Book Promotion

Over a thousand hills I walk with you by Hanna Jansen

Over a thousand hills I walk with you follows a young girl, Jeanne, through the days before and journey after the Rwandan genocide of 1994 - one of the greatest horrors the world has seen.  With tremendous courage, wits and luck, Jeanne managed to survive, but lost her entire family to the genocide.

The book, fiction based on fact, is written by the adoptive mother of Jeanne to tell the story that is often called the modern day Holocaust. As with the original Holocaust, many children were left to fight for themselves and try and find a new way to survive; this is Jeanne’s story.  

This is an amazing book, one that will stay with you for a long while and should be on the school curriculum along with the Diary of Anne Frank.

Debbie Salisbury
Wrexham Library

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Devil may care by Sebastian Faulks

It’s a name that will become seared into James Bond’s consciousness.  The name of a man who knows no master but his own power-crazed ego, whose wealth is exceeded only by his greed and who will stop at nothing until he has destroyed the very heart of Great Britain.

Written by one of the most admired British novelists of our time, Sebastian Faulks’ novel marks the beginning of a new era for Bond, and this is vintage James Bond; you can feel Fleming's ghost over your shoulder.  It reads like the best of his books, with a fast moving plot, bags of gourmet food and drink and a cracking villain.  This is a Real Boys Own tale that is written with style and panache which captures the mood of the sixties as expressed by Ian Fleming. It’s time to get a piece of the action… now!

Wrexham Library

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The Pools by Bethan Roberts

This story is set in Middle England in the mid 1980s in the kind of place where nothing ever happens; that is, until the discovery of a body. A teenager called Robert has been killed down by the pools, his body floating on the surface.

The story centres on half a dozen characters whose lives are connected to Robert.  The beauty of this book, however, lies not in the incidental details but in the portrait of the relationship between the hapless Howard and the somewhat elusive Kath. The author has also skillfully constructed the narrative so we get two different perspectives.

As the book draws to its inevitable conclusion (as disclosed on the very first page), it's impossible not to feel the aching chasm of grief and loss, not just in empathy with Howard and Kath but also that one is coming to the end of a literary gem.

Debbie Salisbury
Wrexham Library

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Plague ship by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul

This is the fourth novel charting the exploits of the Oregon, a clandestine spy ship completely dilapidated on the outside, but on the inside packed with sophisticated weaponry and intelligence-gathering equipment. Captained by the ex CIA agent, Juan Cabrillo, and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, it is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it.

Cussler sends the Oregon on its most important mission yet. The crew has just completed a top-secret operation against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift in the sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck and as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner's sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself fighting a mysterious cult with lethal plans for the human race... plans he and his team may already be too late to stop.

This may not be Cussler and Du Brul at their best but it certainly makes for an exciting and highly entertaining read.

Wrexham Library

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Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

What would you do if your dream life turned into a reality?

When twenty-something Lexi Smart falls down the stairs after a drunken night out with friends, her life changes forever and she becomes the wife to a millionaire, with a cheque book and wardrobe to match. The only problem is that Lexi cannot remember her previous life. 

Lexi is ecstatic when her drop dead husband Eric arrives to pick her up.  No longer dragged down by her (“ex”) boyfriend “Loser Dave”, Lexi Smart returns to her life with her ‘husband’, whom she barely knows, thinking that her life really is a dream. It is only when she realises she has the nickname “Cobra” and her dream career is actually a nightmare that Lexi decides that she must either re-learn to love her husband or enter into an illicit affair with Jon, her husband’s colleague…

A page turning chick lit novel which will have you hooked from morning ’til night.

Wrexham Library

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Steel Witches by Patrick Lennon

Tom Fletcher, last seen in the book ‘Corn Dolls’, has left the police force and is working as a private investigator in Cambridge. He is dragged back into his own troubled family history by a message from his missing father which appears to be linked to the disappearance and murder of a young law student, who was working in a hostess bar.

