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Hello from The Bookbag, a site featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - [[:Category:Fiction|fiction]], [[:Category:Biography|biography]], [[:Category:Crime|crime]], [[:Category:Cookery|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 , the charity shop 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 [[:Category:Interviews|author interviews]], and all sorts of [[:Category:Lists|top tens]] - all of which you can find on our [[features]] page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the [[Book Recommendations|recommendations]] page.

<!-- Ford Linda Jones -->

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===[[The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Deadwood Hall by Jackson FordLinda Jones]]===

[[image:4star5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersConfident Readers|ThrillersConfident Readers]]

As In late December Dylan Beaumont and his sister Emily were on their way to spend the title suggests, this book is all about a girl, Teagan Frost, who has psychokinesisweek before Christmas at their grandfather's house. Forced to secretly work for It was snowing heavily and you could sense that their parents were becoming annoyed at the bickering in the back of the government along car. Emily was rather brusque with a few unique (and shady) individualsher nine-year-old brother's behaviour, Teagan has to use her power for unimaginable tasks. All of this whilst under the pretence of working for but then that's your prerogative when you're a movinggrown-companyup eleven year old. After her latest job goes wrong The snow was getting heavier and her and the team escape by the skin of their teeth, Teagan finds herself as a murder suspect journey longer when Emily opened the victim is found in such car window just a way that only she could have committed the crimecouple of inches. The rest of the story unfolds in There was a fast-paced race against time to clear Teagan's name dreadful smell and find out exactly what has happened. Is it possible that someone with Dylan saw a gift horrible, snake-like Teagan's has managed to fly under figure clawing at the radar? car window. [[The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Deadwood Hall by Jackson FordLinda Jones|Full Review]]

<!-- Caro Ramsay Denzil Meyrick -->

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===[[The Suffering of Strangers A Breath on Dying Embers (DCI Daley) by Caro RamsayDenzil Meyrick]]===

Roberta (please call her Few government trade missions arrive by luxury liner, but the cruise ship ''Great Britain'Bobby') Chisholm is sleep deprivedberthed in Kinloch harbour and on board are high-powered international delegates. Six-week-old Sholto doesnIt's hard to avoid the suspicion that it't s not ''everentirely'' seem to sleepabout work as the billionaires, entrepreneurs and their civil service minders tour the country, so Bobby's like a robotgolfing and sightseeing with their entourage of security personnel. ThereIt's a little light on the horizonan event which DCI Daley hopes will pass quickly, though: her husband James particularly as his formal uniform is up far too tight for a new jobcomfort, which could mean quite a bit more money. When he rings to tell her that he's got but it he's obviously over not long before one of the moon crew members and tells Bobby to a local bird watcher go to the local shop and get a bottle of champagne so that they can celebratemissing. For once Sholto has dropped off to sleep and when Bobby gets to the shop she's reluctant to disturb him: surely there won't be a problem if she dashes into the shop to get the bubbly? She can keep an eye on the car through the shop window, but when she comes out, the car has gone... [[The Suffering of Strangers A Breath on Dying Embers (DCI Daley) by Caro RamsayDenzil Meyrick|Full Review]]

<!-- Christopher Edge James -->

| style=''"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''"|[[image:17880049491781128952.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/17880049491781128952/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style=''"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''"|===[[The Longest Night of Charlie Noon Starlight Watchmaker by Christopher EdgeLauren James]]=== [[image:5star4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category: Confident ReadersDyslexia Friendly|Dyslexia Friendly]], [[:Category:Teens|Confident ReadersTeens]] ''If you go into the woods, Old Crony will get you.'' SecretsThis is a dyslexia-friendly, spies or maybe even a monster..science fiction novella for young adults. What lies in It tells the heart tale of the wood? CharlieHugo, Dizzy an unwanted and Johnny are determined to discover the truthrather lonely android, but when night falls without warning they find themselves trapped in who makes a nightmareliving for himself mending time-travel watches. Lost in the woodsWhen one of his clients demands that his broken watch be mended, Hugo realises there is a mystery to be solved, strange dangers and impossible puzzles lurk in the shadowsis only too ready to help. As time plays tricksAn exciting journey of discovery unfolds, can Charlie solve this mystery which takes Hugo out of his drab attic workroom and find into a way out scary adventure with some amazing new friends, exploring regions of the woods? But what if this night planet never endsbefore known to exist...? [[The Longest Night of Charlie Noon Starlight Watchmaker by Christopher EdgeLauren James|Full Review]]

