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'''Read [[:Category:New Reviews|new reviews by category]]. '''<br>
 
'''Read [[:Category:New Reviews|new reviews by category]]. '''<br>
 
'''Read [[:Category:Features|the latest features]].'''<!-- Remove -->
 
'''Read [[:Category:Features|the latest features]].'''<!-- Remove -->
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}{{newreview <!-- remove 5/8 -->
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|title=Eye Spy II
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|author=Tessa Buckley
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|rating=4
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|genre=Confident Readers
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|summary=Fresh from the success of solving its first case, Eye Spy Investigations is certainly up for another. So twins Alex and Donna jump at the chance to investigate the strange things happening at the Priory, home to school friend Jimmy Devlin. Alex doesn't believe in ghosts and he is very keen to persuade Donna that they don't exist.
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1788032667</amazonuk>
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{{newreview <!-- remove 4/8 -->
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|author= Geoffrey Arnold
 +
|title= Hunted
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|rating= 4
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|genre= Science Fiction
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|summary=Tullia learns about survival in the bush when she is taken hostage and later saves a youth's life during a hunt. Adopted into a Bushman family and the tribe, her presence stirs disparate feelings amongst the young men and women, a mixture of awe, desire, fear and hate. Living a very different life, Qwelby, Tullia's twin, is deeply shocked by the violence on Earth. As he is rescued by his four best friends from the Pit of Despair, he experiences his first feelings for Tamina, a girl he has known for years. Feelings which become much stronger for another girl he tries to help during a violent attack from his own world as he and Tullia seek to restore their telepathic link. Forming a connection with the twins during the attack, the girl, Xaala, is charged by her master with monitoring their attempts to mentally reconnect – and to prevent them. Xaala is torn between her mixed feelings for the twins and obeying her orders. Meanwhile, on the planet Vertazia and in secret, Quelby's family and friends build what they hope will be the first ever inter-dimensional transport. On a short test run, the village where he is staying is discovered. When Quelby finds out he is being watched, he flees from the village...
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785891855</amazonuk>
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}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Peter Cottrill
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|author= Ed McDonald
|title= Terrible true Tales from the Tower of London
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|title= Blackwing: The Raven's Mark Book One
|rating= 5
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|rating= 4.5
|genre= Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre= Fantasy
|summary=The history of the infamous Tower of London is full of gore and death. Its rich history dates back to the eleventh century and since then it has played host to many famous figures, many of them ill-fated prisoners. The history of the Tower is told within this book's pages, only this time it's told by the ravens that live there. They are the Tower's guardians who reside there permanently due to an ancient legend that all of London will fall should they be removed, and after centuries of watching over the Tower they have their own version of history to tell.
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|summary= Perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence, this dark adventure is gripping and bloody; it is a twisted story that spins a web of deceit. Nothing is as it seems, as ageless powers manipulate and control the lives of the characters. The world is a staging ground, all leading to one dramatic confrontation that has been a century in the making.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406376884</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>147322201X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Cara Black
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|author=Jeff Brown and Rob Biddulph
|title= Murder in Saint-Germain
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|title=Flat Stanley
|rating= 4
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|rating=4.5
|genre= Crime
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|genre=Emerging Readers
|summary=Who is Aimee Leduc? I have to be honest and say that though this novel may be seventeenth in series from the best-selling Cara Black, it is in fact my first outing with the deft Parisienne detective. And so, if I'm honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. How does a character with so many investigations under her belt retain the gusto we've come to expect from all good literary detectives? Moreover, how does an author with so well established a character as Aimee Leduc keep her interesting enough for those of us coming late to the party?  After reading ''Murder in Saint-Germain'' I would suggest that Black manages it quite easily.
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|summary=''Stanley was four feet tall, about a foot wide, and half an inch thick.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1616957700</amazonuk>
+
 +
Yes, there's proof that this is the original text of this classic children's book – at least it's not been updated to metric. So while the illustrations are new, we get the real deal, with the young Stanley squished one night, to such an extent he can limbo under shut doors, get airmailed to America to visit relatives, become a kite for his younger brother to play with, and more. But then you don't need to update perfection.
 +
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405288108</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Pierre Lemaitre and Frank Wynne (translator)
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|author=Kate Ellis
|title=Three Days and a Life
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|title=The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crime
 
