"Just One Damned Thing After Another" by Jodi Taylor is a thrilling and captivating time-travel adventure that takes readers on a wild and unpredictable journey through history. With its unique blend of humour, action, and historical intrigue, this book offers a refreshing take on the time-travel genre.

The story follows the protagonist, Dr. Madeleine Maxwell (Max), as she joins St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research. This institution specializes in time travel “investigating major historical events in contemporary time”. Max quickly discovers that life at St. Mary's is anything but ordinary, as she finds herself thrust into one chaotic situation after another.

Jodi Taylor's writing style is witty, engaging, and fast-paced. The narrative is filled with humour and clever dialogue, making it a joy to read. The characters are well-developed and endearing. Max, in particular, is a delightful protagonist with her sarcastic wit and fearless nature, making her instantly relatable to readers.

What sets this book apart from other time-travel stories is its focus on historical accuracy and attention to detail. Jodi Taylor demonstrates a deep knowledge and passion for history, seamlessly incorporating real events into the narrative. The author's ability to vividly describe historical settings and the atmosphere of different time periods is commendable and adds a layer of authenticity to the story.

Moreover, "Just One Damned Thing After Another" is not just a series of historical escapades but also explores deeper themes such as the consequences of time travel, the importance of preserving history, and the impact of one's actions on the timeline. It raises thought-provoking questions about the ethics and responsibility that come with the power to alter the past.

In conclusion, it is a delightful and entertaining read for fans of time travel, history, and adventure. Jodi Taylor's clever writing style, well-developed characters, and meticulous attention to historical detail make this book a must-read for anyone seeking a unique and engaging time-travel experience. Prepare to be whisked away on an exciting and chaotic journey through time.



There are now 15 books (plus 4 spin offs) in this series, so if you like to start at the beginning and get stuck into a great series-this is the one for you. 

Live and Laugh with Dementia looks at the practical steps you can take while caring for a loved one with Dementia to help them maintain their self-identity and experience happiness.

It encourages you to continue to build your relationship with your loved one and create opportunities for meaningful  and engaging activities. The book takes you through putting together a picture of how your loved one currently interacts with the world (their concentration, sight, hearing, abilities), in addition to the things to take into consideration to provide activities that will be enjoyed by your loved one.

You can read numerous case studies and find ideas for activities, both in the home and out of the home, to access. I found the reflection sections of the book particularly useful. 

While this topic can be sad and difficult to discuss, this book leaves you feeling more in control and with a clear path to provide activities for your loved one. 

You can pick up a “Books on Prescription - Dementia'' leaflet in the library, which details many books available from the library to provide information about Dementia. 

Evan Smoak, caught? Impossible… I was utterly surprised when the story took this turn. Long standing fans of the series will know that Evan always outsmarts law enforcement agencies and leaves them baffled. Hurwitz lays out the scene brilliantly with Evan battling an armed assault team, tactical vehicles, helicopters and a very determined agent Templeton. All this so the president can speak with Evan? An ultimatum is issued - help the president or lose his presidential pardon. Even though his pardon is on the line, killing someone for no reason goes against Evan's carefully crafted and meticulously upheld code of conduct.

On investigating, Evan discovers a link to an unsolved murder or a young man. Could the president’s target be involved - it would solve the moral dilemma.

I have enjoyed seeing the character growth of Evan Smoak over the 8 Orphan X novels. With Mia and her son Peter, we see Evan’s caring side towards someone else other than Joey, his fellow orphan. 

I would highly recommend this series if you are a fan of the Jack Reacher (Lee Child) or Lucas Davenport (John Sandford) series.

I enjoyed reading "The Rules of Seeing"; a story about Nova, having life changing surgery to enable her to see. No amount of descriptive words can prepare Nova for seeing things like faces and windows for the first time. As Nova navigates this new world, she compiles a list of rules:
Rule 1 starts off with the basics: "If object A occludes object B, object A is closer than object B". By rule 36, we are staring to realise just how shocking some things may be to people who have not seen them before: "smoke looks alive - twisting and puffing itself up like a grey snake - don't be afraid."

Nova meets Kate, who is trying to unravel a piece of her memory that is missing. She can't see but in a different way. Kate is desperately trying to remember what happened and what was on that damned square of paper, which lead to her falling, hitting her head and losing her memory.

Kate and Nova's relationship is a beautiful story of friendship and love. Nova's list of rules reaches 400 by the end of the book and Nova and Kate face up to Kate's past together.

This wonderfully original story is definitely worth a read!

A long-awaited return for Eva Rice fans-and it doesn’t disappoint. Set in London in 1990, this evocative new book will have you searching for your Walkman (and maybe then to Google to brush up on your music chart knowledge!). For those of you familiar with Rice’s style of writing, this is in the same vein as previous books. A young woman, lonely but not alone, finds meaning in new friends, and belief in her corner of London.

The setting may be less glamorous than the romantic country house in The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets, but the informative writing kept my attention-the nuggets of local historical facts really adding interest to the plot. For February, the heroine, living in the shadow of her late sister the fashion model, life is hard - almost impossible. Somehow, with the help of family and new friends, she finds a way to survive, perhaps even thrive, as her understanding and acceptance of herself and the world around her changes.