<!-- Rachel Lynch Stuart MacBride -->

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===[[Bold Lies Cold Granite (DI Kelly Porter 5Logan McRae) by Rachel LynchStuart MacBride]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]]

It DS Logan McRae is just back from a year's sick leave after he was attacked by a killer. He's just about OK and he's supposed to be easing himself back into the smell which announced the presence swing of the job in a gentle way - until three-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in the wheelhouse of a boat ditch. He'd been missing for some time and identification wasnit came as no surprise that he was dead but he't going to be easy as s the man was stark nakedfirst of several child murders. There were all To add to the signs of complications the police even have a brutal, cold-blooded execution body but gradually the man was traced back to Allendale House, the estate of the former Lord Allendaleno child reported missing. A serial killer, a child killer and then to Londonabuser, where two more bodies, naked, in a staged setting is on the loose in a garage, were discovered. Senior Investigating Officer DI Kelly Porter had to go to London Aberdeen and was shocked the press are missing no opportunity to discover that the SIO bay for ''blood. As if thatwasn'' case was DCI Matt Carter, her manipulative and untrustworthy ex-lover. It was going t bad enough there seems to be anything but easy to work alongside Matt the Tw... Aha leak from within Force Headquarters: a local journalist, Colin Miller, well letquickly finds out everything that's not go therehappening. [[Bold Lies Cold Granite (DI Kelly Porter 5Logan McRae) by Rachel LynchStuart MacBride|Full Review]]

<!-- Jonathan Meres Angela Marsons -->

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===[[Special Delivery Child's Play (D I Kim Stone) by Jonathan MeresAngela Marsons]]===

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Dyslexia FriendlyCrime|Dyslexia Friendly]], [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident ReadersCrime]]

How do you explain to children about dementia? Injuries or illnesses are obvious, but when the problem is the brain which isnThere't functioning quite as it used to it isn't as easy to grasp. Frank was s a normal nine year old prologue and like many nine year olds what he wanted was a new bike. He'd had his for about seventy-eight years and he didn't want to raise the seat any more. Mum pointed out we know that it wasn't his birthday or Christmas any time soon and bikes cost a lot of money, which didnwe't grow on trees. His sister Lottie had a solution: Frank could help her re dealing with her paper roundsomeone who is very disturbed. Frank agreed despite thinking that it would take him a thousand years to save up The descriptions are horrifying, but worst of all is the money for a bike AND he had to get up at six o'clock in coldness of the morningkiller. [[Special Delivery Child's Play (D I Kim Stone) by Jonathan MeresAngela Marsons|Full Review]]

<!-- Vivian French Chiang -->

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===[[The Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims Exhalation by Vivian FrenchTed Chiang]]===

[[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Dyslexia FriendlyScience Fiction|Dyslexia FriendlyScience Fiction]], [[:Category:Confident ReadersShort Stories|Confident ReadersShort Stories]]

