#UKYASpotlight

Here at UKYA Spotlight we’ve been enjoying the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflódid for several years now, sending each other a book to enjoy on Christmas Eve with a nice cup of hot chocolate!

Why not join us this year with one of these fantastic UKYA reads?

Want a thrill to replace the winter chill?

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, by Sarah Naughton: (Goodreads) Every day in December, Eleri’s Secret Santa leaves her a gift in the abandoned tower block opposite her home. At first, they’re sweet gifts and she can’t help but hope her crush, Ras, is behind it, but as the month draws on, the gifts get darker and Eleri begins to suspect it’s linked to a girl’s disappearance last year. Is she next?

Sifa says: I raced through YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, wanting to know who was behind it all – all while being very glad I’d never had a Secret Santa this sinister!

LET’S PLAY MURDER, by Kesia Lupo: (Goodreads) Veronica finds herself trapped in the most talked about VR game, a murder mystery set in a snow-bound house. But when a player in the game dies in real life, Veronica is in a race not only to win the game but to survive.

Sifa says: LET’S PLAY MURDER combines thriller and sci-fi to great effect, with two mysteries that collide in a frenetic, deadly final sequence.

CATCH YOUR DEATH, by Ravena Guron: (Goodreads) When a welathy matriarch is poisoned over dinner, three girls find themselves trapped by snow in a house with a family of liars, and one of them has already killed once.

Beth says: CATCH YOUR DEATH is a twisting, pacy, gripping thriller that keeps ripping the rug out from under your feet with each twist making perfect sense – you might not catch your death but your won’t catch your breath!

Need a warm and fuzzy romance to soothe your soul this Christmas?

A SNOWFALL OF SILVER, by Laura Wood: (Goodreads) 1931, eighteen-year-old Freya Trevelyan runs away from her home in Cornwall to follow her dream of becoming an actress. She joins a theatre company heading out on tour, but can reality – and love – live up to her expectations?

Beth says: This magical and dreamy historical romance steals your heart and will swallow your afternoon whole as it culminates in a snowed in theatre, this story is like a warm blanket on a cold day.

SOME LIKE IT COLD, by Elle McNicoll: (Goodreads) Jasper heads to her small town for the holidays – and to say goodbye forever. But her sister’s getting married and budding filmmaker – and her nemesis – Arthur is capturing all of it. As tensions rise, a certain filmmaker looks like a reason to stay…

Sifa says: SOME LIKE IT COLD is a love story that centres autism and proudly says you do not need to hide any part of who you are to be acceptable, to be worthy, to be loved. It’s so empowering.

Need some fantastic escapism this Christmas Eve?

A SHIVER OF SNOW AND SKY, by Lisa Lueddecke: (Goodreads) On the island of Skane, the sky lights up different colours depending on the future. When the sky is red, danger is coming. Osa was born under a red sky, and now another is overhead.

Sifa says: A SHIVER OF SNOW AND SKY is a lovely fantasy adventure of resilience set in an icy world.

DAUGHTER OF WINTER AND TWILIGHT, by Helen Corcoran: (Goodreads) Emri, adopted daughter of the queens, must contend with the arrival of her frustrating cousin – and the return of a goddess long thought a myth.

Beth says: In DAUGHTER OF WINTER AND TWILIGHT, Corcoran beautifully blends traditional quest fantasy with political fantasy in a touching and personal story that I found myself dreaming about.

Merry Christmas from UKYA Spotlight! We hope your holidays are bookishly brilliant whether you celebrate or not at this time of year!

Beth & Sifa