Tag: fantasybooks

My 2023 Wrap Up!

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I cannot believe we are here again! A whole year has passed. I have so many weird emotions about the new year. Excited for the year ahead but also FREAKING OUT BECAUSE TIME IS WEIRD! I say this every year but I do truly feel that this is the last time I can say this – this was the best reading year of my life! I genuinely don’t think I could repeat this next year. For this wrap up, I will be using stats taken from both the Goodreads Wrap Up and some reading spreadsheets I have collated from Ali from Hardback Hoarder.

Basic Stats

  • I read 45, 679 pages
  • I read 168 books (177 if you include DNFs)
  • I DNFed 11 books (some of them I counted towards my overall goal because I read a lot of it before DNFing)
  • My average book length was 256
  • My average book rating was 3.8
  • I read 27% of my physical TBR

The shortest book I read in 2022 – 16 pages

I read this on Tor.com and it was a bit underwhelming.

The longest book I read in 2022 – 688 pages

I really enjoyed this book and I also was able to meet the author and get a copy signed!

The most popular book I read in 2023.

This was shelved by over 2.2 million people on Goodreads. I truly get the hype with this book. We read it for book club and everyone loved it!

The least popular book I read in 2023.

This was shelved by 15 people on Goodreads. I read this book for the British Fantasy awards and I really enjoyed it!

The book I read with the highest rating on Goodreads.

This had a 4.86 average. Another book I read for the British Fantasy Awards – this book ended up being the winner!

Rating Breakdown

So as per usual here is a breakdown of all the books I read this year and where they fall in the star category. I have also included links to my reviews if you wanted to read them!

Loads of people talk about how they rarely give out 5 stars. only reserved for the best of the best… I was giving out 5 stars left, right and centre in 2023. You get a 5 star and YOU GET A 5 STAR! A quarter of what I read this year got 5 stars.. oop.

DNFS

TitleAuthor
ScarletGenevieve Cogman
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRueV.E. Schwab
This is How You Lose the Time WarAmal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Final ActsMartin Edwards
ElantrisBrandon Sanderson
Howl’s Moving CastleDiana Wynne Jones
HookyMiriam Bonastre Tur
LemonKwon Seo-Yun
Love in FocusYoko Nogiri
Sword CatcherCassandra Clare

1 STAR

TitleAuthor
Candescent BloomsAndrew Hook
Mystery in WhiteJ. Jefferson Farjeon

2 – 2.5 STARS

TitleAuthor
Fruiting BodiesKemi Ashing-Giwa
This is How You Lose the Time WarAmal El-Mohtar
NoceanEfa
Leo in Little PiecesMayana Itoiz
Soggy LandingAlec McGovern
TermushSven Holm
Mountains Made of GlassScarlett St. Clair
Black CoffeeAgatha Christie
Every Exquisite ThingLaura Steven
Night Train to the StarsKenji Miyazawa
Tokyo ExpressSeicho Matsumoto
The Mimicking of Known SuccessesMalka Ann Older
Always Take NotesSimon Adam & Rachel Lloyd

3 – 3.5 STARS

TitleAuthor
Legends and LattesTravis Baldree
The Sixteenth Century in 100 WomenAmy Licence
My Killer VacationTessa Bailey
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an OtakuFujita
Promise BoysNick Brooks
Red Dust, White SnowPan Huiting
The StrangeNathan Ballingrud
Claymore, Vol.1Norihiro Yagi
The Mill House MurdersYukito Ayatsuji
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol.5Kanehtio Yamada
The Case from the Lighthouse IntruderKereen Getten
The Tombs of AtuanUrsula K. Le Guin
We Should All Be FeministsChimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Uncle PaulCelia Fremlin
The Tea Dragon SocietyKay O’Neill
Death on Gokuman IslandSeishi Yokomizo
Beast in the ShadowsEdogawa Rampo
The Wind ChildGabriela Houston
Before the Coffee Gets ColdToshikazu Kawaguchi
FMA: The Land of SandHiromu Arakawa
The Last ConversationPaul Tremblay
The Skeleton KeyErin Kelly
The Heroic Legend of Arslan #1Hiromu Arakawa
Seven Kinds of People You Find in BookshopsShaun Bythell
Haikyu!! Vol. 4Haruichi Furudate
Vox Machina #1Matt Mercer
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat TteokbokkiBaek Sehee
The Last Tale of the Flower BrideRoshani Chokshi
Whose Body?Dorothy L. Sayers
At MidnightVarious Authors
Twin CrownsCatherine Doyle & Katherine Webber
A Passing on of ShellsSimon Lamb
The Wonderful Stag, or the Courtship of Red ElsieKathleen Jennings
The CloistersKaty Hays
The Long GameElena Armas
The Kamogawa Food DetectivesHisashi Kashiwai
Nana, Vol.1Ai Yazawa
Rabbit HoleKate Brody
The Christmas AppealJanice Hallett