|genre=Crime
|summary=Christmas week, 1999, and Antoine hasn't got the best of situationsSome of his friends have parted company with him because of the new-fangled Playstation, which his mother refuses to let him waste his time onHe's built a treehouse all by himself, and decided it was solely to woo the girl next door that he loves, but she's rejected itAnd his best company, the dog from the other house next door, was injured in a hit and run, and shot to be put out of its misery. In the process of angrily demolishing the treehouse, he's visited by his very friendly and adorable neighbour, the dog's six-year-old owner, and Antoine's swung some of the wood at him – and killed him with one fell and very foul sweep. As the title suggests, there will be a very tense few days and nights while the guilt amasses with the lad – and/or a lifetime of living on a knife-edge, where any false move could lead to him being found out…
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|summary=In 1884 a wealthy young woman became infatuated with the man who ran a travelling puppet showWe'll follow the story of John Lipton's courtship through excerpts from his journal.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>085705662X</amazonuk>
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 +
In August 2016 Zac Wilkinson was writing the biography of the reclusive novelist Wynn StanilandIt's not easy work as Staniland isn't inclined to give more away than he has to and is unwilling to discuss the one thing which the public will want to know about: his wife's suicide which seemed to follow a scene from his most famous bookWilkinson is doing his best to drum up interest in the forthcoming book: he does talks at local libraries which are well attended and he was seemingly on his way to one of these talks when he disappeared.
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0349413118</amazonuk>
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}}
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{{newreview
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|author= Naoki Higashida and David Mitchell
 +
|title=Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight: A Young Man's Voice From the Silence of Autism
 +
|rating= 5
 +
|genre= Reference
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|summary=Naoki Higashida was only 13 years old when he wrote the international best-seller ''The Reason I Jump.'' The book was popular because it gave a rare glimpse into the workings of the autistic mind, as told from the unique perspective of a teenager with non-verbal autism. Naoki communicates by using an alphabet grid, or by tracing letters on the palm of a transcriber. Despite this slow and laborious method of writing, he has published several books in his native Japan, and manages to give public presentations to raise awareness of his condition. ''Fall Down 7 Times Get up 8'' reintroduces us to Naoki as a young adult in his 20s and explains how his perspectives on life have changed since writing his first book.
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444799088</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Hendrik Groen and Hester Velmans (translator)
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|author= Caz Frear
|title= The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ years Old
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|title= Sweet Little Lies
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|rating= 4.5
|genre= General Fiction
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|genre= Thrillers
|summary= As the old adage goes, to walk a mile in someone else's shoes is to gain some understanding of what it is to be that person. Admittedly, Hendrik Groen isn't much up for long walks any more, but he does acquire a swish mobility scooter to zoom around in; one could say that we get to zoom a mile in Groen's shoes, and oh, what fun shoes he wears!
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|summary= In 1998 a girl called Maryanne disappears in Ireland. In 2017 a woman called Alice is found dead in London. In both cases, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella is coincidentally close by, but she's more worried by the fact her father is too. And he cannot be trusted.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405924004</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785763350</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy
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|author= Mayim Bialik
|title= The Exile
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|title= Girling Up
|rating= 4
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|rating= 4.5
|genre= Politics and Society
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|genre= Children's Non-Fiction
|summary= An account of the fate of Al Qaeda and the Bin Laden family since the events of 9/11, ''The Exile'' plunges into the murky waters of international terrorism, espionage and politics. Detailed and meticulous, the book tackles the subject from all angles, providing a panoramic view of the subject and acting to enlighten and inform the reader.
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|summary= Aimed at teenagers, this book focuses on growing up as a girl, or ''Girling up'' if you will, and what it means to transition from school girl to grown up, via that hideous detour of teenage years.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408858762</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0399548602</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Jo Cotterill
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|author=Philippa Pearce and Cate James
|title=A Storm of Strawberries
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|title=The Ghost in Annie's Room (Little Gems)
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
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|genre=Dyslexia Friendly
|summary=Darby lives on a strawberry farm with her mum, big sister, step dad and step brotherShe loves music, dancing, chocolate egg hunts and her big sister Kaydee. She is warm and funny, and she has Down's syndrome. The story looks at the events of one weekend in Darby's life when the farm is threatened by a tornado, and her family is threatened by the revelation of a closely-guarded secret.
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|summary=Emma is on a family holiday in an older relative's seaside cottage, where she is to sleep in the room in the attic.  Her brother has passed on what he says he has overheard – that it is haunted.  But even with the mementos of the person that once lived there all around her, and with a strange feeling of being watched, even with the stormy winds knocking tree limbs on to the window – Emma can sleep through it allBut that's not to say things will forever be that way…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848126166</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781126852</amazonuk>
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}}
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{{newreview
 +
|author=Svetlana Alexievich, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators)
 +
|title=The Unwomanly Face of War
 +
|rating=5
 +
|genre=History
 +
|summary=''War'', says Svetlana Alexievich, ''is first of all murder, and then hard work. And then simply ordinary life: singing, falling in love, putting your hair in curlers…''. This extraordinary book is a collection of first-hand accounts by Russian fighting women in the Second World War. A million women joined Russian military forces as soldiers of all ranks, medics, pilots, drivers, snipers, cryptographers. Most were very young, little more than girls of 18 or 19. They were passionate about defending their homeland and often extremely keen to join up, returning again and again to recruitment offices until someone could be persuaded to take them. Their ambition was to help their brothers, fathers, husbands to fight the terrible invader. They were trained and sent to the front, where they were greeted at first with disappointment and disgust by fighting men, who had hoped for reinforcements of able-bodied men. The women had to prove themselves.
 +
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141983523</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Sarah Franklin
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|author= Alison Jay
|title= Shelter
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|title= Alison Jay's ABC
|rating= 5
+
|rating= 4.5
|genre= Historical Fiction
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|genre= For Sharing
|summary=Connie Granger has escaped her bombed-out city home, finding refuge in the Women's Timber Corps. For her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.<br>
+
|summary= At first glance, this is a beautiful but fairly standard alphabet book: one letter per page with a nice big picture of an apple or a panda front and centre - after all, the ABC format is pretty restrictive, isn't it? And truth be told, that's all most small people will see first time round. But look a little closer . . .  
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. In the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.Their meeting signals new beginnings. But as they are drawn together, the world outside their forest haven is being torn apart. Old certainties are crumbling, and both must now make a life-defining choice.<br>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1787410196</amazonuk>
What price will they pay for freedom? What will they fight to protect?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785762990</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Jennifer McVeigh
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|author=Anna Kovecses
|title=Leopard at the Door
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|title=Opposite Things
