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This is going to be a bumper newsletter so buckle up booklovers!
After unpacking over 70 boxes of books over the last two weeks we are well and truly ready for the holiday season. Our shelves are spilling over, our window display is stacked and the children's corner is filled to the brim with fantastic new books. Read on for our reviews, pre-orders and to find out what's racing out the door.
Our booklover calendar is also full! It's simply bursting with events. Did you know tomorrow is NZ Bookshop Day? We have a face painter coming to the shop from 10-12 and if you buy a children's book you can get your face painted (or your child can, ha!). We have lots of giveaways, we're running the personal penguin promotion, we've hidden a Libro.fm golden ticket, we're unveiling our Booklover Community Board, and we're part of the Auckland Bookshop Tour along with 13 other participating bookshops. Come along and join the fun - our neighbours at MCoffee Roasters are also celebrating 10 Years with a bold new look. Coffee and books on a Saturday morning? Yes please!
We're also excited to be hosting a couple of wonderful book launches in November and to announce that tickets to our Annual Christmas Showdown are ON SALE NOW! More details below.
A lot of blood (paper cuts), sweat, and tears went into this newsletter but we're glad it's finally found it's way to your inbox.
Till next time, happy reading,
Rachel, Olivia & Laura xx
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IT'S ALMOST HERE!
Olivia's latest novel The American Boys is out October 28th and our shop launch has been fully booked!
We are hosting a second event at Devonport Library to celebrate with her on Monday November 10th at 7pm and we'd love to see you there!
If you loved The Girl from London and The Songbirds of Florence as much as we did then you do NOT want to miss this.
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YEAH, NOIR!
Who knew we had so many authors in our midst!? Chris Blake is a Milford local whose new novel softly calls the devil is a dark, gripping, intricate crime thriller set on the South Island's wild and remote west coast (and we know how much you love those!).
Preorder the book now and join us at the shop with Chris on Thursday November 6th from 6:00pm to celebrate the launch!
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IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAAAAR ♪
We’ve taken your feedback from last year’s event and we agree: having the showdown at the shop is something special. But we have limited space and tickets sell fast and booklovers miss out, so what’s the solution?
Hold more than 1 showdown at the shop of course!
Find all the details and book tickets here.
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In case you didn't know... Auckland Writer's Festival is bringing THE Trent Dalton back to our shores next week! Don't miss his event at The Civic on Wednesday night where he will be in conversation with Michael Bennett discussing his latest novel Gravity Let Me Go. We've spent the last week selling Gravity to anyone and everyone because we all loved it so much. Grab tickets here.
In other Trent news, his book Love Stories was adapted for stage and is also on at The Civic next week! Get ready to fall in love all over again. This restless city has a story to tell. Do you already have your tickets? We'll see you there. |
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NZ BOOKSHOP DAY IS TOMORROW!
Join us for at The Booklover for Bookshop Day 2025. We have lots of fun activities planned including:
- Auckland Bookshop Tour (with 14 participating bookshops)
- Face Painting from 10am-12pm for kiddos when you purchase a children's book. 1 book per child!
- In store giveaways
- Libro FM Golden Ticket
and much more!
Bookshop Day is run by the Booksellers Association of New Zealand to encourage book lovers, like you, to celebrate your local bookshop!
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The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny $38
Kiran Desai
There has been so much talk in the book world about this novel that the moment I got my hands on a copy I immediately had to start reading and thankfully, by the end of the first page, I knew it was going to be worthy of the hype. Shortlisted for the Booker Award ( the winner will be announced next month) the Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is one of those rare and wonderful novels that is literary without being too complicated or daunting. It is a story of two young people, Sonia and Sunny, whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years - an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity. It’s the kind of book you want to read slowly, to savour and absorb each sentence. If you liked The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese or There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, chances are this is the book for you. The kind of book you’ll want to own and keep it on your bookshelf, so you can return to it again. An outstanding read.
- Olivia
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A Great Act of Love $38
Heather Rose
I’ve been looking for a really good historical novel for a while now and I’m pleased to say I’ve found it! Heather Rose is a wonderful writer and I very much enjoyed her previous novel, Bruny. A Great Act of Love is set in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in the 1800s. When a young woman, Caroline, is forced to leave England she ends up in Hobart, amongst the exiles and opportunists. Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, she attempts to build a new life. Soaring from the champagne vineyards of revolutionary France to London and early colonial Australia, this is a captivating novel of legacy, loyalty and reinvention.
