Are you looking for your next great read? Why not try out the books from across the pond? Despite from what governments say, books are essential and are needed now, more than ever. So if you are need of a variety and want to read diverse stories, then I suggest you try out some British and Irish titles!
We may have left 2023 behind, but the pain and struggles of last year are still being faced, especially independent bookstores. Continue to support indie bookstores by shopping on Bookshop.org and Hive.co.uk.
Waterstones currently ships to the United States but there will be an international shipping fee. You can also try with the British bookstore, Blackwell’s, also with Wordery.com. Now on with the recommendations!
Featured Book of the Month
Vengeance by Saima Mir
Two years into running her organised crime syndicate in the north of England, Jia Khan stumbles on a notebook her father – the previous Khan – kept on arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s. And what Jia finds in the journal sends her deep into the family’s past. But once the sleeping dogs from those years are woken, they are set for attack.
Meanwhile, Jia struggles to control unrest amongst those that oppose her. Worst of all, Jia must unravel a puzzling but terrible warning – one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed in her garden despite her sophisticated security… Could a traitor be part of her inner sanctum? (Credit: Oneworld Publications)
Nora and the Map of Mayhem by Joseph Elliott and illustrated by Nici Gregory
An outrageously funny new children’s book from award-winning author Joseph Elliott, star of CBeebies’ Swashbuckle and CBBC’s Big Fat Like.
When Atticus and Autumn’s dads leave them with their eccentric great-grandmother Nora for the weekend, they’re hoping for a few days scoffing biscuits and playing video games. But when Nora’s around, nothing ever goes quite to plan…
After a stranger from Nora’s past leaves a menacing note pinned to her front door, Atticus and Autumn are swept away on a hair-raising adventure dodging snot-flinging sea monsters, battling thunderous electrosquibs and trying to escape from a very flappy goose!
Complete with wild and joyful illustrations from Nici Gregory, this rip-roaring tale is perfect for readers aged 8 and up! (Credit: Templar Publishing)
The Sunny Murder Club edited by Serena Patel & Robin Stevens
A collection of sizzling summer-themed crime and mystery stories by thirteen of the most popular, exciting and diverse children’s book authors!
Co-edited by Serena Patel, the award-winning author of the Anisha: Accidental Detective series and by Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series.
This gorgeous summery collection brings back together thirteen bestselling, award-winning and exciting authors: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, E.L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Robin Stevens, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson. With stunning illustrations by Harry Woodgate.
Grab your sunnies and your magnifying glass, and join the Murder Club for more sensational short stories as they lead you on a journey of foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries! This is the perfect holiday entertainment and collection to pack in every young reader’s holiday bag!
The Nine Night Mystery by Sharna Jackson
A page-turning murder-mystery about identity, full of surprising twists, from the award-winning author of High-Rise Mystery and The Good Turn. Last night Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot threw their neighbour Rachel a surprise birthday party.
This morning, Rachel is dead. And Wesley is the one who finds her body. Rachel’s friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world. But Wesley, Margot and Josephine don’t have time to mourn Rachel.
They are determined to find out who did this – and find out what secrets Rachel was keeping. (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
The Big Ask by Simon James Green
Alfie Parker has bagged the hottest date to prom … hasn’t he? Bestselling LGBTQ+ writer Simon James Green makes his Barrington Stoke debut with a life-affirming teen romance.
Harvey is popular, cool, plays football and has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Summer for as long as anyone can remember. Alfie is not popular, not cool, has a sick note so he doesn’t have to play any sport, and has been in a relationship with his Xbox since forever. So when Summer dramatically dumps Harvey just a few days before the school prom, no one is expecting Alfie to ask Harvey to be his date. Least of all Alfie. But sometimes amazing things can happen when you take a chance …(Credit: HarperCollins Publishers)
Ellie Pillai is Not Done Yet by Christine Pillainayagam
Ellie Pillai has decided to be a better friend, daughter, future sister and all round Better Person. Which means Trying To Help and sometimes doing the exact opposite.
