Library Loot (2.20-21) & Review Copy, Won & Bought

A fairly quiet two weeks for review books but some great books from the library:

Review

Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (10 Nov, Hodder & Stoughton)
With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections - leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, Tiger's Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse.

Won - with thanks, from Lyrical Reviews

The Crimson Shard by Teresa Flavin (out now, Templar)
This sequel to The Blackhope Enigma is imbued with alchemy and intrigue. During what seems like an ordinary museum visit, tour guide Throgmorton lures Sunni and Blaise through a painted doorway into eighteenth-century London. When Throgmorton demands secret information from the pair about their Blackhope escapades, they attempt to flee, encountering body snatchers, art thieves and forgers in this gripping time-travel adventure.

Bought

Miss Understanding: My Summer on the Shelf by Lara Fox (out now, Hodder Childrens)
After a stint as the school agony aunt, Anya's forthcoming summer as an intern at a London publishing house comes as a breath of fresh air. It'll take her mind off Al - her AWOL boyfriend - at least, and maybe she'll get tips on how to be a writer, too. But it's clear that Anya's role is senior dogsbody - and involves reading terrible stories, listening to her colleague's Katie's domestic woes, and taking on a nightmarish teenage author, who is about five years late delivering his next 'best selling novel'. It's not quite the gltiz and glamour Miss Understanding thought it would be, but it does have its plus points: Delicious Seth Hodges being one of them...Anya is torn between the swarve Seth, the notorious waste of time The Boy, her lost boyfriend Al, not to mention the intriguing teenage writer Casper...So many boys, so little time. Another fresh, original and witty journey through Miss Understanding's life...

Library

Abandon by Meg Cabot
Last year, Pierce died - just for a moment. And when she was in the space between life and death, she met John: tall dark and terrifying, it’s his job to usher souls from one realm to the next.

There’s a fierce attraction between them, but Pierce knows that if she allows herself to fall for John she will be doomed to a life of shadows and loneliness in the underworld. But now things are getting dangerous for her, and her only hope is to do exactly what John says . . .

Mortal Kiss by Alice Moss
How much would you sacrifice for just one kiss . . .

When smouldering Finn and sexy Lucas arrive in Winter Mill, life starts to get very complicated for Faye McCarron.

But two boys battling for her heart is just the start. Soon there's a dead body in the woods, a motorcycle gang on the prowl, and the snow just won't stop falling. Something evil is at work, and only Faye and best friend Liz can stop it. As Hallowe'en draws near they must uncover the dark and sinister secret . . . before it's too late.

Love paranormal romance, werewolves and ethereal spirits? Then this book is for you!

POD by Stephen Wallenfeld
PODs - strange alien spheres hover menacingly in the sky, zapping anyone who ventures outside. Will is 15 and stuck in his house with his OCD dad. They're running out of food...Megs is 12, alone and trapped in a multi-storey carpark. The hotel next door is under the control of dangerous security staff, but Megs has something they want, and they'll do anything to get it...When the aliens invade, the real enemy becomes humanity itself. What would you do to survive?

Library Loot (2.18-19), review copies

These are all review books this week. The only library books I took out were adult books.



Review

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (out now, Simon & Schuster)
Footloose by Rudy Josephs (out now, Bloomsbury)
Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn-Childs (Apr. 2012, Templar) :)))
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer (Mar. 2012, Templar)
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley (out now, Bloomsbury)
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg (Feb. 2012, Puffin)
Advent Trilogy 1 by James Treadwell (Feb. 2012, Hodder & Stoughton)
My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent (21 Oct, MIRA Ink)

Library Loot (2.15-17), review copies & bought

I haven't done a Library Loot post for a few weeks due to absences, planned and unexpected. I'm sure I've missed some but here's most of it. I did get to the recent events for Mary Hooper (Bloomsbury) and Joss Stirling (OUP) and Dave Cousins (OUP).



Review

Pure by Julianna Baggott (2 Feb 2012, Headline - white cover doesn't show up!)
Verity Fibbs by Cathy Brett (13th Oct, Headline)
Fifteen Days Without a head by Dave Cousins (Jan 2012, OUP)
The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan (5 Jan 2012, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
Mortal Chaos by Matt Dickinson (Jan 2012, OUP)
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (27th Oct, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
The Fever and the Flame: "At the Sign of the Sugared Plum" , "Petals in the Ashes" bindup (out now, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
Velvet by Mary Hooper (out now, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
The Thirteenth Horseman by Barry Hutchins (1 Mar 2012, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
In Darkness by Nick Lake (5 Jan 2012, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
Fracture by Megan Miranda (5 Jan 2012, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
This is not Forgiveness by Celia Rees (2 Feb 2012, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling (out now, OUP)
Angel Fire by L A Weatherly (out now, Usborne)

Library

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson
We Can Be Heroes by Catherine Bruton
The Time Spell by Judi Curtin
(Didn't come in time for my reading group's theme of time-travel but I hope to use it in a Titanic theme when the library has a few more copies.)
Wither by Lauren Destefano
Emerald by Karen Wallace

Bought

Outside In by Maria V Snyder

Library Loot (2.14), review copies, bought & won

Here's what's arrived at home this week,


Library

Torchwood: First Born by James Goss
Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Perfectly Reflected by S C Ransom

Bought

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Won

A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis
The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne

Review

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger (out now, Amulet Books)
This is the hilarious, clever and much-anticipated follow-up to the breakout hit, "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda". Tom is an exciting new voice in middle grade fiction. His spot-on portrayals of secondary school and the dynamics that exist between kids are realistic and humorous. He's definitely a rising author to watch. This is the fantastic book for boys and reluctant readers especially. "Publishers Weekly" said Tom's writing included 'spot-on boy banter', "100 Scope Notes" called Yoda 'reluctant reader platinum', and "Fuse Number 8" said, 'It's been a while since I found a book that can truly be called genderless (in that it has wide appeal across the board)'. "Lucasfilm" is enthusiastically back on board with us for the second book. It includes instructions for making your own original origami Darth Vader. Darth Vader is the most popular "Star Wars" character, their 'Mickey Mouse' according to Lucas.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (3 Oct, Bloomsbury)
Andi lives in New York and is dealing with the emotional turmoil of her younger brother's accidental death. Alex lives in Paris and is a companion to the dauphin, the young son of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI, during the violent days of the French Revolution. When Andi is sent to Paris to get her out of the trouble she's so easily enveloped by in New York, their two stories collide, and Andi finds a way to reconcile herself not only to her past but also to her future. This is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful, evocative portrait of lives torn apart by grief and mended by love.

Mister Creecher by Chris Priestly (3 Oct, Bloomsbury)
Billy is a street urchin, pickpocket and petty thief. Mister Creecher is a monstrous giant of a man who terrifies all he meets. Their relationship begins as pure convenience. But a bond swiftly develops between these two misfits as their bloody journey takes them ever northwards on the trail of their target ...Victor Frankenstein. Friendship, trust and betrayal combine to form a dangerous liaison in this moving and frightening new book from Chris Priestley.

Library Loot (2.12-2.13), review copies & bought

Two weeks' worth here.


Library

Rip Tide by Kat Falls

Traitor's Kiss by Pauline Francis

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe

Bought

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

Review

Lies by Michael Grant (5th Sep, Egmont Books Ltd)

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison (out now, Indigo)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith (Jan 2012, Headline) & goodies!

Between by Jessica Warman (3rd Oct, Egmont Books Ltd)

The Other Life by Susann Winnacker (Feb 2012, Usborne)

From AudioGo:

Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie (Audio Book) (out now)

Doctor Who: Serpent Crest: Tsar Wars by Paul Magrs (Audio Book) (8th Sep)

Doctor Who: Blackout by Oli Smith (Audio Book) (8th Sep)

Library Loot (2.11), review copies & bought

Here's what I've picked up this week:


Library

Girl Parts by John Cusick
"Hello, David. My name is Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you. We are now entering minute two of our friendship. According to my Intimacy Clock, a handshake is now appropriate." DAVID is a rich kid, with a million friends, online and off. CHARLIE is a loner, disconnected from the high school world around him. Neither of them feels close to anybody. Until they meet... ROSE: part girl, part robot, and ALL a boy could want. But can a robotic girl really change the lives of two teenage boys? Before they know it, Rose is teaching David and Charlie how to feel human again.

Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St John
Laura cannot contain her excitement when she wins a trip to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, Calvin Redfern, especially when her best friend, Tariq, and her three-legged husky, Skye, accidentally find themselves on board too. But when they dock at Antigua, they discover that Calvin Redfern has vanished, and Laura and Tariq are about to be kidnapped by the fearsome Straight A gang. Dramatic escapes, an erupting volcano and a race against time to stop the deadly undercover 'Marine Concern' make Laura's second adventure every bit as exciting as the first.

Bought

When it Happens by Susane Colasanti
Reminiscent of the movie Say Anything, a debut novel for all those searching for The One!

Sara and Tobey couldn'’t be more different. She is focused on getting into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara'’s other goal is to find true love, so when Dave, a popular jock, asks her out, she'’s thrilled. But then there'’s Tobey. His amazing blue eyes and quirky wit always creep into her thoughts. It just so happens that one of Tobey'’s goals is also to make Sara fall in love with him. Told in alternating points of view, Sara and Tobey'’s real connection will have everyone rooting for them from the minute they meet!

Review

The Haunting of Charity Delafield by Ian Beck (3 Nov, Bodley Head)
A magical, enchanting tale, with stunning illustrations that will transport you into another world.

Flame-haired Charity Delafield has grown up in a vast, isolated house - most of which she is forbidden to explore - with her fiercely strict father. With only her kindly nurse, Rose, and her cat Mr Tompkins for company, she knows very little of the outside world - or of her own family's shadowy past. What she does know is that she is NEVER to go outside unsupervised. And she is NEVER to over-excite herself, because of the mysterious 'condition' that she has been told she suffers from.

But Charity has a secret. All her life, she has had the same strange dream - a dream of a dark corridor, hidden somewhere in the house. Then, one day, Charity stumbles across the corridor. It leads to a door . . . and suddenly she realises things are not quite what they seem.

The Adventures of the New Cut Gang by Philip Pullman (1 Sep, David Fickling Book)

For the first time in one volume, two action-packed thrillers from one of our best-known authors, about a motley group of urchins forming THE NEW CUT GANG, solving crimes in late Victorian London.

Thunderbolt, Benny, Bridie and Sharky Bob are a mixed bunch of vagabonds and urchins who come together to form the New Cut Gang in two comic tales of stolen silver, skulduggery and desperadoes.

Fake coins are turning up all over Lambeth and the finger of suspicion is pointing at Thunderbolt's dad - could he really be the forger? The crime-busting New Cut Gang come to the rescue!

And when just two clues - a blob of wax and a Swedish match - are discovered at the scene of a break-in, the children find themselves on the trail of an extremely cunning criminal.

Set in late Victorian London, these two action-packed thrillers have now been put together in a single volume - with new illustrations throughout from Horrible Histories illustrator, Martin Brown.

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade by Maryrose Wood (1 Sep, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.

