Good Joy , Bad Joy

 By: Mikki Brammer  

Location: FIC BRA

Genre: Realistic Fiction

“Who would have thought that, at eighty-nine years old, I'd be involved in an illicit drug deal?

Apparently, it's a precipitous downhill slope from pinching a library book to this.”

― Mikki Brammer, Good Joy, Bad Joy

From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.

Break the rules. Find your joy.

For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.

Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.

Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.

Lady Tremaine

 By: Rachel Hochhauser  

Location: FIC HOC

Genre: Fantasy

**Lady Tremaine has stolen the hearts of readers everywhere!**

Everyone said she was wicked.
Now Cinderella's stepmother tells her own story...

After the death of her second husband, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two daughters, Rosamund and Mathilde, her simpering stepdaughter Elin, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor buried in the woods.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change their fortunes, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of girls - only for her hopes to be fulfilled by the wrong Elin.

Yet as her stepdaughter's engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn...

Bridgerton meets Circe in this breathtaking reimagining of one of the world's most iconic fairytales, Cinderella.

A great review from Nilufer

Every so often, a book takes a story you think you know by heart and cracks it wide open, revealing something unexpected, raw, and breathtakingly human. Lady Tremaine does exactly that. Forget the wicked stepmother trope — this reimagining dares to ask us to see Etheldreda Tremaine not as a villain, but as a woman clawing for dignity, stability, and hope in a society that would rather watch her crumble.

Twice widowed, trapped in a decaying manor, and responsible for two daughters with no marriage prospects, Ethel fights like a cornered lioness. Add in a polished yet frustrating stepdaughter and a falcon perched ominously at her side, and you have a heroine unlike any I’ve encountered in a fairy tale retelling. She is flawed and prideful, sometimes sharp enough to wound, but every action, every sacrifice, is driven by the desperate need to secure her children’s futures. Watching her maneuver for invitations to the royal ball, only to see her plans unravel in dangerous and unexpected ways, had me glued to the page.

What elevates this story beyond a simple “twist on Cinderella” is its emotional core. This is not about glass slippers or magical transformations — it’s about motherhood in its rawest form. The sacrifices made in silence, the constant worry that keeps you awake at night, the small acts of love that never make it into fairy tales. Through Ethel’s narration, we feel the ache of compromise, the sting of failure, and the ferocity of a woman who refuses to stop fighting for her daughters, even when the world insists on labeling her cruel.

The writing is stunning — lyrical yet razor-sharp, rich with atmosphere and brimming with lines that linger in your mind. The world feels both familiar and startlingly fresh: a royal family with secrets festering behind its golden façade, a crumbling estate heavy with dust and desperation, and women who refuse to fade quietly into the margins of history. Even Elin, the Cinderella figure, is reframed not as an angelic victim but as a complicated young woman whose choices and flaws challenge both Ethel and the reader to reassess everything we thought we knew.

This retelling is a feast for fans of gothic drama, historical realism, and morally complex characters. It’s not about villains and heroes — it’s about survival, sacrifice, and the messy, complicated truths of love. By the end, I didn’t just sympathize with Lady Tremaine; I admired her resilience, her courage, and her unwavering devotion to her daughters.

Robots Stole my Mum

 By: Alex Kirk

Location: FIC KIR

Genre: Easy Reads 

I was in the corner shop buying a comic. Dad was waiting outside. I’d just given my money to Mr Norman, the shop owner, when it happened. Mr Norman’s head exploded.

Something VERY WEIRD is going on in the sleepy town of Cleeby. All the grown-ups are acting strangely. Sandy and his friend Arjan have a suspicion. They think the grown-ups have all been replaced by ROBOTS. And everything points to the evil boss of the local toaster factory, Tony’s Toasters!

Together with a very friendly cyborg named Colin, Sandy and Arjan must save the day - and Sandy’s mum - and get home in time for tea!

A brilliant, funny and fast-paced story, featuring a robot whale, jet boots, lasers, mountains of puffin poo, huge amounts of toast, and illustrations by Tim Wesson, this is the perfect next read for fans of Pamela Butchart’s BABY ALIENS series and Emily-Jane Clark’s BEASTS OF KNOBBLY BOTTOM.

