tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79925578409581211752024-03-19T09:51:02.185+00:00Left on the ShelfMy reading journeyAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.comBlogger784125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-26410580202435345412024-03-19T09:04:00.002+00:002024-03-19T09:04:45.916+00:0010 Ten Exciting New Releases in April 2024<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrP-HvdGHoj6lovqFMwFF-5zDuKUBv27Ej5_6c-zHw-C-auphgNGF-xay5u6VRmLuOYBN1T-bhWD7mXmMhlVAC0LW4TM3kAqyQTa4So7FAZRQC4SNm-v5MwxwgylF5FzxFkFqwuwHopz_CklniSaSUK2oWxa-ue9IhgNMsEkqYCfwLUKtiltoDsIIcwU/s3072/florencia-viadana-1J8k0qqUfYY-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="3072" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrP-HvdGHoj6lovqFMwFF-5zDuKUBv27Ej5_6c-zHw-C-auphgNGF-xay5u6VRmLuOYBN1T-bhWD7mXmMhlVAC0LW4TM3kAqyQTa4So7FAZRQC4SNm-v5MwxwgylF5FzxFkFqwuwHopz_CklniSaSUK2oWxa-ue9IhgNMsEkqYCfwLUKtiltoDsIIcwU/s320/florencia-viadana-1J8k0qqUfYY-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>There are some great looking books being released in April that it has been hard to choose just ten. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Life with my puppy is still very lively but I very much hope to find time to get stuck into these little beauties.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoKpT-gSIMWJ8APUaH5q4qVoXhyphenhyphen87RJO-yDuXcG7bs5HSEGbSa9Z6Ulz1MgOLL6BxkLsTv8gTo1kM54yKnP0FPRnBuvjODsALXiSVoD4fLnHB5aMn-dC6-TtgAMWc3-3vhlpWmttPGvg2d0YXO26LxJDQvoA7K5NU7zYRHbhldmG4Z0qrkvrI_kcyyP0/s445/the%20shadow%20key.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoKpT-gSIMWJ8APUaH5q4qVoXhyphenhyphen87RJO-yDuXcG7bs5HSEGbSa9Z6Ulz1MgOLL6BxkLsTv8gTo1kM54yKnP0FPRnBuvjODsALXiSVoD4fLnHB5aMn-dC6-TtgAMWc3-3vhlpWmttPGvg2d0YXO26LxJDQvoA7K5NU7zYRHbhldmG4Z0qrkvrI_kcyyP0/w131-h200/the%20shadow%20key.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">There's something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Meirionydd, 1783. Dr Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post in London. The only job he can find is in Wales where he can't speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife, and the villagers treat him with suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Linette Tresilian has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is through Henry's investigations that a truth comes to light that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together in ways neither thought possible.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Pathways by Katie Ward</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzChmOp8Ov1F-QL_oWEWQbDL3jkpT1cLFtVPZJj4q9RPMENJZWK4gVWZJY7rJTUK6ZCUlu9LTSKs7TlqxS-lEnqMviUjXp8Jag4P8kXdc-N9YxEmKjNfYOqVGwQ4fXgQrlHEWqK6YSiANTrkHzkIayRnLZe2xhpUR978A4jyhbQPrUQDByNY4jEqCNk2I/s445/pathways.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="289" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzChmOp8Ov1F-QL_oWEWQbDL3jkpT1cLFtVPZJj4q9RPMENJZWK4gVWZJY7rJTUK6ZCUlu9LTSKs7TlqxS-lEnqMviUjXp8Jag4P8kXdc-N9YxEmKjNfYOqVGwQ4fXgQrlHEWqK6YSiANTrkHzkIayRnLZe2xhpUR978A4jyhbQPrUQDByNY4jEqCNk2I/w130-h200/pathways.jpg" width="130" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Cara is a dedicated neuroscientist with a research post at Cambridge. Heather is her almost-stepdaughter, drifting towards the end of school, trying to picture a future that fits her. Paul is Cara's partner and Heather's father - and when he suddenly disappears with no explanation, these two very different women, legally and biologically unrelated, need to figure out their place in each other's life.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Set in Cambridge and Las Vegas, each city in its way as artificial as the other, <i>Pathways</i> is about connections forged and connections failed, and how people struggle to understand themselves and each other. A novel of both the heart and the head, it is perceptive, wry and unexpectedly moving, a love story of deep originality and intelligence.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBoxsTyCxMxp1FHju9oBOd22Yt2P-rGBjYSRomzGKJSEhc2jRRplwQmuk2Mc9rxrJXod6h7Fvj9BnW01Zi6191KyvF0nLUrPPD5cuY4hnE7RAd0aUeP573DRxxwBl5JYPL8WF-yVRsVoM0VFMF5i6pSsMyucaP8pi5POOQ04dTe3md8Q1N9BqEMi8tg/s385/the%20little%20penguin%20bookshop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBoxsTyCxMxp1FHju9oBOd22Yt2P-rGBjYSRomzGKJSEhc2jRRplwQmuk2Mc9rxrJXod6h7Fvj9BnW01Zi6191KyvF0nLUrPPD5cuY4hnE7RAd0aUeP573DRxxwBl5JYPL8WF-yVRsVoM0VFMF5i6pSsMyucaP8pi5POOQ04dTe3md8Q1N9BqEMi8tg/w131-h200/the%20little%20penguin%20bookshop.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Books can change lives, even in wartime. . .</p><p style="text-align: center;">When World War II breaks out, Carrie Anderson sets up a bookstall at her local train station in the hope of providing a sense of escapism for travellers, troops and evacuees.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and armed with a colourful array of Penguin paperbacks, Carrie’s business soon booms. And when she gifts a book to a dashing officer, an act of kindness becomes the beginning of Carrie’s very own love story.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But as war rages on, and Mike is posted abroad, Carrie’s world is turned upside-down.</p><p style="text-align: center;">With the help of her station community, and the power of her paperbacks, can Carrie find the strength to battle through?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhw5s5K9DCEMQyt46stRSQOupMOwy1gwuHbBkYtatNPMQput2YAMrZbnGK_psUfFmYeX8iPg4OxKHKswiWYunrLwyOOB0ML90nIwV1KRMJt0yO9N4wmlJoR_2Da7ApXi5STxf2yH3Y5RS-nKXCzGYfJV9yFTcQpj7ZN5bx84qBTeUg73ceO-hUo4DFtc/s445/sweetness%20in%20the%20skin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="277" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhw5s5K9DCEMQyt46stRSQOupMOwy1gwuHbBkYtatNPMQput2YAMrZbnGK_psUfFmYeX8iPg4OxKHKswiWYunrLwyOOB0ML90nIwV1KRMJt0yO9N4wmlJoR_2Da7ApXi5STxf2yH3Y5RS-nKXCzGYfJV9yFTcQpj7ZN5bx84qBTeUg73ceO-hUo4DFtc/w124-h200/sweetness%20in%20the%20skin.jpg" width="124" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">For Pumkin Patterson, family is complicated.</p><p style="text-align: center;">There’s her mother Paulette, who ignores her. There’s her beloved Auntie Sophie, who her mother resents. And there’s her grandmother, who has always played favourites. Whenever tensions rise, Pumkin retreats to the kitchen - creating the Jamaican bread puddings and coconut drops that have always given her comfort.</p><p style="text-align: center;">When Sophie moves to France for work, she vows to send for her niece in one year’s time. But in order to follow her aunt, Pumkin has a mountain to climb. Starting with the question of how she’ll manage to escape her mother, and make enough money to get to Marseille.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Inspired by her skills in the kitchen, Pumkin turns to her community in the hope that she can sell enough sweet treats to bake her way out. But when her school and her mother discover her plan, everything she’s worked so hard for may slip through her fingers . . .</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>A Single Act of Kindness by Samantha Tonge</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9xqOUi_FajBpv4-fLrnPCMMVDaNHnmk-ApWj0rv0aNoeO1Pp2_USMQNb9S6MQRdqZPkkOiXhVplRQxQ3-QBvxp1jo2idshCiX4jRR9pYhsubwfW8yt_CDBN_sbIAv6V7pmIFsjnzx87SLKirNKqwaHSqmLr3bCFGSqOCQOnTZ6D8kqLHbCOV3BNtOnM/s445/a%20single%20act%20of%20kindness.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9xqOUi_FajBpv4-fLrnPCMMVDaNHnmk-ApWj0rv0aNoeO1Pp2_USMQNb9S6MQRdqZPkkOiXhVplRQxQ3-QBvxp1jo2idshCiX4jRR9pYhsubwfW8yt_CDBN_sbIAv6V7pmIFsjnzx87SLKirNKqwaHSqmLr3bCFGSqOCQOnTZ6D8kqLHbCOV3BNtOnM/w131-h200/a%20single%20act%20of%20kindness.jpg" width="131" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Tilda has done everything she can to make her life neat, protected, tidy. No longer the girl who was scared of everything, whose family pushed her away, who hit rock bottom. Now she runs her life – as she does her successful business – with the utmost organization. As long as she keeps everyone at arm’s length, she will be fine. She will be safe.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But then a chance encounter with a man who’s fallen on hard times changes everything. Milo needs a break, and self-contained Tilda surprises herself by deciding she should help him. Just for a while. A few days at the most.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Maybe all he needs is someone to organize him, to help him clean up his act? She is sure she knows how to kick-start Milo into turning his life around.</p><p style="text-align: center;">What Tilda doesn’t know is that – with this single act of kindness – it might actually be her own life that’s about to change forever…</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje</u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPgcvJRHg-y_Pj4vvgVdUqoNwOLw4aGoGmtxuTqSExHKkEGDuJEqBP3LcWhBYMeATMMk28OTV4ZlrIKnejBkt8VsJpdZUspP-y1mMo8hEV1UqnmWB57vY5eFX6B0dwgWH4nk56yhm693DJLDVAzJi1GT71kb7xK4imdxhyzzDR8cpVxTQJNymkWfFQM/s445/the%20library%20thief.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPgcvJRHg-y_Pj4vvgVdUqoNwOLw4aGoGmtxuTqSExHKkEGDuJEqBP3LcWhBYMeATMMk28OTV4ZlrIKnejBkt8VsJpdZUspP-y1mMo8hEV1UqnmWB57vY5eFX6B0dwgWH4nk56yhm693DJLDVAzJi1GT71kb7xK4imdxhyzzDR8cpVxTQJNymkWfFQM/w132-h200/the%20library%20thief.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained.</p><p style="text-align: center;">After he brought her home from Jamaica as a baby, Florence's father had her hair hot-combed to make her look like the other girls. But as a young woman, Florence is not so easy to tame - and when she brings scandal to his door, the bookbinder throws her onto the streets of Manchester.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Intercepting her father's latest commission, Florence talks her way into the remote, forbidding Rose Hall to restore its collection of rare books. Lord Francis Belfield's library is old and full of secrets - but none so intriguing as the whispers about his late wife.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Then one night, the library is broken into. Strangely, all the priceless tomes remain untouched. Florence is puzzled, until she discovers a half-burned book in the fireplace. She realises with horror that someone has found and set fire to the secret diary of Lord Belfield's wife - which may hold the clue to her fate . . .</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Hard Times for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride</u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_YZK0ZQ0xmgf9TuTMXj9GAmpN692JqZonVlcxQpsfXaCrse9yamkAU82-UT8VOaw8YDkznZNCYp0ohrA2rffVikst5hLVfBT-2FvdWkrkrwqiR2AJTKU-m0nuPaJfz-r-ORIG7ZQDi-d3uiKqOK4d1Xx3CkDXcZUwyoLSKhwvgH6YW5jhw0qzNORwJI/s385/hard%20times%20for%20the%20east%20end%20library%20girls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_YZK0ZQ0xmgf9TuTMXj9GAmpN692JqZonVlcxQpsfXaCrse9yamkAU82-UT8VOaw8YDkznZNCYp0ohrA2rffVikst5hLVfBT-2FvdWkrkrwqiR2AJTKU-m0nuPaJfz-r-ORIG7ZQDi-d3uiKqOK4d1Xx3CkDXcZUwyoLSKhwvgH6YW5jhw0qzNORwJI/w131-h200/hard%20times%20for%20the%20east%20end%20library%20girls.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">As the war reaches London, they’ll band together…</p><p style="text-align: center;">War strikes close to home for chief librarian Cordelia when her flat is bombed, and her beloved Robert is called up and sent abroad. Fortunately, her colleagues Mavis and Jane can help see her through hard times.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The three friends find purpose in making the Silvertown library a friendly sanctuary for their deprived and devastated community. But sinister forces, from callous bureaucrats to crafty criminals, still lurk among the stacks. Worse, Jane’s soldier husband is injured and suffers both physically and mentally.</p><p style="text-align: center;">With so many struggles Cordelia and her friends might need more than books to survive war's shadow. Can they find light in the darkness?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Red Runs the Witch's Thread by Victoria Williamson</u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATES9pRXajKilykrYqlrukriN4U5H14B561MHGOF9491GcANeaJO67tgdykVIpKzoPC0Ht5ZwCOHXpVLdye0_LBD98MUygchS1DBhLcohaJlCNPWGzJr_RawP3bVtIifjlK-c8hmYEOlfH380SemEozw5M_KA9_wfwIXj8Nt2gxLNWUvWLWUoJMzrVZA/s385/red%20runs%20the%20witch's%20thread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="248" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATES9pRXajKilykrYqlrukriN4U5H14B561MHGOF9491GcANeaJO67tgdykVIpKzoPC0Ht5ZwCOHXpVLdye0_LBD98MUygchS1DBhLcohaJlCNPWGzJr_RawP3bVtIifjlK-c8hmYEOlfH380SemEozw5M_KA9_wfwIXj8Nt2gxLNWUvWLWUoJMzrVZA/w129-h200/red%20runs%20the%20witch's%20thread.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Paisley, Scotland, 1697. Thirty-five people accused of witchcraft. Seven condemned to death. Six strangled and burned at the stake. All accused by eleven-year-old Christian Shaw.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Bargarran House, 1722. Christian Shaw returns home, spending every waking hour perfecting the thread bleaching process that will revive her family’s fortune. If only she can make it white enough, perhaps her past sins will be purified too.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But dark forces are at work. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of the witch burnings approaches, ravens circle Bargarran House, their wild cries stirring memories and triggering visions.</p><p style="text-align: center;">As Christian’s mind begins to unravel, her states of delusion threaten the safety of all those who cross her path. In the end she must make a terrible choice: her mind or her soul? Poverty and madness, or a devil’s bargain for the bleaching process that will make her the most successful businesswoman Paisley has ever seen?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Her fate hangs by a thread. Which will she choose?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman</u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdErx1LNjvTPrcRFFHj7mjF6B82a3RpRV7MAHt4URpv3cpzIiOaff1X8eoK53WPgHxYUoJHKjYGkz7HK4g_JxIHVzA_Zrpvd8lhHBxLLWCC51iK4Z3XESiyoFhyphenhyphenIa_QGn5mBWkbZRu8RzXXn4L8LTrj6d58t8Ovuo_iNAhClg3da0THNywriuRKoVtFws/s445/widow's%20on%20the%20winepath.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdErx1LNjvTPrcRFFHj7mjF6B82a3RpRV7MAHt4URpv3cpzIiOaff1X8eoK53WPgHxYUoJHKjYGkz7HK4g_JxIHVzA_Zrpvd8lhHBxLLWCC51iK4Z3XESiyoFhyphenhyphenIa_QGn5mBWkbZRu8RzXXn4L8LTrj6d58t8Ovuo_iNAhClg3da0THNywriuRKoVtFws/w131-h200/widow's%20on%20the%20winepath.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Viv, Janet and Zelda know all about facing the wobbly first year of becoming a widow as their friendship was forged when they ran away from the same dreary support group. Forming instead the much more lively widows' wine club – The Muscateers – they welcome new member Libby with open arms.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Libby feels lost without Jim, her husband of more than thirty years, but the warmth, friendship and fun the women wrap her up in inspires her to begin to look to the future. When a solo trip to the theatre brings a blast from the past back into her life, things are looking up.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But as cravat-wearing, smooth-talking Monty Charles sweeps Libby off her feet, the women of the Muscateers smell a rat. They know only too well that the first year of widowhood is prime for making mistakes, and they’re determined to protect their friend. And as Monty soon finds out to his cost, never underestimate a Widow on the Wine Path…</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering by Andrew Hunter Murray</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafhnnLUeg6NwBButE3Xs3VBaRgCdnqLFL4oaMQjHxwE7a6-aZQSv66-HSTozoUB-fjeisszyRZjazZC3ZFnVg4whE3rgkBwun58UsJlC2FYS6EDTngFWwo1QRBwKLIaq30PKVkOLBWIEmDOLmV-HBcsavnJGWFtRyNHrVaYKELtjFlnmE8Ok_xG59cq4/s385/a%20beginner's%20guide%20to%20breaking%20and%20entering.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafhnnLUeg6NwBButE3Xs3VBaRgCdnqLFL4oaMQjHxwE7a6-aZQSv66-HSTozoUB-fjeisszyRZjazZC3ZFnVg4whE3rgkBwun58UsJlC2FYS6EDTngFWwo1QRBwKLIaq30PKVkOLBWIEmDOLmV-HBcsavnJGWFtRyNHrVaYKELtjFlnmE8Ok_xG59cq4/w130-h200/a%20beginner's%20guide%20to%20breaking%20and%20entering.jpg" width="130" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Property might be theft. But the housing market is murder.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My name is Al. I live in wealthy people's second homes while their real owners are away.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I don’t rob them, I don’t damage anything… I’m more an unofficial house-sitter than an actual criminal.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Life is good.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Or it was - until last night, when my friends and I broke into the wrong place, on the wrong day, and someone wound up dead.</p><p style="text-align: center;">And now … now we’re in a great deal of trouble.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-70730445185563285442024-03-18T09:34:00.000+00:002024-03-18T09:34:27.482+00:00The Teacher Who Knew Too Much by Rob Keeley - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9X6ahPINDm397VJddajGn22aX8dcyaXWFpfTo-L2aiRahmV9sS69pzQkKwSmQc0AITCQthIq5r0tR7OjHfx6A9gq26aKaCCD9sZawp4SMGO1usAMKhWgKgPBnklsFLJlg9azUs4fMhvJ5zaIaJskPB4xbZfpBBLwF1u2GJJzSr2LD6fXdncNJl6BcJeE/s445/the%20teacher%20who%20knew%20too%20much.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9X6ahPINDm397VJddajGn22aX8dcyaXWFpfTo-L2aiRahmV9sS69pzQkKwSmQc0AITCQthIq5r0tR7OjHfx6A9gq26aKaCCD9sZawp4SMGO1usAMKhWgKgPBnklsFLJlg9azUs4fMhvJ5zaIaJskPB4xbZfpBBLwF1u2GJJzSr2LD6fXdncNJl6BcJeE/s320/the%20teacher%20who%20knew%20too%20much.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>A robber was running.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Dressed from head to foot in black, the shadowy figure came hurtling through the streets. Right across the town centre, shoving early shoppers and dog-walkers out of the way, with only one thought - to escape ...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker!</p><p style="text-align: center;">With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...</p><p style="text-align: center;">This new novel from award-winning children’s and YA author Rob Keeley is a quick and breathless read, a comedy crime thriller that will enthral the young reader and keep the pages turning! Perfect for confident readers, reluctant readers or as a holiday gift.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">When I was a girl at school, many moons ago, I often wondered what my teachers were like outside of school. For Ben, the main character in the book, he discovers that his Maths teacher is a bank robber!</p><p style="text-align: center;">Such a delightful premise for this book, and I enjoyed every word. It is humourous in the style in which it has been written, and middle grade children will love this story. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It is a fun and fast paced story that even the most reluctant of readers will enjoy. There is so much to grab their attention. Not only discovering that his teacher is a bank robber, but he goes on the run with her, encounters a gangster and joins a circus. I cannot imagine the child that will not revel in such a wonderful plot.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My own sons would have loved this when they were young. It's short chapters and comedic quality, along with it's pithy plot will appeal to most children in the middle grade age range. A super book which I highly recommend for the intended age range.</p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1805141877</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Matador</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: e-book and paperback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 80 (paperback)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG2TCEVXCdTvssi1jsKltsK6BXdIe2TWoXlTi2zVg8BlTMgJB6Q1cEnvoAlgS_D9iiWMaWtoM-1cxo0pvO0UeFjxn-p06yJ-Iwl_1bxRmtlzVA4igiFyVemQ7mQpG6zghX1UtUlIYWyLgrE6XXr9EuS01415U_yAwRivHyLeArkbVUqKf3cxKeuTmfZk/s242/rob%20keeley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="146" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG2TCEVXCdTvssi1jsKltsK6BXdIe2TWoXlTi2zVg8BlTMgJB6Q1cEnvoAlgS_D9iiWMaWtoM-1cxo0pvO0UeFjxn-p06yJ-Iwl_1bxRmtlzVA4igiFyVemQ7mQpG6zghX1UtUlIYWyLgrE6XXr9EuS01415U_yAwRivHyLeArkbVUqKf3cxKeuTmfZk/s1600/rob%20keeley.jpg" width="146" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Rob has been writing stories and plays since he was a kid and used to lie on the hearthrug and write with a smudgy pen. In March 2011 Troubadour published his first book, <i>The Alien in the Garage and Other Stories, </i>a book of short stories for children. He has now published thirteen books for children and they have been honoured with a win at the Georgina Hawtrey-Woore Awards and have been longlisted for the inaugural Bath Children's Novel Award and the International Rubery Book Award, Highly Commended for the Independent Author Book Award and nominated for the People's Book Prize. His first novel for adults, a murder mystery called <i>Death At Friar's Inn,</i> was published in 2022.