Book cover for review: images shows a large green world set against a black backdrop, the bottom part of the planet disappearing into shadow. The black of space is covered in stylised words of noise, barely visible in a slightly different shade of black. Something with a green and white tail is crossing the space in front of the planet. In the centre, over the top of this, is the title 'Piper at the Gates of Dusk' in white.
Book Reviews

Piper at the Gates of Dusk | YA Book Review

By Patrick Ness (Walker Books, 2026)

“We did see it, didn’t we?” Max whispers to me now, both of us watching Pop enter a Noise conversation with the Land, which moves faster than anything either of us could follow.

I nod in a way that says, yes, we definitely did.

“You saw it, too,” he says.

I nod again, kind of rolling my eyes. Of course I saw it. I’m sitting here with a broken arm, aren’t I?

“What was it?” I can barely move my hands with the healing going on, but I grimace and sign, A god.

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Covers for book recommendations May 2026
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: May 2026

Welcome to our monthly book recommendations for May 2026! Whether you’re looking for wacky antics, dashing adventure, super-powered pets or poems about…bugs? We’ve got you covered in what we’ve been reading over the past month!

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Covers for book recommendations April 2026
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: April 2026

Welcome to our monthly book recommendations for April 2026! When you’re not sure whether to expect rain or shine, it’s always smart to have a book on hand. Here’s what we’ve been reading over the past month!

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Covers for book recommendations February 2026
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: February 2026

Gosh it’s been a busy month! For GO ALL IN – the National Year of Reading – Lynda has been in schools and bookshops over February, sharing books with children from reception to year 6. And we’re pleased to be able to share them here with you too!

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Image shows two girls silhouetted in white and pink against a dark blue background. Each is standing on a locked book, and they are both reaching up towards a butterfly above them. In the background there is a palace in pink, loomed over by a silver mountain. The image is dotted with white and silver snowflakes. At the top, the title 'Snow' is in white all caps. The author's name 'Meera Trehan' is in dark blue against a pink background at the bottom.
Book Reviews

Snow | Book Review

By Meera Trehan (pub. Walker Books, Nov 2025)

Cunning stops in front of her. The Princess exhales as she waits for it to go.

Instead, it takes another step forward. Two arm’s-lengths away.

What is going on? It’s supposed to know her. It’s supposed to leave. Is it confused by the extra tools on her back? Or is it distracted by the Mists?

Her mind flicks back to last night, the foot, the hand. Please don’t come back now.

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Covers for book recommendations November 2025
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: November 2025

Welcome to our monthly book recommendations, and our final recs post for 2025! Last month was “Non-Fiction November”, but you know us – we couldn’t just stop there! So here’s some fantastic books that cover all sorts of facts and stories in their own way, that we think would all make perfect gifts for this holiday season.

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Book cover for review: image shows a blue background that turns into a skyline at the top of the picture. In the centre-left is an arched window, through which we can see three children climbing some stairs. The girl at the front is red-haired and holding a torch. Behind her is an Indian boy looking around cautiously, and behind him is a smaller girl with a blond ponytail. Vines are growing through and around the window. The title 'Murder at the Ivy Hotel' is in large across most of the image. The small middle words are on a silver tray being held up by an unseen waiter. In the 'o' of 'Hotel' is a suspicious silhouette of a person.
Book Reviews

Murder at the Ivy Hotel | Book Review

By Emily Hourican (pub. Scholastic, February 2026)

Bob’s words hung in the air. It could be murder.

And suddenly, the giddiness went out of everything they had discovered. A chill descended over them all, and the satisfaction of tracing clues and finding pieces of the puzzle vanished. If it ever had been, this was no longer a game. There was, Meredith realized with shock, a big difference between thinking something was murder, and knowing it truly could be.

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Covers for book recommendations October 2025
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: October 2025

Welcome to our monthly book recommendations post for October! We had a spooktacular time last month reading some hair-raising tales of fact and fiction. It may no longer be October, but don’t let that stop you checking out below what books we enjoyed last month!

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Book for review: image shows a young Black girl dressed in working gear (boots, pouches), with goggles pushed up into her hair, holding a screwdriver and pointing up off to the left. On the right behind her stands a large mechanical dog with pointy ears. On the left behind her is a young boy with blond hair, dressed neater and carrying a square backpack. Behind them is a underground city in a cavern, the lights of the buildings piercing the blue mist that shrouds it. To the left is the title 'Underlings: The Spark Engine', written in caps with a dirty metal colouring.
Book Reviews

Underlings: The Spark Engine | Book Review

By Murray Fisher (pub. Toller Press, September 2025)

This was no way to die.

She closed her eyes, steadying each shallow breath, her heartbeat squelching in her ears.

Think, Evin. Think!

Deep in the city’s bedrock, face down, sandwiched in a collapsed section of tunnel, there was nobody to help her. If she couldn’t save herself right now, she may as well give up.

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Covers for book recommendations September 2025
Book Reviews

Monthly Book Recommendations: September 2025

Welcome to our monthly book recommendations post for September! The days are getting shorter now, and the grey weather gave us the perfect excuse to stay indoors and do some reading (well, except for a jaunt to some bookshops in Norfolk!). Check out below what books we enjoyed over last month.

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