The Collaborator

Vivienne lives on Guernsey island with her two daughters and her mother-in-law who has dementia during the World War 2. She makes the decision to stay on the island instead of fleeing to London like many locals have. She has made the decision to stay telling herself everything will be OK.... then the Germans came.

Curfews, food shortages and the impending winter are the least of Vivienne's worries after she starts to have feelings for an officer living next door. Vivienne must decide to either give into her feelings or do the "right thing" and shun his kindness.

This novel by Margaret Leroy captures the struggle of not only Vivienne and her family but those around her as they face uncertainty of the war. In a island cut off from England and with no hope of the British coming to save them, they must all make a decision of whether to comply with German rules or stand up and do what's right.

This was a heartrenching story about the horrors of war seen through the eyes of a wife, mother and friend. This is not just a love story, but a journey of discovery for one woman to find the courage she needs do what she thinks is right.

Lady of the English

Elizabeth Chadwick

This is the story of two women: Adeliza, Queen of England, and Matilda, Empress of Germany. Matilda is the granddaughter of William the Conqueror.

At a young age, Matilda is married off and becomes Empress of Germany. But when her husband dies early, she travels back to England, where she meets her new stepmother, Adeliza. Her stepmother is a year younger than her, but despite this, they bond and become close. The two young women become even closer when Matilda is married to Geoffrey of Anjou. As the king has no

living legitimate male son, it is Matilda's son who will inherit the throne when he dies. But when the king dies, Matilda is betrayed and her cousin Stephen takes the throne. Now, it is cousin against cousin in a bloody civil war that knows no end.

The loyalties of all Englishmen and women are tested, and Adeliza must choose between supporting her new husband or her stepdaughter. Will Matilda ever become Lady of the English? Or will her cousin's betrayal win over?

This is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.

(Reviewed by Jasmine.)

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Luce sees things, shadows that make her skin crawl and bad things can happen when they come. That is why Luce is sent to Sword & Cross Reform School after a terrible accident at a party where a boy, Trevor, was burnt to death. Everyone thinks Luce had something to do with it.

On her first day she meets Daniel, who she is instantly drawn to. She has this feeling that they have meet before. After some mixed signals from Daniel, Luce and her friend Penn decide to do some investigation into Daniel’s family. They bring up more than they bargained for.

It seems Luce and Daniel meet every seventeen years and are destined to fall in love. Unfortunately it always ends badly with Luce always ending up dead, but something is different this time.

Lauren Kate's book was very different from what the cover indicates but I was not disappointed. It features it all, murder, romance, action and mystery all with a supernatural twist. This is a great teen supernatural romance and the best thing…no vampires.

Fallen is also availble in spoken word.

The Help

I went to see the movie “The Help” on Saturday night. It is about a woman living in Mississippi in the 1960’s, named Skeeter who gets a job as a ghost columnist for home help in a very racist era of American history. Skeeter decides to write a book about what life is like being the help. Even though it is against the law and very dangerous, Skeeter gets some maids to tell her about the hardships and triumphs of being a African American maid in a white household. Skeeter is trying to hide her writing from her sick mother, her new boyfriend and her best friend, Hilly who is leading a bill that all houses should have a separate “coloured toilet” for the help.

This movie is a heart moving story full of humour. Based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett, I was disturbed by how Skeeter’s friend treated her maid, just for using the toilet. This is a good view of what went on behind the closed doors during the 1960’s in some states in America. Great cast featuring Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard. Watch out for Sissy Spacek who is very funny as Hilly’s mother who has dementia.

If you haven’t watched it yet I urge you to. If you would like to read the book the movie is based on follow this link to our catalogue or click the book cover. I have since placed a hold on the novel and am looking forward to reading it.

The Island

Victoria Heslip.

Alexis Fielding feels there is something wrong with her life. She just doesn't know what.

