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A BOOK I LOVED
DANNY: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill I recently stayed in York for the weekend, where I picked up a copy of Fierce Fairytales. I feel like the autumn and winter months, with their long nights and darker days, lend themselves to atmospheric, magical, ethereal storytelling – and this book ticks all those boxes. From short stories presenting alternate perspectives on classics like Peter Pan and Red Riding Hood, to poems exploring feminine might and rage, my favourite of which is Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management – what a title! KIBWORTH: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree For ultimate ‘read and read again’ cosiness, bookseller Aidan’s pick is Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Battle weary Viv, the orc barbarian, is just about done with sword wielding. In search of a new kind of adventure, she decides to open a coffee shop. If fantasy isn’t usually your bag, this might just be the book to convince you otherwise. The food descriptions are to die for, too, so expect to find yourself craving a cuppa and a cinnamon bun! Book 3 in the series, Brigands and Breadknives publishes this November. A BESTSELLER DANNY: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton This is a bestseller partly down to the vast amount of praise and media coverage the book has received, but mostly down to the heartwarming and uplifting nature of the beautifully delivered narrative, which resonates with so many people. In short, Raising Hare is the true story of Chloe; a city-dwelling professional woman; and the newborn hare she finds abandoned. The resounding message of the book is one of trust, resilience against the odds, rekindling a love of nature so often overlooked in our busy modern lives and, most importantly, hope. KIBWORTH: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor Time travel doesn’t scream ‘comfort’, but if it’s written the Jodi Taylor way, that’s exactly what it offers. The first book in The Chronicles of St Mary’s series, this book introduces us to Dr Madeleine Maxwell – the newest recruit to St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. She soon finds out, however, that the institute doesn’t just research historical events, it visits them. Eccentric, constantly courting disaster, and partial to a fair amount of tea drinking, Maxwell and her team ricochet around history, causing explosions and narrowly escaping death, just in time to make it back to the lab for a sausage roll and another pot of tea. Kibworth Books’ owner, Debbie, picked this one, and it gives Terry Pratchett meets Ghosts vibes. Book 1 will have you clamouring for the rest of the series! A NEW RELEASE DANNY: The Witching Hour by Various Every year, Little Brown publish a compilation of spooky stories written by prolific horror and fantasy authors – and every year, I eagerly await, and consequently devour, their latest offering. This year’s book features haunting tales set in the hour after midnight by thirteen authors including Andrew Michael Hurley (author of Starve Acre), Bridget Collins, Stuart Turton and Kiran Millwood Hargrave. As this book doesn’t come out until 16th October, I haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, however the blurb promises us that we will be: ‘transported from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school’… I can’t wait to read it! KIBWORTH: So Miss Winter in the Library With a Knife by Martin Edwards ‘Cosy’ and ‘Crime’ are happy linguistic bedfellows. There’s just something warm about a murder mystery, isn’t there? So, Miss Winter in the Library With a Knife is top of Kirsty’s TBR pile this autumn. Set in a remote village in the north Pennines, a snow storm looms, threatening to isolate the guests of the shadowy Midwinter Trust. Six people- all linked in some way to the world of crime writing and all with variously chequered pasts – have been invited to an all expenses paid murder mystery break over Christmas. The prize is life changing, the stakes are high, so will everyone play fair? With clues throughout the book you, the reader, are a guest as much as the characters so you’ll want a pen and paper to hand as you read. Author Martin Edwards isn’t called the ‘master of crime writing’ for nothing. Twists, turns and red herrings abound so expect to be up late with this one trying to figure it all out! |
Issue 27
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