4 – 4.5 STARS

TitleAuthor
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 7, 10, 12-14, 20Kaiu Shirai
Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 1Sorata Akiduki
TLOZ: Twilight Princess, Vol. 2Akira Himekawa
Drifting Dragons, Vol. 1Taku Kuwabara
Children of the Whales, Vol. 1Abi Umeda
The Book of EveMeg Clothier
The Story of Classic Crime in 100 BooksMartin Edwards
Knee Deep: Book 1Joe Flood
Blood in the ThreadCheri Kamei
Usotoki Rhetoric, Vol. 1Miyako Ritsu
Murder in MesopotamiaAgatha Christie
The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 2Nagabe
The Trial of Lotta RaeSiobhan MacGowan
The Ashes of LondonAndrew Taylor
FierceMathieu Burinat
Moriarty the Patriot, Vol.2Ryosuke Takeuchi
Yona of the Dawn, Vol.1Mizuho Kusanagi
A Magic Steeped in PoisonJudy I. Lin
Lies We Sing to the SeaSarah Underwood
The Burning GodR.F. Kuang
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol.1Hayao Miyazaki
Gwen and Art are Not in LoveLex Croucher
A Wizard from EarthseaUrsula K. Le Guin
Onyeka and the Rise of the RebelsTola Okogwu
The Six Deaths of the SaintAlix E. Harrow
Ember Shadows and the Fates of Mount NeverRebecca King
Cards on the TableAgatha Christie
The Hunters Guild: Red Hood, Vol.1 Yuki Kawaguchi
HercPhoenicia Rogerson
Blue Exorcist, Vol.2Kazue Kato
ThornhedgeT. Kingfisher
Masters of DeathOlivie Blake
Vern, Custodian of the UniverseTyrell Waters
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of FairiesHeather Fawcett
The ListYomi Adegoke
Peril on the AtlanticA.M. Howell
Behind a Broken SmilePenny Jones
She and Her CatMakoto Shinkai
All Systems RedMartha Wells
A Psalm for the Wild-BuiltBecky Chambers
Under the MoonE.M. Faulds
I’m Not Your Final GirlClaire C. Holland
Breakable ThingsCassandra Khaw
Witchcraft: A History in 13 TrialsMarion Gibson
Garlic and the WitchBree Paulsen
Normal WomenPhillippa Greogry
Witch Hat Aterlia, Vol. 2Kamome Shirahama
We Have Always Lived in the CastleShirley Jackson
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is MeJamison Shea
Donut Feed the SquirrelsMika Song
Imelda and the Goblin KingBriony May Smith
Beyond the StoryBTS
MoonflightGill Lewis
This Thread of GoldCatherine Joy White
The Christmas SwapTalia Samuels
ATLA: The SearchGene Luen Yang
Hercule Poirot’s Silent NightSophie Hannah
The City of StardustGeorgia Summers
Sweat and Soap, Vol. 1Kintetsu Yamada
Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight TowerTamsyn Muir
Their Vicious GamesJoelle Wellington
Impossible CreaturesKatherine Rundell

5 STARS

TitleAuthor
LegendbornTracy Deonn
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton AngelsJanice Hallett
The Faraway Paladin, Vol. 1Kanata Yanagino
Six of CrowsLeigh Bardugo
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 8-11, 15-19Kaiu Shirai
GodkillerHannah Kaner
Inuyasha, Vol.1Rumiko Takahashi
The Mountain in the SeaRay Nayler
Speak of the DevilRose Wilding
Spy X Family, Vol.1Tatsuya Endo
Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech CitySarah Soh
YellowfaceRebecca Kuang
TrustHernan Diaz
Hilda: The Wilderness Stories + 2 moreLuke Pearson
Luna and the Treasure of TlalocJoe Todd-Stanton
The Gilded WolvesRoshani Chokshi
Every Heart a DoorwaySeanan McGuire
Sailor Moon, Vol.2Naoko Takeuchi
A Fortunate WomanPolly Morland
You’re Not Supposed to Die TonightKalynn Bayron
In a Lonely PlaceDorothy B. Hughes
Emergency SkinN.K. Jemisin
A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderHolly Jackson
Divine Might & Pandora’s JarNatalie Haynes
Witch Hat Aterlia, Vol. 1Kamome Shirahama
The Witchstone GhostsEmily Randall-Jones
The HexologistsJosiah Bancroft
The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 3Nagabe
Curious TidesPascale Lacelle
Starling HouseAlix E. Harrow
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong BookshopHwang Bo-Reum
Gideon the NinthTamsyn Muir
Realms of the ImaginationVarious Authors
BecomingMichelle Obama

Format Breakdown!