Armed with Dr Jada’s podcast on how to beat heartbreak she’s determined not to get distracted from her mission by Ash Anderson (ex-boyfriend), Shawn Kowalski (current bandmate) or the cute guy she just met at her Aunt’s wedding (future husband?). Because Ellie Pillai is better than the boys she thinks she loves.
But then the song she wrote about heartbreak goes viral and suddenly all anyone wants to talk about is love and who she’s going to choose, when Ellie Pillai wants to choose anything except that feeling of not knowing what you want. Throw in some exams, an audition for drama school, a record company in New York, a heavily pregnant mum and a Granny with a penchant for emotional blackmail and Ellie Pillai is more confused than ever.
Why is being a better person so hard? And can you beat heartbreak, if you’re not really sure you want to? (Credit: Faber & Faber)
Someone In The Attic by Andrea Mara
‘There are apparently a lot of ghosts on Spike Island,’ said Basher. ‘So perhaps one more can’t hurt.’
It could happen to you. Anya is enjoying a relaxing bath when she hears a noise in the roof. Through the open bathroom door, she sees the attic hatch swing open, and a masked figure drops to the floor. Thirty seconds later, Anya is dead.
Even in a wealthy neighbourhood like this. Across town, Anya’s old school friend, Julia, sees an online video of a masked figure climbing out of an attic. She suddenly realises why the footage is eerily familiar: it was filmed inside her house in a luxury gated community, designed to keep intruders out.
Even with friends like these. Why would a stranger target Julia? Unless of course, it’s not a stranger at all. (Credit: Transworld Publishers Ltd)
The Reunion by Beth Reekles
Ten years after graduating, the class of 2014 are back at Tisdale Comprehensive for the reunion, packed into a school gym full of familiar faces – and plenty of new secrets.
MOST LIKELY TO END UP TOGETHER – Shaun and Steph were each other’s first love. Now, they’re settled and planning the perfect wedding – to other people. Could reconnecting spark a new romance?
MOST LIKELY TO BECOME FAMOUS – Bryony was supposed to travel the world, rule the West End, have a dazzling career as a TV actress… Now, she’s a drama teacher who’s exaggerated her whole life on Instagram, and is desperate to save face.
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED – Hayden was told he’d achieve great things, like be on the cover of TIME, win a Nobel prize… or, the accolade his daughters just awarded him: World’s Best Dad. Is it too late for him to turn things around, and more importantly, does he even want to?
MOST LIKELY TO KILL EACH OTHER – Ashleigh was an A* student, and Ryan the star of the school rugby team. After years of putting each other down, they left school each convinced they would have the better life. Now, that old rivalry finds them drawn back together in a new, intoxicating way – one they’re both determined to hide.
With an evening of power cuts, fire alarms, sneaking off to explore classrooms in the dark, stolen kisses and heated fights – it’s like they never left at all. (Credit: Little, Brown Book Group)
Father’s Day by Richard Madeley
When Nick Wychwood loses his wife Elise in a shocking accident, he is left to bring up their daughter Lucy on his own. Moving house gives them the fresh start that they need, where they can put tragedy behind them and forge new friendships. But Lucy, is fragile, vulnerable, easily led. When someone offers her their shoulder, their warmth and understanding, even love, she accepts, unquestioningly. But this ‘someone’ is an online monster; dangerous, deceptive, manipulative – and patiently laying a deadly trap. As he uncovers the hideous truth of what happened to his beloved daughter, Nick vows to track down the person behind the screen. And when he succeeds, a devastating reckoning awaits… Set in the picturesque Cotswolds, Father’s Day explores the power of paternal love, the evil of online trolling, and the morality of extrajudicial punishment. Father’s Day; a day of vengeance. (Credit: Simon & Schuster)
Murder At The Monastery by Richard Coles
Daniel Clement has suffered a secret humiliation and to recover, takes respite at the monastery where he was a novice. But the monastery doesn’t allow Daniel a break, for there are tensions building there too, as the secret past of novice master Father Paul is emerging. Tension mounts and a murder ensues.
