February 2025

4.2 out of 5 Set against the backdrop of cherry blossoms in bloom and the warmth of spring sunshine, the book transports readers to a quaint Japanese bookstore. When Takako finds out her boyfriend is getting married to another woman and then forced out of her job, she has no choice but to move to her uncle’s secondhand bookstore, hidden in a quiet wooden building in Japan’s famous book district—Jimbocho, Tokyo; where she rediscovers friendship, love, and the power of literature all while trying to heal from her past trauma and betrayal. Written By- Kristina Yu

4.5 out of 5 Nestled on a mountainside bordering the Kaigenese Empire, reside the formidable warriors, possessing supernatural abilities to manipulate the sea and wield icy blades, defending the Kusanagi Peninsula for centuries, earning their name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’ Mamoru, a fourteen-year-old boy of the esteemed Matsuda family, is primed to uphold his family’s martial legacy and define his homeland. However, when an outsider arrives and provides revelations on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realises that the empire he was bred to defend may have been built on a foundation of lies, and that his journey to embody the warrior he was destined to become may be rapidly slipping away. Meanwhile, Misaki convinced herself that when she married into the Matsuda family, she put her youthful passions behind. She concealed her sword and all other mementos from her time as a warrior in a distant nation, now focusing on being determined to be an appealing housewife and mother. However, Misaki finds the fighter returning to the surface as a result of her son’s rising curiosity for the outside world, the looming prospect of an invasion across the sea, and her cold husband’s irritation. Written By- Leon Zhang

4.7 out of 5 The novel follows the extraordinary life of the icon and Hollywood’s legendary actress—Evelyn Hugo. Through the lens of Monique Grant—a young journalist tasked with writing Evelyn’s biography—Evelyn reveals her famous seven marriages and the tumultuous paths of her career. With plot twists that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, the book is the perfect companion for a springtime escape as readers are transported into the glamorous and ambitious world of Hollywood in the 1950s. Written By- Kristina Yu

3.9 out of 5 Amidst the years preceding the Second World War, Stella North, a strong young woman, is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first international air race for young pilots. As the only female pilot, attempting to prove that she is a worthy competitor is nothing short of a challenge. However, Stella questions the promotion of peace in Europe, as the Nazi’s gain power and the civil war in Spain grows larger – and when a plane is sabotaged to get ahead of the competition. This novel explores the transformative power of shared experiences, the confusion and fear of identity, and the mysteries that lie deep within everyone. The world is looking for peace and entertainment in such turbulent times. But each of the racers is hiding a dark, violent past, and any one of them might be capable of murder, even Stella herself. Written By- Leon Zhang

4.3 out of 5 The story begins in a small town in Ireland, where Connell, a popular and athletic teenager, strikes up a secret relationship with Marianne, a social outcast known for her intelligence and aloofness. A year later, they are both studying at Dublin’s Trinity College. Throughout their time in college, drawn to their constant, powerful attraction to one another, they keep coming back to each other magnetically and irresponsibly. Marianne and Connell grapple with issues of power, intimacy, and the lingering effects of trauma. Written By- Kristina Yu

4.1 out of 5 Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an ageing simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbours soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and perpetrator a riddle—yet this, along with everything else, is eventually answered, just as the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata are gradually revealed, with one escaping his fate entirely and the other given a fresh start on his own. Written By- Leon Zhang

4.6 out of 5 Violet Sorrengail, at twenty years old, was meant to join the Scribe Quadrant, destined for a peaceful life immersed in books and history. However, her iron-willed mother, the commanding general, has other plans: she orders Violet to compete among hundreds of candidates aiming to become Navarre’s elite dragon riders. Yet Violet faces enormous challenges. Her slight frame and brittle bones make survival precarious, as dragons refuse to bond with “fragile” humans—they incinerate them instead. With more cadets than dragons, many would kill Violet to improve their own odds. Others, like Xaden Riorson, the fearsome wingleader of the Riders Quadrant, would kill her simply because she is her mother’s daughter. Violet must rely on her wits to make it through each day. Meanwhile, the war beyond the walls grows increasingly perilous, the kingdom’s protective wards are weakening, and casualties mount. Violet starts to suspect that the leaders are hiding a dark secret. At Basgiath War College, everyone has their own agenda—friends, foes, and lovers alike. Because once you’re in, there are only two ways out: graduate or die. Written By- Leon Zhang