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Showing posts from June, 2020

Denali

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By: Ben Moon Location: NF 920 MOO Genre: Non Fiction, Memoir The story of a dog, his human, and the friendship that saved both of their lives. When Ben Moon moved from the Midwest to Oregon, he hadn't planned on getting a dog. But when he first met the soulful gaze of a rescue pup in a shelter, Ben instantly felt a connection, and his friendship with Denali was born. The two of them set out on the road together, on an adventure that would take them across the American west and through some of the best years of their lives. But when Ben was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 29, he faced a difficult battle with the disease, and Denali never once left his side until they were back out surfing and climbing crags. It was only a short time later that Denali was struck by the same disease, and Ben had the chance to return the favor.  Denali  is the story of this powerful friendship that shaped Ben and Denali's lives, showing the strength and love that we give and receive wh

Regretting

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By: Colleen Hoover Location: FIC HOO Genre: Romance- Family “Sometimes you have to walk away from the fight in order to win it. ” From #1 New York Times bestselling author of  It Ends with Us  comes a poignant novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters. Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is invo

Deep Water

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By: Sarah Epstein Location: FIC EPS Genre: Mystery, Thriller  Henry Weaver is missing. Three months ago, thirteen-year-old Henry disappeared from The Shallows during a violent storm, leaving behind his muddy mountain bike at the train station. Mason Weaver is trapped. While Mason doesn't know who he is or what he's capable of, he knows the one thing binding him to this suffocating small town is his younger brother, Henry. Chloe Baxter wants answers. Why would Henry run away without telling her? One of Chloe's friends knows something and she's determined to find out the truth. As Chloe wades into dangerous waters and Mason's past emerges, a chilling question ripples to the surface: how far would you go to keep a secret? "Now THAT'S how you write a mystery! I've been through it all. I've read New York Times Bestselling mysteries and award winning ones too. None of them captured my attention as much as Deep Water did. This was wonderfully

Imposters

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By: Scott Westerfield Location: FIC WES Genre: Sci Fi / Dystopia- Westerfield! Series: Imposters #1 Master storyteller Scott Westerfeld returns with a brilliant new series set in the world of his bestselling Uglies series.   Impostors introduces new characters, new tech and a new city within the legendary Uglies world. This first book in a new quartet is a thrilling return to the world of the New York Times bestselling Uglies series. Frey was raised to take a bullet. She's the body double for her twin sister Rafia - the precious heir of the first family of Shreve - and her existence is a closely guarded secret. So while Rafi was schooled in poise and diplomacy, Frey was drilled in weapons and combat. Her purpose: to protect her sister from their tyrannical father's many enemies. When Frey is sent in Rafi's place as collateral in a precarious business deal, she becomes the perfect impostor - as elegant and charming as her sister. But Col Palafox, the son of a rival

Heartstream

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By: Tom Pollock Location: FIC POL Genre:Thriller A taut psychological thriller about obsession, fame and betrayal, for fans of Black Mirror "This book was terrifyingly tense, I felt like I could have been reading a script for a black mirror episode."- Lucy I just wanted to see you. Before the end. A taut psychological thriller about obsession, fame and betrayal, for fans of Black Mirror. Cat is in love. Always the sensible one, she can't believe that she's actually dating, not to mention dating a star. But the fandom can't know. They would eat her alive. And first at the buffet would definitely be her best friend, Evie. Amy uses Heartstream, a social media app that allows others to feel your emotions. She broadcasted every moment of her mother's degenerative illness, and her grief following her death. It's the realest, rawest reality TV imaginable. But on the day of Amy's mother's funeral, Amy finds a strange woman in her kitchen. She'

How to Grow A Family Tree

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By: Eliza Henry Jones Location: FIC HEN Genre: Family "This book was absolutely brilliant. It is possibly one of my favourite YA novels ever!! I absolutely adored the characters, and I LOVED the story. The book has so many beautiful messages, and everyone would benefit from reading this book. The book shows that sometimes things that are covered in gold, are crumbling on the inside, and that sometimes you can find beautiful things in the darkest places."  Tirrna From the author  of P is for Pearl  comes a heart-warming book about family, friendship and what home can mean. Stella may only be seventeen, but having read every self-help book she can find means she knows a thing or two about helping people. She sure wasn't expecting to be the one in need of help, though. Thanks to her father's gambling addiction, Stella and her family now find themselves living at Fairyland Caravan Park. And hiding this truth from her friends is hard enough without dealing with anot

