27 BOOK REVIEWS Bookstand The latest releases in gift books QUEEN HIGH By C. J. Carey RRP: £16.99 Format: Hardback The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation - a land of spies. Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she’s even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader’s death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on the outlawed subject of Poetry, a form of writing that transmits subver- sive meanings, emotions and signals that cannot be controlled. Therefore all Poetry is banned and Rose is appointed a Poet Hunter. To widespread surprise, President Eisenhower is to make a state visit to the Alliance and Rose is tasked with visiting the widowed Queen Wallis to provide a background briefing. When she arrives at the pal- ace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland. She claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart - but will the last Queen of England pull the trigger on the Alliance? www.quercusbooks.co.uk RAINBOW RRP: £7.99 Format: Hardback Ladybird Books is delighted to announce another new title in its ever-popular Baby Touch collection. Introducing Rainbows, a book full of colour and sensory surprises, to brighten every day! With engaging tabs for each colour of the rainbow, little ones will love being taken on a sensory adventure amongst the clouds! Learning about colour in the most entertaining way possible, this delightful book is full of different textures to explore. From felt green parrots, squishy yellow submarines, furry orange cats and shiny blue rockets, there’s endless opportunities for sensory fun! Making the perfect gift for any new arrival or first birthday, the Baby Touch collection encourages sensory development and boosts motor skills from the very first story time. Like all the books in this charming collection, Baby Touch Rainbow includes simple text that can be read aloud by parents, encouraging children to look for the points of interest on each page. They also support early readers when little ones begin to read independently. With a variety of textures including soft felts, glitters and crinkly card, the books are sure to be an essential on any nursery bookshelf! www.penguin.co.uk A LOOM OF ONE’S OWN: CRAFTS FOR BOOK LOVERS By Virginia Wool RRP: £9.99 Format: Hardback A Loom of One’s Own is a crafting celebration of literary classics. Packed full of designs, these crafts are all uniquely created by cutting, painting and slicing those old, underloved books you have lying around, giving your novels a new lease of life in the form of beautiful crafts. From a shelf made of books to ‘Scary Poppins’ pumpkins, Christmas wreaths to table decorations, A Loom of One’s Own contains crafts that are perfect for all occasions, from weddings to seasonal celebrations. The ease of the designs means that they are perfect for crafters of all abilities - all you need is a love of books and glue gun. www.harpercollins.co.uk ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YARN By Lindsey Newns RRP: £12.99 Format: Hardback Crochet yourself into the Christmas spirit with these 30 gorgeous patterns for decorations, festive outerwear and personal gifts. All I Want for Christmas is Yarn is the go-to festive craft book for all crochet lovers. Packed with 30 beautiful patterns ranging from super-quick projects to those that you’ll want to take your time over, this book caters to crochet enthusiasts of all abilities, only requiring yarn and a few basic tools www.harpercollins.co.uk
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