A laugh-out-loud, wacky and exciting story about two brilliant kids taking on an army of evil robots - and trying to get home in time for tea! A laugh-out-loud, wacky and exciting story about two brilliant kids taking on an army of evil robots - and trying to get home in time for tea! 

Dead Money

 By: Jakob Kerr   

Location: FIC KER

Genre: Thriller

“A stone-cold banger of a novel—a twisty journey through Silicon Valley’s dark side, wrapped in a stunning mystery package with some wild surprises along the way.”—Blake Crouch

Jakob Kerr came out swinging and hit the first pitch out of the park. This book kicked ass. It was Blake Crouchy in its techno thrillerness. Its characters had depth and were likable and interesting. It was relentless in its pace. It was flawless in its storytelling structure. It was simply riveting from front to back cover. Court

Don’t call me a fixer. This isn’t HBO.

In her job as unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley’s most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde’s gotten used to playing for high stakes. Even if none of those tech-bro millions she’s so good at wrangling ever make it into her pockets.

But this time, she’s in way over her head—or so it seems.

The lightning-rod CEO of tech’s hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will. As the company’s chief investor, Mackenzie’s boss has a fortune on the line—and with the police treading water, it’s up to Mackenzie to step up and resolve things, fast.

Mackenzie’s a lawyer, not a detective. Cracking this fiendishly clever killing, with its list of suspects that reads like a who’s-who of Valley power players, should be way out of her league.

Except that Mackenzie’s used to being underestimated. In fact, she’s counting on it.

Because the way she sees it, this isn’t an investigation. It’s an opportunity. And she’ll do anything it takes to seize it.

Anything at all.

Featuring jaw-dropping twists and a wily, outsider heroine you can’t help rooting for, Dead Money is a brilliant sleight-of-hand mystery. Written by a longtime insider, it is also a dead-on snapshot of the Valley’s rich and famous—and a glimpse at the darkness lurking behind the tech world’s cheery facade.

“Janine leaned forward, her voice quiet and resolute. “Our world isn’t built on fairness. It’s not built on right and wrong, hard work, smarts. It’s built on one thing and one thing only: ruthlessness. Our system rewards those who sacrifice. Those who are ruthless enough to give things up in pursuit of their goal. Give up their friends, give up their time, give up their ideas about the way they thought their life was supposed to go.”
― Jakob Kerr, Dead Money

Day Of Now

 By: Miranda Reason  

Location: FIC REA

Genre: Dystopia

A brilliant post-apocalyptic thriller that breaks the rules

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.

"Overall, Day of Now is a thoughtful, character-focused read that will resonate most with readers who enjoy introspective storytelling and emotionally grounded narratives. A strong, meaningful book that leaves a gentle but lasting impression." Lily

The Pioneer

 By: Bridget Tyler  

Location: FIC TYL

Genre: Sci-Fi

 When Jo steps onto planet Tau Ceti e for the first time, she’s ready to put the past behind her and begin again. After all, as a pioneer, she has the job of helping build a new home away from Earth. But underneath the idyllic surface of their new home, there’s something very wrong. And when Jo accidentally uncovers a devastating secret that could destroy everything they’ve worked for, suddenly the future doesn’t seem so bright. With the fate of the pioneers in her hands, Jo must decide how far she’s willing to go to expose the truth—before the truth destroys them all.

Space-Opera kind of books have always been my favorite, which unfortunately means that I have read so many of them that I often don't find them satisfying anymore. This was not the case with The Pioneer. I kept on turning the pages and wanting to know more about this curious new world of Tau Ceti e. The way Bridget describes it is so magical that you just can't help but just wanting to go there to experience all of the sensations that the new world is giving.

I also loved the fact how romance wasn't in the focus, but kind of developing in the background the whole time, subtly. Bridget allowed herself enough time to invest into worldbuilding that she managed to create a magnificent world that just pulls the reader in.- Aneata

Everything Is Coming Up Rosie

 By: Courtney Walsh  

Location: FIC WAL

Genre: Romance

Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things . . .

Rosie Waterman has one to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance--even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?