en-US Wed, 16 Apr 2025 01:47:18 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 213395480 From the acclaimed author of Mrs. March comes the riveting tale of a bloodthirsty governess who learns the true meaning of vengeance.

Grim Wolds, England: Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate’s dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family—Mr. Pounds can’t keep his eyes off Winifred’s chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband’s wandering gaze. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pounds children, Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. French tutoring and needlework are one way to pass the time, as is admiring the ugly portraits in the gallery . . . and creeping across the moonlit lawns. . . .

Patience. Winifred must have patience, for Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for the dear souls of Ensor House. Brimming with sardonic wit and culminating in a shocking conclusion, Victorian Psycho plunges readers into the chilling mind of an iconic new literary psychopath.]]> 208 Virginia Feito 1631498630 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.63 2025
author: Virginia Feito
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 215198021 #1 New York Times bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud team up for a one-of-a-kind friendship story about creativity and self-expression that blends how-to and comics magic. Welcome to the club!

Makayla is bursting with ideas but doesn't know how to make them into a story. Howard loves to draw, but he struggles to come up with ideas and his dad thinks comics are a waste of time. Lynda constantly draws in her sketchbook but keeps focusing on what she feels are mistakes, and Art simply loves being creative and is excited to try something new. They come together to form The Cartoonists Club, where kids can learn about making comics and use their creativity and imagination for their own storytelling adventures!]]> 280 Raina Telgemeier 1338777211 Jenny 5 4.19 2025
author: Raina Telgemeier
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
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]]> 199615581 FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVELYou know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.]]> 480 Chris Brookmyre 0349145784 Jenny 5 4.19
author: Chris Brookmyre
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves:
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]]> 13394102 273 Agatha Christie Jenny 3 4.03 1965
author: Agatha Christie
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1965
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/03
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 123856462 ‘Maybe you don’t believe me. Maybe you don’t believe in magic. I bet you will by the time you’ve heard what happened to us.��

Cousins Middy and Nathan love magic. The on-stage, cape-swirling, bunny-out-of-a-hat kind.

For Middy, it’s all about patience and practice. She uses magic skills to help her out of tricky situations.

Nathan is a show-off and a total danger magnet, he is drawn to the sensation, spectacle and audience.

So when the famous Blackpool Tower dramatically vanishes the night of the Grand Lights Switch-On, showman Nathan announces live on TV that they will magic it back home.

With a stick of rock, a spangly cape, and a bit of misdirection, they end up lost in Las Vegas, home to the grand master of illusion, Perplexion, ‘Legend of Magic��.

Full of tricks, twists and deceptions, the delightful Nathan and Middy will keep you guessing until the very end. No matter how big the show, family, friendship and adventure shine through in The Wonder Brothers - multi-award-winning author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

'A writer of comic genius - he has something of Roald Dahl's magic, but more heart'
- Sunday Telegraph]]> 320 Frank Cottrell Boyce 1529048303 Jenny 5 4.15
author: Frank Cottrell Boyce
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 202955446
Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a beach vacation with her. When they accidentally find themselves in a scientist's time machine, they end up on the beach��.back in the age of dinosaurs! Can Pablo and Splash make their way home before they become dino snacks?

This full color graphic novel is perfect for animal lovers, reluctant readers, and graphic novel fans!]]> 0 Sheena Dempsey 1526662612 Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.57
author: Sheena Dempsey
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 35592077 Off the Menu, he shows how we each have a unique food memoir that is worthy of exploration. To Lee, recipes are narratives and a conduit to learn about a person, a place, or a point in time. He says that the best way to get to know someone is to eat the food they eat. Each chapter shares a personal tale of growth and self-discovery through the foods Lee eats and the foods of the people he interacts with—whether it’s the Korean budae jjigae of his father or the mustard beer cheese he learns to make from his wife’s German-American family. Each chapter is written in narrative form and punctuated with two recipes to highlight the story, including Green Tea Beignets, Cornbread Pancakes with Rhubarb Jam, and Butternut Squash Schnitzel. Each recipe tells a story, but when taken together, they form the arc of the narrative and contribute to the story we call the new American food.]]> 304 Edward Lee 1579657389 Jenny 5 3.97 2018
author: Edward Lee
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
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]]> 202580464 ANTON AND HIS FRIENDS ARE THE KINGS OF YEAR 9.

They're used to ruling the school and Anton wears the crown. The other kids run away when he's about but that's the way he wants it - he's got a reputation to live up to after all.

So when he gets into serious trouble at school, he doesn't really care, but his mum most definitely does. She decides it's time for Anton to make some new friends and join the Happy Campers, a local activity group. Anton would quite literally rather do anything else, especially when he finds out Matthew, the biggest loser in school, is also a member.

But after Matthew unexpectedly saves Anton's life, Anton figures maybe this kid is worth a shot. Teaching him some game is the least Anton can do to repay the debt.

As the boys strike up an unlikely friendship, Anton finds himself questioning everything he thought was important. Does he want ruling the school to be his crowning glory or should he set his sights on better things?

A hilarious and heartwarming comedy from the author of STEADY FOR THIS, perfect for teen readers of Alex Wheatle, Jason Reynolds and Patrice Lawrence.]]> 245 Nathanael Lessore 147141325X Jenny 5 4.30 2024
author: Nathanael Lessore
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
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]]> 213686027 First in a hilarious full-colour graphic novel series by the award-winning Tor Freeman, perfect for fans of Jamie Smart's Bunny vs Monkey. Come with Shirley as she falls down a hole into the Underworld ...

Shirley definitely doesn't want to fight the boss of the Underworld. He has many El Croco, the Rootmaster, Emperor Toothus, the Green Menace ... Nope, Shirley thinks much better to leave the vanquishing to someone else.

Unfortunately, the annoyingly quirky inhabitants of the Underworld have other ideas. Soon, Shirley is off on an epic journey with her new friend, a giant cockroach called George. They'll triumph over all the dangers of the Underworld ... or there'll be hell to pay!

Fast-paced, funny and accessible, this series is fizzing with charm and energy. ]]> 160 Tor Freeman 1444976400 Jenny 4 4.79
author: Tor Freeman
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
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]]> 148017802 Joseph Coelho, Children's Laureate

'This book is revolutionary'
Kelechi Okafor, actor, writer and podcast host

An eye-opening story of Britain, focusing on a part of our past that has mostly been left out of the history the brilliant Black history of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Did you know that the first Britons were Black? Or that some of the Roman soldiers who invaded and ruled Britain were Black, too? Join this fascinating journey through the ages to meet those first Britons, as well as the Black Tudors, Georgians and Victorians who existed in every walk of life here. The incredible journey through time is brought to life through Atinuke's fascinating storytelling and illustrated scenes, detailed maps, and timelines created by illustrator Kingsley Nebechi.

From science and sport to literature and law, celebrate the brilliant Black people who have helped build Britain. Learn about key and complex historical topics such as the world wars, slavery, the industrial revolution, Windrush and the Black Lives Matter movement. This fascinating book will change everything you thought you knew about our green-grey British isles.

'We would recommend this book to any child, adult or teacher'
Stop Hate UK]]> 125 Atinuke 1526652668 Jenny 5 3.01
author: Atinuke
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.01
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
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]]> 40856170 From the international bestselling creator of Claude, comes a brand new hero - Mr Penguin, adventurer and penguin.

Indiana Jones meets Hercule Poirot in this new Alex T. Smith series with plenty of slapstick humour, mystery and adventure. Highly illustrated throughout with a striking black and orange design.

It has been weeks since Mr Penguin's last adventure and he's been stuck at his desk, twiddling his flippers ever since. That is until the phone rings!

Mr Penguin and Colin (a spider and Mr Penguin's silent right hand man) are called in to find the missing treasure somewhere in the Museum of Extraordinary Objects. The quest finds them solving secret codes, fighting ferocious beasts, eating fish finger sandwiches and travelling deep below the museum to a lost jungle...]]> 208 Alex T. Smith 1444932071 Jenny 0 to-read 4.23 2017
author: Alex T. Smith
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209578368 Rising star New York Times technology reporters, Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, tell for the first time the full and shocking inside story of Elon Musk’s unprecedented hostile takeover of Twitter and the forty-four-billion-dollar deal’s seismic political, social, and financial fallout.

The billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become inextricable from the social media platform that until 2023 was known as Twitter. Started in the mid-2000s as a playful microblogging platform, Twitter quickly became a vital nexus of global politics, culture, and media—where the retweet button could instantly catapult any idea to hundreds of millions of screens around the world, unleashing raw collective emotion like nothing else before. While its founder had idealistically dreamed of building a "digital town square," he detested Wall Street and never focused on building a profitable business.

