Sam Copeland‘s humorous fantasy novel for readers aged 9+ (the first in a series) has some genuine laugh-out-loud moments and gleefully subverts a number of the fantasy cliches. Although I think Alex has more depth than Axel and some of the resolutions to plot difficulties were too pat, there are also some genuinely moving moments and I enjoyed the adventure such that I would definitely read the sequel.

Pete Brown is a food and drink commentator and food award judge. This is a fascinating look at 9 dishes that have come to be regarded as quintessentially British (including curry, cream teas and fish and chips) with Brown mixing comment on their development, place in British society, questions of authenticity and what they say about British class and culture with his own relationship with food, having grown up working class in Barnsley.

Philip Carter‘s conspiracy thriller is a pacy read that keeps the action coming with plenty of chases, fights and double crosses plus some screaming orgasms for good measure. However while Carter does well at balancing the different plot strands, the fates of the antagonists was underwhelming and I found the central conspiracies a little tasteless and disrespectful. It‘s a decent beach read if you‘re looking for something to hold your attention.

Kim Ghattas is an Emmy Award-winning journalist born and raised in Lebanon who has spent 20 years covering the Middle East for the BBC and Financial Times. This well-researched book argues that 1979 set Saudi Arabia and Iran on a path that‘s shaped the Middle East. Ghattas has a readable style and I came away feeling but there are a lot of figures in play here and despite a useful list, I sometimes found myself confused about who was who.

RuPaul Charles is a drag icon, actor, podcaster and the host and producer of an international drag show competition franchise. Although this memoir intends to reveal the real RuPaul and he talks a lot about a traumatic childhood through to the beginnings of his drag career and how he met his husband Georges LeBar, there‘s a therapy filter at play here, which creates a sense of distance so I came away feeling like I hadn‘t seen the real RuPaul.

Lauren James‘s standalone YA thriller is very strong on fame, fandoms and toxic fan behaviour but the murder aspect was under-powered for me with the villain too easy to guess and a final twist that didn‘t ring true. At the same time, Delilah‘s backstory was too busy and a sub-plot involving her best friend Nida feeling superfluous. That said, it is a fast-paced read and James has something to say so I would check out her next book.

Tom Hindle‘s standalone murder mystery is an entertaining take on locked room mysteries set amongst the haves, the almost haves and the wanna haves in a glamorous location. I enjoyed how Hindle builds in backstory for the various characters but with such a large cast, there are inevitably some caricatures and unfortunately I guessed the killer and their motivation a little too early for the book to be wholly successful for me.

Chris Skinner is a financial markets commentator and former advisor to the White House and the World Bank. In this book he makes some interesting arguments about the future of technology and there‘s an interesting case study of Ant Financial and Alipay but he simply down‘t want to consider the dangers of the tech he evangelises here, which was a big negative for me - especially when he uses examples from China, where it is part of state control.

The fourth in Julia Quinn‘s bestselling BRIDGERTON SERIES is an entertaining Georgian romance where most of my interest came in seeing where the story and characters differ from the Netflix series. It utilises the trope of friends to lovers and although some of the writing isn‘t technically great (everyone feels the need to use each other‘s name all the time), there‘s some sharp dialogue and fun lines such that I‘d read the rest of the series.

Sharna Jackson‘s mystery sequel for readers aged 9+ is an emotionally sophisticated affair that deals with grief, regret and betrayal in a way that the target readership can relate to. The 9 night structure gives the Copseys plenty of scope to dig into the suspects, including Wesley‘s mum which lends tension and the mystery itself is more about Rachel herself than her death. All in all it‘s a solid read and I‘d check out Jackson‘s other books.

Paul O‘Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. The third in his autobiographical quartet charts the 1980s as he hones Lily Savage in Northern clubs (dragging Vera with him), overseas and London‘s gay clubs and searches for love in all the wrong places. But tragedy isn‘t far away as HIV starts to bite and O‘Grady suffers more loss closer to home that even his sharp wit struggles to see the humour in.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence‘s YA novel effectively uses its verse narrative to tell a compelling story of a boy who learns how to tap into his creativity to express himself. However I don‘t think that the Malachi storyline had the intended impact and nor did Ronny‘s friendship with the extroverted Leigh. That said, the use of language is great and Ronny‘s guilt over Maz holds true. I‘d definitely check out the author‘s other work on the basis of this.