The latest book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure.

Not shown - a download of the audio book of All These Things That I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin; Macmillan Young Listeners; Unabridged edition (September 6, 2011)
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Library Loot (2.10), review copies, prize & bought

I couldn't resist including Foxy in the picture, he looks somewhat bemused!


Library

The Midnight Palace by Carlow Ruiz Zafon (audio book)
The book begins with a chase through the streets of Calcutta in May 1916. Lieutenant Peake pauses for breath outside the ruins of the Jheeter's Gate station knowing that he only has a few hours to live. Inside his overcoat he is sheltering two newborn babies - twins, a boy and a girl. Pursued by his would-be assassins, Peake runs at full tilt to the house of Aryami Bose, to whom he entrusts the children. In 1932 we meet the boy, Ben, and his group of friends the night before they are due to leave St Patricks orphanage. They have formed a secret club, The Chowbar Society, that meets each week at midnight in the old ruin they have christened The Midnight Palace. Their final meeting is due that evening but then Aryami Bose turns up at the orphanage with Sheere, Ben's sister, and tells them the story of the parents they never knew. Their father was an engineer and writer who died in tragic circumstances at the inauguration of Jheeter's Gate station. But as the novel unfolds, there is more to this story than meets the eye and they are lured by a shadowy figure from the past into a final showdown in the ruins.

Review

Naked by Kevin Brooks (6 Oct, Puffin)
London, 1976: a summer of chaos, punk, love . . . and the boy they called Billy the Kid.

It was the summer of so many things. Heat and violence, love and hate, heaven and hell. It was the time I met William Bonney - the boy from Belfast known as Billy the Kid.

I've kept William's secrets for a long time, but now things have changed and I have to tell the truth. But I can't begin until I've told you about Curtis Ray. Hip, cool, rebellious Curtis Ray. Without Curtis, there wouldn't be a story to tell.

It's the story of our band, of life and death . . . and everything in between.

This characteristically gripping novel from award-winning author Kevin Brooks will rock you to the core.

Velvet by Mary Hooper (5 Sep, Bloomsbury)
Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much loved historical writer for teens

Betrayal by Lee Nichols (5 Sep, Bloomsbury) (sequel to Deception)
Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and love interest) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's something Bennett is not willing to accept. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school. A new team of ghostkeepers has arrived - one a snarky teen boy, the other a visiting scholar - and Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.


After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E Wedel (5 Sep, Bloomsbury) (I've enjoyed the first two "Need" books by Carrie Jones)
Aimee and Alan have unusual pasts and secrets they prefer to keep hidden. Aimee's deceased mother struggled with mental illness and hallucinations, and Aimee thinks it could be hereditary. After all, she sees a shadowy river man where there isn't one. And then there was that time she and her best friend Courtney tried to conjure a spirit with a Ouija board ...Alan is Courtney's cousin. His family moved to Maine when Courtney's father went missing. It's not just Alan's dark good looks that make him attractive. He is also totally in touch with a kind of spiritual mysticism from his Native American heritage. And it's not long before Aimee has broken up with her boyfriend ...But it's not Aimee or Alan who is truly haunted - it's Courtney. In a desperate plea to find her father, Courtney invites a demonic presence into her life. Together, Aimee and Alan must exorcise the ghost, before it devours Courtney - and everything around her.

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts (2 Sep, Macmillan)

Moments after several huge earthquakes shake every continent on Earth, something strange starts happening to some people. Michael can only watch in horror as an incidence of road rage so extreme it ends in two deaths unfolds before his eyes; Clementine finds herself being hunted through the small town she has lived in all her life, by people she has known all her life; and Mason is attacked with a baseball bat by a random stranger. An inner rage has been released and some people cannot fight it. For those who can, life becomes an ongoing battle to survive - at any cost!

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen - now it's our turn!

Won

The Donut Diaries of Dermot Milligan by Anthony McGowan, illustrated by David Tazzyman
A British Diary of a Wimpy Kid, featuring Dermot, an overweight eleven-year-old. Hilariously funny and insightful.

Dermot Milligan’s got problems. He’s overweight and hooked on donuts. He has a pushy, over-achieving mother, and a father who spends all his time hiding in the loo. His sisters, Ruby and Ella (known as Rubella) attack him relentlessly from the opposite directions of Chav and Goth. And now, he's being sent to a nutritionist, Doctor Morlock, who looks like a Dementor from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

This diary is Doc Morlock's idea. Not only does Dermot have to write down how many donuts he eats, but also - and this is the really rubbish part - he has to talk about HIS FEELINGS! But things are about to get even worse - he's being separated from his friends and sent to St Michael’s, a posh school where he just knows he's going to stick out like a sore thumb. A sore thumb with a weight problem . . .

Bought (not shown)

Dark Angel by Eden Maguire (Again I've read and enjoyed the first two in her other series, The Beautiful Dead)
Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart.

Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains.

And there Tania meets the dark side.

Can she resist temptation?

Library Loot (2.9), review copies, prizes & bought

Library

Ultraviolet by R J Anderson

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham

Jessie Hearts New York City by Keris Stainton

Review

The History Keepers: The Storm Begins by Damian Dibben (1 Sep, Doubleday Childrens)
Imagine if you lost your parents – not just in place, but in time.

Jake Djones’ mum and dad have gone missing and they could be anywhere in the world – at any time in history. Because the Djones family have an astonishing secret, which for years they’ve managed to keep - even from each other. They belong to the HISTORY KEEPERS: a secret society which travels through the centuries to prevent evil enemies from meddling with History itself.

