For those of you who enjoy historical fare, Ani suggests [[The Winter Isles by Antonia Senior ]], a wonderful historical fiction introduction to Somerled, a 12th century Scottish warlord and hero. It's action packed and yet is told with an underlying sensitivity, authenticity. With a definite Celtic atmosphere seeping through the pages, this is literary magic.
In non-fiction, John recommends a trivia book, [[1,234 QI Facts to Leave You Speechless by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson and James Harkin ]]. It's official – Belorussian sausage contains no toilet paper. It's official – this book is an unmistakeable winner. And, as you'd expect from QI, it's the most quotable book of the year! There's something irresistible about trivia, isn't there?
John also has a recommendation for younger readers.In [[Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio and Wilhelm Staehle ]], we meet Warren the Thirteenth. He's the latest in a long line of, well, Warrens, who have been running the Warren Hotel. Unfortunately for him, his father, Warren the Twelfth, passed away too early, and control of the building has passed not to him but to his exceedingly lazy uncle Rupert. Inventive and an absolute pleasure on the eye, it's a must-read.
For teens, Jill fell in love with [[The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew ]]. At just seven years of age, Trey witnesses the murder of his parents and the grievous injuring of his older brother. He escapes the attack by hiding in a wardrobe. After that, he is taken into care. Assuredly ''not'' your standard dystopian fare, this story finds despair and anguish but also love and loyalty in blood and guts and mud. It might not sound poetic, but it is