Books in April - Book Recommendations

The Little Bookshop
2 days ago
8 min read

Hello Book Dragons, we’ll have some great books in this little list of ours. And we indeed think it’s because it’s our anniversary this month that they wanted to publish such great titles… Let’s take a look!

Fantasy/Thriller/Contemporary

Show Me Where It Hurts

The Three Lives of Cate Kay

The Ending Writes Itself

Boudicca's Daughter

YA Books

Call of the Dragon

Lightfall: A Place Between

Contemporary/Fantasy/Thriller/Sci-fi adults

Show Me Where It Hurts by Claire Gleeson (2 April)

Because debut novel and Irish!

How do you survive the unsurvivable? Rachel lives with her husband Tom and their two children: it’s the comfortable family life she always thought she’d have. All of that changes in an instant – when one action by Tom destroys the life they’ve built, leaving Rachel to pore over the wreckage to try and understand what happened, to try and find a way to go on living afterwards. What emerges is a snapshot of what it’s like to live alongside someone who is suffering, how you keep yourself afloat when the person you love is drowning – and how you survive irreparable loss.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (9 April)

Because “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins” and a debut novel!

Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now. As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (9 April)

Because we were all waiting for the author reveal, now it’s time to read their book! World famous author Arthur Fletch is dead. His final novel, the most anticipated book in history, remains unfinished. But the ending won’t write itself. Fletch’s publisher, Merriweather Press, has invited six authors to Fletch’s private island in Scotland. Authors whose books have never had the big marketing budgets or publicity opportunities. In other words, midlist. And they’re about to be presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Whoever writes a worthy ending will receive one million dollars, and a further one million dollars for a new three-book contract. They have just seventy-two hours, with no access to the outside world, just a typewriter and a blank page. All they have to do is write… Starting is often the hardest part. But getting to the end could be murder.

Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper (23 April)

Because we know you loved The Wolf Den! Boudicca. Infamous warrior, queen of the British Iceni tribe and mastermind of one of history's greatest revolts. Her defeat spelled ruin for her people, yet still her name is enough to strike fear into Roman hearts. But what of the woman who grew up in her shadow? The woman who has her mother's looks and cunning but a spirit all of her own? The woman whose desperate bid for survival will take her from Britain's sacred marshlands to the glittering façades of Nero's Roman Empire… Born to a legend. Forced to fight. Determined to succeed. Meet Solina. Boudicca's Daughter.

YA Book Recommendations Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen (2 April)

Because I loved Skin of the Sea and there's a dragon in the title!

Moremi has only ever known peace in the Kingdom of Kwa, thanks to the two dragon gods keeping an unspeakable evil at bay. But when the king tries to claim the gods’ power for himself, it all goes dreadfully wrong. The great dragons are injured and flee . . . and the world’s darkest shadows are released. Suddenly, Kwa’s ancient tales of monsters become all too real. Yet as death comes for those around her, Moremi somehow finds herself magically connected to both dragon gods—a feat that should be impossible. Now, Moremi is Kwa’s only hope for restoring the gods to full strength. But will Jagun, the mysterious prince, let her anywhere near the dragons? And how does her childhood friend, Nox, feel about it all? It may not matter in the end, because if Moremi fails her quest, then she risks the earth caving in and the sky crumbling down.

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn (9 April)

Because you’ve all been waiting for number 3!

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe. But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé. Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table. As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.

The Swarm by Anna February (9 April)

Because you’ve all been waiting for the sequel of The Hive!

oyal maverick Niko and bodyguard Feldspar have been tasked by their queens to lead a swarm – an exploration – in search of a new world outside their twisted monarchy. What they find beyond the Hive is a paradise – but is it too perfect to trust? When two brutal murders happen on the same night, the royal visitors are the prime suspects. With danger closing in and their feelings for each other growing, Niko and Feldspar must fight to clear their names before paradise becomes a prison...

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai (23 April)

Because debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince. But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince's head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying's commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won't stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body. In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince's death—secrets that could endanger both Siying's father and their entire kingdom.

Children’s Books

Llama Library by Holly Ryan (9 April)

Because library + llama

This isn’t a library for book-borrowers – in this library you borrow a llama! The Llama Library has any subject you can imagine – cookery, history, art, music, science even romance! All you need to do is go to the section and choose your llama, give the librarian your card to stamp and you can take it home. And that’s where things might get a little… messy! But don’t worry – just return your llama to the library and borrow another.

The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko (21 April)

Because her YA duology Raybearer was great!

Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her missing big sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear. A text lures Valentine to a magical boba shop, which comes to life and tells Valentine she is now a GENIE: a member of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so the Trio hosts a glamorous wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist? The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease. To free her sister Mango and escape the Genie Game, Valentine must score more wish-granting points than any other Genie. But how did the Trio Trust get so powerful in the first place? Why is a magical monster stomping through her home city of Gloss Angeles? And why does the Trio Trust seem so afraid of 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya?

Where is Pierre? by Emma Clarke (23 April)

Because this looks just too cute and chaotic ^^

It’s Bear’s birthday and he can't wait to spend it with his best friend Pierre. There’s just one little problem… Where is Pierre?! With one missing penguin and a whole lot of chaos, this hilarious search-and-find adventure will have kids giggling, guessing, and shouting “There he is!” on every page.

Lightfall: A Place Between by Tim Probert (23 April)

Because… do I need to give reasons for the next Lightfall? It is amazing!

After surviving a shipwreck on the Fuerre Sea, Cad washes ashore on the shores of Pellidyr. There, he searches for Lorgon, the Water Spirit, but instead finds the other spirits of Irpa who question if their planet can be saved. One of them offers to help Cad and transports him to A Place Between, a strange liminal realm between the living and the dead, where Cad works to uncover the reason Lorgon summoned them to Pellidyr in the first place.

Meanwhile, Bea awakens within the walls of the capital city. While Pellidyr's leader has heard the tales of Bea's derring-do and believes her to be a hero with all the answers, she's never felt more uncertain about the future. What she does know is that she can't accomplish anything without her crew. When Bea's escape plan also brings her to A Place Between, she makes a shocking discovery that changes her understanding of everything that came before her...and what could soon follow.