When Alexis decides to visit Crete her mother Sofia gives her a letter to give to an old friend in the small village of Plaka. Sofia has always kept her life before moving to London a secret but it is perhaps time to let Alexis know about her past and her family's origins. Origins that are tied into the small island of Spinalonga, a mere stones throw from Plaka. An Island that for many years was one of Greece's largest leper colonies and for a time was home to several of Alexis' ancestors.

This novel is engaging more for its location and history than for the actual story. Through reminiscences we are told the story of Alexis' family line over four generations. Their trials and tribulations. Don't get me wrong the story is very readable it just pales in comparison to the story of the area in which it is set. Add to this the fact that the novel covers the years leading up to the discovery of a cure for leprosy and you have a rich novel which will engage you throughout.

The Island has also been made into a television series. Alas it's only in Greek so far and you might have to be brave to watch all 20 plus episodes with subtitles.

Selected New Fiction

More New Releases

Going Bovine

Libba Bray

Cameron has got Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of mad cow disease. There are two things you need to know about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease:

1. It's fatal. There is no coming back from this one.

2. It eats little holes in your brain and makes you go mad.

   With that in mind Going bovine is told from Cameron's point of view and when a punk rocker angel tells him to save the universe and himself in the process he's off on a wild adventure with an hypochondriac dwarf and an immortal garden gnome.
   

   This book plays with reality and Libba Bray has no problem seeing just how far we are willing to go. She takes us on an insane journey in and out of conciousness making sure to poke fun at reality T.V. consumerism and terrorism along the way. A great read for anyone with a sense of humour willing to laugh in the face of death.

(Reviewed by Donald)

One day

by David Nicholls

There has been a bit of hype about this book recently, and in my view it is well-deserved. Beginning on their university graduation day in 1988, we visit Emma (working class, aspiring writer, bit serious) and Dexter (wealthy background, aspiring TV presenter, bit of a cad) every 15 July for the next two decades, and discover how they (and their friendship) evolve. Their friendship (mostly) survives their personal ups and downs: failed relationships, spectacular career disasters, substance abuse. Very funny in parts, very moving in others, One day is a wonderful romp through the past 20 years (lots of "Oh yeah, I remember that!" moments) as experienced by two great characters, which will appeal particularly to thirty- and forty-somethings. A great will they/won't they?, should they/shouldn't they? story.

(Reviewed by Angela.)

Goth Girl Rising

Barry Lyga


Barry Lyga has finally given us a second instalment to the story of Fan boy and Goth Girl. This time he shows us the world from Kyra Sellers' (A.K.A. Goth Girl's) point of view. Did you wonder why Kyra was so angry in Fanboy and Goth Girl? Well this is where you go to find out.

Once again Lyga manages to get inside his character's heads without going all judgy on them and once again we want to reach into the story and give the character a good shake, make her look at the world differently.

That being said I preferred "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl" to "Goth Girl Rising" because I found Fanboy to be a more sympathetic character. To be honest I didn't like Kyra much. Still it's a good book. Just make sure you read the Astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl first.

(Reviewed by Donald)

New Junior fiction

More New Releases

The Distant Hours

Kate Morton

A letter delivered in 1992 – 50 years late – provokes such an emotional response in Edie’s normally-repressed mother, that Edie becomes determined to find out why. Her search leads her to a crumbling castle in the English countryside where she finds three elderly sisters and becomes entangled in their tragic family mysteries.
Set in both 1992 and wartime England, this is an intriguing story of madness, lost love, forbidden love, family duty, and a literary mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and got completely drawn in to the mysterious world of the Blythe family. Readers who enjoy historical and family dramas with a bit of mystery thrown in should enjoy this.

(We also have this book on CD in our Adult's Spoken word collection)

(Reviewed by Angela.)

New Fiction

More New Releases

Looking for Alaska

John Green

Although not John Green's best book this book is an amazing first novel. The book centres around Miles Halter during his first year at boarding school and His relationship with the other borders at the school, especially Alaska Young: Smart, sexy and self destructive.