If you enjoy Curtis Sittenfeld and JoJo Moyes you’ll like this.

Courttia Newland is a black, British author whose first novel, Scholar, shone a light on marginalised, disaffected Afro-Caribbean, urban youth. The Gospel According to Cane features a similar group of youngsters but the book’s central character is Beverly Cottrell, whose life fell apart 20 years ago, when her baby son, Malaky, was abducted. Grief costs Bev her marriage and her job and she ends up living in a tiny flat on a sink estate, volunteering as a teacher of creative writing at an after-school club for disadvantaged children. Her only friends are her elderly neighbour, Ida, her former therapist, Sue, and Seth – the policeman who investigated her son’s disappearance. Seth and Bev are occasional lovers though the relationship is complicated and full of guilt on both sides. But Bev’s anchor and reason for living is the young people she teaches. She is tormented by dreams about her family’s past in Barbados and their terrible secret and wonders if pain can be passed down through the generations.

One day a young man knocks on her door claiming to be her lost son. Uncertain whether she dares to believe it, the two of them gradually establish a rapport and he moves in with her. But those around her are not as eager to believe as she is.

It is written as diary entries in Bev’s journal and because of this, we experience the unfolding events through her eyes, sharing her visceral response to the loss of her son and his supposed reappearance. It’s a haunting, original, often painful but ultimately uplifting read and Courttia Newland is a talented writer who gives voice to a community that does not feature in fiction often enough.

White Oleander is the flower that Ingrid Magnussen uses to poison her cheating lover. It is also a metaphor that runs through the book - beauty can be deadly and the deadly can be seductive. Ingrid is a poet. Eccentric, artistic, original, charming and fascinating, she nurtures her daughter, Astrid’s artistic side. But she is also egotistical, manipulative, domineering and self-absorbed and it is only after she is imprisoned for murder that Astrid begins to see how twisted and selfish her mother really is.

Aged just twelve, Astrid is sent to live with a succession of foster parents. The first, a former stripper and reformed drug addict, ends up shooting Astrid. At another, she is savaged by dogs. The next are racists who use her as an unpaid babysitter and reject her when she befriends a black neighbour. Her next starves her and Astrid resorts to eating from garbage bins. She is then placed with an ideal couple who encourage her interest in art. But Ingrid, a constant and malignant presence despite her incarceration, interferes and it ends in tragedy. 

The novel is poetically and beautifully written and, through all the terrible events that befall her, we see Astrid, determined to survive, growing in confidence and developing her identity. Ingrid’s attempts to maintain control over Astrid from prison culminate in asking her daughter to testify that she did not commit the murder. The danger and malevolence of Ingrid is a constant thread through the novel. Her manipulations and self-regard are like the poison of White Oleander, beautiful and intoxicating, but ultimately, deadly. 

Jade City is the award-winning first volume in the Green Bone Saga, about a crime family from an East Asian-inspired city on an island where jade confers super-powers on the martial-arts trained citizens.

Combining fantasy action, political scheming, and family drama, this book (and series) will have you on the edge of your sofa, with Game of Thrones-style twists and turns in a unique and full-realised setting. The characters are real and flawed and will draw you into the equally real – and flawed – world Fonda Lee has created, which echoes our own just enough to make you feel instantly at home, while their struggles will have you anxiously turning pages long into the night.

Even though this book was published in 2009, I found it a story I could easily relate to given the current popularity of decluttering and minimalist living. I can’t help but wonder if Lou Winter is the original Marie Kondo?

Lou, who is held back by her ordinary life, by chance reads an article in an old magazine while waiting at the dentist. It promises that life is a wonder, once you are free of clutter in your home. Lou goes about decluttering her home and soon is having to hire skips to take away years of items stored in her home. Lou’s marriage takes strain, as her husband can’t understand why clearing out a cupboard filled with junk is more important than making him breakfast. But Lou’s mind is made up - it is all going!

What Lou discovers as she lets go of thousands of items is that the light airy spaces she is creating in her home are creating space in her heart to heal painful emotions. She rekindles a precious friendship and makes way for her dreams to come true. 

Who would have thought one article could change your life?

Not everyone knows that Carrie Fisher, of Princess Leia fame, was also a brilliant novelist.  Surrender the Pink is her second novel. 

Successful screenwriter, Dinah Kaufmann can’t get over her ex-husband, Rudy Gendler.  Rudy is a brilliant playwright but a terrible husband.  But Dinah, who has a history of failed relationships with men going right back to her mostly absent father, sees him as her one true love.  When he turns up in L.A. where she is working on a TV soap opera and tells her he’s met Miss Right and plans to remarry, Dinah can’t let it go.  Her attempts to win him back grow increasingly desperate and ill-conceived and include hiding in the boot cupboard of his holiday cottage and contriving to run into the couple at every opportunity.

