Leviathan

 By: Scott Wsterfeld   

Location: FIC WES

Genre: Fantasy- Steampunk

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Recommended For.
People who are looking for a fast-paced, high-action book with great characters and fantastic potential for the rest of the books. People who live in places where they can’t get mobile reception but have an abundance of lizards who seem to listen to your conversations! People who think that the smell of fish and cow farts always lead to adventure. People who would look great in a bowler hat. People who actually use the words “boffin” and “ninny” in everyday conversations (I actually do, you know, when I’m not swearing like a lorry driver.) People who always take medicine when they go on their glacial hikes. Boys who couldn’t recognise a girl if she cut her hair short and wore pants. People who are suspicious of eggs. People who can’t wait to see what happens when what they think will happen happens.

Day of Now

 By: Miranda Reason  

Location: FIC REA

Genre: Dystopia

A brilliant post-apocalyptic thriller that breaks the rules

"Day of Now is a reflective, emotionally driven read that leans heavily into atmosphere, character introspection, and the quiet weight of pivotal moments. Miranda Reason crafts a story that feels very grounded in the present — where choices, timing, and internal conflict matter just as much as the external plot." Lilith

A devastating fungal pandemic has wiped out most of society. Dayna and Pax live in an isolated house in the countryside, learning to survive in the world left behind. But when their father gets sick they make a choice that changes everything- they summon help from the outside. And they're not prepared for the betrayal that follows . . .

Dayna and Pax must race against time across a ruthless landscape to save their father. They won't be able to do it on their own, but who can they trust in a world where survival is everything?

A powerful post-apocalyptic story about growing up fast and facing impossible choices.

How to Get Away with Murder

 By: Rebecca Philipson    

Location: FI PHI

Genre: Thriller

Dark, clever, and deliciously meta, How to Get Away with Murder was wicked fun, and I'll be first in line for Philipson's next case.

Bottom line: an ingenious premise executed with confidence and heart. If this is the author’s debut, consider me on high alert for whatever comes next—I’m hooked. Nilufer

What a hook! A “book-within-a-book” serial-killer mystery where the murderer leaves a copy of “How to Get Away with Murder” at each scene—complete with step-by-step instructions that mirror the crime—had me leaning so far forward I nearly fell off the couch. It’s a wickedly clever conceit: the killer taunts investigators with a printed playbook, and the only way to stop them is to read between the lines faster than they can turn the page

This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer.

Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the cases only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady.

Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there’s more to the author than what he’s revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder.

The Swans Daughter

 By: Roshani Chokshi  

Location: FIC CHO

Genre: Fantasy

Nilufer says this:

If you’re craving a fairytale that feels both whimsical and dangerous—where every kiss could be salvation or betrayal—The Swan’s Daughter will sweep you away.

Every once in a while, a book comes along that makes you forget the world outside its pages. The Swan’s Daughter did that for me. From the very first chapter, I felt like I’d stepped into a fairytale spun from moonlight and shadows—full of glittering ballrooms carved into emerald caves, glass boats drifting across dreamlike waters, and a love story that feels both impossibly fragile and earth-shatteringly powerful.

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse ...

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A gorgeously crafted, heart-tugging romantasy that blends beauty with danger, whimsy with truth, and leaves you believing—against all odds—that love might just be worth the risk.

The Hits and Misses of Melody Moss

 By: Helen Dallimore  

Location: FIC DAL

Genre: Humour

Meet your new bestie Melody Moss in a hilarious new series about friendship, school and what it takes to survive being twelve!

‘Mum said when I turned twelve, things would start to change.
I didn’t think she meant EVERYTHING.’

Melody Moss is starting high school and EVERYTHING is going WRONG!

· Her BFF has forgotten the Forever bit and has found New Friends (aka The Clones).
· Her mum is taking food experimentation to a disgusting level.
· Her big sister pretends she doesn’t even exist.
· Her dog farts ALL THE TIME.
· And, her new crush has pushed her firmly into the Friend Zone.

She’s holding it together, but only just.

When a competition is announced to see who can write and direct the school musical, Melody JUMPS at the chance.

Will dancing octopuses (octopi?), a possibly life-threatening babysitting gig and a new friendship with a fellow musical-theatre tragic be just what Melody needs to get out of this mess?

The Crimson Moth

 By: Kristen Cicaretelli  

Location: FIC CIV

Genre;  Romantasy

A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst

 By: Jaclyn Moriaty 

Location: FIC MOR

Genre: Fantasy

I would describe this book as a mash-up between Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the biggest party in their Kingdom's history to welcome him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Kingdoms and Empires, Esther Mettlestone-Staranise is looking forward to another year at Katherine Valley Boarding School. But she arrives to find a number of strange and unsettling changes. For one, her new teacher is rumoured to be an Ogre. Two mysterious students have joined the school, and one of Esther's classmates is an undercover Spellbinder. Most disturbingly, the mountains surrounding the school - usually a delight of glaciers, teashops, lakes and Faeries - are now crowded with wicked Shadow Mages.

As secrets and dangers escalate, Esther must find the answers to several puzzles. Why is her teacher behaving so oddly? Which of Esther's classmates is the Spellbinder, and can they really protect the school from gathering hordes of Shadow Mages? Could the Stolen Prince of Cloudburst be connected?

How can Esther - who is not talented like her sisters, nor an adventurer like her cousin, but just Esther - save her family, her school and possibly her entire world?

What Megan Said:

Very predictably, Jaclyn Moriarty has made me laugh, cry and feel every emotion possible in this book. The Kingdoms and Empires series has all been beautiful, but this one was my favourite of all. Esther is such a great character and I loved every twist and turn this book took me on.