Author: rachel.churcher

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Sci-Fi Weekender!

Don’t miss Rachel Churcher, signing books TODAY at the Sci-Fi Weekender in Great Yarmouth!

Stop by the Taller Books table for copies of Rachel’s UK-based Battle Ground dystopian series, Angels, her YA LGBTQ+ contemporary-with-a-twist , and the anthology of Doctor Who/Iris Wildthyme stories featuring her short story, ‘The Last Martian’. We’ll also have bookish goodies and in-person deals on books and crafts.

If you’re heading to the Sci-Fi Weekender, make sure you come and say hi, meet some fantastic Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors, and pick up your new favourite read. We’ll be there today, but you’ll be able to meet authors and browse books between events on both Friday and Saturday.

See you there!

Sci-Fi Weekender
Rachel Churcher on the Taller Books stand at NorCon 2023
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YA Review: Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Title: Where Sleeping Girls Lie
Author: Faridah Abike-Iyimide
Edition: Kindle ARC
Rating: 3.5/5

YA Review: Where Sleeping Girls Lie

An intriguing take on the unreliable narrator trope, Where Sleeping Girls Lie follows Sade as she finally leaves home to attend an expensive boarding school, following the death of her wealthy father. Her mother died when Sade was ten, and we very quickly learn that the teenager is haunted by visions and flashbacks of an unnamed girl she couldn’t save from drowning.

The formerly homeschooled Sade is shown round the sprawling school grounds by her roommate, Elizabeth, who helps her through the culture shock of the world of uniforms, timetables, and sneaking into places you shouldn’t have access to. But when Elizabeth disappears less than twenty-four hours after Sade’s arrival, the plot twists begin to pile up, and Sade discovers that there is more to her new school than lessons, sport, and clubs.

The key word in the title is ‘lie’. Everyone in the story lies, misrepresents themselves, and disobeys the rules – including Sade. As the story progresses, and the reader finds out more about Sade’s background and her reasons for coming to this school, the extent of the lies and omissions start to come into focus. In time all the pieces come together – what happened to Elizabeth, why Sade blames herself for the death of the girl who haunts her, and which of her friends are lying to protect a disturbing secret. It’s an interesting read, because figuring out the truth is almost impossible until Sade uncovers the secrets and puts the connections together.

Touching on sensitive subjects, including sexual assault, suicide and grief, Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a cathartic story – and an uncomfortable one. The constant lies, threats, and physical danger enhance the feeling of being lost in a new environment, and ignored by the people in authority who should be offering protection. There are some lighter moments – Sade’s friendship with Baz, Elizabeth’s best friend before her disappearance, is lovely, as is the growing affection between Sade and Persephone – but these elements of the story act as a contrast to emphasise the secrets and lies.

I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to recommend this book, but I’m still thinking about the story – and that’s probably as good a recommendation as any.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie will be published on March 14th. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read Where Sleeping Girls Lie? What did you think of Sade’s story? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: Where Sleeping Girls Lie cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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‘Angels’ is a finalist!

We are delighted to announce that Angels, Rachel Churcher’s new YA novel, has been chosen as a finalist for the 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Awards! It’s in the ‘Books for Teenagers’ category, and we’re absolutely thrilled that the judges found it worthy of a finalist’s place.

Why does this nomination mean so much? Most book awards are judged by adults. The Wishing Shelf Book Awards are judged by readers in the age group the book is aimed at. In the case of the teenage section, the books were read and judged by reading groups in UK secondary schools. In order to win a place in the finals, the books were marked according to editing, theme, style and cover. Angels made the finalist cut!

Pick up your copy of Angels today!

The final winners will be announced on April 1st. Watch this space for further announcements …

finalist
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Love Your Local Authors!

We had an excellent day at the Love Your Local Authors Book Fair in Bury St Edmunds yesterday! It was a fantastic event, and a brilliant opportunity to bring local authors together with local readers.

Taller Books will be appearing at plenty of in-person events this year. Check out our events page for more information!

Love Your Local Authors Book Fair in Bury St Edmunds
Rachel Churcher on the Taller Books stand at Love Your Local Authors!
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Love Your Local Authors Book Fair – Today!

TODAY in Bury St Edmunds: meet Rachel Churcher, author of the Battle Ground Series and Angels, at the Love Your Local Authors Book Fair.

You’ll find 14 local authors and publishers at the Constitutional Club in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, 11-4pm today. Pick up signed books and bookish gifts (perfect for Valentines Day!), and warm up with cosy seating and a drink from the fully licensed bar.

Entry is FREE! Come along, meet the authors, and discover your next favourite read.

Love Your Local Authors Book Fair
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Meet the Author!

This Sunday (11th February), meet Rachel Churcher, author of the Battle Ground Series and Angels, at the Love Your Local Authors Book Fair in Bury St Edmunds.

You’ll find 14 local authors and publishers at the Constitutional Club in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, 11-4pm on Sunday. Pick up signed books and bookish gifts (perfect for Valentines Day!), and warm up with cosy seating and a drink from the fully licensed bar.

Entry is FREE! Come along, meet the authors, and discover your next favourite read.

Love Your Local Authors Book Fair
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YA Review: Black Heat

Title: Black Heat
Author: Bex Hogan
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

YA Review: Black Heat

My absolute favourite book of 2023, Black Heat completely consumed me. Three strong female leads with very different lives, all affected by – and contributing to – a war they have been powerless to prevent. What do the princess, the blacksmith and the midwife have in common, and how will their individual actions shape their common goals?