Musk joined the platform in 2010 and, by 2022, had become one of the site’s most influential users, hooking over 80 million followers with his mix of provocative posts, promotion of his companies, and attacks on his enemies. To Musk, Twitter �� once known for its almost absolute commitment to free speech �� had badly lost its way. He blamed it for the proliferation of what he called the “woke mind virus�� and claimed that the survival of democracy and the human race itself depended on the future of the site. In January of 2022, Musk began secretly accumulating Twitter stock. By April, he was its largest shareholder, and soon after, he made an unsolicited offer to purchase the company for the unimaginable sum of $44 billion dollars. Backed into a corner, Twitter’s board accepted his offer—but Musk quickly changed his mind, forcing Twitter to sue him to close the deal in October. The richest man on earth controlled one of the most powerful media platforms in the world—but at what price? Before long Twitter would be gone for good, replaced by something radically new and different, as Musk remade the company in his own image from the ground up.

The story of the showdown between Musk and Twitter and his eventual takeover of the company is unlike anything in business or media that has come before. In vivid, cinematic detail, Conger and Mac follow the inner workings of the company as Musk lays siege to it, first from the outside as one of its most vocal users, and then finally from within as a contentious and mercurial leader. Musk has shared some of his version of events, but Conger and Mac have uncovered the full story through exclusive interviews, unreported documents, and internal recordings at Twitter following the billionaire’s takeover. With unparalleled sources from within and around the company, they provide a revelatory, three-dimensional, and definitive account of what really happened when Musk showed up, spoiling for a brawl and intent on revolution, with his merciless, sycophantic cadre of lawyers, investors, and bankers.

This is the defining story of our time told with uncommon style and peerless rigor. In a world of viral ideas and emotion, who gets to control the narrative, who gets to be heard, and what does power really cost?]]> 464 Kate Conger 1804946702 Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.34 2024
author: Kate Conger
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 217928047 ‘A brooding tale from the murky depths below the English idyll. Coastal-horror at its finest�� Matt Wesolowski

The sea never forgets. The sea never forgives�� Scuttler’s Cove is a working village, nestling in dramatic coastal scenery in Cornwall, where life has gone on uninterrupted for centuries�� until this seaside idyll was discovered by the rich.

Now the quaint harbour-front cottages have been snapped up by second-homers and rental companies, and the locals can barely afford to live in their own town.

It is a very different place for Merrin Moon, who left for university at the age of eighteen and never looked back. Now in her thirties, she returns to the Cove for the first time since, after the death of her mother.

She soon discovers that there are forces at play in the village that she could never have imagined. Is someone trying to drive out the second homers? And has their arrival started a chain of events none of them will be able to stop?

For something old and terrible is awakening beneath the town’s hallowed ground. And with it comes a horror that the residents have fought for generations to keep a secret.

A dark and mysterious folk horror of the sea, and a timely exploration of the displacement of our modern moment, with a twist that will leave you reeling.

Praise for Scuttler's Cove ‘There's a rich vein of horror to be mined here, and Barnett's doing a great job of excavating it�� SFX

��An eerie tale of folk horror, as old gods and locals with age-old roots come into conflict with new money and the modern world, with a satisfying supernatural showdown, and a twist you won't see coming�� Jane Johnson

��It feels like a modern version of The Wicker Man, in the best possible way and with its own unique take�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘Wow, just wow. David Barnett is my new go-to for folk horror�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘Filled with great characters, a downright creepy unsettling narrative, and surprises in store which you won’t see coming, this is a must-read folk horror novel�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘Very well-written. Dark, compelling and atmospheric�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

��Folk horror at its finest�� leads to an intensely satisfying and fantastic ending that will have you actually cheering�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘Another gem! Scuttler’s Cove takes you on a wild ride of mystery, intrigue, and horrific folklore�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘The bright, beachy atmosphere with a looming undercurrent of something dark and sinister kept the tension high�� I found myself itching to read more when I wasn’t actively reading it�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� Reader review

‘I came for the crab on the cover, stayed for the folk horror�� a timely and atmospheric horror novel�� ⭐n]]> 337 David Barnett 1804367583 Jenny 5 4.23 2025
author: David Barnett
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
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]]> 56179382
It's just that he's away so much. So often. He works so hard. She misses him. And he misses her. He says he does, so it must be true. He is the perfect husband and everything is perfect.

But sometimes Sophia wonders about things. Strange things. Dark things. The look on her husband's face when he comes back from a long business trip. The questions he will not answer. The locked basement she is never allowed to enter. And whenever she asks the neighbors, they can't quite meet her gaze...

But everything is perfect. Isn't it?]]> 103 Catherynne M. Valente 1250816211 Jenny 4 3.58 2021
author: Catherynne M. Valente
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 100697862
Peaches and her pals Mango and Pogi all live in a cozy town called Pocketon. When a new cat, Taro, moves in, Peaches is on a mission to befriend her. The only thing is, Taro loves all things spooky and Peaches does not. Can Peaches find a way to become friends despite their differences��

Join Peaches and pals as they navigate friendships, debate over the perfect amount of frosting, and learn the value of being yourself. This full-color graphic novel is great for young readers beginning their graphic novel journey and graphic novel enthusiasts alike. It also features a Dyslexia-friendly font.]]> 80 Dora Wang 1524878642 Jenny 3 4.07 2023
author: Dora Wang
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
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]]> 216670080
A pregnant woman’s sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.

A child’s picture of his home contains a dark secret message.

A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbit hole that will reveal a horrifying reality.

Structured around these nine childlike drawings, every one holding a disturbing clue, this novel invites readers to piece together the harrowing truth behind each and the overarching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the bestselling international debut from mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.]]> 236 Uketsu 0063433087 Jenny 3 4.05 2022
author: Uketsu
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
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]]> 211051861 If you find your way here, you’re already lost.

Inside
A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.

Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.

As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?

Outside
In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.

With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill��

An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe.]]> 337 David Barnett 1804367575 Jenny 5 4.12 2024
author: David Barnett
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
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]]> 220786749
Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. But there's not much good will among the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and someone is trying to ruin the panto before the curtain even goes up. Plus, there's the small matter of the dead Santa.

Who had the victim on their naughty list? Read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts to discover the truth. Will the show go on?]]> 191 Janice Hallett 1800817363 Jenny 4 3.47 2023
author: Janice Hallett
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
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]]> 26025705 New York Times manga best seller Chi's Sweet Home comes a delightful series of vignettes in the life of a kitten and her doting owner. To a young kitten, even the most mundane things appear fresh and exciting (and sometimes unpleasant or scary). Join FukuFuku on her journey and rediscover the world from a tiny cat's point of view.]]> 155 Kanata Konami 1942993439 Jenny 3 4.02 2014
author: Kanata Konami
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 136543153
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.]]> 256 John Scalzi 1509835431 Jenny 5 4.12 2023
author: John Scalzi
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 186509880
Instead of Ji-won's parents reuniting, however, her mother starts dating George, a Caucasian man with an obvious Asian fetish. Tormented by her dreams, Ji-won becomes obsessed with his beautiful blue eyes and begins noticing blue eyes all around her. No longer able to control her urges, she finds opportunities to feed her hunger, growing more and more reckless each day. And, as her obsession grows, so does her the things that once seemed important to her no longer do, and Ji-won, who has always been hopelessly devoted to her family, decides that she must do the one thing that will end her cravings once and for all.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unravelling from feeling for too long - because of race, because of misogyny - completely unseen, THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART is also a story of an immigrant family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other.]]> 289 Monika Kim Jenny 5 3.87 2024
author: Monika Kim
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 203308802
Here, Sarah Clegg takes us on a journey through midwinter to explore the lesser-known Christmas traditions, from English mummers plays and Austrian Krampus runs, to modern pagan rituals at Stonehenge and the night in Finland when a young girl is crowned with candles as St Lucy - a martyred Christian girl who also appears as a witch leading a procession of the dead. At wassails and hoodenings and winter gatherings, attended by ghastly, grinning horses, snatching monsters and mysterious visitors, we discover how these traditions originated and how they changed through the centuries, and we ask if we can't keep the darkness entirely at bay, might it be fun to let a little in?]]> 193 Sarah Clegg 1803511540 Jenny 3 3.70 2024
author: Sarah Clegg
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
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]]> 202693372
You see, Mr. Cormorant is a psychographist-an expert in consumer personas. And Mr. Cormorant is testing a Product. And Mr. Cormorant has selected the Hoyers for a simple task-test the Product. Live with it. Breathe it in. Abide by its demands.

In return?

Riches.

The cost?

Immeasurable.