Suzi Simms loved running and it was her ambition to win Over the 100 metres race on sports day at the end of term past twenty- and that was next weekeight years Ted Chiang has published fifteen science fiction short stories. We're going to read about what happened in her diary, although there's These magnificent stories have won twenty-seven major science fiction awards so if you are a warning that we really shouldn't be reading science fiction fan it, particularly as it's about Barbie Meek. To say is likely that you have already come across some of the two girls don't get on at all well is a bit work by Ted Chiang. I cannot speak highly enough of this collection of short stories, they are so wide ranging in their themes and so beautifully written, Chiang has written an understatementabsolute masterpiece of a collection. Suzi wouldnIf you come across Chiang't actually do anything about its work before, but Barbie is a troublemaker and she wants take this opportunity to win the 100 metres race too - by fair means or fouldo so now. Trust me; your imagination will be grateful. [[The Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims Exhalation by Vivian FrenchTed Chiang|Full Review]]

<!-- Pye Lawrence -->

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[[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] ==[[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident ReadersRose, Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence]]===

Meet Harry Stevenson. He's a typical guinea pig, except he's perhaps a bit more ginger than normal. And more lazy than usual. And his appetite is possibly bigger than the norm. Apart from that he's a regular guinea pig. But the stories in which he features are nothing like. In the first one here, the lad who owns and looks after him is being forced to move house. It should be a simple journey for Harry, safe in his cage from all the predators that watching nature documentaries have put into his imagination, but he gets distracted and – shock horror – left behind. It takes some bravura slapstick and a charming contrivance for him to be found again. In the second, for we get two full-length stories in this volume, there's a party being held to get the lad used to his new schoolmates, and Harry used to life in a garden hutch. And one more wonderful conceit that drives high drama[[image:4star. jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[The Adventures of Harry Stevenson by Ali Pye:Category:Teens|Full ReviewTeens]]

Rose and her brother Rudder have recently escaped from cult-like fundamentalist Christian sect, the Pilgrims, along with their mother. While Mum works endless hours at agency cleaning jobs trying to keep the rent paid on their tiny flat, Rose and Rudder are trying to navigate the worldly world. It's not easy when everything is new and the rigid rules you've always lived by are suddenly missing. [[Rose, Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence|Full Review]]<!-- Angie Kim Kate Atkinson -->

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===[[Miracle Creek Started Early, Took My Dog (Jackson Brodie) by Angie KimKate Atkinson]]===

[[image:4star5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersCrime|ThrillersCrime]]

The Yoo family originated I guess that most of us have made the odd impulse purchase but Tracy Waterhouse, security chief at the Merrion Centre in Seoul. Yoo Young and her daughter Meh-hee came on ahead Leeds, blew most people's ideas of the father an impulse purchase out of the family, Yoo Pak, as a couple in Baltimore offered to provide accommodation for Young and Meh-hee in exchange for assistance in their grocery storewater one morning. What Young had not appreciated was that she was to work from 6 Seeing a.m. until midnight, seven days known prostitute dragging a week. For years she hardly saw toddler through the shopping mall whilst cursing at her daughter except when , Waterhouse followed the Kangs brought Meh-hee to see her at woman and bought the storegirl for £3000. Meh-hee became Mary The difficulty of a purchase like this is knowing what to do next and struggled at school: her fellow pupils were no exceptions to the rule that children can be cruel Tracy's humdrum life is replaced with one of stress, fear and Mary was an easy targetoverwhelming love for four-year-old Courtney. [[Miracle Creek Started Early, Took My Dog (Jackson Brodie) by Angie KimKate Atkinson|Full Review]]

<!-- Megan E O'Keefe Chloe Daykin -->

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===[[Velocity Weapon Fire Girl, Forest Boy by Megan E O'KeefeChloe Daykin]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science FictionConfident Readers]]

The last thing Sanda remembers is her gunship explodingMaya has to escape. She expected 's on the run in a country she doesn't know and has no idea who to be recovered by salvagetrust. Raul is escaping too -medics and travelling back to awaken in friendly handshis home where a terrible tragedy happened, patched-up and ready to rejoin stir up trouble. When their paths collide in the fight. Instead she wakes up 230 years later, on a deserted enemy starship called The Light middle of Berossus - orthe jungle, as he prefers the sparks begin to call himself, 'Bero'fly. Bero tells Sanda As modern world corruption meets the war is lost. That magic and legends of ancient times, can Maya draw on her hidden light to find the entire star system is dead. But is that way through to the full storytruth? After all, in the vastness of space, anything is possible . . . [[Velocity Weapon Fire Girl, Forest Boy by Megan E O'KeefeChloe Daykin|Full Review]]