In the quest to find his parents, Jake is whisked from 21st Century London to 19th century France, the headquarters of the mysterious History Keepers, where he discovers the truth about his family's disappearance - and the diabolical Prince Zeldt's plan to destroy the world as we know it . . .

Deception by Lee Nichols (5 Sep, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
When Emma Vaile's parents leave on a mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. But then her best friend stops talking to her, the police crash her party and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian, Bennett Stern, and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England. After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular crowd. She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain and strange visions are haunting her. Emma doesn't trust anyone any more - except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to her. One that will explain the visions ...and make Emma fear for her life.


Won

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (shiny replacement for my arc), reviewed here.

Alyson Noel Goody Bag including a copy of Evermore.


Bought

The Mystery of the Midnight Ghost by Helen Moss, sequel to The Mystery of the Whistling Caves. I already have 3 & 4 from Orion to review.

Library Loot (2.8) & review copies

Thanks again to my local library, the library where I work and the publishers for keeping me supplied with exciting books:

Library

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Crossing Over by Anna Kendall
Other by Karen Kincy
Little Manfred by Michael Morpurgo
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

and not shown: Dork Diaries: Pop Star by Rachel Renee Russell which I've read and returned.

Review

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto (ATOM, Aug)
Shelter by Harlan Coben (Indigo, Sep)
The Legacy by Gemma Malley (Bloomsbury, Aug)
The Mystery of the Hidden Gold by Helen Moss (Orion, Aug)
The Mystery of the Missing Masterpiece by Helen Moss (Orion, Aug)
Shimmer by Alyson Noel (Macmillan, Aug)
Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink (ATOM, Aug)

Library Loot (2.7) & review copies

Library

Momentum by Saci Lloyd (I've enjoyed her other two books, The Carbon Diaries 2015 and The Carbon Diaries 2017)

London, the near future. Energy wars are flaring across the globe - oil prices have gone crazy, regular power cuts are a daily occurrence. The cruel Kossak soldiers prowl the streets, keeping the Outsiders - the poor, the disenfranchised - in check. Hunter is a Citizen: one of the privileged of society, but with his passion for free running and his rebel friend Leo he cannot help but be fascinated by the Outsiders. So when he meets Outsider Uma, he is quickly drawn into their world - and into an electrifying and dangerous race to protect everything they hold dear.

Review

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie (15 Sep, Simon & Schuster Childrens Books) (I enjoyed Girl, Missing)

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (5 Jan 2012, Puffin)

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

Library Loot (2.6) & review copies

I was very lucky to be able to go to Orion's Indigo imprint launch party for bloggers last week and they kindly gave out arcs of the first books to be launched in September. I'd have loved Sally Gardner's new book, The Double Shadow but demand outstripped supply :).



Library

Not shown! Be assured that I've taken several books out this week (the benefit of a staff ticket) but it's been a hectic week and I've rather lost track of which ones, except for Jenny Han's It's Not Summer Without You.

Review

Not shown: Andrew Hammond's Crypt: The Gallow's Curse Amazon; Good Reads (1 Sep, Headline)

From Orion blogger do:

Dark Parties by Sara Grant (debut & currently a standalone) (20 October)
Neva keeps a list of The Missing - the people like her grandmother who were part of her life but who have now vanished. The people that everyone else pretends never existed. In a nation isolated beneath the dome of the Protectosphere - which is supposed to protect, but also imprisons - Neva and her friends dream of freedom. But life is becoming complicated for Neva. She's falling for her best friend's boyfriend - and she's learning more than she ever wanted to know about what might be happening to The Missing...

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison (1 Sep) (#1 trilogy)
When Alice Forster receives an email from her dead sister she assumes it must be a sick practical joke. Then an invitation arrives to the virtual world of Soul Beach, an idyllic online paradise of sun, sea and sand where Alice can finally talk to her sister again - and discover a new world of friendships, secrets and maybe even love . . . . But why is Soul Beach only inhabited by the young, the beautiful and the dead? Who really murdered Megan Forster? And could Alice be next? The first book in an intriguing and compelling trilogy centred around the mystery of Megan Forster's death.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (6 Oct)
Have you ever had the feeling that you've lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you've never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens. In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visiting journalist, Eric Seven, and a young local woman known as Merle are ritually slain. Their deaths echo a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire they come close to finding what they've lost. In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon - the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter's moon, the blood moon - this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting. Beautifully imagined, intricately and cleverly structured, this is a heart-wrenching and breathtaking love story with the hallmark Sedgwick gothic touches of atmosphere, blood-spilling and sacrifice.

From Templar:

The first three in the Jack Christie series by Johnny O'Brien in preparation for a blog tour in September. Day of Vengeance, #3 is out 1 August:
Schoolboy time-traveller Jack Christie is thrown back to 1940s Nazi-occupied France. With the Battle of Britain and the German Vengeance programme underway, the Second World War is at a crucial point. Jack and his best friend Angus take a more senior role in VIGIL's attempts to prevent intervention in history, attempting to stop the Revisionists from their highly volatile nuclear plan to stop the war. With spitfire dogfights, jeep races and thrilling chases, the boys have their most hair-raising adventure yet, including involvement in an assassination attempt on Hitler himself. Just as all seems lost, Jack's father returns and a nuclear disaster is averted in the nick of time.

From Puffin:

The True Tale of Billy Dean by David Almond (1 Sep) (adult novel)
This tale is told by 1 that died at birth by 1 that came into the world in days of endles war & at the moment of disaster.

Billy Dean is a secret child, growing up in the dark heart of Blinkbonny. He has a beautiful young mother and a father who arrives at night carrying the scent of incense and cigarettes. His world is just a bed, some pictures of the holy island and a single locked door, but his father fills his dreams with mysterious tales and dreadful warnings.

