Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop

This mysterious thriller - describing a world at war, a war only certain people know about - drew me in from the very first page. Remember, it's not paranoia if they're really after you...

"The Orchard" is a gentle memoir in the vein of "Silent Spring". Weir tells the story of her life in a dead-end town and her hasty marriage to a farmer. Her husband's farm has been in his family for generations and Theresa is very much an outsider. She has no say in the way they do things or the poisonous chemicals they use - pesticides that claim many lives, including, eventually, her husband's. A haunting reflection that left me thinking.

People (in general) are appalled when a male teacher has an affair with an underage female student. But when the situation is reversed (female teacher, male student) those very same people are unconcerned, smirking, even. Teenage boys are seen as less vulnerable than teenage girls and thought of as being ruled by their surging hormones. "The Kingdom of Childhood" is the best example I've ever seen of the harm that is done to boys through these affairs and the imbalance of power that occurs. A compulsive read that takes you deep into the frightening world the characters have created - I couldn't put it down!

A twisted labyrinth of a thriller, "The Revisionists" is a prime example of dystopian done right. Your head will be spinning by the end, but in the best way possible!

Reading "Bedbugs", a creepy psychological thriller, felt like reading classic Ira Levin. I had to keep reading all the way to the last creepy-crawly page!