</p><p style="text-align: center;">His first ever published work was an article for a local magazine for the disabled (he's a wheelchair user) when he was fifteen, and his first broadcast work was for Chain Gang and Newsjack on BBC Radio 4 Extra. In 2016 and 2017 he was a judge for the IGGY and Litro Young Writers' Prize. He is a patron of the Children's Media Foundation. In 2019 his one-act stage comedy, <i>Mr Everyone,</i> was listed for the Alfred Bradley and Kenneth Branagh Awards. During lockdown he was Children's Writer in Residence at the Stay at Home Literary Festival, and held online school workshops as part of Liverpool Writes.</p><p style="text-align: center;">He studied Law at university and has worked in offices and done voluntary work in schools, including storytelling and helping kids with their reading. He offers author workshops and has a Certificate and a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Lancaster University. He lives in Wirral, Merseyside and his hobbies include reading, quiz nights (as a competitor or hosting), doing magic tricks (quite badly), playing the odd bit of keyboard (worse), theatre, TV and going out with friends.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and media courtesy of the author)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-40293336858706135662024-03-17T17:04:00.000+00:002024-03-17T17:04:37.543+00:00A Swift Return by Fiona Barker & Illustrated by Howard Gray - #bookreview #blogtour<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7qIcuI28QMY_tuQCZqDvxYMU6F-AjVTnNxFv_GOpcTFf7yTD5pGyP9XHCG-DYb7M-iotDwC-zgysF4wXHFl_yKB6fXUIZQdoRg5Wn4fORWZ5_T5YXIvNQ6OHd9Uz1gAxdKcaBqAy_lRjUTwwGEXFN4Iy3IdCt4PLoZX4S8kfwN3BlPIfXxuIZS3FybY/s500/A%20Swift%20Return%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7qIcuI28QMY_tuQCZqDvxYMU6F-AjVTnNxFv_GOpcTFf7yTD5pGyP9XHCG-DYb7M-iotDwC-zgysF4wXHFl_yKB6fXUIZQdoRg5Wn4fORWZ5_T5YXIvNQ6OHd9Uz1gAxdKcaBqAy_lRjUTwwGEXFN4Iy3IdCt4PLoZX4S8kfwN3BlPIfXxuIZS3FybY/s320/A%20Swift%20Return%20Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Aria had her feet in the clouds.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Yusuf had his feet on the ground.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Aria has her head in the clouds. Yusuf keeps his feet on the ground. But when they work together to save a bird who has lost her way, something magical happens. When Swift loses her way on her epic migration. Aria and Yusuf come to her rescue and are inspired to think big about looking after the sky above their city. Inspired by Fiona and Howard’s love for wildlife of all kinds, <i>A Swift Return</i> is the follow-up to Setsuko and the Song of the Sea. Howard’s beautiful illustrations evoke a strong sense of place, strengthened by the beautiful Arabic text distilled by Maysoon AbuBlan.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">This is a lovely picture book which is ideal for sharing with little ones. It has much to say about the environment and the importance of us eaching playing a small part to protect it. Consequently, there are discussion points that are triggered by both the text and the illustrations.</p><p style="text-align: center;">It is the story of how two children, Aria and Yusuf become friends when they rescue a bird who is weak and suffering due to the pollution of the unnamed city in which they live. They attempt to help the bird and in doing so realise that in their own small way they can work towards helping the natural world survive.</p><p style="text-align: center;">This is the strong message running throughout the book; that we each have a small part to play in protecting the world in which we live. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Early readers will also enjoy reading the text in this book, and each line is shadowed by Arabic script, opening this book up to a whole other group of children.</p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1913230494</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Tiny Tree</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: e-book and paperback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 27</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEazbMxFrh4E1mr1khDGBxZCAUyZ_JRlP_rXIdxC6K0dD0koA7Wl_ifzTxHFIpMkNK6ssU1qR_gXBp71siyHTtvzAX5q__rCFmeJ9bhd2E2nfJaQPiLzlI8ldQDpiroE2CkDCbKHs-qyn8NtJpnZ2tRHqNHC5uGNASL3O8v1bFVhuO8Xdl1F7LMt9H7-w/s450/Fiona%20Barker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEazbMxFrh4E1mr1khDGBxZCAUyZ_JRlP_rXIdxC6K0dD0koA7Wl_ifzTxHFIpMkNK6ssU1qR_gXBp71siyHTtvzAX5q__rCFmeJ9bhd2E2nfJaQPiLzlI8ldQDpiroE2CkDCbKHs-qyn8NtJpnZ2tRHqNHC5uGNASL3O8v1bFVhuO8Xdl1F7LMt9H7-w/w200-h200/Fiona%20Barker.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Fiona is a middle-aged, married mum of one. She is positively potty about picturebooks; reading them and writing them. When writing, she longs for alliterative loveliness but is reluctant to rhyme. When reading, she looks for a marriage of words and artwork and loves anything that is fun to read aloud.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Fiona loves doing school author visits and speaking to adults about picture books and children's publishing.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;">Visit <a href="http://www.fionabarker.co.uk">www.fionabarker.co.uk</a> for details of forthcoming events.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPmg5bdMZSpk4rGNW5yBswCIzHTp40CSAZleEJR3J8efQTmvH3joOUJ6AnTRAyiJvah0nEkEUbO2MjMMSa7MJLZ6MywUS6VRwrRB5QtUtfdgXq1QxIrsXccSrBmkr73YdHmlaXRadB8EHGzFMgTBKb0FQ-JXVzsSGllS2641lVmIcq3pLuiFw0zPZJLc/s1600/a%20swift%20return%20banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPmg5bdMZSpk4rGNW5yBswCIzHTp40CSAZleEJR3J8efQTmvH3joOUJ6AnTRAyiJvah0nEkEUbO2MjMMSa7MJLZ6MywUS6VRwrRB5QtUtfdgXq1QxIrsXccSrBmkr73YdHmlaXRadB8EHGzFMgTBKb0FQ-JXVzsSGllS2641lVmIcq3pLuiFw0zPZJLc/w400-h225/a%20swift%20return%20banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and all media courtesy of The Write Reads)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-78141927446242945982024-03-15T08:43:00.001+00:002024-03-15T08:43:46.050+00:00At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer - #bookreview #blogtour<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahBrDuyJZK1RM8j_35-FN9romuqxxZJOLxZCuie67gyQHRShH4_gVzzB4GdabfflGXSINET084ghG9pB79JfVvFrcPJOuqf4MxAtSoQLeht9wC1Ckm2g35Nm78wWWyHWKfofJvAxOFvR7h-nmimUbpxXV4Mf4BmrjgLAQXgoJwhqUmvVHIBF1Rc-kYHw/s1080/16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahBrDuyJZK1RM8j_35-FN9romuqxxZJOLxZCuie67gyQHRShH4_gVzzB4GdabfflGXSINET084ghG9pB79JfVvFrcPJOuqf4MxAtSoQLeht9wC1Ckm2g35Nm78wWWyHWKfofJvAxOFvR7h-nmimUbpxXV4Mf4BmrjgLAQXgoJwhqUmvVHIBF1Rc-kYHw/s320/16.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Before time completely stopped for Pearl Glenham, she was more concerned with stealing it.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>And yet, paradoxically, the very reason for stealing it was an attempt to hold on to a moment that had long passed...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast, by a total stranger.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive… </p><p style="text-align: center;">Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;">But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">I was introduced to the work of Jenni Keer last year when I read her novel, <i>No. 23 Burlington Square.</i> If you would like to read my review, you can find it by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/no-23-burlington-square-by-jenni-keer.html">here.</a> I loved that book and so when I was offered the opportunity to read <i>At the Stroke of Midnight</i> for the blog tour I was very keen to do so.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The book has a familiar premise, the opportunity to relive a single day several times over. In fact, it reminded me a little of Kate Atkinson's <i>Life After Life</i> although it focuses on just one day rather than a lifetime. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Indeed, it was it's familiarity which made this book so easy to read and enjoyable, and enabled me to really focus on the details of the story. And what a fabulous story it is.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The main character, Pearl, was a wonderful depiction of a mousy young woman who is dominated by her father, and who presents more as his servant than his daughter. She is very easily intimidated and retreats into her shyness when faced with the apparently indomitable characters who have been invited to this mysterious dinner party at Highcliffe House. Observing her personal growth during this time made for wonderful reading and I was absolutely rooting for her all the way.</p><p style="text-align: center;">There is secrecy surrounding both the characters and the house itself running throughout the story. Little by little, the author reveals the mysterious background that the characters appear to share, as well as the mystery of the house and I was kept guessing throughout.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Add to this a love interest and a time travel element and Jenni Keer has produced a riveting and engaging novel. Without doubt, she is a marvellous storyteller and having now read two of her novels I am extremely keen to read more of her back catalogue.</p><p style="text-align: center;">This is a well written and compelling story which I highly recommend.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1785139697</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Boldwood Books</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 338 (paperback)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngLNMsxTHE5EdsPSeXaXL0xJn8bJA6AhUMQ8QGfnvpo3CbGmmcymFwJcsElEQMgRuXBmQ3xgNriz2jigLEkU2StKYpSfJrF6_8-43_vYThVYufqCVfxPVkZ1NTkgtyQMwMAR_VS354nP_FLR4sCRlJY5S-14KlN41HHDrMCAISSaoJpCgWVTLXpcui4M/s1695/Jenni%20Keer%20author%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1695" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngLNMsxTHE5EdsPSeXaXL0xJn8bJA6AhUMQ8QGfnvpo3CbGmmcymFwJcsElEQMgRuXBmQ3xgNriz2jigLEkU2StKYpSfJrF6_8-43_vYThVYufqCVfxPVkZ1NTkgtyQMwMAR_VS354nP_FLR4sCRlJY5S-14KlN41HHDrMCAISSaoJpCgWVTLXpcui4M/w161-h200/Jenni%20Keer%20author%20photo.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jenni Keer is a history graduate who lives in the Suffolk countryside. Her lifelong passion for reading became a passion for writing and she had two contemporary romance novels published in 2019. She has now embraced her love of the past to write twisty, turny historicals, and <i>The Legacy of Halesham Hall</i> was shortlisted for the Romantic Historical Novel of the Year in 2023. <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7I9hRBe3eOoxL6Smrz_hAUojYeal8KkTtvAGdt3VkPU4mNVeuc8Q1oiiRToOJYcIWLClSnjfsVXdvXYVoyDwKm8WafnaOOg5wyi8sBdnFhZyLWLZHBRZMiq30285gnCTM7qwmdaeGGHHwyLchHVzv0vCrk5AzZnMMLggsftEk2MgLn6TsnE_0mZrHFGA/s700/At%20The%20Stroke%20of%20Midnight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7I9hRBe3eOoxL6Smrz_hAUojYeal8KkTtvAGdt3VkPU4mNVeuc8Q1oiiRToOJYcIWLClSnjfsVXdvXYVoyDwKm8WafnaOOg5wyi8sBdnFhZyLWLZHBRZMiq30285gnCTM7qwmdaeGGHHwyLchHVzv0vCrk5AzZnMMLggsftEk2MgLn6TsnE_0mZrHFGA/w400-h158/At%20The%20Stroke%20of%20Midnight.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-57553998540099052712024-03-14T07:54:00.000+00:002024-03-14T07:54:04.588+00:00Time Waits for No One by M.W. Arnold - #blogtour #spotlight<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagFlV7GRcZ0o9J90MJTF65-MgLWb_te0hG8QEmZLv2gcx5sQu3NRUlvq9cqN81ERXZmm2OyLbRz5SM4pkAzDQkzg05CawoKtTbMg1stLXWA9djUPzdMxhI0C0prUiEODwH4IOnSnofcnMsPfiKBbhwunbzF9fsF3Bq265hYEDmZpyNjGedA_QAsAUY1E/s2475/TimeWaitsforNoOne_w18353_med%204th_Final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1544" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagFlV7GRcZ0o9J90MJTF65-MgLWb_te0hG8QEmZLv2gcx5sQu3NRUlvq9cqN81ERXZmm2OyLbRz5SM4pkAzDQkzg05CawoKtTbMg1stLXWA9djUPzdMxhI0C0prUiEODwH4IOnSnofcnMsPfiKBbhwunbzF9fsF3Bq265hYEDmZpyNjGedA_QAsAUY1E/s320/TimeWaitsforNoOne_w18353_med%204th_Final.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Today I am shining a spotlight on <i>Time Waits for No One</i> by M. W. Arnold, as part of the blog tour. It is the fifth book in the <i>Broken Wings </i>series, and I am definitely thinking this is a series I would enjoy.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Blurb</u></span></b></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E264" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E264" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E265" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E265">It's April 1944, England is preparing to take the war back into Europe and the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club become mixed up in a desperate fight to save a dear friend from forces who would threaten the very </span><span id="E267" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E267">existance</span><span id="E269" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E269"> of the country.</span>
</p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E270" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E270" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E271" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E271">The girls find solace in their deep friendship, even though the presence of a Nazi spy ring threatens their essential war work and their very lives.</span>
</p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E273" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E273">Can love blossom through a fortunate meeting, and will they survive a period where life seems determined to put them in mortal danger? The girls find the strength to battle through all the war throws at them, whilst </span><span id="E275" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E275">still keeping</span><span id="E277" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"> a stiff upper lip, a witty repartee, and unbreakable spirit.</span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"><br /></span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277">ISBN: 978 1509255009</span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277">Publisher: The Wild Rose Press</span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277">Formats: e-book and paperback</span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277">No. of Pages: 380 (paperback)</span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"><br /></span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E272" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRW4da5JxEUx9AwQt0UpvdgF2M0ArcMn1Ixs3aEUBwGs4kmctoCAKzrPAmHigh-Sakozf8MiezKR8VEnVCy1LyYxtbhe2PXqR_7vgQG-i9gNivdrqbauyxHi0Iu9g2MK6Kjh4j3G9xBDv9iXlByqE4m4OLb7G_plMMuCC4uApRVpR8Q3I2CjQkpcqcgw/s3873/ML%20Arnold.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2582" data-original-width="3873" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRW4da5JxEUx9AwQt0UpvdgF2M0ArcMn1Ixs3aEUBwGs4kmctoCAKzrPAmHigh-Sakozf8MiezKR8VEnVCy1LyYxtbhe2PXqR_7vgQG-i9gNivdrqbauyxHi0Iu9g2MK6Kjh4j3G9xBDv9iXlByqE4m4OLb7G_plMMuCC4uApRVpR8Q3I2CjQkpcqcgw/w200-h133/ML%20Arnold.JPG" width="200" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E292" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E292" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E294" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E294">Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elisabeth II in the Royal Air Force before putting down roots and realizing how much he missed the travel. This, he’s replaced somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and supporting fellow saga and romance authors in promoting their novels.</span>
</p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E295" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E295" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E296" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E296">He’s the proud keeper of two cats bent on world domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and </span><span id="E298" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E298">humoring</span><span id="E300" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E300"> his Manchester Utd supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association.</span>
</p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E272" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E277"></span></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E301" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E301" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><span id="E302" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E302">His previous books published with The Wild Rose Press include <i>A Wing and a Prayer, Wild Blue Yonder, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, </i>and<i> In the Mood, </i>all part of his <i>Broken Wings </i>series on the ATA of WW2, and <i>The </i></span><i><span id="E304" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E304">Lumberjills</span><span id="E306" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E306">.</span></i></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E301" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E301" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"><i><span is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E306"><br /></span></i></p><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-1" id="E301" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E301" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ8WCK6nqv5lij5SjRvuijoOGm-fEbFxh4k-8avcF0U7x65nCMT-zThG8fI3OF7TktkjEWlimT-SEjSq7Pu0iaHVPFL5AaeLAj3Y3BOX3dg8QjhbBkAyzZvvwMdDAzYrNm5W1YcJD7a9B-OcxmWnhec2X10jaAwqqKAwDSBNMXsEaIV5BU5igFXk7D9A/s700/Time%20Waits%20For%20No%20One.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ8WCK6nqv5lij5SjRvuijoOGm-fEbFxh4k-8avcF0U7x65nCMT-zThG8fI3OF7TktkjEWlimT-SEjSq7Pu0iaHVPFL5AaeLAj3Y3BOX3dg8QjhbBkAyzZvvwMdDAzYrNm5W1YcJD7a9B-OcxmWnhec2X10jaAwqqKAwDSBNMXsEaIV5BU5igFXk7D9A/w400-h158/Time%20Waits%20For%20No%20One.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div><p></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-13917006138566995892024-03-13T08:28:00.000+00:002024-03-13T08:28:16.014+00:00Dark Clouds Bring Waters by I.R. Ridley - #bookreview #blogtour<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZhsi9H4wV7oCxhaKqd8YYSErrLcaJ8xKKHg1MotoiPwiM4X2WNOy_aY-JFVxnJkZpn2uTAJu1TMqQ2lAaT5FiP4fwYix8k6sQNP2cSS8o4c_BY6xPUoNZUpitXGm7Lw5_YTIPUliAID216xAl8PaDNN4C4iizbMVFBJdzcwAkl-9GR3tISBcFe9rV-s/s2339/dark%20clouds%20bring%20waters%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZhsi9H4wV7oCxhaKqd8YYSErrLcaJ8xKKHg1MotoiPwiM4X2WNOy_aY-JFVxnJkZpn2uTAJu1TMqQ2lAaT5FiP4fwYix8k6sQNP2cSS8o4c_BY6xPUoNZUpitXGm7Lw5_YTIPUliAID216xAl8PaDNN4C4iizbMVFBJdzcwAkl-9GR3tISBcFe9rV-s/s320/dark%20clouds%20bring%20waters%20cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Dear Billie,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I'm sorry it's come to this after ten years. I once loved you deeply but now that love has been overshadowed by what's happened and all that we've become, sad to say. I just couldn't go on like that nor live under the same roof as you any longer. Drama, sound and fury have become too tiresome and overwhelming for this ageing stick-in-the-mud, as you described him...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Comedy writer Luke Jessop's life is in stasis. He hasn't written a word since his wife, Billie, died almost three years ago and on finding a pile of old letters from her ex, Adam, he has begun to wonder how well he really knew her. Embarking on a pilgrimage to Italy, Luke determines to piece together the full story about his wild and sometimes secretive love. But with Adam refusing to answer his questions and a flame-haired hotel guest threatening his fragile calm, can Luke finally face the truths of the past and learn to live again?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sometimes it is the cover that initially attracts me to a book. Other times, it might be the blurb or reviews that I have read. What initially intrigued me with this book was it's title. I guessed it was a quote from somewhere, but I could not identify it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">However, one of the characters explains in the book,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>"Dark clouds bring waters,"... It's a line from</i> The Pilgrim's Progress. <i>You know, by John Bunyan? It's saying how soothing the rain can be after oppressive heat."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And that sums up the experience of the main character perfectly. Luke's wife, Billie, passed away three years ago. Upon discovering some letters which she had kept from her first husband, Luke becomes consumed by the need to understand her life before he met her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is a short book at 146 pages, and its principal theme is grief and bereavement. Admittedly, not the jolliest of topics but it is so eloquently written that it was a pleasure to read. It reads as contemporary literary fiction and I was drawn into this by the beautiful descriptions of Italy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The author lost his own wife in 2019 and he clearly draws on the rawness of his own experience, and has thus created a moving and heartfelt novel. My heart went out to Luke; his need to understand and have questions answered was visceral and made for an emotive read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It also made for positive reading. We accompany Luke on his journey to find out more about his wife but we also observe his personal growth throughout the novel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ultimately, it is a story of love, loss and personal growth and I highly recommend this excellent novel.