|rating=5
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|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
+
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=18 year old Rachel Fullsmith returns home to Kenya after being away at school in England and finds a lot can change in 6 yearsOf course she realises her mother's death would alter things but she's not prepared for her father's live-in 'companion' Sara nor Sara's son Harold sleeping in Rachel's old roomMichael the Kikuyu servant boy she grew up with is still there though and now a man with his own ideasMeanwhile the unrest between the British rulers and the local Mau Mau fighters is increasing and about to blow.
+
|summary=Rearing a child is not a competition, but have a conversation with a certain type of parent and they won't agreeTheir child can speak four languagesTheir child wrote their first sonnet at the age of threeTheir child can be seen wistfully looking into the middle distance just wanting to play on the bouncy castle.  For me, I am happy, if my child is happy; be that doing sums, or eating play-doh.  However, even with a relaxed attitude to educating your kid, it can be fun to learn a little, especially when a book is as fun as Little Mouse's ''Opposite Things''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241247616</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1786030381</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Anthony Ryan
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|author= Michael Morpurgo and Shoo Rayner
|title=The Legion of Flame: Book Two of the Draconis Memoria
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|title= Mudpuddle Farm: Hee-Haw Hooray
|rating=5
+
|rating= 4
|genre=Fantasy
+
|genre= Emerging Readers
|summary=WARNING: There are spoilers for [[The Waking Fire: Book One of Draconis Memoria by Anthony Ryan|Book 1]] from the beginning.
+
|summary=Two collected stories from Mudpuddle Farm series – ''Nowt to Worry About'' and ''Tickety-Boo''. How will the animals react when the sky goes strange and horrifying noises abound? Changes are afoot that could mark the end of Mudpuddle farm; or is it just a new beginning?
Lizanne Lethridge, Blood-Blessed and secret agent of the Exceptional Initiatives Division has survived another mission, only to be forced to go out again.  This time it entails a man-hunt in a place from which no one has emerged alive.  Talking about alive, Claydon Torcreek, having escaped several types of death in the jungles now goes to the southern ice with Hilemore in their current attempt to defeat the dragons and put the world on a safe footing.  What if all that waits for them is more dragons and more inventive ways to die?  That's a thought that's soon banished from his mind'This is where we save the world' says Clay… but he's been wrong before!
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008241988</amazonuk>
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0356506401</amazonuk>
+
}}
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{{newreview <!-- remove 1/8 -->
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|author=Stephan Santiago
 +
|title=Returning Home
 +
|rating=3.5
 +
|genre=Spirituality and Religion
 +
|summary=[[:Category:Stephan Santiago|Stephan Santiago]] has experienced life in a way that's led him to believe we're all on a soul journey back home – that place we inhabited before we were born.  This book is a guide as to how we can optimise this journey for ourselves, those around us and our children.
 +
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1504305272</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview <!-- remove 26/7 -->
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{{newreview
|author=Ritchie Valentine Smith
+
|author=Julia Blackburn
|title=Words of Fury: Volume 2 (Words of Power)
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|title=Threads: The Delicate Life of John Craske
|rating=4
+
|rating=4.5
|genre=Fantasy
+
|genre=Biography
|summary=Warning: Spoilers ahead…
+
|summary=John Craske was a fisherman, from a family of fishermen, who became too ill to go to sea.  He was born in Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast in 1881 and would eventually die in the Norwich hospital in 1943 after a life which could have been defined by ill healthThere were various explanations for what ailed him, what caused him to sink into a stupour, sometimes for years at a time and he was on occasions described as 'an imbecile'.  But John had a natural artistic talent, albeit that his work had to be done on the available surfaces in his home.  Chair seats, window sills, the backs of doors all carried his wonderful pictures of the seaThen he moved on to embroidery, producing wonderful pictures of the Norfolk coast - and, most famously, of the evacuation at Dunkirk.
Emmanuel (Man) Kinross, Yoshi, Joah, the Voice and Dirk Faslane are all fleeing the Lord of the North in a giant floating bubbleThis is a delicate conveyance when you consider that the stakes are high and, if caught by the evil Lord of the North, the world as they know it will endThey just need to get to the Waning of the Moon, a psychic fortress that spells safety but there's still a long way to go and the odds are very much against them.  The Lord of the North has more power than they've seen yet and more devastating ways to use it.
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099582198</amazonuk>
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1544214839</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Elena Varvello and Alex Valente (translator)
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|author= M J Tjia
|title= Can You Hear Me?
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|title= She Be Damned
|rating= 5
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|rating= 4
|genre= Crime
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|genre= Crime (Historical)
|summary= In 1978, in a small town in Northern Italy Elia Furenti is sixteen and troubled. His mundanely stable, loving and ordered life is rocked by the murder of a young boy and the disappearance of a young woman, who vanishes into the woods. As Elia struggles to make sense of his shifting relationship with his increasingly erratic and unpredictable father, he begins to question what role this volatile man may play in these acts of senseless violence. Into this steps Anna, the mother of Elia's friend, a woman bowed under the strain of life and haunted by her choices. As the heat of summer intensifies, so does Elia's certainty that something is desperately wrong in his home. Drawn, seemingly inevitably, to the mysteriously sensual and sad Anna, Elia feels the ground start to shift under his feet, to feel the wind whipping his face from the cliff edge of adolescence and the unavoidable pull of adulthood.
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|summary= London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim. The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate. With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider whom she can trust, before the killer strikes again.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1473654874</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178507931X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Gavin Herbertson 
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|author= Sarah Powell
|title= William and Dorothy Wordsworth: A Miscellany
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|title= Search and Find: Pride & Prejudice: A Jane Austen Search and Find Book
|rating= 5
+
|rating= 4
|genre= Anthologies
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|genre= Emerging Readers
|summary= William Wordsworth was a defining member of the romantic literary era. He was part of the first wave, and his poetry helped to shape a large part of it. Nature is the key: existing in nature, finding one's own true nature and becoming natural in the process were the driving forces behind it.  
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|summary= Search and find books are usually aimed at children. They are a good bit of fun, but they are also a good study tool for adult readers alike. Jane Austen is a fantastic novelist, but her style of writing can be daunting for those not used to such heavy prose. It is very easy to become lost in the myriad of dialogue, characters and events. I find a good plot summary helps when approaching her works, this was especially so in the case of the perplexing and long-winded Emma.  
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1903385598</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783708271</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Chae Strathie and Anna Chernyshova
+
|author=Patrice Lawrence
|title=Captain Firebeard's School for Pirates: The Sneaky Sweet Stealer
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|title=Indigo Donut
|rating=4
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|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
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|genre=Teens
|summary=The ''Rusty Barnacle'' is set to sail again, with a second term for the wannabe pirates and their teachers and crew. Tommy, despite being late, is the keenest pupil there – after all, he has great friends, enemies he can easily vanquish, and a very good novice parrot for company. But everyone on board has reason for concern when they set sail – the prize sweets from the tuck shop are going missing in great quantities. Who could possibly be behind this mystery?
+
|summary=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140716340X</amazonuk>
+
''In Bailey's opinion, Indigo didn't look like she needed a hero. One by one, she looked Mona, Saskia, Betti and Kay in the eye. Then she gave them the finger: slow motion. Headphones on again, she sauntered off towards the science wing. Hell. That was... She was...''
 +
 
