Our Runaway Bay team have run away with the spotlight this week-end!
But they did leave some awesome reading suggestions behind…
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron: Set in Barcelona 1945, a young boy is introduced to the secret library, the cemetery of forgotten books. He is tasked with choosing one book, the shadow of the wind. So begins a journey into who this amazing author is, how he came to be the owner of the last remaining copy and why so many unsavoury characters are hunting him down for it?
This book is a mystery at heart, beautifully atmospheric book of love, loss, death and intrigue, perfect for readers of the Book Thief. – Elise Ewen (Store Manager)
The Lavender Keeper by Fiona McIntosh: The Lavender Keeper is a wonderful story with a blend of action, adventure, romance and intrigue. Set during WW2 during the Nazi occupation of France, the 2 main characters Luc Bonet and Lisette Forestier are drawn together at the height of the Paris Occupation. Luc is part of the French Resistance and Lisette is trained as a spy who is on a mission to work her way into the heart of a senior German Officer and to bring down the Reich any way she can. As their emotions threaten to betray them, their love may prove the greatest risk of all.
Luc isn’t a terribly complicated character but he is appealing. Lisette is no stranger to tragedy, she is resourceful, smart and quick thinking. Their relationship is not a traditional one, they spend more time apart than they ever do together but the link between them is ever present. The Lavender Keeper is a wonderfully entertaining story that is a surprisingly quick read and one which I highly recommend. – Jo Bargewell (2IC)
Daughter Of The Blood by Anne Bishop: Anne Bishop’s ‘Black Jewels’ series is un-put-downable. Anne weaves a dark tale of a young powerful Witch that will capture your interest from the get go and leave you reeling for more.
In a realm where territories are ruled by callous witches and power hungry warlords, there is still hope, there is still a dream. An ancient prophecy depicts the arrival of a new Queen who will wield more power then the High Lord of Hell himself, ‘Witch” dreams made flesh and the last hope for restoration for the people of The Blood. With the promise of great power a ruthless game of politics, intrigue and betrayal begin. Whoever controls “Witch” controls the Darkness, whoever controls the darkness controls the world.
If you love a good fantasy read then I highly recommend ‘Daughter of the blood’- it’s the beginning of an epic series that goes above and beyond expectation. – Selina Davies
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson: Set in a world made of stone and plagued with ferocious storms, war ravages the Shattered Plains. In an age of disenchantment and power-hungry leaders, the True Desolation comes. Brandon Sanderson’s ‘The Way of Kings’ follows the paths of three people destined to reignite the forgotten power of the Knights Radiant before the world is lost forever. Kaladin Storm-blessed, Dalinar the Blackthorn, and young Shallan Davar. As the first instalment of the Stormlight Archive, this book will keep you hooked until the end.
Brandon Sanderson has truly outdone himself in reimagining epic fantasy as an artform, creating a world that I know I will revisit time and time again. If you’re like me and have devoured everything from Tolkien and Feist, to Brent Weeks and Stephen Erikson you cannot go past the Stormlight Archives! – Jessica Neal
Collapse by Jared Diamond: Diamond takes readers on a journey throughout the history of humanity as well as into the future. The book provides light on ancient and modern civilizations on how they choose to fail or survive. It richly illustrates historical societies- from the jungle ravaged cities of Mayan civilisation to the Dominican Republic, Easter Island’s mysteries to the modern Australian Mining empire. This book superbly tells the stories of how environmental changes, hostile neighbors, and global trading affected the way they lived and how they have perished. – Merrilyn De Luca