  • Physical – 131
  • eBook – 42
  • Audio – 4

I will be honest I did part audiobook and part read some books like Starling House for example. I just completely forgot about the option on my spreadsheet hahaha.

Genre Breakdown!

Again, shocker to no-one that fantasy is my most read genre for 2023. I read 75 fantasy books which came to 42% of my genres.

Age Breakdown!

  • Adult – 96
  • New Adult – 2
  • Young Adult – 59
  • Middle Grade – 14
  • Childrens – 6

I still haven’t figured out exactly what constitutes as new adult so take those 2 books with a pinch of salt.

Source Breakdown!

  • Bought – 53
  • NetGalley – 17
  • Publisher – 66
  • Borrowed – 17
  • Library – 11
  • Kindle Unlimited – 8
  • Gifted – 3

The fact that my purchased and publisher sent books are basically equal is so crazy to me!!!

January 2024 TBR!!!!

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Welcome to the very first TBR of 2024. I will be going into more detail soon regarding my plans/goals for 2024 but just know that new releases will be a strong focus for the next year. I am making sure I am up to date and reading all the new releases the publishers have sent me as I was quite slack last year. So, no themes, no over complicated TBR. I am hoping to read more backlist books during the rest of the month but my focus for Jan is to read all my new releases coming out in Feb 2024.

  • Title: Paper Dragons
  • Author: Siobhan McDermott
  • Series: Paper Dragons #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Middle Grade
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 384
  • Publication Date: 01/02


Plot: An extraordinary destiny unfolds. In a village above the cloud sea, twelve-year-old orphan Zhi Ging is chosen to become a Silhouette, an apprentice to the immortals. Taken to an underwater realm, she begins her training, competes in thrilling challenges and discovers she can awaken a special sort of dragon. But Silhouettes who fail the challenges seem to be disappearing and rumours are spreading of a growing dark force that threatens her world. Zhi Ging begins to realise that there is so much she has yet to learn about the world of the immortals – and herself. Join Zhi Ging on an incredible adventure to an underwater realm, a floating market and a jade mountain as she journeys to fulfil her extraordinary destiny.

  • Title: Cursed Bread
  • Author: Sophie Mackintosh
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Pages: 208
  • Publication Date: 11/02 (PB Release)


Plot: Elodie is the baker’s wife. A plain, unremarkable woman, ignored by her husband and underestimated by her neighbours, she burns with the secret desire to be extraordinary. One day a charismatic new couple appear in town–the ambassador and his sharp-toothed wife, Violet–and Elodie quickly falls under their spell. All summer long she stalks them through the shining streets: inviting herself into their home, eavesdropping on their coded conversations, longing to be part of their world. Meanwhile, beneath the tranquil surface of daily life, strange things are happening. Six horses are found dead in a sun-drenched field, laid out neatly on the ground like an offering. Widows see their lost husbands walking up the moonlit river, coming back to claim them. A teenage boy throws himself into the bonfire at the midsummer feast. A dark intoxication is spreading through the town, and when Elodie finally understands her role in it, it will be too late to stop.

  • Title: The Book of Love
  • Author: Kelly Link
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Fantasy Mystery
  • Pages: 640
  • Publication Date: 13/02


Plot: Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are. With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance—and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they’ve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers. But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Laura’s sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster.

  • Title: Sunbringer
  • Author: Hannah Kaner
  • Series: Fallen Gods #2
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 400
  • Publication Date: 15/02


Plot: Professional godkiller Kissen and her companions—young noble Inara and knight Elogast—return in a winding adventure in a world overflowing with magic, beauty, and danger.

I may or may not be returning to The Hidden Bookcase Podcast next year with this book…

  • Title: Meet Me at the Surface
  • Author: Jodie Matthews
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 272
  • Publication Date: 15/02


Plot: Merryn grew up on the wilds of Bodmin moor, raised by her mother and her aunt in an old farmhouse. Here, the locals never leave the decaying village, fear for the future of their farms and cling desperately to the folkloric tales that are woven into their history. Except Merryn, who has escaped to Manchester for university, briefly untethering herself from her past. When Merryn returns home for the memorial service of her ex-girlfriend Claud, she finds her childhood home stranger and more secretive than ever. She’s sure that her mother is hiding something. The villagers are hunting on the moors at night, but for what? And then there’s a notebook, found in an old chest of drawers, full of long-forgotten folklore than seems to be linked somehow to Claud…

  • Title: A Tempest of Tea
  • Author: Hafsah Faizal
  • Series: A Tempest of Tea #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: YA
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 352
  • Publication Date: 22/02


Plot: On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. 