The writing is taut, witty and original.  Her prose is vivid and economical.  Her intelligence and unique viewpoint on life and relationship crackles off the page.  Dinah’s quest grows increasingly ridiculous and her obsession, more and more insane and is mirrored by the plot of the soap opera she is writing featuring thinly disguised versions of herself and Rudy.  It’s both comic and sad.  Dinah can be both blisteringly insightful and painfully deluded often at the same time and her behaviour becomes increasingly divorced from reality.  It’s a cracking read that will make you laugh as much as it makes you think.  This is writing at it’s best, smart, funny, moving and creative, it’s a gripping and unique read.

When Chase Andrews is found dead in the marsh of Barkly Cove, everyone automatically suspects Kya, “the marsh girl”. This story is as beautiful and heartening as it is heartbreaking. The story of the trial is interwoven heavily with the life of Kya Clark, who, as a little girl watched her family leave her one-by-one, until she was alone and raising herself, learning from the nature in the marsh and be-friended by the local shop owner Jumpin and his wife Mabel (the only person who Kya allowed to hug her as a child). 

As she grows up, two young men from the town are intrigued by her. Tate Walker, who she has known from childhood and Chase Andrews. Kya turns her love of the marsh into her livelihood, creating books and illustrations about the plant life and animals there. She is away, speaking to a publisher when Chase Andrews is murdered… 

I listened to this book through the Borrow Box app, which can be downloaded to any android, apple or kindle device. Using your library card you can access the library’s catalogue of e-books and audiobooks for free. 

Revisiting the world of the great gentleman detective Lord Peter Wimsey is like meeting an old friend - familiar and reliable. Ms Paton-Walsh captures Sayers essence so well in this continuation of the lives of Peter and Harriet et al.

Summoned to Oxford to be both judge and jury, Wimsey discovers a tangled web of intrigue, murder and a missing person - the Master of the college no less. I found myself both entertained and educated as the plot thickened, and a desire to learn more about some of the niche subjects referred to (incunabula* anyone?!)

*Incunabula are the books/manuscripts from the earliest stages of printing from movable type -pre 1500.

We learn the fate of characters featured in the original series, as well as hear of the adventures of the next generations of Wimsey and Bunter offspring. I highly recommend this for all fans of classic whodunnits. Set in the mid-1950’s, Paton-Walsh brings to life post-war England and the insular world of Oxford colleges as well as Sayers did in her earlier novels. The Attenbury Emeralds is another Paton-Walsh book featuring Wimsey and Harriet that I would recommend. For fans of Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie this brave continuation ticks all the boxes.

May Smith’s diaries begin on the eve of war. Like all young women she cares about clothes, makeup, going-out and, of course, boys. She has two suitors: Dougie, a farmer from Norfolk and Freddie, her tennis partner who takes her to the “flicks” (cinema) and tea at Lyons Corner House. She lives with her family in Derbyshire and teaches in a primary school – a job which, in war time, comes with extra responsibilities. She helps find temporary homes for evacuees from London and sees her class size double because of them. She teaches her pupils to identify enemy planes and coaches them through air raid drill. When the phoney war is over and regular bombing raids begin, she keeps them calm and entertained in the cold and damp shelter.

It's a vivid and detailed account of life on the home front. How ordinary people dealt with rationing and shortages, queuing up for hours because there’s a rumour that the butcher has sausages and how grateful the family is for Dougie’s Christmas gift of a chicken. May worries about eeking out her clothing coupons, running out of money for stockings and the scarcity of quality underwear and often goes to work exhausted because her sleep is disturbed by bombing raids. She writes with humour and honesty and in spite of the growing disruption to daily life and the rising list of casualties among her circle, never loses her optimism.

I have been a long standing fan of the Orphan X series, which sees Evan Smoak help those who have nowhere else to turn, often embroiled in situations that are made of nightmares and impossible to navigate. Smoak is cold and calculating in exacting justice for those he helps. Bringing to life Smoak’s crystal clear analytical skills and clinical OCD, the fight scenes in the entire series are detailed, crisp and enthralling.

Dark Horse sees a shift in Smoak, who uncharacteristically agrees to help the leader of a Mexican cartel after his beautiful and kind daughter is kidnapped. He is constantly pulled between his agreement to help find the daughter and his intense loathing of the cartel’s activities.  Coupled with his love interest, who is now more involved in his life and anchors him to the unfamiliar feeling of family. For me, this has been a welcome shift as the series continues and we see Smoak in situations we never expected, like meeting his girlfriend’s family and looking after her son when she falls ill. 

As usual, I cannot wait for the next book in the series and would recommend this series to those who enjoy Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series and John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport series.

The Crown Conspiracy

Talented thief Royce Melborn accompanied by Hadrian Blackwater, an equally skilled mercenary, make a name for themselves throughout Elan. Known as Riyria, they are well respected and feared with many claiming them to be nothing more than legend. Travelling as agents-for-hire to the upper the wealthy nobles, until Baron DeWitt comes grovelling to them for aid fearing that he would die. Hadrian agrees and soon both he and Royce are swept up in a royal conspiracy as they become scapegoats for the murder of the King.

Sentenced to death by the mourning new King Alric, distraught by his fathers murder and unwilling to listen to anyone, the two are miraculously saved.

Saved by Princess Arista, who knows that her farther murders still run free and that their blades will soon by aimed at her brother asks them for a favour in return for their lives. Kidnap her brother.

