Browns Best New Books for February 2024
1st February 2024
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. It’s February! The afternoons are a little bit lighter, spring is on its way, at Browns we are starting to get excited about World Book Day (which this year falls on Thursday March 7th) and it’s no longer January (which always feels like a very, very long month)! There are also some great new books for February and here are some of our favourites published this month.
Check back next month for our picks of the new books March has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
Nuts and Bolts
Agrawal, Roma
Paperback / softback
Roma Agrawal is a broadcaster and award-winning structural engineer who has designed skyscrapers, bridges and sculptures and worked on The Shard. This book looks at 7 small inventions (the nail, the spring, the wheel, the lens, the string, the magnet and the pump) that we often take for granted but have altered our lives and had a huge impact throughout history.
This is a fascinating and accessible book that covers the history, science and application of these seemingly simple but vital inventions. Roma Agrawal writes in an engaging and often humorous way about her subject and opens up the world of engineering for everyone, explaining some very complicated ideas in a way that is easy to understand. A really interesting history of technology and engineering that will have readers thinking about the huge impact these seemingly small inventions have had on our lives and world.
More DetailsAdult Fiction
Red Side Story
Fforde, Jasper
Hardback
I’m a massive fan of Jasper Fforde and adore his Thursday Next and Nursery Crime books (I take any opportunity to recommend The Eyre Affair to family and friends and it has never disappointed). Fans of Fforde’s Shades of Grey have been patiently waiting for 10 years for the next book in the series and the wait is finally over! It is the UK but after an unspoken “Something That Happened” five hundred years before, civilisation has been rebuilt and is now strictly colour-based with your place in society determined by what colours you can see. Eddie Russet (a Red) and Jane (a lowly Grey) are a young couple whose relationship is forbidden and who long to break free from the narrow and controlled world they live in.
Jasper Fforde is a hugely gifted world-builder, his books are quirky, clever, hilarious and brilliantly inventive. Red Side Story has well-drawn characters, an intriguing world and a gripping plot alongside hilarious and thought-provoking observations about society. This is a welcome splash of colour at a gloomy time of year and well worth the wait for those who have been patiently anticipating the follow-up to Shades of Grey. Another fantastic, enjoyable and unique read from this gifted author.
Children’s Non-Fiction
Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet
Davies, Nicola
Hardback
As spring approaches this is a fresh and fantastic look at the most precious colour on Earth – Green! From the award-winning team behind Tiny, Lots and Grow this wonderful book for younger primary-school children starts with the secret workings of a tree. Covering billions of years from when plant life first started emerging on our planet and looking at evolution of plants, the emergence of fossil fuels and the amazing variety of plants around the world.
The clear text and fascinating subject coupled with charming and detailed illustrations make this the perfect book to help children appreciate the amazing part that trees and plants play in our delicate eco-system. The perfect blend of essential biology facts, beautiful illustration and a powerful environmental message makes this a great addition to every Key Stage 1 classroom.
More DetailsChildren’s Fiction
On Silver Tides
Bishop, Sylvia
Paperback / softback
Kelda is one of the Silvermen, a hidden community who live in Britain’s waterways and have the ability to breathe through their skin and swim like fish. When it is discovered that Kelda’s little sister has been born different and can’t breathe underwater the whole family must protect her from the suspicions of their people. As England’s rivers become sick and monstrous creatures awaken, Kelda and Isla escape on a desperate journey to Scotland and safety, encountering danger and violence as well as hope and friendship.
On Silver Tides is a wonderful new adventure story that cleverly weaves folklore, fantasy, family loyalty and romance with a strong ecological message. The vivid and complex characterisation will have readers swept up in the story and routing for Kelda as she battles to protect her sister, learns of the Silverman’s secret history and faces the very real challenges of growing up. A beautiful and magical tale in which Sylvia Bishop has built a compelling and rich world. We believe On Silver Tides is a classic in the making.
