The month of May is almost upon us so it is time to take a look at which exciting new books are being released. It is also the month where we witness history with the Coronation of King Charles III, so lots to look forward to next month.
Here are ten books which have caught my eye.
Mrs Porter Calling by AJ PearceA heart-warming, heart-wrenching wartime story from The Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird, AJ Pearce.
Emmy Lake is the much-loved agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine, relied upon by readers across the country as they face the challenges of life on the Home Front. With the problem page thriving and a team of fantastic women behind her, Emmy finally feels she is Doing Her Bit.
But when a glamorous new owner arrives, everything changes. As the Honourable Mrs Porter tries to charm her way around the rest of the team, Emmy realizes that she plans to destroy everything readers love about the magazine.
With happiness quickly turning to heartbreak and war still raging in Europe, will Emmy and her friends find the inner strength they need to keep keeping on - and save the magazine they love?
The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat
From an award-winning poet comes a gripping mystery. "Grandma Farida has Alzheimer's - but I'm going to help her remember a huge secret..."
Twelve-year-old Nyla's dad died when she was four, or that's what she's been told. So when Grandma Farida insists she saw him in the local supermarket, Nyla wonders if Grandma is simply "time travelling" again - the phrase she uses when Grandma forgets.
But Grandma is Nyla's best friend and when she asks Nyla to find her dad and bring him home, Nyla decides to make a brand new promise to her Grandma: to find him.
As Nyla turns detective and sets out on a journey through her family's past to try and find the truth, she also hopes that uncovering important stories will help her understand who she is, and where she fits in the world ...
A page-turning verse novel about the power of memory and story-telling, and an unbreakable bond between a grandmother and granddaughter.
An Invitation to Seashell Bay (Part 1) by Bella Osborne
This is the first part of a new feel-good romantic comedy, published as a four-part serialised novel.
One ambitious businesswoman.
One irresponsible heir.
A deal that will turn both their lives upside down…
To save her business, All Things Crafty, Nancy is in desperate need of two things: help and money. After a pitch goes horribly wrong, Nancy is convinced she's failed to secure either. But, when a potential investor recommends an assistant, she jumps at the chance to hire them – hoping it will help her land a much-needed deal.
Enter Freddy Astley-Davenport, a notorious socialite with zero work experience. He’s poised to inherit his family’s estate in sunny Seashell Bay, but only if he can hold down a job for six months first. Nancy is not impressed. Freddy’s late, rude and totally incompetent – and that's just the first day!
Nancy is further horrified to learn of Freddy’s plan to take the assistant role in name only, then do the least work he possibly can, expecting Nancy to lie to his parents on his behalf. She has other ideas, though, and the pair butt heads from day one.
However, as they argue, sparks begin to fly…
Six wives. One King. You know their stories. Now it's time to hear his.
A second son, not born to rule, becomes a man, and a king...
In grand royal palaces, Prince Harry grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry - and the golden age of kings that awaits his older brother. But Arthur's untimely death sees Harry crowned King Henry of England.
As his power and influence extends, so commences a lifelong battle between head and heart, love and duty. Henry rules by divine right, yet his prayers for a son go unanswered.
The great future of the Tudor dynasty depends on an heir. And the crown weighs heavy on a king with all but his one true desire.
HENRY VIII. HIS STORY.
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton
1966: Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family. As she strives to fit into a world that does not understand her, she realizes that survival will mean carving out a destiny of her own.
1997: Sook-Yin's daughter Lily can barely remember the mother she lost as a small child. But when she is unexpectedly named in the will of a powerful Chinese stranger, she embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity and claim the reward. But she soon learns that the secrecy around her heritage has deep roots, and good fortune comes at a price.
Sepulchre Street by Martin Edwards
'This is my challenge for you,' the woman in white said. 'I want you to solve my murder.'
London, 1930s: Rachel Savernake is attending renowned artist Damaris Gethin's latest exhibition, featuring live models who pose as famous killers. But that's just the warm-up act...
Unsure why she was invited, Rachel is soon cornered by the artist who asks her a haunting favour: she wants Rachel to solve her murder. Damaris then takes to the stage set with a guillotine, the lights go out - and Damaris executes herself.
Why would Damaris take her own life? And, if she died by her own hand, what did she mean by 'solve my murder'?
There are many questions to answer, and the clues are there for those daring enough to solve them...
Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Out there is chaos, the collapse of society, and so much to be afraid of. All that matters is freedom.
That’s what Remy Blake has been taught by his survivalist father. Raised off the grid in the middle of nowhere, his own survival skills not yet honed, Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when his father unexpectedly dies. As seasons pass, supplies run out, and fending for himself grows more desperate, Remy sets out on foot, unprepared for the great unknown of civilization.
He is found―near feral, silent, and terrified―in the small rural town of Blaire. To Anne, a nurturing mother of two adopted teenagers who’s still dealing with her own childhood rejections, Remy is not a lost cause. Just a challenging one. As Remy cautiously adapts to his new foster home, his family wants nothing more than to reassure him that he can trust the world. But to do so, they must first reexamine how much they trust the world themselves, and how much they should. As Remy’s journey into the real world begins, figuring out how to navigate it becomes a path they will have to learn to walk together.
A luxury cruise liner, abandoned with no crew, steaming into the mid-Atlantic.
And you are the only passenger left on board.
Caz Ripley, a cafe owner from a small, ordinary town, boards the RMS Atlantica with her boyfriend Pete and a thousand fellow passengers destined for New York.
The next morning, she wakes to discover that everyone else on board has disappeared.
And that's just the beginning. Caz must prepare for a crossing that will be anything but plain sailing ...
Sheep Says Shalom by Ann Diament Koffsky
The word ‘shalom’ means three different things: ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘peace’. In this sweet, simple tale, Sheep experiments with this triple meaning as she goes about her day on the farm. The sun is rising, and we follow Sheep as she stops to say ‘shalom’ ('hello’) to each of her friends: ‘Shalom, Cat’, ‘Shalom, Cow,’ ‘Shalom, Horse’, ‘Shalom, Duck’. ‘Shalom, Sheep’, they all reply! When the day comes to a close, Sheep realises she can use this same word to say goodbye to all of her friends, as well: ‘Shalom, Cat’, ‘Shalom, Cow,’ ‘Shalom, Horse’, ‘Shalom, Duck’. ‘Shalom, Sheep’, they reply once more! As she tucks herself into bed that night, Sheep remembers that ‘shalom’ has one more meaning: ‘peace’. And with that, surrounded by the moon and the stars, she falls into a peaceful night’s sleep. Sheep Says Shalom is a heartwarming story for young readers, introducing them to Hebrew, teaching them about the joys of learning a language and giving them insights into the Jewish faith and culture. Children will be captivated by this foldout board book with colourful illustrations of animals and nature.
1940, Amsterdam.
You're nineteen years old. The war has stolen your future and your country is under siege. The people you love are no longer safe.
Will you stand aside as the menace of Nazi evil tightens its grip on your homeland? Or do you unleash your fury, joining forces with your enemies' enemies, plotting to strike?
Because if not you, then who?
You're drawn deep into a web of plots, disguises and assassinations. The Resistance trained you for this. You flash your enemies a smile and beckon them closer.
Little do they know you've grown used to the weight of a gun in your hand...
Soon they will all know your name.
You're "the Girl with the Red Hair." A match for any Nazi soldier, a true threat, a target.
(header photo courtesy of Pixabay)
