'''Read [[Features|new features]].'''
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{{newreview
|author=Rick Yancey
|title=The Monstrumologist: The Curse of the Wendigo
|rating=4.5
|genre=Teens
|summary=While the celebrated monstrumologist Dr Peregrine Warthrop has spent his life tracking down dark and mysterious creatures, the existence of some of these fiends is too much for him to believe. In fact, there's a split between Warthrop, his former close friend John Chanler, and their mentor Von Helrung over whether
there really are such things as vampires, werewolves, and the terrifying wendigo, rumoured to be the ultimate predator. Warthrop scoffs at the other men's belief in this creature - and at one point in the book gives an interesting lecture on why it's impossible for it to exist - but nevertheless goes in search of Chanler when he disappears searching for it. It's not just friendship that drives him to look for his colleague though, as he's asked by Chanler's wife Muriel - who is Warthrop's former fiancee. The search for Chanler takes the monstrumologist and his young assistant John Henry deep into the Canadian wilderness, but when they return to New York they bring back someone - or something - that can endanger their lives.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847387675</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Celine Kiernan
|summary=Megan Rix and husband Ian took on two massive challenges at the same time. Their failure to conceive a child became something of an issue with Megan being, as she herself said 'north of forty'. Time was passing quickly and it looked as though IVF was the only option if they were to have the long-for child. It's time-consuming and traumatic. At the same time the couple became involved with a charity which provides helper dogs for people with disabilities. Puppies come to a family for six months to do their basic training and then move on. And that was how Emma, a soft, sweet-natured, adorable puppy came into their lives. Predictably, they fell in love with her.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241951062</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Selina Hastings
|title=The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham
|rating=4.5
|genre=Biography
|summary=These days, W. Somerset Maugham seems to be something of an anachronism. In his heyday, for much of a career which lasted from the end of the Victorian era to the 1950s, he was one of the most successful and widely read of all British writers, with his novels, short stories and plays spawning more film adaptations than any other author. Yet over the last thirty years or so he seems to have slipped from favour, as if his preoccupation with the Edwardian England in which he grew up and his end-of-empire settings are deeply embedded in an age we would rather forget. Moreover, as this very comprehensive biography demonstrates, he was not the most pleasant of individuals. The unhappy child, orphaned by the time he was ten, afflicted with a lifelong stammer and brought up by an aunt and uncle who showed him no affection, grew up to lead a long and unhappy life.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0719565553</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Jennifer Lynn Barnes
|title=Raised by Wolves
|rating=5
|genre=Teens
|summary=Bryn has lived almost all her life around Werewolves. Ever since a Rabid killed her family – only narrowly escaping herself – she's been under the care of her saviour, the Stone River Pack alpha, Callum. Marked as Pack, but Human, not Werewolf, Bryn is something of an oddity. She lives by Pack rule, but tries at every opportunity to undermine it – to keep her distance and maintain that piece of her that is her true self. She doesn't want to submit to Callum's alpha dominance and lose her last piece of freedom.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>085738029X</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=David McKee
|title=Elmer and Papa Red
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Elmer and Papa Red is a lovely picture story book that features some very excitable elephants. It is only two days before the visit of Papa Red and all the young elephants are so excited that they can hardly contain themselves. Elmer takes them for a walk to fetch the big tree whilst the older elephants make the preparations. They have a great time especially as they see snow for the first time and that leads to a great deal of fun and frolicking. Once the tree is brought home it is decorated and surrounded by lots of presents and the young elephants hide so that they might catch a glimpse of Papa Red. He duly arrives out of the sky on a sleigh pulled by six moose. Surprisingly though, rather than the sleigh being laden it is empty until Papa Red loads it up with all the presents under the tree. The elephants have all seen him taking the presents but instead of being upset, they are excited as they know that he is taking them to those who need them most! As they fall asleep exhausted though, Elmer delivers one small gift to each elephant – especially left by Papa Red.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849391971</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Larry Stempel
|title=Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater
|rating=4
|genre=Entertainment
|summary=Stempel is an associate professor of music at an American university so I would imagine that this book is primarily a labour of love. In the Preface Stempel bemoans the loss of important research material over the years, whether it be musical scores, playbills or similar. It happens. It is a fact of life. Simply thrown away or discarded as being considered not important. It's only a musical, after all. A bit light and frothy. Stempel thinks otherwise - and takes his time telling us exactly why.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0393067157</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Scott Westerfeld
|title=Behemoth
|rating=4
|genre=Teens
|summary=World War One looms and Europe's powers are getting ready their armies. In a last ditch attempt at diplomacy, the British air ship Leviathan carries aboard a gift for Sultan Mehmed V, Lord of the Horizons and ruler of the Ottoman Empire. But when things go drastically and dramatically wrong Deryn, a girl posing as a male midshipman aboard the Leviathan and Alek, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, find themselves fighting their own battles. Everyone has their own secrets, but not everyone wants to spark a deadly war...
