Pocket Bear

 By: Katherine Applegate  

Location: FIC APP

Genre: Animals

"This is a wonderful story of kindness and bravery but most of all it’s a tale of second chances and a reminder that “love comes in many forms - even when it’s filled with fluff”. The beautiful black and white illustrations of Charles Santoso bring this lovely story to life. It’s a heartwarming story that will appeal to all ages." Cheryl

Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his "becoming": the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm.

Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some.

An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket Bearreminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.

First Love Language

 By: Stefany Valentine  

Location: FIC VAL

Genre: Romance

Nilufer: This is an inspirational read about embracing culture, heritage, language, and sexual orientation, alongside a heartwarming young adult romance that I highly recommend as one of the best upcoming YA fiction novels of 2025!

For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo Ever After comes a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways.

Taiwanese American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much as she loves her stepmom and stepsister, she yearns to understand more about her culture and find her biological mother.

So Catie is shocked when an opportunity comes knocking on her Her summer spa coworker, Toby, says he’ll teach her Mandarin. In exchange, she needs to teach him how to date so he can finally work up the courage to ask out his crush. The only problem is that Catie doesn’t actually have any dating experience. But she can fake it.

With her late father’s copy of The Five Love Languages and all his annotated notes, Catie becomes the perfect dating coach. Or so she thinks. As she gets dangerously close to Toby and to finding out what really happened to her biological mom, she realizes that learning the language of love might be tougher than she thought.

Stefany Valentine’s debut novel is both a fresh, fun romance as well as a profound, luminous story about grief, family, transracial adoption, and what it means to truly follow your heart.

This was such a beautiful read about reconnecting with your culture, language and embracing your heritage as well as learning to be true to yourself while navigating the messy, awkward, and fun times of being a teenager. It beautifully explores themes of identity, culture, family, sisterhood, love, and loss.- Sakura

Shadow Reaper

 By: Lynette Noni 

Location: FIC NON

Genre: Romantasy

NEVER BARGAIN WITH A REAPER.

The city of Aravell is in peril, plagued by a deadly blackmist that kills all it touches, and reapers who roam the streets, stealing magic from innocent children in their thirst for power. Seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace has trained for years to hunt these reapers but their ranks keep growing, led by the man who murdered her parents: the Reaper Priest.

When the Priest's most loyal follower, Reeve Ashton, is captured, he offers Viri a chance to avenge her parents . . . for a price. She knows better than to bargain with a reaper, let alone this reaper, but his offer is too good to resist.

Soon she's breaking him out of prison, colluding with his crew of magic thieves, and following him deep into the blackmist forest in search of an ancient legend, all so they can stop the Reaper Priest’s plot to doom the city. Viri is staking her life on Reeve's plan, but how can she trust a silver-tongued criminal to keep his word? And how can she trust her own heart when a buried secret could shatter everything?

 review by sally: OH. MY. GOODNESS. 6 stars. Infinite stars. Lynette Noni is a QUEEN. The sheer amount of twists at the end was INSANE, let alone the rest throughout the book. So many tender moments along side high stakes made my heart feel so many things. Please please please read this book! I hope we don’t have to wait too long for book 2. This is a masterpiece, my most anticipated read of the year did not disappoint.

The Housemaid is Watching

 By: Freida McFadden  

Location: FIC MCF

Genre: Thriller

"Oh boy! This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. Just when I thought I had this book figured out, Freida McFadden threw in some twist and had me rethinking my theory. I had so much fun with this book." Debra

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

Piper at the Gates of Dusk

 By: Patrick ness 

Location: FIC NES

Genre: Dystopia

Two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness makes a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with this launch of the extraordinary New World trilogy.

It’s been twenty years since the monstrous war that almost tore New World apart, and there’s a new generation on the planet. Todd and Viola’s sons Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm outside a bustling human settlement. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin . . .

