Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Hardback, eAudiobook

Age Group:

10+/YA

Genre:

Magical Realism

Review by Polly Read

The Cat Who Saved The Library is about thirteen-year-old Nanami Koskake who loves books and reading. Her favourite place is the local library where she is a frequent visitor. But when books start disappearing from the shelves without being borrowed or returned, Nanami gets suspicious about who could be taking them. She then notices a mysterious man in a grey suit taking the books of the shelves and disappears. Just as she is about to follow him, a talking ginger tabby cat called Tiger appears and warns her that it would be a very dangerous thing to do. Nanami is very determined to save her beloved library books. So she and the cat go on an exciting adventure to find out were and why the books are disappearing.

I read this book as it is the second book that the author has written that involves Tiger the talking cat. I have read the first book The Cat who Saves books that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was curious to find out about the second book in the series.

I thought that the story was good, I liked Tiger the cat, as he can be very sarcastic, funny, but he is also very wise. I also thought that there is a strong message that the author is trying to tell through the story. That books are very powerful and can offer strength and companionship. The story gets quite adventurous and a little weird nearer the end, and it felt like you where there in the action. I would definitely suggest reading the first book though before reading this one, as some of the other characters that are in the first book appear later on in the story.  

 This book is recommended to readers aged ten and over, but I think that it may be better for older teens and young adult age group. The book has been translated into English from Japanese and the story is set in Japan. There is still a few Japanese words in the book that could be a bit difficult for younger readers to read and understand. However, if you love cats and books then I think this is a story that you will enjoy.

I would give this book a four and a half stars out of a five-star rating.

The post The Cat Who Saved The Library by Sõsuke Natsukawa appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Children, Young Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Adventure

Bored? Ah well, just jump in your car and take a drive through The Phantom Tollbooth.

That’s not what Milo planned to do, but when he did —— an amazing world of fascination and  wonder confronted him. The Phantom Tollbooth isn’t just another adventure story, it’s a voyage of discovery. A discovery of language, imagination and delight.

You’ll soon find yourself with Milo in the court of King Azaz and on a visit to the Word Market. There, you can find ‘Juicy, tempting words for sale’ and where you can actually eat your words.

In the company of Tock, the watchdog, and the Humbug, Milo takes to the road on a quest to rescue the sweet Princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air. They had been banished from the Land of Wisdom after the feud between King Azad and his brother the Mathemagician over the relative importance of words and numbers.

Meeting with adventures in the Mountains of Ignorance, conducting A Colourful Symphony and attempting to find their way to Infinity the resolute trio boldly pursue their quest. Rhyme and Reason are safely taken home to Wisdom with immense celebrations throughout the land.

Has Milo recovered from his  boredom? Of course you know the answer.

While filling his story with an abundance of playful ideas Juster also manages to pass on little gems of wisdom…

“But it’s only a pencil.”

“True enough, but once you learn how to use it there’s no end to what you can do.”

This is a world of can do, a world of never give up. Keep your principles, care for others, be socially responsible, treasure both words and numbers. Above all remember “So many things are possible so long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”

Who is it for?

Independent readers will revel in the fun and playfulness of this story. Alternatively, if you’re reading aloud to younger children there are many delightful moments to inspire them in their talk or creative play. It’s also a wonderful piece of escapism to entertain readers of any age.

While you’re here, you might also like to find Norton Juster’s cartoon ‘The Dot and the Line’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_QhIVYlcmE

– David Cohen

The post The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook

Age Group:

Young Adults, Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Romance

I was gripped with this book from the first few pages, which I don’t find happens that often. At its core this is an enemies-to-lover romance fantasy, but I think that doesn’t do the book justice. The story is about two young rival journalists who find love through a magical connection. Iris and Roman, the main characters, form an unlikely connection and we follow their story and find out if their love can triumph in a war among gods.

I like that the story is told from both viewpoints, as I think it gives a more rounded story. Letters are also used throughout the book to tell the story from a different perspective.

I think this book is very original and holds appeal for both young adults and adults alike. I’m pleased that it’s a duology, and am very keen to read the second book, Ruthless Vows.

To find more books written by Rebecca Ross visit her website https://rebeccarossauthor.com/

The post Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Adults, Young Adults

Genre:

Nonfiction, Geopolitical, Geography

The power of geography follows the same structures and theme of the previous book of Tim Marshall, Prisoners of Geography. Each chapter focuses on a different country/area and the aim is to demonstrate how today political and economical decisions are the consequences not only of the history of that country but also the physical/geographical features of those countries/areas. The author tries to depict also possible future scenarios and political moves/ strategies based on his knowledge and analysis.

I found particularly interesting the chapter about the Sahel and Ethiopia as those areas often made the headline of newspapers in relation to migration, but little is known about them. For the same reason it was fascinating discovering more about Saudi Arabia and Iran.

There are maps and few pictures in the book, it worth mentioning a map where the point of view/perspective is from the UK facing down the European continent/block of countries. It visually helped me to understand part of the reasoning behind the Brexit.

Last chapter is about space. At first look it might seem science fiction in relation to borders and physical geography. However, has never been more relevant since recently China managed to reach the dark side of the moon.

It is not a book that you would want to read on a beach on holiday, but it is not difficult as the language is straightforward and humorous at times. Highly recommended to broaden not only the knowledge but also to understand a bit more of the world we live in.

