Mag-Iggle

Mag-Iggle, written by John Benneyworth, is a very amusing children's book with excellent illustrations.

It's ideal for parents to read too or with their children and it tells the story of Mag-Iggle as he has to employ a variety of magical spells and potions to come to the assistance of his mother-in-law, Myst-Iggle. Myst-Iggle, who has an unfortunate tendency to mix up her magic and create utter chaos!

Myst-Iggle is flying about, minding her own business, as you do if your a witch. Sharing her broomstick is her greedy  cat (who is also magical)  who is a vegetarian cat who is on a special diet. Which consists of eating nothing but daffodil sandwiches and spinach pie, served up with green custard.

But food is probably the last thing on poor kitty's mind as the cat is becoming more and more broomsick.

Myst-Iggle knows exactly what to do to make poor kitty better! It;s this potion here, right? Wrong! Myst-Iggle accidentally selects the right potion and the wrong words and things go hilariously awry!

But not to worry! Because, as ever, Mag-Iggle comes along to save the day!

This is a really fun read and will have everyone happy to read it this Christmas. It's got to be in the stockings this year, I feel.

And there are a lot of other Iggle books in the series, too, all of which are published by Matador. All of which are aimed at promoting reading by making them fun.

You can order the book here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

There's also lots of fun to be had, including pages to colour, at www.igglebooks.com.

In The Shadows

In The Shadows is a new and gripping novel from author E. J. Shaw.

It tells the story of Eden Matthews. Eden is blessed with the talents, looks and the ambition that she needs to succeed as a prima ballerina.

But a simple horseriding accident changes all that. But not in a way that one might think. For after her accident Eden discovers that she is blessed or cursed with special powers and abilities.  Now she can see and communicate with those who have passed over. She can see and speak with the dead.

She does her best to get on with her life, she still wants to be the prima ballerina, so she tries to ignore her new and, from her perspective, unwanted gifts.

But it becomes clear that she has been gifted these extraordinary powers for a specific set of reasons and those who gave her these powers cannot give up on her, cannot allow her to ignore these powers or, indeed, continue to live her previous,  normal existence.

There's a stark choice for Eden. A dance partnership with Dillon, who seems to have more than just a professional interest in Eden?

Or should she take part in a bitter battle between Heaven and Hell that has gone on for a millennium?

There's Zachary who is an embittered soul, who in life was a ballet dancer who had been cruely betrayed.

He seemingly holds Eden in the utmost contempt, yet like a moth to a flame, he keeps being drawn back to her presence.

Eden manages to tread a fine line between both worlds, but will there be a demand for a terrible act of sacrifice?

Does Eden have the determination and willpower to see it through to the end?

But who, exactly was Eden fighting? And why does she end up feeling such fury and rage at the angels? What had they done to earn her enmity and hatred?

And what will happen next?

This is the first book in a new and very compelling series of books by E. J.Shaw, aimed at ages 12 to young adults.

It's a remarkably good read and must be in the Christmas stockings this year!

It's published by Matador at £7.99 and can be ordered here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The Metropolis Of Glass

The Metropolis of Glass is a new anthology of poetry from poet Chole Lee.

Written over the past four years it is a distillation of the careful and thoughtful observations of the world around her by Chloe Lee.

The poems cover a wide range of topics from relationships blighted by cheating, divorce, war, the rising tide of social media, armed conflicts, the plight of the homeless, poverty and loneliness.

The observations are sharp and the with that changes them from the base material into the finished work of poetic art are even sharper still.

Chloe Lee is, obviously, a person watcher and she has used this skill to very good effect as her poems bring to mind the realities of life.

Of particular note are Remembrance Day, The Two Old Ladies, Dick Whittington and Richard Whittington and In the Margins.

Chloe Lee is a new name to me. It is to be hoped this is merely the start of a new star in the poetical heavens.

The Metrpolosis of Glass is published by The Book Guild at £7.99 and will make an excellent Christmas gift for the poetry fan in your life.

You can buy it for them here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Stargazey World

This is a new novel from published author Christine Dawe. It's something of a departure for Christine Dawe, an author of a number of popular social history books, Stargazey World is a novel aimed at readers who are aged 9 to 11 years of age.

It's a brilliant fantasy novel which is illuminated with flashes of brilliant good humour.