<!-- Parker Angela Marsons -->

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===[[The Chessmaster's Secret by Mary Parker]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident ReadersCrime|Confident ReadersCrime]]

Belle There's a prologue and Joe travel to London in 1944, towards the end of World War II. Orphaned evacuees, they havenwe know that we't had a good time of it - especially Joe, re dealing with someone who is a sensitive child and was badly bulliedvery disturbed. Meeting them is Uncle Griff, a kindly man The descriptions are horrifying, but one without much money. He worst of all is more than happy to have the children stay during the school holidays. Uncle Griff owns the ''Shop coldness of Mechanical Marvels'' and the children love all the old things it contains. Uncle Griff hopes to restore it to profitability and bring some wonder back into London's bombed out streetskiller. [[The ChessmasterChild's Secret Play (D I Kim Stone) by Mary ParkerAngela Marsons|Full Review]]

<!-- Rob Walker Gregory -->

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[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] ==[[:Category:Lifestyle|LifestyleI Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory]]===

The curse put on reviewers is that we get to read through a book which is really better dipped into, or read gradually and thoughts allowed to be provoked[[image:4. And so it was with ''The Art of Noticing''5star. It's a simple premisejpg|link=Category: the pace of modern life and rapidity of technological advances means that we are constantly overwhelmed and distracted. Rob Walker wants us to be able to steal our attention back. He gives us his thoughts on various areas of our lives and then provides 131 exercises to help us recover our attention. {{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[The Art of Noticing: Rediscover What Really Matters to You by Rob WalkerCategory:Teens|Full ReviewTeens]]

Gemma has just started her A levels at school. She's a keen student and she has a good, close set of friends. Gemma loves country music and in her spare time she enjoys writing and singing country songs. She's pretty good at it too. Home life is busy - Gemma's brother Michael has a chance at a football career and the whole family, propelled by Gemma's rather over-invested dad, is supporting him with everything they've got. Gemma hasn't had a serious boyfriend yet, so when the handsome Aaron appears and an instant attraction fizzles between them, Gemma is keen to see where romance could lead... [[I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory|Full Review]]<!-- Lesley Thomson Davis -->

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===[[The Playground Murders What's That in Dog Years? by Lesley ThomsonBen Davis and Julia Christians]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeConfident Readers|CrimeConfident Readers]]

Rachel Cater George and Gizmo have been together ever since George was having an affair with her boss, Chris Philips, an auctioneerborn. It wasGizmo has always been a fun, she told her mother, love at first sight. Her mother was more sceptical adventurous dog and wondered whya loyal friend, if it had been love at first sightbut just recently, it had taken him so long George has noticed that he's starting to do anything about itslow down a little. Still, more than anything, she wanted her daughter A visit to the vets leaves George worried that Gizmo might not be happy. That was what Rachel wanted too around for very much longer, and it was why she went so he begins to write Gizmo a bucket list, of all the Philips' family home, determined to adventures that they can still have it all out together in the openGizmo's last days. Instead she was stabbed fifteen times. But are they his last days? Her lover was convicted of her murder. And who will help George to stay calm when Gizmo is gone? [[The Playground Murders What's That in Dog Years? by Lesley ThomsonBen Davis and Julia Christians|Full Review]]

<!-- Dare Hlad -->

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| style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[Walks In The Billion Pound Lie Wild by Bill DarePeter Wohlleben and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Translator)]]===

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersAnimals and Wildlife|ThrillersAnimals and Wildlife]], [[:Category:Politics and Society|Politics and Society]]