- Olivia
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Boleyn Traitor $38
Philippa Gregory
Earlier this year I stayed three nights in Hampton Court Palace, where the security guards took us on a late night tour - really a last check for fire - to see if we could find Anne Boleyn’s ghost. It was marvelously spooky!
Then I came home to rewatch Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall followed by its sequel The Mirror and the Light, so you might think I’d had my fill of the Tudors. But Philippa Gregory’s new book Boleyn Traitor looks at the same period from the point of view of Jane Boleyn - Lady Rochford - who is Anne Boleyn’s sister in law, married to her brother George. So it feels familiar but different enough to still be interesting.What a nightmare that court was. The gossip, the intrigue and the danger. Everyone is supposed to be looking like they’re having a great time, practising courtly love, while actually fearing for their lives.
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I’m half way through and I cannot put it down. I’m trying not to google Jane’s Wiki page because I want to eke out the story. You can’t help liking her even though she is in league with everyone from Thomas Howard to Thomas Cromwell. She is their eyes and ears in the court of Henry VIII’s queens.
Can she keep her head, while everyone around her is losing theirs?
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Where in All the World $39
Vanessa Croft
Harriet Watson dreams of a life beyond the Canterbury plains of 1890's New Zealand. When a celebrated English explorer sets his sights on her, she is swept into a grand romance and a far greater deception.
Where in All the World is a compelling historical novel rich in detail with vivid prose and memorable characters. I was full immersed in this sweeping tale as it moved from Aotearoa New Zealand to England to Africa. Filled with tension, romance and dramatic twists, it will have you reading late into the night.
- Olivia
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Heart the Lover $37
PREORDER OUT OCT 14th
Lily King
Be still my beating heart. Could this be my favourite read of 2025? I loved Lily King’s previous novel Writers and Lovers, and was so excited to start reading Heart the Lover. From the first line, I was captured and I devoured the book over the next two days. Not only is this a love story that will tear your heart in two, it is an absolute master class in fiction writing. Honestly, I am in awe. I wish I had written this book. I wish I could read it again for the first time. I wish I had the words to express my admiration for this author. It’s not going to be for everyone, but gosh-darn this book was most definitely for me. - Olivia
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The Irish Goodbye
Coming soon. Preorder now!
Heather Aimee O'neill
I read this completely on a whim because I simply loved the cover. It's not something I would normally read after reading the blurb (sounds too sad for me) but I'm so glad I did. It's a genuine story of three sisters visiting their family home in Long Island for Thanksgiving after the tragic death of their brother. I was swept up in their lives and invested in their family trauma, I needed to know whether everything was going to work out in the end! Why do families keep secrets? Sometimes it's to keep from hurting the ones we love, sometimes it just makes things worse. I think this is perfect for fans of Hello Beautiful and Tom Lake.
- Rachel
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The Amberglow Candy Store $38
Hiyoko Kurisu
Are we all still a little obsessed with these gorgeous translated "healing fiction" titles? When I saw this cover and then was told that this was the story of a half-fox who owned a candy store I said "we're going to need a big stack of this!".
Meet Kogetsu, a half-fox who owns the Amberglow Candy Store on Gloaming Lane. Gloaming Lane is like The Room of Requirement in Harry Potter - those who are in need will stumble upon it and what sweets you find there depends on what you need in your life at that moment. A sweet fable-like story translated from Japanese. I think it's the perfect book for that "they don't read but I want to get them a book" person in your life.
- Rachel
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Last One Out $38
PREORDER OUT OCT 14th
Jane Harper
He had been here, that was clear from the marks in the dust. And he had been alone. In a dying town, Ro Crowley waits for her son on the evening of his 21st birthday. But Sam never comes home. His footprints in the dust of three abandoned houses offer the only clue to his final movements. One set in. One set out. Five long years later, Ro returns to Carralon Ridge for the annual memorial of Sam's disappearance. The skeletal community is now an echo of itself, having fractured under the pressure of the coal mine operating on its outskirts. But Ro still wants answers. Only a few people remain. If the truth is to be found in that town, does it lie among them?