  • Title: Butter
  • Author: Asako Yuzuki
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Pages: 464
  • Publication Date: 29/02


Plot: Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Center convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

November 2023 Wrap Up

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Despite this being a successful month compared to my other reading month’s this is by far my weakest reading month. I don’t know what was in the water this month but I’m hoping next month will be better.

  • I read 9 books this month
  • I DNFd 2 book.
  • Genre: 4 fantasy, 5 non-fiction, 1 thriller and 1 sci-fi
  • Gender of authors: 7 women and 3 men
  • Race of authors: 6 white authors, 2 asian writers and 2 black writers
  • Age range: 8 adult, 2 YA and 1 middle grade.
  • Format: 6 paperback, 4 hardback and 1 audiobook.

Challenges

  • Prompt: Non-Fiction
    • Becoming – Michelle Obama
    • Pandora’s Jar – Natalie Haynes
    • Beyond the Story – BTS
    • I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokkbokki – Baek Sehee
    • Always Take Notes – Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd

Bookshops and Bonedust – Travis Baldree (DNF)

Earlier this year I read Legends and Lattes, by the same author, after seeing all the hype on social media. I was quite underwhelmed with it to be honest and I didn’t really want to read the prequel but a couple of my friends who didn’t love L&L actually loved B&B. I, on the other hand, just couldn’t get into it. I found there to be a real disconnect with me and the main character Viv.

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokkbokki – Baek Sehee (3 stars)

Another book I picked up due to the insane amount of hype I saw. Something like this is always subjective to someone’s personal experience so in some cases I really enjoyed and connected with some of the stuff mentioned. But other chapters I just didn’t connect to as much. I always felt I didn’t learn anything new. This led to a middle of the road rating.

Beyond the Story – BTS (4 stars)

Really interesting discussion about BTS’ journey from pre-debut to now, there was some stuff that I knew especially the more recent years. But the earlier years and their first stint in America I knew nothing about and it was enlightening and sobering to learn about their struggles and how they supported one another. I loved the use of QR codes to link to unseen footage, music videos, performances etc. But I will say I was not expecting as much musical analysis in the content. I felt it was more a musical analysis book than an actual memoir.

Impossible Creatures – Katherine Rundell (4.5 stars)

There is a small selection of middle-grade novels that I have read over the years which make such an impact on me that I need to scream into the atmosphere. This book is one of them. I wish I had had this book growing up as it’s exactly what little old me would have devoured. The characters were fun and meaningful, the world was vibrant and vast, and the plot was exciting and kept me on my toes. This is an epic book that I am so excited for young readers (and older readers as well) to be able to read and lose themselves in. We have a classic in the making here!

Their Vicious Games – Joelle Wellington (4.5 stars)

This was incredibly thrilling and heart-pounding. I enjoyed reading every second of it despite hating the events that were unfolding. I thought the writing was super engaging and I literally flew through this book and couldn’t put it down. The characters were written so well and I enjoyed watching the psychology of the characters, their alliances, and their battles. It was very very interesting. The ending had me cheering and jumping in my seat!

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (5 stars)

I don’t think I will be able to truly put into words how much I enjoyed this book! This book literally put me in a reading slump after I finished it. Literally no book was matching up to this one! I had been waiting for a book with interesting characters, unique plot and a complicated world. I like not fully understanding what is going on. This book confused and amazed me.

Other books I have read:

  • Sisters of Sword and Shadow – Laura Bates
  • Always Take Notes – Simon Akam & Rachel Lloyd
  • Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower – Tamsyn Muir
  • Becoming – Michelle Obama

December 2023 TBR

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OMG, the final TBR of 2023! How crazy is that! Hopefully this month will be a great final month for the year. And maybe some new favourites as well!

There are some changes to the way I am planning my reads which I will explain more in my 2024 Reading Plan but I am trying to be up to date with my new releases. The final theme for this year is Christmas!

January 2024 Releases

  • Title: Rabbit Hole
  • Author: Kate Brody
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: eBook
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Literary Thriller
  • Pages: 384
  • Publication Date: 18/01


Plot: Ten years ago, Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, disappeared. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy’s father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can’t help but fall down the same rabbit hole. Teddy’s investigation quickly gets her in hot water with her colleagues at the pretentious high school where she teaches English, her gun-nut boyfriend, and her long-lost half brother. Further complicating matters is Teddy’s growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth who is eerily keen on helping her solve the case. Bewitched by Mickey, Teddy begins losing her grip on morality. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, her erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won’t stop until she finds Angie—or destroys herself in the process.

