Reading Roundup for October 2023

 

Hi everyone. Here we are at the end of October, and here in the UK it is seasonally wet. The leaves on the trees are yellowing and all around me looks pretty.

This month I celebrated my ten year blog anniversary and posted my favourite book from each decade. I will pop a list at the bottom of each post with a link to each of those reviews in case you missed any. It was lovely to reaquaint myself with books that meant so much to me.

October has provided the perfect weather for hunkering down with a book and I have done that whenever time permitted. Here are the books which I have read this month.

Books I Have Read

The Stories We Cannot Tell by Leslie A. Rusmussen - This was a fantastic book about two strong women and the bonds they form when their pregnancies go wrong. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Puppet Maker by Jenny O'Brien - This is the first in the Alana Mack detective series. It features a disabled detective and was enjoyable to read. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker - This was a fabulous read which was chosen by my book club and well worth reading. Unfortunately, I did not have time to review this book but it was a great read and I highly recommend it.

Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner - This one was chosen by the book group that I lead and was an interesting read. She has led a fascinating life and the glimpse into Princess Margaret's life was really interesting.

The Mile End Murder by Sinclair McKay - A non fiction title based on a true crime of a murder committed in 1860 in London's East End. I enjoyed this very much.

Celebrations for the Woolworth Girls by Elaine Everest - This is the ninth book in the series. I haven't read the previous ones and it works well as a standalone novel. You can read my review by clicking here.

Black Fox One by Elyse Hoffman - This follows on from The Vengeance of Samuel Val which I reviewed last month (here) Again, it works well as a standalone novel. You can read my review by clicking here.

Spooky Little Halloween: A Finger Wiggle Book by Sally Symes and Nick Sharratt - A sweet little board book for little ones. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach - This book was my favourite read this month. Emotive and funny about a woman who is trying to be juggle life. You can read my review by clicking here.

Pax and the Missing Head by David Barker -  A dystopian story for middle grade children and an excellent read. You can find my review by clicking here.

Blood Libel - by Michael Lynes - A book set in Spain at the time of the inquisition. The first in the Isaac Alvarez. I really enjoyed this and I will be reviewing the second book in the series soon. You can find my review of Blood Libel by clicking here.

Charlotte's Snowman by Lainey Dee - A nice picture book for children about a child who develops a friendship with a snowman. You can read my review by clicking here.

Books I am Partway Through

Ghosted by Rosie Mullender

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan

New York Miracle by Margo Laurie

This month was my ten year blog anniversary which I celebrated by posting my favourite book from each decade and you can read the post by clicking on the book title. As promised here they are, just in case you missed them.

My celebratory post can be found here.

2013 - My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young

2014 - Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement

2015 - The Pearl That Broke It's Shell by Nadia Hasimi

2016 - The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

2017 - The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

2018 - White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

2019 - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

2020 - The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

2021 - The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

2022 - House Boy by Lorenzo DeStefano

Happy Halloween Everyone!

(header photo courtesy of Samuel Chorlton)

Pax and the Missing Head by David Barker - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

Pax stood on the edge of the crumbling, 20th floor balcony with the wind pulling at his orange boiler suit. He'd finished checking the lettuces and now it was tomatoes up on twenty-one. He leant backwards, letting the harness take his weight as he stared up at the sky. He pressed a button on the hand-held controller to wind in the rope and began to walk up the side of the tower. High above, the machine grumbled through its worn-out gears, setting Pax's teeth on edge.

'Crunching cog wheels! Bet I could fix that in no time...'

***

In a country beset by civil war, New London defends itself behind a giant wall. Inside the city, children are forced to work from an early age, except for the lucky few who train to be leaders in the re-purposed Palace of Westminster. 12-year-old orphaned Pax is brilliant at recycling old tech. He enjoys working on the verti-farms and just wants a bit of peace and quiet. But when that is taken away from him, his only hope is to pass a near-impossible exam and join the other students in Scholastic Parliament. There he’ll make new friends and new enemies. He’ll get tested like never before. And he’ll discover that not everything is quite what it seems under the mayor’s harsh leadership​.

***

This is a delightful story aimed at middle grade children. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of dystopian novels with one or two exceptions such as Orwell's 1984. 