 +
That's Indigo for you! Indigo is seventeen. And on her umpteenth school. Pitt Academy is a last chance for Indigo and her foster mother Keeley is anxious that she makes it there. But it's not easy for Indigo - her reputation for kicking off always precedes her. And that's the least of it - because someone always finds out about her past: that ''she'' is the tiny little girl who was found by the body after her father killed her mother.
 +
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444927183</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Sarah Hutton
+
|author=Bethan Woollvin
|title=Cool Physics
+
|title=Rapunzel
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Popular Science
+
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you aren't entirely sure about a phrase such as ''Christiaan Huygens states his principle of wavefront sources'', don't worry – it was only in 1678 that it happened, so you're not too far behind in physicsBrownian motion, and the gravitational constant being measured both date from before the Victorian era, and all of these three things are on the introductory timeline in this book, which I think might well be proof enough that a primer in the world of physics is very much needed.
+
|summary=Ah Rapunzel, how well we all know about her long golden hair and her difficult-to-escape tower!  Here, however, the story is told with a twist, because there is no handsome Prince who comes riding by to save Rapunzel from her incarcerationNo, instead we see Rapunzel is smart enough to figure her own way out, defeating the witch, and going on to a successful witch-hunting career.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1843653249</amazonuk>
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509842675</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Cathy Hopkins
+
|author=Catherine Barr and Hanako Clulow
|title=The Valentine's Day Kitten
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|title=10 Reasons to Love an Elephant
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Dyslexia Friendly
+
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Marcie is distraught. On Valentine's Day last year she'd didn't receive a single card and her parents could see that she was upset, so when she came home from school there was a box on the kitchen table and in it was the most gorgeous fluffy silver kittenMisty and Marcie were soon inseparable until the day that Misty went out without a collar on - and didn't come homeMarcie blamed herself: Misty's collar had broken and she'd never got round to buying a new one.  Mum has put notices up everywhere she can think of and rung the local vets and animal rescue centres, but there's no sign of MistyThen Marcie starts having dreams, about a boy, a hotel, a painting - and Misty. Will there be a happy ending?
+
|summary=Ten reasons to love an elephant, eh? Well, personally, I've never needed ten reasons as they've always been my favourite large animal, the gentle giants of Africa and India, but it was good to find out more about themPerhaps the most surprising fact which I discovered was that they live in herds headed by their ''grandmothers''.  Female elephants and their calves stay together and the oldest female elephant is the one in charge as she knows where to find food and water - and she knows her herdShe remembers about people too.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178112678X</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184780943X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Shane Hegarty
+
|author= Andrew Lacey
|title= Darkmouth: Hero Rising
+
|title= The English Civil War in 100 Facts
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|rating= 4.5
|genre= Confident Readers
+
|genre= History
|summary= Things seem as bad as they can get for Finn, trainee Hunter of all those nasty things that keep trying to get through to our world from the Infested Side. His dad has been sacked, leaving him practically alone to face the baddies, both monstrous and human, he has no weapons or back-up apart from his friend Emmie, and the family has even been kicked out of the house they've lived in for generations. Of course, in the way of the best stories, you only have to hint that things couldn't get worse for them to do exactly that. And any beastie that's got all the monsters from the other dimension scared is not going to be a doddle to fight. Far, far from it.  
+
|summary= The '100 Facts' series is now sufficiently well-established as a guarantee of useful introductory histories. This latest addition, recounting the struggle between King and Parliament, is no exception.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007545622</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1445649950</amazonuk>
 +
}}
 +
{{newreview
 +
|author=Peter Cottrill
 +
|title= Terrible True Tales from the Tower of London
 +
|rating= 5
 +
|genre= Children's Non-Fiction
 +
|summary=The history of the infamous Tower of London is full of gore and death. Its rich history dates back to the eleventh century and since then it has played host to many famous figures, many of them ill-fated prisoners. The history of the Tower is told within this book's pages, only this time it's told by the ravens that live there. They are the Tower's guardians who reside there permanently due to an ancient legend that all of London will fall should they be removed, and after centuries of watching over the Tower they have their own version of history to tell.
 +
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406376884</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Lucy Daniels
+
|author= Cara Black
|title= Summer at Hope Meadows
+
|title= Murder in Saint-Germain
 
