Twisted Tales: 6 Far Out Stories
Beastly Tales: 6 Crazy Stories
Richard Tulloch and Terry Denton
Dec 2014 | Random House | $14.99pb (ea)
Two old favourite collections were reissued this week, each with an interesting, funny twist and hilarious illustrations by the wonderful Terry Denton. In Twisted Tales, Tulloch takes six well-known, well-loved fairytales and gives them something fresh: "Why are wolves in fairytales always bad, and witches always ugly?...If wolves and witches wrote books, they'd make themselves good, beautiful heroes, and the villains would be horrible little children and wicked princes and ugly princesses." Hilarity, naturally, ensues.
Beastly Tales introduces us to six extraordinary (silly!) stories which will turn your view of animals upside down. Should you make friends with a boa constrictor? Can Naomi the skunk hold down a job without losing her, ahem, nerve? Both books are great fun and highly recommended for fans of the Andy Griffiths-Terry Denton combo.
Russell Brand and Chris Riddell
Oct 2014 | Canongate | $19.99hb
With this first book in Russell Brand’s Trickster Tales series, the famed comedian, actor, and bestselling author delivers a hilarious retelling of an old fairytale favourite that will appeal to adults and children alike.
Once upon a time, long ago, in a time that seemed, to those present, exactly like now except their teeth weren't so clean and more things were wooden, there was a town called Hamelin. The people of Hamelin were a pompous bunch who loved themselves and their town so much that if it were possible they would have spent all day zipped up in a space suit smelling their own farts. But space suits hadn't been invented yet so they couldn't.
Then one day without warning a gang of rats bowled into the town and began causing a right rumpus… So begins Brand’s wildly funny and surprisingly wise retelling of the classic tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Whether you’re a child or a grown-up, you’ll be chuckling the whole way through this zany story that bypasses Brand’s more adult humour for the outrageous, the madcap, and the just plain silly.
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| Young Adult readers 15+ |
Girl Online
Zoe Sugg
Nov 2014 | Penguin | $19.99pb
The internet offers rich pickings for the publishing world. Many books and ideas that may have, previously, been ignored by traditional publishing houses are being snapped up because a proven online audience is a solid bet. YouTube sensation Zoe Sugg, AKA Zoella, is the latest and has written a young adult novel we can hardly keep from flying out the door. Writing anonymously, 15-year-old Penny starts a blog in which she explores how friends, family and boys really make her feel. When her family moves to New York she meets the musically-gifted Noah and falls deeply - madly - in love. But Noah, like Penny, has a secret... The Guardian described Girl Online as a young adult version of the film Notting Hill, a perfect description!
Zoe's Website The Guardian Review
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| Young Adult readers 15+ |
All the Bright Places
Jennifer Niven
Jan 2015 | Penguin | $17.99pb
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it is unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It is only with Violet that Finch can be himself — a weird, funny, clever and endearing guy who’s not such a freak after all, and it is only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. This is an intense, gripping novel with likeable characters and is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green, and Gayle Forman from a talented new voice in YA.