Lanisha Butterfield and Hoan Giang‘s picture book is a luscious celebration of life, nature and community. The colours are vibrant and the illustrations packed with character and a sense of place and I liked the fact that there is also a subtle sense of grief in the background as Theo and Jeremiah are dealing with the death of their father. All in all it‘s an entertaining read that shows the importance of neighbourhood and connection.

I feared that Lindsay Eagar‘s standalone YA historical novel was going to be bogged down with an obligatory romance element but it‘s actually a much more compelling coming of age tale with a melodrama vibe. Avita's a compelling main character whose crush on Tomás makes her chafe against the public perception of her but it‘s the family dynamics that held my attention as each member of the family has a reckoning with the brilliant but flawed Arturo.

Tom Gauld‘s picture book is one that‘s destined to be a future classic. Charming, intelligent, full of wit, whimsy and warmth there‘s plenty of jokes in there for both young and older readers (in my view, probably better for youngsters aged 5+). There‘s plenty of potential here for a sequel, which I would definitely want to check out.

Alex Johnson is a journalist, magazine editor, designer and author. This is a lovely book about the British national obsession - the weather - that mixes folklore, local dialects, psychology, economics and, of course, the weather itself. There are loads of facts and nuggets grouped around different types of weather and, yes, there are 100 words for rain as well. It‘s a perfect read to enjoy in your garden on a warm sunny day with a cold drink.

Lauren Oyler is a novellist, essayist and cultural critic. This collection of 6 interconnected essays about gossip, cultural criticism, vulnerability, ‘auto-fiction‘, living in Berlin, and mental illness makes some interesting points at times but too many of the essays left me wondering what the point was while I didn‘t see the purported humour and the constant mentions of her Ivy League education made her too try-hard for my tastes.

Paul O‘Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. The second in his autobiographical quartet charts 1973 to 1980 as he deals with his father‘s death, becomes a father, bounces between jobs, marries a lesbian, struggles to find a partner, travels internationally and starts to develop Lily Savage within the London drag scene. Told with O‘Grady‘s biting wit, it‘s sad, thoughtful, horrifying and honest.

The second in Lorraine Gregory‘s INTERDIMENSIONAL EXPLORERS humorous SF series for readers aged 9+ is an entertaining, fast-paced, action-packed read with lively illustrations by Jo Lindley. I emphasised with Danny‘s insecurities as to his friendship with Modge and Inaaya and his worry about losing them as they grow apart. The plot has plenty of twists and turns and there‘s a wider series suggestion that someone at Centralus is a secret baddie.

Anna Kemp and Alice Courtley‘s warm and charming picture book, told in rhyming verse, is an epic and sweet tale of how kind other people can be and all the different types of transport there are. I very much enjoyed Courtley‘s colourful illustrations, which have lots of lovely little details (my favourite being the headphone on a flamingo helicopter pilot and the teddy bear that Daddy Penguin carries with him).

Katherine Mengardon is an education expert on neurodiversity, play and creativity and the author of several non-fiction books. This useful book for readers aged 9+ suggests 100 jobs grouped around whether they are interested in: animals, art, maths, the environment, music, gadgets, performance, sports, fashion and writing. I enjoyed the interviews with some people who do these jobs but would have liked more information on education requirements.

Daniel Rachel is a musician turned critically acclaimed author. On balance this account of the 1990s ‘Cool Britannia‘ phenomenon is worth a read as Rachel has secured interviews with some key figures (including Tony Blair, Noel Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Tracey Emin and Melanie Chisholm) if only to get their view on what happened and what it meant but there are notable omissions (e.g. Justine Frischmann) and nothing on Black British contributions.

This board book for younger readers is a bit of a disappointment as both the story and the language comes across as too sophisticated for the board book form while the illustrations are computer generated and somewhat soulless. If you have a young Paw Patrol fan then they will enjoy seeing the pups using their powers, but otherwise I don‘t think it‘s worth their time.

Daniel Thompson is a poet, storyteller, filmmaker and musician. This collection of 50 poems for readers aged 7+ (beautifully illustrated by Julia Murray) themed around nature all show Thomson‘s enthusiasm for the subject, with several poems working well. However the majority use rhymes that are overly strained and threw out the rhythm and I thought it was a shame that other forms of poetry weren‘t used to show young readers the variety of forms.

Mimi Yu‘s debut YA fantasy (the first in a duology) draws on Asian history and mythology to create an interesting world with various factions, each with their own objectives and methods. However while I enjoyed the aesthetics, the story itself of sibling rivalry and power hungry antagonists is all a bit underbaked with Min in particular being underdeveloped despite being a viewpoint character and the inevitable YA love triangle left me bored.