The Psychographist is a disturbing novel of consumption, advertising, focus groups, and the decisions that define us.]]> 226 Carson Winter 1954899122 Jenny 4 Thought provoking comment on consumerism but a struggle to read at times due to the content. ]]> 3.98 2024
author: Carson Winter
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
CW: incest, self harm, auto-cannibalism.
Thought provoking comment on consumerism but a struggle to read at times due to the content.
]]> 184591434
Shesheshen has made a fatal mistake for a she's fallen in love.

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who usually resides as an amorphous lump in the swamp of a ruined manor, unless impolite monster hunters invade intent on murdering her. Through a chance encounter, she meets a different kind of human, warm-hearted Homily, who mistakes Shesheshen for a human in turn.

Shesheshen is loath to deceive, but just as she's about to confess her true identity, Homily reveals she's hunting the shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give them both a chance at happiness, she must figure out why Homily's twisted family thinks she did. And the bigger challenge surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with the woman she loves.

A glorious, funny, occasionally slightly violent love story which asks us to examine - and re-examine - the meaning of legacy, family and love.]]> 304 John Wiswell 1529431352 Jenny 3 3.97 2024
author: John Wiswell
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
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]]> 128665464
A powerful graphic novel exploring the struggle for survival of displaced people. With true stories from Ukraine, Somalia, Bosnia, Syria and Afghanistan, this moving book collects important tales about the real journeys of people forced from their homes by conflict.

Somalia: 'It was a normal, boring day. I was playing videogames after homework when the first bomb fell.'

Bosnia: 'One day, Mum took me to the local playground. A sniper shot at us. We couldn't stay in Bosnia any more.'

Ukraine: 'On the 24th of February, Mum woke me up by 'The war has begun.'

With stories from Ada Jusic (Bosnia), Marie Bamyani (Afghanistan), Sonya Zhurenko (Ukraine), Ramzee (Somalia) and Nadine Kaadan (Syria).  Full-colour graphic novel art by Bosnian refugee, Ada Jusic. Each story has an informative introduction about the country, written by Bali Rai. Real stories to help children aged 9+ understand the plight of refugees and displaced people.]]> 146 Marie Bamyani 0702319171 Jenny 4 4.23
author: Marie Bamyani
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 28150588 22 Katie Cook Jenny 3 4.22 2015
author: Katie Cook
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 215060488 160 Edward Ross 0008696047 Jenny 5 4.65
author: Edward Ross
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.65
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 201033505 From Eliza Clark, the author of the brilliant novels Boy Parts and Penance and one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists, comes a fierce, visionary and darkly comic story collection.

A woman welcomes a parasite into her body.

A teenager longs for perfect skin.

A scientist tends to fragile alien flora.

A young man takes the night into his own hands.

Unsettling, revelatory, and laced with her signature dark humor, Eliza Clark’s debut short story collection plumbs the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger.]]> 240 Eliza Clark 0063393263 Jenny 5 3.80 2024
author: Eliza Clark
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves:
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]]> 18915712
Paddington is in charge of the “EYETINNERY�� and, as Mrs Bird mutters darkly, “There’s no knowing where we might end up.�� But he’s planning some very good holiday ‘doings�� indeed for the Browns. And Paddington himself becomes the only bear ever to ride in the famous Tour de France bicycle race �� and win a prize!]]> 140 Michael Bond 0007402570 Jenny 5 4.45 1961
author: Michael Bond
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1961
rating: 5
read at: 2020/10/21
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves:
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]]> 11064476 An alternate cover edition can be found here.

A teenage murder witness is drowned in a tub of apples...At a Hallowe'en party, Joyce - a hostile thirteen-year-old - boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no-one believes her, she storms off home. But within hours her body is found, still in the house, drowned in an apple-bobbing tub. That night, Hercule Poirot is called in to find the 'evil presence'. But first he must establish whether he is looking for a murderer or a double-murderer...]]> 244 Agatha Christie 0007422369 Jenny 3 3.92 1969
author: Agatha Christie
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 37559111
Tara Button has become a champion of a lifestyle called ‘mindful curation�� �� a way of living in which we carefully choose each object in our lives, making sure we have the best, most classic, most pleasing and longest lasting �� kettles, desks, pots & pans, scissors, coats and dresses, instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff and appliances with built-in obsolescence. Tara advocates a life that celebrates what lasts, what is classic and what really suits a person.

There are 10 steps to master mindful curation and each is explained in this book, from understanding and using techniques to freeing yourself from external manipulations. Finding your purpose and priorities and identifying your core tastes and style. Learning how to let go of the superfluous and how to make wise choices going forwards.

Mindful curation is a lifestyle choice that will make you happier, healthier and more fulfilled spiritual as well as helping save the planet.]]> 307 Tara Button 0008217726 Jenny 3 3.97 2018
author: Tara Button
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 211741158 FOLLOW HIM OR DIE.

When The Speaker posts, his followers must listen ... no matter the consequences.

Exposed as the masked social media influencer The Speaker by shy misfit Crystal, Aaron Fortin embarks on an insidious campaign to erase her - permanently.

Having already committed multiple brutal murders to try and feel some form of emotion, he charms and recruits Crystal's friends as his latest loyal followers. Aaron's influence is powerful and wide-reaching, and so begins his deadliest and most gruesome plan yet.

But has Aaron underestimated quiet Crystal? And can she stop him before it's too late?

A dark and twisted psychological horror for fans of You, from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Adam Cesare, adapted from the Audible Original.

NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER contains strong violence and themes some readers may find disturbing ]]> 346 Adam Cesare 1444979523 Jenny 4 3.49 2024
author: Adam Cesare
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves:
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]]> 124725547 Like other vampires, Carmilla had nocturnal habits, but was not confined to the darkness. She was able to change her form and to pass through solid walls. Carmilla works as a Gothic horror story because her victims are portrayed as succumbing to a perverse and unholy temptation that has severe metaphysical consequences for them.]]> 106 J. Sheridan Le Fanu Jenny 3 3.88 1872
author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1872
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 218756180 Susannah Lloyd 1788453190 Jenny 0 to-read 4.50
author: Susannah Lloyd
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 196857927 She’s human in every way that matters.

Annie is a robot, created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Playful and eager to please, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he buys for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his whims. Maybe the apartment isn’t always spotless, but she’s trying to be good enough for Doug. She’s trying really hard.

But as Annie grows more self-aware, she begins to chafe against the borders of her life: the empty weeks spent confined to the apartment, the fitness regimens designed to keep her part-organic body toned, the service appointments to increase her bra size and shave inches off her waistline. Worst of all are Doug’s unpredictable moods, and the way he can punish her without even raising his voice.

Annie starts to imagine the impossible �� what would life be like outside Doug’s apartment? What could she be like without Doug?

This powerful, provocative novel from a bold new voice examines the intricate relationship between creator and creation, between human and AI, exploring issues of trust, intimacy, power and autonomy.

Is a human soul something we are born with? Or is it something �� through love, pain and other people �� we can learn?]]> 300 Sierra Greer 0008584583 Jenny 3 4.01 2024
author: Sierra Greer
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves:
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]]> 199426131 Wish you could talk your way out of DETENTION?
Want to SQUASH your bullies and RISE to the top?
Join Kamal as he attempts to go from PUKE BOY to POPULAR!

Kamal is better than anyone else in his school at fading into the background. When you're a refugee and you've started a new school three times in as many years, you learn to keep your head down.

But, after a major puke incident in front of the whole school, being invisible is no longer an option. And when Kamal finds a mysterious CHEAT BOOK in the library that promises to help him gain popularity, he sees a chance to finally make his mark . . .

This hilarious guide to being 'too cool for school' (or just cool enough) from brilliant author-illustrator RAMZEE has black-and-white illustrations throughout and is perfect for 8+ readers .]]> 234 RAMZEE 1444973398 Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.30
author: RAMZEE
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 182867679 224 Theo Parish 0063319586 Jenny 0 4.37 2024
author: Theo Parish
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves:
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]]> 200543038 Six Students. One Murder. Your Time Starts Now...

The mature students of Royal Hastings University's new art course have been trouble from day one. From acclaimed artist Alyson who seems oddly overqualified, to hapless Patrick who can barely operate design software, and city boy Cameron who blusters his way through assignments. Not to mention Jem, who's a gifted young sculptor... but cross her at your peril.

The year-long course is blighted by students setting fire to one another's artwork, a rumoured extra-marital affair and a disastrous road trip. But finally they are given their last assignment: to build an art installation for a local manufacturer. With six students who have nothing in common except their clashing personal agendas, what could possibly go wrong?