It tells the story of Sheena Robinson who is described as a feisty Scouser. Sheena's a good girl, though she does wish she could concentrate a bit better at school, plus there was the problem with her very wayward green hair. however, Sheena didn't suffer bullies gladly and she employed her ready with to put one over on them.

But then Sheena has to travel to Cornwall for her cousin's wedding. She stays at a cottage where she shares a bedroom with Carys, who is a little bit of a tomboy. And she also shares the bedroom with a whole host of talking animals who live in or on the wallpaper of the bedroom.

The animals take the two girls on an amazing adventure to Stargazey World, a world that is influenced by the amazing imagination and muddled up thinking of Sheena.

However, all is not well in Stargazey World and Sheena and Carys eventually find themselves facing injustice and wickedness when they are attacked by a group of weird beings. Including a nasty leather wearing rockstar who goes by the name of Thunder and his crazed and very dangerous sister, Lightning.

They also have to face a hoard of other equally bizarre and evil creatures, as they attempt to thwart them with the assistance of the wallpaper animals.

It's a must buy Christmas gift for every girl out there. It's published by Matador at £7.99 and can be bought here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Disruption

Disruption is a very interesting novel from the pen of prolific author Mary Withall.

It's an extremely well-written account of  the time in the early 1840s when there was the Disruption in the Church of Scotland, when a large number of dissident clergyman were dismissed from their roles as clergymen.

One such personage is James Bantrie who, in common with many fellow dissenters, found themselves thrown out of their comfortable lifestyle and forced to seek alternative employment.

Bantrie and his family journey to a tiny parish on the Isle of Orchy, which is off the Argyll coast. The chief occupation of the islanders is the slate quarrying.

Doctor Alexander Beaton also turns up in the village of Eisdalsa. But he is not a newcomer, he is returning home, fully expecting to inherit his father's medical practice and to seek the hand in marriage of his childhood sweetheart.

However, he is heartbroken to discover that, in his absence, not only has his older brother managed to secure the ownership of their father's medical practice for himself, he has also taken Alexander's sweetheart for his own bride.

With nothing in Eisdalsa for him he replies to an advertisement for settlers at the recently established colony of Otago in New Zealand's South Island.

However, when the new settlers arrive after an eventful sea voyage, they find that they are less than welcome in the newly established town of Dunedin, as, despite what the advertisement promised,  it is far from ready to receive any new settlers. 

The novel is based on detailed research undertaken by archivist and author Mary Withall. This included the detailed letter books of the doctor who had been appointed to the Easedale quarries in the 1890s.

It's a warm and compelling account of the trials and tribulations of the Scotish people who, in the 1840s, were instrumental in the settlement of New Zealand. Although, points out Mary Withall, this is not a period of Scottish history that has been well covered.

The book is published by Matador and is a great Christmas gift for lovers of well-written historical fiction. 

It can be bought here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.


 

Quick and Quirky

Quick and Quirky is a quick and quirky collection of humorous short stories and quips from the pen of debut author Fred Onymouse.

It's illustrated, though not by Fred, the illustrations (as quirky as the writing, it has to be said) were drawn by Ann Onymouse.

There is the story of the extra special buttons of Elsie and Doris and the gang of button thieves who attempted to steal their extra special buttons.

Then there are the tit for tat gardeners, the narrow victory when Wilmot Walmesly beat Jogger Jaggersnout by one vote to win the election to become a member of the council.

The true story of the elephants who were on holiday in Devon one Christmas season. (It's a true story, because Fred tells us that it is true.)

There are tales of deranged teapot collectors, vanishing horses called Daisy, Harry and his unbreakable bottle a mysterious suitcase and more besides.

An ideal book for a post Christmas dinner snooze, it's published by Matador at £7.99 and it can be obtained here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The Human Ape

The Human ape, subtitled "A Magnificently Minute Moment" is a debut collection of poetry from poet Mark Cox.

The poems cover a wide range of subjects and topics which are, by-and-large, informed by the philosophical view of Cox.

Sleeplessness, homeless children, the exact meaning of the term atheist, the philosophical basis for keeping pets, natural phenomena such as rivers, sunsets and a speck of dust, children, evolution, recycling and even more besides.

The style is sparse, yet compelling and the thoughts behind the poems are lucid and clear.

It's an interesting debut for a poet. Let's hope that this is merely the harbinger for much more poetical outputs from Mark Cox.   

It's published by The Book Guild at £7.99 and will make a great Christmas present for the poetry reader in your life.

You can purchase it here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.