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Fast moving thrillers and mysteries - grab 'em now before they disappear off our shelves! |
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Jump In $50
Nicola McCloy
From secluded sandy bays, to crystal clear alpine lakes, hidden lagoons, rivers and beaches, Jump In is a guide to Aotearoa's best swimming destinations. Best-selling local author Nicola McCloy loves to swim. Her years of enjoying the water have led to this book setting out both the popular and the secret swimming spots all around New Zealand. Going from north to south, with instructions on how to get there, amenities, ease of access, parking, level of ability needed and child- and dog-friendliness, alongside descriptions and stories, all accompanied by beautiful photos, this is a book you will want to keep close at hand when doing a trip of any length - from a day outing to a full-blown road trip. We have signed copies in store now!
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Kiwi Country $40
Te Redar and Ruth Spencer
An entertaining history of rural life in Aotearoa, told through artefacts, gadgets and ephemera that tell a story that goes deeper than the objects themselves. The most fun you'll ever have learning about rural life in New Zealand. Told through a varied selection of items from the everyday (apples, Red Band gumboots, milk tankers and ride-on mowers) to the weird and wacky (Godfrey Bowen's pink Long Johns, the Waimate White Horse and wartime tanks made from converted tractors) this book has something to make everyone laugh and to help anyone win the local pub quiz. Find out about historic times and places that shaped our nation and enjoy the nostalgia of looking back at past objects like the meat safe, the mangle and the classic Kiwi dunny. Told with Te Radar's trademark laconic Kiwi humour, each story will surprise you as a picture builds that is so much more than the sum of the parts.
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Nourish $50
Chelsea Winter
A joyful return to what made Chelsea's food a household favourite - now reimagined with balance and a deeper intention to truly nourish. Inside you'll find soul-warming meals like aromatic chicken curry, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, tender beef hotpot - and yes, a fresh new take on the iconic Chicken Pie that started it all. Every recipe is infused with Chelsea's signature magic: mouthwatering flavour, reliable results, simple steps, clever tips and flexible swaps. These honest, sustaining recipes are nutritious, family-friendly, and made to be shared. This isn't just a cookbook. It's a trusted kitchen companion that will leave you feeling inspired, empowered - and, as always, like a legend in your own kitchen.
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Perspective $40
Shaun Johnson
Discover the man behind the magic as rugby league sensation Shaun Johnson tells the story of his life on and off the field for the very first time in his own words. 'For 14 years I was judged on 80 minutes of my life, once a week. That's it . . . it's how I judged myself. Eighty damn minutes of footy. It is ridiculous how much that can impact on your life, and even more ridiculous to think how long it can take to put that in perspective.' Join Shaun as he recounts his early life, dealing with stardom and expectations at a young age. You'll step onto the field to re-live epic plays through his eyes, and discover the circumstances that led to his departure from the Warriors and then his return to Mt Smart, which culminated in Shaun being awarded the Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2023. Perspective is a fascinating look into the heart and mind of a rugby league legend.
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Night People $40
Mark Ronson
Behind some of the biggest musical moments in the past two decades is one man - Mark Ronson. Now, his memoir Night People captures the music, characters, escapades and energy of his formative DJ days in '90s New York.
Night People evokes the rush of a time and place where fashionistas and rappers on the rise danced alongside club kids and 9-to-5'ers - and invites us into the tribe of creatives and partiers who came alive when the sun went down. A heartfelt coming-of-age tale, Night People is the definitive account of a cultural moment and the making of a musical mastermind.
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Super Agers $40
Eric Topol
In this breakthrough moment in the history of human health care, Super Agers is an evidenced-based guide to the revolution transforming human longevity. From his unique position as a leader overseeing millions in research funding, Dr Topol explains how you can benefit from new the treatments becoming available at a faster rate than ever, and the fundamental reasons -- from semaglutides to AI -- that we can be confident these breakthroughs will continue.
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I Am Dyslexic $37
Chanelle Moriah
From the author of the bestselling I Am Autistic and This Is ADHD comes an essential resource for dyslexic people - written by someone who is dyslexic.
I Am Dyslexic is a tool for both diagnosed and undiagnosed dyslexic people to explain or make sense of their experiences. It also offers non-dyslexic people the chance to learn more from someone who is dyslexic. With clear sections explaining the many aspects of dyslexia, accompanied by Chanelle's beautiful illustrations, and with space for readers to write down their thoughts, this book is designed to be personalised to the individual's experience.
