Showing results by narrator "Imogen Wilde" in All Categories

Dilys is a devoted member of a terribly English cult: The Panacea Society, populated almost entirely by virtuous single ladies. When she strikes up a friendship with Grace, a new recruit, God finally seems to be smiling upon her. The friends become closer as they wait for the Lord to return to their very own Garden of Eden, and Dilys feels she has found the right path at last.

All her life, Susan's loved ones have been hiding a terrible secret from her: If she thinks too hard, her head will explode. Luckily, her devoted boyfriend, anxious parents and fierce best friend are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Susan safe in ignorant, thoughtless bliss. And until now, Susan has lived happily in a bubble of TV and takeaways, social media and small talk; anything to distract her from the spiralling thoughts that so often haunt the rest of us - thoughts that would be deadly for her.

It’s a cold winter during the Great Frost of 1683. Thomasina and Anne are the best of friends, one running her father’s sweet shop and the other the apprentice at the family apothecary—together they sell their goods on the frozen River Thames. When a family tragedy turns Thomasina’s world upside down, she is drawn to a mysterious conjuror and the enchanted frost fair. But soon the world of Father Winter threatens to claim everything she holds dear. Will they be able to solve the magical mysteries that surround them?

Bridie works hard to feed her family, selling matches on the streets of Victorian London. After an incident leaves her with only three matches left, the magical strike of each one sees her tumble into visions of a brighter future. Realizing she has the power to change her own fortune, Bridie leads the match factory workers out on strike, achieving the remarkable through their unity and courage.

It's 1939, and war has broken out. Everything has changed at Highbury House school. There are no servants, for one thing, and the pupils have to help with domestic tasks. Then a boys' school is evacuated to the Romney Marsh, billeted in the same building although, of course, contact with the boys is strictly forbidden. Despite this, Justice soon strikes up a friendship with Henry, a boy who shares her dislike of games lessons. Then Justice's father suddenly goes missing.... Could he be a real-life spy?

What if somewhere along the way we've all got the Santa story a bit wrong? Join Blanche Claus and her best friend, Rinki, for a funny festive sleigh ride you'll never forget! From Sibéal Pounder, best-selling author of the Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series, this tale of friendship and mince-pie feasts is the perfect book to curl up with this winter. Funny, feminist and with a huge heart, it's a gloriously Christmassy adventure that will delight even the biggest Grinch.

Eden's visit to The Escape sees her dropped into a world of puzzles and peril with no way out. She must find the keys, climb the levels and meet her fate. But what if she's not playing the game? Maybe the game is playing her...

Sanuk is a Thai concept that can loosely be translated as meaning ‘fun’. Though sanuk is in fact much more than that; it’s about achieving pleasure and joy in all aspects of life. For Thai people, if it’s not sanuk, it’s not worth doing. Thai people believe that it’s the little things that add up to a joyful life. Whether it’s raising happy kids, enjoying a quick chat with your neighbour or having a laugh with friends, they try to bring a sense of joy into their daily routines. This easygoing, fun-loving way of life is why Thailand is often called The Land of Smiles.

Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a property in England, but Harker quickly gets tangled in forces darker than he could’ve imagined, becoming a tortured tool for the development of Dracula’s power.

Grace never thought she'd have to return home to Floral Street. Having spent most of her life building a successful career in London, she's done everything she possibly can to avoid the flower stall that's been in her family for generations. But when tragedy hits, she's got no choice. It's time to face the demons of the past and support her family. Faith has returned home after years travelling the world. She thought that her life would be different after a trip across the globe, but as she settles back into life in her childhood room she has to come to terms with her life.

When old friends return, sparks ignite this Christmas in Springhollow... Tomboy Scarlett thought Devon would be her best friend forever. He was the only person in Springhollow who supported her ambitious artist dreams. But then one winter, Devon and his parents disappear without warning to start a new life in NYC and a devastated Scarlett is left alone to face her high-school bullies and overbearing mother. Fast-forward ten years: Scarlett is playing it safe in her childhood village with a dull PA job and a wardrobe that passes her mother's old-fashioned standards

Even when the climate crisis escalates beyond our worst nightmares and people become refugees, the world keeps turning and life carries on as usual: teenaged love stories, marital collapses, identity crises and revolts against hopeless parents continue to play out. Through four inter-connected perspectives, Jens Liljestrand chronicles how the struggles of ordinary people go on even as the world as we know it is coming to an end.

"Open the box," says Lucas. "Bet there's a body in it." Ruby doesn't want to open the abandoned grey cabinet partially hidden by falling snow but she does. And immediately wishes she hadn't. A grisly discovery starts a chilling chain of events. Can Ruby and Lucas stay one step ahead? Or will they be thrown to the wolves. When Lucas and Ruby find an abandoned trunk covered in snow, Lucas says there's bound to be a body inside. Ruby laughs but what if he's right? Nervously she starts to open it, and immediately wishes she hadn't.

Roxy was 13 years old when she was coerced then blackmailed into sending explicit photos, which were spread around her school. The shame led to self-loathing. The blame led to a psychotic breakdown. Roxy started hearing voices. Then she started seeing things. What happens when your teenager starts to lose it, and then you lose each other? What happens when you can't tell your mother you desperately need help? And how can a family move past a devastating mental health crisis?

Nora's mum has good days and bad days, but the bad days are getting worse. It's been just the two of them for always, and they don't need anyone else. When the rainbow-shimmering ghost animals Nora used to see when she was small start to reappear, she's convinced that they hold all the answers. Along with new friend Kwame, Nora follows a glittering ghostly fox, hare, raven and otter on the adventure of a lifetime, helping her to find the strength she needs to help her family.

Callie, Ted, Zara and Nico are best friends. More than friends—they’re like family to each other. But since being embarrassed at school in a practical joke gone wrong, Ted has stopped talking to the rest of the gang. And when Callie, Zara and Nico discover that someone has been living in their school, and sleeping in the building at night, they decide to investigate—without Ted.

Jane Austen is famous for such books as Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. Now learn about the author’s journey through a life spent making up stories that touched the lives of millions.

Where has Faith’s dad gone? Why has he left his family living in an old house perched on a crumbling cliff top? A crack has appeared in the cliff and Faith watches anxiously as it gets bigger and bigger each day.... Her brother is obsessed with the sea ghosts he claims live in the basement, and when he disappears as well, Faith starts to believe in the ghosts too. Can she find her brother and bring her father back before everything she cares about falls into the pitiless sea below? A great mystery with real heart, from a captivating new voice in middle-grade fiction.

Hannah is 28 when the worst happens. Her first instinct? To call her mum. The problem is, her mum having an accident, being rushed to hospital and never waking up was the worst thing. Realising that she is now the woman of the family, Hannah has to be the rock for her emotionally repressed father and chaotic younger sister, all while trying to muddle her way through the crucial life lessons her mother never taught her.

Lily just wants things to go back to the way they were: before she got sick, before her parents decided to have another baby. So when she’s sent away to stay with her grandmother while her mum has the baby, Lily is determined to go home. But she doesn’t expect to find people in her house - people who look like her parents, but definitely aren’t. Together with some unlikely animal companions, Lily must face her fears and summon the courage to break into her own house, and defeat ‘The Replacements’ before the night is out.