|rating= 4
 
|rating= 4
|genre= General Fiction
+
|genre= Crime
|summary=''Animal Ark'' was a popular series of children's books written between 1994 and 2008. The stories focus on a young girl called Mandy Hope, the daughter of two vets who run a practice, Animal Ark, in the Yorkshire town of Welford. Along with her best friend James, the children seek to help out creatures in need. The series consisted of 94 books in total and was written by a collection of authors writing under the pseudonym Lucy Daniels. ''Summer at Hope Meadows'' is the first in a new series for adult readers, continuing grown-up Mandy's story now that she is a fully qualified vet.
+
|summary=Who is Aimee Leduc? I have to be honest and say that though this novel may be seventeenth in series from the best-selling Cara Black, it is in fact my first outing with the deft Parisienne detective. And so, if I'm honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. How does a character with so many investigations under her belt retain the gusto we've come to expect from all good literary detectives? Moreover, how does an author with so well established a character as Aimee Leduc keep her interesting enough for those of us coming late to the party?  After reading ''Murder in Saint-Germain'' I would suggest that Black manages it quite easily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1473653878</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1616957700</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Frederic Dard and Louise Rogers Lalaurie (translator)
+
|author=Pierre Lemaitre and Frank Wynne (translator)
|title=The King of Fools
+
|title=Three Days and a Life
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crime
 
|genre=Crime
|summary=Having sort of split up with his partner, Jean-Marie is on holiday alone on the southern French coast, when he chances to meet a married English woman, MarjorieThey meet in the most unusual ways – with two identical cars parked next to each other, she gets in the wrong one by mistake, then leaves her beach bag behindLo and behold they find each other at the casino, and the following day, when she arrives at his hotel to reclaim her bag, they meet heart to heart.  Jean-Marie sees her to be a very unhappily married woman, and not even the arrival of his partner and make-up sex can convince him he is not in love with MarjorieBut finding her again will take him to Edinburgh – and into no end of trouble…
+
|summary=Christmas week, 1999, and Antoine hasn't got the best of situations.  Some of his friends have parted company with him because of the new-fangled Playstation, which his mother refuses to let him waste his time on.  He's built a treehouse all by himself, and decided it was solely to woo the girl next door that he loves, but she's rejected itAnd his best company, the dog from the other house next door, was injured in a hit and run, and shot to be put out of its miseryIn the process of angrily demolishing the treehouse, he's visited by his very friendly and adorable neighbour, the dog's six-year-old owner, and Antoine's swung some of the wood at him – and killed him with one fell and very foul sweepAs the title suggests, there will be a very tense few days and nights while the guilt amasses with the lad – and/or a lifetime of living on a knife-edge, where any false move could lead to him being found out…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178227197X</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>085705662X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Tania Hershman
+
|author= Hendrik Groen and Hester Velmans (translator)
|title=Some of Us Glow More Than Others
+
|title= The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ years Old
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Short Stories
 
|summary=I won't be alone in stating that reading short story collections can be slightly awkward.  Going through from A-Z, witnessing a bounty of ideas and characters in short order can be too much, but do you have the right to pick and choose according to what appeals, and what time you have to fill?  The sequence has carefully been considered, surely.  Such would appear to be the case here.  The last time I read one of this author's collections, with [[The White Road by Tania Hershman|The White Road]], the only real difficulty was holding back and rationing them, but here you not only get a whopping forty pieces of writing, they are also spread into sections.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910061484</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= John Bude
 
|title= Death Makes A Prophet
 
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|rating= 4.5
|genre= Crime
+
|genre= General Fiction
|summary= Two pages into this ''Crime Classic'' I had to check the first publication date. Reading the first two pages, it could easily have been written in 1967, or '87, or even (possibly as a pastiche) in 2017.  Given that Bude's witty caper originally came out in 1947, it's slightly criminal that it's taken this long to resurface.
+
|summary= As the old adage goes, to walk a mile in someone else's shoes is to gain some understanding of what it is to be that person. Admittedly, Hendrik Groen isn't much up for long walks any more, but he does acquire a swish mobility scooter to zoom around in; one could say that we get to zoom a mile in Groen's shoes, and oh, what fun shoes he wears!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0712356916</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405924004</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Michael Morpurgo and Shoo Rayner
+
|author= Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy
|title= Mudpuddle Farm: Alien Invasion
+
|title= The Exile
 
|rating= 4
 
|rating= 4
|genre= Emerging Readers
+
|genre= Politics and Society
|summary=This collected edition contains two stories from Mudpuddle Farm: ''Alien Invasion'' and ''Mum's the Word''. When the bees swarm the animals panic over a new creature that appears in the farm. In the second story that greedy goat has vanished and when he returns something darned odd happens…
+
|summary= An account of the fate of Al Qaeda and the Bin Laden family since the events of 9/11, ''The Exile'' plunges into the murky waters of international terrorism, espionage and politics. Detailed and meticulous, the book tackles the subject from all angles, providing a panoramic view of the subject and acting to enlighten and inform the reader.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007275137</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408858762</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author=Tamsin Cooke
+
|author=Jo Cotterill
|title=Stunt Double
+
|title=A Storm of Strawberries
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary= Finn wants to be actor but, when his first ever lines in a film are cut, he's happy to settle for stunt-double. He has all the skills for this demanding role: he's a natural dare devil with a karate black-belt (almost). The only downside is the person Finn has to double for: Finn and teen-star Blake have history and a relationship of mutual hatred. Pretty soon, however, this is the least of Finn's worries. The eccentric film director, Novak, pushes him to the limits with increasingly dangerous stunts, manipulating Finn into doing the stunts without safety gear. But that seems tame when they transfer to film on location in a remote part of Papua New Guinea and Finn discovers what Novak really has planned for him.
+
|summary=Darby lives on a strawberry farm with her mum, big sister, step dad and step brother.  She loves music, dancing, chocolate egg hunts and her big sister Kaydee. She is warm and funny, and she has Down's syndrome. The story looks at the events of one weekend in Darby's life when the farm is threatened by a tornado, and her family is threatened by the revelation of a closely-guarded secret.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019274982X</amazonuk>
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848126166</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
{{newreview
|author= Simon Puttock and Daniel Egneus
+
|author= Sarah Franklin
|title= The Thing
+
|title= Shelter
 