A sudden sickness has infected the young people of New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. Some suspect the Spackle, the indigenous people with whom humans have a very uneasy truce. Others wonder about a connection to a mysterious object looming in the sky. And then, one by one, the children of New World begin to disappear.

Ben, with his mother’s logical mind, and Max, with his father’s courageous heart, become caught up in separate quests for answers, journeys that will test their beliefs in their parents, each other, and in their very existence on the planet.

Patrick Ness makes a masterful return to New World in this timely work of science fiction, one that looks at the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda, and at the stories we tell ourselves.

Ryans review

Is it too early to have a favourite book of the year that will most likely remain so?

This book absolutely floored me. I was shamefully late to reading Choas Walking, despite the fact that I had read every other of Ness’ books and been deeply in love with them. When I read the trilogy back in late 2020 I was furious that I had denied myself the beauty for so long. It quickly became one of my all time favourite trilogies. I fell in love with the world. The characters. All of it. And so to be back there… oh what a joy it was!

There’s always a slight worry when there’s a sequel to a believed book or series that has come many years after the original. This fear that the author won’t be able to recreate the same magic. That it won’t have the same pull. But thankfully any fears there couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Piper!

Several decades have passed since Monsters of Men ended, and Todd and Viola are parents now. This book focuses on their sons, Ben and Max. For years there has been relative peace. Some humans still hold a grudge against the Spackle, finding it hard to relinquish their prejudices. But still, a peace of sorts. But a new danger has revealed itself and it’s creepy, scary and confusing.

The book is told in dual narrative sections by both of the brothers and the story just absolutely flew by. I could barely breathe with how fast it went. I tried to make it last, really tried to savour it but my god it was hard.

Patrick’s writing, as ever, was stunning and all consuming. I was sucked into this book so hard and I wasn’t let go. The book ends with a huge cliff hanger that has me gasping for book 2. I am so glad that this is a trilogy and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Spies and Other Gods

 By: James Wolff    

Location: FIC WOL

Genre: Thriller

James Wolff grew up in Beirut and has lived in Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul. He worked as a British intelligence officer for over ten years.

The Head of British Intelligence is having a bad day. Only six months off retirement and Sir William Rentoul is wondering if he'll make it that far, what with the sudden descent of a brain fog dense enough to turn every day into a series of small humiliations.

To make matters worse, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - the body that oversees Sir William - has received an anonymous complaint from one of his officers. Sir William dimly recalls accepting that there should be a channel for whistleblowers, but he never expected that they would pick his most sensitive case, one involving an Iranian assassin and a trail of dead bodies, or that the person who turned up to poke their nose into his files should be a lowly parliamentary researcher named Aphra McQueen, who displays smarts, tenacity and rebelliousness in unsettling measures.

Aphra seems to know more about the operation than she is letting on. What will she uncover? What is she really up to? And can she survive the unexpected events that will bounce her from London to Birmingham to Paris to Lausanne?

Review by John lanley

Spies and Other Gods is an intelligent and very enjoyable spy novel, driven as much by character as by plot.

The standout is Aphra McQueen, a fascinating protagonist whose sharp mind and quiet determination make her a pleasure to follow. Much of the book’s appeal lies in watching how she thinks and manoeuvres, and I finished the novel genuinely wanting to read more about her.

There’s a dry, understated humour throughout, along with an appealing sense of quirkiness in how people and institutions are portrayed. It adds warmth and personality without ever distracting from the story.

The plot is well paced and thoughtfully put together, unfolding gradually and keeping the intrigue high without relying on spectacle. Overall, this is a smart, well-crafted novel that rewards attention and leaves a strong impression.

The Last Ember

 By: The Last Ember  

Location: Fic Dod

Genre: Fantasy

If you want a middle-grade fantasy that treats its young heroes like real people, clever, flawed, and full of heart, The Last Ember is it. It’s sly, warm, and never once talks down to its reader.

Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders.

But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention―including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done.

When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd―all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there’s one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches?