Must Read Releases - 11th September 2018
Here's a selection of books I've added to my To Be Read pile this week:
How One Family Used Nature & Travel to Shape an Extraordinary Education
(Non Fiction / Parenting & Families)
Cindy's story begins in the Rocky Mountain wilderness on a unique and extraordinary journey: two parents leading their young children 3,100 miles on the backs of llamas. This Canada-Mexico trek illustrated to Cindy and her husband what experiential education can do. Inspired by the experience, they went on to create a new way of supplementing their children’s education, focusing on two arenas for learning: the natural world and travel.
In this age of world connection, it is important to raise broad-minded and empathetic children who are knowledgeable about other cultures. To accomplish this goal, Cindy chose an unorthodox approach: she orchestrated learning opportunities for her children, Sierra and Bryce, in twelve countries. The family travelled the world, moving about on foot and bicycle, living simply and intimately. But just as important, and more accessible for many parents, were the opportunities for learning closer to home.
These adventures brought intangible gifts: values - such as compassion, empathy, resilience, self-reliance, and gratitude, among others - not always fostered in a traditional curriculum but crucially important to raising children.
By sharing her story, along with honest insights from her children about the importance of their unusual education, Cindy aims to empower parents to believe they can be their children's best and most important educators. It is for parents who are seeking inspiration, who love a good story, and who are looking for an unorthodox way to raise the happiest, healthiest, and brightest children they can.
(Kids Fiction, Historical Fiction)
Young Aline is twelve years old in 1942. She loves her family but is embarrassed by their poverty. The other girls at school don’t raise chickens or take in boarders to make money. Angry that her mother can't spare a dime for a collection drive at school, Aline steals it from her purse. As she seeks to make amends, she re-evaluates everything she held to be true, including her relationship with her sworn enemy, Jeanine (whose family is even poorer than Aline's), and comes to the understanding that it's not material wealth that brings happiness, but life's bright and shining moments, which can happen under any circumstances.
My Twitter War with Trump
(Humour / Politics)
In 2013, Donald Trump got involved in his first sustained Twitter War. Unfortunately for Trump, in this endeavour as in so very many others, he was not up to the task. If you’re someone with no discernible sense of humour - someone for whom ridicule is like Kryptonite – a professional comedy writer would not be an ideal opponent with whom to engage. He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump is the complete record (with commentary) of Donald Trump’s hilarious 3 month long delusion that he was outwitting Danny Zuker.
You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst
(Non Fiction / Religion & Spiritual)
(Non Fiction / Religion & Spiritual)
Answer the Call . . .
Since you were a child, you've heard the ancient, mesmerizing siren song of your inherent spiritual power. When you grew up, you never dismissed the idea that there's power at your fingertips - power you can use for crafting your world to match your desires. You've always felt that because you are magical.
With dozens of spells for every major purpose, You Are Magical shows you how to fully embrace your spirituality and create positive change in yourself and the world. You'll discover the legacy of your magic, how it's uniquely yours, and exactly what ingredients and steps you need to craft a truly magnificent life. This practical and profoundly inspiring guide empowers you to become the person you were born to be: a magical agent of change who is connected with nature, the cosmos, and All That Is.
Since you were a child, you've heard the ancient, mesmerizing siren song of your inherent spiritual power. When you grew up, you never dismissed the idea that there's power at your fingertips - power you can use for crafting your world to match your desires. You've always felt that because you are magical.
With dozens of spells for every major purpose, You Are Magical shows you how to fully embrace your spirituality and create positive change in yourself and the world. You'll discover the legacy of your magic, how it's uniquely yours, and exactly what ingredients and steps you need to craft a truly magnificent life. This practical and profoundly inspiring guide empowers you to become the person you were born to be: a magical agent of change who is connected with nature, the cosmos, and All That Is.
(Teen / YA)
Six months ago, Virginia decided to ignore the ‘Fat Girl Code of Conduct’ she used to live by and make her relationship with Froggy Welsh the Fourth official. But now things are getting complicated. She’s not sure she still likes Froggy, her mum has betrayed her to the meanest girl in school, and her brother Byron - she’ll ever know how to feel about him. And then she meets Sebastian. He's funny, sweet and he doesn’t want to talk about family, and Virginia’s fine with that. But then a terrible secret comes out that could ruin everything.
(General Fiction / Teen & YA)
The shadow of Lukas Wunand’s darkened soul haunts the Faculty of Business at prestigious St. Peter’s University. Lukas is both an icon and enigma to his fellow students. One morning, Lukas sees a girl from his early teens, Kara. Or does he? Long buried emotions begin to rise. On a campus unnerved by a string of unsolved assaults against women, Lukas’ behaviour grows more anarchic and worrisome to friends as graduation approaches. What hold does the mere memory of Kara have on Lukas?
The story of Lukas Wunand does not begin nor end with his climatic, drunken and bloodied one-man performance on a theatre stage in the wee hours of the morning. It begins with the hauntingly beautiful story of a young Lukas and the Hindi girl who one day shone a light into his soul.
Can Lukas’ friends put the pieces together and save Lucas before it is too late or is Lukas doomed?Munching on the Sun is more than a story of an idealist trying to survive. Lukas’ tale of redemption, forgiveness, and love will steal your soul.
The story of Lukas Wunand does not begin nor end with his climatic, drunken and bloodied one-man performance on a theatre stage in the wee hours of the morning. It begins with the hauntingly beautiful story of a young Lukas and the Hindi girl who one day shone a light into his soul.
Can Lukas’ friends put the pieces together and save Lucas before it is too late or is Lukas doomed?Munching on the Sun is more than a story of an idealist trying to survive. Lukas’ tale of redemption, forgiveness, and love will steal your soul.
Based on a True Story
(Children's Fiction)
Video game villains and real-life dictators dominate daily life for 11 year old Ali
Ali Fadhil has very simple likes and dislikes. It is 1991 in Iraq and all Ali wants to do is read his comics and play football and video games. But President Saddam Hussein has other plans. After he invades neighbouring Kuwait, the US and their allies launch Operation Desert Storm to force him out. Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family would survive bombings, food shortages and constant fear.
Cinematic and timely, this is the story of how war changed one boy's destiny forever and would one day bring him face to face with Saddam himself at the UN trial.
Ali Fadhil has very simple likes and dislikes. It is 1991 in Iraq and all Ali wants to do is read his comics and play football and video games. But President Saddam Hussein has other plans. After he invades neighbouring Kuwait, the US and their allies launch Operation Desert Storm to force him out. Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family would survive bombings, food shortages and constant fear.
Cinematic and timely, this is the story of how war changed one boy's destiny forever and would one day bring him face to face with Saddam himself at the UN trial.
This Captivating Tale of Courage & Redemption Will Sweep You Away
(General Fiction)
Ohio, 1838. To save the lives of others, a young seamstress must risk her own.
When young seamstress May Bedloe is left alone and penniless on the shore of the Ohio, she finds work on the famous floating theatre that plies its trade along the river. Her creativity and needlework skills quickly become invaluable and she settles in to life among the colourful troupe of actors. She finds friends, and possibly the promise of more...
But cruising the border between the Confederate South and the 'free' North is fraught with danger.
For the sake of a debt that must be repaid, May is compelled to transport secret passengers, under cover of darkness, across the river and on, along the underground railroad.
But as May's secrets become harder to keep, she learns she must endanger those now dear to her.
And to save the lives of others, she must risk her own...
When young seamstress May Bedloe is left alone and penniless on the shore of the Ohio, she finds work on the famous floating theatre that plies its trade along the river. Her creativity and needlework skills quickly become invaluable and she settles in to life among the colourful troupe of actors. She finds friends, and possibly the promise of more...
But cruising the border between the Confederate South and the 'free' North is fraught with danger.
For the sake of a debt that must be repaid, May is compelled to transport secret passengers, under cover of darkness, across the river and on, along the underground railroad.
But as May's secrets become harder to keep, she learns she must endanger those now dear to her.
And to save the lives of others, she must risk her own...
(Mystery & Thriller)
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner goes to the beautiful Welsh countryside to recover. But he finds himself caught up in a murder investigation...with him as the prime suspect.
Grieving the death of his former lover, all Mariner wants is some peace and quiet. But his walking holiday is ruined by the discovery of a body in the woods.
The remote stone farmhouses of this beautiful valley hide many buried secrets.
As more bodies are discovered, can Mariner clear his name and avoid becoming the next victim?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery with an action-packed conclusion.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the sixth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon.
Grieving the death of his former lover, all Mariner wants is some peace and quiet. But his walking holiday is ruined by the discovery of a body in the woods.
The remote stone farmhouses of this beautiful valley hide many buried secrets.
As more bodies are discovered, can Mariner clear his name and avoid becoming the next victim?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery with an action-packed conclusion.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the sixth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon.