Avempartha

Thrace, a young girl from a poor village travels to the city after a beast has come to her village. Drawn in by light the beast has slaughtered a good number of people including most of Thrace’s family. The beast cannot be killed by normal means, only the sword locked away weapon inside the Avempartha can possibly fell the beast. Unable to convince her father to leave she becomes desperate, under the advice of Mr Haddon to venture to Colnora, taking what little she has she sets out to find someone able to help open the Avempartha and destroy the beat.

Meanwhile Newley appointed Ambassador of Melenger deals with the outcome from The Crown Conspiracy, from the fear and inability to trust anyone. All the while the church plots in the background and political tensions flare.

Friends return but they may longer be the friends they first were.

Theft of Swords book contains both The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. Both stories are an easy read with a simple but enjoyable plot that introduces you to the world. The Crown Conspiracy stands at 311 pages long. It is a good length without dragging out scenes, the action in this book is fast paced and exciting. 

Crown Conspiracy takes its time with world building  through use of religion and myth and at times can be a bit dense with its descriptions of world history. Whereas Avempartha jumps straight into the action. Both stories are a fun and light hearted adventure with likeable characters that keep the story interesting, even with the standard plotline it is an enjoyable read. Altogether the book is over 600 pages long including a glossary of terms and names as well as an interview with the author himself at the back. 

The main characters Royce and Hadrian are a wonderful duo that easily complement each other and the dialogue between them is always a joy to read. Royce is the more serious of the two and views the world more as the glass half empty, which contrasts nicely with Hadrian’s more upbeat look on the world. The side characters are well developed and at tense moments you worry about them. Both stories are fun and light to read, they lack any of the grim or dark nature of stories such as Game of Thrones, but are not for younger readers either. They centre more in the traditional Sword and magic type of books, with wizards and magic swords littered about. Although the villain is predictable there still is enough suspense that it can still leave you guessing if you were right. 

This book is perfect for anyone that wants to read  fun and light fantasy stories to entertain.

Queen Olivia died not long after the birth of her daughter Sophia. She was unable to see what a book smart women she would grow into. Sophia believes that she is adored by her people as she grew in the lap of luxury in Bandon Castle. Kept isolated away by her over protective father from any talk of strife and ignorant to the suffering of her people . This soon comes to an end when talk of Ares’s men swarming the land reaches her ears. Supplies to the village have been cut out of fear of a siege, but this not all the villagers have to contend with as a sickness called the Seep, which drives people mad is also sweeping through the populace. Forced to face the terrible truth of the illusion her father has created about the world as it all comes crashing down, when he is murdered.

But death is not finished with Sophia yet as she finds out that the monsters from her book are very real and she is within their grasp. 

The true question is any of this real.

This book is a quick read at 303 pages long. The chapters are very short very few are longer than 3 pages long. This book is an entertaining dark fantasy novel that is a good crossing point from young adult into adult, with nothing too graphic, but fair warning there is quite a bit of animal cruelty. It can start off very slow but it does pick up near the middle and during the action scenes. It is not heavy with political drama but there is a romantic sub-plot within between Sophia and Raphael. The character development is a bit cookie cutter as Sophia under goes the generic pretty princess into a warrior princess, but it is an enjoyable read for anyone looking for something simple and exciting to read.

I would recommend for anyone looking to move on from YA novels but not jump straight into to adult books.

Local author J.J James has released her debut novel, The Vision Part 1 and it’s an exciting mix of a classic thriller, crime novel and psychic fiction. 

April Lonely has crisp, vivid dreams of a women being murdered. They are disturbing but April does not believe they are anything more than dreams until the local news cover a series of murders in the neighbourhood. April realises she is actually having visions and is compelled to tell the police what has happened. 

When she can recall details of the scenes not released to the public the police suspect her of these murders. This surprises April as one of the detective's is a long standing friend of April and her family. April’s life is thrown into chaos as she tries to learn to control her visions while the neighbourhood turns against her. A stranger defends her in the local supermarket and on talking to him they strike up a friendship, is this kind stranger just that or does he have an ulterior motive to get close to her.

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to Part 2 to see where April’s new found gift takes her.

Paxton’s Eyot, where an old legend of a thief that steals anything and everything ridding away on a winged horse still haunts the land. Magic runs deep within the Kendrick’s family bloodline. Founded over 200 years ago by sisters the family has become a house hold name the world over with their hand crafted dolls. Each doll is embedded with a select emotion that it can pass on to whoever holds it, from bliss and courage to fear and envy. Throughout the years the family grew more and more cagey about keeping the secret of their magic hidden from anyone outside of the family. This has grown to now encompass all female members of the family, reducing their place both within the business and within the family itself leaving them unable to become sorcerers.

Persephone Kendrick longs to join her father and uncle in becoming a sorcerer but with her family unwilling to teach her she must seek out other way to perfect her skills. This comes in the way of Larkin, a stranger that claims he is descended from one of the original doll maker, that died without any children. He wishes to get in contact with  to the family that desires to work with and get to know his family. A family in which many keep secrets from one another and family infighting abound.

