Tuesday, 10th February
The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang
Paperback, Little, Brown Books US
Bound feet are the mark of a respectable woman in 19th Century China; they trump beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. Sold into slavery as a young girl, Little Flower’s dreams are destroyed when her cruel and selfish child-mistress, Linjing, forces her to unbandage her tightly bound feet so she has no hope of marriage or escape. Little Flower is subjected to every whim of her mistress, who is deeply jealous of her talent for embroidery—a gift associated with the highest class of lady, and one that Linjing does not possess.
When scandal strikes the family, Linjing’s fortunes turn and she finds herself cast out with Little Flower, destined for the Celibate Sisterhood. Suddenly, Little Flower sees a path to freedom through her talents, and she catches the eye of a nobleman. But Linjing will do anything to return to the life she lost, and Little Flower is playing with fire—the Celibate Sisterhood punish disobedience with death. What will she risk to be free?
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
In the second installment of the bestselling Lottie Brooks series, discover the friendships fails, flirtation fumbles, and fashion faux paus of an 11 (and 3/4!) year-old-girl trying to survive her first year of middle school.
Dear diary, I’m back! Sorry it’s been SO long but I look forward to filling you in on all my exciting adventures . . . or I guess embarrassing adventures if we are being honest, which is our thing, right? A LOT has changed since last semester. For one, mom had her baby. Little Bella is SUPER cute (and loud). Also, my BFF Molly moved home! I can’t wait to introduce her to my other BFF Jess. There’s no way we won’t be the Terrific Threesome–even if Amber says sometimes “three’s a crowd.” Plus, I am auditioning for the school play! It’s The Little Mermaid, and I just KNOW I’ll get a starring role…probably. Some things haven’t changed at all, though. I still have no boobs, no boyfriend, and no phone when mom suddenly calls for “Screen-Free Sundays.” (A terrible idea if you ask me.) One thing is for sure, it’ll be another big year for Lottie Brooks. Wish me luck, babe!
Thursday, 12th February
A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake
Olivia is on the school run when she gets the phone call. Her grandmother has just walked into a Paris hotel – and confessed to a murder, committed years ago.
It’s unthinkable. It’s impossible. It’s only the start.
For the confession stirs up a long-buried mystery. And as Olivia hunts for the truth – winding through dark Paris side streets – the closer she gets to the person who’d do anything to protect it…
Advice from a 12-Year-Old Nobody by Helen Rutter
Paperback, Barrington Stoke UK
Vinny’s got problems – lots of them. His family’s falling apart, and his best mates have dumped him for some really annoying girls. He should be able to turn to his mum for help – she’s an online life coach who answers other people’s problems for a living. But she’s too busy to see that Vinny is really struggling.
Unable to solve his own issues, Vinny starts replying to unanswered posts on an old blog of his mum’s. At first the solutions seem easy, and he can be as hilariously honest as any 12-year-old boy would be, but what will happen when Vinny realises he’s out of his depth?
Boy vs Reality by James Fox
Meet Ethan Lacey, online vlogging sensation alongside his mum, dad and big brother Mason.They film and upload everyday life for their million subscribers to enjoy – the pranks, the cosy family time, the perks like going to the opening of an epic new theme park. They are the perfect family… aren’t they?
But reality is not all fun and freebies. Mum and Dad have been arguing a lot recently and Mason has been picking on Ethan. When the cracks start to show, can Ethan persuade his family to fix the real world, not fixate on the online one?
Cage of Starlight by Jules Arbeaux
Don’t make waves. Don’t get attached. Don’t let anyone see the tattoos.
Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to work on the front lines of a brutal war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees – right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras. Caged in a cruel training facility and implanted with a magical tracker, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead. There’s just one thing he has to do: make Sena pay.
But Sena is already paying more than Tory knows, and when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they must cooperate to survive. As they learn the truth about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging together. Their trackers will kill them in three days if they don’t return. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives?
The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus
Isabel has always been a woman of mystery. As a child of four, she appeared on the Cornish shore, soaking wet, unable to speak. The villagers believed she was brought from the sea, the daughter of a spirit. Now, newly widowed, Isabel feels the ocean calling her to come back home.
And when Jack Carlyon, an injured smuggler, crosses her path, she is swept up into a love story that will test her courage, her reputation, and her heart. Jack plays a dangerous game, and there are those that would hang him if they knew what he was. Isabel fights to make sense of the magical pull of the ocean and wants to protect Jack – but at what cost?
She is a daughter of the sea. He is a man of the land. Can they overcome the odds to be together?
Heartbreak Era by Sophie Jo
Harley and Freddie have been a couple forever – they’ve applied to the same university and even picked out their future children’s names. So when Freddie breaks up with her on their four-year anniversary, Harley is blindsided. She’s devoted lunchbreaks, holidays – her entire life! – to Freddie. What is she meant to do now?
Harley discovers her college’s heartbreak club, where she meets cute-if-slightly-chaotic fellow dumpee Seth. But as the past and present start to collide, Harley has a big decision on her hands.
Whose Heartbreak Era is this?