Once & Future

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By: Amy Rose Capetta, Cori McCarthy Location: FIC CAP Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Retellings A new King Arthur has risen and she's got a universe to save. Coming to terms with your identity is always difficult. But for Ari, as the reincarnation of King Arthur, it just got a lot more complicated. What on Earth (or anywhere in space) can she hope to achieve with a rusty spaceship and an adolescent wizard called Merlin? Gender-bending royalty, caustic wit and a galaxy-wide fight for peace and equality all collide in this brilliant reinvention of the Arthurian legend.   "Once & Future  is a queer and inclusive adaptation of the Arthurian legend that turns over ideas about oppression, about classism and capitalism, and, most of all, about how none can hold a candle to the most infinitesimal spark of hope, all while on a high-stakes rollercoaster quest to save humanity… and that’s no mean feat . While the story of King Arthur is used as a basic premise, the authors craftily unwe

The Rage of Dragons

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By: Evan Winter Location: FIC WIN Genre: Fantasy, Dragons It may be cliche to say a book was impossible to put down, but well, dang it, this book was impossible to put down! RICK RIORDAN GAME OF THRONES MEETS GLADIATOR...   The Omehi are surrounded by enemies that want them dead.  They will not be easy prey. #1 BEST SELLER  in its category  TOP 50  in Dark Fantasy  TOP 100  in Epic Fantasy  TOP 100  in Swords and Sorcery  One in twenty-five hundred Omehi women are Gifted, wielding fragments of their Goddess’ power and capable of controlling the world’s most destructive weapon - Dragons. One in a hundred of their men has blood strong enough for the Gifted to infuse with magic, turning these warriors into near unstoppable colossi. The rest are bred to fight, ferocious soldiers fated to die in the endless war. Tau Tafari, an Omehi commoner, wants more than this, but his life is destroyed when he’s betrayed by those he was born to serve. Now, with too few Gifted left and the

Love Frankie

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By: Jacqueline Wilson Location: FIC WIL Genre: LGBT, Romance GROWING UP. FALLING IN LOVE. COMING OUT. Frankie is nearly fourteen and teenage life certainly comes with its ups and downs. Her mum is seriously ill with MS and Frankie can feel herself growing up quickly, no thanks to Sally and her gang of bullies at school. When Sally turns out to be not-so-mean after all, they strike up a friendship and are suddenly spending all of their time together. But Frankie starts to wonder whether these feelings she has for Sally are stronger than her other friendships.  Might she really be in love? Frankie doesn't want Sally to just be her  friend.  She wants her to be her  girlfriend. But does Sally feel the same? The must-have new novel about falling in love for the first time from bestselling, much-loved children's author, Jacqueline Wilson. "Jacqueline Wilson writes such amazing books for children m I wish we’d had her when I was young. This deals with important issues like

House of Earth and Blood- Crescent City #1

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By: Sarah J Maas Location: FIC MAA Genre: Fantasy, Romance Series: Crescent City #1 A first adult Book! BOUND BY BLOOD. TEMPTED BY DESIRE. UNLEASHED BY DESTINY. Bryce Quinlan used to light up Crescent City, partying all night in the clubs where the strict classes of angel, shifter, human and Fae merge intona sea of beautiful bodies. And the a demon murdered her closest friends. Two years later, when the supposed killer is behind bars but the ceimes start up again, the city's leaders command Bryce to help  investigate. They assign an enslaved fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, to make sure she does. But as Bryce fights to uncover the truth - and resist her attraction to the brooding angel who shadows her every step - she finds herself following a trail that leads deep into her own dark past.   “That's the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.”  