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1739639624</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Publisher: V Books</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Clouds-Bring-Waters-Ridley-ebook/dp/B0CW1DB5C6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q9dKLrE-uaJrRg2_5_grTfZW_FkPmAirqa1kTmB2zoEt3pbRdWC5rAx-_k1CXohUF34FczKpaBorw1F0Orcfz0iThelSBUMW8UwaAtns5s2HR5-_lqQPEp9hE9HrHN7ro5jDNPd0pSTT5lX0zYvYkN96Uv556IlLq2pGqoWCOabVf-HUkHPFeOaVBlX_cQ4RFxrOtRT8-FDPaqY8-vnpUP9ul5x5VjXslyVhpDeqlWU.DwbHLt_SQOvNgMMIBFbMMmwbDLV7fjm5v_2LlyEhtr0&qid=1710152912&sr=8-1">Kindle Unlimited)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 146 (paperback)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8t9lCCQMBqE_P2cqoC59Q7m6VRu77NYPOLqMJQpK-M7yajApRCYOh-mBdhs4FZkkh-m_UqYxClHjeM2kAPuarelgQwElECGO8zi1uDFDKyaRUnuMRR-XdS37Zc7-9UZ3Z49BRE8ULqajc7aqLfw5DfZM7Jy94TEhlikzRe5gf2e3E7KqUBnwNtR0f-NU/s2150/ian%20ridley%20author.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2150" data-original-width="1873" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8t9lCCQMBqE_P2cqoC59Q7m6VRu77NYPOLqMJQpK-M7yajApRCYOh-mBdhs4FZkkh-m_UqYxClHjeM2kAPuarelgQwElECGO8zi1uDFDKyaRUnuMRR-XdS37Zc7-9UZ3Z49BRE8ULqajc7aqLfw5DfZM7Jy94TEhlikzRe5gf2e3E7KqUBnwNtR0f-NU/w174-h200/ian%20ridley%20author.jpg" width="174" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">IAN RIDLEY is a writer and journalist who spent 35 years on national</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">newspapers, including 18 on <i>The Guardian</i> and <i>The Observer. DARK CLOUDS</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>BRING WATERS</i> is his third novel, and a move into literary fiction after his two</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">crime thrillers, <i>OUTER CIRCLE </i>and <i>DON’T TALK,</i> in the ‘Jan Mason</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">investigative journalist’ series.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ian has also written 14 non-fiction books, including two shortlisted for the</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. <i>Addicted</i>, written with the former</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams, was a <i>Sunday Times</i> No. 1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">bestseller while <i>The Breath of Sadness: On love, grief and cricket </i>is a poignant</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">account of coping with the death of his wife Vikki Orvice, a trailblazing sports</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">journalist, in February of 2019 at the age of 56.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3YwXgZ8RVEY2DW0EhIr2Qp3sUzLgysiqOuQhEzhEtQOvHhcZRqRB7Wpk3TVztLi7mJKGWitgFpeKfX2_P2E0u6hMbhRS5ry2-MMdaS1eHkrRmTyicPu23c_4FKo41WRg3zUhMLPLRZiWqxaJW0xmZmrztmPVMgpZUelk9bTdih-REaxOBxlnCrTxnUU/s1500/Dark%20Clouds%20Graphic1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3YwXgZ8RVEY2DW0EhIr2Qp3sUzLgysiqOuQhEzhEtQOvHhcZRqRB7Wpk3TVztLi7mJKGWitgFpeKfX2_P2E0u6hMbhRS5ry2-MMdaS1eHkrRmTyicPu23c_4FKo41WRg3zUhMLPLRZiWqxaJW0xmZmrztmPVMgpZUelk9bTdih-REaxOBxlnCrTxnUU/w400-h134/Dark%20Clouds%20Graphic1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-71109649039145675452024-03-11T08:29:00.000+00:002024-03-11T08:29:28.555+00:00Library Loans - 9th March 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZAWIq0UP6hcMxRZUUZ5ecXFQO49-fq8giVV-S2IiVaORPdKlHSQ-lXmWiLCeWSqL2OovPFOGYHMp83B_MhUmOpaBoGUbI2o-Du4jin9k3A1NIP0i32iBXzf-8QEfLNTQNdY2f4oZLSebMG_woOXkD1ohVJylLyoAwyhEFVtJ_hMH4bazDWvK4eL_5GI/s4032/20220505_140025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZAWIq0UP6hcMxRZUUZ5ecXFQO49-fq8giVV-S2IiVaORPdKlHSQ-lXmWiLCeWSqL2OovPFOGYHMp83B_MhUmOpaBoGUbI2o-Du4jin9k3A1NIP0i32iBXzf-8QEfLNTQNdY2f4oZLSebMG_woOXkD1ohVJylLyoAwyhEFVtJ_hMH4bazDWvK4eL_5GI/s320/20220505_140025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <b>It has been a while since I posted about a library visit. Well, I went this weekend and enjoyed browsing around. I love my local library. It is a fantastic place and I love going there.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Do you visit your local library? Tell me what you love about it.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>From Crime to Crime by Richard Henriques</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQhLRZFE_8eB3O2gWZDfYPY79QTDKlxTYM4ZeDuoFNaEL5qnIf3Ilio8OA15XnHt7tS2nURCKK4tFYybS-z6AAjpkFqVfRISbw3wPVYoN2ZLUXN-j_BreLKTnadTatN5JCI5RUaxtNMhKA1lz5kzeJTyGWL_O_69RD3Lla0_VmeMBQEjiEMtgU1XvFgE/s445/from%20crime%20to%20crime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQhLRZFE_8eB3O2gWZDfYPY79QTDKlxTYM4ZeDuoFNaEL5qnIf3Ilio8OA15XnHt7tS2nURCKK4tFYybS-z6AAjpkFqVfRISbw3wPVYoN2ZLUXN-j_BreLKTnadTatN5JCI5RUaxtNMhKA1lz5kzeJTyGWL_O_69RD3Lla0_VmeMBQEjiEMtgU1XvFgE/w131-h200/from%20crime%20to%20crime.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Sir Richard Henriques has been centre stage in some of the most high-profile and notorious cases of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. After taking silk in 1986, over the course of the next 14 years he appeared in no fewer than 106 murder trials, including prosecuting Harold Shipman, Britain's most prolific serial killer, and the killers of James Bulger. In 2000 he was appointed to the High Court Bench and tried the transatlantic airline plot, the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers, the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, and many other cases. He sat in the Court of Appeal on the appeals of Barry George, then convicted of murdering Jill Dando, and Jeremy Bamber, the White House Farm killer.</p><p style="text-align: center;">In <i>From Crime to Crime</i> he not only recreates some of his most famous cases but also includes his trenchant views on the state of the British judicial system; how it works - or doesn't - and the current threats to the rule of law that affect us all.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AFKkdeShu_-nzPKnc3YJWJacsp8b2AqIkA5zwwRBxniQeoBXSYsCmDFw4JBZJiW8x1OZcjmcgSEN3n4PI2ioBAp6PNcQ9bY-V-hLBklGLljgDthb5O0zKO2VxU4GJxa7DeIgvxoSE8U1wXsG_sJuu7JOu_HeVv4JX-SW8fbx-FDNihXOgr7DIsjwZ1w/s445/a%20judgement%20in%20stone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AFKkdeShu_-nzPKnc3YJWJacsp8b2AqIkA5zwwRBxniQeoBXSYsCmDFw4JBZJiW8x1OZcjmcgSEN3n4PI2ioBAp6PNcQ9bY-V-hLBklGLljgDthb5O0zKO2VxU4GJxa7DeIgvxoSE8U1wXsG_sJuu7JOu_HeVv4JX-SW8fbx-FDNihXOgr7DIsjwZ1w/w123-h200/a%20judgement%20in%20stone.jpg" width="123" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">'Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write.'</p><p style="text-align: center;">Eunice, the Coverdales' housekeeper, guns down four of her employers in the space of fifteen minutes one Valentine's Day. None of them suspected anything. Her motive remained hidden.</p><p style="text-align: center;">As the police investigate, Eunice schemes to escape the blame - desperate to preserve the terrible secret of her illiteracy.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But Eunice's blindness to a crucial aspect of the world throws her plans into jeopardy...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWirV8J4bbj-Fgm6sIukiOMjrLETfKg3_kPC6IzBaPuieW5UsQ2Slbpebbk-B6ewgDihRrkd_x-RDCLbeDeCzkF2vzHgrDQXFbDCiVldkePkVm6A5a_IMumPzQyengFC7QXl4eC0TS4MgtNDbCZuR9y0BPQWhXSwtqnYRGAJ9VKjwfpP6vkDhwtaYPM8/s385/the%20silent%20stars%20go%20by.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWirV8J4bbj-Fgm6sIukiOMjrLETfKg3_kPC6IzBaPuieW5UsQ2Slbpebbk-B6ewgDihRrkd_x-RDCLbeDeCzkF2vzHgrDQXFbDCiVldkePkVm6A5a_IMumPzQyengFC7QXl4eC0TS4MgtNDbCZuR9y0BPQWhXSwtqnYRGAJ9VKjwfpP6vkDhwtaYPM8/w131-h200/the%20silent%20stars%20go%20by.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Three years ago, Margot’s life was turned upside down when her fiancé, Harry, went missing in action on the Western Front. Worse, she was left with a devastating secret which threatened to ruin her life and destroy the reputation of her family. As a respectable vicar’s daughter, Margot has had to guard that secret with great care ever since, no matter how much pain it causes her.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Now it’s Christmas 1919, and Margot’s family is gathering back home in the vicarage for the first time since the end of the Great War. And miraculously Harry has returned, hoping to see Margot and rekindle their romance. Can Margot ever reveal the shocking truth to the only man she has ever loved?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>The Vintage Shop by Libby Page</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx1YchZoDMFI3-TzNR46JBMEMM-0iBLb6Nmq7AUjoHoxc5LQgrVDDMWisrQvt5ibrG82C1hTPFTJv7r-R69Hy4Tcnaj8C4qXoUDXBS7lMNJSYTUPTHXXGCZcqEIqgaPypJBEW4yJpMOIa5AFMuZwQ0Vw16FAXcIu1gt8L5yF-ON6VkpDlwtAkH_pwNIs/s445/the%20vintage%20shop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx1YchZoDMFI3-TzNR46JBMEMM-0iBLb6Nmq7AUjoHoxc5LQgrVDDMWisrQvt5ibrG82C1hTPFTJv7r-R69Hy4Tcnaj8C4qXoUDXBS7lMNJSYTUPTHXXGCZcqEIqgaPypJBEW4yJpMOIa5AFMuZwQ0Vw16FAXcIu1gt8L5yF-ON6VkpDlwtAkH_pwNIs/w131-h200/the%20vintage%20shop.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">One dress. Three women. A lifetime of secrets.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Among the cobbled streets of Frome in Somerset, Lou is about to start something new. After losing her mother, she knows it's time to take a chance and open her own vintage clothes shop.</p><p style="text-align: center;">In upstate New York, Donna receives some news about her family which throws everything she thought she knew into question. The only clue she has to unlock her past is a picture of a yellow dress.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Maggy is in her seventies, newly divorced and all alone in an empty house. Visiting the little vintage shop in Frome, with its rows of beautiful dresses, brings back cherished memories she'd long put aside.</p><p style="text-align: center;">For these three women, only by uncovering the secrets of the yellow dress can they unlock their next chapter...</p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-55212820479841668042024-03-08T08:03:00.001+00:002024-03-08T08:03:54.998+00:00Snack, Please! by Georgie Birkett - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkEXvjhpj5CWoQmTBeOTQ8_rik6oFkEVyMsFZB6oP2OfgVu7blX_g64TNhYFcDMCgGb-6EMNaK5x61tqLJ8acWAhrjpVOXPsayibX6GeKVy71wshQ-Zc05MMpiIG1gPVLZQ-ZlSHvz6cJqSBc-2v5-qorFzIJrUQOF145gWZo1TEOtckJ2mmItfPV3e8/s357/snack%20please.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkEXvjhpj5CWoQmTBeOTQ8_rik6oFkEVyMsFZB6oP2OfgVu7blX_g64TNhYFcDMCgGb-6EMNaK5x61tqLJ8acWAhrjpVOXPsayibX6GeKVy71wshQ-Zc05MMpiIG1gPVLZQ-ZlSHvz6cJqSBc-2v5-qorFzIJrUQOF145gWZo1TEOtckJ2mmItfPV3e8/s320/snack%20please.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>When she was a baby, Gertie LOVED food. She would eat mashed-up veg, mushed-up fruit...smooshed-up anything really...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>As Gertie got older, she would still eat most things... and once she even ate a slug! (Yuck!)</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Tired of chopping fruit, cubing cheese, fishing rice cakes out of a backpack and generally fielding incessant snack requests? Then Snack, Please! is the book for you – all about the joy of making and sharing food, together!</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;">Gertie LOVES snacks: sofa snacks, bath snacks, bedtime snacks … it’s a snack life! She abandons almost every mealtime in favour of snacking. Her daddy can’t help but feel frustrated – how can he convince her to try new food? Or to even talk about something other than snacks? A day in Granny's allotment might just provide all the inspiration that's needed. In this funny, warm companion title to Carry Me!, Georgie Birkett explores small children’s exasperating eating habits and, once more, through a very endearing father-daughter mouse duo, she perfectly captures the ups and downs of parenting life.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">When the lovely people at Walker Books sent me a copy of this book, I was instantly attracted by the title. The reason being that "snack" was my grandson's first word. He completely skipped "mama, dada" and "nana" and went straight in at "snack." Clearly a boy who knows his own mind.</p><p style="text-align: center;">As you will see from the quote above, Gertie, the main character in the book, eats a slug! This brought to mind a slightly horrific occasion when my son did the same thing when he was little. Thankfully, I had got to him before he actually swallowed! So, you can understand why this book resonated with me. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It is such a lovely book too. It's characters, Gertie and her Daddy are delightfully portrayed, both in words and illustration. There is so much that children will find in the artwork to support the text as it is shared with them.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The book is aimed at a pre-school audience, but early readers will enjoy reading this too. It is amusing to read, and I think most little ones will identify with Gertie and her love of snacks.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I cannot wait to share this with my grandson, who is two. It is delightful book which I highly recommend.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtdCDYGQf2NIseJhzhD18eGnGhz58-iHOtoiq_5tIna1QS7m1csUWKtknVWqjuQsaJ76SVzLxCFyddi7j5oEVFg-8W1yoXHilx3qjBcHUrUbr3G9rfmW3wa8Wo-TMLDWejItsfZ1qjzedFEGS8rNhmPloVV5N4Df8InD_ZSFX91PatOGyCn4RVWMruK4/s380/Georgie%20Birkett.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtdCDYGQf2NIseJhzhD18eGnGhz58-iHOtoiq_5tIna1QS7m1csUWKtknVWqjuQsaJ76SVzLxCFyddi7j5oEVFg-8W1yoXHilx3qjBcHUrUbr3G9rfmW3wa8Wo-TMLDWejItsfZ1qjzedFEGS8rNhmPloVV5N4Df8InD_ZSFX91PatOGyCn4RVWMruK4/w148-h200/Georgie%20Birkett.jpg" width="148" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Georgie Birkett is an illustrator and writer of many children’s books, she won the Booktrust Early Years award with <i>Is This My Nose?</i> and was longlisted for the Kate Greenaway medal. She lives in Lewes in Sussex with her one husband, two sons and two cats. She absolutely loves working in her garden cabin with one of the cats sleeping by her side.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and media courtesy of the publisher)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-47072044673572366432024-03-07T08:00:00.003+00:002024-03-08T07:56:21.705+00:00Cinnamon Girl by Trish MacEnulty - #blogtour #extract #excerpt<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb0VUrAaVfEkVnae8HWeOa06FhU7U-9XIoheFRYPu-Fr95EH0tmWGi9kCC6vqlddgpqKsqBsLZNK5-WKqKZQCweg0rKFU8uSg4u8sWFu6mGb0BMPDTrdPccuF0zK6Zbc9wxzFDfBFsnlMAwb34dAGaOzGTFQcsnGcobiYHLosXZ7IM40twItTvhrRTYs/s800/cinnamon%20girl.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb0VUrAaVfEkVnae8HWeOa06FhU7U-9XIoheFRYPu-Fr95EH0tmWGi9kCC6vqlddgpqKsqBsLZNK5-WKqKZQCweg0rKFU8uSg4u8sWFu6mGb0BMPDTrdPccuF0zK6Zbc9wxzFDfBFsnlMAwb34dAGaOzGTFQcsnGcobiYHLosXZ7IM40twItTvhrRTYs/s320/cinnamon%20girl.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>I am so happy to be bringing you an excerpt from <i>Cinnamon Girl </i>by Trish MacEnulty. It is a Young Adult novel but it looks like something that adults would enjoy reading too. In fact, it is the w</b><span style="text-align: left;"><b>inner of the Gold Medal in YA Fiction from The Historical Fiction Company.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Let me tell you a little about the book...</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Blurb</u></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">When her beloved step-grandmother, a semi-retired opera singer, dies of cancer in 1970, 15-year-old Eli Burnes runs away with a draft-dodger, thinking she's on the road to adventure and romance. What she finds instead is a world of underground Weathermen, Black Power revolutionaries, snitches and shoot-first police.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Eventually Eli is rescued by her father, who turns out both more responsible and more revolutionary than she'd imagined. But when he gets in trouble with the law, she finds herself on the road again, searching for the allies who will help her learn how to save herself.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Excerpt</u></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Mattie, my grandfather’s second wife, I spent my childhood as a small adult. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Mattie had spirited me away from my alcoholic mother before I was two years old. The story Miz Johnny told me was that Carmella (my mother) was living in a two-bedroom trailer on the outskirts of town when Mattie stopped by one day to check up on me after my dad and my mom had split up. Mattie found my mother sprawled on the couch wearing high heels and a black slip with an empty Jack Daniels bottle tucked in the crook of her arm, and me trapped and crying in a playpen, wearing nothing but a dirty diaper. Mattie took me away that day, and then sometime after that – the details get fuzzy – my mother got on a Greyhound bus and never came back. My dad lit out for the West Coast shortly after she left. Grandaddy died of a stroke when I was four, and I hardly remember him anyway. That left me and Mattie and Miz Johnny, a maid whose family had been interlinked with mine since the days of slavery – not one of us related by blood but bound together nonetheless – in a big brick house on a hill in Augusta, Georgia, a few blocks from the Savannah River.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My dad, Billy Burnes, never made it as far as the West Coast. He spent a couple of years at Southern Illinois University before dropping out to become a D.J. at a Top-40 radio station in St. Louis. He visited us every Christmas and usually for a week or so during the summers. The summer after I turned nine years old, he brought a pregnant girl named Cleo with him and said she was his wife. We never saw or heard from my mother. Mattie never mentioned her. And who was I to miss a person I couldn’t remember? Especially when I had Mattie and Miz Johnny. Mattie spoiled me, and Miz Johnny disciplined me when she could catch me.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Before marrying my wealthy grandfather, Mattie had been a world-class opera singer. In order to entice her in to marrying him, he bought the old theater in downtown Augusta so she could turn it into her very own opera house. She was getting older anyway so she took the offer. While other kids stayed home at night watching “Bonanza,” I was at the Southern Opera Guild. For hours I played dress up in elaborate costumes or had swordfights with imaginary enemies in the rehearsal room. During performances I would turn pages for the pianist or sit in the lighting booth and read cues for the spotlight man. When rehearsals ran late, I slept backstage on the piles of black curtains while the sound of arias shrouded me like a dream. Sometimes I spied furtive kissing in the rehearsal room. Sometimes men kissed other men, sometimes they kissed women whose husbands were at home, drinking scotch.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I didn’t have friends my own age, but it felt as though Mattie’s friends were my friends. Since I considered myself a small adult, and they considered themselves large children, we met somewhere in between. Our house was the central location for evening parties where they sang showtunes around the Steinway that Carl played, hunched over the keys, a cigarette in his mouth, a highball glass on a stack of sheet music. I usually stretched out underneath the piano with my marbles or plastic horses and created stories till I fell asleep.</p><p style="text-align: center;">When I was twelve, a girl named Gretchen moved from half-way across the world with her German father and American mother. She was an outsider, like me, and for the first time I had a friend my own age. I liked Gretchen a lot, but the real attraction was her older brother named Wolfgang, an aloof philosophical boy with shaggy hair and bushy eyebrows, a boy who made my teeth sweat the first time I saw him.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Beyond the borders of our small town, all kinds of things were going on. Rock music had conquered the world, men in puffy white suits were jumping on the moon, a crazy man shot down Martin Luther King, Jr. and another one gunned down Bobby Kennedy. After both killings the house on the hill went into mourning though I didn’t understand why we cried over the deaths of men we had never met. There were riots and revolutions and hippies and Woodstock and all kinds of things the good citizens of Augusta, Georgia, tried to ignore, but the world would not be ignored. It was slouching toward us inexorably and arrived in a rain of smoke and ash in May, 1970. But it was not the brutal race riot that ended my perfect childhood. My perfect childhood dissolved a few months earlier when something growing inside Mattie suddenly emerged and stole the life out of her. I was fourteen years old.