year-old Viola Kendrick and her mother to be alone as they mourn Viola’s father and brother, both killed in a tragic accident.

But the islanders are hiding dark secrets. As the winter fog sets in, Viola gets to know the Eldest Girls—the only three teenagers on Lark—and begins to learn about the island’s twisted history, including an old story of a young girl, whose death the islanders insist was accidental. When a man’s body is found at the end of Viola’s first winter on Lark, Viola finds herself at the center of a murder mystery: one that asks whether the man’s death was a righteous act of revenge, or a cold-blooded killing.

Eerie and menacing, timely and moving, Impossible Causes is an unputdownable thriller that examines the consequences of secrets kept at young women’s expense.

The Book of Change

By: Sue Whiting
Location: FIC WHI
Genre: Crime, Mystery, based on  a true story


he Book of Chance was inspired by a real crime that took place in 1998 but wasn’t solved until 19 years later.

Chance is a black-and-white thinker until she realises that sometimes there are shades of grey.

Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all - a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it. Then she finds herself caught between two realities, identities and worlds. Face-to-face with the truth, Chance has a very difficult decision to make, which almost splits her in two. This powerful story explores what is true and what is fake in today’s world. And while Chance is all about the truth, she ponders whether "Maybe being truthful was really just a big lie."

Missing

By: Chris Ryan
Location: FIC RYA
Genre: Military Fiction
Series: Special Force Cadets #2

This book series was recommended to me by our Head Librarian- Joe! Thanks Joe for the heads up !

From the bestselling author of STRIKE BACK, Chris Ryan returns with the second in his new action-packed series.

Tough enough? Smart enough? Jack will require all his skills just to stay alive as a Special Forces Cadet . . .

In this second book, the cadets are sent to North Korea.

A British agent investigating the rogue state's nuclear capabilities has gone missing. The secretive nature of life in Pyongyang means that unfamiliar adults would be attract suspicion and fall under immediate surveillance. So the cadets form part of a young pioneers tour to the North Korean capital. Once there, they must use their skills and training to find out more about the missing agent.

In the course of their investigations, they forget the one rule every undercover operator must obey: trust nobody. When a local teenager they befriend betrays his suspicions to the North Korean secret police, the young cadets must use all their skill to escape the authorities and the country. But can they locate the British agent at the same time.