The Parasol Protectorate 2

THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE:
Changeless by Gail Carriger

Not Everyone Can Change!

Alexia, no longer a spinster or a Tarabotti, is now a Maccon, the Lady Woolsey and muhjah to the queen. When Alexia wakes one night to discover her husband missing, her front lawn overrun with werewolves and one very infuriating Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings getting in her way, she is none too happy. But more worrying then even one of Ivy's new hats is the unexplained plague of humanization affecting the supernatural community.

With her husband on his way to Scotland, Alexia soon follows suit, only not so much to track down her husband but instead to track the cause of the humanization of the supernatural community. And luckily for Alexia the most expedient method of travel is the long sort after travel by dirigible. However more and more in her investigations Alexia is realising there is much her husband has neglected to inform her off.

Changeless will bring a new challenge to the ever capable and always hungry Alexia as she goes in search of a mystery that grows more intriguing with every pot of tea. However it seems that everyone is hiding a secret, even the unsuspecting Alexia herself, and if she's not too careful she may just loose her life, not to mention her appetite, although the haggis was not too bad. But the biggest shock will come at the end of this adventure so hold tight to your parasols.

Gail Carriger Webpage

Gail Carriger @ Hachette

On sale: 01 May 2010
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9780316074148
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Preternaturals
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: four out of five
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Outside In

Outside In by Chrissie Keighery

Its What's On the Inside That Counts!

From the shadows she watches them from the outside looking in. She watches without being watched, they are popular and good looking and to them she is invisible. From this view, from the outside looking in they all seem perfect, their lives are perfect.

From the inside the view is different. On the inside everyone is dealing with their own personal problems and while some are more serious then others everyone suffers the same. Everyone is hiding on the inside, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being alone. But even on the outside cracks are starting to show.

Outside In introduces an ensemble cast sharing their experiences in a way that is both illuminating and affectionate. A powerful story that compels an emotional investment into the lives of a group of people whom little is known about. That is apart from the perspectives of others looking in from the outside, and the glimpses revealed from the inside out. Definitely a must read.

Chrissie Keighery Webpage

Chrissie Keighery @ Hardie Grant Egmont

On sale: 01 September 2010
Price (AU): $16.95
ISBN: 9781921502361
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Inside Out
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Sookie Stackhouse #9

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE:
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Here Come The Bride!

As the vampires before them the were-community has now decided it is time to reveal themselves to the world. The second great revelation seems to be going well, at least in Sookie's little town of Bon Temps, that is until a body is discovered, a body of a werepanther and suddenly it seems that people aren't as accepting as they might have seemed.

With Jason once again looking guilty Sookie decides to put her mental powers to the task of proving his innocence, however past actions have come back to haunt Sookie with the authorities hot on her trail, and old friendships will prove to be deadly. Things get even more complicated when old loves clash with new.

Meanwhile Sookie has her hands full at work when Sam is distracted with a personal crisis, however he is still able to find time to berate her when she dose something stupid, even though it just may have been the only thing to save her from a greater evil. But another war is fast on her heals, and for once it has nothing to do with vampires, weres or witches.

Dead and Gone continues Sookie's adventures into an alternate reality where vampires, werewolves and fairies coexist with the humans, even if humans are not always aware of their existence. A truly addictive series that is highly recommended to those looking for a supernatural mystery with bite.

Charlaine Harris Webpage
Charlaine Harris @ Hachette

Sookie Stackhouse

On sale: 01 April 2010
ISBN: 9780575085527
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Fairies
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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Precious Little

Precious Little by Julie Hunt & Sue Moss
illustrated by Gaye Chapman

Dare To Dream!

Under a big bright and colourful circus tent there are a great many wonders and attractions to see. There are exciting contortionists who twist and tumble, there are thrilling fire-eaters who shock and amaze, and there are fun games on the sideshow such as the lucky dip. But the most spectacular of all found under the Big Top are the acrobats who fly through the air.

On the very fringe, way down on the ground, in the shadows is found a little girl. This is Precious Little. She watches as the acrobats fly and dreams of one day flying herself. But she is no more then their assistant, cleaning their shoes and sewing stars onto their costumes. However that all changes one-day when Precious Little takes a chance risking all for her dream.

Precious Little is a beautiful and endearing character who has big dreams and high hopes for a future that seems out of her grasp. She learns that sometime it is worth the risk to go for your dreams, for without trying no dreams will come true. A beautiful, bright and precious book that shows some dreams really do come true.

Julie Hunt & Sue Moss @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 September 2010
Price (AU): $24.99
ISBN: 9781741751475
Recommended age: 4-8
In a word: Precious
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Glass Book 1

GLASS BOOK:

Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder 

Seeing The Light!

Opal has a skill with glass, it is a unique magical ability that only she possesses, unfortunately it also happens to be the only magical ability she possesses. The past four years at the Magician's Keep have not been easy for Opal, with little other skill and no friends it has been a hard and lonely time.

Now in her fifth year, Opal has been asked to undertake a mission for the Master Magicians, a mission only she can fulfill as it relates to glass, her magical speciality. But one seemingly straightforward mission soon turns into so much more as events begin to unfold and deceptions are played out. Opal is in more danger then she realises, but with so much going on can she discover the truth in time to save herself and those she loves?

Storm Glass is not your typical magical girl story, there is a realness to this story that is immediately evident through the history and culture of the land as well as the personal back-stories of the characters. This is not a simple story of one quest leading to a simple outcome, but will instead set of a chain reaction of events so complex and strategic that it will leave you hooked, wondering to the very end. A brilliant new series that is every bit as complex as it is engaging.

Maria V Snyder Webpage

Maria V Snyder @ Harlequin Teen

On sale: 01 May 2010
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781921685552
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Orpal
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Mice

Mice by Gordon Reece

The Mouse That Roared!

Shelly has been living in a hellish nightmare, first there was her parents divorce and the messy court case that followed, then there was the incident at school that had been building for some time and left her scarred both inside and out. Now after months of suffering Shelly and her mother are finally able to begin to put their lives back together.

Like her mother, Shelly was quite, timid and lacking the courage to stand up for herself, in other words they were both mice. Hidden away from the world in their comfortable little cottage in the country neither thought anything bad could happen to them, they thought they were safe, they thought wrong. One night something happened that change their lives forever

Mice left me with mixed feeling, on the one hand its an incredibly sad story of bullying and harassment and on the other its a shocking tale of murder. It explores the darker side of humanity that tests the limits of how much people are able to endure, whether from their own actions or that of others. But whichever way you read it, it is a thrilling and engrossing story that I highly recommend you read for yourself.

Gordon Reece Webpage

Gordon Reece @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 September 2010
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781742372358
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Mice
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Faeriewalker Book 1

FAERIEWALKER:
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

Looking Through The Glimmerglass!

Dana has been living with a secret, one she has kept hidden from the rest of the world and its not just that her Father is a Fae from Avalon making her half-faerie half-human, although that is a big secret too, no this secret is about her mother.

Ever since she can remember Dana and her mother have been moving from place to place running from an invisible enemy, invisible to Dana that is but to her mother it was an ever present threat that only alcohol was able to help her cope with. For as long as Dana could remember her mother had been a drunk.

Having put up with her mothers drunkenness one too many times, Dana has decided to run away. Surely living with the father she has never met would be better then living with a mother who's always out of it. Only once she arrives in Avalon Dana's not so sure any more.

What Dana finds in Avalon is not the magical place of happiness she was expecting, instead she is kidnapped, imprisoned, rescued, attacked, lied to, kissed, beaten, threatened and encounters one very fierce water witch. All Dana ever wanted was to be a normal teenage girl, but Dana is anything but normal.

Glimmerglass introduces a new world where faeries and humans exist side by side; at least they do in Avalon. It is a complicated world of politics and danger with enough magic and romance to satisfy every reader. The first in a new and exciting series.

Jenna Black Webpage

Jenna Black @ Pan Macmillan

On sale: 01 July 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780330403788
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Fae
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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The Love You Book

The Love You Book by Andrew Wynne

illustrated by Emma Scott

I Love You Soooooo Much!

A little girl, Milly, and her magical friends, a flying fairy, two soft and cuddly bears and one cheeky little cat, do everything together. An enchanting adventure that endearingly demonstrates how these friends share and express their feelings of friendship and love. If hugs and kisses were words and pictures then this book would equal love.

The Love You Book is the sweetest message of love written in a simple yet charming format that makes it the ideal book for anyone who has ever loved or been loved. Bright playful images capture the feeling of warmth and innocence as this beautifully engaging rhyming story unfolds. The perfect story for everyone to share.

Andrew Wynne @ Murdoch Book
The Love You Book

On sale: 01 October 2010
Price (AU): $24.95
ISBN: 9781741969825
Recommended age: 5+
In a word: Love
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Wardstone Chronicles Book3

THE WARDSTONE CHRONICLES:
The SPOOK'S Secret by Joseph Delaney

Can You Keep A Secret!

Tom is about to experience his first winter as the Spook's apprentice and take his first trip to Anglezarke, the Spook's winter home. Anglezarke is nothing like Chipenden, it is a dangerous and cold place where the dark is felt the strongest. It's going to be a long winter.

When a stranger appears on the Spook's doorstep darkness follows and secrets that have been long buried will surface to bring havoc to Tom and those he cares most about. But the Spook is not the only one who has been keeping secrets, Tom risks loyalty to the Spook and his friendship with Alice when forced to keep secrets of his own.

The Spook's Secret will reveal a whole new perspective to the Spook that will leave you guessing as to who and what to believe. The darkest story yet in this richly chilling and exciting series, The Wardstone Chronicles is a series that can not be overlooked for a witty, dark and thrilling read. Each book just gets better and better... 

The SPOOK'S - map

Joseph Delaney Webpage

Joseph Delaney @ Random House

THE SPOOK'S

On sale: 01 May 2009
Price (AU): $17.95
ISBN: 9781862308565
Recommended age: 12-16
In a word: Secret
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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