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVBLVhMTPLK7GS_suPp9AsbujpoXV9t0rn_luhMVLLFD0ZXnrRih6X_GoMO5_9tccT40y_fmWwsCPxuKcfc3RDt9wWWO9c1lwgF4Gfu-ygLygl9PzR0yHhzxbxH5ck5KRx0kly8sgRpzSMaNNlB8ff7soKrA1hNcRRVMK0yBFI_oLGponeN27hSdsT4g/s450/Trish%20MacEnulty.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVBLVhMTPLK7GS_suPp9AsbujpoXV9t0rn_luhMVLLFD0ZXnrRih6X_GoMO5_9tccT40y_fmWwsCPxuKcfc3RDt9wWWO9c1lwgF4Gfu-ygLygl9PzR0yHhzxbxH5ck5KRx0kly8sgRpzSMaNNlB8ff7soKrA1hNcRRVMK0yBFI_oLGponeN27hSdsT4g/w200-h200/Trish%20MacEnulty.jpeg" width="200" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trish MacEnulty is the author of a historical novel series, literary novels, memoirs, a short story collection, children’s plays, and most recently, the historical coming-of-age novel, <i>Cinnamon Girl</i> (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023). She has a Ph.D. in English from the Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida. She currently writes book reviews and features for the Historical Novel Society.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">She lives in Florida with her husband Joe and her two tubby critters, Franco and Tumbleweed. More info at her website: <a href="http://trishmacenulty.com">trishmacenulty.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzxg1uIICb1jrTFQvQ1dkhvEF7O1IQ-AFWiVRBYFiTDgeSGzjzjfF1Joe-gls7sRlkWxuJYW-JVB8kt1XsG0fLiUMCivIAVA6TO1S1EjetMuIkOetpnrWLIqUhdHGgZEs8uMErMh94hDPoL_-djV9rWlSpqcorOTB2ZJUKqVhj8yLvHyUASbBKJCI170/s640/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzxg1uIICb1jrTFQvQ1dkhvEF7O1IQ-AFWiVRBYFiTDgeSGzjzjfF1Joe-gls7sRlkWxuJYW-JVB8kt1XsG0fLiUMCivIAVA6TO1S1EjetMuIkOetpnrWLIqUhdHGgZEs8uMErMh94hDPoL_-djV9rWlSpqcorOTB2ZJUKqVhj8yLvHyUASbBKJCI170/w400-h225/Cinnamon%20Girl%20Blog%20Tour%20Banner%202.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="qowt-stl-Body x-scope qowt-word-para-3" id="E214" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E214" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="qowt-stl-Body x-scope qowt-word-para-3" id="E214" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E214" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)</span></p><div class="style-scope qowt-page" id="contentsContainer" style="padding-left: 72pt; padding-right: 72pt;"><div class="style-scope qowt-page" id="contents"><qowt-section break-before="" indexed-flow="SI235" named-flow="FLOW-6" qowt-eid="E50" style="column-count: 1;"><p class="x-scope qowt-word-para-0" id="E107" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E107" qowt-entry="undefined" qowt-lvl="undefined" style="line-height: 1.8; text-align: center;"></p></qowt-section></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-44551280835926097642024-03-05T07:36:00.000+00:002024-03-05T07:36:29.871+00:00The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift - #bookreview #blogtour<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg5m8ZifjnboF7DKpm59ODjdOciclh9NCcWGoThJ9M3p40B94b3SlM-_QwbANHKNP9pBjTZsrTY-ulqW3oB9tVBge8UqafEMDpvpp5vmkFHawULJjFrIbtNPa26Nsqr5j0-B6J_s6sjSaU-8khO8EbPcuuWHFUF5jlxz_sgn8rm3Qv0WN_c5bfQxNJeM/s767/the%20shadow%20network.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg5m8ZifjnboF7DKpm59ODjdOciclh9NCcWGoThJ9M3p40B94b3SlM-_QwbANHKNP9pBjTZsrTY-ulqW3oB9tVBge8UqafEMDpvpp5vmkFHawULJjFrIbtNPa26Nsqr5j0-B6J_s6sjSaU-8khO8EbPcuuWHFUF5jlxz_sgn8rm3Qv0WN_c5bfQxNJeM/s320/the%20shadow%20network.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lily tucked her scarf into her coat and braced herself against the chill of the November day. The examinations would start next week, so as she hurried down the steps from the main building of the university, she was still repeating the lines of Shakespeare under her breath...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra...</p><p style="text-align: center;">England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father was captured by the Nazis, Lilli Bergen is desperate to do something pro-active for the Allies. So when she’s approached by the Political Warfare Executive, Lilli jumps at the chance. She’s recruited as a singer for a radio station broadcasting propaganda to German soldiers – a shadow network.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But Lilli’s world is flipped upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Bren Murphy, appears at her workplace; the very man she thinks betrayed her father to the Nazis. Lilli always thought Bren was a Nazi sympathiser – so what is he doing in England supposedly working against the Germans?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Lilli knows Bren is up to something, and must put aside a blossoming new relationship in order to discover the truth. Can Lilli expose him, before it’s too late?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Set in the fascinating world of wartime radio, don’t miss <i>The Shadow Network,</i> a heart-<span style="text-align: left;">stopping novel of betrayal, treachery, and courage against the odds.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>***</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">When I was offered the opportunity to read <i>The Shadow Network </i>as part of the blog tour, I jumped at the chance. I have previously read this author's book, <i>Shadow on the Highway, </i>which I enjoyed very much. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/shadow-on-highway-by-deborah-swift.html">here</a>. Deborah also featured as one of my guests for my Desert Island Books feature which you can read by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/desert-island-books-with-deborah-swift.html">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Although <i>The Shadow Network</i> is the second book in the <i>WW2 Secret Agent</i> series it read perfectly well as a stand alone novel. </p><p style="text-align: center;">From the very first page I was gripped by the story and liked Lily's character very much. I could feel her pain and panic as she watched her father dragged away by the Nazis. This scene was so effectively portrayed that it would have been difficult not to have been moved by it. She is a well formed character, and I enjoyed reading about her very much.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Whilst our sympathies lie with Lily, the reader is immediately alert when her former boyfriend, Bren, returns to her life. As Lily suspects he is 'up to something' she demonstrated great bravery in allowing herself to get close to him again in order to ascertain his intentions. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Based on fact, the Aspidistra transmitter was used in order to broadcast deceptive propaganda to the Nazis during World War II. This merging of fact and fiction produced an interesting and gripping novel. The author's focus on this lesser known aspect of WWII military history made for compelling reading.</p><p style="text-align: center;">It is written well and is appropriately paced for its genre. There was sufficient action to keep the plot moving although I rather enjoyed the slower aspects of the story. Observing the relationships between the staff and POWs develop was fascinating and I enjoyed reading about the day to day work that they were doing.</p><p style="text-align: center;">This is an excellent book that anyone who enjoys historical fiction will like. I highly recommend it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 0008586898</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: HQ Digital</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: e-book, audio and paperback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 352 (paperback)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS0FsXlbF6vL9r8DRq-3Ke2Nr5qDrtEHHeNdG1quEKygNilpvO3e1PD9gj8UShf242JPpnZweA3zYLmBObQzlBoZj0PQnSdAaf7MKnzXEj-w-p5Wxad8Go4HQuUpRRRfnXo_RZLRgSxZRBMsb8uuIIbASNBOWwvTQiBga-FBfkF32ZCcjYjqlvrt3rO0/s400/deborah%20swift.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS0FsXlbF6vL9r8DRq-3Ke2Nr5qDrtEHHeNdG1quEKygNilpvO3e1PD9gj8UShf242JPpnZweA3zYLmBObQzlBoZj0PQnSdAaf7MKnzXEj-w-p5Wxad8Go4HQuUpRRRfnXo_RZLRgSxZRBMsb8uuIIbASNBOWwvTQiBga-FBfkF32ZCcjYjqlvrt3rO0/w200-h200/deborah%20swift.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Deborah Swift is the English author of eighteen historical novels, including Millennium Award winner <i>Past Encounters</i>, and <i>The Lady’s Slipper</i>, shortlisted for the Impress Prize. Her most recent books are the Renaissance trilogy based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, <i>The Poison Keeper </i>and its sequels, one of which won the Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being <i>The Silk Code.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;">Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJVNvZRwn6ikiVvHWQ-wTIagwbixWHhECPn04qi14gaIAg1nQZBAgWom9Ndxkoj_6OWfbq6UYZfxGcgjdQq0N91hTgk-XZSFs_X2PGw8lHsq8toY9K0PFuRZrtwc9xZd_z6Il0w9VwB0Fo36wmJ4VDZuNTbS93_B8VnrH61rEZCK4ZwPsD227AzXcGBc/s640/shadow%20network%20banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJVNvZRwn6ikiVvHWQ-wTIagwbixWHhECPn04qi14gaIAg1nQZBAgWom9Ndxkoj_6OWfbq6UYZfxGcgjdQq0N91hTgk-XZSFs_X2PGw8lHsq8toY9K0PFuRZrtwc9xZd_z6Il0w9VwB0Fo36wmJ4VDZuNTbS93_B8VnrH61rEZCK4ZwPsD227AzXcGBc/w400-h225/shadow%20network%20banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(e-book and media materials courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-6804175374902966912024-03-04T07:46:00.002+00:002024-03-04T13:57:00.640+00:00In Sickness and In Health/Yom Kippur in a Gym by Nora Gold - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEYyGSXLygy6eeRMNZDK-WAcZ2ag4CchW8UCwTAQSKwLUN5JBpUlNbj85KevFWECKJHPPw7xY6knF1w3rsmJCwnUNFJTkjQHzKY8XlmVtMknW4kdW8RPYmplQ1FIRIr3xHgmZE0CT-DH4TVkljOyCN7UMLnXmHVwDOF5RG7OQ9_3fLU7p2LCnJHUWjCQ/s1210/AA%20-%20ISIH%20and%20YK%20%20book%20covers%20(both%20right%20side%20up)%20with%20ISIH%20first%20(on%20the%20left)%20(Dovie%20Nov%2023%202023).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1210" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEYyGSXLygy6eeRMNZDK-WAcZ2ag4CchW8UCwTAQSKwLUN5JBpUlNbj85KevFWECKJHPPw7xY6knF1w3rsmJCwnUNFJTkjQHzKY8XlmVtMknW4kdW8RPYmplQ1FIRIr3xHgmZE0CT-DH4TVkljOyCN7UMLnXmHVwDOF5RG7OQ9_3fLU7p2LCnJHUWjCQ/s320/AA%20-%20ISIH%20and%20YK%20%20book%20covers%20(both%20right%20side%20up)%20with%20ISIH%20first%20(on%20the%20left)%20(Dovie%20Nov%2023%202023).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This flipbook comprises two novellas by the talented author, Nora Gold. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Sickness is a foreign country. You are lost there, you don't know the language, no matter how many times you've visited before. Nothing is familiar. You are alone...</i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>In Sickness and In Health</i> - Lily had epilepsy as a child, so her most cherished goal has always been to be “normal”. By age 45 she has a “normal” life, including a family, friends, and an artistic career, and no one, not even her husband, knows the truth about her past. But now some cartoons she drew threaten to reveal her childhood secret and destroy her marriage and everything she has worked so hard for. A moving novella about shame, secrets, disabilities, and the limits and power of love.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">I am not new to the work of this author. In 2017 I read her book, <i>The Dead Man,</i> which was excellent and you can read my review <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-dead-man-by-nora-gold.html">here.</a> With <i>In Sickness and In Health, </i>she has created an intelligent and mature novella that I was gripped by. </p><p style="text-align: center;">The main character, Lily, suffers from an undiagnosed illness and the prose begins with her describing her symptoms and the effect that they are having on her life. In addition, we learn that as a child she suffered with epilepsy, but this is something that she has kept secret, even from her husband.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Lily's childhood was devastated by her disability and the way that those around her reacted to it. But more importantly, as an adult, she feels great shame about her past and carries this secret with her.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My heart broke for Lily. It was an emotional read for me, and I wanted to reach into the text and hug her. She has much to come to terms with in order to ever find a level of self-acceptance.</p><p style="text-align: center;">This novella was a five star read for me. I felt profoundly moved by the author's beautiful writing. Every word is considered and perfectly placed. She writes with intelligence, compassion and sensitivity. She clearly understands Lily very well, and she has created a character who is both compelling and engaging. This is a fantastic novella and Lily is a character who will remain with me.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The gym is filling up with people in their finest, fanciest clothes. No, they have not come to work out in their suits, ties and dresses. They're here for Yom Kippur.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Yom Kippur in a Gym</i> - Five strangers at a Yom Kippur service in a gym are struggling with personal crises. Lucy can’t accept her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Ira, rejected by his lover, plans to commit suicide. Ezra is tormented by a mistake that ruined his career. Rachel worries about losing her job. Tom contemplates severing contact with his sisters. Then a medical emergency unexpectedly throws these five strangers together, and in one hour all their lives are changed in ways they would never have believed possible.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">This was quite a different read to <i>In Sickness and in Health </i>but it was equally as good.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The narrative moves between six different characters at a Yom Kippur service. We briefly hear from the rabbi, and then the focus moves to five of the congregants. Whilst the service progresses, each has their own inner thoughts; it's a time of introspection and soul searching. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Anyone, who has ever fasted for the twenty-five hours required for Yom Kippur will recognise themselves in one or other of the characters. It was easy to identify with how the minds of the characters could wander before coming back to the more serious aspect of the service. Added to that, an event happens during the service which throws these characters together in a life-changing way.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The author has such a good understanding of people, and this is excellently reflected in her characters. With different chapters being devoted to one or other of them, they became engaging and compelling. My sympathies were raised as they considered their hurts, heartbreaks and disappointments that life has thrown their way.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Ms. Gold writes with insight, and she excellently portrays the immersion and oft vulnerability required in the analysing and self-immersion of our own lives that Yom Kippur demands.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Both of these novellas deserve the rare five stars that I have given them. Both are truly worthy of them. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1771838658</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Guernica Editions</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: Paperback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 200</p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSABxkFj4IxYxk6VOWK_XBH3J7cl4WwuwMiCrxSVYT7kp8mBidJVAcqZcQtt_rx0AEV1qYs98dKaFkVIZ5Fbn0dbXx6mnbJPRxDVUv5_ZAMNkOAqaa0ng3FHQRnBeYHuVjfOvIhsAksnVWad-5vfd4VU770sw3RaJVcjM9IRbLirgDdmwDy61mpA4L4-Q/s4131/Nora%20Gold%20-%20author%20photo%20(credit%20-%20Yaal%20Herman)%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4131" data-original-width="3104" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSABxkFj4IxYxk6VOWK_XBH3J7cl4WwuwMiCrxSVYT7kp8mBidJVAcqZcQtt_rx0AEV1qYs98dKaFkVIZ5Fbn0dbXx6mnbJPRxDVUv5_ZAMNkOAqaa0ng3FHQRnBeYHuVjfOvIhsAksnVWad-5vfd4VU770sw3RaJVcjM9IRbLirgDdmwDy61mpA4L4-Q/w150-h200/Nora%20Gold%20-%20author%20photo%20(credit%20-%20Yaal%20Herman)%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="150" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Dr. Nora Gold is the prize-winning author of five books and the editor of the prestigious online literary journal Jewish Fiction, which has readers in 140 countries. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Gold’s first book, <i>Marrow and Other Stories, </i>won a Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award and was praised by Alice Munro. Her novel <i>Fields of Exile</i> won the inaugural Canadian Jewish Literary Award for best novel and was acclaimed by Ruth Wisse and Irwin Cotler. <i>The Dead Man</i> was honoured with a Canada Council for the Arts translation grant and published in Hebrew. <i>18: Jewish Stories</i> Translated from 18 Languages, an anthology of translated works, received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly, Cynthia Ozick, and Dara Horn. Gold’s fifth book, <i>In Sickness and </i><i>In Health/Yom Kippur in a Gym</i> (two novellas), was published just last week, and is already receiving international praise. </p><p style="text-align: center;">For more information about Nora Gold, visit <a href="http://noragold.com.">noragold.com.</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(ARC and media courtesy of the author)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-45804920008146843912024-03-01T08:54:00.002+00:002024-03-01T09:03:46.631+00:0010 Ten Books I Want to Read in March 2024 - #TBR<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5bMA-OFAzF9rbtRu1_xtAab3yW-afPf8GPYb8KGc68Ajst946TNsT1LcnkNnWWHI-d-GeGbI3JsZBFnMpdbI4OpTLJEMZXEuAqXk9CxHJGkSMsApG_UqnQqMGXMX4zSP81V_3qfRJNMGWEu-mqTQAAUofqJMdF8eP0sGUUO-avodRuS2KAYNabYSNhU/s6000/catrin-ellis-2Klve6AiP9A-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5bMA-OFAzF9rbtRu1_xtAab3yW-afPf8GPYb8KGc68Ajst946TNsT1LcnkNnWWHI-d-GeGbI3JsZBFnMpdbI4OpTLJEMZXEuAqXk9CxHJGkSMsApG_UqnQqMGXMX4zSP81V_3qfRJNMGWEu-mqTQAAUofqJMdF8eP0sGUUO-avodRuS2KAYNabYSNhU/s320/catrin-ellis-2Klve6AiP9A-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Welcome to March! </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Today is also St. David's Day and I wish you all a happy one filled with happiness and daffodils like the one above. Unfortunately, the ones I had in my garden have been eaten by slugs/snails. They tend to decimate everything in my garden; with the exception of the weeds naturally!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>What reading plans do you have for March? Here are ten books that I hope to read this month.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How to Survive in Medieval England </i> by Toni Mount</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Good Servant </i>by Fern Britton</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>At the Stroke of Midnight</i> by Jenni Keer</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Sewing Factory Girls </i>by Posy Lovell</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Goodbye to Berlin </i>by Christopher Isherwood</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Sharp Objects </i>by Gillian Flynn</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Call it Sleep </i>by Henry Roth</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Trawlerman </i>by William Shaw</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Heron's Cry </i>by Ann Cleeves</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The Incredible Adventures of Gaston le Dog</i> by Michael Rosen</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-413456783049857372024-02-29T08:38:00.000+00:002024-02-29T08:38:37.314+00:00Reading Roundup for February 2024<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_2Vk9NOiLgGy1C354NXDBfksm75hKp6MwIS2i14BKkds1wnY5ipocagS6vw3mhf6cpWpr4f7atglCENSODvU7zHgffdhbARxFr0bDPMmTjjWlVyspTjIb8rQ5wagJDrZkHyKYtRkxgMLbkmidU_49CxSVaAv2b3j344ZKQY9fUNKzqI71xqQUTyMDuY/s3008/yoksel-zok-DSdfB8CfpWU-unsplash%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="3008" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_2Vk9NOiLgGy1C354NXDBfksm75hKp6MwIS2i14BKkds1wnY5ipocagS6vw3mhf6cpWpr4f7atglCENSODvU7zHgffdhbARxFr0bDPMmTjjWlVyspTjIb8rQ5wagJDrZkHyKYtRkxgMLbkmidU_49CxSVaAv2b3j344ZKQY9fUNKzqI71xqQUTyMDuY/s320/yoksel-zok-DSdfB8CfpWU-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Here we are at the end of another month, and it is time to tell you about all the books I have read in February.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>My reading time is still being impacted by my new puppy shaped friend who will, in time, be a wonderful reading and writing companion. However, at the moment, it is a case of preventing her from getting into too much mischief!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you read anything good this month? I would love to hear your recommendations. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><u>Books I Have Read</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering -</i> Edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston - This is a really unusual collaborative work which made for an interesting read. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/fourteen-days-edited-by-margaret-atwood.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Our Georgeous Baby </i>by Smriti Halls - This is a delightful picture book about the arrival of a new baby. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/our-gorgeous-baby-by-smriti-halls.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Sisterhood </i>by Katherine Bradley - A feminist retelling of George Orwell's <i>Nineteen Eighty Four. </i>You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-sisterhood-by-katherine-bradley.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>L is for Love </i>by Atinuke - I reviewed this book for pre-schoolers on Valentine's Day as it seemed so apt. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/l-is-for-love-by-atinuke-illustrated-by.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Next of Kin </i>by Hannah Bonham-Young - This is a lovely book filled with humour and chemistry between the main characters. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/next-of-kin-by-hannah-bonam-young.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Days at the Morisaki Bookshop </i>by Satoshi Yagisawa - I read this with my Book Group and it had a mixed reception. However, I really enjoyed it and you can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/days-at-morisaki-bookshop-by-satoshi.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>My Brilliant Life: An Unforgettable Memoir of Love, Loss and the Ability of the Heart to Heal </i>by Rachelle Unreich - This is a very moving memoir, told by a daughter about her mother's experience during the Holocaust. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-brilliant-life-unforgettable-memoir.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Adiel and the Fuhrer </i>by Elyse Hoffman - I read this as part of the blog tour and very glad I did. You can read my review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/adiel-and-fuhrer-by-elyse-hoffman.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Snack, Please! </i>by Georgie Birkett - My review of this lovely picture book will be up next week.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Light Between Oceans </i>by M.L. Stedman - This particular book was a little over sentimental for my taste but it was a good story.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Story Collector </i>by Iris Costello - This was a five star timeslip novel and was excellent. You can read my full review by clicking <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-story-collector-by-iris-costello.html">here.</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Books I Did Not Finish</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><i>Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge </i>by Lizzie Pook - Absolutely nothing wrong with this book but I needed to prioritise other books so have set it aside for the moment.</span></p><p><i>The Brothers Karamazov</i> by Fyodor Dostoevsky - Reading this I learnt that puppies and Russian literature are not a good combination!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><u>Books I am Currently Reading</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Shadow Network </i>by Deborah Swift</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>In Sickness and in Health/Yom Kippur in a Gym </i>by Nora Gold</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The London Bookshop Affair </i>by Louise Fein</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Sorrow of War </i>by Bao Ninh</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Newborn </i>by Kerry Hudson</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-76571395142702140972024-02-28T08:30:00.003+00:002024-02-28T08:30:34.222+00:00The Story Collector by Iris Costello - #bookreview #NetGalley<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDBDGE0DoPzGSVf8w7mO7rIRAkcpMJwbdC2uRqS9s1RJsAxZ9QlUTJqdYumt02fUOTGjjsCBFwWUVtcSmieSC1BCRpL2UN4Pyqx6Sv4nhU5B5ppWz4O3NDyP8qjYih0L27jdenwm9IDSTeiXtblUGpSqH9mIeJGmfFJ3RV44LQ8J-kJPSELmW_qXVvlM/s445/the%20story%20collector.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDBDGE0DoPzGSVf8w7mO7rIRAkcpMJwbdC2uRqS9s1RJsAxZ9QlUTJqdYumt02fUOTGjjsCBFwWUVtcSmieSC1BCRpL2UN4Pyqx6Sv4nhU5B5ppWz4O3NDyP8qjYih0L27jdenwm9IDSTeiXtblUGpSqH9mIeJGmfFJ3RV44LQ8J-kJPSELmW_qXVvlM/s320/the%20story%20collector.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>1914 - All is darkness. As I am led into the room, the blindfold tied firmly around my eyes, I hold out my hands to get my bearings and lower myself onto the silk-covered dais. From this perch I can hear the chit-chat of the men and women seated below me who are sipping their cockails and waiting.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"I hear she's very good,"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Didn't she foretell the sinking of </i>Titanic<i> a couple of years ago?"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three women. A long-buried secret. One voice will free them all…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">London, 1915: Amid the wartime chaos, Katerina is hailed as a beacon of hope for her bakery, which offers divination alongside sweet treats. But the dark truth she’s hiding could cost her everything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Germany, 1918: Miriam secretly vows to help a mute British soldier in the prisoner-of-war camp she’s stationed at. Soon she must make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Cornwall, Present Day: Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This book is worthy of five stars and was an absolute joy to read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is a triple timeline running throughout with three very distinct voices which were easily recognisable from each other. At no point was I ever confused as to which character I was reading. I have read books in the past where the voices completely merge into one another but Ms Costello has portrayed her characters in an unmistakably individual manner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Each of the three women were excellent main characters in their respective time periods which the author has brought vividly to life on the page. It was the separate points of view of each of them that elevated this book above the average historical fiction novel. They were all engaging characters and it was easy to become invested in their individual stories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Some of the themes running throughout the book made for an emotive and heartbreaking read; the futility of war and it's losses, as well as the sense of belonging and identity. I felt very moved when reading about the support and friendship that the women offered one another, particularly the sections set during the First World War. But these were also themes which touched Edie in the present-day section of the book. Equally, she was coming to terms with the loss of her husband and was trying to find a new fit for her life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The plotlines were compelling and as the storylines progress the reader can reasonably assume there will ultimately be a merging of the three stories and I was not disappointed. The author concludes her story beautifully, and I sighed with satisfaction that everything tied up so completely. This is an excellent novel for lovers of historical fiction with a bit of mysticism thrown in and also for readers who like contemporary fiction and I highly recommend it.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ISBN: <span style="text-align: center;">978 0241999110</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Penguin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Formats: e-book, audio and paperback</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lgIdkmDyaiHMkqTHfz99Sc8dbjH4x_-4wZW0D4t0lfIJjW_sj7GDy4n4I00Iu3SJg1iMxZUO4tEgMa-JgiVWQ4gZqR8Xuw_kBVRdDBtuS7FGyJoDqY63R0p7VkLyd9YS0r73Ku6gcNelw_VRXxYx005IBEXLe72J850GiVXP0-NgKD_QoP73cyV6usg/s300/iris%20costello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lgIdkmDyaiHMkqTHfz99Sc8dbjH4x_-4wZW0D4t0lfIJjW_sj7GDy4n4I00Iu3SJg1iMxZUO4tEgMa-JgiVWQ4gZqR8Xuw_kBVRdDBtuS7FGyJoDqY63R0p7VkLyd9YS0r73Ku6gcNelw_VRXxYx005IBEXLe72J850GiVXP0-NgKD_QoP73cyV6usg/w200-h200/iris%20costello.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As Iris Costello, she writes historical fiction that has been described as 'a triumph of storytelling'. She is also the author of six bestselling thrillers as Nuala Ellwood and was named by the <i>Guardian</i> as a New Face of Fiction in 2017. She writes mhery novels in a rickety Georgian house where she lives with her teenage son, Luke, and a resident ghost! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(ARC coutesy of NetGalley & the publisher)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(media courtesy of Amazon)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-50313874525802274772024-02-27T08:57:00.001+00:002024-02-27T08:57:23.087+00:00Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley - #CoverLove #spotlight #bookboost<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b> It has been ages since I published a Cover Love post.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This is the place when I literally judge a book by it's cover. I have not read it or come across it before, but it's cover jumped out at me when I saw it and I could not resist choosing it for a cover love spot.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b> So, here is the cover along with a bit about the book.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd4fSTOSO-2u5SMQg8a38b6gGY52wNzroTk7ZD6PLcyNAMEdtp0w65Iia0dCT0Uf3NETYK7ed3ckjaxJKmu9igCDVvV8F-QzOq8i3i-BK20aE6SPjfDiA60grnBIuJu3X2hhCu96JPeTC1us7D1-eAkjfDes2s3oItq9h1RdB3VI1wOa2oZrdxfKcTu0/s342/4%20seasons%20in%20japan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="214" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd4fSTOSO-2u5SMQg8a38b6gGY52wNzroTk7ZD6PLcyNAMEdtp0w65Iia0dCT0Uf3NETYK7ed3ckjaxJKmu9igCDVvV8F-QzOq8i3i-BK20aE6SPjfDiA60grnBIuJu3X2hhCu96JPeTC1us7D1-eAkjfDes2s3oItq9h1RdB3VI1wOa2oZrdxfKcTu0/s320/4%20seasons%20in%20japan.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Blurb</u></span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Flo is sick of Tokyo. Suffering from a crisis in confidence, she is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a fellow passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life...</p><p style="text-align: center;">It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge. The journey is just beginning.</p><p style="text-align: center;">From the author of <i>The Cat and The City, Four Seasons in Japan</i> is a gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">ISBN: 978 0857529343</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Doubleday</p><p style="text-align: left;">Formats: e-book, audio and hardback (paperback publishing in June 2024)</p><p style="text-align: left;">No. of Pages: 336 (hardback)</p><p style="text-align: left;">Available from all good bookshops.</p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-83858268823758325162024-02-26T07:55:00.000+00:002024-02-26T07:55:49.468+00:00Through the Letterbox - 26th February 2024<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqcQcxTP1lg17e01b8g8JqcmfzEh3S5bZmU2O4Wy9oVksjjKgxQbVw3UBCy6ktz8kVlX03pLuKmVkkepvfDkIW4135iacv1opNLb6o-aHZNCBWBZHbm5n9wU5mIo4uVLY7RCuzYGndUkR5dhRC2GOrRTvLPKh5hTadjOsL6ZkE8uy_3h7YO83cZE46ao/s4032/letterbox%2026%20feb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqcQcxTP1lg17e01b8g8JqcmfzEh3S5bZmU2O4Wy9oVksjjKgxQbVw3UBCy6ktz8kVlX03pLuKmVkkepvfDkIW4135iacv1opNLb6o-aHZNCBWBZHbm5n9wU5mIo4uVLY7RCuzYGndUkR5dhRC2GOrRTvLPKh5hTadjOsL6ZkE8uy_3h7YO83cZE46ao/s320/letterbox%2026%20feb.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>It's Monday again already!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Which means it's time for me to share with you some of the books that have entered my home this week. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>All of these books/proofs I have been gifted, so I am feeling very fortunate this week (they are not all in the header photo.)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Have you had any lovely books enter your home this week?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Be My Sunflower by Kathryn Simmonds</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf-mi_xNWFQxOhrMrBA7Mk0k840rCr3IjRHznDrKndaFYTo03wBv5ouW6xXle0XXperVihwNFWwc75HF5Dm8zMeRlQVEthO9Dfu_aNw2TULJlwnDE8nPlR1aWJqY5HYiUKPaMk8_TuWEJ4dWD6Wbs7ndAvWUQ_Uwnpat0RF2bCUnonyLKnunyRW8vsdQ/s356/be%20my%20sunflower.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="342" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf-mi_xNWFQxOhrMrBA7Mk0k840rCr3IjRHznDrKndaFYTo03wBv5ouW6xXle0XXperVihwNFWwc75HF5Dm8zMeRlQVEthO9Dfu_aNw2TULJlwnDE8nPlR1aWJqY5HYiUKPaMk8_TuWEJ4dWD6Wbs7ndAvWUQ_Uwnpat0RF2bCUnonyLKnunyRW8vsdQ/w192-h200/be%20my%20sunflower.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The children are planting sunflowers at school and Carla gets given a seed called Vernon. All the other children's seeds are excited to get out of the packet and start growing. Not Vernon. He knows about slugs, and birds, and thunderstorms. The world is scary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Carla waters him lovingly, but Vernon is the only seed that doesn't grow into a seedling. "Safe and snug, snug and safe," mutters Vernon, until he realizes how upset Carla is. Vernon understands that he needs to pluck up his courage, push himself out of the ground, and face the world. He needs to do it for Carla. And as Vernon blossoms into a sunflower, he discovers that although the world is not perfect, it can be ... wonderful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>The Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfPDDwwKFAhy-Pxk1xOpY_ZkMs96jEwJ6bZD6BiYpz4QJZXHbfUo0JIOGbv528IzZlFAuvmsAQWLsZzQFycihukGy6VFj_BmCAOGAe-_TYCR-23luxzi2pjGc7K92fabkIZ14yRzqtAE56_VDGudtZid8Gnw0N0xiA2pulY94PkaIP_PaQHTf4Gc4JV8/s342/the%20island%20of%20mists%20and%20miracles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfPDDwwKFAhy-Pxk1xOpY_ZkMs96jEwJ6bZD6BiYpz4QJZXHbfUo0JIOGbv528IzZlFAuvmsAQWLsZzQFycihukGy6VFj_BmCAOGAe-_TYCR-23luxzi2pjGc7K92fabkIZ14yRzqtAE56_VDGudtZid8Gnw0N0xiA2pulY94PkaIP_PaQHTf4Gc4JV8/w124-h200/the%20island%20of%20mists%20and%20miracles.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In 1830 a young novice called Catherine Labouré was granted a vision of the Virgin Mary. Nearly 200 years later, Sister Anne is also waiting for a sign. Which is why she accepts a mission to go to a tiny community on an island just off the coast of Brittany. Her only companion there is a sceptical, chain-smoking older nun who just wants to be left in peace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">On the island she meets Hugo, the son of a devout family who prefers to look for the meaning of life amid the stars; Madenn, a grandmother whose daughter was killed in a crash and who finds meaning in routine; Isaac, Madenn's grandson, an otherworldly teenager who doesn't fit in but who befriends Hugo, and Julia, a sickly child. If anyone needs a miracle, it is her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But it is not Sister Anne who receives a vision. Instead it is Isaac who is found on a promontary, transfixed, unable to utter more than the words 'I see'. The event soon becomes headline news and the world descends on the small island, opening old wounds and unleashing a chain of events none of them could have foreseen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>The Clarks Factory Girls at War by May Ellis</u></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wwckeMSnH_lLmDp-R18WUWugKbaUUBJG8_cNdnbRCFJ9Buk-sqj-eJjNF7vqOnyfg7etP1LwZJ7my2P1ku5ZLvsrghn6246-aNW80-uBivdURDKVJF5Fr184QwZ4eq3K00Ly9POlHOZ7V4KJJumtk9kJpZCKMvJRZtrQmWO1gAJelasr5z_CDFKLOKQ/s392/the%20clarks%20factory%20girls.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wwckeMSnH_lLmDp-R18WUWugKbaUUBJG8_cNdnbRCFJ9Buk-sqj-eJjNF7vqOnyfg7etP1LwZJ7my2P1ku5ZLvsrghn6246-aNW80-uBivdURDKVJF5Fr184QwZ4eq3K00Ly9POlHOZ7V4KJJumtk9kJpZCKMvJRZtrQmWO1gAJelasr5z_CDFKLOKQ/w130-h200/the%20clarks%20factory%20girls.png" width="130" /></a></div><u><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><u><b><br /></b></u></div><br /></b></u><div><div>Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory.</div><div><br /></div><div>But when Britain declares war on Germany, the Somerset village of Street is shaken to its core. The Clarks factory is at the heart of life in the village, but the Clark family are Quakers and pacifists. Before long, there are fierce debates amongst the workers and tensions between those who oppose the war and those who believe the village men should go to fight.</div><div><br /></div><div>Each of the girls must decide her own position but as brothers and sweethearts leave for France, Louisa is relieved that her beloved Mattie, a Quaker, won’t be signing up. But she’ll soon find that they face fierce opposition at home as well as across the Channel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Will the girls’ friendship be enough to keep them together, as everything around them falls apart?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>A Swift Return by Fiona Barker</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdgY4PrW76HCzYlj54kQebFZz6DlvEd3abNb3D1sSDgOYHMVky7fFAHZSrG7f2rXi_jhGAGjDbZwhdnhqh00b3WljBcWwX4n0dDHuhfT-aN4IOWKH_15bMgHMJPQS1YqYDns31kEkGMb_KJnIXgvdXkKkKAYENUJDAtJFi5J6jZOZ1K-9KoBCOVmU78E/s500/a%20swift%20return.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdgY4PrW76HCzYlj54kQebFZz6DlvEd3abNb3D1sSDgOYHMVky7fFAHZSrG7f2rXi_jhGAGjDbZwhdnhqh00b3WljBcWwX4n0dDHuhfT-aN4IOWKH_15bMgHMJPQS1YqYDns31kEkGMb_KJnIXgvdXkKkKAYENUJDAtJFi5J6jZOZ1K-9KoBCOVmU78E/w200-h150/a%20swift%20return.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Aria has her head in the clouds. Yusuf keeps his feet on the ground. But when they work together to save a bird who has lost her way, something magical happens. When Swift loses her way on her epic migration. Aria and Yusuf come to her rescue and are inspired to think big about looking after the sky above their city. Inspired by Fiona and Howard's love for wildlife of all kinds and is the follow-up to <i>Setsuko and the Song of the Sea. </i>Howard's beautiful illustrations evoke a strong sense of place, strengthened by the beautiful Arabic text distilled by Maysoon AbuBlan.</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Whitechapel Autumn of Error by Ian Porter</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwyd4OMaZuOl7TFSY6C_DZ78A_olRiONILk8ThrQctU2f_tCppy6TbgEtMNAXvzxgEeZAVzugVEptOM3zYUZY8EaU8kIcQfJGJdGpF3CPk63hMSmFZslZQ3te9mqP4VhVLSWCuEE73dd-SyfbA6tVmyvp9lKLTD8_Wqoz7L-BEx1b1edzQVbgn3W7w7c/s342/whitechapel%20autumn%20of%20error.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="222" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwyd4OMaZuOl7TFSY6C_DZ78A_olRiONILk8ThrQctU2f_tCppy6TbgEtMNAXvzxgEeZAVzugVEptOM3zYUZY8EaU8kIcQfJGJdGpF3CPk63hMSmFZslZQ3te9mqP4VhVLSWCuEE73dd-SyfbA6tVmyvp9lKLTD8_Wqoz7L-BEx1b1edzQVbgn3W7w7c/w130-h200/whitechapel%20autumn%20of%20error.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><div><div><br /></div><div>Whitechapel 1888; a killer is on the loose and the newspapers are ensuring the nation knows all about not just the crimes but the terrible living conditions in which they are being perpetrated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nashey, a tough, scary yet charismatic man of the night, whose mother had to prostitute herself when he was a boy, knows the identity of the killer but keeps it a secret. He believes the publicity generated by the murders is forcing the authorities to address the poverty and degradation in the area. He allows the killer to remain free (whilst ensuring no more women are attacked) so the unsolved murders continue to dominate the headlines. He meets Sookey, an eccentric middle-class slummer and civilising influence. The two of them share a mutual friend, Mary Kelly, a fiery young prostitute whose back-story tells of how she was reduced to such a life.</div><div><br /></div><div>To fund his surveillance of the killer, Nashey agrees, against his better judgement, to assist an old adversary to commit a daring night robbery under the noses of the huge police presence in the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it too late for Nashey and Mary to correct their mistakes?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang</u></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsUIp7LJapj-laG2fwyWnLCBP7VDTqX6iv-dQqrViN8Y2XhrFDffkt2GjLI0svtHN8QzEkz2qqaXq0KXWq2eH9dpS85ViKg7JoUJDRsn3y448fUzZnkHXbqiEnsWxoMb21iDvIP-ThIpCnNT4U5kzYiEd_e5GH_llTJM3xaEEumRzsfgdJa41tyZkNRc/s342/how%20to%20end%20a%20love%20story.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="223" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsUIp7LJapj-laG2fwyWnLCBP7VDTqX6iv-dQqrViN8Y2XhrFDffkt2GjLI0svtHN8QzEkz2qqaXq0KXWq2eH9dpS85ViKg7JoUJDRsn3y448fUzZnkHXbqiEnsWxoMb21iDvIP-ThIpCnNT4U5kzYiEd_e5GH_llTJM3xaEEumRzsfgdJa41tyZkNRc/w131-h200/how%20to%20end%20a%20love%20story.