Meanwhile back at Champton, Daniel is the subject of village gossip, his mother Audrey is up to something again, there’s trouble at the dress shop, up at the big house, and the puppies are running riot. Can Daniel be reconciled with detective Neil and solve the mystery? (Credit: Orion Publishing Co)
Broken Threads: My Family From Empire To Independence by Mishal Husain
An extraordinary family memoir from acclaimed newsreader and journalist, Mishal Husain, uncovering the story of her grandparents’ lives amidst empire, political upheaval and partition.
‘I witnessed the dwindling glow of the British Empire. I saw small men entrusted with great jobs, playing with the destiny of millions’
The lives of Mishal Husain’s grandparents changed forever in 1947, as the new nation states of India and Pakistan were born. For years she had a partial story, a patchwork of memories and anecdotes: hurried departures, lucky escapes from violence and homes never seen again.
Decades later, the fragment of an old sari sent Mishal on a journey through time, using letters, diaries, memoirs and audio tapes to trace four lives shaped by the Raj, a world war, independence and partition.
Mumtaz rejects the marriage arranged for him as he forges a life with Mary, a devout Catholic from an Anglo-Indian family, while Tahirah and Shahid watch the politics of pre-partition Delhi unfold at close quarters. As freedom comes, bonds fray and communities are divided, leaving two couples to forge new identities, while never forgetting the shared heritage of the past. (Credit: HarperCollins)
Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain by Tom Kerridge
A celebration of the best recipes and ingredients Britain has to offer, from the nation’s favourite Michelin-starred chef.
A TV tie-in to accompany a six-part primetime ITV series where Tom Kerridge travels around Britain in his trusty food truck, meeting farmers who grow and rear the most incredible produce right here in Britain. Inspired by the people he meets, Tom takes these hero ingredients and makes them shine in simple but exceptionally delicious recipes.
Chapters are arranged by produce type (Milk, cream & cheese; Meat & poultry; Seafood; Fruit; Vegetables) and standout recipes include:
– Steak sandwich with sherry vinegar fried onions
– Pear and chicory Waldorf salad
– Fennel and chilli pork belly with apple slaw
– Sticky sesame chicken wings
– Dover sole with brown butter and capers
– Roasted hispi cabbage wedges with a sourdough crumb
– Pimms-marinated strawberries with vanilla cream and lemon shortbread
This is Tom Kerridge at his best – championing ethical, sustainable British produce and transforming it into extraordinarily delicious recipes with his signature twist. (Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing)
The Girlfriend Act by Safa Ahmed
Aspiring actress Farah Sheikh is tired of being in the background.
Ex-child star Zayan Amin needs a break from the spotlight. And after a disastrous audition where she’s told she doesn’t “fit the aesthetic” for her university’s play, Farah meets The Tragedies. A group of West London theatre kids rejected from the stage for similarly dubious reasons.
Together, Farah and The Tragedies find themselves in the limelight and get the chance to perform. But, there’s a catch. Recently disgraced child star, Zayan, will be involved. The deal: Zayan regains popularity via the publicity of his new romance, and in exchange, he’ll star in (and more importantly, fund) a play for The Tragedies.
Can Farah uphold her side of the bargain, and prove her critics wrong? (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
The Big Day by Aliya Ali-Afzal
A funny, heartwarming and page-turning novel about a British-Asian mother and daughter, who clash over the plans for the bride’s Big Day.
Noor has no interest in getting married (much to the aunties’ distress). Growing up she saw first-hand how divorce tears families apart… But then, she falls in love.
Soon, Noor’s engaged and planning an intimate wedding that feels perfect for her and her fiancé Dan. But when Noor discovers her mother Leena also has grand plans for the Big Day, their once-close relationship starts to unravel. Noor can’t understand why Leena is determined to have an elaborate Desi celebration when their lives have been anything but traditional. And after a lifetime following other people’s dreams, Noor is determined not to back down.
As Leena and Noor clash over every point on their to-do lists, it begins to look like there will be two weddings and only one bride. And when family secrets shake the women’s bond further, will there even be a wedding at all? (Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing)
The Suspect by Rob Rinder
Expected Publication Date: June 20
When the UK’s favourite breakfast TV presenter dies live on air in front of millions of viewers, the nation is left devastated.