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Strong Ground $55
Brené Brown
In a time when uncertainty runs deep and bluster, hubris and even cruelty are increasingly framed as acceptable leadership, Brown delivers practical, actionable insights that illuminate the mindsets and skill sets essential to reclaiming focus and driving growth through connection, discipline and accountability.
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The Seeker and The Sage $35
Brigid Delaney
In her bestseller, Reasons Not to Worry, Brigid Delaney explores the foundations of Stoicism and how you can apply them to your life. Now, in The Seeker and The Sage, she asks: how can the wisdom of this ancient philosophy apply to communities, and how can we create our own utopias in an increasingly troubled world?
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Believable Lies $40
Terry Stiastny
The true story of the clandestine British organisation briefed to wage psychological warfare to beat the Nazis, for fans of Ben Macintyre and Sinclair McKay.
Meet the misfits and mavericks who waged psychological warfare against the Nazis September, 1939. While Britain hovered on the brink of the Second World War, a team of unlikely and ill-assorted characters assembled in their secret headquarters...
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The Spy and the Devil $40
Tim Willasey-Wilsey
The first published account of the undercover agent who served Britain in the Royal Flying Corps during the Great War, and became MI6's most important resource in the highest Nazi circles This is the forgotten tale of MI6's top spy in Nazi Germany and his bid to stop the Second World War. Drawing on his years of service in the Foreign Office, Tim Willasey-Wilsey offers an insider's view of this enigmatic British spy. |
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If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies $40
Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares
We are currently on a path to build superintelligent AI. When we do, it will be vastly more powerful than us. Whether it 'thinks' or 'feels' is irrelevant, but it will have objectives and they will be completely different from ours.
And regardless of how we train it, even the slightest deviation from human goals will be catastrophic for our species - meaning extinction. Precisely how this happens is unknowable, but we what do know is that when it happens, it will happen incredibly fast.
From the leading thinkers in the field of AI risk, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies explains with terrifying clarity why in the race to build superintelligent AI, the only winning move for our species is not to play.
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Omnibird $45
Giselle Clarkson
If you thought The Observologist was a cool book, wait until you see Omnibird!
This highly illustrated, playful field guide to common international birds brings the art of observology to the science of ornithology, showing the many ways these familiar creatures are remarkable if you take time to look. An Omnibird contains the essential birdiness of every bird—it was born from an egg, has feathers, two legs, a beak and gizzard, perhaps some premium features like spurs or a curuncle. Once you recognize the Omnibird, you’ll see the remarkable in any bird. We're obsessed with this awesome new book by kiwi author Giselle Clarkson. Ages 6-100
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Oh Dear, Look What I Got! $28
Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury
"I went to the shop to get me a carrot. Oh dear, they gave me …. a parrot! Oh dear, look what I got! Do I want that? No I do NOT!"
We underestimated how popular this book was going to be! We immediately sold out but luckily we're fully stocked again. Come check it out if you loved We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Ages 3+
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Unicorn Post $25
Emma Yarlett
We sell truckloads of this marvelous Post series by Emma Yarlett. Dragon Post being the most popular but move over Dragons now we're sending Unicorn Post!!
On a day full of rainbows, a little girl finds a unicorn knocking on the door of her treehouse. The unicorn must be lost! Luckily the girl knows just what to do. Together they visit places all around the town to see if they can find the unicorn’s home. From the pet shop to the funfair, children will love lifting the flaps to find out more about where the girl and the unicorn are heading on their delightful adventure. And they might just discover that the perfect home was a lot closer than they imagined. Ages 4+
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I'm Very Busy $30
PREORDER OUT OCT 14th
Oliver Jeffers
Is anyone else like us in that it doesn't matter what the book is about - if it's by Oliver Jeffers you'll buy it?
It's Bridget's birthday, and she thinks it would be fun to spend the day with friends. But Royal has places to go, Rodney has to see a man about a dog, Regis has to wash his hair and Pearl has a list of items she needs to cross off as quickly as she can. Bridget's friends are all too busy to hang out! Will Bridget have to spend her birthday all alone?