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Helen Zhang is the bestselling author who can't write her own happy-ever-after. Grant Shepard is the screenwriter with the movie-star looks who can't afford his therapist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When the two of them are put together to adapt Helen's books for television, it should be a dream come true. Helen can start a new life in Hollywood. Grant can pay his mortgage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Only, Grand Shepard is the last person that Helen wanted to see again. She's never forgiven him for what happened thirteen years ago. So no one is more surprised than her when sparks begin to fly between them in the writers' room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Their history is messy. Their attraction is inescapable. And soon, they're both in too deep...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57rY7T_8HO8TeZJSZpT_91vwP5LUHpG-U0xSVN2R3s3lIuMxJCLJKd7bKX2eE8-IuBXFg2SGw9seVGUUcfXyAAX9Wxb64FR2K9KYo_XGIZpDjjzSLsFyybSH-UAMCSgW4TwzhaXyZcXg_d6B_frZODRj8SomdcST8luodzjKs6BRH9uiKeTmEutrkZGw/s342/the%20spoiled%20heart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57rY7T_8HO8TeZJSZpT_91vwP5LUHpG-U0xSVN2R3s3lIuMxJCLJKd7bKX2eE8-IuBXFg2SGw9seVGUUcfXyAAX9Wxb64FR2K9KYo_XGIZpDjjzSLsFyybSH-UAMCSgW4TwzhaXyZcXg_d6B_frZODRj8SomdcST8luodzjKs6BRH9uiKeTmEutrkZGw/w124-h200/the%20spoiled%20heart.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Nayan Olak keeps seeing Helen Fletcher around town and on his daily run out to the Peaks. She’s come back to the old house at the end of the lane, with her teenaged son, Brandon, though nobody seems to remember much about her. Some trouble at school, back in the day. A certain defensiveness. Nayan is powerfully drawn to her, though he doesn’t quite know why.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He hasn’t risked love since he lost his young family in a terrible accident twenty years before. All his energy has gone into work at the union, where he’s now running for the leadership against accomplished newcomer, Megha. It’s a huge moment for Nayan, the culmination of everything he believes. But as he grows closer to Helen, and to the possibility that their pasts may have been connected, much more is suddenly threatened than his chances of winning.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-55183530673111708462024-02-23T07:59:00.000+00:002024-02-23T07:59:26.330+00:00Her Scandalous Suitor by Rachel Brimble - #blogtour #spotlight<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZX7-3_XiyY0i4RvoXTLmrswTg7hTnJST9BlTmfLsHLH-kZOlrjxUZOeshJneJB0aJUCYWmWlSgDwT4nUub7-THj3HI4qcnfkJAVSKrDImqp6h0EN1ELcLEOMGChuwDWAnsAYv1h6IkY4lswJvu68DBAxyyMu6C5iB3alF4WmIPbEHxyHY-2EjhOtfKQ/s2244/her%20scandalous%20suitor.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2244" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZX7-3_XiyY0i4RvoXTLmrswTg7hTnJST9BlTmfLsHLH-kZOlrjxUZOeshJneJB0aJUCYWmWlSgDwT4nUub7-THj3HI4qcnfkJAVSKrDImqp6h0EN1ELcLEOMGChuwDWAnsAYv1h6IkY4lswJvu68DBAxyyMu6C5iB3alF4WmIPbEHxyHY-2EjhOtfKQ/s320/her%20scandalous%20suitor.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>The Blurb</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">A chance meeting...or so she thought. Is confidence trickster Will Samson the hero he claims to be o someone else entirely...</p><p style="text-align: center;">Emily Darson assumed her future of propriety and privilege amid a loveless marriage was set in stone. At least, she did until confidence trickster Will Samson came into her life...</p><p style="text-align: center;">Then everything changed.</p><p style="text-align: center;">With each revelation about her fiancé and herself that Will uncovers, he also reveals a little more of who is he, what he has suffered, and the volatile vengeance that burns in his heart.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Can Emily really risk security for scandal? Loyalty for love? Only time will tell...</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcECLERYlWcgEEB2wNiMPSM3a8z_ISUI6IBlADPdEV1cToptcB59iy1ZxDiLxMc-_9LwTXQFWoXg7Bw0AyFl98cMwhfZE2ZnXd8wEVXsjVHH2pCSy1XdecIP2SywmiZT9gG44WJRsOtZkE8gAst4kk9lyk8CNUPGncqsLOICffUz2SA2sdUCs7Yxdo7TU/s1020/rachel%20brimble.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="722" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcECLERYlWcgEEB2wNiMPSM3a8z_ISUI6IBlADPdEV1cToptcB59iy1ZxDiLxMc-_9LwTXQFWoXg7Bw0AyFl98cMwhfZE2ZnXd8wEVXsjVHH2pCSy1XdecIP2SywmiZT9gG44WJRsOtZkE8gAst4kk9lyk8CNUPGncqsLOICffUz2SA2sdUCs7Yxdo7TU/w142-h200/rachel%20brimble.jpeg" width="142" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 novels including the <i>Ladies of Carson Street</i> trilogy, the <i>Shop Girl</i> series (Aria Fiction) and several single titles with The Wild Rose Press. She is super excited to be the first historical fiction author writing for Harpeth Road Press and her first novel with them will be released May 2024.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Female Entrepreneur Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.</p><p style="text-align: center;">To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt">https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgcpOkwA9gqHKcTEvzl-qYPu7tcasNC_IMVo9wpDzk3XY2m1oXWopVbWZwmO3C-Qty0QFlMHAQeBmNv_7DgRZZy9O-t9csYY3isj-zXnag7iQMb36sdlbYZ88Hr3FBFqvUUCzX1tCm35K0CUMGeoDIatyl8wYepi-EeXcgqxLZPXO21V4uxHrHUx7nrA/s700/her%20scandolous%20suitor%20banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgcpOkwA9gqHKcTEvzl-qYPu7tcasNC_IMVo9wpDzk3XY2m1oXWopVbWZwmO3C-Qty0QFlMHAQeBmNv_7DgRZZy9O-t9csYY3isj-zXnag7iQMb36sdlbYZ88Hr3FBFqvUUCzX1tCm35K0CUMGeoDIatyl8wYepi-EeXcgqxLZPXO21V4uxHrHUx7nrA/w400-h158/her%20scandolous%20suitor%20banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-44282365163354513582024-02-22T09:07:00.001+00:002024-02-22T09:07:29.070+00:00Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu6SMx75VJnoeYYkKY9VsxNcKnwRZ1nQ4DHbnZQNjOwA7kAkHpcxAqc9QbVyxkmQaI_0-X9ZX3zCdSFGyVVVJTMQC_1GOtxrxDC4AAb-ojIyWemyb-MfYzDrW_AUP4Y7YoWhyphenhyphenchQAcsFnRXkhROVVNDIS3EPPY-Sdihi97pkfJK_ZNyXI7VCysYpRQLs/s445/days%20at%20the%20morisaki%20bookshop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu6SMx75VJnoeYYkKY9VsxNcKnwRZ1nQ4DHbnZQNjOwA7kAkHpcxAqc9QbVyxkmQaI_0-X9ZX3zCdSFGyVVVJTMQC_1GOtxrxDC4AAb-ojIyWemyb-MfYzDrW_AUP4Y7YoWhyphenhyphenchQAcsFnRXkhROVVNDIS3EPPY-Sdihi97pkfJK_ZNyXI7VCysYpRQLs/s320/days%20at%20the%20morisaki%20bookshop.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>From late summer to early spring the next year, I lived at the Morisaki Bookshop. I spent that period of my life in the spare room on the second floor of the store, trying to bury myself in books. The cramped room barely got any light, and everything felt damp. It smelled constantly of musty old books...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When twenty-five-year-old Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru's pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, <i>Days at the Morisaki Bookshop</i> will appeal to readers of <i>Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, </i>and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>***</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I read this book as it was the selection of the month at my Book Group. In fact, it was me who selected it as I have been wanting to read this for sometime. Also, my son and I both enjoy Japanese literature and pass our books back and forth to one another. This one will be winging its way to his house very soon as it was a lovely novel and one that I think he will enjoy. I also cannot wait to hear what my book group thought of it but I shall have to be patient for a few more days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I also cannot resist books about books. This one is set in a bookshop in Tokyo's Jimbocho's district, and I enjoyed following Takako's journey as she fell in love with books and reading.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The book is divided into two parts; the first is about Takako's move to the bookshop, and the second is based around the sudden return of her aunt Momoko although Takako features in this part too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It is an uncomplicated narrative, short and therefore, easy to read. With only 160 pages I completed it in a couple of sittings and found it engaging and enjoyable. It reads as a balm to the soul as it has a calmness running through the prose. It is the sort of book that made me sigh with satisfaction as I was reading it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It contains themes of love, friendship, loss and discovery. It is about new beginnings and how we can find a way to move forward. Charming and beautiful to read I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ISBN: 978 1786583239</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Publisher: Manilla Press</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Formats: e-book, audio and paperback</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No. of Pages: 160 (paperback)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OagrYiQQ7KlvSGYJaZptDojMf4Rx_pkOqKmipiRTlQpB8nUMJbd0BWEbgTrEoDO8LohaPUIYC_STI-OAR0Ug3sOJW4U6PfQh4SsPVzS11Lm_1eJgKnnGayRzATvoUquL8WFERn8SDkSt-7OFOWLl6Y53TQ4_m8J1dfTQNhy9eVtb3qDYnZ1YGFKOmjk/s527/SATOSHI%20YAGISAWA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OagrYiQQ7KlvSGYJaZptDojMf4Rx_pkOqKmipiRTlQpB8nUMJbd0BWEbgTrEoDO8LohaPUIYC_STI-OAR0Ug3sOJW4U6PfQh4SsPVzS11Lm_1eJgKnnGayRzATvoUquL8WFERn8SDkSt-7OFOWLl6Y53TQ4_m8J1dfTQNhy9eVtb3qDYnZ1YGFKOmjk/w137-h200/SATOSHI%20YAGISAWA.jpeg" width="137" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Satoshi Yagisawa was born in Chiba, Japan, in 1977. <i>Days at the Morisaki Bookshop,</i> his debut novel, was originally published in 2009 and won the Chiyoda Literature Prize.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and author media courtesy of the publisher)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-513420710605016982024-02-21T08:48:00.000+00:002024-02-21T08:48:32.753+00:00A Brilliant Life: An Unforgettable Memoir of Love, Loss and the Ability of the Heart to Heal by Rachelle Unreich - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI6HnVsvLjbMgsbHmGA2z0L-sKf9qBE0oTBq5OzG6S-lYbZ5KNHVxt2B4TMQm57pzK9mahMzCVgMqz0PFpDRTGbeKJ4d1JFzOXZJevK4XJK10EtJ7qMfcmEu_Kih41qEM81Fe61o7CYRGvryoOxwhHgO0tZaFFjqYgctaJGOVxuQSDSOCf_RyFATpdHI/s385/a%20brilliant%20life.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI6HnVsvLjbMgsbHmGA2z0L-sKf9qBE0oTBq5OzG6S-lYbZ5KNHVxt2B4TMQm57pzK9mahMzCVgMqz0PFpDRTGbeKJ4d1JFzOXZJevK4XJK10EtJ7qMfcmEu_Kih41qEM81Fe61o7CYRGvryoOxwhHgO0tZaFFjqYgctaJGOVxuQSDSOCf_RyFATpdHI/s320/a%20brilliant%20life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>My mother has always told her stories perfectly. When her grandchildren were little, they would long to stay overnight at her house - in part for the nightly ritual of hot chocolate and the heavy European bedding that wrapped them up in a buddle of goose down until they succumbed to sleep, but mostly for the magical way she could tell a story...</i></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">A powerful, true story of a Holocaust survivor told by her daughter - a tale that reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Born in Czechoslovakia, Mira was only 12 years old when World War II broke out and 17 when the Nazis finally caught up with her. Torn apart from her family, she went on to survive four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March when she was too weak to walk. She lived when almost everyone she knew did not.</p><p style="text-align: center;">At 88, living in Australia, Mira is diagnosed with cancer and her daughter, a journalist, decides to interview her to distract her from her illness. As Mira gives her testimony Rachelle comes to understand how Mira's unique perspective - seeing her experiences through the lens of the goodness of the people who helped her - protected her from the depths of humanity's cruelty, and enabled her to go on to live a full and brilliant life.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Rachelle also fits together the jigsaw pieces of her own life as a child of a survivor. She comes to understand that however different their lives have been, she and her mother are uniquely united by a fierce inner strength to live, and a mystery of strange things that always seem to happen around them.</p><p style="text-align: center;">A beautiful story of love, loss, wonder and the deepest kind of trust in life, <i>A Brilliant Life</i> questions the role that fate, chance and destiny play. It is a tribute to family, a story of incredible resilience, and a chronicle of the deep connection between a mother and a child which not even death can destroy.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">When I sit down to write a review of a book, I try to compare it to similar books that I have read in the same genre. However, that method never works when it comes to reviewing Holocaust memoirs. How can I possibly compare them? I have no right to judge the experience of one over another. So, I tend to give all Holocaust memoirs five stars for this reason because I admire the bravery and courage it has taken a survivor to tell of their extreme trauma. </p><p style="text-align: center;">However, as the number of them lessen, the mantle is taken up by second generation Holocaust survivors. In <i>A Brilliant Life, </i>Rachelle Unreich tells the story of her mother, Mira, and she does so with skill, love and admiration of a mother who gifted her daughter with love and understanding.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Ms. Unrecich, a journalist, conveys us from the point of Mira's birth in Czechoslovakia through to the time of her death in Australia. She interviewed her mother towards the end of Mira's life, utilizing the skills of her profession, and this book is the result. She writes extremely well and factually. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I have read many Holocaust memoirs over the years, and even though we are decades on, they still have the power to shock. The author details the experiences of Mira's time in the concentration camps, the murders of her family at the hands of the Nazis, and yet still she was capable of seeing the goodness in people.</p><p style="text-align: center;">It is impossible to read this book without feeling emotional. The author has the skill to transport the reader to a time and place in history that we should all be grateful we did not have the misfortune to live through. She writes with compassion and eloquence and has produced an excellent account of the life of her mother.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Mira's legacy was happiness and gratitude. Throughout the devastating losses and suffering, she chose happiness. While surrounded by the most despicable of human behaviours, Mira still chose to see the best in people. What a brave and admiral woman and I applaud the author for telling us Mira's story. What an extraordinary woman she was and this is an equally remarkable book. I highly recommend it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">ISBN: 978 1785306525</p><p style="text-align: center;">Publisher: Black and White Publishing</p><p style="text-align: center;">Formats: audio and hardback</p><p style="text-align: center;">No. of Pages: 336 (hardback)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7e8c4hIyyL3aq2mrkxtRGclPIhWN5EWPtecMAhp08Skb81CWgUClbLNvFSplLYaO4qvB8ofL_BzGt3gRky5h3CPLLlnkne4Hfc34nNjkOl1e3JvtZZZju_bjnRLBTAm9aG_pTh92sDvy6u3qAQ1qyWMbwliW8bsTN2i3Rj8Mi0BuT3ci_raYyZsox40/s3202/rachelle%20unreich.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3202" data-original-width="3202" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7e8c4hIyyL3aq2mrkxtRGclPIhWN5EWPtecMAhp08Skb81CWgUClbLNvFSplLYaO4qvB8ofL_BzGt3gRky5h3CPLLlnkne4Hfc34nNjkOl1e3JvtZZZju_bjnRLBTAm9aG_pTh92sDvy6u3qAQ1qyWMbwliW8bsTN2i3Rj8Mi0BuT3ci_raYyZsox40/w200-h200/rachelle%20unreich.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Rachelle Unreich started her journalism career when she was completing her Arts/ Law degrees at Monash University. In addition to studying writing at UCLA, she has lived in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, and has had regular columns in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Herald Sun and Elle magazine. Her work has appeared extensively in Australia, US, UK and South-East Asia. She currently lives in Melbourne.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(ARC courtesy of Net Galley)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(author media courtesy of Curtis Brown)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-38959147863827825322024-02-20T11:48:00.001+00:002024-02-20T11:48:29.546+00:00Adiel and the Fuhrer by Elyse Hoffman - #bookreview #blogtour<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC5CM-gKuJtVKpOW807dh0ROxrHtKmScbBgZvx3apkaY8b0Xq_ro-QwFqIuUltjeMTCBelFZcutaT8vdOrtYrbram143AL_2nCgNYXDnMgq13bYPcfgzsF7d-5tjZwd9J8H6lnlE20a-ae2Nn8FXD0x0g22oMnBiv-btvopX00RlB7v3r0YWyA987lO0/s2700/adiel%20and%20the%20fuhrer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC5CM-gKuJtVKpOW807dh0ROxrHtKmScbBgZvx3apkaY8b0Xq_ro-QwFqIuUltjeMTCBelFZcutaT8vdOrtYrbram143AL_2nCgNYXDnMgq13bYPcfgzsF7d-5tjZwd9J8H6lnlE20a-ae2Nn8FXD0x0g22oMnBiv-btvopX00RlB7v3r0YWyA987lO0/s320/adiel%20and%20the%20fuhrer.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Adiel Goldstein has a good life. Despite the anti-Semitism he faces as a German Jew, he has everything he wants. A dream job as an art professor, good friends, a loving father, and a precious nine-year-old daughter, Kaia. But his life is about to be upended. An old comrade from his time fighting in the Great War is gaining power: a man named Hitler. Adiel’s father insists that they need to leave the country before Hitler becomes the leader of Germany.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Adiel and his family plan to move to America, but before they can even pack their bags, he and Kaia make a shocking discovery. Adiel’s father, Natan Goldstein, is from the future. A Holocaust survivor who lost his family to unspeakable tragedy, Natan was given the chance to go back in time and take the life of Adolf Hitler. But when he failed to kill the future Führer, he devoted himself to his new family and awaited the inevitable.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Natan can’t face the Holocaust again, but Adiel’s unique connection to Hitler means he might be able to succeed where his father failed. Adiel now has a choice: escape as planned and let history repeat itself, or sacrifice everything to stop the Holocaust before it can begin.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Award winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted a thought-provoking and daring work of historical fiction which will tug at your heartstrings.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Although this is the fourth book in the <i>Project 613 </i>series, they absolutely work as stand alone novels. I have previously read and reviewed <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-vengeance-of-samuel-val-by-elyse.html">The Vengeance of Samuel Val</a> which is the second book in the series. I've also read the third, <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/black-fox-one-by-elyse-hoffman.html">Black Fox One</a>. You can access both of these reviews by clicking on the respective titles. Having read and enjoyed those two, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read this one too. </p><p style="text-align: center;">In all honesty, this book took me a little longer to get into than the previous books. I am not blaming the book for this. Trying to read whilst keeping the puppy amused is not necessarily an ideal combination. However, once I was able to focus on it, I enjoyed it every bit as much as its predecessors.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The book deals with the question; what would happen if we could go back in time and prevent Hitler engineering the atrocities of the Second World War? The plot delivers lots of surprises along the way most of which I did not anticipate and definitely kept me reading.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Each of the characters has something to contribute to the story. Mostly, the characters are fictional but several people from history have a part to play in this story.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The story follows the life of Adiel, the main character, from infancy to adulthood. He is an extremely compelling character as the reader is able to ponder the complexities of his life alongside him. His daughter, Kaia, equally has a significant role in the book and she is the instrumental in bringing the Jewish and Nazi element together on the page.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Ms. Hoffman competently combines a story of Jewish folklore, time-travel, historical fiction and successfully pulls them all together to produce an excellent novel. I recommend this book and it will be enjoyed by anyone who likes historical fiction or time travel elements in their reading.