Reading - The Girl You Left Behind

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

Paris, 1916. Sophie Lefèvre must keep her family safe while her adored husband, Édouard, fights at the front. When their town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Sophie is forced to serve them every evening at her hotel. From the moment the new Kommandant sets eyes on Sophie’s portrait—painted by her artist husband—a dangerous obsession is born, one that will lead Sophie to make a dark and terrible decision. Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait hangs in the home of Liv Halston, a wedding gift from her young husband before his sudden death. After a chance encounter reveals the portrait’s true worth, a battle begins over its troubled history and Liv’s world is turned upside all over again.

Reading - The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

A Spanish war orphan born in a burning church and raised by a blind guitar teacher, Frankie Presto was gifted with extraordinary musical abilities that shape not only his life but the lives of those around him. At nine years old, Frankie meets the love of his life, Aurora; that same day, civil war tears apart his home and he is sent to America, smuggled in the bottom of a boat with only guitar and six strings imbued with the power to change lives.

Relying on music to survive, Frankie’s talent weaves him through the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from Detroit’s jazz scene and the Grand Ole Opry, to Elvis mania and Woodstock—all the while searching for Aurora.

As his fame grows, Frankie finds love, friendship, and celebrity. Even so, his gift becomes his burden, driving a wedge between him and his beloved Aurora—now his wife. Overwhelmed by life, loss, and the power of his strings, Frankie disappears for years, only to reemerge in a spectacular and mysterious farewell.

Reading - The Last Tomorrow

The Last Tomorrow by Ryan David Jahn

Los Angeles, 1952. After 13-year-old Sandy Duncan shoots his stepfather and carves a symbol from a comic book into the corpse’s forehead, district attorney Seymour Markley launches a grand jury investigation into the murder, one that could implicate east-coast crime boss James Manning. Also in the frame is the comic book’s creator, Eugene Dahl. When threatening notes appear nailed to his front door, he is lured to a downtown hotel where one of the men who could bring down James Manning is being held. There, Eugene finds the witness murdered, as well as the police officer charged with protecting him, and all fingers point to Eugene. Forced to go on the run, Eugene devises a plan that involves deeds far worse than any of which he’s been accused.

Reading - After You

After You by Jojo Moyes

The sequel to Me Before You

“You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will.”  

How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

Reading - Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

Reading - Gossamer

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

A Junior Fiction

Littlest One is a tiny creature slowly learning her job of giving dreams to humans. Each night she and her teacher, Thin Elderly, visit an old woman’s home where she softly touches beloved objects, gathering happy memories, and drops of old scents and sounds. Littlest One pieces these bits together and presents them to her sleeping human in the form of pleasant dreams. But the dreaded Sinisteeds, dark fearsome creatures that plague their victims with nightmares, are always at work against the dreamgivers. When the old woman takes in John, an angry foster child with a troubled past, the Sinisteeds go after him with their horrifying nightmares. Can Littlest One, and her touch light as gossamer, protect John’s heart and soul from the nightmare of his dark past?

Reading - Middle School: Ultimate Showdown

Middle School: Ultimate Showdown by James Patterson

A Junior Fiction

The Khatchadorian kids are an opinionated duo, and as readers of the Middle School stories know, they don't exactly see eye to eye. But when wild-card Rafe and mostly-straight-laced Georgia go at it, the only thing more fun than their ranting is getting to join in! Their back-and-forth banter on a range of topics--from bullying to cafeteria food to school dress codes--introduces more than 40 writing and drawing prompts and other games, along with room for readers to share their own points of view. (Includes over 200 illustrations.)

Reading - The Strange Library

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

A lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plotting their escape from a nightmarish library.

Reading - Tom Gates : Super Good Skills (almost)

Tom Gates : Super Good Skills (almost) by L. Pichon

A Junior Fiction

This book is PACKED full of EXTRA stuff to keep you BUSY if (like me) your holiday doesn't quite go to plan.  Who knew sticky notes sould be SO useful for Doodles, flipbooks and messages of Marcus's back.

Reading - Tom Gates : Yes! No (may be)

Tom Gates : Yes! No (may be) by L. Pichon

A Junior Fiction

Sometimes making up my mind isn't easy to do.  Especially when my grumpy sister Delia is looming over me.  Mum's on a mission to tidy up the whole house.  She says if I can't decide what to get rid of - she'll do it for me.  Which would be a disaster ! Luckily for THE FOSSILS come to my rescue (more than once).

Reading - A Tiny Bit Lucky (Tom Gates)

A Tiny Bit Lucky (Tom Gates) by L. Pichon

A Junior Fiction

Dad wants to make a KITE so we can go out and get lots of  FRESH AIR.  I wouldn't mind getting more fresh air if we had a dog.  But that's not going to happen because Delia's "allergic" to dogs (I think I'm allergic to Delia).

