fiction

At her mother's request Priya is planning a surprise anniversary party for her father, but she is finding it hard to keep it a secret from her inquisitive dad.

Zoya wants to give her dog Coco a birthday present, and with her mother's helps finally settles on painting his bowl gold, with lots of glitter.

When an apprentice from the Mapmakers' Guild goes missing, Matt and India are employed to find him. Going undercover as a married couple, they discover that not everyone at the guild is what they seem, and the lad's unearthly maps caused jealousy, suspicion and fear. With one of the apprentice's magic maps in their possession, India and Matt must use their wits and India's fledgling, untried magic to find him. But the more they investigate, the more sinister plots they uncover, including a link between the Mapmakers' and Watchmakers' Guilds, and an ancient magical treasure buried beneath the streets of London. As the net of suspicion widens and enemies draw closer, it's not just the apprentice's life that's in danger, but Matt's too. Someone will go to great lengths to prevent him discovering the name of the man who can fix the watch keeping him alive. Great lengths indeed.

"India Steele is desperate. Her father is dead, her fianc???ook her inheritance, and no one will employ her, despite years working for her watchmaker father. Indeed, the other London watchmakers seem frightened of her. Alone, poor, and at the end of her tether, India takes employment with the only person who'll accept her, an enigmatic and mysterious man from America. A man who possesses a strange watch that rejuvenates him when he's ill. Matthew Glass must find a particular watchmaker, but he won't tell India why any old one won't do. Nor will he tell her what he does back home, and how he can afford to stay in a house in one of London's best streets. So when she reads about an American outlaw known as the Dark Rider arriving in England, she suspects Mr. Glass is the fugitive. When danger comes to their door, she's certain of it. But if she notifies the authorities, she'll find herself unemployed and homeless again, and she will have betrayed the man who saved her life"--Back cover.

It was all sinking in. I'd never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean? Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush - but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she's sure she'll find her person one day. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia's ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her 'teenage dream' is in sight. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her - asexual, aromantic - Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever. Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along? This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn't limited to romance. Includes guide to further resources on asexuality and aromanticism.

"For Angel Ahmadi, life is only about one thing: The Ark -- a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark's fandom has given her everything -- her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world. Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He's their frontman -- and playing in a band is all he's ever dreamed of doing. It's just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare. Because that's the problem with dreaming -- eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be. A funny, wise and heartbreakingly true coming-of-age novel, The Ark is a stunning reflection of modern teenage life, and the power of believing in something -- especially yourself."--Provided by publisher.

"Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce - the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother's estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He's just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she'll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he's the one to finish her grandmother's final novel... even if the publisher swears he's the perfect fit. Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn't much the "golden boy" of modern fiction hasn't accomplished. But he can't walk away from what might be the best book of the century - the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another. But as they read Scarlett's words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book - it's based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn't a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she's as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother's mistakes - even if it means destroying Noah's career."--Amazon.

"Takhisis the Dragon Queen has returned to the world of Krynn. Across the land, her armies of fantastical draconians wage a brutal war of conquest. As the Dragon Armies march on the unprepared nation of Soamnia, only the defenders of the city of Kalaman stand in their way. But the Dragon Armies want more than just to crush their foes. An ancient evil in the Dragon Queen's service seeks a magical weapon that could dominate Krynn for all time. Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen is a tale of conflict and defiance set during the legendary War of the Lance. Create characters from Krynn, the world of the Dragonlance setting, then march them to the front lines of battle against the terrifying Dragon Armies. Optionally, use the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn board game to bring this adventure's massive battles to your Dungeons & Dragons game. A Dungeons & Dragons adventure that takes characters from 1st to 11th level for use with the fifth edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide."--Page 4 of cover.

"'Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes ... ' Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It's 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late"--Publisher.

"It's time for some firework festival fun at Unicorn School! But there's only one problem... the fireworks are missing! But - this being Unicorn School - the fireworks are very special and magical, created by mysterious creatures who live behind the Fearsome Forest. It's time for Mira, Dave and the gang to go on an adventure, find out what is going on and make sure that the sparkling, colourful, fizzing firework fun is returned to the festival with a BANG!"--Publisher's description.