The main character is Pax, a twelve year old seedling who was grown in a laboratory. He is considerate, intelligent and caring and makes for a great character that children will love. He works hard and through his intelligence and aptitude he has been accepted into the Scholastic Parliament, a school which he hopes will lead to his dream of becoming an engineer.

It is here, that he makes good friends, as well as enemies, and where he is in a position to prove his worth. It is a lovely story and the author has done a great job of bringing his characters to life on the page. I think most children will be able to identify with Pax one way or another and this makes him an engaging and likeable character.

The plot flows nicely and there is enough to keep children hooked. My childhood is many years behind me (actually decades, who am I kidding) but I was enthralled by this story. It may be set in the future but all the problems that Pax encounters are applicable to contemporary children.

This book is the first in a planned series and I am really looking forward to becoming further acquainted with Pax and his friends.

ISBN: 978 1913230357

Publisher:  Tiny Tree

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  216 (paperback)

About the Author:

David attended the Faber Academy in 2014 and from that had three climate-fiction thrillers published (The Gold Trilogy, Bloodhound Books). He joined SCBWI in 2018 as he shifted his focus to a younger audience. His Middle Grade debut, Pax & The Missing Head publishes with Tiny Tree in late 2023. He lives in Berkshire with his wife and daughter and has a passion for stories, sport and boardgames.

(Book and all media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2022 - House Boy by Lorenzo DeStefano - #BookReview

 

 

It is impossible at first to confirm the thing or thing's identity. The Tamil Nadu sun, true to its savage reputation, renders familiar people, even members of one's own family, as unrecognizable as total strangers. The quasi-human shapes move in a kind of undulating fashion along one bank of the sacred Cauvery River, appearing then disappearing in the piercing glare. When the dust parts, softened momentarily by obscuring clouds, it reveals not one being but two.

Modestly dressed and delicately mannered, Sakthi and Amala Pallan crouch by a narrow flow of water, bend their long necks in unison over their work...

***

House Boy is a contemporary thriller set in Southern India and in the polite suburb of Hendon, North London. 

At 321 Finchley Lane, ancient traditions take root and prosper in our so-called civilized society. The lives of a boy from rural India, Vijay Pallan, and an Indo-British woman and her son, Binda and Ravi Tagorstani, collide as if decreed by history. Through Vijay, we experience the shocking realities of modern slavery, the human spirit's boundless capacity for pain, and the ultimate blessing of one young man's redemption and survival.

***

Today concludes my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, and I am finishing with another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2022 and it was originally posted on 4th July of that year.  This is an outstanding book and it has remained with me ever since I read it.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

I rarely use terms such as 'unputdownable' in my reviews but on this occasion it is the perfect adjective to describe this book. It is hugely powerful, and I can confidently say that it is the best book that I have read this year.

I devoured it over the course of a weekend and made the big mistake of finishing it in bed one night as I could not get to sleep afterwards. There was so much to process, and aspects of the story were going through my mind for ages.

Through the narrative the author provides a good explanation of the Indian caste system and the main character, Vijay, is a wonderful creation. There were many times that I could have cried at the harsh treatment he is forced to endure.

To the reader it quickly becomes apparent that Vijay is being recruited into human trafficking, and I wanted to shout at the book to warn him. His naivety was understandable, and the author did an excellent job in portraying how easily he was lured into becoming a victim of trafficking and exploitation.

Whilst the book delves into some challenging issues that did not make for comfortable reading, it is ultimately a story of hope and is one that I can envisage reading again as well as purchasing for friends and family.

As a film director, Mr. DeStefano has imbued this novel with a cinematic feel through vivid imagery of Vijay's world. According to IMDB it is in development to be turned into a screen play.

This is his debut novel and I hope he will produce more fiction. He is an excellent storyteller and has written a book which is thought-provoking and powerful and which I think everyone should read.

ISBN:  978 1639882434

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 310 (paperback)

About the Author:

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lorenzo DeStefano is a playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, and photographer. A member of the Directors Guild of America, he has produced and directed network series, documentaries, and narrative films, worked in U.S. and U.K. Theater, and written fiction, non-fiction, original screenplays, and adaptations.