The book is separated into two halves before and after an event that will change the way Miles sees the world.

Like all John Green's novels Looking for Alaska is a wee bit geeky and a wee bit philosophical. While the first half is full of fun and games the later parts of the book will make you think. A must read for all John Green fans and a great introduction to this great teen author for anyone else.

(Reviewed by Donald)

Selected new adult's fiction

The Radleys

Matt Haig

The Radleys are a normal family: Mum (Helen), Dad (Peter) and two teenage children. Except they all have to wear SPF 60 sunscreen all the time, are violently allergic to garlic, and are constantly thirsty (the kids never understanding why). The parents know: they are all "abstaining" vampires (who have rejected the vampire way of life and try to live as normal "unbloods", never tasting live blood).

They have kept their children in the dark until one day teenager Clara discovers the joy of drinking blood when a boy attacks her. Suddenly the parents have to explain to their children who they really are. A secret anti-vampire police unit comes looking for Clara and Peter calls his estranged brother Will (a practising vampire) for help, little knowing that Will is the last person Helen ever wants to see.

This is a darkly comic and unconventional look at modern vampire life in the suburbs, but is just as much about families and family secrets, and is definitley not suitable for the kids! Some of the funniest moments come as teenager Rowan tries to come to terms with being a vampire as well as a normal teenage boy.

(Reviewed by Angela)

The Jewel of St Petersburg

Kate Furnivall

The Jewel of St Petersburg is set in Russia, 1910. The country is ripe for revolution. Valentina is the daughter of a government minister and she charms the world with her beautiful piano skills. When she accidentally stumbles upon a Bolshevik meeting, her life is changed forever. Guilt-ridden by the catastrophic consequences, Valentina decides to become a nurse. But in order to do this, she must make a deal with her parents and is pushed into a loveless engagement with a man she despises. At the same time, Valentina falls in love with Jens Friis, a Danish architect determined to make St Petersburg cleaner and healthier for the factory workers.
As Russia edges closer and closer to revolution, Valentina is forced to make decisions that will change her life forever, as she tries her hardest to protect her sister and all those whom she loves, and the life she has always known. This was a very exciting book that had me glued to it from page one. Fans of Kate Furnivall may notice characters from her previous novels.
I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical books, particularly Russian history. It shows how Russia changed between 1910 and 1917, as revolution gripped the country.

(Reviewd by Jasmine)

The rapture

by Liz Jensen

An eco-thriller set in the not-too-distant future where global warming is wreaking havoc on the world and scores of people have converted to various forms of religion in the belief that "end times" are coming.

Gabrielle is a psychotherapist who starts work at a facility for disturbed, violent children, where she meets 16-year-old Bethany. Bethany makes garbled predictions about future weather events but has been dismissed because of her mental state. When her predictions start to come true, Gabrielle begins to believe and enlists the help of scientist Fraser to try to convince the world that a cataclysmic event is drawing near.

While fast-paced, the characters in The rapture are vividly drawn and flawed. Gabrielle is confined to a wheelchair after a car crash in which she lost her lover two years ago. She blames herself and no longer thinks of herself as a woman, until Fraser teaches her to love again. This novel pulls no punches and is a thought-provoking exploration of our potential future under global warming.

(Reviewed by Angela)

The confession

John Grisham

In Texas, an innocent young man is set to be executed in a matter of days for a murder he did not commit. Miles away, a man dying of a brain tumour walks into a church and confesses to the minister there that he committed the murder. Can a guilty man save an innocent one from death at the last minute? John Grisham is well-known for his anti-death penalty stance and with this novel, you can understand why: justice is not always done. I feel John Grisham is back to his best with this powerful, fast-paced and gripping novel. The events leave every character involved in the book changed in some way, and maybe the reader too.

(Reviewed by Angela.)