After a celebration one of the Kendrick's most prised doll The Paid Mourner is stolen from an nearly impregnable holding and whisked away in the night.  The doll was made by one of the founders and was a magic imbued onto that only a select few truly know.

Everyone is ready to point fingers and relationships will be tested.

The Thief on the Winged Horse is set during the modern era but while reading it the book goes give off a more olde-worlde feel to the world that Mascarenhas has crafted. This book leaning more into the fantasy aspect mixed with crime and romance perfectly blended with a wonderfully gripping plot has you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well developed and enjoyed switching between the three main charters points of view, Persephone, Larkin and Hedwig. I enjoyed Persephone the most as she was an interesting character and it was entertaining to see her growth. The myth surrounding the Thief is fascinating to read and understand how it works and the effects that it has on the story. Similarly the magic system is easy to understand and is fascinating to read about due to its uniqueness. 

The narrative is for the most part is fast paced, but knows when to slow down to allow for the charter relationships to shine through.  Even though this is a fantasy book it is grounded enough that you can both have  a logical take on the book or a realistic take on the book as it leaves much to interpretation of the audience. This is a book which is hard to put down once you start at 390 pages long with simplistic but beautiful style of writing style.

Grief is the Thing with Feathers is not a big book, but it deals with the biggest themes of all – death, loss, grief and, crucially, love. Taking its title from an Emily Dickinson poem the voice of this novel is itself highly poetic yet never inaccessible. Broken up into short chapters told in the voices of the different characters, it is sometimes written as poetry and sometimes as prose larded with imagery and metaphor.

It is, I can promise you, like no novel you have read before. The unnamed protagonist is a widower, bringing up two young sons. Torn between trying to create as normal a life as possible for his boys while at the same time trying to navigate both their and his own grief, he feels overwhelmed, lost, and helpless. He returns to work, writing a book about Ted Hughes, a life-long obsession of his. Consequently, when a man-sized crow forcibly moves into their home, taking on the role of therapist/friend/confessor/protector, it does not seem all that strange.

The language and imagery are visceral and earthy, as suits a scholar of Hughes poetry. The crow is alternately loving and aggressive, sometimes speaking necessary truths and at others, wilfully obscure. He refuses to leave until the family no longer needs him. Though physically absent, the mother’s continued presence in the lives of the family is still tangible. The reader feels her absence and the pain it causes as powerfully as they do. Bereavement and grief are shown in a vivid and accurate way, through tiny details and it all adds up to a moving and original read which you will find hard to forget.

Ash has blackened the world of Scadial for a thousand years. A world which has suffered the same thousand years under the tyrannical control of the Lord Ruler, who rules with an iron fist uprooting and decimating any attempt at revolt from the enslaved Skaa population.

Despite all this, hope for a new dawn still feeds the fire of rebellion deep within the hearts of many. One such being is Keisier, a master thief and con man with a silver tongue, he concocts a plot to undermine the Lord Ruler and is eager to gather together a group to help take down the Lord Ruler once and for all; by any means necessary. One such member of Keisier group is the young street urchin Vin. Once thought to be nothing more than a common thief it is revealed that she holds the power of a Misborn. Keisier takes her under his wing in order to help her with developing her these Allomatic Powers; which allows her the ability to burn metals and convert them into abilities such as super strength, enhancing her senses and even have telekinesis over metals.

Together they must overcome the many difficulties in order to secure their success. 

The first of the Mistborn Books, The Final Empire is a spectacular introduction to the world that Sanderson has masterfully crafted. At over 640 pages long The Final Empire is a long book but Sanderson writing style is simple and elegant so you never feels as if the book is dragging on. It is used effectively to keep the reader compelled through the use of world building and characters. You can see young Vin transform a scared young girl full of self-doubt, fear and mistrust at the world into a confident and powerful person. Over the course of the book you are introduced to a number a wild and varied members, each with their own gifts, and it is a joy to see the relationships grow and develop between the characters. One of the best parts of the book is the use of Allomatic powers and how people burn metals within themselves to augment their power. Leading to fun and exhilarating fight scenes as deep emotional investment over the clashes between our protagonists and antagonists.

I would recommend this book to people that enjoy Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb.

Tess’ young daughter, Poppy, is fiercely joyful despite the upheaval of her parents separating. Going through a pile of Poppy’s “artwork” Tess comes across a picture of a woman falling from a tower.  The picture is dark and black and very different to Poppy’s other drawings. When asked about the picture Poppy replies “He did kill her.” Poppy’s behavior also changes, she has outbursts of swearing and crying. Tess is convinced Poppy has witnessed something that her young mind is struggling to process. Tess begins trying to unravel what exactly Poppy has witnessed, despite being told by local law enforcement that no crime has been committed. 

A stranger approaches Tess in a restaurant and even though they are adamant that they know Tess and her daughter, she cannot place the woman. A couple of days later this woman is found in front of a block of flats, apparently having fallen from a great height. 

How on earth can this woman be connected to Tess, she has never met her before. How is it that her daughter drew this stranger's fate before it even happened? 

Nicci French creates a story that is as terrifying as it is brilliant. The characters are entirely believable and as the story is set in London, it feels like this mystery is unraveling in a familiar setting.