Paul O‘Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. Warm, hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking this is the first in his autobiography quartet, charting his life in Birkenhead from birth to his late teens and his relationship with his working class, Catholic parents and aunts. This 2018 reprint featured a new introduction by O‘Grady where he says he‘s softened some of the depictions of his family.

This picture book (adapted by Matt Huntley from the episode ‘Aqua Pups Save A Merdinger‘ by Jeffrey Duteil) has a lot of action but is very much for hardcore Paw Patrol fans as it assumes you know who the characters are and what the set-up is. There were times when I was confused as to who was who and the action is also a little confusing at times but if your young reader is a fan of the cartoon then it should pose them no problems.

This board book, made with the Eric Carle estate, is a colourful introduction to shapes and different types of food for very young readers. It‘s solidly put together but I must confess that I did not understand why there is a hole in the middle of each page (I later learned it‘s for the Caterpillar to crawl through) and one of the shapes (a squiggly line) isn‘t what I would immediately think of as a shape.

Jane Bull is an experienced writer of crafting and activity books for children. This introductory book to embroidery, needlepoint, patchwork, appliqué, knitting and crochet is aimed at readers aged 7+ and is easy to follow with clear photographs and patterns to use. I came away feeling more confident with basic stitches and adult care-givers who are also looking to pick up these skills can do them alongside younger readers.

Wendy Cross‘s debut YA SF crime novel mixes AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie with SURVIVOR but while the pacing is fast, it cannot make up for very thin characterisation (including of the 3 POV characters), equally thin world building (with Cross heavily dependent on mentioning an aspect of this universe when she needs to explain a twist) and some heavily foreshadowed twists so that as a result the novel just didn‘t work for me.

John Schu‘s YA novel told in verse form is an incredibly moving book based on his own experiences of having an eating disorder. I felt desperately sympathetic to the vulnerable Jake whose relationship with his grandmother is clearly very important to him but more could have been made of his relationship with his parents, which is much too lightly sketched and should have been explored given his mum‘s anxiety issues seem to feed into Jake‘s.

Magenta Fox‘s self-illustrated picture book is beautifully drawn. Arwel, his grandmother, Tuft and the Storm-Cat are filled with character and great details that keep you absorbed and looking for more. However, I think that the overarching theme - that it‘s okay for you to be overwhelmed by your emotions and best to let them out and acknowledge them - to be a little too sophisticated for the target audience and consequently didn‘t work for me.

Mante Kvedare and Christian Milner Nymand work at Implement Consulting Group where developing commercial and go-to-market strategies and designing and supporting sales transformation programmes respectively. Written at the end of the pandemic, this useful book anticipates the shift towards hybrid sales and offers techniques and advice for better on-line engagement and while there‘s some common sense stuff here, there are also some helpful tips.

Aurélia Durand is an illustrator and artist. She draws on her own career in this book for readers aged 12+ to provide guidance on how to start and sustain a creative career, including looking at how to get inspiration and how to build a brand. Although Durand‘s autobiographical sections are too bland and lacking in detail to be useful, she is strong on branding and self-promotion and I liked how she focused on the business part of creativity.

The 5th in Jennifer Killick‘s comedy horror series for readers aged 9+ is another entertaining adventure that mixes out-loud laughs with some genuinely frightening moments. The friendship between the Club Loser members works really well and the budding romance between Angelo and Colette quite sweet. My one criticism is that although the horror elements are seriously chilling, the escape room formula is a little too formulaic and predictable.

Mike Carey‘s urban fantasy/horror novella is a very welcome addition to the FELIX CASTOR SERIES that sees Castor older, but not necessarily wiser. Although the central mystery is overly telegraphed, I very much enjoyed the return to Castor‘s world and in particular the way that Carey seems to be returning to a larger supernatural battle between Hell and Earth and he leaves the ending open for a sequel, which I would most definitely want to read.

Female Invest is a learning platform aimed at helping women to make the most from their money. This informative follow-up to GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUNDS focuses on impact (i.e. ethical) investing, explaining what it is and what to look for in a way that is easy to understand. However I wished it had been more explicit on the financial and environmental risks of crypto and the financial risks in crowd-investing as I found it a little cursory.

This CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE style novel is the first in an illustrated series for readers aged 8+ by Craig Graham and Mike Stirling. It‘s a lot of fun, giving readers the chance to hang out with Dennis and chums and offering laugh out loud moments while fleshing out Walter and his flunkies. My only complaint is Vivian Truong‘s Manga-style approach to the characters‘ eyes, which took my out of the experience (although otherwise work well).

Kelechi Okafor and Michaela Dias-Hayes‘s picture book combines the themes of retaining your confidence when you‘re being criticised and celebrating the different kinds of strength that people have and what makes you special into an inspiring, beautifully illustrated story. I particularly liked the list of strong people at the end of the book, which is a good way of having a follow-up conversation with your young reader about the book‘s themes.

The 17th book in Caroline Dunford‘s EUPHEMIA MARTINS MYSTERY SERIES marries crime and World War I espionage to uneasy effect, in part because it focuses more on character, relationship and overall series development than the central mystery. That‘s a shame because the crime had a lot of potential but Euphemia does little actual investigating so developments happen in sudden bursts (specifically the revelations to the end) and so do not convince.

This tie-in book for readers aged 7+ incorporates Pokémon themed puzzles with two interlinked stories. Some of the puzzles assume that you know a lot about Pokémon already not least because you don‘t get any explanation for the world, characters or different Pokémon here. The stories themselves are okay, although there‘s a lot of repetition in the dialogue and not enough action for me. If you have a young Pokémon fan then they will love it.

Malcolm Mackenzie is an award-winning author, editor and journalist. This entertaining and informative YA book is a good summary of LGBTQ+ history and culture with lively illustrations by Emily A Foster. Despite being broad in scope there‘s inevitably a personal element to the choices here and I wondered if there could have been more contemporary LGBTQ+ people/culture but it‘s still a great introduction for any teens interested in queer culture.

Chris Packham is a naturalist, conservationist and TV presenter. This entertaining book for readers aged 6+ (part of the LITTLE EXPERTS series and superbly illustrated by Anders Frang) does a great job of showing the diversity of life on Earth, including vultures, the humble worm and even wasps. Packham‘s enthusiasm shines through and it wouldn‘t surprise me if this book leads to a new generation of naturalists and conversationists.

Premee Mohamed‘s literary SF novel is a sophisticated examination of what it means to be antiwar and the impact of conflict on those who fight. Alefret is an interesting character and I enjoyed the way Mohamed teases out his backstory and motivations while there are moments of real suspense and tension within the story. However the final quarter is rushed and Qhudur an under-developed foil whose unshakeable fanaticism doesn‘t ring quite true.

George Clarke is an architect, writer and TV presenter. This book for readers aged 6+ (part of the LITTLE EXPERTS series and strongly illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng) is intended to inspire young readers to become architects, builders and designers of the future but despite Clarke‘s enthusiasm for the subject, the book lacks focus, darting between different subjects like materials, sustainability and 3D printing.

Emily MacDonagh is a doctor who practices in the National Health Service. This is a well-intentioned book aimed at helping readers aged 9+ to understand and express their emotions and the impact of hormones as they grow older. Although there is some solid, practical advice, the tone is a little patronising at times and the illustrations by Josefina Preumayr and Ana Sebastian are pretty flat and uninspiring (albeit with good representation).

Bari Weiss is a journalist, writer and editor. This thought-provoking polemic was written in the aftermath of the 2018 terrorist shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue where she had her bat mitzvah and her anger at that atrocity permeates it. Unfortunately the valid points she makes about anti-semitism on both the left and the right get lost as she bangs her anti-liberal drum and she ignores completely the role of her own free speech movement.

Alison Brown‘s picture book (part of a series about family members) is a cute affair that celebrates the different kind of sisters you can have and your relationship with them. The rhyming is a bit twee in parts but I enjoyed the illustrations, which have energy and humour to them. If you are looking for a gift for a young sister or young sister to be, then I would definitely suggest this.

Meredith Mooring‘s debut SF space opera romance has some interesting ideas, e.g. the use of a visually impaired protagonist, the idea of atomic manipulation and space ships built from asteroids, but the plotting is all over the place with some developments sign posted too early and a credibility defying plot twist in the final quarter, the central romance being under developed and ultimately a sense that nothing that happens to Korinna is earned.

John C H. Spence teaches physics at Arizona State University and is Snell Professor and Director of Science for the National Science Foundation‘s BioXFEL Consortium. This is an absorbing historical account of how scientists learned to measure the speed of light but although I enjoyed the personal details Spence gives on the scientists and he does try to simplify the complicated mathematical formulae, some of the book was above my skill level.