In addition to House Boy, his first published novel, DeStefano is author of the short story collection, “The Shakespearean”, the essay “On Knowing Daniel Aaron”, the fact-based short story “Hitchhike”, the memoir “Visitations – Finding A Secret Relative In Modern-Day Hawaii”, “Diary of a Nobody”, a feature article for The Guardian, the photographic memoir “La Hora Magica/The Magic Hour – Portraits of a Vanishing Cuba”, and the cinema memoir “Callé Cero–An Encounter with Cuban Film Director Tomas Gutierrez Alea”.

(author photo and bio. info. from the author's own website https://houseboynovel.com)

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(all opinions are my own)

The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach - #BookReview #Blogtour

 

I was in the middle of downward dog when my father called. Bendy Lydia hates it when somebody's mobile goes off in yoga class and, despite being contorted into a particularly improbable configuration, she managed to convey her displeasure through nostil flaring and deep exhalations alone. She is an immensely talented woman in this regard - if I ever tried to demonstrate how annoyed I was by snorting and sighing, I'd probably sound like a pantomime horse.

***

Penny Baker is coping. Just about.

Three kids, one dog, one lovely but sometimes oblivious husband. Tick, tick tick.

She is even managing to hold her own among the competitive school mums - if you don’t look too closely. But when she finds herself also caring for her elderly mother, diagnosed with dementia, the household is thrown into disarray and Penny finds herself stretched to breaking point trying to meet everyone’s needs.

Can she make the new family situation work? And is there any chance of finding some space in it all for herself?

Fans of Milly Johnson, Gill Sims and Alexandra Potter will adore this funny, relatable and uplifting read.

***

There are very few books which I award a five star rating but I wholeheartedly do with this book without any hesitation.

The main character, Penny, is the epitome of the sandwich generation. She has children and elderly parents to care for and has to cope with the pressures that this situation brings. Many of us have found ourselves in a similar situation and therefore, Penny is a character with whom it is easy to identify with. 

It is an emotive yet hilarious book to read. It evokes both tears and laughter at different points and the author has written a novel which is charming whilst simultaneously dealing with difficult topics. Dementia is not an easy topic to write about in a  humourous way but Ms. Peach has successfully done so sympatheticly. At no point does she laugh at her characters but deals with them sensitively and in a way which is humourous and witty. 

What this novel does so successfully is to highlight the importance of family and friends and how there are times in life when we really need this support system. The author depicted her secondary characters superbly and in each of them the reader can acknowledge that they have come across such people in their own lives. We've all known a Tiggy or a Lindi at one point or another. Couple the strain of trying to hold everything together with the pressure of social media and it can cause an explosive situation for a person who is desperately trying to be all things to all people as Penny was.

I was delighted to read that there will be a sequel to this book, and I am certain that I will be first in the queue to get my hands on a copy. In the meantime, I shall be reading the author's previous book, Love Life in the near future.

ISBN: 978 1804366295

Publisher:  Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book and paperback - this is currently available on kindleunlimited

No. of Pages:  400 (paperback)

About the Author:

Nancy Peach is a writer of women’s fiction, a mother of three, and an owner of various ridiculous-looking pets. She is also a practicing doctor working for the NHS and a national cancer charity, and has been writing (in a terribly British, embarrassed, secretive way) for as long as she can remember. Nancy’s debut, Love Life was published in 2021. The Mother of All Problems was long-listed for the Comedy Women in Print prize.

(ARC and all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Blog)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2021 - The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - #BookReview

 

This morning, Papa call me inside the parlour.

He was sitting inside the sofa with no cushion and looking me. Papa have this way of looking me one kind. As if he wants to be flogging me for no reason, as if I am carrying shit inside my cheeks and when I open mouth to talk, the whole place be smelling of it...

***

I don't just want to be having any kind voice . . .

I want a louding voice.

At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni's father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam's husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2021 and it was originally posted on 28th October of that year.  I adored this book and it's characters have remained with me.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

In Adunni, the author has created one of the most endearing characters that I have come across in fiction. The whole novel is written from Adunni's perspective which brings her character to life in the most realistic of ways. Although Adunni's story is a challenging one for us in the Western world to comprehend, the book is full of hope and the creation of a better world, particularly for girls in the position of our main character.