The post The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Drama, Romance

Heart Bones is a story about two young adults, Beyah and Samson, from completely different backgrounds who meet on summer break and embark on a tentative romance. Don’t be put off by the age of the main characters, this isn’t your typical young adult book, it’s much grittier and more suited to an adult audience.

The book is quite fast paced and hooks you from the start. For a lot of the book there’s no big drama happening, but I still found myself drawn in following Beyah as she adjusts to living with her father and his family by the beach. Then, there’s a really good twist that I definitely didn’t see coming, though the story does build you up to knowing there is going to be a big reveal.

I really enjoyed this book, and it has made me want to investigate other titles written by Colleen Hoover. I know the book she’s best known for is It Ends With Us so I’ll probably start there, but you can find a full list of her titles here https://www.colleenhoover.com/.

The post Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Crime

Catch Your Death takes a classic Agatha Christie-style country house murder and turns everything on its head.

Three 17 year old girls find themselves stranded in an isolated mansion on the night their reluctant hosts, the rich and powerful Vanforte family, are planning a very special dinner. When Emily Vanforte is poisoned the girls have to try and identify the murderer to keep themselves safe, while contending with antique knives, a disappearing gun and secret passages everywhere – not to mention the remaining strange and dysfunctional family members.

I’m not going to say more about the plot in case I give something away, because on top of the usual clues and red herrings of a classic whodunnit, there are one or two huge twists that pull the rug out from everything the reader thinks they know.

There are some flaws in the writing. The characters can be overdrawn on a key characteristic (Lizzie in particular is often quite two-dimensional in how often we’re told she’s nervous and shy), and the three girls sound exactly the same in narration and several times I was a page into a chapter before realising it was a different person narrating and had to check the chapter title to see who it was. And the ending, after the grand reveal, is protracted and could do with being cut in half.

But where Guron excels is the plot and the pace. The story barrels along, yet you never lose track of the many clues. The big plot twists carry all the threads with them and not one is dropped or left untied at the end. If you want a rollicking good 1940s murder mystery dropped squarely in the 21^st century, then this is the book for you!

The post Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook

Age Group:

Young Adults 15+

Genre:

Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Historical Romance

Medusa by Jessie Burton is a fast-paced Greek Mythology reimaging following our main character Medusa and her head of snakes who ends up exiled to an island to live her life alone until Perseus, a handsome boy turns up to enter her world. Love does start to blossom, but Medusa knows if she tells the truth about her life to Perseus, it could turn into a life-or-death situation…

For readers to connect well to the storyline and characters, a good understanding of Greek myths would be useful. As I am still a newbie to this style, I found the names of gods at times confusing and hard to visualise. The writing is dialogue driven which helps to make the pacing faster. For readers looking for a book under 200 pages, this is the perfect length also for reluctant readers who may find longer-length reads a challenge.

Jessie Burton’s Medusa is a standalone, but it will make you feel curious to visit Jessie’s other books as she has written and published for children’s and adults!

The post Medusa by Jessie Burton appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Horror

Fir by Sharon Gosling was visually brilliant and deliciously creepy; I really didn’t want things to end. One thing that really stood out to me about the story is the main character’s perspective. We as the reader don’t know the character’s name, how old they are, if they are a boy or a girl.

My personal thoughts from reading Fir were that the main character’s voice that I could hear in my mind was a 14/15-year-old male. The story is set in the north of Sweden where the main character and their parents arrive in an old plantation house surrounded by hundreds of trees. But from the minute they arrive, it’s very clear that someone doesn’t want them there.

Honestly, don’t read this book when you are alone in the house, one of the characters Dorothea was such a miserable grump but did play quite a huge role in Fir. I say the age range for readers who want to read Fir is 15+ primarily because of some of the graphic descriptions of most of the scary events that happen throughout.

The post Fir by Sharon Gosling appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

eBook

Age Group:

Older Young Adult

Genre:

Coming of Age, Self discovery

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So, when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back.

And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

First, the representation for Anxiety in Starfish was just… very well done. I have an anxiety disorder and finding stories with main characters in that have anxiety with great representation is a massive struggle. Some of the topics within the novel (sexual abuse, suicide) can make it a heavy and hard-hitting read at times but I simply cannot deny how much I really enjoyed reading about Kiko’s life and how she battled with her worries and having a passion for art.

Because of the anxiety rep, I found it easy to connect to Kiko as a character. The California setting was something I also enjoyed reading about since I would love to visit there at some point in the future! One of the insights about Kiko which really opened my eyes as a reader were the various points within the story which said, ‘What I want to say’ and ‘What I actually say’, this in my personal life I can really relate to a lot. The pacing was even with plot twists that I didn’t expect.

The post Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

eAudiobook

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Romance

This book follows Saine Sinclair as she tries to make a documentary to get into University. She is forced to take the grudging help of her former best friend, now enemy, and gets carried away with the quality of the film, ignoring the quality of her friendships.

Whilst I would love to take part in the competition in the book (recreating classic video games!), I found the main character so unlikeable and selfish I struggled to finish the book.

As I was listening to this book I felt like ticking the cliché’s off on my fingers:

• Enemies-to-lovers
• Mutual pining
• Highschool drama
• Complete inability to communicate
• Sad backstories
• Cheerleaders

Saine really got on my nerves with her habit of putting her camera in other peoples faces constantly and she has the ultimate Main Character Syndrome.

That said, it’s an easy read and I found the audiobook acceptable company when walking my dog, so if you’re after something light that requires little attention give it a go!

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