(General Fiction)
A Killer Flight With No Way Out
When Dr Hope Sze flies to Los Angeles to reunite with her soul mate, John Tucker, she expects Botoxed blondes with Brazilian wax jobs, not terror at 35,000 feet in the air.
Yet on their way home, with 1000 miles to go and nowhere to land, she and Dr Tucker must strive to save one man’s life.
Hope and Tucker have no surgical equipment. No surgeon on board. And, as first year family medicine residents, almost no experience.
But right this second, they’ll try anything.
Especially Hope, because minutes before, she might have accidentally helped to kill the man sprawled at her feet.
When Dr Hope Sze flies to Los Angeles to reunite with her soul mate, John Tucker, she expects Botoxed blondes with Brazilian wax jobs, not terror at 35,000 feet in the air.
Yet on their way home, with 1000 miles to go and nowhere to land, she and Dr Tucker must strive to save one man’s life.
Hope and Tucker have no surgical equipment. No surgeon on board. And, as first year family medicine residents, almost no experience.
But right this second, they’ll try anything.
Especially Hope, because minutes before, she might have accidentally helped to kill the man sprawled at her feet.
A Laugh Out Loud Romantic Comedy
(Romance)
Sometimes to move on, you need to go back…
Is life a performance if no one is watching?
What if the best part of your life was before you had it all?
Do we even want to ‘have it all’?
She has everything she wanted, but is it too much?
What happens after the happy ending?
The old Annie Taylor knew who she was.
She had bags of confidence and spent her evenings impersonating her idol Barbra Streisand, looking flawless in exuberant turbans and winged eyeliner.
But nowadays she has more roles than she can count - mother, girlfriend, best friend, sister - and each demands she suppress the parts of her personality that don’t fit.
So when, uncontrollably, life propels her back to being the glamorous Barb, she finally has the chance to find herself once more...
Is life a performance if no one is watching?
What if the best part of your life was before you had it all?
Do we even want to ‘have it all’?
She has everything she wanted, but is it too much?
What happens after the happy ending?
The old Annie Taylor knew who she was.
She had bags of confidence and spent her evenings impersonating her idol Barbra Streisand, looking flawless in exuberant turbans and winged eyeliner.
But nowadays she has more roles than she can count - mother, girlfriend, best friend, sister - and each demands she suppress the parts of her personality that don’t fit.
So when, uncontrollably, life propels her back to being the glamorous Barb, she finally has the chance to find herself once more...
(General Fiction)
One mother’s life will change in the blink of an eye - and there’s no going back.
Elaine’s worst fears become reality when her beloved son Jakob is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. She needs to find a bone marrow donor, and time is running out. But while awaiting test results to see if she’s a possible match, Elaine learns a shocking truth about her son; a truth that threatens to send her back to the pills that almost destroyed her life once before; a truth that pushes her already fragile mental state to the breaking point.
Even as the family faces this new crisis, a ghost from Elaine’s past emerges to jeopardise everything she’s built. But is the threat real, or is it all in her mind?
Elaine needs to stay strong for her son, but as her whole reality continues to unravel, she can’t trust anyone - not even herself.
Elaine’s worst fears become reality when her beloved son Jakob is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. She needs to find a bone marrow donor, and time is running out. But while awaiting test results to see if she’s a possible match, Elaine learns a shocking truth about her son; a truth that threatens to send her back to the pills that almost destroyed her life once before; a truth that pushes her already fragile mental state to the breaking point.
Even as the family faces this new crisis, a ghost from Elaine’s past emerges to jeopardise everything she’s built. But is the threat real, or is it all in her mind?
Elaine needs to stay strong for her son, but as her whole reality continues to unravel, she can’t trust anyone - not even herself.
Talking About Death, Celebrating Life
(General Fiction)
As in life, death is not without its agenda. This is something seventy-nine year old Edna Reid finds out when her partner, Ted, suddenly dies. To cope with her loss, she sets up a Death Café to break down the taboo around death and to encourage other members of the community to discuss it openly. Over tea and cake, the participants hide their fears behind a veil of dark humour.
Religious fanaticism clashes with Victorian spiritualism as Edna’s meetings trigger lively conversations on the fragility of life, anxiety over dying, cost of funerals, and making sure long-lost greedy relatives don’t benefit from inheritances.
Soon, a series of events begin to unfold which threaten to undermine Edna’s livelihood and the Death Café meetings. These events just happen to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious stranger into the village. Who is she and why is she so hostile to Edna?
