Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

 By  Brandon Sanderson

Location: FIC SAN

Genre: Sanderson

Series: Cosmere Universe

Brandon Sandersons personal favourite!!!!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

A great description by Brandon Sanderson about his collection of novels and how they all work together!

’Im Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.

In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

How To Be Remembered

 By: Michael Thompson

Location: FIC THO

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Magic Realism, 

"What a gorgeous, heartwarming, magical tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it."

Unforgettable, brilliant, moving, and hopeful – this magical novel leads you to the things that matter in life.

'How to Be Remembered wears its heart proudly, earnest in the way of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or, dare I say, Forrest Gump.' The Guardian

Some lives are simply unforgettable…

On an ordinary night in an ordinary year, Tommy Llewellyn's doting parents wake in a home without toys or nappies, without photos of their baby scattered about, and without any idea that the small child asleep in his cot is theirs.

That's because Tommy is a boy destined to never be remembered.

On the same day every year, everyone around him forgets he exists, and he grows up enduring his own universal Reset. That is until something extraordinary happens: Tommy Llewellyn falls in love.

Determined to finally carve out a life for himself and land the girl of his dreams, Tommy sets out on a mission to trick the universe and be remembered. But legacies aren't so easily won, and Tommy must figure out what's more important - the things we leave behind or the people we bring along with us.

How to be Remembered is a heartwarming, poignant and ultimately inspiring novel about the important things in life.

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

 By: Heidi Durrow

Location: FIC DUR

Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Race

Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change

Inspired by a true story of a mother's twisted love, "The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" paints the haunting portrait of a young orphan's quest for truth. A bizarre mystery surrounding a family tragedy forms the centrepiece of Rachel's struggle as an astonishingly beautiful mixed-race child in a mostly black community. As terrible secrets begin to emerge, Rachel learns to swallow her grief and construct her self-image in a world that wants to see her as either Black or White.

Reviews- Britany McCann

'm not sure how this book found its way into my life, but I am glad it did. I didn't know anything about it before starting and didn't realize it had won any award until about a third of the way through when I was talking about it.

Rachel, a young, lost, hurting mixed-race girl (Danish/African American), is thrust into the world of a predominantly African-American community in 1980s Portland. The reader is experiencing this intro into a culture she was mainly removed from. To be honest, the initial interpretations through Rachel's eyes are a bit disconcerting and off-putting. Luckily, I decided to keep going.

As the story unfolds, snippets of the past are shown through multiple narrative points to help the reader guess some unspecified tragedy that led Rachel to live with her grandmother. As Rachel grows and struggles with the mystery, and more of it comes to life, we see Rachel's attempt to grasp for control in her adolescent life destructively.

These characters are flawed, and Rachel's mother's voice of the past is the most heard and has a major impact on Rachel as she makes her foray into motherhood. Much could be speculated and deduced from the possible comparison between these two. As the story unfolds, we see that the majority of these characters come from one broken home or another. Generational behavior patterns and struggles with coping mechanisms come to light along the way.

Issues for me as a reader: the overall prevalence that Rachel was somehow more "elite" than "normal/regular" black people, as well as the repeated words and actions that showed that she was "more beautiful" for being mixed instead of "full black." Her father didn't have more of a voice in the narration when he was such a large part of the story. The lack of accountability or consequence to a character played the hell out of Rachel. (I will admit that this is likely the true case, but it was irksome all the same).

The unveil was heartbreaking, and I could feel it in my heart. Heidi W. Durrow did well with this; I still felt that connection even if there were gaps in much of the story. There is much to talk about in this book, especially for me as a single white mother of a mixed son and the struggle to help him be his most authentic self. I understand the confusion and the protective desire (though to a healthier extent) and the distress of constantly having my parentage questioned due to the difference in skin tones.

Among the seriousness, a funny quote stood out:
"One time, I found my mom's birth control and a fake penis."

This is worth the read, and I can see why it was chosen for the Bellweather Prize.