When his father disappears, Billy's mum brings him out into the world, and he learns the dreadful truth of what happened in Blinkbonny on the day he was born. Gradually he finds he has the gift of helping to rebuild what has been broken. But there is one figure who is beyond healing, who comes looking for Billy himself and is determined on a kind of reckoning.

I am Billy Dean. This is the truth. This is my tale.

David Almond's extraordinary first novel for adults is the story of a child, born of sin, who emerges into a post-industrial, almost apocalyptic world where the force of his innocence is tested to the extreme.

From Macmillan:

The Demon Trappers: Forbidden by Jana Oliver (1 Aug)
Riley’s beginning to think being a demon trapper isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Her dad’s been stolen by a necromancer, her boyfriend’s gone all weird and she’s getting warm and fuzzy feelings for someone who’s seriously bad news. It’s tempting to give it all up and try to be normal, but that’s not an option.

Because the demons have plans for Riley.

And they’re not the only ones.

Library Loot (2.5) & review copies

A big thank-you to all the publishers (and my postman!) who've sent out books this week. So many exciting titles.



Library

Doctor Who: The Way Through the Woods by Una McCormack
‘As long as people have lived here, they've gone out of their way to avoid the woods...’

Two teenage girls disappear into an ancient wood, a foreboding and malevolent presence both now and in the past. The modern motorway bends to avoid it, as did the old Roman road. In 1917 the Doctor and Amy are desperate to find out what’s happened to Rory, who’s vanished too.

But something is waiting for them in the woods. Something that’s been there for thousands of years. Something that is now waking up.

Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel by Jonathan Morris
‘The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn’t want to live there.’

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: “You can save her.”

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.

Review

Panic: The Ultimate Edition by Jeff Abbott (ATOM, out now?)
Evan Casher had a perfect life: great parents, his first girlfriend and a huge online following for his films. But when he comes home from school to find his father missing and his mother dead, Evan's going to learn the hard way that the people he trusted most were the people he knew least. And that a 16 year old boy might be the only one that can bring a murderer to justice.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (ATOM, out now)
Nailer's time is running out. He's getting too big for his work ? stripping copper wire from old oil tankers ? and once he's off the crew he's on his own, stuck in a shack on the beach with no food, no money and no way of earning his keep. He has one last chance. The thing all crew members dream about, a lucky strike, has hit in the shape of a clipper ship beached during the last hurricane. If he can hold off the rest of the scavengers long enough to get the oil out, he might just have a future. But oil's not the only thing on the ship. And what Nailer finds is going to change his life forever.

Dragon's Oath by PC & Kristin Cast (ATOM, 12 July)
The all-new House of Night Novellas will delve into the backgrounds of some of the Tulsa House of Night's most important - and mysterious - professors. Beginning with Dragon Lankford, DRAGON'S OATH tells the story of the House of Night's formidable fencing instructor and warrior, whose mercy for one beast in the past will come back to haunt him in the future.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (ATOM, 26 July)
You're an alpha, a leader. That's what we need. It's what we've always needed. When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack - and the boy - she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.

Legend by Marie Lu (Puffin, 1 Dec)
The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history ....

Born into the slums of the Republic's Lake sector, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Day has no choice; he must steal it.

Born to an elite family in the wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered during a break-in at the plague hospital.

Only one person could be responsible.

Day.

And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.

The truth they'll uncover will become legend.

The first in an epic dystopian trilogy and a brilliant reimagining of Les Misérables.

Lottie Biggs is not Tragic by Hayley Long (Macmillan Children's Books, 5 Aug)
Just when things were starting to look up for Lottie her life's gone a bit pear-shaped, wonk-ways and downside up again. Her mum's all soppy over a bloke with a horrible shemo* daughter, her best pal Goose has disappeared in a cloud of nerd-gas and Lottie's in the midst of an existential crisis. There's only one thing to do - get the hell out of Cardiff and go on the road with the gorgeous Gareth Stingecombe (and his manly thighs). But things don’t go to plan, and Lottie starts to realise she might have been a bit me me me lately. . .

*a female emo, obviously

Everlasting by Alyson Noel (Macmillan Children's Books, out now)
With 3.2 million copies of her Immortals series in print, Alyson Noël is one of the hottest paranormal teen authors writing today. EVERLASTING is the sixth and final instalment of the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears—all in the hope of being together forever. Now in EVERLASTING, their destiny is finally within reach.

Will they be united . . . or torn apart forever? Readers will finally discover the truth in this anxiously awaited conclusion!

Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling (OUP Oxford, Sep) (:))))))) & signed!
What do you do when your soulmate turns out to be a thief? Steal her, of course. Phoenix was raised within the Community, a gang of thieves with paranormal powers, under the control of a harsh master known as the Seer. The notion that there's a soulmate out there for every person with a paranormal gift is mere myth in Phoenix's world. That is until the Seer gives Phoenix the details of her next target, Yves Benedict. He's more than just her next victim, he is her destiny. To be together, Phoenix must break away from the Community but resistance against the Seer puts them both in mortal danger. Phoenix has never trusted anyone before, now it's time to trust Yves with her life

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Hodder & Stoughton, 29 Sep)
There once was a young artist called Karou who drew tales of monsters and demons that delighted and enthralled those around her.

But she has a secret, a secret that ties her to a dusty subterranean chamber, where her beloved guardian brokers dark deals in a place that is not here. A place that is Elsewhere.

Living with one foot in each world, Karou has never really known which one is her true home.

Now the doors to Elsewhere closing . . .