|rating= 5
 
|rating= 5
|genre= For Sharing
+
|genre= Historical Fiction
|summary= One day ''the Thing'' falls from the sky and four strangers stumble across it. At first they are confused. What is ''the Thing''? What does it do? What is it for? Then the four of them decide to work together to look after and care for '''the Thing''. Soon word spreads about ''the Thing'' and others come from far and wide to find out more. Gradually a media circus builds up around ''the Thing''. Throughout all of this ''the Thing'' remains silent. Then just as suddenly and silently as it arrived ''the Thing'' departs.
+
|summary=Connie Granger has escaped her bombed-out city home, finding refuge in the Women's Timber Corps. For her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.<br>
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405283718</amazonuk>
+
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. In the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.Their meeting signals new beginnings. But as they are drawn together, the world outside their forest haven is being torn apart. Old certainties are crumbling, and both must now make a life-defining choice.<br>
}}
+
What price will they pay for freedom? What will they fight to protect?
{{newreview
+
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785762990</amazonuk>
|author=Thomas Flintham
 
|title=Around the World Colouring Book
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Colouring books are a useful way for children to relax, develop manual dexterity and explore colour, but in the dash to appeal to the child so many miss the opportunity to be gently educational ''and'' to still appeal to the young. The two are not mutually exclusive!  Look for instance at this colouring book: it's got page upon page of pictures to colour (with just a little narrative to set the scene) with the added attraction of four pages of stickers. You'll see grey shapes - and that's the signal to get stickering!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1788000005</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Various Authors
 
|title= A Change Is Gonna Come
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= Teens
 
|summary= ''A Change Is Gonna Come'' is an anthology of stories and poems interpreting the theme of change by twelve BAME writers. It's Stripes Publishing's response to the under-representation of BAME authors in the UK. And it's a great response.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847158390</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Andrew Shvarts
 
|title= Royal Bastards
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= Teens
 
|summary= A group of teens witness something that they shouldn't and find themselves hunted by half the kingdom. Royal plots, magic, adventure and a rich culture to immerse yourself in. Can the pack of bastards make it to safety before the vicious warriors chasing them catch them?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1484767659</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Matt Stanton
 
|title= Funny Kid for President
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= Confident Readers
 
|summary=Max Walburt has a real problem with his teacher and nothing seems to make it better. Running for class president seems like a good way out of his problems but inevitably it doesn't run smoothly.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008220166</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Emily Clarkson
 
|title= Can I Speak to Someone in Charge?
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= Politics and Society
 
|summary=''Can I Speak to Someone in Charge?'', blogger Emily Clarkson's debut book, is a fierce, witty and laugh-out-loud funny ode to feminism. In a series of open letters, she addresses the issues faced by every modern woman, discussing everything from dealing with body hair to being made to feel uncomfortable in the gym, as well as more personal issues, like her experiences of being 'catfished' and sent abuse online. This is a vital read for any girl born in the 1990s, tackling some very serious social injustices beneath its fun exterior.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471156907</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}

Revision as of 19:30, 27 July 2017

The Bookbag

Hello from The Bookbag, a site featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - fiction, biography, crime, cookery and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. It's the bag we take to the library and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of author interviews, and all sorts of top tens - all of which you can find on our features page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the recommendations page. We can even direct you to help for custom book reviews! Visit www.everychildareader.org to get free writing tips and www.genecaresearchreports.com will help you get your paper written for free.

There are currently 16,084 reviews at TheBookbag.

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Eye Spy II by Tessa Buckley

4star.jpg Confident Readers

Fresh from the success of solving its first case, Eye Spy Investigations is certainly up for another. So twins Alex and Donna jump at the chance to investigate the strange things happening at the Priory, home to school friend Jimmy Devlin. Alex doesn't believe in ghosts and he is very keen to persuade Donna that they don't exist. Full review...

Hunted by Geoffrey Arnold

4star.jpg Science Fiction

Tullia learns about survival in the bush when she is taken hostage and later saves a youth's life during a hunt. Adopted into a Bushman family and the tribe, her presence stirs disparate feelings amongst the young men and women, a mixture of awe, desire, fear and hate. Living a very different life, Qwelby, Tullia's twin, is deeply shocked by the violence on Earth. As he is rescued by his four best friends from the Pit of Despair, he experiences his first feelings for Tamina, a girl he has known for years. Feelings which become much stronger for another girl he tries to help during a violent attack from his own world as he and Tullia seek to restore their telepathic link. Forming a connection with the twins during the attack, the girl, Xaala, is charged by her master with monitoring their attempts to mentally reconnect – and to prevent them. Xaala is torn between her mixed feelings for the twins and obeying her orders. Meanwhile, on the planet Vertazia and in secret, Quelby's family and friends build what they hope will be the first ever inter-dimensional transport. On a short test run, the village where he is staying is discovered. When Quelby finds out he is being watched, he flees from the village... Full review...

Blackwing: The Raven's Mark Book One by Ed McDonald

4.5star.jpg Fantasy

Perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence, this dark adventure is gripping and bloody; it is a twisted story that spins a web of deceit. Nothing is as it seems, as ageless powers manipulate and control the lives of the characters. The world is a staging ground, all leading to one dramatic confrontation that has been a century in the making. Full review...

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and Rob Biddulph

4.5star.jpg Emerging Readers

Stanley was four feet tall, about a foot wide, and half an inch thick.