Lion

 By: Conn Iggulden

Location: FIC IGG

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Golden Age #1

'Pacy and propulsive . . . Crackling with energy, violence and stirring speeches, Lion chronicles power struggles, political machinations and the bloodthirsty ravages of up-close combat' DAILY MAIL

Ancient Greece, 5th century BC

The age of myths and legends has given way to the world of men. In the front rank stands Pericles, Lion of Athens.

Behind Pericles lies the greatest city of the ancient world. Before him, on land and at sea, stands the merciless Persian army. Both sides are spoiling for war.

Though still a young man, Pericles knows one thing: to fight a war you must first win the peace.

It's time for a hero to rise.

For his enemies to tremble.

And for Athens, a city of wisdom and warriors, to shine with glory . . .

'The master historical storyteller returns with the first of a new pair of novels about Athenian general and politician Pericles. This swords-and-sandals epic brings the sights, sounds and smells of the ancient world to life, telling the story of the ongoing clash of empires between Greece and Persia. Conn Iggulden's research is second-to-none and his writing has never been more addictive. At home, Pericles is navigating a difficult marriage while shoring up his position in Athenian politics and art. But, in this gripping read, he also faces the ever-present threat of a resurgent Persia on the battlefield' DAILY EXPRESS

Belladonna Series #1 and #2

 By: Adalyn Grace

 Location: FIC GRA

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Gothic

“Your shoulders were not meant to bear the weight of their expectations, Signa. You were not made to please other.” He was right.”

COVER LOVE!!!!

 Belladonna brings to life a highly romantic, gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.

For as long as Signa Farrow has been alive, the people in her life have fallen like stars . . .

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her wellbeing – and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy.

Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer, though, is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful – and more irresistible – than she ever dared imagine.

FOXGLOVE

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death's story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Star Fish

 By: Lisa Fipps

Location: FIC FIP

Genre: Novel Verse, Mental Health

"I am in tears. This shows the worst in people, but also the very best. Starfish is a middle grade novel written in verse that highlights a child’s navigation of self-worth, standing up for yourself, and claiming your right to take up space in the world. Beautiful." Kelsey

A Printz Honor Winner!

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this highly acclaimed debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life—by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Scare Me

 By: Teri Terry

Location: FIC TER

Genre: Psychological thriller 

From the author of SLATED...

Scare Me is a tense supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and This Lie Will Kill You. From the award-winning author of the SLATED and CIRCLE trilogies, Teri Terry.

The past can haunt you...

Sixteen-year-old Liv can't get on with her own life - not as long as the ghost of her twin sister, Molly, who died at birth, has been her constant companion: she is always there, a part of her that no one else can see or hear.

Liv meets a boy called Echo, who is searching for the truth about his mother's death, and despite Molly's concerns, Liv is drawn to him. Echo believes that if he can just speak to his mother's ghost, he will finally learn the truth about what happened to her and be able to move on with his life.

But he believes the way to reach her is through fear: to scare himself enough to lift the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead. Echo and Liv begin an increasingly dangerous game that tests their greatest fears: but how far is Echo willing to go to uncover the truth?

Review by hayley

I've never read a Teri Terry book before, so I have no frame of reference, however this is a great YA novel.

We meet Liv, who is a twin. However, her twin (Molly) passed away at birth, but she never left Liv. She has been there in the background interfering with her life. Liv would like Molly to move on, but Molly is determined to stay. She meets a boy called Echo. Echo's mother drove her car (with him in it) off a cliff a year before meeting Liv. He can't remember much about the accident, but he wants to contact his mother to ask what happened. He can't believe that she would have done what she did with him in the car.

Echo and Liv decide that in order to face their ghosts, they need to waken the barrier between the living and the dead. In order to do this, they need to be scared...scared for their lives. So they embark on a dangerous journey together to see if they can overcome their haunted pasts.

I really enjoyed this read, there is a huge plot twist that I just didn't see coming at all! I won't post any spoilers, as it really is best enjoyed going in blind.