I loved every part of this book. The three women have different motives and different positions in society, and each brings a different type of strength to the story. Marzal, the princess, searches for ways to survive and protect herself in a royal court where everyone is playing dangerous games, and no one can be trusted. Rayn, the blacksmith, seeks revenge for the deaths of her family while negotiating her own survival on a battlefield dominated by dangerous men. Elena, the apprentice midwife, must trust in her abilities and find a way to protect herself and the secret she carries.

Their stories, while told in individual strands, all play essential roles in the search for peace in a war-torn country – and in the need for revenge.

The world-building is fantastic. Telling the story from three points of view, three locations, and three utterly different social positions allows the author to paint a comprehensive picture of the setting without infodumping or excessive description. We see what we need to see, and the different points of view allow the reader to witness the war and its effects, from the palace to the battlefield, and the homes of the people caught up in the fighting.

This isn’t a romance. This isn’t a story about men, or women chasing men. This is a story about female strength and perseverance in the face of a war, and a political struggle in which they have no part. Men – good and bad – appear in the story, but the focus is always on Marzal, Rayn, and Elena, and the choices they make for survival, peace, and revenge.

Did I mention that I love this book? It’s an absolute treat to read. If you enjoy strong female leads, dangerous plots and dangerous secrets, and a satisfying dose of revenge – what are you waiting for?

Have you read Black Heat? What did you think of the three women and their stories? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: Black Heat cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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YA Review: The Thing About Lemons

Title: The Thing About Lemons
Author: Tasha Harrison
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

YA Review: The Thing About Lemons

This is a sweet YA romance, and therefore not my usual choice of reading, but it grabbed me from the start and kept the pages turning right up until the satisfying ending. It’s a perfect holiday beach read, with the power to make it feel like summer even as I was reading it in October.

Ori is looking forward to a summer of camping and festivals with her best friends from school. Her mum will be in Chicago with her new boyfriend, their flat is being rented out on Airbnb while they are both away, and everything is lined up for the perfect holiday … until Ori makes a really, really big mistake and loses most of her friends overnight. Camping is off, festivals are off, and the flat will be someone else’s home while her mother is out of the country.

Enter Ori’s grandfather Claude – a notoriously clueless womaniser who lives in France, and calls in to see her once every few years. She’s dreading spending time with him, let alone staying with him in his small French village, helping him convert an old barn into a music venue for the local community. But that’s what her mother has organised, and she has nowhere else to go.

But Claude turns out to have hidden depths, eccentric family connections, and neighbours with a student grandson who is also staying for the summer. Despite life giving her lemons, Ori decides to make metaphorical lemonade, and enjoy her enforced holiday as much as she can.

It’s a fun story, with family feuds and secrets to uncover, neighbours and extended family to meet, and an absolutely gorgeous setting. I wanted to join Ori and her grandfather as they spent their days preparing the barn for a grand opening, and their evenings swimming in the river at the edge of his property. The descriptions of the village, the great food and drink, and their progress on the barn made the story glow.

Feel-good and engaging, this book surprised and hooked me, a taste of summer between its pages.

Have you read The Thing About Lemons? Do you think Ori deserved to lose her friends after her mistake? And who had the better summer in the end? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: The Thing About Lemons cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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YA Review: Ocean Heart

Title: Ocean Heart
Author: Ally Aldridge
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

YA Review: Ocean Heart

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that I’m not a big fan of paranormal romance or love triangles. That said, while Ocean Heart is a PNR with a love triangle, it’s also a gripping story where the rival love interests are integral to the plot. And – possibly my favourite kind of fictional relationship – there’s a lovely male/female friendship that I really wanted to survive the story!

Mariah has no idea she has powers. She’s just an ordinary teenager with a hippie single mum, and her best friend Jace living next door. True – she has an allergic reaction to seawater, and she’s not allowed to swim, but allergies aren’t uncommon. When she’s persuaded to join the swimming club at school she has to keep it from her mother, who would not approve. But Mariah feels at home in the water in a way she can’t explain, and she’s soon promoted to a place on the school team.

Meanwhile Jace is trying to spend time with his girlfriend, Kiely, but her brother Murray, star of the swim team, is always around as a chaperone. When Jace asks Mariah to distract Murray so he can finally kiss Kiely, he has no idea what the consequences will be. Powers are awakened, secrets are exposed, and Mariah has to decide whether to follow her destiny or her heart.

Mariah’s story had me turning the pages and staying up late to find out what would happen next. I loved her relationship with Jace, and their very real questioning of the way they felt about each other. Murray is an interesting but flawed character, and I was constantly dreading what he might do next. Mariah’s relationship with her mother felt natural, and her mother’s spellcasting and potion-brewing felt innocent and eccentric – at least in the beginning. No spoilers, but all the relationships evolve throughout the book, and the explosive showdown opens up intriguing possibilities for the sequel. Bring it on!

And could we just please take a moment to appreciate this book’s gorgeous cover? It’s stunning (and it would look great on your bookshelf!).

Have you read Ocean Heart? What did you think of Mariah’s story? Did you enjoy the love triangle, and do you think Mariah makes the right choice? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: Ocean Heart cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.