Spotlight on...
Speak the Ocean by Rebecca Enzor

Today I am spotlighting the 13th place BBNYA 2025 finalist! Read on for more about the book, the author and of course the BBNYA competition and how you can get involved.

Book Summary

Corporate tells the public the mermaids aren’t dangerous, but that’s a lie.

When the superpredator Mer kill another trainer, Finnegan Jarvis finally sees his opportunity to become a superstar trainer. No more scrubbing tanks and cleaning blood: he’s gonna be in front of the audience showing off his brand-new, fully-trained mermaid. If only he can get her to do the tricks she’s supposed to.

That mermaid is Erie, an ocean-princess ripped from her home when she pushes another Mer out of the way of the net. She doesn’t understand why she’s there, but she’s determined to learn air-words to find out.

While Finn trains Erie, she teaches herself air-words. And when she finally speaks, Finn breaks the number one rule at Oceanica: Never Humanize The Mer.

Now he’ll do whatever it takes to save her.

Author Bio

Rebecca Enzor is a fantasy author and environmental chemist on Whidbey Island, WA, where she lives with her husband, two dogs, one cat, and sometimes chickens. Her articles on writing science in science fiction can be found in “Putting the Science in Fiction” from Writer’s Digest Books. Obsessed with everything ocean, she studied fisheries biology in college and electrocuted herself collecting fish in a river, which inspired several key scenes in her debut novel, Speak the Ocean, a Blackfish meets The Little Mermaid retelling.

Rebecca can be found online at:

Website: https://rebeccaenzor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.enzor 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rebeccaenzor.bsky.social 

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. 

Aaha! Racing to Rescue a Bear Trapped in Time 

by Jonathan Brough

A book that combines astronomy, comedy and holidays... what's not to love? This was wonderful, full of jokes that will delight kids and interesting space facts for everyone. The end truly got me all emotional! I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series, I wonder if Aaha will time travel again.

Read on for more about the book, a guest post from the author and the recipe for an Aviation cocktail. 

Book Summary

She’s ten. She’s off on holiday… But she’s going fifty years the wrong way!

Ten-year-old comedian and astronomer Aahana (Aaha) Kapoor has two big problems: a holiday she doesn’t want and a stepbrother she really didn’t ask for. But when a lost teddy and some hot chocolate send her fifty years into the future, she discovers that time travel is no joke… and neither is family!

With the help of a rebellious robot and a suspiciously familiar commander, Aaha races to fix the future before her flight takes off without her.

A hilarious and heartwarming adventure about family, responsibility and second chances.

Author Post

Children growing up have always found the world to be a confusing place, and the issues which they hear about in modern times mean that has never been more true than it is today. But ever since the days when cave people painted stories on walls, humans have used narrative to help them make sense of what is happening around them.

When I began writing the Aaha! series of books for children aged seven to eleven- the first of which, Aaha! Racing to Rescue a Bear Trapped in Time, has just been published by Tiny Tree- I wanted to create accessible, fast-paced stories which have an excellent role model as their central character. That is why Aahana- known to everyone as Aaha because she solves problems and makes scientific discoveries- is always cracking jokes and doing her best to make the world a better place for everyone around her.

However, I wanted the stories to do two other things as well, directly linked to that initial idea that when readers work their way through a story they live vicariously and derive valuable experience and wisdom from events in the plot. So, during each book, Aaha tackles a particular social issue that affects readers or their friends, and she gains first-hand experience of an area of the curriculum that children encounter in school. Of course it is important that such matters are tackled in sufficient depth and with appropriate respect for the gravity of the situations depicted. These carefully structured chapter books of around 128 pages respect their readers for being able to appreciate an enjoyable adventure story with an appropriately moral message. The texts are not joke books wrapped up with a thin plot: rather, I aim for them to be transformational experiences in the tradition of the best children’s fiction.

In the first book, Aaha’s social challenges involve coming to grips with living in a blended family. Her new stepfather has just moved in and brought his son, Barun, with him. Barun is somewhat of a challenging brother and rarely speaks, which means he gets a lot of their mother’s attention and Aaha resents that. But by the end of the story- after Aaha has found herself in a position where only she can avoid family disaster- she has realised her fondness for him, her responsibilities as a big sister and her commitment to their parents’ relationship.

During the course of the first book Aaha also, quite literally, navigates her way around the solar system and therefore reinforces work on the Earth in Space that children learn at school. By the time they finish the story, they will have revisited concepts such as the order of the planets and the composition of each one, as well as- possibly- having enjoyed some “aaha!” moments of their own such as the date of the moon landings.

There are facts, there are emotions, and they make children think. At the end of the book, there’s also a hint of what’s coming next for Aaha: she’s off to Vindolanda to tread in the footsteps of the Romans, accompanied by a new best friend, a refugee…

After thirty years in the primary school classroom, twenty of which were spent as a headteacher, Jonathan Brough recently retired from full-time teaching. He is now working as an educational consultant and children’s writer. He can be emailed at aaha@jonathanbrough.net and he has a website at www.booksbyjonathan.website

Of course I had to make an Aviation cocktail for Captain Bear. Add the following ingredients to a shaker with lots of ice, shake and strain into cocktail glass. 50ml gin, 15ml maraschino, 10ml creme de violette, 15ml lemon juice and 10ml chilled mineral water.