How is a high-tech American company involved in an officially-suppressed story from the Second World War? Where is the long-disused US Air Force base that seems to be the key to a centuries-old mystery, and who were the haunting, haunted sisters who played such a part in a drama that is still reaching out to claim Tom Fletcher?

As a massive storm tracks across Europe and begins to batter the low-lying fen country, Tom's inquiries begin to spiral into ever deeper and darker conspiracies. This is part murder mystery, part conspiracy thriller with enough twists to keep you reading to the last page.

Wrexham Library

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The girl of his dreams by Donna Leon

On a rainy morning, not long after the funeral of his mother, Commissario Brunetti and Ispettore Vianello respond to an emergency 911 call reporting a body floating near the steps in one of Venice's side canals. Reaching down to pull it out, Brunetti's wrist is caught by the silkiness of golden hair and he sees a small foot. Together, he and Vianello lift a dead girl from the water.

Inconceivably, however, no-one has reported a missing child, nor the theft of the gold jewellery that she carries. So Brunetti is drawn into a search not only for the cause of her death but also for her identity, her family, and for the secrets that people will keep in order to protect their children - be they innocent or guilty.

The investigation takes Brunetti from the canals and palazzos of Venice to a Gypsy encampment on the mainland, through quicksands of connections and relationships both known and concealed, as he struggles with both institutional prejudice and entrenched criminality to try to unravel the fate of the dead child.

This is the latest, and probably the darkest, in Leon’s series of novels featuring Brunetti and his colleagues, with more emphasis on personalities than on the crime itself.

Wrexham Library

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Ritual by Mo Hayder

A police diver discovers a severed human hand in Bristol harbour. Shortly afterwards, another hand from the same victim is found buried underneath a restaurant. The severed hands are those of a young heroin addict who has recently gone missing from the Bristol drugs scene. It appears that he had become embroiled in a sinister black market trade stemming from Africa, where human body parts are said to hold magical properties and ward off evil spirits.

A police diver, Flea Marley, finds herself joining forces with DI Jack Caffrey, both have deep seated personal issues which are central to the unravelling of the storyline.

The story is written as the first in a new series featuring ‘the walking man’, who makes a series of brief appearances in conversation with Caffrey, though is role is never fully explained or developed.

If you have read the powerful predecessors to this novel (such as Birdman and The Treatment) you will know what to expect. Mo Hayder is always reliable in delivering riveting (if deeply uncomfortable) reads.

Wrexham Library

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The Parting by Beverly Lewis

Nearly one hundred days have passed since the untimely death of Nellie Mae Fisher’s beloved younger sister, Suzy, and Nellie dares again to dream of a future with handsome Caleb Yoder.  But with rumours about Suzy still flying among the People, there are those who would keep the young courting couple apart… including Caleb’s own father.

Meanwhile, a growing number of Honeybrook’s Amish farmers are demanding tractors and other forbidden modern conveniences. When a revival adds to the tensions, passions flare. With the Old order community pushed to breaking point, Nellie and Caleb find their families - and themselves - in the midst of what threatens to become an impossible divide.

Wrexham Library

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Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir

In her remarkable new book, Alison Weir recounts one of the greatest love stories of mediaeval England.  It is the extraordinary tale of Katherine Swynford, who became the mistress, and later the wife, of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, one of the most powerful and charismatic princes of the fourteenth century.

Renowned for her beauty, Katherine’s life was played out against a vivid backdrop of court life at the height of the age of chivalry.  She knew most of the great figures of the time – among them her brother-in-law, the poet Geoffrey Chaucer.  She lived through the Hundred Years’ War, the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt; she knew loss, adversity and heartbreak and survived them triumphantly.

Katherine holds a key position within the English monarchy, as she was the mother of the Beauforts, and through them the ancestress of the Tudors, the Stuarts and every other sovereign since – a legacy that has shaped the history of Britain.

Wrexham Library

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Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

After their fantastic trip around the world in 2004, fellow actors and motor bike fanatics, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, couldn't shake the travel bug, and after an inspirational UNICEF visit to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth.

