NEW SANDERSON BOOKS!!!

 

Surviving White Island

By: Kelsey Waghorn    

Location: NF 920 WAG

Genre: Tough read from a courageous human!

Surviving the unsurvivable. Healing from the unhealable. This is an inspiring memoir of physical and mental recovery, from someone who lived through the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption.

"I heard someone say, 'Wow!'

And someone else exclaimed, 'Look at that!'

I had my back to the crater. I turned around.

The moment I saw it, I knew what was happening. The island was erupting.

An enormous black-and-grey plume was rising above the island, already higher than the peak. It was beautiful actually, set against the bright blue sky. Beautiful and awful. Our radios were already blaring something along the lines of 'ERUPTION! TAKE COVER!' and I was yelling, 'Everyone, with me! Run!' "

Kelsey Waghorn, a guide on the ill-fated tour of Whakaari White Island in December 2019 tells her story for the first time, from physical rehab for her life-threatening burns to her mental struggle with PTSD.

By a brave and powerful woman with a wicked sense of humour, this is an uplifting story of acceptance, strength, perseverance and hope.

Brad Thorn: Champions Do Extra

 By: Brad Thorn                          

Location: NF 920 THO

Genre: Best sportsman ever and a Crusader to boot!

A transformational new book about mindset, from rugby and league icon Brad Thorn.

Brad Thorn's career rewrote the rules of what an athlete can achieve.

From his country upbringing on the frosty fields of Otago in New Zealand to the baked turf of Queensland in Australia, Brad Thorn reveals the powerful lessons he learned in his relentless pursuit of excellence, inspiring readers to unlock their own potential.

In a remarkable 30-year career, spanning 477 games of professional footy across two codes, the dual international played for some of the highest performing teams on the planet: the All Blacks, Kangaroos, Queensland Maroons, Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury Crusaders. He was still playing professionally at the age of 41.

Brad Thorn's trophy cabinet includes a Rugby World Cup, four Rugby League NRL premiership titles, two State of Origins series, one Super Rugby title, five Bledisloe Cups, three Tri Nations titles, two NPC titles, the Ranfurly Shield, and a European Rugby Champions Cup.

Thorn credits his achievements and longevity to the lessons in this book, and, above all, the credo his father taught him 'champions do extra'.

Champions Do Extra is an inspirational story about what family, faith and footy can teach us about how to succeed.

'I don't use the word "principle" about many people, but he is one of the most principled people I've ever met.' - Wayne Bennett

'A compass for anyone aspiring to achieve in sport or life.' - Robbie Deans

Formula One: The Worlds Most Brutal Sport

 By: Stewart Bell  

Location: NF 796.22 BELL

Genre: McLaren Forever

Get behind the scenes of the world's most gruelling and thrilling sport with an expert who has covered Formula One for more than 20 years – plus a Foreword from F1 legend Guenther Steiner.

Formula One is the world’s most brutal sport.

For the drivers, it’s the millions of dollars spent for a shot at making it to the top, with the real possibility of being washed-up before they even finish school. It’s the violent physical forces inherent in racing the fastest cars, with cockpit temperatures soaring to 60 degrees Celsius. And it’s the gruelling mental vice-like squeeze in constant international travel, celebrity and expectation for superhuman results from yourself, your team, and almost a billion people who watch the sport across the planet.

For the teams, it’s a 24/7 commitment and a multi-billion-dollar spend to design, manufacture, and race two cars around the globe every two weeks; with exceptional results demanded from all areas of these well-oiled, precision operations – be they technical, mechanical, commercial, and logistics. Don’t deliver? You’re out, and the voracious beast rolls on.

Stewart Bell, who has covered the sport for more than 20 years, takes you behind the scenes – and gives you the full picture of what it’s like to be inside the sport, well beyond what you might have seen on Netflix’s blockbuster show: Formula 1: Drive To Survive.

Forestfall

 By: Lyndall Clipstone 

Location: FIC CLI

Genre: Romantasy

Series:  World at the Lake's Edge #2

Some oaths can never be broken...

The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption. To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead.

But this world of souls and mist hides many secrets. And when Leta realises she is still connected to Rowan by a tethering spell, she will risk everything - even her soul - to try and reach him.

Torn between power and love, life and death, Leta struggles to keep hold of her humanity as she falls further and further under the spell of the world Below . . . and the Lord Under.

Review by Gloria

‘Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them’

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone is a romantic, gothic tale and takes off where Lakesedge finished. I found the story addictive, haunting and atmospheric and deeply enjoyed the lush writing and the memorable characters. Violeta’s (Leta’s) and Rowan’s fate is exposed in this sequel.

There’s an aura of blood, evil and horror as this book delves more into the dark underworld than in the World Above. Leta faces more monsters in the World Below and I was spellbound with her complex relationship with the charming Lord Under. The story revolves around her attempt to return to the World Above and back to Rowan.

Rowan is desperate to bring Leah back home and in this book he comes in as a second narrator.

Themes of a unique love triangle troupe amongst a forest of souls, Gods, mists, moths and dresses made of spider silk. A beautiful sequel to an enchanting duology.

The Book of Heartbreak

 By: Ova Ceren  

Location: FIC CER

Genre: Romantasy

Heartbreak is always devastating, but for Sare it's life-threatening.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken four times, and a fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

Then her mother dies unexpectedly, and Sare begins to question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

Her questions lead her to Istanbul where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother's past. But Sare's heart is a fragile thing and their blossoming relationship poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm. And now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare's destiny and they don't like their plans being overturned.

Will Sare unravel the secrets of the past before the curse claims her forever?

A gorgeous romantasy of angels and curses, which will break your heart and mend it again, love and heartbreak, perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Stephanie Garber.

💙YA Historical Romantic Fantasy
💜Forbidden Love
✨Middle Eastern Folklore
💙Coming of Age
💜Curses
✨Slow Burn
💙Emotional
💜Witty Banter

Review by Conine Fox

This romantic fantasy fictional book really captured my attention right away! This is also in the multicultural interest genre. It made me feel a lot of emotions! I was sad, happy, hopeful and heartbroken while reading this. It is dark, mysterious, reflective, sad and tense. It also came with some humor and romance. It is well written, flows well and is a medium paced read. It comes with a diverse cast of characters, both likable and unlikable. The book cover is absolutely stunning! I found this book to be a hidden gem. With this being the author’s debut novel, I was pleasantly surprised and greatly impressed!

“The Book of Heartbreak” is a story that revolves around a young woman named Sara, who gets her heart broken four times, since she was born. The fourth heartbreak was her mother, who unexpectedly passes away. Sara is left confused as to why she has this curse and is scared to get close to anyone because of it. She does not want her heart broken five times, that would just be too much for her to deal with. As the story unravels, this story digs into why she is cursed and she discovers if she can break it. Along the way, a romance starts to blossom. Overall, I rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include death and grief. I think people that love to read fantasy novels about curses would enjoy reading this book!

The Wood at Midwinter

 By: Susanna Clarke

Location: FIC CLA

Genre: Fantasy

From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an enchanting and haunting Christmas short story

“Sometimes new stories are just old stories badly remembered.”

A church is a sort of wood.
A wood is a sort of church.
They’re the same thing really.”

It may take a couple of hours to warm up after delving into this enthralling, chilling tale. Merowdis is an unusual young woman, caught at the gates of indecision. A life devoted to the church? To George, who proposed? To the woods, where her soul resides? It's a fascinating tale that ties Christian elements with ancient natural folklore. I recommend this to my friends who are mood readers to read on one of the cold, dark, short days of winter.