The Alphabet of Happiness by Klaudia Mitura

Book Summary

What does it take to live a happier life? Discover your path to fulfilment with The Alphabet of Happiness, a real, refreshing, science-backed guide to living a more joyful life. Inspired by Klaudia Mitura’s award-winning podcast, The Happiness Challenge, this invaluable book combines expert insights with hands-on ideas to build happiness in relationships, at work and within your own skin. Weaving surprising science with personal anecdotes and topical examples, each of the 26 alphabet-inspired principles offers easy-to-understand psychology with practical solutions, allowing you to explore and apply these insights in any order, step-by-step, to achieve genuine positive transformation in your life. Perfect for self-reflectors and go-getters alike, The Alphabet of Happiness is a must-read for anyone ready to take small but powerful steps toward a happier life.

This was an interesting read with lots of practical actions. I really liked that the author grouped the sections in the introduction so readers can choose what they want to focus on. For example, I started with the Energy (I want to have more motivation) collection and read Dreams, Meaning, Resilience and Zest. Of course you can also read cover to cover or just dip in and out randomly, whatever method works for you!

You'll want to keep a notebook close for notes and answering the questions and exercises posed for each letter. Each chapter also has recommendations for relevant episodes of Klaudia's Happiness Challenge Podcast. Another bonus is the quotes at the start of each chapter, I enjoyed reading through those first.

The only alphabet cocktail I could find had 26 different ingredients, one for each letter. That seemed far too long winded for here, plus it was very unlikely I would have everything needed! Instead I found this Scarlet Letter cocktail which is perfect as I just bought some cherries 😃

Muddle 6 cherries then add 45ml gin, 15ml cherry liquor, 15ml morello syrup, 3 dashes of bitters and the juice of half an orange. Add ice and stir to cool and dilute, then strain into your cocktail glass.

Sassy Godmother’s Pearls of Wisdom: 50 Inspiring Ways to Navigate Your Life by Susie Hall

Book Summary

Sassy Godmother’s Pearls of Wisdom is a simple and powerful set of guidelines designed to help you step back from your busy life so you can restore some well needed balance and perspective. Whether at home, at work, in love and in life, Sassy’s stories, examples and timeless wisdom will give you an indispensable guide for building your confidence, increasing your happiness and creating equilibrium.

Sassy shares the ups and downs of her 30-year journey of personal, professional and spiritual growth. She has wisdom to reveal and is determined to pass on what she’s learned. By following these simple mantras and engaging in the exercises and tools you’ll begin a journey of self-discovery, reflection and personal growth from which you’ll never look back.

This is an ideal book to dip into when you're feeling a bit... bored or unsatisfied with your life. You never know what you might find! Some of the 'Pearls of Wisdom' are common sense but still, I think sometimes you just need an extra push to take action or even just to take notice of what is around you.

I would have found it useful to have chapters or sections, so you can find advice on a particular part of your life when you need it, however it does seem they are organised in themes so once you find something useful, the others around it are usually on a similar idea.

Some useful lessons for me were Follow Your North Star, Create Space in Your Life and Do the Tough Stuff First. I definitely always resist that last one!

I really liked the little poems and quotes at the start of each chapter and interspersed throughout. Some were funny, some thoughtful but they are each relevant to the Pearl. At the end of each Pearl, there are thoughtful actions you can choose to take or think about.

Maybe our Godmother would like to sip on a Sassy Paloma while writing her words of wisdom. First get your glass ready - run a piece of lime around the rim of the glass then dip it into a mix of chili flakes/grains and salt. I like to just cover half the glass in case anyone isn't keep on chilli or salt! Fill the glass with ice. Then add the following to a shaker with lots more ice - 60ml tequila, 45ml grapefruit juice, 30ml lime juice and a dash of bitters. Shake and strain into the glass then top up with 60ml grapefruit soda.

Maya's Sri Lankan Spice Trail of Tails by Sharika Chauhan

This book will make every kid want a pen-pal to write to and visit. The descriptions of the places Maya visits make it feel as if you're actually there, the sights, smells and tastes all tempting you to have your own Sri Lankan adventure.

I found it a little confusing that I couldn't figure out how old Maya is supposed to be. It reads like a children's book but the various illustrations show her as 10 or even 15. Maybe previous books make it clearer. However this probably helps all ages see themselves in the book.

All in all a fun, quick read that will leave you wanting to travel the world, maybe after reading the other books in the series to help you choose the ideal starting location.

Book Summary

Maya is back with her next whirlwind adventure in the Maya’s Worldly Wonders series—this time to the dazzling land of palm trees, spice trails, surfing beaches, and jackfruit curry! She’s finally meeting her pen pal, Ramy, in real life—and their bucket list is bursting with fun.

From surfboard wipeouts and coral reef giggles to swinging over the sea and slurping Sri Lanka’s tastiest dishes, it’s the trip of a lifetime… until Maya meets Mimosa, a golden retriever who’s been waiting too long for a forever home.

Determined to help, the girls launch Operation Mimosa—complete with glitter charts, walkie-talkies, and dog cuddles galore! But when a global pandemic changes everything overnight, their mission takes on a whole new meaning...

To make a Maya Margarita, add 30ml tequila, 15ml agave sec liqueur, 10ml grand marnier, 30ml lemon juice and 15ml orange juice to a shaker. Add lots of ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.