Can you imagine what it would be like to win a billion pounds? The UK''An instruction manual for the forest'' is how Wohlleben's biggest ever lottery winners were a couple from Ayrshirepublisher described the idea for this book, who won a £161 million EuroMillions jackpot a few years ago. Thatand that's so much money that basically what it landed them on is – although right at the Sunday Times Rich List of end the UK's thousand most wealthy people. So a billion pounds. That's a lot, right? Can you imagine author says that it? What would you do? Would you try is not intended to remain anonymous? Andbe a reference book, if you did, how would this affect your relationships with your nearest and dearest? What it would be like? How could you keep your friends and family from knowing that you were now one of the richest people in the country? but an appetiser. [[Walks In The Billion Pound Lie Wild by Bill DarePeter Wohlleben and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Translator)|Full Review]]

<!-- Vaughn M T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles -->

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===[[Across the Void A Nearly Normal Family by S K VaughnM T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles (translator)]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science FictionCrime|Crime]], [[:Category:Thrillers|Science FictionThrillers]]

Sea epics? So 20th centuryWe're going to hear this story through the viewpoints of three different people: Adam Sandell, his wife, Ulrika and his daughter Stella. Try Adam's a pastor in the Church of Sweden and Ulrika is a space epiclawyer. Stella is, well, just difficult. You sense that she's always been difficult and there have even been occasions when Ulrika has let slip that she wishes that Stella was more like her best friend, Amina Bešic - and no one has ever said that if they don't think that the other person is better. We first meet the family on Stella's 18th birthday and we get a sense of Adam's controlling nature. Permission has to be given for a glass of wine for Stella at the celebration meal. [[Across the Void A Nearly Normal Family by S K VaughnM T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles (translator)|Full Review]]

<!-- McLean Green -->

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===[[The Van Apfel Girls are Gone House of Light by Felicity McLeanJulia Green]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Thrillers|Thrillers]], [[:Category:General FictionConfident Readers|General FictionConfident Readers]]

When Tikka Molloy was eleven Bonnie is growing up on a slightly strange island, living with her grandfather, scavenging for food, and one-sixth years old, rubbish that has washed up on the Van Apfel sisters disappearedbeach that she and her grandfather can use to make things. In There is some sort of ban against anyone else landing on the long hot summer island, and lots of 1992suspicion around those who live there, in an isolated suburb including a great fear of Australia surrounded by Bushland, the girls vanished during the school's Showstopper concert at the riverside amphitheatreanyone who gets sick. Did they run away? Were they taken? While But when Bonnie is on the search for the sisters united the small communitybeach one day and discovers not only an intact boat, they were never found. Returning home years laterbut a young boy cowering beneath, Tikka must make sense of that strange moment rather than turn him in time – of to the summer that shaped herauthorities she takes him home and hides him, smuggling him boiled eggs and blankets in the girls shed whilst she never forgottries to figure out what to do. [[The Van Apfel Girls are Gone House of Light by Felicity McLeanJulia Green|Full Review]]

<!-- Stowell Foster -->

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===[[The Dragon in the Library Check Mates by Louie Stowell and Davide Ortu (Illustrator)Stewart Foster]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident Readers]], [[:Category:Emerging ReadersTeens|Emerging ReadersTeens]]

It In many ways Felix is the start of the summer holidays and Kit has plans. These plans involve climbing treesa typical boy in Year 7, getting muddy enjoying playing games on his PS4 and being outside. Her friends, Josh and Alita, on hanging out with his friend Jake at the other hand want to go to the libraryweekend. Kit hates reading and can't see the point of books However Felix is struggling at all school. He is not a problem child but is very reluctantly persuaded he does have a problem. His ADHD makes it hard for him to go concentrate, he keeps getting into trouble and his grades are slipping. When his Mum suggests that he spends more time with the others to the local libraryhis grandfather Felix is horrified. Once there the children meet the librarian Ever since Grandma died his Granddad has been grumpy and Kit makes an incredible discovery; the librarian is a wizard! Even more incredibly, Kit eccentric than before. All he wants to do is a wizard too sit in the dark and play chess. Felix knows that this will be extremely boring. But sometimes we learn valuable lessons where we least expect to and she perhaps Granddad and her friends have an important taskFelix can help each other. They must save the library…and save the world! [[The Dragon in the Library Check Mates by Louie Stowell and Davide Ortu (Illustrator)Stewart Foster|Full Review]]