Michael Rosen is a renowned children’s author, poet and former children’s laureate. His work is known and loved by generations of children and his writing is accessible and simple thus allowing him to discuss serious themes not usually featured in literature for children, such as the book he wrote about bereavement after his teenaged son, Eddie, died of meningitis. In The Missing, he explores the story of his father’s “missing uncles”.

Rosen was born in London into a Jewish family in 1946. Throughout his childhood the older generation would occasionally speak about his father’s uncles, Oscar and Martin. Though most of the family had emigrated to America, the two brothers had remained in France and no-one knew what had become of them. It was presumed they had died in the war. Through piecing together snippets of information from family documents and via research Michael is able to discover that both died at Auschwitz.

Though not a children’s book, it is written in a direct, simple style which means that adults and children alike can understand it. Interspersed throughout are Michael’s poems, written in response to his memories and as a way of expressing and exploring his feelings about his discoveries. With vividly drawn portraits of his family and poignant descriptions of the fate of the missing uncles Rosen’s book documents the sadness and loss of the Holocaust and its impact on his own family and the wider society. 

Having spend 10 years in the secluded in the remote Ynys Wydryn monastery, a young novice monk named Galahad prepares to take his sacred oaths. Hidden safely away from the horrors of war invoked by the invading Saxons bands that plague England. Till one night he meets two strangers, a young woman by the name of Iselle, a skilled archer, who saves his life and an old friend of his father’s, Gwaine. Pulled away from his normal life he must set out on a quest to save England. With the Lady Guinevere trapped between life and death Arthur Pendragon is willing to take his place as rightful king and free England from the tyranny of Saxon oppression. It is up to Galahad, Iselle and the ruminate of Arthur’s knights and court to find Merlin and restore the Lady Guinevere. Along the way Galahad will have to grapple with the his fathers legacy and his place in the world all the while dealing with the Saxon threat.

Giles Kristian writes his own unique spin on the classical Arthurian legends surrounding Camelot and the knights of the round table. This book has wonderful story telling. Rather than rehash old Arthurian stories instead Kristian gives his own new fresh spin on events. The characters are interesting to follow through their journey. Arthur now a broken man and still loves his wife even after her betrayal and the effect it has on his ability to carry on with life; Iselle a young woman that wishes to see England free from Saxon control with a mysterious past and Galahad a wonderful written character and it is a joy to read the events of the narrative from his perspective. As a young man that feels as if he is drowning by the weight and expectant placed upon him due to his father’s legacy, but over time becomes a man of equal legend. Although a typical fish out of water character development Kristian is able to keep the audience invested throughout. The world building is excellent and you don’t need to know much about  Arthurian legend to understand what is going on, so do not let the legend side of it put you off.  There is a lot of action in the book with most of bit being near the end, but each fight is vividly described and the narrative is a steady flow so you don’t have to worry about the plot dragging.

At 429 pages long the book is an easy read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Authors such as Madeline Miller, Kate Quinn or Arthurian legend. 

I was so excited to read this book, having started the series in 2013 when I read  Seven Ancient Wonders. 

The book begins as Jack West Jnr, his wife and daughter enter the Supreme Labyrinth, designed by an ancient civilisation, one must traverse the maze and sit on the throne to prevent the end of the world. It sounds far fetched, but fans of Matthew Reilly know he weaves the seemingly impossible into wonderful, intricate and believable stories. They enter,  leaving behind a raging battle in the Egyptian desert and the population of major cities in forced sleep. 

Unfortunately, Jack and his family are not the only ones who have entered the Labyrinth, others have learned of the unique gifts you will receive if you are the one to sit on the throne. You will have the ability to control the world, everyone will obey your every command and it is too good an opportunity to miss for “Sphinx” Lancaster, General Rastor and Dione DeSaxe. The rest of Jack’s team are scattered, looking for information and fighting to keep advancing armies at bay. 

The sheer scale of the scenes and descriptions of the spaces make you feel like you are right in the middle of this action-packed story. 

We have all of the books in the series available on our library catalogue.

Val McDermid is best known for writing crime fiction but this book is all about facts – how a blood stain a millionth the size of a grain of salt can provide a DNA sample that can convict a killer and mud on tires can lead investigators to a missing corpse.

Through the stories of the dedicated people who work in the field she tells the story of forensic science from its earliest origins in 13th Century China when flies on a sickle used as a murder weapon helped to identify the killer, to the birth of modern criminalistics with Edmond Locard in Paris in 1910, right up to modern day methods, like offender profiling and digital forensics.

Locard famously said, “Every contact leaves a trace” and it is this simple truth that is the basis of forensic science. Val leads the reader through the intricacies of fire investigation, how botany and entomology can track criminals and reveal when someone died, how digital specialists can use a suspect’s online footprint to prove their guilt and how forensic anthropologists have been helping identify victims of mass atrocities.

It's a compelling read which vividly brings to life the work of forensic scientists whose role is a vital part of modern crime investigation. It’s not for the faint-hearted (there are long discussions about maggots and other creepy-crawlies that play their part in revealing when someone died) but it’s a fascinating insight into a little-known field.