I love the colours in this new story, another 10/10 from me Mr. Jeffers! Ages 3+ |
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The Kerfuffle $33
Clotilde Perrin
I've never seen Laura this excited about a children's book before! We went to a wonderful evening at The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop with Gecko Press and Walker Books highlighting their new books for the season and they had a copy of this book and Laura was so enamoured by it! It's a gorgeous picture book in which flaps and die-cuts tell the story of a dog and cat fed up with living side by side who build a wall between them—until a new friend and a new idea bring it tumbling joyfully down.
It's one of those books you have to see in person to understand the charm, so come see what all the fuss is about! Ages 4+
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Taniwha $40
PREORDER OUT OCT 14th
Gavin Bishop
Award-winning weaver of stories Gavin Bishop retells a variety of tales about the taniwha of Aotearoa, from the guardians who accompanied waka voyages to present-day inhabitants of the whenua and moana.
Describing how the landscape was shaped, and exploring relations between Maori and the sometimes friendly, but more often terrifying, supernatural creatures, these traditional stories are taken to a new level of spooky visual splendour. Ages 6+
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Whenua $40
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
From sleeping giants to battling mountains, fiery sisters to adventurous trees, dig into Whenua and discover eleven tales of how Aotearoa was formed beneath our feet.
Whenua takes readers back in time with each purakau, exploring the ways in which Aotearoa's land was formed and introducing children to legendary Māori figures and atua. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whānau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White. Ages 6+
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Marnie Midnight and the Minibeast Mission $18
Laura Ellen Anderson
Book 3 in one of my favourite series! This time Marnie, Flo and Star are going camping! Camping doesn't turn out how it's supposed to though and they find themselves trapped in a human house!! Will they be able to make it out and back to school? Please trust me when I say you need to get this charming series for the little critters in your life. They're a joy to read aloud, filled with bug puns and gorgeous illustrations. Ages 6+
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Unfairies $24
Coming soon, Preorder now
Huw Aaron
There was a huge wave of popularity in graphic novels for a while there but then we found it slowed down again. With the release of Detective Beans we saw a resurgence. Introducing a new full-colour graphic novel Unfairies.
Some stories will tell you fairies are sweet, kind, magical creatures. Well, those stories are WRONG. It's time everyone knew the TRUTH! Fairies are sneaky, cunning and about as magical as slugs.
Join our impulsive, hilarious and somewhat surprising hero Pip on a breakneck adventure among the warring unfairy tribes of The Garden. Ages 6+ |
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Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping $30
Craig Silvey
The sequel to the Booklover team favourite Runt!
Six weeks have passed since Annie Shearer and Runt competed valiantly at the Krumpets Dog Show.
The town of Upson Downs is rejuvenated. The grass is green. The rivers are flowing. And a Tournament of Champions has just been announced, with the world's best canine talent invited to showcase their skills in the Grand Ballroom of the abandoned Robert-Barren estate.
But as preparations for the event get underway, Runt mysteriously goes missing, and a trail of suspicious clues surround his doghouse...
Endlessly charming, deeply funny and bursting with heart, Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping is an engrossing mystery filled with twists and surprises. A beautiful, tender and moving sequel to the bestselling, multi-award-winning classic, Runt. Ages 7+
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Thorn Season $25
Kiera Azar
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond their visible body. Alissa Paine – heiress of a noble lineage, daughter of a Hunter family – is also a Wielder. And as she approaches her eighteenth Season, Alissa knows she has escaped execution so far only through painful self-control, and the fragile efforts of her beloved father.
Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself trapped in a web of hidden intentions – and caught between two equally dangerous men.
Fun fact Kiera starred in Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone on Netflix! Ages 15+
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Anomaly $23
Emma Lord
Piper Manning survived the apocalypse. Barely.
She recovered from the virus that killed millions, but it left behind a new, uncontrollable power that's forced her to isolate herself from others – for their sake. Then an injured boy shows up at her mountain hideaway. And what hurt Seth is out to get her, too. Now she's on the run, risking everything for a shot at an actual future. But to get there, she'll have to trust a stranger, control her abilities ... and face her ghosts.
Because the end of the world was just the beginning...
Ages 14+ |
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I recently discovered StoryTime Stitching on instagram and reached out to see if they would be interested in hosting events at the shop. The creator, Ella, was keen to collaborate so we're starting something in the new year! In the meantime, check out this brand new book club with a crafty twist!
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