Library Loot (2.4) & review copy

Library

Too Much Trouble by Tom Avery
"Get out, Emmanuel!" growled my uncle. "Take your brother and go." But where can two boys go when they're on their own, on the run, with little money or food? All 12-year-old Emmanuel knows is that he has to look after Prince. They were his father's last words to him. On the train to London, Em and Prince have no idea where they will end up - but then they meet the mysterious Mr Green and his "friends". And that's when things start to spin out of control...

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
If you had a second chance at first love . . . would you take it?

It’s been three years since Adam’s love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it . . . and three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
With the intrigue of Memento and the romance of The Time-Traveller's Wife, Forgotten is the perfect YA novel. Here's the thing about me: I can see the future in flashes, like memories. But my past is a blank. I remember what I'll wear tomorrow, and an argument that won't happen until this afternoon. But I don't know what I ate for dinner last night. I get by with the help of notes, my mom and my best friend Jamie, and the system works ...Until now. Everything's falling apart. Jamie's going of the rails. My mom is lying to me. And I can't see the boy I adore in my future. But today, I love him. And I never want to forget how much ...Forgotten is the story of a girl for whom yesterday is lost, today is an adventure, and tomorrow is a memory. An unforgettable read.

Review

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (29 September, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer’s identity.

“Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery…

Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Library Loot (2.2 & 2.3) & review copies

Library

Angel Kiss by Laura Jane Cassidy
Jacki King is fifteen and adjusting to her new life in a small village. She’s missing Dublin but she’s making new friends: artistic Colin, feisty Emily – and Nick, gorgeous yet unavailable.

But no sooner is Jacki settled than the torturous headaches and nightmares begin – followed by strange visions, voices and signs…

Jacki refuses to believe that something paranormal is happening. But then she discovers the unsolved murder that occurred in the village years before . . .

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (I still haven't read #2, so no blurb for fear of spoilers :))


The Twilight Saga: the official illustrated guide by Stephenie Meyer (one to dip into it)

Review

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess (Puffin, 1 Sep)
Everyone says fourteen-year-old BILLIE is nothing but trouble. A fighter. A danger to her family and friends.

But her care worker sees someone different.

Her classmate ROB is big, strong; he can take care of himself and his brother.

But his violent stepdad sees someone to humiliate.

And CHRIS is struggling at school; he just doesn't want to be there.

But his dad sees a useless no-hoper.

Billie, Rob and Chris each have a story to tell. But there are two sides to every story, and the question is . . . who do you believe?

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn-Childs (Templar, 1 July)
When a mermaid has her first kiss, she 'bonds' for life with the person she kisses. For Lily, a mermaid princess living in secret on land, this means she has ended up accidentally bonded to her obnoxious neighbour, instead of to the boy of her dreams. So begins a tidal wave of relationship drama, as Lily discovers that happily-ever-after never goes as smoothly as you plan it to.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Corgi Childrens, 7 July)
A spooky, electrifying love story.

Amy Goodnight's family are far from normal. She comes from a long line of witches, and grew up surrounded by benevolent spirits and kitchen spells. All fairly harmless, but Amy can't wait to get to college and escape the "family business".

But things take a darker turn when she and her sister Phin spend the summer looking after Aunt Hyacinth's ranch. Amy is visited by a midnight spectre who is clearly trying to send her a message. It seems that the discovery of an old grave on a neighbour's land has been the catalyst for an apparent ghost uprising.

Aided by local friends and Ben, the handsome cowboy who just can't take his eyes off Amy, the sisters investigate. And they soon find that there's something strange and dangerous going on, deep in the heart of Texas...

The Devil Walks by Anne Fine (Doubleday Childrens, 7 July)
'The devil walks . . . But the devil can make no headway if he has no help. We must invite him in . . .'

Raised in secrecy by a mother everyone thinks has gone mad, Daniel’s only link to his past is the intricately built model of the family home – High Gates. The dolls’ house is perfect in every detail.

As Daniel is reunited with the last remaining member of his family - his Uncle Severn, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a sinister wooden doll he has found hidden in the house - he begins to suspect that this vicious, haunted puppet of a figure has a chilling influence, bringing cruelty and spite in its wake.

Now Daniel's very life is at risk as his uncle is determined to get his hands on the figure . . .

The menace builds throughout in this deliciously creepy Gothic tale by award-winning author Anne Fine.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison (Mira Ink, out now)
Can death be a fresh start? They say that before you die your life flashes before you re eyes. You think it's going to be the good stuff every kiss, every party. Don't count on it. I was Bridget Duke the uncontested ruler of the school. If keeping the wannabes in their place meant being a mean girl, then so be it! I never thought there d be a price to pay. Until the accident. Now, trapped between life and death, I'm seeing my world in a new light: through the eyes of five people whose existence I've made hell. And I've got one chance to make things right. If I don't, I may never wake up again...

Passion by Lauren Kate (audio book) - out now

Dark Touch: Betrayal by Amy Meredith (red Fox, out now)
A hot new boyfriend. Prom just round the corner. And not a demon in sight . . .

Things have never been better for Eve Evergold, Deepdene’s kick-ass witch.

But when things seem too good to be true, they usually are. An evil far greater than Eve has ever

known is at work in Deepdene – and it’s hell-bent on turning her closest friends against her.

This time, it looks like Eve is going to have to face her demons alone . . .

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (Corgi Childrens, out now)
Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects – the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Library Loot (2.1) & review copies

As I've missed a few weeks of Library Loot posts, I'm restarting my numbering system and as it's almost two years since I started this blog then I'm going with 2.1.

Next week I'm focusing on "young crime solvers", to coincide with national crime writing week and there'll be a bumper prize of crime fiction titles to be won at the end of the week.