The book is set in Nigeria and written in the vernacular of the region. This was not difficult to follow. Instead, it illuminated the novel as I found myself listening as much as reading the text. Ms Dare expertly accomplished this in a way that lesser authors could not have, and I was captivated.

Her gift for story-telling is beautiful, and she has composed a book that caused me to feel as though she was telling it to me personally. It is a enormously skilled to be able to write a novel that affects the reader in this way.

I will not be able to forget this book. Adunni has made an indelible impression on me and will remain with me for a long time. I applaud Ms Dare for writing this book with such passion, integrity, sensitivity and intelligence and, for bringing to light the difficult lives that many girls in the society in which the book is based have to face.

I borrowed this book from the library, but I know I will want to read it again so I have purchased my own copy. I strongly encourage everyone to read this book.

ISBN: 978 1529359275

Publisher: Sceptre Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  320 (paperback)

About the Author:

Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University and an MA ( Distinction) in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London. 

Her first novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice was shortlisted for several awards including the Desmond Elliott Prize and The British Book Awards( Debut). 

The novel was a New York Times Bestseller, A Today Show Book Club pick, a BBC Radio 4 Bookclub Pick and has been translated into well over a dozen languages. When Abi is not writing, she loves hanging out at her local cafe, giving talks, and advocating for girl education.

In 2022, Abi was appointed as Board Member for the BIC Corporate Foundation. She lives in Essex with her husband and two children.

(author media courtesy of Curtis Brown)

(all opinions are my own)

Spooky Little Halloween: A Finger Wiggle Book by Sally Symes - Illustrated by Nick Sharratt - #BookReview

This little witch is riding on her broom. Wiggle wiggle, zoom-zoom!

This little wolf sings a song to the Moon. Wiggle wiggle, ahhwwoooo!

***

Enjoy and encourage imaginative Halloween play with your baby in this spooktacular finger wiggle book!

Poke your fingers through the holes of this lighthearted Halloween board book to make wiggly legs for your favourite cast of creepy characters in spooky season! From the witch on her broom to the wolf howling at the moon, from the bat that's hanging upside down to the pumpkin that's round, share the joy of reading together with your baby. Bright, high contrast illustrations and finger holes to explore, make this book the perfect start to a lifelong love of books.

***

This delightful little board book for Halloween will appeal to all pre-school children.

This colourful book is beautifully illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Each page features a different halloween related character e.g. a witch, a wolf, a spider, a ghost, a pumpkin, a bat, a black cat and a friendly looking vampire. Each one provides the opportunity to wiggle fingers through, making it a wonderfully interactive book to share with little ones.

I think it is utterly delightful and would make the perfect Halloween gift for babies and very young children.

***

ISBN:  978 1529512663

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats:  Board Book

No. of Pages: 18

About the Author:

Sally Symes is a freelance children's book author, designer and illustrator with over 25 years experience. Her clients include: Walker Children's Books, What on Earth Publishing, Britannica Books, Nosy Crow, Harper Collins and Frances Lincoln.

She has written and designed over 50 books for children and her collaborations with Nick Sharratt have won many awards including The Educational Writers’ Award for The Gooey, Chewy Rumble Plop Book and The Southampton Favourite Book to Share Award for Something Beginning With Blue. One of our Finger Wiggle Series, Look at Me was recently chosen to be part of BookTrust's BookStart packs. (Bookstart gives a free book pack to every baby born in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.)

She worked for many years as a designer of children’s books before turning her skills to writing them too. She was Senior Editor at Campbell Children’s Books (Pan Macmillan) for many years and has an excellent understanding of the children’s publishing market. She writes fiction and non-fiction for ages 0-10 years.

She lives in a lively village in West Sussex and loves running, swimming, cycling and singing with her local choir. She works from a shed at the bottom of her garden accompanied by her grumpy cat, Bumble.

About the Illustator:

Nick was born on August 9th, 1962 in Bexleyheath, Greater London. He grew up in Suffolk, Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester.