Chain of Gold

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By: Cassandra Clare Location: FIC CLA Genre: Fantasy Series: The Last Hours #1 Oh my- COVER ART!!!!! and this quote from the book... “There is no better distraction in this world than losing oneself in books for awhile.” Chain of Gold  is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London. Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague. James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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By: Suzanne Collins Location: FIC COL Genre: Hunger Games!!!! “You’ve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and they’re not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesn’t give you that right. Having more weapons doesn’t give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does. THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games. On returning to the world of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins said, "With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days-as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet-provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with thes

The Feel Good Guide

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By: Matilda Green Location: NF 158.1 GRE Genre: Feeling good about yourself!   Easy Steps Towards a Happier, More Fulfilled You When Matilda Green, author of  The Lazy Girl's Guide to Living a Beautiful Life,  found herself facing some hard times, she knew she needed to do something to boost her happiness and her self-esteem. But what? So she set out on a journey of discovery, embracing gratitude, mindfulness, and meditation techniques, and learning how to be kind to others and to herself. In  The Feel Good Guide  Matilda pulls together everything she has learned and shares her own experiences, in the hope that it will help others too. This practical resource, full of helpful tips and real talk, comes complete with an action plan in every chapter to get your own journey kick-started. As Matilda says, this isn't so much about changing who you are as it is about loving who you are. It's about celebrating yourself, embracing and being proud of the person you have grown

The Long Distance Playlist

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By: Tara Eglington Location: FIC EGL Genre:  Romance, Family, Music  Told primarily in instant messenger conversations, Skype, emails and texts, this is Jaclyn Moriarty's Feeling Sorry for Celia for the modern teen. Taylor and Isolde used to be best friends - before THAT FIGHT, 18 months ago. It's been radio silence ever since - until Taylor contacts Isolde to sympathise with her breakup: the breakup that she never saw coming; the breakup that destroyed her confidence and ended her dreams of joining the National Ballet School. Taylor's had his own share of challenges, including a life-altering accident that has brought his hopes of competing at the Winter Olympics to a halt. Isolde responds to Taylor, to be polite. But what starts out as heartbreak-themed Spotify playlists and shared stories of exes quickly becomes something more. And as Taylor and Isolde start to lean on each other, the distance between them begins to feel not so distant after all ... A boy. A girl.

Katipo Joe

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By: Brian Falkner Location: FIC FAL Genre:  Holocaust, Aotearoa,    WWII SCHOOLBOY.           SPY.           ASSASSIN "I loved this book, while I was reading it all I couldn't help comparing it to Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, its that good." Jo Young Joe is living in pre-WWII Berlin, with his British father and NZ mother, attending school and witnessing the excitement of his friends who are enthusiastically joining the Hitler Youth Movement. Joe feels uncomfortable with the growing mistreatment of local Jews, and after the arrest of his father as a spy, he is forced to escape from Berlin with his mother. Joe is separated from his mother and evacuated to New Zealand, and, while war looms in Europe, he is frustrated by his distance from the action, and his inability to do anything about finding his father. After a harrowing route back to Europe, Joe attempts to infiltrate the Hitler Youth movement in Germany while at the same time searching for his mot

Robin Hood

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By: Robert Muchamore Location: FIC MUC Genre: Action and Muchamore Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows I saw a brilliant doco on Robin Hood in the lock down, it was figuring out what was fact and what was fiction. I was surprised by what i thought was truth but wasnt. It still is a really good yearn and these books keep fanning the fire of the myth, which is flipping brilliant! A town. A forest. A hero. You can't go far without a quick brain and some rule-bending in a place like Locksley. After its vast car plants shut down, the prosperous town has become a wasteland of empty homes, toxic land and families on the brink. And it doesn't help that the authorities are in the clutches of profit-obsessed Sheriff of Nottingham, in cahoots with underworld boss Guy Gisborne. When his dad is framed for a robbery, Robin and his brother Little John are hounded out of Locksley and must learn to survive in the Sherwood forest, stretching three hundred kilometres and sheltering the