<!-- Stuart MacBride Jane O'Connor -->

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===[[All ThatNeedlemouse by Jane O's Dead (Logan McRae 12) by Stuart MacBrideConnor]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]]

It seemed like a good idea[[image:5star. Logan 'Lazarus' McRae was back at work after a year off sick. He'd been stabbed in the line of duty and recovery had been slowjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category: he still had some pain. His first case was to be a simple one - just to ease him back into work - but it turned out to be anything but. Professor Wilson, a high-profile anti-independence campaigner has gone missingGeneral Fiction|General Fiction]], apparently abducted from his home, but nothing was left behind except some bloodstains. In much the same way that Brexit is dividing people south of the border, there's going to be a war between the pro- and anti-independence factions in Scotland - and the police are not above being involved. [[All That:Category:Women's Dead (Logan McRae 12) by Stuart MacBrideFiction|Full ReviewWomen's Fiction]]

We first meet Sylvia Penton on her birthday and her boss, the Prof, is taking her out to lunch. This is her favourite day of the year, not because it's her birthday but because of the special time she gets to spend with the man she loves. He's told her that he and his wife are going to divorce - Martha is apparently having an affair - and Sylvia is convinced that the Prof will then declare his love and they can be together. She hasn't fully constructed 'together' in her own mind - she envisages it as romantic, but her imagination hasn't yet progressed to the sexual part of the relationship. There's time though - she's only been the prof's PA for fifteen years. [[Needlemouse by Jane O'Connor|Full Review]]<!-- Louise Voss Various-->

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| style="''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"''|===[[The Last Stage Return to Wonderland by Louise VossVarious Authors]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeConfident Readers|CrimeConfident Readers]], [[:Category:Short Stories|Short Stories]]

If you were looking back to In following a young girl called Alice down the rabbit hole a few years ago, when it began youthe first book she was in [[Alice'd have to say s Adventures in Wonderland (150th Anniversary Edition) by Lewis Carroll and Anthony Browne|hit 150 years of age]], I found that I didn't really find too much favour with it was before 1995. Meredith Vincent (that wasnThe wacky-for-the-sake-of-it did not gel, and I don't her name then) remember loving it more as a child. But I would suggest I am the perfect audience for this book. I had gone every chance to Greenham Common on her seventeenth birthday, dressed as enjoy these short stories that come at the core from a teddy beartangent, to protest about nuclear weaponsthat show the benefits of the oblique glance. It was whilst she was there that she met Samantha, fell head over heels in love with her and went I've always preferred coming to live in a squat in Londonan author's output through their least obvious, leaving behind her A levelsallegedly throw-away pieces, her recently-widowed mother - and her twin brotherit's the same with franchises – I'd more likely go for Bree Tanner's short novella than the whole Twilight saga (although that remains just a hunch, Pete, to look after herfor obvious reasons). Samantha was For another thing, there occasionally but Meredith was drawn into forming a band every reason to expect some kind of greatness here – with Carroll much loved by millions, surely pieces written with the boys from the squat and against all the odds Cohen went on to become a sensation and it wasn't long before Meredith was living that love in a mansion rather than the squat. mind could only provide for success after success? [[The Last Stage Return to Wonderland by Louise VossVarious Authors|Full Review]]

<!-- Ian Mathie Elphinstone -->

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| style="''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"''|===[[Wild Child: Growing Up a Nomad Rumblestar (The Unmapped Chronicles) by Ian MathieAbi Elphinstone]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:AutobiographyConfident Readers|AutobiographyConfident Readers]]