  • Title: The Beholders
  • Author: Hester Musson
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Pages: 336
  • Publication Date: 18/01


Plot: June, 1878. The body of a boy is pulled from the depths of the River Thames, suspected to be the beloved missing child of the widely admired Liberal MP Ralph Gethin. Four months earlier. Harriet is a young maid newly employed at Finton Hall. Fleeing the drudgery of an unwanted engagement in the small village where she grew up, Harriet is entranced by the grand country hall; she is entranced too by her glamorous mistress Clara Gethin, whose unearthly singing voice floats through the house. But Clara, though captivating, is erratic. The master of the house is a much-lauded politician, but he is strangely absent. And some of their beautiful belongings seem to tell terrible stories. Unable to ignore her growing unease, Harriet sets out to discover their secrets. When she uncovers a shocking truth, a chain of events is set in motion that could cost Harriet everything, even her freedom…

  • Title: The City of Stardust
  • Author: Georgia Summers
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 352
  • Publication Date: 25/01


Plot: The Everly family is cursed. Every generation is destined to lose their best and brightest, taken by a woman named Penelope, who never ages, never sickens, and never forgives a debt. When her mother vanishes in the middle of the night, the curse falls on Violet Everly—unless she can break it first. To do so, she must descend into a seductive, magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods, and monsters bent on revenge. And at the edges of the world, she’ll find the City of Stardust, where the Everly story began.

Manga/Graphic Novels

  • Title: Nana, Vol.1
  • Author: Ai Yazawa
  • Series: Nana #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: New Adult
  • Genre: Contemporary
  • Pages: 192


Plot: Nana “Hachi” Komatsu hopes that moving to Tokyo will help her make a clean start and leave her capricious love life behind her. Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, has plans to score big in the world of rock’n’roll. Although these two young women come from different backgrounds, they quickly become best friends in a whirlwind world of sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties! Anxious to get into a Tokyo groove, both women are on the prowl for a funky and cheap place to live. But inexpensive apartments in Japan’s capital city are hard to find. Thank goodness each Nana has a clique of cool friends willing to help out. Too bad these friends are a little wiggy!

  • Title: Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search
  • Author: Gene Luen Yang
  • Series: ATLA Comics #2
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: YA
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Pages: 224


Plot: For years, fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra have burned with one question–what happened to Fire Lord Zuko’s mother? Finding a clue at last, Zuko enlists the aid of Team Avatar–and the most unlikely ally of all–to help uncover the biggest secret of his life.

  • Title: Sweat and Soap, Vol.1
  • Author: Kintetsu Yamada
  • Translator: Matt Treyvaud
  • Series: Sweat and Soap #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Romance
  • Pages: 208


Plot: Yae’s living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Lilia Drop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she’s ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company’s lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what “that smell” is, she’s terrified… but could it be… that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Yae… does she like him?

  • Title: Persepolis
  • Author: Marjane Satrapi
  • Translator: Anjali Singh
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Memoir
  • Pages: 344


Plot: The intelligent and outspoken child of radical Marxists, and the great-grandaughter of Iran’s last emperor, Satrapi bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country. Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. This is a beautiful and intimate story full of tragedy and humour – raw, honest and incredibly illuminating.

Christmas Reads

  • Title: The Christmas Appeal
  • Author: Janice Hallett
  • Series: The Appeal #2
  • Format: Hardback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Murder Mystery
  • Pages: 524


Plot: The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes. Of course, there’s also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters, examine emails, and pore over police transcripts to identify both the victim and killer before the curtain closes on their holiday production—for good.

  • Title: Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night
  • Author: Sophie Hannah
  • Series: New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #5
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Murder Mystery
  • Pages: 384


Plot: It’s 19 December 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. Catchpool’s mother, the irrepressible Cynthia, insists that Poirot stays in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can all be together for the festive period while Poirot solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why. Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else – someone utterly ruthless – also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot . . .

  • Title: Mystery in White
  • Author: J. Jefferson Farjeon
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Murder Mystery
  • Pages: 256


Plot: On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings a train to a halt near the village of Hemmersby. Several passengers take shelter in a deserted country house, where the fire has been lit and the table laid for tea – but no one is at home. Trapped together for Christmas, the passengers are seeking to unravel the secrets of the empty house when a murderer strikes in their midst.