The Other Catherine

 By: Lauren Kennan  

Location: FIC KEE

Genre:  Historical Fiction- NZ

A new novel from the best-selling author of The Space Between.

Two worlds, two women, one story . . .

In 1793, eighteen-year-old Catherine is sentenced to transportation on the Tempest, a convict ship bound for New South Wales. Trapped below deck with scores of women, she endures storms, brutality and loss, while dreaming of freedom on the shores of a country far from home.

A century later in Aotearoa, Māori matriarch Keita stands amid the ruins of her whānau and the encroaching world of settlers, whalers and empire. Disturbed by the long reach of colonial change, Keita begins to unravel her own story.

Spanning seas and generations, The Other Catherine is a luminous tale of survival, whakapapa and female friendship, for readers of Jenny Pattrick and Tina Makereti.

For a full review go here https://www.nzreviewofbooks.com/the-other-catherine-by-lauren-keenan/

"Readers hoping for a vast historical epic may be disappointed, for Keenan is too meticulous a storyteller to opt for familiar dramatic tropes. Instead, she gives us a carefully constructed study of memory, grief, the stories we tell ourselves, the myths we build. ‘Memories take mere seconds to recall, though they cover long stretches of time, major events and shifts in fortune, lives lost and journeys taken.’" NZ REview of Books

Review by David Hill

It's a novel with good variety of pace; Keenan knows how to focus on a significant moment, build a vivid scene around it, then swoop forward – or backward – to another dramatic event. She controls a couple of substantial casts adroitly, even if a few military males don't rise much above caricature. There are some effective flicks of comedy: you'll enjoy the stroppy Irishness in some of Catherine's fellow convicts, and the young Keita's perspective on praying.

'Aren't family stories an interesting thing?' the author asks in her Historical Notes. She's made them so here. Just occasionally, the dialogue can feel a shade formal or fact-heavy, but more plaudits to her for the meticulous, respectful, rich use of Te Reo throughout the book. It’d be really great if David Seymour and his party's MPs read The Other Catherine and learned from it. Once again, I'm not asking for much, am I?

Training John and Murray

 By: Martin Clunes 

Location: NF 920 CLU

Genre: Dogs- Jack Russell Terrors!

We had a Jack Russell- Foxy Cross.  I could write a book too- Training Rex!  I needed this book when he was a pup!

I mean if anyone can train them surely Doc Martin can!

Heartwarming and hilarious tale of canine catastrophe with a happy ending, from Doc Martin's Martin Clunes, will bring a smile to the face of dog lovers everywhere . . .

When Martin Clunes welcomed two adorable Jack Russell puppies into his Dorset home, he imagined idyllic walks and loyal companionship.

Instead, the two brothers unleashed a whirlwind of chaos.

Only then did Martin and his wife, Philippa, learn about littermate syndrome. Shredded furniture was going to be the least of their problems. These puppies were out of control and possibly even lethal...

Driven to their wits' end, the couple embarked on a desperate search for help. But restoring order wasn't going to be easy...

Heartwarming and hilarious, this canine catastrophe with a happy ending will bring a smile to the face of dog lovers everywhere.

The Mademoiselle Alliance

 By: Natasha Lester 

Location: FGIC LES

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 A review by Kate Quinn:

Just read this one for a cover quote and it will stay with me a long time--a passionate, fiery tribute to a historical woman so extraordinary she almost defies belief. Marie-Madeleine is a young Parisienne with style and verve to burn, equally happy cuddling her young children, driving racecars, or learning to fly planes--but she'll need more than verve when her beloved France is invaded by the Nazis. Recruited to help build a resistance network known as Alliance, she lives on the run and comes to command thousands who revere her, even as she grieves the necessity of sending her children away to safety, and mourns every time she loses one of her spies to the Gestapo. Natasha Lester writes with razor-sharp research and evident admiration for a woman whose name deserves to be blazed across the pages of history.

How did a young Parisienne mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in France? A powerful, heartbreaking historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author

Morocco, 1928. Eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, something her new husband can attest. Her unconventionalities - rally car driving, flying planes and dabbling in intelligence work for the government - earn her a reputation, but she knows who she is at an adventurer.

Paris, 1938. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, a chance encounter with a mysterious man codenamed Navarre turns Marie-Madeleine's life upside down. Recruited to help build a resistance network known only as Alliance, she conceals her identity - and gender - as she navigates a perilous double life away from her children and the man she loves. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away.

Bestselling Australian novelist Natasha Lester passionately brings to life the true story of one of history's unsung Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France. Her story is one of epic love, tragic loss and magnificent leadership.

