Let’s be honest – books are never out of season! But it can be awfully difficult to pin down what to read, or more specifically, what you might enjoy reading. Here are some recommendations for books from a fairly wide variety of genres. With this list, you can’t fail at finding an exciting new read!
IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR FANTASY
THE BEAUTIFUL ONES
Author: Silvia Morena Garcia
The novel’s online synopsis reads: The Beautiful Ones are Loisail’s most notable socialites. This spring presents Nina with a chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun and Nina’s debut has already gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis: the haphazard manifestations of her powers have long made her the subject of malicious gossip.
Nina’s life is about to change, when a new arrival enters the scene: Hector Auvray, a renowned entertainer who has used his own telekinetic talent to perform for admiring audiences around the world. Nina is dazzled by Hector, for he sees her not as a witch, but as someone ripe with magical potential. Under his tutelage, Nina’s talent blossoms – along with her love for the great man.But great romances are for fairy-tales, and Hector is hiding a secret bitter truth from Nina – and himself – that threatens their courtship. The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.
Available at: Wordsworth Books, Exclusive Books (ordered online as a hardback).
IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR GOTHIC HORROR
MEXICAN GOTHIC
Author: Silvia Morena Garcia
The novel’s online synopsis reads: When glamorous socialite Noemi Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging to be rescued from an ambiguous danger, it’s clear something is dreadfully wrong.
Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable – even for her. Noemi’s chic gowns and perfect lipstick are more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she immediately heads to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is troubling her cousin. Tough and smart, she possesses an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemi; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire has kept them hidden from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. And Noemi, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind . . .
Available at: Exclusive Books (in store, ordered online as a paperback).
IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR REALISTIC FICTION
NORMAL PEOPLE
Author: Sally Rooney
The novel’s online synopsis reads: Connell and Marianne are growing up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, the connection they have formed lasts long into the following years. This is an exquisite love story about how one person can change another’s life – a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us – blazingly – about the cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege. Alternating menace with overwhelming tenderness, Sally Rooney’s second novel breathes fiction with new life.
Available at: Exclusive Books (in store).
IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR A THRILLER
TINY PRETTY THINGS
Authors: Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra
The novel’s online synopsis reads: Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this drama-packed debut about three perfect girls who will do anything to be the prima ballerina at their elite New York ballet school. Now a major Netflix series! Being a dancer at New York’s most elite ballet school isn’t easy. Everyone wants to be the prima ballerina, and sometimes you have to play dirty. With the competition growing fiercer with every performance and harmless pranks growing ever darker, Bette, June and Gigi find themselves battling it out to stay at the top. And it’s only a matter of time before one small spark ignites… and even the best get burned…
Available at: Exclusive Books.
Well, there it is! A brief but bound-not-to-fail booklist for the tail end of winter. Happy reading!