Recommended Reads
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As The River Watches
As the River Watches is set in between 2000 in picturesque Lorne, Victoria, and 2020, around the time that covid stopped the world. It was set on the banks of the Barwon River, in Barwon Heads, Victoria, where the author lived at the time.
It follows the non-chronological journey of Lily (who tragically lost her mother in suspicious circumstances) and how she pieces together the mystery while learning to develop her own identity within this shifting and changing landscape.
Her father’s identity (a mystery at the start of the novel) unravels along with the breakdown of her relationship with her controlling grandmother and the many secrets that clog the muddy shorelines of this ancient estuary. There is an environmental message and campaign that swims in parallel with the complicated disappearance, and the twist will hit the reader in a confronting and emotionally charged way.
Heartbreak, isolation, innocence, complicated family relationships and coming of age all weave together before an explosive ending exposes the secrets of the influential families of the town.
£10.99 -
Beneath the Mountain
From the green hills of Kerry to Padre Pio’s Shrine in Italy....
Born Catherine Brenda Mary Madigan O’Connor, she grew up on a small farm in Ballybunion, County Kerry. As a child she loved the natural world and was blessed with spiritual gifts, inherited from her ancestors.
Too soon darkness entered her life, and, unable to share her pain, she became withdrawn and volatile. During these difficult times she found solace in nature and in the form of friendly elemental beings she encountered near her home.
Later, she had to endure more challenges when she became a young woman and mother. These included nearly dying after being poisoned and unbearable anguish when she lost two babies.
Mary’s unexpected and amazing experiences at a Padre Pio Mass changed her sadness and grief to hope and proved to be the turning point towards a more positive future. Further life-changing events showed her that her destiny was to use the gifts she was born with to help people from all walks of life.
Beneath the mountain is an epic journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. It also holds a message for us all to never give up, no matter what, and to know that God and the angels are looking after us every moment of our lives.
£9.99 -
Mist Land
Edward’s bored of life in the dreary portside town he lives in. He’s fed up of being dragged along by his mother to run errands around town and he is desperate to get back to his adventures with Teffle, his best friend!
Down at the bottom of Edwards’ family garden is a very ordinary-looking shed. Only to Edward it’s not ordinary at all, and his brother, Derek and their parents have no idea. For Edward this shed is full of magic, possibilities, discoveries, new friends and adventures!
Join Edward Brittle as he travels to Mistland, a colourless land far away from here. With his best friend in the whole world, Teffle, they finally manage to discover the secret they’ve been working on ever since Edward first arrived in Mistland.
£8.99 -
Seven Magic Rocks
Embark on an extraordinary adventure with four friends, their curiosity piqued as they delve into the enchanting world of magic chakra rocks. Guided by the wisdom of Lilly’s grandmother, they set off on a journey to unravel the mysteries of the seven energy centres that course through their bodies.
From the vibrant red of the Root Chakra to the ethereal white of the Crown Chakra, each rock weaves a unique tale. Accompany the children as they delve into the colours and meanings of these magical stones, discovering how they can harmonise their minds, bodies, and spirits, providing a valuable lesson in holistic wellness and spirituality.
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery, empowering your young ones with the knowledge of how these special rocks can be a catalyst for restoring harmony.
£9.99 -
The Scary Truth
Millie was just an ordinary girl—until everything changed.
It started with a mansion her grandmother tried to hide. From the moment she stepped inside, “nothing was ever the same again.” Whispers followed her through shadowed halls, doors closed on their own, and voices hissed, “Empty your pockets… just do it.”
Soon, friends turned into strangers, and strangers into something far worse. Letters spoke of betrayal. Secrets clawed their way out of the dark. Millie couldn’t tell if she was “just hallucinating” or if she was truly losing herself in a nightmare.
Her grandmother’s warning still echoed: “Only you can save us now… trust me.” But trust can be deadly when everyone is lying.
The mansion hides more than dust and memories—it hides The Scary Truth. And once Millie uncovers it, she may never escape.
Read on—if you dare.
£9.99 -
Phyllis Bentley
‘I want to write’.
For the youngest child and only daughter of a Halifax mill owner who had little contact with literature, it seemed to be impossible.
But with the assistance of those who recognised her determination, Phyllis Bentley became a novelist with an international reputation.
This, however, as a recently opened archive shows, was but part of her story.
She was also in demand internationally as a lecturer because of her flair for explaining difficult problems in simple terms.
She served on many committees in Halifax and elsewhere, and her wide (and sometimes amorous) contacts with leading figures in the world of literature reveal much about her and their personalities and end speculation about their sexual orientation.
Least known of all is the work she did—sometimes at considerable personal risk—during the war.
Speaking and writing, she introduced Americans to Britain and the British to America and—using her knowledge of the Dewey Decimal system—she encoded detailed information about the D-Day landing, which was secretly sent in advance to the British Embassy.
In recognition of her various achievements, she was invited to both Buckingham Palace and the White House, but hitherto, unlike most of her contemporaries, she has not had a biography.