The answer is: murder. When the external examiner arrives to assess the students' coursework, he becomes convinced that a student was killed on the course and that the others covered it up. But is he right? Only a close examination of the evidence will reveal the truth. Your time starts now...]]> 480 Janice Hallett 1782839828 Jenny 3 3.96 2024
author: Janice Hallett
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves:
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]]> 51837956
Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya’s second novel is a stirring examination of making art in the modern era, a love letter to brown women, an authentic glimpse into the music industry, and a nuanced exploration of the promise and peril of being seen.]]> 220 Vivek Shraya 1773055151 Jenny 5 3.82 2020
author: Vivek Shraya
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/09
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 6845839 Take This Kitty Home

Chi is a mischievous newborn American shorthair who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, found herself lost. When we found Chi it was clear to us she was completely distraught as she longed for the warmth and protection of her mother. Feeling sympathy for the little furball, we quietly whisked her away inviting her into our small apartment home... where pets are strictly not permitted. While we dread parting with her, there is no way she can stay.

Little Chi is a happy and healthy litter-box trained kitten. And while she can be a little bit of a handful, she has been a great source of joy in our lives and a wonderful companion to our young son. Living with Chi has completely changed our lives, and we are sure she will have the same impact with whomever gives her a good home.]]> 164 Kanata Konami 1934287814 Jenny 3 4.21 2004
author: Kanata Konami
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/19
date added: 2024/09/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 215396592

Erin and Max are two trans kids, just trying to get to California. Max is desperate to finally be able to transition, and Erin is longing to understand why she's on this trip to begin with, after Max suddenly broke up with her two years earlier.


But when they find themselves stranded - and eventually separated - in the creepy woods of rural middle-America, they suddenly have much bigger problems.


First, there's the creature that, according to legend, feeds on girls, hunting them through the shadows.


And then there are the locals, who are searching for a female sacrifice. If either of them hope to survive to see the sunrise, Erin and Max will have to come together and stop from their attackers, from each other, and, ultimately, from themselves.


"Terrifying, tender, and unflinchingly honest. Old Wounds demands your attention from the very first page and never lets up." Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls


"Wholly original, endlessly subversive and genuinely terrifying." Laura Steven, author of The Society for Soulless Girls


"A terrifying, masterful debut... Old Wounds is a gripping exploration of gender, sacrifice and the real monsters we're running from." Lex Croucher]]> 298 Logan-Ashley Kisner 183604254X Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.11 2024
author: Logan-Ashley Kisner
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 199125882 'When you’re living a lie, you find it’s best to avoid close attachments…��

Lynch, a burned out con-artist, arrives, broke, in London, trying not to dwell on the mistakes that got him there. When he bumps into Bobbie, a rehab-bound heiress - and when she briefly mistakes him for her missing brother - Lynch senses the opportunity, as well as the danger��

Bobbie’s brother, Heydon, was a troubled young man. Five years ago, he walked out of the family home and never went back. His car was found parked on a bridge overlooking the Thames, in the early hours of the same morning. Unsettled by Bobbie’s story, and suffering from a rare attack of conscience, Lynch tries to back off.

But when Bobbie leaves for rehab the following day, he finds himself drawn to her luxurious family home, and into a meeting with her mother, the formidable Miranda. Seeing the same resemblance that her daughter did, Miranda proposes she hire Lynch to assume her son’s identity, in a last-ditch effort to try and flush out his killer.

As Lynch begins to impersonate him, dark forces are lured out of the shadows, and he realises too late that Heydon wasn’t paranoid at all. Someone was watching his every move, and they’ll kill to keep it a secret.

For the first time, Lynch is in a life-or-death situation he can’t lie his way out of.]]> 384 Joseph Knox 1529927471 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.48 2024
author: Joseph Knox
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 210972028
Meet Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated...

A double murder in a seaside hotel sees grieving Detective Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Will this eccentric, offbeat sleuth find answers where more traditional police have found only a puzzle?]]> 400 Mark Billingham Jenny 5 4.27 2023
author: Mark Billingham
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 122051078 36 Jarred Lujan 1484673034 Jenny 4 3.62
author: Jarred Lujan
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.62
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/12
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 17860739 One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace, and desire.

A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown.

THE BOOK: Ship of Theseus, the final novel by a prolific but enigmatic writer named V. M. Straka, in which a man with no past is shanghaied onto a strange ship with a monstrous crew and launched onto a disorienting and perilous journey.

THE WRITER: Straka, the incendiary and secretive subject of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a revolutionary about whom the world knows nothing apart from the words he wrote and the rumours that swirl around him.

THE READERS: Jennifer and Eric, a college senior and a disgraced grad student, both facing crucial decisions about who they are, who they might become, and how much they’re willing to trust another person with their passions, hurts, and fears.

S. , conceived by filmmaker J. J. Abrams and written by award-winning novelist Doug Dorst, is the chronicle of two readers finding each other in the margins of a book and enmeshing themselves in a deadly struggle between forces they don’t understand. It is also Abrams and Dorst’s love letter to the written word.
]]> 469 J.J. Abrams 0316201642 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.86 2013
author: J.J. Abrams
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 182127464
The second rip-roaring mystery from multi-award-winning number international bestseller Mark Billingham starring Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated...

Unconventional Detective Declan Miller has a problem. Well, two problems. First, there's his dead wife and her yet-to-be-solved murder. He really should stop talking to her ghosts...

Second, and most pressing, a young man has just appeared on his doorstep with a briefcase . . . containing a pair of severed hands. Miller knows this case is proof of a contract killing commissioned by local ne'er do well Wayne Cutler—a man he suspects might also be responsible for his wife's death. Now Miller has leverage, but unfortunately, he also has something that both Cutler and a villainous fast-food kingpin are desperate to get hold of.

Sprinkle in a Midsomer Murders-obsessed hitman, a psychotic welder, and a woman driven over the edge by a wayward Crème Egg, and Miller is in a mess that even he might not be able to dance his way out of.]]> 416 Mark Billingham 1408726378 Jenny 5 4.44 2024
author: Mark Billingham
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves:
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]]> 40670312 How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.�� They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after�� isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others��

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.]]> 418 John Marrs Jenny 4 4.09 2016
author: John Marrs
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/13
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 202136486
He lives with his clan on a Construct, a huge technological “creature�� driven by the clan’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other clans and absorbing them into their own.

But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his clan. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock�� who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do��?

When Coll uncovers the truth, it destroys everything he thought he knew about his clan, the world they live in, and even himself. In a world full of danger, and suddenly without meaning, can he find a way back?]]> 288 Alastair Chisholm 1839945311 Jenny 5 4.35 2024
author: Alastair Chisholm
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/10
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 182484355
A long-forgotten evil has reemerged, determined to transform everyone—humans, beasts, and gods alike—into monsters. And there’s only one being who can stop it, or at least that’s what he thinks. Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, is said to be the mightiest of all beasts, and he’s made a deal with the gods. They will grant him his greatest wish and make him a god too. All he has to do is battle these monsters, defeat this evil, and basically save the world. What could possibly go wrong?

Wukong must first journey to Greece, where he’ll have to figure out how to escape the underworld alive, be a good pet-sitter for a three-headed dog, and ultimately find his way through a labyrinth. But when he comes face-to-face with the Minotaur, will he have what it takes to slay the monster . . . or will the Monkey King’s story end up a Greek tragedy?]]> 240 Maple Lam 0593524640 Jenny 5 4.10
author: Maple Lam
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
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]]> 21472663
Kaz is still reeling from being dumped by the love of her life... Ruby is bored of hearing about it. Time to change the record.

Three days. Two best mates. One music festival. Zero chance of everything working out.]]> 304 Non Pratt Jenny 0 to-read 3.58 2015
author: Non Pratt
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 53674977 Soar into this modern Japanese classic about a young witch and her clever cat with this new translation by Emily Balistrieri which will delight fans of the beloved Studio Ghibli animated movie as well as new readers. 'A magical, joyous read, brought to life by the most beautiful illustrations' - Harriet Muncaster, author of Isadora Moon'A charming and beautifully written story' - Laura Ellen Anderson, author of Amelia Fang Kiki is a trainee witch. On her thirteenth birthday she must follow tradition and leave home to find a new village. She knows she has to use only her powers to make a living, but Kiki's no good at potions or spells...can she use her flying abilities to make her own way in the world? She sets out with her beloved black cat Jiji on an exciting journey, making new friends along the way.]]> 195 Eiko Kadono Jenny 5 4.36 1985
author: Eiko Kadono
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/14
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
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]]> 134666147 —Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun

"A brilliant, biting critique of western beauty standards as well as a soaring, phantasmagoric, Angela Carter-esque fairy tale about trauma and the loss of self. Rouge is deeply unsettling, funny, obsessive...A truly mesmerizing read."
—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts 

"Unsettling, whimsical, and moving, Rouge is an authentic, innovative kind of narrative magic...surreal and absolute. A striking novel of incandescence and heart."
—Iain Reid, author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things

From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. Can she escape her mother’s fate—and find a connection that is more than skin deep?