For Ian Mathie fans there is good and bad news. Ian has come up with Rumblestar follows the haphazard adventures of the missing link in anxious 11-year-old Casper Tock who timetables his narrativeevery movement, makes countless to do lists and is hounded by wealthy bullies with the story absurdly humorous and appropriate names of Candida Cashmere Jumps and Leopold Splattercash. He stumbles across a very unusual childhood (yesmagic portal by accident just like Lucy of Narnia fame, the very years that made him the amazing man he became). The bad – well it's hardly news two years later – meets a feisty girl troubled by her past and is that the book is published posthumouslyplunged into a perilous quest. As always, it's beautifully written, with many exciting moments. What I most enjoyed was In a kingdom where the feeling that many dark mythological forces of Midnights threaten the questions in Ian Mathie's later books are answered in ''Wild Child'' with a satisfying clunk. Seemingly all that's now left in weather Marvels (equated here to the drawer is unpublishablemiracle of nature) conjured by magical creatures, only unlikely heroes can battle against evil. [[Wild Child: Growing Up a Nomad Rumblestar (The Unmapped Chronicles]) by Ian MathieAbi Elphinstone|Full Review]]

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===[[The Evil Occupants of Easingdale Castle by Ray Filby]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeTeens|CrimeTeens]]

Claudia Muller was an AmericanJason likes chess. He's pretty good at it too - a level eight on his computer programme, studying art history and with level ten being mentored by an eminent French art historian and Resistance war hero in Limeuil in PerigordGrand Master level. She was beautifulHe's also good at systems, wore designer clothes and was well-liked by everyonehaving contributed to the relational database that has streamlined his school's administration. She didnJason't parade her wealths school, Easingdale Comprehensive, is very big on technology and its head, Mr Johnston, or her fatheris keen to involve his pupils wherever they show promise. So Jason's White House connectionsfriends have also helped out. In fact, her closest friend was a man recently released from prisonLiz is great with hardware and helped with the school's card reader system. So when she left Becky has a lecture saying that she felt ill, flair for software and her body was later found at the bottom has recommended lots of the castle well it seemed that the likeliest explanation was that this had been curriculum-enhancing apps. And Bill is a dreadful accident with the only people to blame being the builders who had left the well unsealedtalented programmer... [[The Body in the Evil Occupants of Easingdale Castle Well (A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel) by Martin WalkerRay Filby|Full Review]]

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===[[The Ungrateful Refugee Stone Cold Heart by Dina NayeriCaz Frear]]===

[[image:4.5star4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Politics and Society|Politics and Society]], [[:Category:BiographyCrime|BiographyCrime]]

Here in DC Cat Kinsella is back at the West, we see news reports about immigrants on Met after a regular basis – some media welcoming them, some scaremongering about themsecondment to the London Mayor's Office: the hours were good but the job was boring. But all of those stories are written by journalists – almost always western She's grateful to be back with the old team - her partner DS Luigi Parnell, boss DCI Kate Steele and almost always, no matter how deep the investigative journalism they carry out, outsiders DC Rénee Akwa. She's still not prepared to say anything about the world and identity of her boyfriend: the situations knowledge that refugees find themselves in. Itshe's rare that we find out in a relationship with Aiden Doyle, the journeys from the refugees themselves – brother of a murder victim and this is moreover a rare opportunity murder with which her father might have had some involvement could finish her career. Kinsella and Parnell are called to do that, in this intelligent, powerful and moving work by Dina Nayeri -someone who was born in the middle discovery of the body of a revolution in Iranyoung woman: Naomi Lockhart was Australian, fleeing to America as a tenjust twenty-yeartwo years old and her body was discovered by her flat mate, Kieran Drake, an ex-oldoffender.[[The Ungrateful Refugee Stone Cold Heart by Dina NayeriCaz Frear|Full Review]]