The Turing Protocol

 By: Nick Croydon  

Location: FIC CRO

Genre: Historical Fiction

In the midst of World War II, Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing has created a machine named Nautilus that can send a message back into the recent past. After Turing uses it to help the Allied forces succeed on D-Day, he sees the power (and potential danger) of what he has created. He knows he can only entrust it to one Joan, the mother of his secret child.
Over the next seventy years, the Nautilus is passed down through the Turing family, who all must decide for themselves when to use this powerful invention. Will it save the world - or destroy it?

Bite Risk

 By: S J Wills      

Location: FIC WIL

Genre: Horror

This horror-adventure tale is perfect for bloodthirsty fans of Goosebumps, Stranger Things, Fear Street and Skulduggery Pleasant. 

Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month . . . When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it's up to the young people to protect themselves from danger.

But, as this quiet life begins to unravel, and the Turned start to escape, can Sel and his friends uncover exactly who – or what – is watching their every move, before it's too late?

‘I devoured Bite Risk with ruthless ferocity, or perhaps the book devoured me – I’m not too sure!’ – Sophie Kirtle

'A riotously absorbing horror-comedy for readers of 12 and up.' – Guardian

The Last Kids on Earth gets a lupine twist by way of Margaret Peterson Haddix in this eerie middle grade adventure set in a small town where all the adults are werewolves but the kids begin to suspect something else sinister is putting them at even greater risk.

When everyone’s a werewolf, it’s hard to spot the monster…

Thirteen-year-old Sel lives in the remote, isolated town of Tremorglade, where nothing interesting ever seems to happen. Well, unless you count the one night a month when the full moon rises and kids like him must lock up their parents while they transform into werewolves (though Tremorgladers prefer to call them Rippers). But that’s the whole world’s new normal since the Disruption changed everything well before Sel was born.

But when strange things begin happening in Tremorglade, like drones emitting sickening sounds and people behaving oddly, Sel and his friends begin asking questions about what’s really going on in their small town. And suspiciously soon after they do, Rippers begin escaping on confinement nights, people start disappearing, and the kids suspect they’re being followed.

Maybe there’s a reason no one ever seems to leave Tremorglade…and it’s up to Sel and his friends to figure out the truth someone doesn’t want them to know before another full moon puts them all at a bite risk.

Wombat Waiting

 By: Katherine Applegate  

Location; FIC APP

Genre: Animals

Amazing book! Such a sweet and heartwarming story.

From the Newbery Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The One and Only Ivan and Odder comes a stunning new middle grade standalone novel about compassion, resilience, and surprising friendships, following a dog named Wombat in the aftermath of a catastrophic fire.

Wombat isn’t actually a wombat—but when the homeless dog is discovered, singed and ash-covered after a terrible fire destroys a community, someone tags her with the nickname and it sticks.

Wombat is a “destiny dog.” Something inside of her (she nicknames it “Voice’) keeps telling her there’s a special someone out there who is meant to be her person.

Surrounded by a devastated town, Wombat takes up residence on bench near the makeshift community center, an old brick warehouse that, for the most part, survived the flames. A small part of the community center evacuation site has been repurposed for the local wildlife rehab sanctuary that burned down. All of the animals were spared, and the temporary quarters include an elderly fruit bat and a young Northern saw-whet owl.

No matter what, Wombat refuses to move from her perch, despite the efforts of many humans. Clearly the dog is waiting for someone. But for whom? And what are the odds they survived?

Fans of modern classics like Because of Winn-Dixie, Pax, and Katherine Applegate’s own Crenshaw and Odder, and timeless tales like Charlotte’s Web, will find a friend in Wombat and her story.

"Ok I am a MASSIVE sucker for dog stories. This. Was. PRECIOUS! Poetry and storytelling so wisely and wonderfully put together! This author truly gets in the soul of animals, and it was beautiful and sad but so sweet commentary on helpers of the world and the importance of patience and care. My heart!!!!!!" Greer

Three Reasons for Revenge

 By: Dervla McTiernan 

Location: FIC MCT

Genre: Thriller

Alexis Turner walks into the police station to report an assault. By the end of the day, she is nowhere to be found. Soon after she disappears, three identical packages arrive at three very different doors: a respected psychologist’s home, a socialite’s mansion, and a struggling single father’s run-down apartment. Inside, each gift is perfectly tailored to its recipient – and each will tear apart the life of its intended victim. Detective Sergeant Judith Lee is smart and experienced, but this is no ordinary case. Someone with intimate knowledge of their targets is orchestrating these attacks. Someone who knows exactly how to hurt each victim where they’re most vulnerable. And she’s convinced that somehow, it connects back to Alexis Turner. As she races to uncover the connection between three seemingly unrelated people, Judith discovers she’s no longer just investigating the game – she’s being forced to play.

I’m gonna need a minute. Brilliant! Heart-stopping! I had no idea what the hell was going on for a quite a long time lol.- Niki Lee