Young Ambassador Mahit Dzmare from Lsel Station, has a deep passion for Teixcalaan culture and society, has the chance of a life time when she is urgently summoned to Teixcalaan for some unknown reason. Equipped with an Imago, Lsel station technology kept secret from the Empire, which records and creates an impression from memories of another person, she possesses the Imago of her predecessor called Yskandr. Excited to meet the man in real life she is ecstatic when she touches down. However, upon her arrival she is shocked to discover the real Yskandr is dead, with everyone claiming to have been an accident. Soon after her Imago stops working and she must fend for herself with the wisdom of a mentor. Drawn into to this new world of politics she must walk on a dangerous knife edge, unsure who to trust while dealing with powerful and dangerous people to uncover the truth behind Yskandr death. 

A Memory Called Empire is Martine’s debut novel. A Sci-fi and Fantasy book with murder mystery elements. This story is perfect for those that enjoy political intrigue and a more slow paced narrative, that is more character driven and exploration into to culture and society. Dealing with the themes of identity and political movements, the story itself is a slow burn narrative that takes its time with the world building creating a rich and engaging world in which to set the story. The story has a way of keeping the reader griped with interesting characters such as Mahit, Three Seagrass and Ninteen Adze each are as unique as their names suggest. 

The most interesting elements that I found within the book is the idea and use Imago, a sharing and melding together of two separate people into one as the author makes the audience ask question about mortality and the ethic behind living forever. The political intrigue is wonderfully as it keeps the audience and characters guess at who the main culprit is. The most stand out element of the book through is the world building, with wonderful and inventive descriptions. Martine is a master of words as she is able to create vivid and beautiful images of places, as she uses long descriptive paragraphs to transport her readers into the story and world. At the start the book can throw a lot of information at once which can be over whelming, but there is a glossary at the back to help. There is even a pronunciation and writing system for Teixicalaanli language which helps bring the world to life in a believable way. Although only being 450 pages long it can be a difficult read at times but it has a wonderful pay off. 

If you want an entertain slow burning story with heaps depth and charm in a masterfully created narrative. This is the book for you.

If you are a fan of Louise Penny, you will not want to miss this political-mystery collaboration with Hillary Rodham Clinton. The story is elegant, intricate, and truly immersive.

Ellen Adams, the newly appointed American Secretary of State returns home after a disastrous meeting in South Korea to find a nightmare of a situation unfolding. Several bombs have been detonated on busses across Europe. One of her employees receives a coded message that reveals that there is 3rd bomb going to go off. 

With her team and aid, a wonderful character named Betsy Jameson (based on a close friend of Hillary Rodham Clinton) along with the worlds’ intelligence agencies they start piecing together what has happened. What they uncover is frightening, a nuclear physicist was on each bus – why have they been targeted and by who?

Ellen uses her wit, grit, and powers of observation to meet various world leaders and ask about the help they can offer, the knowledge they can share and their potential involvement. All while dealing with the domestic threat of a mole in the White House.

This book was a brilliant page-turner. Highly recommend it. 

Danny Torrance is a five year old who has an imaginary friend named Tony but, unknown to his parents, Tony is really the manifestation of Danny’s psychic abilities – the “shining” of the title.  His father, Jack, is an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who once broke Danny’s arm and was fired from his teaching job for assaulting a student.  Danny’s mother, Wendy, has stood by Jack through it all.  When Jack secures a job as the winter caretaker of The Overlook, an isolated hotel in the Colorado Rockies, Wendy hopes it’s the change they need to get back on track.  Only Danny knows it’s a very bad idea. 

Over the next few months, as they are snowed in and alone, life at the Overlook turns from idyll to nightmare as Jack’s behaviour grows increasingly erratic and Danny’s visions hint at the hotel’s sinister past.

As usual in a King novel, the characters are utterly believable and rounded.  We see snippets from Jack’s past, in which he was abused by his drunken father, which give us sympathy and insight into his own problems and why the spirit of the hotel is able to possess him.  Wendy, who at first appears to be a put-upon wife and a little under Jack’s thumb, shows herself to be resourceful, courageous and heroic.  But it is with Danny that King’s gift for character is most brilliantly displayed.  Through his eyes we navigate the events of the novel, seeing it with the innocent perceptions of a child so that they seem even more horrific and incomprehensible. 

The Shining is a triumph of a novel, full of complexity, excitement, compassion and humanity.  It is vividly and simply told in such sensory detail that you can believe you’re there.

Athens is lost. After the last failed invasion by Darius, King Xerxes has finally been able to enact his father’s revenge on Athens. Forced to flee from their homes, the Athenian people have sought refuge on the island of Salamis. All the while eight hundred Persian ships lie in wait just off shore. Trouble is brewing not only in the field, but also back at home with civil unrest reaching boiling point, old grudges rears its head and oaths are put to the test. Persian troops prowl around the Greek polis eager to bring the Greeks to heel under general Mardonius. In order to push back a foe so deeply entrenched in Greece, Themistocles and Xanthippus must help unite all of Greek polis to expel the Persian threat.