Religious fanaticism clashes with Victorian spiritualism as Edna’s meetings trigger lively conversations on the fragility of life, anxiety over dying, cost of funerals, and making sure long-lost greedy relatives don’t benefit from inheritances.
Soon, a series of events begin to unfold which threaten to undermine Edna’s livelihood and the Death Café meetings. These events just happen to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious stranger into the village. Who is she and why is she so hostile to Edna?
(General Fiction / New Adult)
Tom is born of wealthy parents in England in the 1960s. He hates his violent father and loves his mother. His father owns a Munch. His parents are killed in a plane crash.
Sir Peter controls his fortune until he is twenty-one. He wants to buy the Munch. He’s obsessed by it. Tom refuses. Tom becomes a recluse on a beach near Darwin. He meets Annie and falls in love. She has had a hysterectomy and cannot have children. She says the Munch is damaging him and convinces him to sell it. An expert declares it genuine.
Tom will not sell it to Sir Peter. He hates him. They find another buyer. After the sale, the Munch is found to be a fake. There has been a switch and only Tom could have done it.
Before he is arrested, Tom is shown photos of Annie with Sir Peter, she is his mistress and he is the real buyer. Tom now hates Annie. Annie now loves Tom. They all come to Darwin for the trial. Annie visits the expert. He commits suicide. He has left a letter and the truth comes out.
Annie is found mutilated. Tom saves her life. He still hates her.
He meets Ambrosia. She becomes pregnant with twins. There is a wedding. After the birth, he goes home to his wife. It’s Annie. She is the mother. They were her eggs. Ambrosia was their surrogate. He vows vengeance on Sir Peter.
Sir Peter controls his fortune until he is twenty-one. He wants to buy the Munch. He’s obsessed by it. Tom refuses. Tom becomes a recluse on a beach near Darwin. He meets Annie and falls in love. She has had a hysterectomy and cannot have children. She says the Munch is damaging him and convinces him to sell it. An expert declares it genuine.
Tom will not sell it to Sir Peter. He hates him. They find another buyer. After the sale, the Munch is found to be a fake. There has been a switch and only Tom could have done it.
Before he is arrested, Tom is shown photos of Annie with Sir Peter, she is his mistress and he is the real buyer. Tom now hates Annie. Annie now loves Tom. They all come to Darwin for the trial. Annie visits the expert. He commits suicide. He has left a letter and the truth comes out.
Annie is found mutilated. Tom saves her life. He still hates her.
He meets Ambrosia. She becomes pregnant with twins. There is a wedding. After the birth, he goes home to his wife. It’s Annie. She is the mother. They were her eggs. Ambrosia was their surrogate. He vows vengeance on Sir Peter.
Find Your People, Create Community & Live A More Connected Life
(Self-Help)
Get ready to focus on the single most important thing you can do to live a happy, healthy, and successful life: BELONG.
How is it that the internet connects us to a world of people, yet so many of us feel more isolated than ever? That we have hundreds, even thousands of friends on social media, but not a single person to truly confide in? Radha Agrawal calls this “community confusion,” and in Belong she offers every reader a blueprint to find their people and build and nurture community, because connectedness - as more and more studies show - is our key to happiness, fulfilment, and success.
A book that’s equal parts inspiring and interactive, and packed with prompts, charts, quizzes, and full-colour illustrations, Belong takes readers on a two-part journey. Part 1 is Going IN - a gentle but intentional process of self-discovery and finding out your true energy levels and VIA (values, interests, and abilities). Part 2 is Going OUT - building on all that you’ve learned about yourself to find those few special people who feed your soul, and discovering, or creating, the ever-widening groups that align with your aims and desires.
How is it that the internet connects us to a world of people, yet so many of us feel more isolated than ever? That we have hundreds, even thousands of friends on social media, but not a single person to truly confide in? Radha Agrawal calls this “community confusion,” and in Belong she offers every reader a blueprint to find their people and build and nurture community, because connectedness - as more and more studies show - is our key to happiness, fulfilment, and success.
A book that’s equal parts inspiring and interactive, and packed with prompts, charts, quizzes, and full-colour illustrations, Belong takes readers on a two-part journey. Part 1 is Going IN - a gentle but intentional process of self-discovery and finding out your true energy levels and VIA (values, interests, and abilities). Part 2 is Going OUT - building on all that you’ve learned about yourself to find those few special people who feed your soul, and discovering, or creating, the ever-widening groups that align with your aims and desires.
I can't wait to read and review these books so watch this space!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
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