For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa her mother to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.

Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, ROUGE explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, ROUGE holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.]]> 383 Mona Awad 1398504955 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.42 2023
author: Mona Awad
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 63890346 "Campbell has mastered the art of generating a sense of sustained unease." The Washington Post. A new masterpiece from the master of suspense.

Tower of Fear is a lost horror film starring Karloff and Lugosi. A film historian who locates a copy dies while fleeing something that terrified him. His friend Sandy Allan vows to prove he found the film. She learns how haunted the production was and the survivors of it still are. It contains a secret about Redfield, a titled family that owns a favourite British food, Staff o�� Life. The Redfield land has uncanny guardians, and one follows Sandy home. To maintain its fertility Redfield demands a sacrifice, and a band of new age travellers is about to set up camp there��

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.]]> 321 Ramsey Campbell 1787587657 Jenny 5 4.10 1989
author: Ramsey Campbell
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1989
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 38559899
Mafalda is a nine-year-old girl who knows one thing: some time in the next six months her sight will fail completely. Can Mafalda find a way through a seemingly dark future and still go to school, play soccer and look after her beloved cat? With the help of her family, and her friends, Mafalda needs to discover the things that will be important to her when her sight has failed.]]> 256 Paola Peretti 147140756X Jenny 4 3.99 2018
author: Paola Peretti
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/18
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 200780517 From the USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus, comes a new heart-pounding story about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead.

Misha is a jaded scriptwriter working in Hollywood, and he's seen it all. All the toxic personalities and coverups, the structural obstructions to reform, even dead actors brought back to screen by CGI �� and finally, maybe, the hint of change.

But having just been nominated for his first Oscar, Misha is pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale��"for the algorithm"—on the same day he witnesses to gruesome death-by-piano of treasured animator (and notorious creep) Raymond Nelson.

Success, it seems, isn't the answer to everything.

With the help of his best friend and paranoid database queen, Tara, and his boyfriend, Zeke, Misha has face down his traumatic childhood and past mistakes. But in a paranoid industry that thinks nothing of killing off talent, it's not so simple to find a way to do what's right.]]> 351 Chuck Tingle 1803365196 Jenny 5 4.12 2024
author: Chuck Tingle
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/22
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves:
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]]> 30292689
Now Mike has arrived to Japan to meet Yaichi and his daughter Kana. Yaichi has to face his own preconceptions and come to terms about who his brother really was.]]> 180 Gengoroh Tagame Jenny 5 Yaichi’s twin brother, Ryoji, moved to Canada ten years ago and married a man. Sadly he then died in an accident and Mike, his husband, has arrived in Japan to meet Yaichi and try to connect with Ryoji’s childhood.
The artwork is really thoughtful- drawing attention to Yaichi’s pauses and the time he takes to think about his responses. It probably seems a strange this to draw attention to but the representations of the sky and clouds are stunningly shown and, to my mind, really depict the changes occurring in Yaichi’s mind.
This is a really thoughtful book that explores the cultural differences between Japan and Canada- putting tempura into sushi, hugging, gay marriage and tattoos. The inclusion of Kana, Yaichi’s little girl, shows the difference between children who are naturally accepting and adults who tend to accept the status quo. An absolutely beautiful book about grief, growth and understanding.]]> 4.11
author: Gengoroh Tagame
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/02/13
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves:
review:
This is the first manga book I’ve ever read all of the way through. It really has made me rethink my expectations of what manga is. This is a really beautiful exploration of cultural differences, homophobia and grief.
Yaichi’s twin brother, Ryoji, moved to Canada ten years ago and married a man. Sadly he then died in an accident and Mike, his husband, has arrived in Japan to meet Yaichi and try to connect with Ryoji’s childhood.
The artwork is really thoughtful- drawing attention to Yaichi’s pauses and the time he takes to think about his responses. It probably seems a strange this to draw attention to but the representations of the sky and clouds are stunningly shown and, to my mind, really depict the changes occurring in Yaichi’s mind.
This is a really thoughtful book that explores the cultural differences between Japan and Canada- putting tempura into sushi, hugging, gay marriage and tattoos. The inclusion of Kana, Yaichi’s little girl, shows the difference between children who are naturally accepting and adults who tend to accept the status quo. An absolutely beautiful book about grief, growth and understanding.
]]> 204788401


A heart-warming and hilarious story about one boy who wants to fit in, the friends he meets along the way, and one NASTY BLOUSE...

Ted has always wanted to be a popular kid, but due to an embarrassing incident that will not be named, he finds it harder than ever to fit in. But when Ted's parents split up, his whole life changes. Although leaving his best friend Archie behind sucks, Ted is about to discover that staying with his dad might have its perks. Because with a new start, is the chance to re-invent yourself... that's right, Ted has the opportunity to choose his new identity and it's going to be FRESH.

But can Ted keep up the cool-kid charade, or will his lies catch up with him? 

An approachable and funny take on the common experience of children navigating what it means to have divorced parents and have two homes Authored by acclaimed children's and YA-and Carnegie-nominated Simon James Green, whose middle-grade book Finn Jones Was Here became Indie Book of the Month With fantastic illustrations throughout from Jennifer Jamieson that bring the heart and humour to life]]> 324 Simon James Green 0702335355 Jenny 5 4.49
author: Simon James Green
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.49
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/12
date added: 2024/07/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 203411003 Gaming, adventure and an incredible friendship combine in this one-of-a-kind, heart-pounding, spine-tingling adventure that takes place in the space of a single night. Eerie, exciting, funny and deeply moving, THE LAST LIFE OF LORI MILLS is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.

Eleven-year-old Lori is home alone for the first time in her life, and she’s immediately done all the things she’s TOTALLY NOT allowed to

1. Turned the heating up to the max.
2. Built a GIANT blanket fort in the living room.
3. Switched on Voxminer, aka the greatest game in the history
of the universe.

But quickly, Lori realises something is wrong. She can hear strange whispers coming from the screen �� and soon, they’re in the house with her. Could it be Voxminer’s most terrifying Shade Girl?

Trapped in her home as the doors and windows start to vanish and her phone goes dead, Lori must use all her bravery, wits, gaming skills �� and the love and deep bond she shares with her BFF, Shoelace �� to survive until Mum gets home��

A unique and unforgettable read that’s perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick, Christopher Edge, Minecraft and Stranger Things.]]> 263 Max Boucherat 0008666490 Jenny 4 3.83 2024
author: Max Boucherat
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/11
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 174618659 158 Brendan Reichs 1779508662 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.50 2023
author: Brendan Reichs
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 57953997
Bumble and Snug are going on a big adventure to ... have a picnic! But when they accidentally get lost, they're both cross - is their adventure ruined?

Working together to find their way home, Bumble and Snug come across a pirate treasure horde. But taking treasure that isn't yours is a good way to get into trouble, and sure enough some VERY angry pirates aren't far behind.

Bumble and Snug are certain they can replace the treasure, and fix things to make everybody happy. But there's another monstrous obstacle in store - and this one has TENTACLES.

Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates is a story about being cross and how to listen, friendship and sandcastles, and one GIANT octopus!

Perfect for readers just starting to enjoy stories independently, and for kids to share with their grown-ups. For fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Mr Men.]]> 160 Mark Bradley 1444958038 Jenny 5 4.35
author: Mark Bradley
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 133204287
So when Ed discovers he does have an Artezan power after all, he's relieved. And it's more than he ever could have imagined - in fact, it's a dream come true. But the problem with dreams is that sometimes they twist themselves into nightmares.
And with Ed's new abilities growing by the day, there's a chance that this nightmare will become all too real...]]> 384 L.D. Lapinski 1510110100 Jenny 4 4.31 2024
author: L.D. Lapinski
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/30
date added: 2024/06/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 147336813 Eight strangers arrive at a remote sea fort off the coast of England. They are here to take part in The Fortress, a mysterious reality TV show in which contestants have to solve a series of complex puzzles. But this is no game, and the consequences of failure are more deadly than anyone anticipated.

No one leaves.
The show's sinister purpose becomes clear when the first person is evicted from the competition. Instead of being sent home to their family, they are left to die inside a locked room.

The only way out is to win.
Under scrutiny from the watching public, the contestants soon turn one another. What are they willing to do for wealth and fame? How far will they go to survive? And who is behind it all? The only thing they know for certain is that if they want to escape, they need to win...

Are you ready to play?]]> 432 L.D. Smithson Jenny 4 4.01 2024
author: L.D. Smithson
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/04
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 59487157 Squid Game meets The Left Hand of Darkness meets Under the Skin in this radical literary sensation from South Korea about an alien's hunt for food that transforms into an existential crisis about what it means to be human.