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3IivaaQ4I7jZmQ4zGbhtCi5iKTOF4WlVdxxb3aXKvttYc5ejreulZkOxOZkm2RLcSkNkMEL1kPtbMY4OVF1XCqA2GaEo8M24lHTF6dIiZnJ2WULMidqnCyir216K9Lg20p5reN_YK1zSuCueRQTyKq7mrDtpja3lTLoWC374u4f-eAblqTmw5wMTeEc/s253/20851312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="200" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3IivaaQ4I7jZmQ4zGbhtCi5iKTOF4WlVdxxb3aXKvttYc5ejreulZkOxOZkm2RLcSkNkMEL1kPtbMY4OVF1XCqA2GaEo8M24lHTF6dIiZnJ2WULMidqnCyir216K9Lg20p5reN_YK1zSuCueRQTyKq7mrDtpja3lTLoWC374u4f-eAblqTmw5wMTeEc/s1600/20851312.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. Having studied WWII since the age of thirteen and with interests in fantasy and Jewish folklore, she loves to combine them in her writing. Elyse started writing novels at fourteen and finished her first historical fiction work at fifteen. She has published eight books: five in a series called <i>The Barracks of the Holocaust, </i>and three novels, including <i>The Book of Uriel, Where David Threw Stones, </i>and<i> Fracture.</i> In her spare time, she loves to read, work on pretty keyboards, and hang out with her co-authors - her Goldendoodle Ari and her ex-feral cat, Echo.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaJVdEu_iUHXwnhiDPn9nZIVBZK4RJBN0yyZ5oiHLYeNOXhJOrU21__Jzwyu6ro36ipbBcVCX2r3aExgJG6EtRsy_lGHPprhF71CP4mmVd6ez6vPL0cTuPjKz6I9nIRB6xuzJsImJjjZ-N2HME7komUvMC5f3_kHRc1FZ1oK3QZaCT26x4Lcp3yPwWCQ/s970/adiel%20and%20the%20fuhrer%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="970" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaJVdEu_iUHXwnhiDPn9nZIVBZK4RJBN0yyZ5oiHLYeNOXhJOrU21__Jzwyu6ro36ipbBcVCX2r3aExgJG6EtRsy_lGHPprhF71CP4mmVd6ez6vPL0cTuPjKz6I9nIRB6xuzJsImJjjZ-N2HME7komUvMC5f3_kHRc1FZ1oK3QZaCT26x4Lcp3yPwWCQ/w400-h235/adiel%20and%20the%20fuhrer%20banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book and media courtesy of The Write Reads)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-56058663126116554002024-02-19T08:26:00.002+00:002024-02-19T14:35:20.510+00:0010 Ten Exciting New Releases in March 2024<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgrsZWy1en7Y8G2mWXwANjBeoO734jiDJzG4O-kHD4pOT4_7phI8D-xdCWu0xgJwL_Y-7QSrW_Iji_g9tV9MnPWWLKghXx0h4l5Tmw1GW0kQgRTYaOQ8dIHdwj6VVE3iApVvHMb3W13R0OZRzMjPbh80wWlDlC-jV1t6NQRAoUVUh1QWXO5YPH-11keQ/s5294/ed-robertson-eeSdJfLfx1A-unsplash%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3529" data-original-width="5294" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgrsZWy1en7Y8G2mWXwANjBeoO734jiDJzG4O-kHD4pOT4_7phI8D-xdCWu0xgJwL_Y-7QSrW_Iji_g9tV9MnPWWLKghXx0h4l5Tmw1GW0kQgRTYaOQ8dIHdwj6VVE3iApVvHMb3W13R0OZRzMjPbh80wWlDlC-jV1t6NQRAoUVUh1QWXO5YPH-11keQ/s320/ed-robertson-eeSdJfLfx1A-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>If we are already looking ahead to March that means that spring should not be too far away. Bring it on...</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>In no particular order, here are ten exciting new books due to be published in March.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>And Now the Light is Everywhere by L.A. Macrae</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOshYUhjxfEKmL0KZlsGdjt6612TmFHoZsZktqbPpOIkILFQOX9KhsAr7N-7UspxE58Ve1ny6-tAuQSB_EaB-Ez70FDuRhS3Ke66lsn-OtcHfRGMLCLMBvC8BFb1E3semanRIQ0P8UMoO2HLABtyecHcR2iftQhoBQK73St-FvDSLtAP2IKO5HPQ1VoUs/s445/and%20now%20the%20light%20is%20everywhere.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOshYUhjxfEKmL0KZlsGdjt6612TmFHoZsZktqbPpOIkILFQOX9KhsAr7N-7UspxE58Ve1ny6-tAuQSB_EaB-Ez70FDuRhS3Ke66lsn-OtcHfRGMLCLMBvC8BFb1E3semanRIQ0P8UMoO2HLABtyecHcR2iftQhoBQK73St-FvDSLtAP2IKO5HPQ1VoUs/w133-h200/and%20now%20the%20light%20is%20everywhere.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Where does a story end and the truth begin?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /></div><div>Argyll, 1998.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stories run deep in the MacArthur family, passed from generation to generation. Tales not just of selkies and changelings, but of the lives and deaths of the family themselves. Anna MacArthur has heard how her beautiful grandmother Netta boarded a ship for Canada after the war, leaving behind her young son Donnie, and was never seen again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, fifty years after her disappearance, Anna accidentally pulls a loose thread in the story of Netta's fate, causing the tale of her vanishing to unravel completely. As Anna pieces together a far more disquieting version of events, she is also forced to examine her own memories of her father Donnie's death.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet the truth is sometimes bent and buried for a reason. And bringing to light what some have concealed for years may not be free of consequences . . .</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-YfWpX7B7462spJeMAXDDLQNdDM32z7BroGTjA7-gUmeQgMTyS-eZgDexBdpmFFvZdl4KFG3PRNPUqh_qOKSh1P1RjOIy49yLHdS9KoWbkQrnf3yabH1Lg-M-gbaO7miQxvE09Ji9UZB6_ApXUQALUmt2sZqwAaILTuy_g2lhYukpGlWIfuanpkWnjo/s445/at%20the%20stroke%20of%20midnight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-YfWpX7B7462spJeMAXDDLQNdDM32z7BroGTjA7-gUmeQgMTyS-eZgDexBdpmFFvZdl4KFG3PRNPUqh_qOKSh1P1RjOIy49yLHdS9KoWbkQrnf3yabH1Lg-M-gbaO7miQxvE09Ji9UZB6_ApXUQALUmt2sZqwAaILTuy_g2lhYukpGlWIfuanpkWnjo/w129-h200/at%20the%20stroke%20of%20midnight.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast, by a total stranger.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…</div><div><br /></div><div>Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.</div><div><br /></div><div>But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Rebel Pianist of Majdanek by Nicola Pittam</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu0z8hJeGXc3XtIraSQErglASvTeChpso-hG-YnOIgeQTTma4roVEye5AsHDDWo62u3sYw5tdBhE5N0EHu-6lN4Ssz5q2ZqZ5JiMNLENWhURzc2rfgNX3lbgYr-NAlA2hdv4RZ2Ppet2kCV1uH5Xlottp5TCXn1f_Jm1kvH7KBGBw163sIVDetCA72RU/s385/the%20rebel%20pianist%20of%20majdank.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu0z8hJeGXc3XtIraSQErglASvTeChpso-hG-YnOIgeQTTma4roVEye5AsHDDWo62u3sYw5tdBhE5N0EHu-6lN4Ssz5q2ZqZ5JiMNLENWhURzc2rfgNX3lbgYr-NAlA2hdv4RZ2Ppet2kCV1uH5Xlottp5TCXn1f_Jm1kvH7KBGBw163sIVDetCA72RU/w131-h200/the%20rebel%20pianist%20of%20majdank.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>Former Polish teenage piano prodigy Mosha Gebert is teaching when the Nazis come for her. They kill her student, but she is taken to Majdanek concentration camp. There, Commandant Josef Hanke spots her and recognises her as the pianist he fell in love with years earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hanke demands that Mosha play ‘Ode to Joy’ for him, but she refuses. She will never play in such a horrific place – or for such an evil monster. So begins a battle of wills and repeated torture. Even when Hanke causes her to lose her hearing, Mosha refuses to play.</div><div><br /></div><div>When her sister arrives in the camp, Hanke tries to use her as leverage but Mosha is steadfast in her hatred for Hanke and the Nazis. Even when her sister is subjected to worse punishment, Mosha does not waver. Instead of playing for Hanke, she begins teaching the women camp songs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hanke finally turns his anger on Mosha, breaking one of her fingers. She convinces prison guard Elsa to smash the rest of her fingers with a rock.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mosha believes crippling herself is the only way for her to survive and triumph over Hanke, but what will this do to him? Will Hanke forgive her? Or will this last desperate act finally push him over the edge?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Be My Sunflower by Kathryn Simmonds</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOJaIv-52BJnoBiI87y5WtHeCf2MOzOWMJSISaGcA6x07aG5iSN3-D1mfrXwFaQjoyuuP0UDToLpzw0qNC67diRrRyyFCCGbkQMMGA5rmlJN7eKoZXjNO8y9vzcw5UbbYsh2cwn5FVYV-Covb_WD_e9-UUMbkbV9nPW9V8xaBAgJECNjMOzZqpe7vLgc/s385/be%20my%20sunflower.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="369" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOJaIv-52BJnoBiI87y5WtHeCf2MOzOWMJSISaGcA6x07aG5iSN3-D1mfrXwFaQjoyuuP0UDToLpzw0qNC67diRrRyyFCCGbkQMMGA5rmlJN7eKoZXjNO8y9vzcw5UbbYsh2cwn5FVYV-Covb_WD_e9-UUMbkbV9nPW9V8xaBAgJECNjMOzZqpe7vLgc/w192-h200/be%20my%20sunflower.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><div>A warm and reassuring picture book about finding your courage even when you'd rather play it safe.</div><div>The children are planting sunflowers at school and Carla gets given a seed called Vernon. All the other children's seeds are excited to get out of the packet and start growing. Not Vernon. He knows about slugs, and birds, and thunderstorms. The world is scary.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carla waters him lovingly, but Vernon is the only seed that doesn't grow into a seedling. "Safe and snug, snug and safe," mutters Vernon, until he realizes how upset Carla is. Vernon understands that he needs to pluck up his courage, push himself out of the ground, and face the world. He needs to do it for Carla. And as Vernon blossoms into a sunflower, he discovers that although the world is not perfect, it can be ... wonderful.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>In Sickness and In Health/</u></b><b><u>Yom Kippur in a Gym </u></b><b><u>by Nora Gold</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7tyQyX_e_YgW337jyeQCx0lDckRcTgUx2IkRzeWmCL-FmCuF3ApTz3M-83p-EL5Pjxx81m6r4HyrbqTHGyy-uIJFjGe20_UAl6FUHn7MpdZ0_qWidXjbDP1EiRMxEA4GRQ2NECd90mFRDtaErVVoE6wFLPszAHuHdTW0H3vuLZPXMwf9dudLiFIr1Ps/s1210/AA%20-%20ISIH%20and%20YK%20%20book%20covers%20(both%20right%20side%20up)%20with%20ISIH%20first%20(on%20the%20left)%20(Dovie%20Nov%2023%202023).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1210" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7tyQyX_e_YgW337jyeQCx0lDckRcTgUx2IkRzeWmCL-FmCuF3ApTz3M-83p-EL5Pjxx81m6r4HyrbqTHGyy-uIJFjGe20_UAl6FUHn7MpdZ0_qWidXjbDP1EiRMxEA4GRQ2NECd90mFRDtaErVVoE6wFLPszAHuHdTW0H3vuLZPXMwf9dudLiFIr1Ps/w200-h141/AA%20-%20ISIH%20and%20YK%20%20book%20covers%20(both%20right%20side%20up)%20with%20ISIH%20first%20(on%20the%20left)%20(Dovie%20Nov%2023%202023).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This flip book features two separate novellas: <i>In Sickness and In Health:</i> Lily's most cherished goal in life has always been to be "normal," so as an adult she has painstakingly constructed a "normal" life for herself, with family, friends, and career. But her need to keep hidden her invisible disability, due to its stigma and her shame, now threatens to destroy everything she has worked so hard for. <i>Yom Kippur in a Gym: </i>Five isolated strangers in a synagogue on Yom Kippur – a day of intense reflection and soul-searching – are each struggling with a major personal crisis, when unexpectedly they are thrown together by an emergency that, in one hour, changes all their lives forever.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Moral Injuries by Christie Watson</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWNhzEzRhFwILFbZXLeQOlFq5x_wILn2R_cBUgU6o5neLMqRo422rSbCbHPyInQUgoSRGtCaeQdfm6DaVR3RxnKgJ0UA876uJIiRgCYT7RF4F3gdsuLBgUCQEVYso4kgPzjfDGyrKHDCq7DgIMXMN8qZypyIosLJXsJ9fUfZKj69-vZUAg-cuoppt2Y/s385/moral%20injuries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="246" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWNhzEzRhFwILFbZXLeQOlFq5x_wILn2R_cBUgU6o5neLMqRo422rSbCbHPyInQUgoSRGtCaeQdfm6DaVR3RxnKgJ0UA876uJIiRgCYT7RF4F3gdsuLBgUCQEVYso4kgPzjfDGyrKHDCq7DgIMXMN8qZypyIosLJXsJ9fUfZKj69-vZUAg-cuoppt2Y/w127-h200/moral%20injuries.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><br /><div><div>You're trained to save the lives of others. How far would you go to protect your own?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ruthlessly ambitious Olivia, anxious perfectionist Laura and free-spirited risk-taker Anjali couldn't be more different. Yet their friendship, which began on the first day of medical school, has kept them inseparable for twenty-five years. As wild all-nighters and exam pressures gave way to the struggles and joys of new motherhood and intense jobs, their bond remained unbreakable. Years ago they promised that nothing would come between them and that they'd do anything for one another, including burying one night they have never spoken about: a drug-fuelled university party that forced them to make a deadly choice that could still destroy them.</div><div><br /></div><div>When an eerily similar tragedy strikes involving their teenage children, everything the three women have built threatens to shatter around them. And they are left asking: just how far can you stretch a friendship before it snaps?</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoka Murata</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyxerFYw8RZtbEg07pIO_qdaMB6r3Vk_Po8fOsUKEkPafXNEd0kH8xAPHufjklNmoOA_RiTqDexZqL7sDpqLbciAbm65dYedktKYBjfPTUtcaci97bZNet150gjJFyFrSVj2Q54Mx6EhjxYD3sgvugCIot_ZsxdbHKFd2ZCBbo7z6y28osVb20GOpD3M/s385/a%20woman%20of%20pleasure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="241" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyxerFYw8RZtbEg07pIO_qdaMB6r3Vk_Po8fOsUKEkPafXNEd0kH8xAPHufjklNmoOA_RiTqDexZqL7sDpqLbciAbm65dYedktKYBjfPTUtcaci97bZNet150gjJFyFrSVj2Q54Mx6EhjxYD3sgvugCIot_ZsxdbHKFd2ZCBbo7z6y28osVb20GOpD3M/w125-h200/a%20woman%20of%20pleasure.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><br /><div><div>The year is 1903, and tenacious and spirited Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan, becoming the protégée of Shinonome, the oiran, or the highest-ranking courtesan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Through Shinonome's teachings, fifteen-year-old Ichi begins to understand the intertwined power of sex and money. Education for a courtesan extends beyond the art of seduction, and as Ichi is taught to read and write she develops a voice that refuses to be dampened by the brothel's rigid hierarchy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Outside the cloistered world of the red-light district, rumours of local worker strikes grow, and as the seasons change in Kumamoto, Ichi, Shinonome and their fellow courtesans begin to wonder how they might redistribute the power and wealth of the brothels among themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Critically acclaimed veteran writer Kiyoko Murata creates in stunning detail the harsh yet vibrant lives of women in a red-light district at the turn of the twentieth century. Based on real-life events, <i>A Woman of Pleasure</i> is a testament to the bonds between women and the power of owning one's language and freedom.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Final Hours of Muriel Hinchcliffe M.B.E. by Claire Parkin</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxT0ROUslIreSCdOEDlvHfU9AgNSDHeULFtIK1LL51pmnEFg9YtPMtwD68RTCgM8aLkSNPW1OEmKBcIUfQUzIuFIcg9KrYcbcYZLBcAW5s6iScG1vkKV46XplD0_0gZLrk9pTz7nNteV9sBlslj69mGp5TVNx9uuBEflLLmgruAub5DjLSSvoi14nW6U/s445/the%20final%20hours%20of%20muriel%20hinchcliffe%20mbe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxT0ROUslIreSCdOEDlvHfU9AgNSDHeULFtIK1LL51pmnEFg9YtPMtwD68RTCgM8aLkSNPW1OEmKBcIUfQUzIuFIcg9KrYcbcYZLBcAW5s6iScG1vkKV46XplD0_0gZLrk9pTz7nNteV9sBlslj69mGp5TVNx9uuBEflLLmgruAub5DjLSSvoi14nW6U/w131-h200/the%20final%20hours%20of%20muriel%20hinchcliffe%20mbe.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br /><div><div>Muriel, a former bestselling romantic novelist, and Ruth, a journalist, are best friends. Inseparable since they were little, they’ve shared everything; unable to be without each other, even after the most vicious of fights.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now fate has left them living together in a North London home, with Ruth caring for Muriel in her deteriorating health, playing Scrabble, arguing and making up, passing the days in monotony, ignoring the scars of their relationship. Then one afternoon, Muriel makes a shocking and sinister announcement, sending Ruth’s world into chaos. Only one thing is certain. Life, as she knows it, will never be the same again . . .</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxTv5Ihda6evoyXAZHCW45TqmJ2HCaJLlfl205nqXr9pjFm8PF-h9mQftuokxLPC-2LyQxZ5gPnx_StccVAPtvYiDdMAH9TjTnF9CUaDNZMgs_1QezRRgwLhkNOknGES4p2QJ1Ak0luEclLoSimBHd7umQD87GwSG65-IPrMky9PpiiLB_10jssYr9dc/s445/the%20devil%20and%20mrs%20davenport.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxTv5Ihda6evoyXAZHCW45TqmJ2HCaJLlfl205nqXr9pjFm8PF-h9mQftuokxLPC-2LyQxZ5gPnx_StccVAPtvYiDdMAH9TjTnF9CUaDNZMgs_1QezRRgwLhkNOknGES4p2QJ1Ak0luEclLoSimBHd7umQD87GwSG65-IPrMky9PpiiLB_10jssYr9dc/w129-h200/the%20devil%20and%20mrs%20davenport.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><br /><div><div>The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.</div><div><br /></div><div>Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways by Eve Kellman</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxLyp2S0xtmhjLvpP77vxi3JMrHqjR_2uKkDrJays-R4yuaVoWMMr-xkS6mdtIoTCNingjMN-Xh7ofdx7UruSWi3XHqAXSWhbgrxT1Go8vnGfo8rB5VRIDWkwvxSto1BL1jRETr8jPZr-YktnzHEc3W2r40mv_FlSOS_j3fFIXmG_rEIYzJ0vtYfkt64/s445/how%20to%20kill%20a%20guy%20in%2010%20ways.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="292" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxLyp2S0xtmhjLvpP77vxi3JMrHqjR_2uKkDrJays-R4yuaVoWMMr-xkS6mdtIoTCNingjMN-Xh7ofdx7UruSWi3XHqAXSWhbgrxT1Go8vnGfo8rB5VRIDWkwvxSto1BL1jRETr8jPZr-YktnzHEc3W2r40mv_FlSOS_j3fFIXmG_rEIYzJ0vtYfkt64/w131-h200/how%20to%20kill%20a%20guy%20in%2010%20ways.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br /><div><div>Are you on a date that doesn’t feel right?</div><div>Can’t shake that creepy guy at the bar?</div><div>Worried you’re being followed home?</div><div>Message M.</div><div>After one too many terrifying encounters, Millie Masters sets up a hotline for women who feel unsafe walking home alone at night: Message M.</div><div><br /></div><div>But very quickly she realises that there’s much more to be done to help the women who call in. Because the men just do it again the next night, and the next, and the next…</div><div><br /></div><div>And when her own sister is assaulted on a night out, the temptation to take the law into her own hands becomes too much to resist.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because M can also stand for murder…</div></div></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-48923533519813611482024-02-16T08:23:00.000+00:002024-02-16T08:23:29.984+00:00Dark Days at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi - #GuestPost #blogtour<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOQfBVacI_XypH-3wx2oxi0Mc26pW71iHKjJLLauSvLHCV7sgum1MbEwWwD7X_NcbldhFvPpo3AbMqY1qnF-iHHuMQdbF3gAYn5_VmOEOatWa5WRJ0vO_Kx4ybrirlt1VW4o_auT40i3KcUGgY9wKauVT_1ck39ZPnh2Bhd77yIMrqPi3ofdPjMK1et0/s3200/Dark%20Days%20at%20theBeach%20Hotel%20COVER%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2088" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOQfBVacI_XypH-3wx2oxi0Mc26pW71iHKjJLLauSvLHCV7sgum1MbEwWwD7X_NcbldhFvPpo3AbMqY1qnF-iHHuMQdbF3gAYn5_VmOEOatWa5WRJ0vO_Kx4ybrirlt1VW4o_auT40i3KcUGgY9wKauVT_1ck39ZPnh2Bhd77yIMrqPi3ofdPjMK1et0/s320/Dark%20Days%20at%20theBeach%20Hotel%20COVER%20(1).jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><b>Today I am welcoming Francesca Capaldi on the blog to talk about her new book, <i>Dark Days at the Beach Hotel.</i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>But first, a little about the book...</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Blurb</u></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Can she save the hotel... and her reputation?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Helen Bygrove is managing the hotel, now that her husband has been conscripted. Against all expectations, Helen and her team are doing marvellously, despite the shortages brought by war. Even the exacting Lady Blackmore agrees. But then the calm is shattered when poison pen letters are sent to prominent townsfolk and Helen finds herself the target of a police investigation. Is someone trying to ruin Helen, and the Beach Hotel? And can she rely on the handsome but taciturn Inspector Toshack to help her? When her husband, Douglas, is invalided out of the war he is determined to take back control of the hotel and things go from bad to worse.</p><p style="text-align: center;">How can she ever escape his bullying? Is she a fool to hope that she may have a second chance at love?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Welcome Francesca. It's lovely to have you on the blog today.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZHlfSdAa964Acvyx5nQiy3twljGFn6OAhRkdHiC26sqb9KIA8tSyIsinE0HQl-100ZbxeKOt9bORItsMgpWrohRadO6FHSl-jBSGkp8bcJW9zGmA8bLz9x67kuOUOuTOYsqvwNtn3mYUlvkD9YGCtekz0VJWi5qqx-eRBcOEe_FXiy1SRt7xcSWvOvs/s4608/Dark%20Days%20Francesca%20Capaldi%2020231106_162958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZHlfSdAa964Acvyx5nQiy3twljGFn6OAhRkdHiC26sqb9KIA8tSyIsinE0HQl-100ZbxeKOt9bORItsMgpWrohRadO6FHSl-jBSGkp8bcJW9zGmA8bLz9x67kuOUOuTOYsqvwNtn3mYUlvkD9YGCtekz0VJWi5qqx-eRBcOEe_FXiy1SRt7xcSWvOvs/s320/Dark%20Days%20Francesca%20Capaldi%2020231106_162958.