Me, Derek and Norman are palnning some SERIOUS band practice for the ROCK WEEKLY BAND BATTLE. We've got loads of time - so I'm not panicking....

Reading - Theodore Boone : The Fugitive

Theodore Boone : The Fugitive by John Grisham

A Junior Fiction

Theo Boone thought the danger had passed, but he's about to face off against an old adversary: accused murderer and fugitive Pete Duffy. On a field trip to Washington, DC, Theo spots a familiar face on the Metro: Duffy, who jumped bail and was never seen again. Theo's quick thinking helps bring Duffy back to Strattenburg to stand trial. But now that Duffy knows who he is, Theo is in greater danger than he's ever been in before. Even when everything is on the line, Theodore Boone will stop at nothing to make sure a killer is brought to justice.

Reading - See Me

See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface.

Reading - House of Robots

House of Robots by James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein

A Junior Fiction

It's never easy for Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a robot he calls E--for "Error". E not only thinks he's Sammy's brother... he's actually even nerdier than Sammy. Will E be Sammy's one-way ticket to Loserville? Or will he prove to the world that it's cool to be square?

Reading - The Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After

The Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After by Jenny Colgan

Nina is a librarian who spends her days happily matchmaking books and people - she always knows what someone should read next. But when her beloved library closes and she's suddenly out of a job, Nina has no idea what to do next. Then an advert catches her eye: she could be the owner of a tiny little bookshop bus, driving around the Scottish highlands. Using up all her courage, and her savings, Nina makes a new start in the beautiful Scottish highlands. But real life is a bit trickier than the stories she loves - especially when she keeps having to be rescued by the grumpy-but-gorgeous farmer next door...show more

Reading - The Child's Secret

The Child's Secret by Amanda Brooke

A little girl is missing. Her parents are hiding something. Who will pay the price?

When eight-year-old Jasmine Peterson goes missing, the police want to know everything.

What is local park ranger, Sam McIntyre, running away from and why did he go out of his way to befriend a young girl?

Why can’t Jasmine’s mother and father stand to be in the same room as each other?

With every passing minute, an unstoppable chain of events hurtles towards a tragic conclusion.

Everyone has secrets. The question is: who will pay the price?

Reading - Chance Harbor

Chance Harbor by Holly Robinson

Catherine and Zoe are sisters, but even their mother, Eve, admits her daughters are nothing alike. Catherine is calm and responsible. Zoe is passionate and rebellious. Nobody is surprised when Zoe gets pregnant, drops out of college, and spirals into drug addiction.

One night Catherine gets a call from Zoe’s terrified daughter, Willow, saying her mother has abandoned her in a bus station and disappeared. Eve blames herself, while Catherine, unable to have children, is delighted to raise Willow as her own.

Now, five years later, Eve is grieving her husband’s death and making reluctant plans to sell the family’s beloved summer home on Prince Edward Island. But a series of unexpected revelations will upend the family and rock three generations of women.

Reading - Angels Walking

Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury

When former national baseball star Tyler Ames suffers a career-ending injury, all he can think about is putting his life back together the way it was before. He has lost everyone he loves on his way to the big leagues. Then just when things seem to be turning around, Tyler hits rock bottom. Across the country, Tyler’s one true love Sami Dawson has moved on.

A series of small miracles leads Tyler to a maintenance job at a retirement home and a friendship with Virginia Hutcheson, an old woman with Alzheimer’s who strangely might have the answers he so desperately seeks.

A team of Angels Walking take on the mission to restore hope for Tyler, Sami, and Virginia. Can such small and seemingly insignificant actions of the unseen bring healing and redemption? And can the words of a stranger rekindle lost love? Every journey begins with a step.

It is time for the mission to begin…

Reading - Jonathan Unleashed

Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff

Jonathan Trefoil’s boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling, and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like him—only richer and with a different sense of humor.

Poor Jonathan.  He doesn’t remember life being this confusing, back in the good old days before everyone expected him to act like a person.  But one thing he knows for sure : if he can make it in New York City, he can make it anywhere.

Will he get out of advertising, meet the girl of his dreams and figure out the gender of his secret love ?

Given how it's going so far, probably not.

Reading - Shadow of the Leopard

Shadow of the Leopard by Henning Mankell

A Junior Fiction

Readers met Sofia previously in Secrets in the Fire, when, at the age of 9, she lost her legs in a land mine explosion.

Now Sofia is almost 20 and pregnant with her third child. Armando, the father of her children, travels to the city to work, coming home on weekends. One Saturday Armando is very late, and as he stands in the shadows beyond the firelight, Sofia knows he is hiding something from her. She makes her way to town to find out what he is doing …

… and is devastated to discover that he is involved with another woman. Sofia ends their relationship, but suffers terribly in the face of Armando’s rage. In a heart-rending conclusion Armando’s life unravels, and Sofia must return to her village to raise her children without him.