The Boy in the Black Suit

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By: Jason Reynolds Location:FIC REY Genre: Young Adult, America- as you hear it on the news Sometimes I open a book in the office and for a few minutes of skim reading. I want to get to know our books. A few times, I get lost in that book, time stands stil, students might be lining up for something they need, But Im gone, inside the covers of that book. It doesn't happen all that often- but it just did with this one!!!! It is very very good! “Light always wins” ―  Jason Reynolds,  The Boy in the Black Suit “And sometimes,” he continued while flipping another one, “I can lose and lose and lose and I don’t know why. But there’s nothing I can do but just keep flipping the cards. Eventually, I’ll win again. As long as you got cards to keep turning, you’re fine. Now, that’s life,” he said, pushing another hand I won over to me.” ―  Jason Reynolds,  The Boy in the Black Suit Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died - although she did, and it sucks. But h

Penguin Problems

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By Jory John and Lane Smith Location: PIC JOH Genre; A stunning  Picture Book This is a delightful book about always seeing why life is tough and hard, seeing all the problems around us, until someone points out the good stuff to our wee Penguin. It is all about perspective! "Oh, you're going to read this book? Somehow I seriously doubt that. I bet you won't even finish reading this flap. Don't worry about it. Why would you want to learn about some penguin's problems when you have plenty of problems of your own? Just look around. The world's a mess! Besides, you probably don't even like penguins. Heck, I barely like penguins and I  am  a penguin. Seriously, I'll understand if you put the book back on the shelf. Go ahead. It's for the best. I'm sure you'd just get a bunch of paper cuts, anyway. And you'd probably bend the pages. And you'd get your little fingerprints everywhere. When was the last time you washed those grubb

The Deepest Blue

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By; Sarah Beth Durst Location: FIC DUR Genre: Fantasy, Magic- Standalone! Cover art!!!!! The natural magic of the classic  The Island of the Blue Dolphins  meets the danger and courage of  The Hunger Games  in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst’s beloved world of Renthia. Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force. To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her. They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aid the country o

We Had To Be Brave

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By: Deborha Hopkinson Location: NF 920 HOP Genre: Holocaust I love the TV programme  "Who do you think you are" where celebrities are taken on a journey to discover their journey from their ancestors. I watched one last year about a man who discovererd his fore-bearers were transported into Scotland from Hungry. It was a story of real redemption and hope in the pain. I am so pleased a book has been written about Kindertransport. Sibert Honor author Deborah Hopkinson illuminates the true stories of Jewish children who fled Nazi Germany, risking everything to escape to safety on the Kindertransport. Ruth David was growing up in a small village in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power in the 1930s. Under the Nazi Party, Jewish families like Ruth's experienced rising anti-Semitic restrictions and attacks. Just going to school became dangerous. By November 1938, anti-Semitism erupted into Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, and unleashed a wave of violence and f

We'll Fly Away

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By: Bryan Bliss Location: FIC BLI Genre: Realistic, contemporary, abuse National Book Award Longlist Title * Booklist Editors’ Choice * CYBILS Young Adult Fiction Finalist * Nerdy Book Club Award for Best Young Adult Fiction * Paste Magazine Best Book  * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults "Bryan Bliss has written  an empathetic and stirring novel about what it means to fight for the outcasts, the forgotten, and even the hated , reminding us that we all have worth. That we are all valuable."—Sister Helen Prejean, author of  Dead Man Walking “A compelling and raw story.” — Publishers Weekly Luke and Toby have always had each other’s backs.  But then one choice—or maybe it is a series of choices—sets them down an irrevocable path.   We’ll Fly Away   weaves together Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later—from death row. Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. S

The Deathless Girls

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By: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Location: FIC HAR Genre: Fantasy, Horror, LGBGT, Retellings Review taken from  Sara on Goodreads "The Deathless Girls is part of a series from Bellatrix focusing on the girls forgotten to literature. Those female characters that have been sidelined in epic stories to allow others to shine, and have been lost in the background. But more than that, this is a story about female love and relationships. It’s full of sisterly love, a sapphic romance, the brutality of life and to top it all off - vampires. Kizzy and Lil are 17 year old traveler twins who are captured and sold into slavery. Kizzy is the beautiful twin, who soon attracts the attention of the local Lord. Full of fire and light, she refuses to succumb to her fate. Lil sees herself as the more dowdy twin. Always in her sister’s shadow. But when Kizzy catches the eye of the wrong man, it’s left to Lil to fight for her. It’s Kizzy and Lil’s relationship that pulls the story along, and holds ev