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">When I started writing the timeline and ideas for <i>Dark Days at the Beach Hotel, </i>set in Littlehampton in World War One, I knew that I wanted it to be manageress Helen Bygrove’s story. Things were about to become a little darker at the hotel, not least of all because of Helen’s rather boorish and bossy husband, Douglas, who is the manager and owner of the hotel. Although the hotel really existed, all the characters in the <i>Beach Hotel</i> books are fictional (though there is the odd mention of living people).</p><p style="text-align: center;">Just before I embarked on planning this story, I read an intriguing book called <i>The Littlehampton Libels,</i> by Christopher Hilliard, which sets out a real-life story of libellous letters and wrongful arrests in the early 1920s. I started reading it for its period detail of the town, but it soon occurred to me that libellous letters would be a wonderful idea for the book, causing trouble and misdirections.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Although part of my storyline was inspired by this real-life case, it has nothing of the original story in it. The Beach Hotel was certainly never involved, although the real-life perpetrators and victims lived only two streets away from the Beach Hotel, which sat on the common between the promenade road and the beach.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Strangely enough, a couple of weeks ago I discovered that a film’s been made, based on <i>The Littlehampton Libels,</i> starring Olivia Colman, called <i>Wicked Little Letters, </i>due to be released a few days after <i>Dark Days at the Beach Hotel.</i> I’ll be interested to see what they’ve made of it.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My books are categorised as sagas, or historical romance, and this is the first time I’ve included so much crime in one of them, but it was rather fun to write. I loved the idea of putting the main character into what seemed like an impossible situation and getting the staff together to try to solve it. This might be because I’m a fan of programmes like <i>Father Brown</i> and books like the<i> Whitstable Pearl Mysteries</i> by Julie Wassmer and Agatha Christie’s novels, where ordinary people get to solve the crimes. And I’ve always loved writing the parts of the ‘baddies’ in my books.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I’ve just finished watching series 2 of <i>The Traitors</i> on TV, and it struck me how similar it seemed to this kind of novel. In a way, the baddies are the ‘traitors’, trying to fool people into thinking they’re ‘faithfuls’, while some of the faithfuls are trying to prove they’re not traitors, and the rest of the faithfuls are trying to work out who the traitors are. It’s like the staff at the Beach Hotel sitting around the table in the staff dining room, discussing their theories, and the guilty people accusing others to deflect from themselves. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, as I’m planning a book, I wonder how I’m going to get my characters out of trouble, so it’s often as big a journey for me as for my readers. So, what will become of Helen and her faithful staff? Will the handsome Inspector Toshack go along with the evidence as it appears, or dig deeper to vindicate Helen? What will become of the traitorous antagonists? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to read the book… </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Thank you so much for being our guest on the blog today. It has been lovely to have you and the book looks amazing.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>It is available as an e-book, audio and paperback, and is currently available on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Days-Beach-Hotel-unforgettable-ebook/dp/B0CL7M6R8V/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Rmn10b82UvHJrARhDk0y6HXHMJiwKr8mTEKJePzccODioacqHibQWw_fAR3vDZs8VMdzUg_W-8F5sMJBqRPUdsncrLnF_80b1sy1fDA5tGwflW65qmhLo0QejeDr0exkbLXpJ_e-qBx0PTbflGSr4Foqw1m3lkOHF0x5eeyvibZsTEdAUo8ufLN5ZumPb20c15pOVe_1hqvvdUp_3hLXhLIvTNb-x7aDx8CYGJ_MhKo.bO8iPZS6MkcRSeH_AKmtvehlGy5imuoFNK3AIzo8OO0&qid=1707986825&sr=8-1">Kindle Unlimited.</a></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivp-hMGklEpEEkFm0RvJdN_G4fdWTww3XkQrPs3ryunXNpAMNQsbmQsZfluYgBRXjrvdeyIPysHsq0Ni_jItgZxFHQ-SzXDpq3UbqlTsbC9SjeIuGF6zazOhf49M7os4JiNA-oIoM35NqJ7yfN20Qv4_pnS7IP1R7D05SvKyotkJ_FSwGPPiIKytlqluM/s700/Dark%20Days%20at%20the%20Beach%20Hotel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivp-hMGklEpEEkFm0RvJdN_G4fdWTww3XkQrPs3ryunXNpAMNQsbmQsZfluYgBRXjrvdeyIPysHsq0Ni_jItgZxFHQ-SzXDpq3UbqlTsbC9SjeIuGF6zazOhf49M7os4JiNA-oIoM35NqJ7yfN20Qv4_pnS7IP1R7D05SvKyotkJ_FSwGPPiIKytlqluM/w400-h158/Dark%20Days%20at%20the%20Beach%20Hotel.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-76175241709654747092024-02-15T08:11:00.001+00:002024-02-15T08:11:42.398+00:00Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young - #bookreview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB82xndpikXCewwGjBc6lY95aEufyvzXJ_t-Miy_wzk500TJTk5Nxv3-x8nl4YklKh81vlr6DxAhDqRi89qXLfVAAAvROA6Mhv9cdnfI-yf1Ikh8UTJNy2SvAcrKJzzKyIGfv2rOrmOCTfjtD3akuNyeQcjQm1IFagui2GrEFgoqm0sI5PmZhtWlOL4c/s385/next%20of%20kin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB82xndpikXCewwGjBc6lY95aEufyvzXJ_t-Miy_wzk500TJTk5Nxv3-x8nl4YklKh81vlr6DxAhDqRi89qXLfVAAAvROA6Mhv9cdnfI-yf1Ikh8UTJNy2SvAcrKJzzKyIGfv2rOrmOCTfjtD3akuNyeQcjQm1IFagui2GrEFgoqm0sI5PmZhtWlOL4c/s320/next%20of%20kin.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>My phone rings, flashing a number that immediately sends a chill down my spine. I follow my instincts, ditching my cart and spot in the checkout line to find quiet in the grocery store's bathroom, which, thankfully is empty.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Hello, this is Chloe." My voice already shaking.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Hi, Chloe, this is Rachel Feroux calling from Child Protective Services. Is this a good time to talk?..</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Two bickering strangers trying to foster their younger siblings team up to create a stable home, but the undeniable chemistry between them threatens to ruin everything.</p><p style="text-align: center;">When she discovers her biological mother has had a new baby, Chloe doesn't hesitate to provide a home for her. Failing to meet social services' financial evaluation, she's forced into a new initiative: joining households with another prospective guardian.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Surly garage mechanic Warren, who is trying to gain custody of his deaf teenage brother, does not make a great first impression. But as their lives intertwine, Chloe and Warren discover they have more in common than they thought. So much so that the chemistry between them threatens everything they've fought for...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Publishing today, this funny, lovely book is well worth getting your hands on.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The main character, Chloe, is in her early twenties and finds herself in the unusual position of fostering her newborn baby sister when her biological mother gives birth. Instantly, the reader expects Chloe to be kind-hearted, and it is this, coupled with her protectiveness of her sister that propels her and the story along.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The love interest in this book is Warren, who teams up with Chloe as he is also caring for his teenage younger brother. However, although these two are thrown together and take a dislike to one another, the reader can happily anticipate the potential relationship that they might fall into.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The book does not disappoint in this respect. In fact, some scenes are a little racy at times. However, this felt natural, but you may choose to avoid this book if you prefer the hanky panky to remain out of sight in your reading. The budding relationship between them played out really well, and I was completely hooked by this book. Both Chloe and Warren are flawed characters but with the turn of each page I was rooting for them more and more.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The book deals with themes of identity, belonging and what constitutes family. It is written with humour and is also romantic and highly readable. I enjoyed it very much. It is a heartwarming read with a feel-good factor, and I turned the final page with a satisfied smile. </p><p style="text-align: center;">If you enjoy the friends to lovers romance trope, infused with humour and chemistry then you will love this book every bit as much as I did. I highly recommend it.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">ISBN: 978 1835010938</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers </p><p style="text-align: left;">Formats: e-book, audio and paperback</p><p style="text-align: left;">No. of Pages: 368 (paperback)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr3pH94JYClKZvOYDq-A9W7XomAcwZ6YvQC0qZI-KYR_grkcaEU4UvNMJd8R_CgOKgx10_GPZQHz6sStjio0m6OxcRzMtiK6WcbIeEegDPko4AneaiViXjpg1-IFc75BpnVGKsvemFR8NPItJK66hqsCjs3qLjnnBOsKVjUkqbPH5AcMSLEjcUDuyqhw/s1500/hannah%20bonam%20young.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr3pH94JYClKZvOYDq-A9W7XomAcwZ6YvQC0qZI-KYR_grkcaEU4UvNMJd8R_CgOKgx10_GPZQHz6sStjio0m6OxcRzMtiK6WcbIeEegDPko4AneaiViXjpg1-IFc75BpnVGKsvemFR8NPItJK66hqsCjs3qLjnnBOsKVjUkqbPH5AcMSLEjcUDuyqhw/w200-h133/hannah%20bonam%20young.jpeg" width="200" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Hannah writes romances featuring a cast of diverse, disabled, marginalized, and LGBTQIA+ folks wherein swoon-worthy storylines blend with the beautiful, messy, and challenging realities of life.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;">When not reading or writing romance you can find her having living room dance parties with her kids or planning any occasion that warrants a cheese board. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she lives with her childhood friend turned husband, Ben, their two kids, a feisty orange cat, and a sleepy bulldog near Niagara Falls on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(ARC courtesy of the publisher)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(author media coutesy of the author's webiste)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></p>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-26574049150753891752024-02-14T09:06:00.001+00:002024-02-14T09:06:43.758+00:00L is for Love by Atinuke - Illustrated by Angela Brooksbank - #bookreview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigne7hVeovVBm7fGpW4JagHhQzoPqfAJt4tKXK2MMuKGiNj371SE5qelrNnNoSKPRXVIbD84Bz9jeluRyfHiu6_X8s3vTl35tJGFnBlmBxUP4Eul3Ch_5z2gQQWNPla6W3nLlgQ_Gd0LOCltg48qEb9L_lGgSybJ5kjXIGV45zwbEhsUA0TM5aH3Vxouc/s385/l%20is%20for%20love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigne7hVeovVBm7fGpW4JagHhQzoPqfAJt4tKXK2MMuKGiNj371SE5qelrNnNoSKPRXVIbD84Bz9jeluRyfHiu6_X8s3vTl35tJGFnBlmBxUP4Eul3Ch_5z2gQQWNPla6W3nLlgQ_Gd0LOCltg48qEb9L_lGgSybJ5kjXIGV45zwbEhsUA0TM5aH3Vxouc/s320/l%20is%20for%20love.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>L is for Love and L is for Lemons.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>L is for Leaving, L is for Linger...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">A whole family set off to sell their luscious lemons at the market in Lagos. They leave before dawn with lamps in hand and loads on heads. They have quite an adventure ahead of them … over logs, on a leaky lorry, through lightning, past lions and leopards until eventually reaching Lagos. The city is bustling and loud – there are lots of legs to get lost between! – but they can finally sell their luscious lemons.</p><p style="text-align: center;">From the creators of <i>B Is for Baby</i> comes <i>L Is for Love,</i> a beautiful first book of words perfect for pre-schoolers learning their ABC. Children will love sounding out the words in this playful, adventurous and vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Today is Valentine's Day, so what better day to review this lovely book for pre-schoolers, <i>L is for Love.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Today does not necessarily have to be about romantic love. It equally applies to loving a parent or child, or even a friend or a pet. This lovely picture book is a love-letter to Lagos, the place of the author's birth and where she partly grew up.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The illustrations tell a story all on their own. The text is simple in format, ideal for very early readers, with the artistic illustrations telling the story and moving it along. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I have previously read and reviewed a book by this author,<i> <a href="https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/too-small-tola-makes-it-count-by.html">Too Small Tola Makes It Count</a>,</i> which you can read by clicking on the title. It was an equally lovely book, aimed at slightly older children than this book.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>L is for Love</i> is a joyous book. I can well imagine pre-schoolers poring over the illustrations of this delightful book, and equally enjoy the text being read to them. I highly recommend this book.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">ISBN: 978 1529501483</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Walker Books</p><p style="text-align: left;">Formats: Hardcover/Picture Book</p><p style="text-align: left;">No. of Pages: 40</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLRbcOAFD2UDo1CXlLCzy_eulKVuq15S_IjCoq_kV2LxMDjvx2et0n9NBg4AuDnfzubEAWqQs_7SUZcy5k47SaMOrMAZT62UsWALWo1NThNWu0BaDOZhdazhdos-AtOilzcNUuLXroEARrQ4rzc2TPG0S6109CdiODzBq0xNaDCtmCbhtnmzKQ8CEWyo/s200/Atinuke_%20Credit%20Paul%20Musso%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLRbcOAFD2UDo1CXlLCzy_eulKVuq15S_IjCoq_kV2LxMDjvx2et0n9NBg4AuDnfzubEAWqQs_7SUZcy5k47SaMOrMAZT62UsWALWo1NThNWu0BaDOZhdazhdos-AtOilzcNUuLXroEARrQ4rzc2TPG0S6109CdiODzBq0xNaDCtmCbhtnmzKQ8CEWyo/w133-h200/Atinuke_%20Credit%20Paul%20Musso%20(1).jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhhod in both Afrika and the UK. She is the author of the bestselling <i>Anna Hibiscus </i>and<i> No. 1 Car Spotter </i>series, as well as <i>Africa, Amazing Africa, B Is for Baby </i>and<i> Catch That Chicken</i> among others. Atinuke started her career as an oral storyteller of tales from the African continent; now she writes about contemporary life in Nigeria. Atinuke lives on a mountain overlooking the sea in Wales.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Illustrator:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MCKLg40ZL-V0hzLHx2ifc-GDtNtBAB4_dntjfqBbOJoffIaQ9OGEMtdveR68dCNi11N0MumVW6c2bBkz7XQq9R7iNFAwQHF39y9PNwHad9N-JhZGYJWI3w3agMw-aaQTdz70fYK5lXqmNtwm8Rit7trug_ZUHSFDZYzNQNb6ujD_t9KOC7e7ThDLEno/s380/Brooksbank_Angela.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="335" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MCKLg40ZL-V0hzLHx2ifc-GDtNtBAB4_dntjfqBbOJoffIaQ9OGEMtdveR68dCNi11N0MumVW6c2bBkz7XQq9R7iNFAwQHF39y9PNwHad9N-JhZGYJWI3w3agMw-aaQTdz70fYK5lXqmNtwm8Rit7trug_ZUHSFDZYzNQNb6ujD_t9KOC7e7ThDLEno/w176-h200/Brooksbank_Angela.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in the children's book industry before undertaking an MA at the Cambridge School of Art, and turning her hand to her own illustration. About her picture book inspiration, Angela says, "I am constantly inspired by children’s energy and unique response to life and hope that my work conveys some of their playful spirit." <i>Baby Goes to Market,</i> written by Atinuke, is her debut picture book. Find her online at <a href="http://angelabrooksbank.com.">angelabrooksbank.com.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(book courtesy of the publisher)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(author/illustrator bio info and photo courtesy of Walker Books / Paul Musso)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992557840958121175.post-68483977318973608582024-02-13T08:17:00.000+00:002024-02-13T08:17:11.512+00:00A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines - #bookreview<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfjIJYDOr4E2Ym_eB__qb-26b7mlJ8VqBq5dFcj3IHEaC48W0c1usGdvAMsYbPpizQUVtqYAH9l0fPrF0tsF4lUNPITocRIFqUAjDiXVI_N6nCLvNfMlW_o8tdEHT7241BIsMC6NIfO8BEFJso67JO9c1_zglZxTyp-mFnAAngx5cRetLwVIIZwFvKII/s445/a%20kestrel%20for%20a%20knave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfjIJYDOr4E2Ym_eB__qb-26b7mlJ8VqBq5dFcj3IHEaC48W0c1usGdvAMsYbPpizQUVtqYAH9l0fPrF0tsF4lUNPITocRIFqUAjDiXVI_N6nCLvNfMlW_o8tdEHT7241BIsMC6NIfO8BEFJso67JO9c1_zglZxTyp-mFnAAngx5cRetLwVIIZwFvKII/s320/a%20kestrel%20for%20a%20knave.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>There were no curtains up. The window was a hard edged block the colour of the night sky. Inside the bedroom the darkness was of a gritty texture. The wardrobe and bed were blurred shapes in the darkness. Silence...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life. Barry Hines's acclaimed novel continues to reach new generations of teenagers and adults with its powerful story of survival in a tough, joyless world.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I first read this book at school when I was about twelve years old. Needless to say, I did not recall the details. More recently I heard it recommended on the podcast, <a href="https://www.backlisted.fm/">Backlisted</a>, which I highly recommend, and was intrigued to read it again.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was first published in 1968, and is as relevant today as it was then. The main character, Billy Casper, is a timeless portrayal of a adolescent boy growing up in Yorkshire with his mother and older brother, Jedd. Billy is bullied by his brother, bullied at school and by some of his teachers. This was the days of corporal punishment and reading of how the pupils were beaten was shocking. Billy was frequently humiliated by his teachers who had written him off. There is one scene set during a PE lesson which did not make for comfortable reading.</div><div><br /></div><div>That said, this was a brilliant novel and easily a five star read for me. It is a slim volume that is a powerhouse of a book. Billy is lacking any familial love. His single mother is inept, and Billy is frequently left hungry and without direction.</div><div><br /></div><div>His love and skill with the kestrel that he raised and trained was wonderful to read. Through this we observe him blossom into the boy that the reader implicitly recognizes he could be if only his circumstances and the people around him were different. He has been raised to be unambitious and to expect little from life.</div><div><br /></div><div>While the storyline is bleak, the author performs a fabulous job of depicting the beauty of the area. His descriptions of the natural world surrounding this poverty stricken area are superb. Coupled with a narrative and a dialogue which is rich in the local dialect, this book is a fantastic juxtaposition between the beautiful environment and the harsh living conditions.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was gritty and bleak, but I am extremely glad I came back to it. This is a book that has stayed with me since my school days. The fact that I even remember reading it some forty decades later speaks volumes about the power this book has. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you would like to read a modern classic then this is probably top of my list to recommend. It is a fantastic book, and I can well imagine reading it again.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">ISBN: 978 0141184982</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Penguin Classics</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">No. of Pages: 208 (paperback)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0VRWZ4TSZWqsnn0Yz4YDMVReLIpc3hgqwj9pwgBgkWZJ-m4WIq74e9dUby9FPBieMdmY8Vks_yq0-iiotaUHDozaWHh55FIAwuR_mA201Gp1iL3ARfurFHp7p4xU81OsXrWTQSmljFsocVxc3fHkSbq2tv4_Ci5N601r1RfColDjcFXsi5PiiNi9GJk/s257/barry%20hines.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="200" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0VRWZ4TSZWqsnn0Yz4YDMVReLIpc3hgqwj9pwgBgkWZJ-m4WIq74e9dUby9FPBieMdmY8Vks_yq0-iiotaUHDozaWHh55FIAwuR_mA201Gp1iL3ARfurFHp7p4xU81OsXrWTQSmljFsocVxc3fHkSbq2tv4_Ci5N601r1RfColDjcFXsi5PiiNi9GJk/s1600/barry%20hines.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>Barry Hines (June 30, 1939 – March 18, 2016) was an English author, playwright, and screenwriter. His novels and screenplays explore the political and economic struggles of working-class Northern England, particularly in his native West Riding / South Yorkshire.</div><div><br /></div><div>He is best known for the novel <i>A Kestrel for a Knave </i>(1968), which he helped adapt for Ken Loach's film <i>Kes</i> (1969). He also collaborated with Loach on adaptations of his novels <i>Looks and Smiles</i> (1981) and <i>The Gamekeeper, </i>and a 1977 two-part television drama adaption of his book <i>The Price of Coal.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>He also wrote the television film <i>Threads</i>, which depicts the impact of a nuclear war on Sheffield. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(author photo and bio. courtesy of GoodReads)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(all opinions are my own)</span></div></div>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148868074235919399noreply@blogger.com0