After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, a shapeshifting alien find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet and disabled by Earth's gravity. To survive, they will need to practice walking. And what better way than to hunt for food? As they discover, humans are delicious.

Intelligent, clever, and adaptable, the alien shift their gender, appearance, and conduct to suit a prey's sexual preference, then attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They use a variety of hunting tools, including a popular dating app, to target the juiciest prey and carry a backpack filled with torturous instruments and cleaning equipment. But the alien's existence begins to unravel one night when they fail to kill their latest meal.

Thrust into an ill-fated chase across the city, the alien is confronted with the psychological and physical tolls their experience on Earth has taken. Questioning what they must do to sustain their own survival, they begin to understand why humans also fight to live. But their hunger is insatiable, and the alien once again targets a new prey, not knowing what awaits. . . .

Dolki Min's haunting debut novel is part psychological thriller, part searing critique of the social structures that marginalize those who are different--the disabled, queer, and nonconformist. Walking Practice uncovers humanity in who we consider to be alien, and illuminates how alienation can shape the human experience.

Walking Practice features 21 black-and-white line drawings throughout.

Translated from the Korean by Victoria Caudle]]> 171 Dolki Min 0063258633 Jenny 4 3.58 2022
author: Dolki Min
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/02
date added: 2024/06/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 4997659 Read Stuart Brown's posts on the Penguin Blog.

From a leading expert, a groundbreaking book on the science of play, and its essential role in fueling our intelligence and happiness throughout our lives.
We’ve all seen the happiness in the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing with glee across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless and all-consuming. And, most important, it’s fun.

As we become adults, taking time to play feels like a guilty pleasure—a distraction from “real�� work and life. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. In fact, our ability to play throughout life is the single most important factor in determining our success and happiness.

Dr. Brown has spent his career studying animal behavior and conducting more than six thousand “play histories�� of humans from all walks of life—from serial murderers to Nobel Prize winners. Backed by the latest research, Play explains why play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve, and more. Play is hardwired into our brains—it is the mechanism by which we become resilient, smart, and adaptable people.

Beyond play’s role in our personal fulfillment, its benefits have profound implications for child development and the way we parent, education and social policy, business innovation, productivity, and even the future of our society. From new research suggesting the direct role of three-dimensional-object play in shaping our brains to animal studies showing the startling effects of the lack of play, Brown provides a sweeping look at the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the importance of this behavior. A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do.]]> 240 Stuart M. Brown Jr. 1583333339 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.83 2009
author: Stuart M. Brown Jr.
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 21157045
'Bruno slammed his palms together. "Hey! Cheeses, what an idea! I kill your wife and you kill my father! We meet on a train, see, and nobody knows we know each other! Perfect alibis! Catch?'''

From this moment, almost against his conscious will, Guy Haines is trapped in a nightmare of shared guilt and an insidious merging of personalities.

'The No.1 Greatest Crime Writer' The Times]]> 290 Patricia Highsmith Jenny 3 3.78 1950
author: Patricia Highsmith
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1950
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/31
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 205654916
Gala and her dad, Jordi, have just moved from home in Cataluña to a town in Scotland, to live with Jordi's boyfriend Ryan. Gala doesn't speak much English, and feels lost, lonely and unable to be her usual funny self. Until she befriends Natalie, a girl with selective mutism. The two girls find their own ways to communicate, which includes collecting other people's discarded words. They use the words to write anonymous supportive poems for their classmates, but then someone begins leaving nasty messages using the same method �� and the girls are blamed. Gala has finally started adapting to her new life in Scotland and is determined to find the culprit. Can she and Natalie show the school who they really are?

An intriguing, thoughtful and lyrical exploration of how we express ourselves, for fans of Katya Balen, A POCKETFUL OF STARS and Lisa Thompson.]]> 205 Sophie Cameron 1788956575 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.96 2023
author: Sophie Cameron
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 45161295 240 Michael Rosen 1788161904 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.85
author: Michael Rosen
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 201923094
With the boys divided, Seb's burgeoning relationship with Finn is put to the test and when the competition takes a deadly turn, their plan to take down HappyHead rapidly unravels ...]]> Josh Silver Jenny 4 4.50 2024
author: Josh Silver
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/08
date added: 2024/05/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 123676809
A powerful novel exploring how teenagers can be swept up into county lines. For fans of PUNCHING THE AIR and SPLINTERS OF SUNSHINE.

Erik's life has been falling apart ever since his dad died. Homework and being good at school stop feeling important when you're the new man of the house. When Erik's bad behaviour attracts the wrong crowd, he's sucked into a terrifying new world of drug dealing, trap houses and violence.

Making money feels good but Erik soon learns that a small favour can become a huge debt.

And when his sisters' lives are threatened, Erik will have to cross one more line to save them.]]> 368 Tia Fisher 1471413047 Jenny 4 4.24
author: Tia Fisher
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/29
date added: 2024/04/29
shelves:
review:

]]> 158935267 251 Jordan Alsaqa 1649361386 Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.32
author: Jordan Alsaqa
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 206741283
After a stranger leaves him a secluded property, drifter Rusty finds himself the caretaker of a massive, tooth-filled mouth in the ground…and it’s hungry.

His situation is complicated by Abigail, a wannabe filmmaker who stumbles on the secret. Together, the odd pair set out to discover the origins of Mouth and the hidden history of its former owner, setting in motion an outlandish scheme that could endanger them all.]]> 128 Joshua Hull 1959790021 Jenny 5 4.14
author: Joshua Hull
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2024/04/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 125489430 96 Stephanie Williams 1338785524 Jenny 5 4.20 2024
author: Stephanie Williams
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/12
date added: 2024/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 210836969 160 Manon Steffan Ros 1915444497 Jenny 4 4.26
author: Manon Steffan Ros
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/10
date added: 2024/04/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 120802813
'I love having beans as a base to make a hearty delicious dinner.' - Melissa Hemsley

Get ready to become bean obsessed!
Beans have had it tough, but they've finally had the makeover they deserve. No longer confined to the back of the cupboard, and now celebrated by foodies, these protein-rich, sumptuous and satisfying marvels offer versatility, texture and heartiness.
With contributions from the Bold Bean team as well as Anna Jones, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the team at Mob among others, these are enticing, exciting recipes uncompromising in their deliciousness.

Bold Beans contains over 90 recipes divided into the following

Speedy Beans
Bean Snacks and Share Plates
Brothy Beans
Bean Bowls
Hearty Salads
Bean Feasts]]> 192 Amelia Christie-Miller 1804190810 Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.79
author: Amelia Christie-Miller
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 182761647
�� Poetry Comics is a sprint through a sprinkler, a cool evening breeze, and the discovery of static electricity all at once. It’s a sensorial experience that taps into what it means to be human and leaves you inspired to explore, discover, create, and connect.”—Aron Nels Steinke, Eisner Award-winning cartoonist

From the cloud-gazing hours of early spring to the lost bicycles of late autumn, Grant Snider’s brilliantly illustrated Poetry Comics will take you climbing, floating, swimming, and tumbling through all the year’s ups, downs, and in-betweens. He proves that absolutely everything, momentous or minuscule, is worthy of attention, whether snail shells, building blocks, the lamented late bus, or the rare joy of unscuffed shoes. These poems explore everything you never thought to write a poem about, and they’re so fun to read you’ll want to write one yourself. Not to worry, there’s a poem for that, too!

FOR COMIC BOOK These poems for kids are brightly illustrated in graphic novel-style panels, adding a delightful new element to approaching poetry. Perfect for visually oriented readers and young people who already love comics, cartoons, and graphic novels.

EXCITING NEW APPROACH TO Funny, instructive, and thoroughly engaging, this poem book is a perfect addition to classroom libraries and poetry curricula. 

POEMS FOR EVERY With sections for winter, spring, summer, and fall, this poetry book offers teachers and kids lots to enjoy and share all year round. 

SPARK A LOVE OF POETRY AND Perfect for classroom writing and drawing prompts, this book will inspire readers of all ages to make and share poetry comics of their own!

Perfect ]]> 96 Grant Snider 1797219650 Jenny 5 4.28 2024
author: Grant Snider
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/06
date added: 2024/04/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 60058736
Jen's hen party is going to be out of control...

She's rented a luxury getaway on its own private island. The helicopter won't be back for seventy-two hours. They are alone. They think.

As well as Jen, there's the pop diva and the estranged ex-bandmate, the tennis pro and the fashion guru, the embittered ex-sister-in-law and the mouthy future sister-in-law.

It's a combustible cocktail, one that takes little time to ignite, and in the midst of the drunken chaos, one of them disappears. Then a message tells them that unless someone confesses her terrible secret to the others, their missing friend will be killed.