More devastated still when it becomes clear that her death was not an accident.
The evidence points to one culprit: celebrity chef Sebastian Brooks. But junior barrister Adam Green is about to discover that the case is not as open-and-shut as it first seemed.
And although her angelic persona would suggest otherwise, she was not short of enemies in the glittery TV world,,.
Can Adam uncover the truth? (Credit: Cornerstone)
Redemption by Jack Jordan
Expected Publication Date: June 20
Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.
But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.
But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.
Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son. Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution. (Credit: Simon & Schuster UK)
Baby Does a Runner by Anita Rani
Expected Publication Date: June 20
Sometimes you need to run, to find out where you really belong . . .
Baby Saul has had it with just about everything. She’s fed up with her job and her colleagues, her love life is permanently casual, and underpinning everything is the grief of losing her much-loved dad. Oh, and if the aunties don’t stop asking her when she’s going to settle down and start having babies, she might just lose it.
When she finds some love letters between her grandfather and someone who is very clearly not her grandmother, Baby realises that she needs to know more. She heads to India to do some detective work on this mysterious other woman . . . and to find out a bit more about herself along the way. What she doesn’t bargain for is Sid, her guide (and unwilling driver) being annoyingly handsome, with a knack for asking Baby the sort of questions that force her to look at what she really wants out of life. (Credit: Zaffre)
The Double Life of Ted Amos by Simon James Green
Expected Publication Date: June 20
A heart-warming and hilarious story about one boy who wants to fit in, the friends he meets along the way, and one NASTY BLOUSE…
Ted has always wanted to be a popular kid, but due to an embarrassing incident that will not be named, he finds it harder than ever to fit in. But when Ted’s parents split up, his whole life changes. Although leaving his best friend Archie behind sucks, Ted is about to discover that staying with his dad might have its perks. Because with a new start, is the chance to re-invent yourself… that’s right, Ted has the opportunity to choose his new identity and it’s going to be FRESH.
But can Ted keep up the cool-kid charade, or will his lies catch up with him? (Credit: Scholastic)
A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder by Gay Marris
Expected Publication Date: June 20
Set in London in 1968, A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.
‘Ask anyone on Atbara Avenue how well they know their neighbours, and they’ll answer ‘well’. After all, they see each other across the vast distance afforded by close proximity, and that is probably for the best.’
For the best, because Atbara Avenue is a street where, all too often, murder feels like the solution.
With a delicious cast of characters, dazzling plotting, and an utterly unique voice, Gay Marris’ first book is remarkably accomplished. If you’ve been longing for a fresh and compelling new voice in the world of crime fiction, your wait is over. (Credit: Bedford Square Publishers)
The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan
Expected Publication Date: June 27
When it’s time to face the music, all we can do is dance…
Recently widowed Venetia Hamilton Hargreaves is left with a huge house, a bank balance to match and an uneasy feeling that she’s been sleepwalking through the last fifty years. Determined to live fully again, she embraces life with an enthusiasm and purpose she’d forgotten she could muster.
Buying the dilapidated Phoenix Ballroom and with it a drop-in centre and spiritualist church could be seen as reckless, but Venetia’s generosity, courage and kindness provide a refuge for a touching cast of damaged and lonely people who find their chosen family. As their stories intertwine, long buried secrets are revealed, missed opportunities seized and lives are renewed as the Phoenix lives up to its name. (Credit: Atlantic Books)
Passiontide by Monique Roffey
Expected Publication Date: June 27
Four women spark a revolution on a Caribbean island – the electrifying new novel from the Costa-winning author of The Mermaid of Black Conch.
Early one morning, at the close of St Colibri’s carnival, a young female steel pan player is found dead beneath a cannonball tree. It is a discovery that will transform the lives of everyone on this small island.
Fiercely alive, Passiontide is a novel of women daring to imagine a different world. It confirms Monique Roffey as one of our most spellbinding storytellers. (Credit: Vintage Publishing)
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