In early summer 2007, they set off on their 15,000-mile journey with two new BMWs loaded up for the trip. Joining up with producer/directors Russ Malkin and David Alexanian and the Long Way Round team, their route took them from John O'Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape Agulhas on the southernmost tip of South Africa. Riding through spectacular scenery, often in extreme temperatures and across difficult terrain, Ewan and Charley faced their hardest challenges yet. With their trademark humour and honesty they tell their story.

A must-read for fans of the Long Way Round, and a great place to start for those who have never experienced a life-changing journey.

Debbie Salisbury
Wrexham Library

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In Distant Fields by Charlotte Bingham

When kitty is invited to stay with her friend, Partita, at Bauders Castle, she is sure she must refuse. Her mother, however, sees it as an undreamed-of-opportunity for her daughter to escape from the dark presence of her notorious father, and pawns her engagement ring to enable Kitty to go. Partita’s parents are enchanted by Kitty and she soon becomes part of their privileged and glamorous lifestyle..

After their idyllic seaside holiday, war is declared. The young men cannot wait to volunteer while the girls go on nursing courses and the castle becomes a convalescent home. They are sure that the war will be over in a few weeks, but once the wounded start arriving from the Front, the harsh reality of conflict becomes clear to them all, none more so than Kitty and Partita.

Wrexham Library

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You’ve Been Warned by James Patterson

This is a creepy thriller from internationally bestselling novelist, James Patterson. For Karen Burns, a talented young photographer, it was only natural to go to New York to chase her dreams and it was only normal - just to pay the rent while she waited for her big chance - to work as a nanny for a young power couple, an attorney and his socialite wife, looking after their two children. But for all the promise, the thrills, and the glitter, there are temptations and there are deadly dangers that come with life among the rich and powerful.

Get ready for the Nanny Diaries from Hell.

Wrexham Library

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My Story by Lewis Hamilton

For the first time, Lewis Hamilton opens up about his life on and off the track. This book is about his maiden Formula One season, including his record breaking race victories, the intense rivalries, driving for Ron Dennis’ McLaren team, and becoming one of the most talked about personalities in sport.

It shows how he’s inspired by his father Anthony and his brother Nicolas and the rumours and media intrusion that affected all his family. He tells of his childhood memories, his early experiences in karting, and his first steps in the glamour world of Grand Prix racing, through to the climax of one of the most action-packed Formula One seasons for many years.

Well worth reading, even if you’re not a Formula 1 fan.

Eirlys Williams
Wrexham Library

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Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

Welcome to the world of perverse self-mutilation, insane coincidences and extreme makeovers speckled with violent acts and prescription drugs.

She’s a catwalk model who has everything: a boyfriend, a career, a loyal best friend. But when a sudden motor “accident” leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful centre of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists.

Enter the vivacious Brandy Alexander, whose glamorous nature seduces her into travelling cross-country in a delightful and ironic crime spree.  She must exact revenge upon Evie, her best friend and fellow model, kidnap Manus, her two-timing boyfriend then hit the road with Brandy in search of a brand new past, present and future.

Eirlys Williams
Wrexham Library

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Stage Fright by Alan Dunn

When Billy Oliphant’s drama student daughter asks for his help in the staging of her university’s production of Twelfth Night, he welcomes the opportunity to spend more time with her. Designing the stage lighting is a piece of cake, even if Billy’s feeling his age – and a little out of place- among the young thespians.

The production is the brainchild of Jonathan Taylor, Kristy’s keen, if somewhat over-familiar, English professor. Protective of his daughter, Billy doesn’t warm to the lecherous Taylor, but even he is surprised when – after a boozy party with the cast – Taylor’s naked body is found on the stage.

But, as Billy finds himself drawn into a murder investigation, he is also mindful of the fact that, if he is to keep his daughter happy, the show must go on.

Eirlys Williams
Wrexham Library

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