£11.99 -
The Nadra Tragedy: The Maria Hertogh Controversy
A gripping, real-life drama about the two women battling for custody of a 13-year-old girl in post-war colonial Singapore is set against religious zealotry, racial tensions, and burgeoning nationalism. As a proxy conflict between East and West, this harrowing tale is steeped in prejudice and mob violence, with the resulting court battle shaking the very foundations of the British Colonial Government.
Many innocent lives were lost in the violence that followed the controversial court decision, but Maria Hertogh, also known as Nadra, was perhaps the most tragic victim. Caught between two worlds she could scarcely comprehend, the impact of the upheaval during her most impressionable years was something few of us can fathom. The author crafts a poignant and deeply researched account of the tragic affair, drawing from exhaustive investigations in both Singapore and Holland.
Over 70 years since the events unfolded, the narrative resonates with a powerful relevance, serving as a stark reminder of how the mishandling of delicate matters can precipitate the unravelling of an entire society.
£11.99 -
Case 9194
Detective Robert Finnigan, son of the infamous criminal Tony Finnigan, is no stranger to walking the line between justice and darkness.
Now, alongside his sharp and determined supervisor, Mira McShane, he faces a harrowing case: a young girl found dead under chilling circumstances.
All the evidence points to a cunning killer who lurks behind a screen, shrouded in anonymity.
£8.99 -
Cognitive Cosmogenesis
The author’s mother was a very devout Catholic and played a significant role in his decision to join the Catholic Order of Preachers. There, he fell in love with the work of Thomas Aquinas, who based Christian theology on the philosophy of Aristotle.
During the Second Vatican Council, he saw an opportunity to repeat the work of Aquinas using modern science. Since science is based on observation, this project implies that the universe is divine—a heresy for which he was expelled from the Order.
This book is a personal account of that history and a justification for the belief that the universe itself is divine. The core idea is that we could solve all our problems by ditching strange gods and facing this fact. The universe creates itself; if we interpret our knowledge of physics properly, we would arrive at a credible scientific theology.
The world has a natural intelligence far in excess of any artificial one. If we can understand how it organises life—from cells to forests—then organising world peace will be a pushover. Modern theologians must recognise that a physical point of view, rather than ancient texts, is the true source of credible theology.
Religion and politics have been bedfellows since time immemorial... The model of creation presented in this book completely rejects the imperial intent of genocidal holy wars.
£10.99 -
One Family’s Journey Through Ten Centuries - Book 2
King Charles I did not know that his queen’s lady-in-waiting was having an affair with John Pym, an important parliamentarian of the day. She kept Pym well informed about what the king was up to. When the king fell out with Parliament over money, Pym had Charles followed, matters descended and the king ended up under arrest at Carisbrooke Castle, where he got stuck in a window while trying to escape. He was extricated, transported to London, and beheaded. With him no longer available to hand out under-the-table government contracts to his favourite knights, feudalism died on the vine, and the middle class became firmly in control.
Oliver Cromwell was chosen to take King Charles’ place. He didn’t like Catholics, and most Irish were Catholic. And so, he stole their land, forbade their religion, and reduced them to abject poverty. They tried to live on potatoes. But in the 1830s the potato crop was very bad, and by the mid-1840s it was struck by a blight that reduced the potato to a rotten mush. Two million starving, penniless, and diseased Irish peasants fled to a tiny village of 2,400 mainly native Indians. These Torontonians took them in and cared for them, and they all then set about building a mighty industrial complex, stealthily under the nose of the Americans. One of these was a transcontinental railway of steel trains that would stretch from sea to sea, climb steep mountains, and cross deep gorges; that would transport immigrants from Europe in the thousands to settle in four new western provinces, and in 1867 unite the land masses to formally create the Dominion of Canada.
But they left the power to declare war with a few mind-midgets whom they called hereditary monarchs, and then allowed that power to be grabbed by an evil madman who, allowed free reign, almost completely destroyed the progress of nearly 400 years, and laid nearly one hundred million of the Middle Class in early graves.
£16.99 -
The Eighth Continent
Set in the early 1980s, twins Chris and Jude enjoy an idyllic childhood in the wondrous land of Zealandia, a continent they believe exists in the year 350. But when circumstances force Jude to flee, he escapes into another world and begins to uncover shocking truths: that his entire life has been built on lies.
An avid sailor, Jude learns the art of navigation and listens to tales of those who have crossed seas before him. With his newfound love by his side, he embarks on a journey of discovery, learning that the world is round, that other continents exist, and that he possesses a unique power: the ability to perceive and understand quickly, even in the direst conditions, through his third eye.
Zealandia, Jude’s homeland, truly existed – and truly vanished.
£12.99 -
Johnny, The Inventor – Book 1
Young Johnny is an inventor! A very clever one! He has a vivid imagination to create ‘amazing’ and ‘out of this world’ things. His ‘big inventor’s armchair’ and his ‘red inventor’s thinking cap’ are all he needs to spark those brilliant ideas. These secret tools might just help him become the most important inventor and builder of all time. But when Johnny creates his greatest invention yet, the Garbage-Gobbler, will his life ever be the same again? What could possibly go wrong?
Johnny, the Inventor and the Garbage-Gobbler is a quirky, hilarious story about creativity, encouragement, perseverance, and personal growth.
£7.99
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