Yes, there's proof that this is the original text of this classic children's book – at least it's not been updated to metric. So while the illustrations are new, we get the real deal, with the young Stanley squished one night, to such an extent he can limbo under shut doors, get airmailed to America to visit relatives, become a kite for his younger brother to play with, and more. But then you don't need to update perfection. Full review...

The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson) by Kate Ellis

4star.jpg Crime

In 1884 a wealthy young woman became infatuated with the man who ran a travelling puppet show. We'll follow the story of John Lipton's courtship through excerpts from his journal.

In August 2016 Zac Wilkinson was writing the biography of the reclusive novelist Wynn Staniland. It's not easy work as Staniland isn't inclined to give more away than he has to and is unwilling to discuss the one thing which the public will want to know about: his wife's suicide which seemed to follow a scene from his most famous book. Wilkinson is doing his best to drum up interest in the forthcoming book: he does talks at local libraries which are well attended and he was seemingly on his way to one of these talks when he disappeared. Full review...

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight: A Young Man's Voice From the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida and David Mitchell

5star.jpg Reference

Naoki Higashida was only 13 years old when he wrote the international best-seller The Reason I Jump. The book was popular because it gave a rare glimpse into the workings of the autistic mind, as told from the unique perspective of a teenager with non-verbal autism. Naoki communicates by using an alphabet grid, or by tracing letters on the palm of a transcriber. Despite this slow and laborious method of writing, he has published several books in his native Japan, and manages to give public presentations to raise awareness of his condition. Fall Down 7 Times Get up 8 reintroduces us to Naoki as a young adult in his 20s and explains how his perspectives on life have changed since writing his first book. Full review...

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

4.5star.jpg Thrillers

In 1998 a girl called Maryanne disappears in Ireland. In 2017 a woman called Alice is found dead in London. In both cases, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella is coincidentally close by, but she's more worried by the fact her father is too. And he cannot be trusted. Full review...

Girling Up by Mayim Bialik

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Aimed at teenagers, this book focuses on growing up as a girl, or Girling up if you will, and what it means to transition from school girl to grown up, via that hideous detour of teenage years. Full review...

The Ghost in Annie's Room (Little Gems) by Philippa Pearce and Cate James

4.5star.jpg Dyslexia Friendly

Emma is on a family holiday in an older relative's seaside cottage, where she is to sleep in the room in the attic. Her brother has passed on what he says he has overheard – that it is haunted. But even with the mementos of the person that once lived there all around her, and with a strange feeling of being watched, even with the stormy winds knocking tree limbs on to the window – Emma can sleep through it all. But that's not to say things will forever be that way… Full review...

The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators)

5star.jpg History

War, says Svetlana Alexievich, is first of all murder, and then hard work. And then simply ordinary life: singing, falling in love, putting your hair in curlers…. This extraordinary book is a collection of first-hand accounts by Russian fighting women in the Second World War. A million women joined Russian military forces as soldiers of all ranks, medics, pilots, drivers, snipers, cryptographers. Most were very young, little more than girls of 18 or 19. They were passionate about defending their homeland and often extremely keen to join up, returning again and again to recruitment offices until someone could be persuaded to take them. Their ambition was to help their brothers, fathers, husbands to fight the terrible invader. They were trained and sent to the front, where they were greeted at first with disappointment and disgust by fighting men, who had hoped for reinforcements of able-bodied men. The women had to prove themselves. Full review...

Alison Jay's ABC by Alison Jay

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

At first glance, this is a beautiful but fairly standard alphabet book: one letter per page with a nice big picture of an apple or a panda front and centre - after all, the ABC format is pretty restrictive, isn't it? And truth be told, that's all most small people will see first time round. But look a little closer . . . Full review...

Opposite Things by Anna Kovecses

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Rearing a child is not a competition, but have a conversation with a certain type of parent and they won't agree. Their child can speak four languages. Their child wrote their first sonnet at the age of three. Their child can be seen wistfully looking into the middle distance just wanting to play on the bouncy castle. For me, I am happy, if my child is happy; be that doing sums, or eating play-doh. However, even with a relaxed attitude to educating your kid, it can be fun to learn a little, especially when a book is as fun as Little Mouse's Opposite Things. Full review...

Mudpuddle Farm: Hee-Haw Hooray by Michael Morpurgo and Shoo Rayner

4star.jpg Emerging Readers

Two collected stories from Mudpuddle Farm series – Nowt to Worry About and Tickety-Boo. How will the animals react when the sky goes strange and horrifying noises abound? Changes are afoot that could mark the end of Mudpuddle farm; or is it just a new beginning? Full review...

Returning Home by Stephan Santiago

3.5star.jpg Spirituality and Religion

Stephan Santiago has experienced life in a way that's led him to believe we're all on a soul journey back home – that place we inhabited before we were born. This book is a guide as to how we can optimise this journey for ourselves, those around us and our children. Full review...

Threads: The Delicate Life of John Craske by Julia Blackburn

4.5star.jpg Biography

John Craske was a fisherman, from a family of fishermen, who became too ill to go to sea. He was born in Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast in 1881 and would eventually die in the Norwich hospital in 1943 after a life which could have been defined by ill health. There were various explanations for what ailed him, what caused him to sink into a stupour, sometimes for years at a time and he was on occasions described as 'an imbecile'. But John had a natural artistic talent, albeit that his work had to be done on the available surfaces in his home. Chair seats, window sills, the backs of doors all carried his wonderful pictures of the sea. Then he moved on to embroidery, producing wonderful pictures of the Norfolk coast - and, most famously, of the evacuation at Dunkirk. Full review...

She Be Damned by M J Tjia

4star.jpg Crime (Historical)

London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim. The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate. With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider whom she can trust, before the killer strikes again. Full review...