 

When he left school he went on an art foundation course at Manchester Polytechnic ( now called Manchester Metropolitan University ) where he spent a very happy year learning to draw people and places from real life.

He then got a place at St Martin's School of Art (now Central St Martins) in London to study graphic design for three years. 

The first books he drew pictures for were educational textbooks and after a couple of years he was asked to illustrate his first picture book Noisy Poems which was published in 1987.

He gradually did more and more book illustration and began writing his own books too but it wasn't until the mid 1990s that he decided to stop the other kinds of illustration and concentrate solely on children's books.

He has now illustrated close to 300 books. They range from board books for babies to novels for young teenagers. He has worked with authors including Julia Donaldson, Jeremy Strong, Michael Rosen, Giles Andreae, Kaye Umansky, Kes Gray and most notably Dame Jacqueline Wilson and he's also written around 40 of his own books. He is delighted that quite a few of the books have won prizes. He was the official illustrator for World Book Day in 2006 and has a fellowship from Hereford College of Art. He is also a proud recipient of a gold Blue Peter badge.

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(author media courtesy of her website https://www.sallysymes.com/index.html)

(illustrator media courtesy of his website https://www.nicksharratt.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2020 - The Five by Hallie Rubenhold - #BookReview

 

"There are two versions of the events of 1888. One is very well known; the other is not. The first one is the one printed in most history books......... Then there is the other version..... which most choose to forget."

***

Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers.

What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888.

Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become more famous than any of these women.

In this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally gives these women back their stories.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2020 and it was originally posted on 27th May of that year.  This nonfiction title made a huge impact on me has stayed with me ever since.

I originally read this during the pandemic and my review reflects that. I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

I have a library copy of this book which I had borrowed before all the libraries were closed. However, half way through this book I knew I would want a copy of my own so bought one online. It is a fantastic book and one that I know I shall return to.

I suppose it resonates with me as my own ancestors were in the same area at the time of the murders. Flower and Dean Street is well known for it's Victorian doss houses and the 1881 census places my own great-great grandparents as being resident in Flower and Dean Street at the time the census was taken. It is a strange thought that they were rubbing shoulders with the Ripper victims and possibly even the Ripper himself.

The author has clearly done extensive research in preparation for writing this book and it contains a bibliography that runs to twenty-one pages. She has taken all of these resources and written an accessible and engaging book.

At no point does she deal with the brutality with which these women lost their lives. Instead, she focuses on the women who were murdered; their childhoods, adolescence and  adult lives which were cut tragically short. She challenges the belief that they were 'merely prostitutes,' as was contemporaneously believed and reported and presents us five women who were trying to live and survive during difficult times and in straightened circumstances.

Ms. Rubenhold has humanised and given these women a voice. Certainly, they were women who were down on their luck, homeless and alcoholic but with the exception of two of them there is no evidence to suggest that they were sex workers.

I wholeheartedly applaud the author for this book. She presents us with five women who were not merely victims of the Ripper but were victims of the time in which they lived. They were victims of their gender, time and world into which they were born - a time in which women did not have a voice. Well done Ms. Rubenhold for giving us the means by which we can see these women for who they really were and not merely as the Ripper's victims. I highly recommend this book.

ISBN: 978 1784162344

Publisher: Black Swan

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  432 (paperback)

About the Author:

Hallie Rubenhold is a bestselling author, social historian, broadcaster and historical consultant for TV and film.

She published The Five; The Untold Lives of The Women Killed by Jack the Ripper in 2019 and was the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction. It is the first full length biography of the Ripper’s victims. 

In 2005, Hallie published The Covent Garden Ladies, and was the subject of three television programmes, including the hit drama series, Harlots (ITV Encore, Amazon and Hulu). In 2006, BBC4 broadcast The Harlots Handbook, a documentary based on Hallie’s book which she presented.

Her equally celebrated second book, Lady Worsley’s Whim (entitled The Lady in Red in the US) about the 18th century’s most infamous adultery trial became BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in November 2008. In August 2015, it appeared as a 90 minute drama for BBC2 entitled The Scandalous Lady W, starring Natalie Dormer and Shaun Evans.