Detailing the closing years of the Persian War Conn Iggulden is able to bring history to life with his magnificent retelling. Each historical figure is treated with respect and is brought vividly to life, even though you know how historical it all ends you still feel sense of dread and fear whenever the characters are in trouble. This makes the ending chapters the story so much more impactful. However, the book’s action is not just left to the battle field through, as the book delves into the political intrigue during the war and the effects of war on the masses. Dealing with the issues of citizenship and slavery, cultural divide between people. The book knows when to slow down the action and takes its time to help fleshing out places and cultures, as such each person’s motivation is understandable and heart-breaking. The ending final battle of Plataea and Mycale are beautifully intertwined creating a dramatic and exhilarating narrative.

At the back of the book there is a chapter on the historical notes explaining any changes Iggulden made to historical records to help move the plot along, as well as his own feelings on many events. Allowing the audience to have more of an understanding in the authors views which enhance re-reading the book.

A wonderful book that is sure to delight anyone regardless of historical knowledge of the event of the book. An easy read at around 400 pages. Highly recommended for anyone that enjoys historical fiction or other authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Ben Kane or Simon Scarrow. 

I listened to this book through the Borrow Box App. I’d heard a few people mention how good it is. I found the audio book brilliant as it is read by the author, Adam Kay. 

The entire book is excerpts from his diary as a junior doctor in the NHS. He talks about patients he has treated, the funny, awful and emotional interactions he has had with them. By no means is this book a joyful read or listen, although it is in parts. A laugh out loud moment for me, was when he treated a patient for bumps on their tongue and diagnosed them as taste buds. I think the book needed those stories interspersed between the constant hamster wheel of bureaucracy and obstacles that he tells us are common in a huge organisation. 

Some of the excerpts are shocking, leaving you in disbelief as Adam Kay casually moves onto the next chapter – I would imagine that was intentional to convey the relentlessness of the profession. He talks about how his work impacted his relationship with family members, friends and romantic partners and the constant need to rely heavily on their understanding of the pressures of his work. My heart went out to him in the final chapters as he described the events leading up to him giving up his career in medicine and he shines a spotlight on the remarkable people who work for the NHS.

Borrow Box is an app that can be downloaded onto your mobile or kindle. It is easy to register and access the full catalogue of e-books and audio books available from Swindon Libraries.

The weather won’t turn bad until after Christmas, the weatherman had reported. “Christmas will be mild and dry.”

Bridge (short for Bridget) is setting off to meet her husband, Luke. After years of separation and arguments they agree to meet in person to start their divorce proceedings. Robin and Charlie are setting off for a lovely Christmas break in Scotland. Mary has been trying to get her boss Jack to notice her for years, but with each passing year, she feels she is more and more invisible to him. When his driver falls ill, she jumps at the chance to drive him to a very important meeting.

Weathermen can be wrong, these six find themselves deep in the Yorkshire Moors battling heavy snow. Just when they decide it is time to give up on their travel plans they spot a sign for Figgy Hollow and decide to head there to shelter from the snow.

Bridge is the first to arrive at the empty inn and breaks in to get out of the snow. Followed by Robin and Charlie, Jack and Mary and lastly Luke. 

Will this unexpected turn of events re-ignite past feelings between Bridge and Luke? Will Charlie and Robin find their romantic Christmas getaway in Figgy Hollow and will Jack see Mary as more than his extremely reliable and efficient PA?

Reading this book made me feel like I was chatting with an old friend, telling me the story of six lost people, finding their way to Figgy Hollow and finding more than they expected. The perfect way to read this book is curled up on the sofa, with a mug of hot chocolate in hand!

Jurassic Park is a classic film beloved by many, but now take a trip back to the book that started it all, Michael Crichton 1990’s Jurassic Park.

Multiple strange animal attacks towards small children have been happening all over Costa Rica, with no apparent suspects within the known animal kingdom, residence live in fear. Palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant and his assistant Ellie Slater meet with John Hammond, a man with big dreams and bigger pocket book, who has recently set up a new tourist park on Isla Nubla. Tempted by Hammonds offer, the two set off for the Isla Nubla accompanied by Dr Ian Malcom a renowned mathematician who specialises in chaos theory.

Upon reaching the island they are met with sights not seen in over 65 million years, dinosaurs once again roam the earth. Created by human interference in the natural order of fusing ancient dinosaur blood with modern day compatible DNA, Dinosaurs now roam the earth once more. When a disgruntled employee sabotages the parks security it is up to Dr Grant, Ellie alongside Robert Muldoon, Dr Malcom and Hammonds grandchildren Lex and Tim to try and get the park up and running again. All the while two Tyrannosaurus stalk their every movement, Procompsognathus (Compies) biting at their heels, Dilophosaurs block their escape and Velociraptor test the boundaries of the safe house and even the borders of the island itself. They will need to keep their wits about them in order to survive Jurassic Park.

Crichton is able to create a mesmerising story with enough of a realistic elements to ground it without damping the fantastical elements of the novel. This science fiction novel is for anyone that enjoys thriller and suspense, while still having charming humours moments. Spielberg’s adaption missed or made more child friendly many scenes from the book. Some characters in some case totally stark contrast to their on screen appearance.