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184738675X</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Jonathan Stroud
|title=The Ring of Solomon (Bartimaeus)
|rating=4.5
|genre=Teens
|summary=Barty is back!
Well, he isn't actually back. But we do get to revisit him. Which is good.
I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. But just in case you don't, Bartimaeus is a sarcastic, wisecracking djinni and the star of a wonderful and best-selling series by Jonathan Stroud. Whilst tied to various enslaving magicians, Bartimaeus has had a finger in many pies of world history, particularly that of London. In fact, he's saved the day almost as many times as Doctor Who has. But Bartimaeus is no Doctor Who. He's a rude, sarcastic egomaniac and unselfish behaviour isn't his byword. But he cracks an irresistible one liner. And he usually comes through in the end.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0385619154</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Mick O'Hare
|title=Why Can't Elephants Jump?
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=Well? Why can't elephants jump? And while you're pondering that, think about why James Bond wanted his martini shaken, not stirred. Why is frozen milk yellow? Does eating bogeys do you any harm? What's the hole for in a ballpoint pen? How long a line could you draw with a single pencil? For answers to all these questions, and so many more, then do yourself a favour and pick up the latest collection from the New Scientist's [http://www.last-word.com/ Last Word column].
Mick O'Hare was kind enough to be [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mick O'Hare|interviewed by Bookbag]].
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184668398X</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Rachel Johnson
|title=A Diary of The Lady: My First Year as Editor
|rating=3.5
|genre=Autobiography
|summary=Along with most of my contemporaries I've never read 'The Lady' except once when looking for an au pair job in my student days, and that, it turns out, is the problem. Before Rachel Johnson was appointed in June 2009 the average age of the readership was 75, the circulation was dropping and the magazine was haemorrhaging money. The Budworth family, proprietors of 'The Lady' since it was founded 125 years ago, chose son and heir Ben Budworth to turn the magazine's fortunes around before it folded. He asked Rachel Johnson to be editor.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905490674</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Tony Ross
|title=Don't Do That!
|rating=5
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=In this story we meet a little girl called Nellie who is fortunate to have a very pretty nose. She wins competitions and gets the best part in the Christmas play because of that nose. However, during a rehearsal, the teacher suddenly shouts out 'Don't do that!' as he notices Nellie and her fellow angels with their fingers sticking up their noses. Unfortunately Nellie's finger becomes stuck fast and she is sent home for her parents to remove it. It is impossible though which sets off a chain of events where all sorts of people attempt to remove the offending finger but all in vain. They all go to extreme lengths such as tying Nellie to the back of a tractor or sending her up into space. Throughout all of this, Nellie's brother Henry keeps declaring that he knows how to get the finger out but he is always ignored. You might think that is probably a good thing when you take a look at the brilliant illustrations and notice some of the hazardous implements he is holding at various times. So can any of the sensible grown ups help Nellie or is she facing a future with a permanent finger up her nose? But then again, Henry is very persistent...
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709364</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreview
|author=Jo Brand
|title=Can't Stand Up For Sitting Down
|rating=3
|genre=Autobiography
|summary=I am a big fan of Jo Brand and I love her inimitable droll style of comedy. I always enjoy her stand up performances as well as her appearances on my favourite panel programme QI. As a consequence I was really interested to read her second autobiographical book – Can't Stand Up for Sitting Down. As she states at the beginning though, this is not really an autobiography but a collection of thoughts and experiences that have resulted due to her life as a stand up comedian. The book covers the period from her first professional gig up to the present day. Her early life and career in psychiatric nursing are covered in her earlier book [[Look Back in Hunger by Jo Brand|Look Back in Hunger]].
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0755355261</amazonuk>
}}