Problem is, everybody has a secret. And nobody wants to tell.]]> 334 Chris Brookmyre Jenny 3 4.14 2022
author: Chris Brookmyre
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/05
date added: 2024/04/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 123193789
Frankie is different, and so is her best-friend, Sam. So when they both start secondary school, it's tough. Particularly when there are so many rules to follow, like: No talking in class! Be quiet in the hallways! Silence for assembly!

Frankie doesn't know how she'll manage, because constantly talking is how she copes. So when she gets the chance to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest, Frankie couldn't be more excited. Except, to have a band, you need to have band members. And to have band members, you need to be good at making friends...

Can Frankie learn to find her voice and stand out?]]> 272 Aoife Dooley 0702307386 Jenny 4 4.16
author: Aoife Dooley
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/03
date added: 2024/04/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 74866891
Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl�� at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake . The more realistic the fear, the better for business.

But in the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need to figure out what this killer is after. Is there more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?]]> 242 Kalynn Bayron 1526658488 Jenny 3 3.58 2023
author: Kalynn Bayron
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 59974018 It’s an all-new horror classic about what happens when the truth is the last thing we want to believe, from Bram Stoker Award–winner and master of thrills and chills, horror legend Adam Cesare.

After barely making it out of the Kettle Springs cornfields alive, Quinn’s first year away at college should be safe and easy. All she wants is to be normal again.

But instead, Quinn finds that her past won’t leave her alone when she becomes the focus of online conspiracy theories that claim the Kettle Springs Massacre never happened. It’s a deranged but relentless fantasy, and there’s nothing Quinn can do to get people to hear the truth—not even on her own campus or in her own dorm room.

So when a murderous clown attacks Quinn at a frat party while another goes after her father in Kettle Springs at the same time, Quinn realizes that the facts alone are never going to save her. Her only option is to go back into the cornfields, back where the nightmare began, to set the record straight the only way she knows how. Because when the truth gets lost in the lies, that’s when people start to die.

Clown in a Cornfield was 2020’s Bram Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel. Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives is perfectly set to attract old and new fans to the series.]]> 414 Adam Cesare 0063096935 Jenny 3 3.96 2022
author: Adam Cesare
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/22
date added: 2024/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 61935392 A sleepy little town discovers its memories have become part of the water cycle in Naomi Salman's debut novella, Nothing but the Rain.

The rain in Aloisville is never-ending, and no one can remember when it started. There’s not much they can remember. With every drop that hits their skin, a bit of memory is washed away. Stay too long in the wet, and you’ll lose everything you used to be.

By the time Laverne begins keeping a journal, the small town she calls home has been irreparably changed. Every drop of water is dangerous, from leaky faucets to the near-constant rainfall, and a careless trip outside can mean a life down the drain. With mysterious forces preventing escape, calls for rebellion seem to be on every resident’s lips. But Laverne has no interest in fighting. She has no interest in rebellion. She just wants to survive.]]> 96 Naomi Salman 1250849810 Jenny 5 3.95 2023
author: Naomi Salman
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/18
date added: 2024/03/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 60119457
Ed, Maxine, Leni, Xav.

They are the influencers, the lucky ones. Gifted, gilded people who have everything - fame, respect, adulation, more freebies than they can ever unbox. Their lives, loves and feuds are shared with millions of fans on the streaming platform PlayMii, and they are living the dream.

But it's broken Ed's heart.

It's crushing Maxine.

It's destroying Leni's friendships.

And it's gone to Xav's head.

Then, a masked figure walks into Xav's apartment and murders him on camera.

As the world reels with shock, Maxine discovers Xav was sitting on a file of secrets about his fellow creators - career-destroying secrets that they'd do anything to keep hidden. And if she doesn't find the file, she could be next . . .]]> 279 Andreina Cordani 034900353X Jenny 4 3.77 2022
author: Andreina Cordani
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/13
date added: 2024/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 62222244
As they welcome a married American couple to Easley, Mona and Wilfred discover their new guests�� terrible secret. Instead of focussing on the imminent arrival of old friend Michael Tolliver and matriarch Anna Madrigal, Mona will need to use her considerable charm, willpower and wiles to set things right before Easley’s historic Midsummer ceremony.

Hurdling barriers both social and sexual, Maupin leads the eccentric tenants of Barbary Lane through heartbreak and triumph, through nail-biting terrors and gleeful coincidences in 1980s San Francisco and beyond. The result is a glittering and addictive comedy of manners that continues to beguile new generations of readers.]]> 242 Armistead Maupin 1473576563 Jenny 5 4.28 2024
author: Armistead Maupin
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/14
date added: 2024/03/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 6218239
The narrator of Lisa Tuttle’s uncanny novella is a recent widow, a writer adrift. Not only has she lost her husband, but her muse seems to have deserted her altogether. Her agent summons her to Edinburgh to discuss her next book. What will she tell him? At once the answer comes to she will write the biography of Helen Ralston, best known, if at all, as the subject of W.E. Logan’s much-reproduced painting Circe , and the inspiration for his classic children’s book.

But Ralston was a novelist and artist in her own right, though her writing is no longer in print and her most storied painting too shocking, too powerful—malevolent even—to be shown in public. Over the months that follow, Ralston proves a reluctantly cooperative subject, even as her biographer uncovers eerie resonances between the older woman’s life and her own. Whose biography is she writing, really?]]> 93 Lisa Tuttle 1902880900 Jenny 5 3.88 2004
author: Lisa Tuttle
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/09
date added: 2024/03/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 54017817
Agent Moose, the best (worst) secret agent at Woodland HQ, and his slightly-more-intelligent sidekick, Owlfred, are on the case again!

There’s big news in the Big Forest! The circus is in town, Granny Moose is coming to visit, and a mysterious robber is on the loose. When Agent Moose learns that someone is putting the squeeze on innocent animals, he and Owlfred rush to investigate, with Granny along for the ride!

Can they solve this mystery before any more animals face the big squeeze?]]> 128 Mo O'Hara 1250222222 Jenny 5 4.02
author: Mo O'Hara
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/04
date added: 2024/03/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 136357007 Detective Scott Jericho returns in Jericho's Dead, the second gripping crime thriller by William Hussey.

Former CID detective Scott Jericho is done with murder. Done with puzzles. Done with the dark rage that seems to haunt him.

That is until a vicious serial killer targets someone close to him.

Now Jericho is back, his thirst for justice remorseless.

But time is running out. Fortune tellers and psychics are being slaughtered and everything points to a link with a live TV event due to be broadcast on Halloween night. But what is the significance of the macabre wax effigies found at every crime scene? Why is celebrity psychic Darrel Everwood convinced he will die in four days time? And is Jericho's lover Harry really involved in the murders?

As a startling truth is revealed and an old enemy re-emerges, a murder beyond imagining is about to be come the media event of the century...]]> 305 William Hussey 1804181633 Jenny 5 4.27
author: William Hussey
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/02
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 63246566 THE BESTSELLING SLOW COOKER BOOK OF ALL TIME

The number 1 bestseller from the hugely popular healthy eating blog, Bored of Lunch.

Nathan Anthony, the home cook with over 3 million followers, shares delicious and easy home-style recipes that can all be made in your slow cooker while you get on with your day.

Calorie-counted and perfect for anyone enjoying a slimming lifestyle or following a diet programme, satisfying, flavourful food has never been so easy and affordable.

From pastas and risottos to curries, fakeaways and family favourites this book is packed with dishes for any day of the week or occasion such as Honey Chilli Beef Noodles, Garlic Mac and Cheese, Lemon Butter Chicken and even a Sunday Roast. With simple, foolproof methods and no fancy or hard-to-find ingredients this is the perfect book for anyone who wants delicious meals that make you feel great too.

Number 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, March 2023]]> 166 Nathan Anthony Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.26
author: Nathan Anthony
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 178187116
Meet your favourite new MURRAY AND BUN!

Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet.

Bun is a bun. Bun loves�� EVERYTHING!

And together they are unstoppable!

SOMETIMES Murray’s enchanted cat flap leads to the garden�� but mostly it leads to ADVENTURE!

And when Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap and find themselves in a land of VIKINGS, they are given a VERY IMPORTANT to travel to TROLL ISLAND and rescue Eggrik the Viking�� if he hasn’t already been gobbled up by the trolls, that is.

Perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man, Adventure Mice and Claude, this funny, exciting, and hugely loveable story �� brilliantly illustrated throughout �� will delight adventure-lovers young and old. After all, heroes come in all shapes and sizes!]]> 216 Adam Stower 0008561257 Jenny 5 4.46
author: Adam Stower
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/25
date added: 2024/02/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 62039324 A novel about guilt, rage, imagination, and boyhood, about being lost in the dark and learning you’re not alone


This is the story of a few strange hours in the life of a troubled teenage boy.