Library

The Case of the Ruby Necklace by Alex Carter (Hoping to review this next week)
FOUR best friends * ONE priceless necklace * And an actress with TWO personalities...

For Lauren and her friends, living in a luxury London hotel definitely has its perks... Like getting to meet the glamorous Isabella Duval when the megastar checks into Mayfair Park’s exclusive Ruby Suite.

But it seems that there are two sides to their famous guest.

Can the girls find out which is the real Isabella... and which is the act?

Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Prince of Darkness by Tim Collins (prep for Diary theme at my children's reading group)
In his latest hilarious diary, Nigel starts the new term as one of the most popular pupils in school, and he's finally got a girlfriend after more than eighty years of being single. But his life soon unravels when a new pupil, Jason, joins the school, and has his sights set firmly on Nigel's girlfriend. Oh, and did we mention that Jason is a werewolf? Vampire and werewolf go head to head in the pursuit of love ...with hilarious consequences!

Doctor Who: Hunter's Moon by Paul Finch
‘There's no end to the horror in this place - it's like Hell, and there are devils round every corner.’

On Leisure Platform 9 gamblers and villains mix with socialites and celebrities. It’s a place where you won’t want to win the wrong game.

With Rory kidnapped by a brutal crime lord, the Doctor and Amy infiltrate a deadly contest where fugitives become the hunted. But how long before they realise the Doctor isn’t a vicious mercenary and discover what Amy is up to? It’s a game that can only end in death, and time for everyone is running out.

Rockaholic by C J Skuse
Jody loves Jackson Gatlin. At his only UK rock concert, she's right at the front. But when she's caught in the crush and carried back stage she has more than concussion to contend with. Throw in a menacing manager, a super-wired super-star, and a curly-wurly, and she finds herself taking home more than just a poster. It's the accidental kidnapping of the decade. But what happens if you've a rock-god in your garage who doesn't want to leave Jody's stuck between a rock-idol and a hard place! From the pen of C.J. Skuse, author of 2010's super cool debut Pretty Bad Things, comes a tale of rock star obsession gone nuts.

Review

Wolf Blood by N M Browne (4th July, Bloomsbury)
A Celtic warrior girl is held captive and enslaved by a rival tribe. When fever takes her only friend she knows she must escape, but she runs straight into the path of two Roman foot soldiers. Thinking they will kill a warrior instantly, the girl disguises herself as a beggar and asks to share their fire. Using her gift as a seer she discovers that one of the soldiers is not what he seems. Celtic blood courses through his veins too, but there is something else. He is a shapeshifter - a Versipellum. He shares his soul with that of the wolf. The girl needs to reach the leader of her dead friend's tribe, and the boy must escape the Romans before they discover his true nature. Their only chance of survival is to help each other. But what will happen when their powers are combined?

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Child (Ist July, Templar)
When a mermaid has her first kiss, she 'bonds' for life with the person she kisses. For Lily, a mermaid princess living in secret on land, this means she has ended up accidentally bonded to her obnoxious neighbour, instead of to the boy of her dreams. So begins a tidal wave of relationship drama, as Lily discovers that happily-ever-after never goes as smoothly as you plan it to.

Gamerunner by B R Collins (4th July, Bloomsbury)
Rick is a Gamerunner. His job is to test there are no glitches or bugs in The Maze - the computer game that is much more than just a computer game. In The Maze you physically become your avatar. You fight, run and loot, all the time avoiding the deadly slicing traps - whirling blades that appear from nowhere. Rick has known nothing outside The Maze and his life at the headquarters of Crater, the company that created The Maze. When Rick's father falls out of favour and Rick is faced with being thrown out of Crater HQ into the outside world - a world of flesh-dissolving acid rain and ferocious, feral roving gangs - Rick has some life-changing decisions to make ...

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs (4th July, Bloomsbury)
Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home, continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark, and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kona, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an other-worldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her - and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

David by Mary Hoffman (for blog tour in July) (4th July, Bloomsbury)
Michelangelo's statue of David is renowned all over the world. Thousands flock to Florence to admire the artistry behind this Renaissance masterpiece, and to admire the beauty of the human form captured in the marble. But the identity of the model for this statue that has been so revered for over five hundred years has been lost ...In this epic story Mary Hoffman uses her persuasive narrative skills to imagine the story of Gabriele, an eighteen-year-old who, by becoming Michelangelo's model, finds himself drawn into a world of spies, politicking, sabotage and murder. Set against the backdrop of Florence, this is a rich, colourful and thrilling tale.


The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence (review will be up next week) (2nd June, Orion Childrens)
When desperados kill a preacher and his wife in a small frontier town, their foster child P.K. is forced to go on the run. P.K. must get a valuable letter to the Recorder’s Office before anyone else can get their hands on it. It’s not easy: Virginia City in 1862 is a glorified mining camp on a barren mountain above a great vein of silver. Seething with miners below ground and hustlers above, it’s a dangerous place, full of gamblers, hurdy girls, saloon-keepers and gunmen, all of them on the make. When twelve year-old P.K. Pinkerton arrives there, homeless, penniless and hunted, things don’t look good. But armed with a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter and a knack for disguises, P.K. takes on the tricksters and desperados who are out to get him and he finds possible allies: Sam Clemens, the new reporter for the paper, a gambler called ‘Poker Face Jace’ who knows how to tell if someone is bluffing, a derringer-packing Soiled Dove, and a Chinese photographer’s apprentice called Ping.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (23rd August, Puffin)
We are the last defence.

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened to John Smith. To the world he's a mystery, but to me ... he's one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us, if we all still believe in our mission.

