Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but 12-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent and soon to be a major motion picture directed by Michael B. It’s the novel we’ve been waiting for.” ( The New York Times )Ī boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death in this outstanding debut novel that celebrates community and creativity. It’s not just a narrative it’s an experience.
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The day it arrived was like stepping back in time- an archeological dig into my memory that evoked the same smells and feelings that I felt as a child. How delighted I was when I recently recognised it on social media and snatched up a copy. It is available to buy from Final Chapter, Waterstones and Foyles, if you fancy enjoying it with your little ones and any support will be greatly appreciated.īefore I continue with the new releases, I also wanted to pay homage to an old classic that I absolutely loved as a child but could never remember the title or author. Not specifically a Halloween tale but in-keeping with the seasonal vibe, Pumpkin's Fairytale features Pumpkin as the main character and is a twist on a fairytale classic. This year, however, feels extra special as my very own debut picture book has been released into the world by small indie publisher, Final Chapter. Yet again, we've had tremendous fun in our house trawling our local independent bookshops (what a treat to get out to an actual bookshop!) for new purchases and I think it's pretty obvious from my very depleted bank balance that spooky books are a big favourite of ours. From poetry books to picture books and right through to middle grade, no reader is being left out this year. Wow! We had so much fun writing last year's spooky round-up but this year the bookshop shelves seems to have exploded with even more fabulous releases in time for Halloween. Luckily Amari has Elsie, her weredragon best friend, and other allies who help her save the world again. She also enters the Great Game in order to save her brother from the curse he’s under. As newly minted Junior Agent Amari is thrust back into the beguiling supernatural world, she must find the mastermind behind the time freeze. Her refusal triggers the Great Game, a deadly competition between born magicians to determine who will inherit these forces. Instead she is offered the Crown of Count Vladimir, a rare treasure that confers powers she doesn’t feel ready to accept. Amari turns to the secret League of Magicians, hoping to get help and disprove popular opinion about magicians. A powerful magician must be behind this dastardly event. Nearly one year after Amari proved that magicians can be good, the state of Georgia experiences a momentary time freeze, leaving the Supernatural World Congress trapped in time. A 13-year-old magician must face her fears and learn to control her magic in hopes of preventing a supernatural war in this follow-up to 2021’s Amari and the Night Brothers.Īmari Peters returns in the trilogy’s thrilling, action-packed middle volume with another mystery to solve. Not to mention, the arguably best thing about Jurassic Park III is Neill’s return to Dr. Whatever role may have been earmarked for Sam Neill in Lord of the Rings would have been a fantastic one, but at the same time it’s safe to say that no one would trade any of the casting from that iconic lineup. To guess who Neill could have played in Lord of the Rings would make me feel like a prick in my own right, which is why I have to agree with this lack of speculation. As tempting as it might have been to play that guessing game before learning about this particular story, it feels wrong to even try after that sweet reason for not revealing the truth. Though the cases mentioned above are public knowledge, Sam Neill’s potential role in The Lord of the Rings isn’t. No, I couldn’t say that, because that would make the person who played it feel like I was a prick. That is a question that will remain unanswered for the time being, as Neill declined to answer for the following reasons, with his trademark air of politeness: With a franchise that’s not shy about its alternate history, fans are probably more than curious about who Sam Neill would have played. Not to mention Stuart Townsend was replaced by Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn after only a couple days of filming an experience that left Mortensen feeling appropriately awkward. Keep in mind, this is the same franchise that saw Sir Sean Connery and Christopher Plummer passing on the role of Gandalf, which eventually went to Sir Ian McKellan. Edmund is injured in a war that evokes the Crimean War - one of the first times wounded soldiers were treated by nurses. I particularly appreciated three:ġ) Setting: Omegaverses are often set on other planets this takes place on an Alternate Earth modeled on 1850s England (in part likely due to the success of Bridgerton Collection, Volume One). Pierce offers original takes on several familiar tropes. While Omegaverses tend towards the formulaic, Ms. I highly recommend this sweet, often poignant love story between two likeable, fleshed-out characters who exhibit growth. Can an Alpha who no longer possesses the superior strength and abilities of his dynamic learn to adapt or will his bitterness destroy his only chance at happiness? Equal parts Omegaverse, Regency, and Cabin Romance, this standalone details the slow-burn relationship between the physically and psychically wounded Alpha Edmund and his nurse, Omega Juliana. Specifically, she addresses the struggles of being African and calling herself a feminist, but she stands firm in her beliefs and explains why her quest for gender equality should be called feminism rather than something more broadly encompassing of both genders–the female gender has been discriminated against for centuries, no matter which way you slice it: any fight for equality must take that into consideration. Why? Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists is first and foremost a definition and an appeal to humanity.Ībout the book: Adichie explores some of the backlash she has received for calling herself a feminist. I don’t want to write political posts here (or anywhere), but I think we can talk about feminism without turning it into a giant political debate. This tiny book is an essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, adapted from a TED talk she gave in 2012. Vee barely has a chance to meet the other members of her pod, all who seem as unhappy to be at Featherlite as she does, when a camper goes missing down by the lake. And when they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it's clear that something isn't right. Vivian Ellenshaw is fat, but she knows she doesn't need to lose weight, so she's none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp's van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner's snobby son. In the next few hours, one of three things will happen.ģ-We'll be eaten by thin and athletic zombies (odds: excellent) Shaun of the Dead meets Dumplin' in this bitingly funny YA thriller about a kickass group of teens battling a ravenous group of zombies. Their journey will have you guessing what will really happen in the end. They need to find a way to make their lives work so that they could all be happy. They each learned things about themselves and about each other. Conviction was lesson in life for Natalie, Aaron and Liam. Everyone is certain of what they want, yet no one listens to anyone else to hear the truth behind their words. The torment that all three of these people have gone through and are currently being made to live through was heartbreaking. I knew what I wanted to happen, and I just wanted it to happen…like NOW! There were so many emotions (as there always are with Corinne’s books) but this time it was different for me. Would Lee and Liam runway and live happily ever after? Would Aaron confess his sins and would he and Natalie be able to move past this and return to their previous life? I just didn’t know. When I FINALLY picked up Conviction I was not sure what direction would Corinne Michaels take us in. A minute to prepare myself for what was to come and for the feelings that I knew would stay with me. Well, we all know where we were cut off last time in Consolation…this right here is how I felt, and still feel thinking about these stories If only he’d see the conviction behind my words-then he’d still be here. He doesn’t understand and I can’t make him. The idea of being without him cripples me but the reality is, he’s gone. I fell in love with Liam only to be left shattered into a million pieces. Made into a TV series that was almost as wonderful to watch as the book was to read. This decision become dangerous when he again meets those he knew as a child - especially her!Ī search for identity, a war story, a love story, and a story of the British Raj with its benefits and imperfections. Years later, after returning from England as a officer in the British Indian Army, he confronts his two identities and must choose his destiny. Fleeing with his "mother" for his life, he discovers he is English. The boy grows into his early teens believing he is Indian and becomes involved in mystery and murder in a small kingdom. As the Sepoy Mutiny rages across India, the boy is given to the care of an Indian nurse, who raises him as her own child to protect him. A baby boy is born to an English couple in India. A classic tale of the British Raj in India that spans decades. Julie described her goals this way: "I want my readers to laugh and cry and fall in love. Readers claim that it's the humor as well as poignancy of her novels that keep them coming back for more. Whether the setting be medieval Scotland, Regency England, frontier Montana, or modern-day Louisiana, her themes are consistent: family, loyalty, and honor. Today more than 40-million copies of her books are in print, and they are translated in dozens of languages around the world. Her first novel, Gentle Warrior was published in 1985, and there has been a steady parade of bestsellers ever since. After the publications of two young adult books, she turned her interests to historical fiction. Early in life I learned that self-expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick."Ĭreating stories was always a passion for Julie, but she didn't focus on making it a career until the youngest of her three children entered school. "Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. "The Irish relish getting all the details of every situation," she explains. Growing up in a large family of Irish heritage, she took to storytelling naturally. It's no surprise that Julie Garwood became a writer. |