You mustn’t do that to yourself Shy. You mustn’t hurt yourself like that.

He is wandering into the night listening to the voices in his head: his teachers, his parents, the people he has hurt and the people who are trying to love him.

Got your special meds, nutcase?

He is escaping Last Chance, a home for “very disturbed young men,�� and walking into the haunted space between his night terrors, his past, and the heavy question of his future.

The night is huge and it hurts.

In Shy, Max Porter extends the excavation of boyhood that began with Grief Is the Thing with Feathers and continued with Lanny. But here he asks: How does mischievous wonder and anarchic energy curdle into something more disturbing and violent? Shy is a bravura, lyric, music-besotted performance by one of the great writers of his generation.]]> 136 Max Porter 1644452294 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.62 2023
author: Max Porter
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/24
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 55509354 Piper Pájaro and Sloane MacBrute are two 13-year-old girls with very different lives but very similar secrets. Popular, outgoing Piper is strong. Like, ripping-the-doors-off-cards strong. She longs to be a superhero, even if she tends to leave massive messes in her wake. Snarky Sloane, on the other hand, is super smart. Like, evil-genius-smart. To help her family, she has to put those smarts to use for her villainous grandfather.

When a mission to steal an experimental technological device brings the two girls face to face with each other, the device sparks, and the two girls switch bodies! Now they must live in each other's shoes as they figure out a way to switch back.

Anti/Hero is a story that explores what makes a hero, how one can find friendship where it's unexpected, and what it means to walk in another person's shoes...literally!

Authors Kate Karyus Quinn (Another Little Piece, The Show Must Go On) and Demitria Lunetta (The Fade, Bad Blood) make their graphic novel and middle grade debut alongside artist Maca Gil to introduce two new and exciting characters to DC Comics!]]> 152 Kate Karyus Quinn 177950358X Jenny 0 currently-reading 4.44 2020
author: Kate Karyus Quinn
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/22
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 75532845
It’s hard enough being in middle school, but it’s even worse when you’re the only kid at your school who doesn’t have super-powers. That’s the case for poor Bruce Wayne at the Gotham Preparatory School for the Really, Really, Really Gifted, where the struggles of being un-powered are made worse by the presence of so many exceptionally gifted students. He doesn’t stand a chance of winning a race against the future Flash, or a swim meet against the future Aquaman, and he always gets picked last for dodgeball. And when it comes to winning the attention of the most popular girls at school—Diana Prince and Selina Kyle--he figures he stands no chance at all.

Bruce does have a goal though: he wants to make a difference in the world. But how can he do that when he doesn’t have any powers? While the Future-Supers are currently content to simply use their gifts to glide through school and court popularity, Bruce struggles to figure out if he has any gifts at all �� and if so, how to use them. His challenge comes when he discovers fellow student Jack Napier and his hired bully Bane shaking down lesser-powered students for money, including that hapless kid Dick Grayson. Someone must stand up to them and somehow, it’s going to be Bruce!]]> 160 Stuart Gibbs Jenny 5 3.79 2023
author: Stuart Gibbs
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/21
date added: 2024/02/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 51335340 Zatanna and her stage magician father live in a special house, the House of Secrets, which is full of magic, puzzles, mysterious doors, and storybook creatures-it's the house everyone in the neighborhood talks about but avoids. Not that Zatanna cares, though, because she is perfectly content.
But at school one day, Zatanna stands up to a bully and everything changes- including her friends. Suddenly, Zatanna isn't so sure about her place in the world, and when she returns home to tell her father, he's gone missing, lost within their own home.
With thrilling twists from writer Matthew Cody and dazzling artwork by Yoshi Yoshitani, Zatanna and the House of Secrets will delight readers at the turn of every page-and the opening of every door!]]> 157 Matthew Cody 1779502044 Jenny 4 4.11 2020
author: Matthew Cody
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/21
date added: 2024/02/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 61680646 From the macabre mind of Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Craig DiLouie, Episode Thirteen is a heart-pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense that takes a ghost hunting reality TV crew into a world they could never have imagined possible.

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts.

Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it.

But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of.

A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen �� and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.]]> 384 Craig DiLouie Jenny 3 3.64 2023
author: Craig DiLouie
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/16
date added: 2024/02/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 190114962 "Fabulous. I read this in a single weekend and I didn’t want it to end. Scammers, con-artists, catfishers �� you have met your match" �� Jeremy Vine

"A brilliant read. Moves effortlessly between hilarious and informative and back again." �� Ed Byrne, comedian and actor

"Astonishing." �� Daily Mail

Online romance fraud is a problem across the globe. It causes financial and emotional devastation, yet many people refuse to take it seriously. This is the story of one middle-aged woman in a cardigan determined to understand this growing phenomenon.

No other woman has had so many online romances �� from Keanu Reeves to Brad Pitt to Prince William �� and Becky Holmes is a favourite among peacekeeping soldiers and oil rig workers who desperately need iTunes vouchers. By winding up scammers and investigating the truth behind their profiles, Becky shines a revealing, revolting and hilarious light on a very shady corner of the internet.

Featuring first-hand accounts of victims, examples of scripts used by fraudsters, a look into the psychology of fraud and of course plenty of Becky’s hysterical interactions with scammers, this is a must-read for anyone who needs a reminder that Keanu Reeves is NOT in love with them.]]> 352 Becky Holmes 1800183070 Jenny 4 4.19 2024
author: Becky Holmes
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/13
date added: 2024/02/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 57091290 256 Jamie Smart 1788451953 Jenny 5 4.57 2021
author: Jamie Smart
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/05
date added: 2024/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 46223270 Agent Moose, the best (worst) secret agent in the Big Forest, and his slightly-more-intelligent sidekick Owlfred are on the case in this graphic novel chapter book.

Something fishy is going on at the South Shore. Folks just disappear and are never seen again. But when Agent Moose learns that a key witness has gone missing, he and Owlfred ride to the rescue. Will they find the missing turtle before time runs out?]]> 128 Mo O'Hara 1250222214 Jenny 5 3.89
author: Mo O'Hara
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/28
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 60779461 In this stunning new collection of four horror stories, award-winning author Rachel Harrison explores themes of body image, complicated female friendship, heartbreak, and hauntings.

In “Reply Hazy, Try Again,�� an indecisive young woman finds a mysterious Magic 8 Ball that might just have the answers she’s been looking for...or might lead her down a path of self-destruction.

In “Bachelorette,�� a bridesmaid attends her childhood best friend’s bachelorette weekend, only to discover the itinerary may demand more than she’s willing to sacrifice.

In “Goblin,�� an unusually brutal dieting app wreaks havoc on the life of an insecure woman preparing to attend her ex’s wedding.

In “Bad Dolls,�� after a death in the family, a wayward young woman comes into possession of a strange porcelain doll that could offer a connection to her lost sister.

These dark tales navigate the complexities of modern life with humor, insight, and the occasional blood sacrifice…]]> 132 Rachel Harrison 0593548523 Jenny 3 3.68 2022
author: Rachel Harrison
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/27
date added: 2024/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 72355 Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter - a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter's scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless's jealous love for Baxter's creation.

The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be "the whole story" in the hands of a lesser author (which in fact it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter. Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women, from one of Scotland's most accomplished authors.]]> 318 Alasdair Gray 0747562288 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.92 1992
author: Alasdair Gray
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 63104804 Finding true love can be murder.

Gwen Turner, 29, entrepreneur and part-time barista.

Likes: true-crime podcasts, cheese-based snacks (the more unnaturally orange the better) and constantly refreshing her dating apps.

Dislikes: two-day hangovers, people who refer to themselves as entrepreneurs... and discovering her latest match is actually a serial killer (probably should have put that top of the list).

They say romance is dead �� but if Gwen can’t catch the mystery killer who’s targeting every man she’s ever dated �� it’s about to get a whole lot more deadly��

A twisty, fast-paced and darkly hilarious modern murder mystery set in the terrifying and mystifying world of online dating, Don't Swipe Right is perfect for fans of Bella Mackie's How To Kill Your Family and Netflix's You.]]> 311 L.M. Chilton 1837930228 Jenny 0 currently-reading 3.65 2023
author: L.M. Chilton
name: Jenny
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 63249742
Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito—his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn't mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home, and what follows is the trip of a lifetime, one filled with laughs and heartache. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.]]> 320 Pedro Martín 0593462289 Jenny 0 to-read 4.21 2023
author: Pedro Martín
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 18214414 Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...]]> 464 Robert Galbraith 0316206873 Jenny 0 4.02 2014
author: Robert Galbraith
name: Jenny
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/12
shelves:
review:

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