"Eva Ibbotson's charming and warm-hearted tale, The Secret Countess, was originally published as A Countess Below Stairs.
Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion. The staff and the family are sure there is something not quite right about their new maid – but she soon wins them over with her warmth and dedication.
Then the young Earl returns home from the war – and Anna falls hopelessly in love. But they can never be together: Rupert is engaged to the snobbish and awful Muriel – and anyway, Anna is only a servant. Or so everybody thinks . . ."
"The Luxe is the first book in the New York Times bestselling Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.
Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899.
Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.
With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...
In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.
Gossip Girl meets the Gilded Age in this delicious and compelling novel, the first in the New York Times bestselling series from author Anna Godbersen."
"Meet the Beacon Street Girls...They're real, they're fun-they're just like you!
Love is in the air at Abigail Adams Junior High.
There’s a big dance coming up, and the BSG are having fun thinking up dream dates. But as the day of the dance approaches, things start to get complicated. Why is Dillon paying more attention to Avery than Maeve? And why is Nick spending so much time with Chelsea, when everyone knows he and Charlotte are made for each other? Who will the BSG share the last dance with?"
"Random House presents the audiobook edition of Double Cross by Malorie Blackman.
Just this once. Just this once and no more, I promise.
Please let me get away with it just this once . . .
Tobey wants a better life - for him and for Callie Rose. He wants nothing to do with the violent gangs that rule the world he lives in. But when he's offered the chance to earn some extra money, how much could it hurt to just this once say 'yes'?
Callie Rose knows all about the danger of saying 'yes'. She knows about terrible mistakes, and violence and family feuds, and the fierce divide between Noughts and Crosses.
And knowing so much about the past makes her afraid for her future.
Because sometimes, one little bad decision can change everything . . .
'Powerful'
Sunday Times
'Blackman 'gets' people . . . she 'gets' humanity as a whole, too' Guardian"
"After hearing scratches in the attic, Alison discovers a dinner service covered in an intriguing floral owl pattern, and a series of events are set in motion that will change her life forever. Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are forced into a cyclical replay of the tragic Welsh legend of Blodeuwedd, in which a woman is turned into an owl as a punishment for betraying her husband. The Owl Service is a fabulous, multi-layered book of mystery and suspense, but also a contemporary musing on love, class structure and power."
"Julie is a quiet bookworm. Her best friend Ashleigh, on the other hand, is an 'Enthusiast.' As long as they have known each other, Ash has been obsessed with one thing or another. Now it is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which just happens to be Julie's favorite book. Before Julie knows what hit her, she and Ash are decked-out in 19th-century garb, smelling like mothballs, and crashing the local all-boys prep school formal dance. Their mission is to find their personal Misters Darcy. But when they set their sights on the same young gentleman, their journey into the world of proper English courtship looks like it might cause a broken heart or two. First-time novelist Polly Shulman has earned glowing critical praise for this funny and romantic tale that even Miss Austen herself would be proud of. Jennifer Ikeda's skillful narration perfectly captures both Julie's inner turmoil and Ashleigh's sheer enthusiasm. '[An] involving and often amusing narrative of friendship, courtship, and (of course) true love.'-Booklist, starred review 'A charming romantic comedy.'-School Library Journal 'Several cuts above the usual fare.'-Kirkus Reviews"
"Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton's only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good. Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiance have begun to track her down..."
"Sound the Cosmic Horn for bestselling author Louise Rennison’s ninth book of the confessions of crazy but loveable teenager Georgia Nicolson!
Now that Georgia has finally won over gorgey Masimo, the Italian Stallion, her old friend and lip-nibbling partner Dave the Laugh has popped up again. Will Georgia go to Pizza-a-gogo land to visit dreamy Masimo? Or could her perfect boy be closer than she thinks. A Sex Kitty’s life is never simple…
More hilarious confessions from our fave teen drama queen, Georgia Nicolson."
"The second installment in Melissa Marr’s #1 New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series brings readers back to the land of faerie and delivers another stunning, high-stakes romance.
Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.
Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . ."
"Random House presents the audiobook edition of Checkmate by Malorie Blackman.
My name is Callie Rose.
My mum is a Cross - one of the so-called ruling elite.
My dad was a Nought. My dad was a murderer. My dad was a terrorist.
These facts are the only things that are mine and real. So I don't mind so much that I'm leaving it all behind. There's nothing here worth holding onto.
Sixteen years have passed since Sephy Hadley first met Callum McGregor. For Callie Rose, growing up mixed race in a world where bitter prejudice divides Noughts and Crosses has meant she's an outsider wherever she turns.
Enter Jude McGregor. Jude teaches Callie about her real family history, and the more she learns the more he persuades her where her loyalties really lie.
But soon Callie is caught in a trap she can't get out of - one which will have deadly consequences.
Voted as one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses series is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic.
'Dramatic, intensely moving' Carousel
'Another emotional hard-hitter' Sunday Times"
"It’s just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn’t be making out with a drama club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend’s back. She should probably admit that she can’t stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she’s running for Quahog Princess in her hometown’s annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really happened the night "Tommy Sullivan" was spray-painted on the new wall outside the gymnasium–in neon orange, which still hasn’t been sandblasted off. After all, everyone knows that’s what drove Tommy out of town four years ago.
But now Tommy Sullivan has come back. Katie is sure he’s out for revenge, and she’ll do anything to hang on to her perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now that Tommy’s around, she’s actually–no lie–having the time of her life."
"The abridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Cathy Cassidy's heartwarming tale, Sundae Girl, read by India Fisher.
Jude's family are crazy, quirky, bizarre . . . her mum brings her nothing but trouble and her dad thinks he's Elvis! All she wants is a hassle-free life - but it's not easy when she's chasing a trail of broken promises. Things go from bad to worse, but could the floppy-haired boy from school be her knight on shining rollerblades . . .?
Cathy Cassidy's warm, funny, tender fiction has won her an army of dedicated fans, both boys and girls. Her fan club now has 5,000 members and counting!"