Hallie is also the author of a series of novels set during the period of the French Revolution. The first of these, Mistress of My Fate was published in 2011 (2013 in the US). The second, The French Lesson was published in the UK in April, 2016.

In addition to writing books, articles and reviews, Hallie regularly appears on TV as an expert contributor to documentaries. 

Hallie has a passion for telling a great historical tale and has a nose for unearthing previously unknown stories from little-known sources. She loves challenging our preconceived notions about our ancestors lives and revels in history’s surprising, unpleasant and gritty truths. Her extensive academic experience extends to research, teaching, lecturing and curatorial work. In the past she has been employed as a curator for the National Portrait Gallery, a university lecturer and a commercial art dealer. In 2014 she curated an exhibition on women’s reputations in the Georgian era for No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath and has been involved with several projects at the Foundling Museum in London.

Hallie received her B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an M.A. in British History and History of Art from the University of Leeds. Remaining at Leeds, she embarked on her studies for a PhD and later completed her thesis on the subject of marriage and child-rearing in the eighteenth century.

She lives with her husband in London.

(author media courtesy of her website https://www.hallierubenhold.com/ / Sarah Blackie)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2019 - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - #BookReview

 

The morning express bloated with passengers slowed to a crawl, then lurched forward suddenly, as though to resume full speed. The trains brief deception jolted its riders. The bulge of humans hanging out of the doorway distended perilously, like a soap bubble at its limit.

***

Set in the mid 1970's in India, A Fine Balance tells the story of four unlikely people whose lives come together during a time of political turmoil soon after the government declares a 'State of Internal Emergency'. Through days of bleakness and hope, their circumstances - and their fates - have become inextricably linked in ways no one could have foreseen.

Written with compassion, humour and insight, A Fine Balance is a vivid, richly textured and powerful novel by one of the most gifted writers of our time.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2019 and was originally posted on 25th January of that year.  This book has stayed with me ever since I read it and it remains one of the best books I have ever read.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

The first thing I did when I finished this novel was to order everything else the author has written. This is an extraordinary novel written by a highly skilled author who has wholeheartedly won my admiration.

I was gripped from the very first page of this novel. The authors ability to create characters that are multilayered along with an atmosphere that made me feel as though I was living in India were quite remarkable. In fact, I think it is the sense of involvement that kept me hooked throughout the entire novel.

I felt as though I understood and knew these characters. Although the novel focuses around the four main characters whose backgrounds are all very different but whose lives become intertwined, the more minor characters are equally multi-layered. Indeed, Mistry's ability to breath life into his characters is superb and I am not sure I have ever come across another author who has done this with such excellence.

There is nothing superficial about this book.  It is packed full with depth and meaning and so beautifully written I could not get enough of it despite it running to over 600 pages in my edition. Indeed, for a few days after I finished reading I have felt a sense of loss and I could happily have kept reading this book for so much longer.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough and fully urge you to read it for yourself. Or perhaps, you have you read this book? Have you read any of Rohinton Mistry's other novels? I would love to hear your thoughts.

ISBN:  978 0571230587

Publisher:  Faber & Faber

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  624 (paperback)

About the Author:

Rohinton Mistry is the author of a fine collection of short stories, Tales from Firozsha Baag (1987), and three novels that were all shortlisted for the Booker Prize: Such a Long Journey (1991), A Fine Balance (1996) and Family Matters (2002). His fiction has won, among other awards, the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (twice), The Los Angeles Times Award, The Giller Prize, The Governor-General's Award, and the Royal Society of Literature's Winifred Holtby Award. In translation, his work has been published in over twenty five languages.

Born in Bombay, Rohinton Mistry has lived in Canada since 1975.

(author photo courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

Black Fox One by Elyse Hoffman - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

"Ava!"

Ten year old Jonas Amsel was entirely certain that his best friend was going to kill him. He had followed Avalina Keller into the woods as he often did, but the girl had been too excited and had run ahead, leaving the boy to stumble through the thrush and desperately try to track her down.

"Ava!" he cried again, and this time he heard a musical giggle somewhere close by. Jonas perked up his ears and tottered forward, trying to figue out where she...

"Boo!"