The chapters are short and snappy, making it easy to plough through. I'm well over the age bracket for the target audience, but I loved it.

Tsunami

 By: Ned Wenlock

Location:  GRA WEN

Genre: Bullying, Family, Adolescent Mental health

At school, being right isn't always the right answer. Peter's bull-headed commitment to the truth has already picked him out as a target for the school bullies. The misfit new girl is a complete badass, but seems as interested in his nemesis, Gus, as she is in Peter, and his parents are too busy bickering to care about any of it. It all feels overwhelming to Peter - like a tsunami is coming and he isn't sure he can stop it.

Reviewed by Jackie Rodgers, Senior English teacher, Wakatipu High School, Queenstown

"At school. Being right isn't always the right answer." That is how, as readers, we are introduced to Ned Wenlock's debut graphic novel, Tsunami. Wenlock, a Kapiti Coast artist and illustrator himself states in a Spinoff interview that he just "wanted to follow the characters. The characters [he states] became a lot more interesting" and as a result threw the plot structure out the window. And it reads like that.

It's a coming of age story. Young Peter, determinedly fighting for the truth, becomes his worst enemy when he tries to adhere, almost doggedly, to telling the truth. The story itself on the edge of the brutality of growing up is thought provoking. Stylistically, the simplicity of the almost vignette-like events unfolding in Peter's life - be it confrontation with the bully Gus, the 'badass' new girl at school, or talking with his mother - remind the reader just how complex and conflicting life can be when you're young.

There's a bit of bad language and the odd metaphor that some of my Year 9 boys would giggle over for days, but there is no doubting the metaphor. Life for a teenager can feel like a tsunami is heading your way and there is very little you or anyone can do about it. And (spoiler alert), it ends badly. It ends brutally, and it ends bloody. Unexpected but ironically, not. It's a cautionary tale for those of us who have done the time, looked back with retrospection, and can be glad to count ourselves amongst those still here.

Black Heat

 By: Bex Hogan

Location: FIC HOG

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Feminism

“For too long, men have taken everything they can from us women. Our bodies, our children, our lives. I will not let you take my power.”

Exile. Rebel. Healer. Three underestimated women, destined to be brought together by revenge in this dark and thrilling new YA fantasy.

Marzal - an exiled daughter with a plan for her return.
Rayn - a rebel blacksmith with a blade of blood.
Elena - a gentle midwife with a fiercely protected secret.

Each young woman wants peace for their country, but in times of war, not everyone fights by the same rules. As their countries burn around them, and the stakes of victory rise, each woman will have to decide how far she is willing to go for peace.

But the desire for revenge also burns deep...

A dark and thrilling new fantasy from the author of The Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy.

Holly

 By: Stephen King 

Location: FIC KIN

Genre: Stephen King

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King's most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a Midwestern town.

Stephen King's Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly's gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr Mercedes to Bill Hodges's partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King's new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harbouring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie's disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to out-think and outmanoeuvre the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

Once There Was

 By: Kiyash Monsef

Location: FIX MON

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

Brilliant, dark and dangerous and angry

  There are...griffon, manticore, unicorn, gnome, to yokai and djinn

A recommended read for readers, young and old, who still very much have those magic in their hearts!

Discover a world of extraordinary beasts and unexpected heroes in the dazzling debut from Kiyash Monsef. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling and A.F. Steadman. Once was, once wasn't . . . So began the stories Marjan's father told her as a little girl - tales of mythical beasts that filled her with curiosity and Griffons. Unicorns. Dragons. But Marjan is not a little girl anymore. After her father's sudden death, she is trying to hold it all her schoolwork, her friendships and her dad's struggling veterinary practice. But a mysterious visitor soon reveals that Marjan's father was no ordinary vet. The creatures from his stories are real - and he travelled the world to care for them. Stepping into a secret world hidden in plain sight, where magical creatures are bought and sold, treasured and trapped, Marjan must take her father's place. The deeper in she gets, the closer she comes to a shocking truth that will put both humans and beasts in terrible danger.