Search and Find: Pride & Prejudice: A Jane Austen Search and Find Book by Sarah Powell

4star.jpg Emerging Readers

Search and find books are usually aimed at children. They are a good bit of fun, but they are also a good study tool for adult readers alike. Jane Austen is a fantastic novelist, but her style of writing can be daunting for those not used to such heavy prose. It is very easy to become lost in the myriad of dialogue, characters and events. I find a good plot summary helps when approaching her works, this was especially so in the case of the perplexing and long-winded Emma. Full review...

Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence

5star.jpg Teens

In Bailey's opinion, Indigo didn't look like she needed a hero. One by one, she looked Mona, Saskia, Betti and Kay in the eye. Then she gave them the finger: slow motion. Headphones on again, she sauntered off towards the science wing. Hell. That was... She was...

That's Indigo for you! Indigo is seventeen. And on her umpteenth school. Pitt Academy is a last chance for Indigo and her foster mother Keeley is anxious that she makes it there. But it's not easy for Indigo - her reputation for kicking off always precedes her. And that's the least of it - because someone always finds out about her past: that she is the tiny little girl who was found by the body after her father killed her mother. Full review...

Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin

4star.jpg For Sharing

Ah Rapunzel, how well we all know about her long golden hair and her difficult-to-escape tower! Here, however, the story is told with a twist, because there is no handsome Prince who comes riding by to save Rapunzel from her incarceration. No, instead we see Rapunzel is smart enough to figure her own way out, defeating the witch, and going on to a successful witch-hunting career. Full review...

10 Reasons to Love an Elephant by Catherine Barr and Hanako Clulow

4star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Ten reasons to love an elephant, eh? Well, personally, I've never needed ten reasons as they've always been my favourite large animal, the gentle giants of Africa and India, but it was good to find out more about them. Perhaps the most surprising fact which I discovered was that they live in herds headed by their grandmothers. Female elephants and their calves stay together and the oldest female elephant is the one in charge as she knows where to find food and water - and she knows her herd. She remembers about people too. Full review...

The English Civil War in 100 Facts by Andrew Lacey

4.5star.jpg History

The '100 Facts' series is now sufficiently well-established as a guarantee of useful introductory histories. This latest addition, recounting the struggle between King and Parliament, is no exception. Full review...

Terrible True Tales from the Tower of London by Peter Cottrill

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

The history of the infamous Tower of London is full of gore and death. Its rich history dates back to the eleventh century and since then it has played host to many famous figures, many of them ill-fated prisoners. The history of the Tower is told within this book's pages, only this time it's told by the ravens that live there. They are the Tower's guardians who reside there permanently due to an ancient legend that all of London will fall should they be removed, and after centuries of watching over the Tower they have their own version of history to tell. Full review...

Murder in Saint-Germain by Cara Black

4star.jpg Crime

Who is Aimee Leduc? I have to be honest and say that though this novel may be seventeenth in series from the best-selling Cara Black, it is in fact my first outing with the deft Parisienne detective. And so, if I'm honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. How does a character with so many investigations under her belt retain the gusto we've come to expect from all good literary detectives? Moreover, how does an author with so well established a character as Aimee Leduc keep her interesting enough for those of us coming late to the party? After reading Murder in Saint-Germain I would suggest that Black manages it quite easily. Full review...

Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre and Frank Wynne (translator)

4star.jpg Crime

Christmas week, 1999, and Antoine hasn't got the best of situations. Some of his friends have parted company with him because of the new-fangled Playstation, which his mother refuses to let him waste his time on. He's built a treehouse all by himself, and decided it was solely to woo the girl next door that he loves, but she's rejected it. And his best company, the dog from the other house next door, was injured in a hit and run, and shot to be put out of its misery. In the process of angrily demolishing the treehouse, he's visited by his very friendly and adorable neighbour, the dog's six-year-old owner, and Antoine's swung some of the wood at him – and killed him with one fell and very foul sweep. As the title suggests, there will be a very tense few days and nights while the guilt amasses with the lad – and/or a lifetime of living on a knife-edge, where any false move could lead to him being found out… Full review...

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ years Old by Hendrik Groen and Hester Velmans (translator)

4.5star.jpg General Fiction

As the old adage goes, to walk a mile in someone else's shoes is to gain some understanding of what it is to be that person. Admittedly, Hendrik Groen isn't much up for long walks any more, but he does acquire a swish mobility scooter to zoom around in; one could say that we get to zoom a mile in Groen's shoes, and oh, what fun shoes he wears! Full review...

The Exile by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy

4star.jpg Politics and Society

An account of the fate of Al Qaeda and the Bin Laden family since the events of 9/11, The Exile plunges into the murky waters of international terrorism, espionage and politics. Detailed and meticulous, the book tackles the subject from all angles, providing a panoramic view of the subject and acting to enlighten and inform the reader. Full review...

A Storm of Strawberries by Jo Cotterill

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

Darby lives on a strawberry farm with her mum, big sister, step dad and step brother. She loves music, dancing, chocolate egg hunts and her big sister Kaydee. She is warm and funny, and she has Down's syndrome. The story looks at the events of one weekend in Darby's life when the farm is threatened by a tornado, and her family is threatened by the revelation of a closely-guarded secret. Full review...

Shelter by Sarah Franklin

5star.jpg Historical Fiction

Connie Granger has escaped her bombed-out city home, finding refuge in the Women's Timber Corps. For her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. In the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.Their meeting signals new beginnings. But as they are drawn together, the world outside their forest haven is being torn apart. Old certainties are crumbling, and both must now make a life-defining choice.
What price will they pay for freedom? What will they fight to protect? Full review...