There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another, but our Legacies are developing and soon we'll be ready to fight. Is John Number Four - and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who might be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio ... and failed. I am Number Seven. And I'm ready to fight.

The Mystery of the Whistling Caves by Helen Moss (will aim to review for next week but first copy went awol in post) (7th July, Orion Childrens)
When Scott and Jack Carter have to stay with their great aunt for the summer they steel themselves for the most boring holiday ever. But then they meet Emily Wild and her loveable dog, Drift. Emily shows them the lighthouse, the castle - and the amazing whistling caves. Legend has it that when the caves stop whistling the castle will be attacked - and that's exactly what happens! Priceless treasures are stolen and Emily and the boys are determined to investigate. But how was the treasure smuggled out of the castle? Why did the caves stop whistling? And can the friends solve the mystery in time to catch the thief? The first in an exciting new adventure series - with five more gripping mysteries to come!

Operation Black Cobra by Ilkka Remes (2nd June, Andersen)
Luke Baron has agreed to buy a fake driving licence from a girl he’s just met online. But when he realises he’s made a big mistake and tries to back out, he discovers that Gemma Dolan is in serious trouble with her criminal dad. Trying to protect her, he gets caught up in a terrifying plot to attack an armed nuclear convoy. Who’s behind it and what do they want? Luke is starting to like Gemma, but should he trust her? And can he stop the catastrophe that threatens to engulf London, the UK and the world?

Wuthering Hearts by Kay Woodward (hope to tie this in with a reading group session on Wuthering Heights) (7th July, Andersen)
Passion, the Yorkshire moors, a wild and handsome stranger . . . sound familiar?

When Robert arrives in town with his dark good looks and mysterious background, Emily has a huge crush! It’s almost enough to take her mind off this year’s school play . . . miserable, wailing Wuthering Heights.

But Robert is no prince, with his black moods and fierce temper. The beautiful untamed moors would be the perfect backdrop to their fiery romance, if only Emily could work it out.

On stage or off stage, will Emily ever be the Cathy to his Heathcliff?

Library Loot (94 & 95) & review copies

Sorry about the poor quality picture this week. Not sure why it went a bit wrong!



Library

Kiss Me Deadly Anthology by Trisha Telep (ed)
I got this as I discovered that there is a Forest of Hands and Teeth story in it. And no doubt lots of other good stories in it.
Full of dark seduction and modern romance, this short story collection presents a variety of talented voices sure to satisfy every werewolf, ghost, fallen angel, zombie, and shape shifter's dark desires. For those fresh-blooded teens of paranormal romance, this collection of 13 short stories follows-up the Running Press Teen title "The Eternal Kiss". Paranormal creatures like werewolves, ghosts, shape shifters, and fallen angels round out the characters in these forbidden paranormal relationships.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Lauren Kate's irresistible first novel, THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE, features the most ruthlessly ambitious heroine since Lady Macbeth. Natalie is utterly determined to cement her position at the top of the high school social ladder by becoming prom queen. When it looks like an interfering ex-boyfriend might get in her way, she devises a little prank to humiliate him. But when the prank goes devastatingly wrong, Natalie starts to lose control of her life. Caught in a web of dark secrets, shame and abuse of power, it's not guilt that eventually defeats Natalie. It's fate: the only thing she can't control . . .

Inside Out by Maria V Snyder
Keep your head down. Don't get noticed. Or else. I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous - the only neck at risk is my own. Until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution...

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

Picked up at London Book Fair

The Rabbit Girl by Mary Arrigan (out now, Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
What is the secret of Mallie's picture? The mystery unfolds as evacuees Tony and Alice escape the terrors of London's Blitz for the Lake District, where they befriend a fascinating and fearless old lady. Many years later, an after-school job in a pet shop enables well-meaning Mallie to buy her mum a drawing of a girl with a rabbit. Could this old picture bring past and present together - and change Mallie's life?

D4rk Inside by Jeyn Roberts (!!!) (2 Sep, Macmillan Children's Books)
Moments after several huge earthquakes shake every continent on Earth, something strange starts happening to some people. Michael can only watch in horror as an incidence of road rage so extreme it ends in two deaths unfolds before his eyes; Clementine finds herself being hunted through the small town she has lived in all her life, by people she has known all her life; and Mason is attacked with a baseball bat by a random stranger. An inner rage has been released and some people cannot fight it. For those who can, life becomes an ongoing battle to survive - at any cost!

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen - now it's our turn!

Review

Divine Freaks by Fiona Dunbar (just after I'd spotted it in Tesco) Out officially 5 May from Orchard
"Hey, I'm Kitty Slade. Just your average, normal girl, doing, you know, normal stuff. Got a brother (annoying), a sister (quite annoying) and a grandma (she's awesome).
Oh yeah, and one more thing. I can see dead people."

When a ghost turns up in her biology classroom, only one thing's for sure - Kitty Slade's life is about to get freaky...

Montacute House by Lucy Jago (3rd May, Bloomsbury)
Cess works caring for the chickens at Montacute House but on her thirteenth birthday everything changes. She finds a precious locket hidden in the chicken coop and is convinced someone has placed it there for her to find. But the day is overshadowed by fear as a boy's body is found by the river, and then when William disappears, Cess is accused by the villagers of bewitching her best friend. Cess is determined to find William and prove the villagers wrong, but is soon embroiled in a plot that threatens her world and forces Cess to draw on powers she never knew she possessed, powers that will place her life in danger if they are discovered by the villagers. Witchcraft, politics and religious ambition combine in this gripping and wonderfully realised novel set in the Somerset of the 1500s.