***

Jonas Amsel and Avalina Keller, devoted Nazis and best friends, have a bright future in Hitler’s Third Reich. Ava, a talented gymnast, wants to serve Germany in the Olympics, and Jonas, who has loved Ava since they were children, wants nothing more than to marry her and start a family. When he is about to propose, however, Ava and her entire family vanish without a trace.

Jonas blames the Jews for Ava’s disappearance and throws himself into a career in the Nazi Party. He serves the Reich under the ruthless Chief of the Gestapo, Reinhard Heydrich. Jonas becomes particularly good at capturing members of the Black Foxes, an anti-Nazi resistance group, earning Heydrich’s respect and the moniker of “the Fox Hunter.”

Impressed by Jonas’ skills, Heydrich gives him his most difficult task yet: capture the elusive Black Fox One, the Black Foxes’ most deadly and mysterious operative. No Nazi who has pursued Black Fox One has returned alive, but Jonas is determined and confident. Capturing Black Fox One might bring him one step closer to finding Ava.

But while he is hunting Black Fox One, Jonas makes a shocking discovery, forcing him to make an agonizing decision. He must choose between his love for the Reich and his heart, torn between the lies he has been taught all his life and the new truth before him.

Black Fox One is a thrilling World War II story of lost love, bravery, and the hard road to redemption.

***

This book is the third in a series, and it follows on from The Vengeance of Samuel Val which I recently read. If you would like to read my review you can find it by clicking here. Black Fox One does work perfectly well as a standalone novel. There are a couple of the characters from the previous book who put in an appearance but knowing their backstory is not vital to the plot.

The story begins with the two main characters, Jonas and Ava, as childhood best friends, before their relationship develops and they become lovers. This is a familiar trope in novels, but its familiarity did not hinder my enjoyment of this novel as their circumstances were a little different to the average.

Both Ava and Jonas were well developed characters and easy to identify with. They are both strong people in their own right but who stand on two very different sides of the fence. It was interesting to see how their relationship could possibly develop given the circumstances and the author did a great job through narrative and dialogue in moving this this along. 

There are a few twists and turns throughout the plot which keep the reader enthralled. A good plot along with strong characterisation makes this an excellent read.

My only criticism is that I felt the epilogue was an unnecessary addition to the story. Overall, this was an extremely good book, and I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.

ISBN:  978 1952742286

Publisher:  Project 613

Formats: e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  244 (hardback)

About the Author:

Elyse Hoffman is a best-selling 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 studied English, History, and Law at George Mason University. 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.

(ARC and all media materials courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Celebrations for the Woolworth Girls by Elaine Everest - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

'For goodness' sake stand still, Nanny Ruby. If you're not careful I'll be pinning this hem to your stockings. Why you haven't asked Aunty Maisie to hem this frock, I'll never know.'

Ruby Jackson snorted with laughter. 'If I'd spoken to my great-grandmother like that, I'd have been shut in the coal hole for a fortnight without any food,' she said, admonishing the child. 'Anyone would think you were forty rather than eleven, the way you talk. For your information, I don't like to bother Maisie as she is so busy with her factory and dress shops. Besides, she'd have me standing on the table while she pinned up the hem, and I'm not sure I'd be able to get back down...'

***

It's 1952 and with a new Monarch about to ascend the throne, The Woolworths Girls will face fresh new challenges . . .

At The Erith Store there is a new temporary Manager and Sarah is getting more than a little concerned by problems he seems to be creating. The whole mess is enough to make her want to resign.

Meanwhile, Ruby is extremely worried about her friend Vera, and with illness causing a problem from her past to come flooding back, Vera knows it’s going to take a lot of strength and willpower to do what needs to be done.

Then there is Freda, looking forwards to the birth of her first child but sick with worry that her Tony won’t have returned home in time for the birth of his child, let alone to be back to run the Erith store.

As Coronation Day for young Queen Elizabeth ll approaches, the girls from Woolworths celebrate friendship, family and overcoming anything that life can throw at them . . .

***

Celebration for the Woolworths Girls is the ninth novel in Elaine Everest's bestselling Woolworths series. I have not read any of the previous eight but that has not hindered my enjoyment of this. However, having read this book it has certainly encouraged me to read the previous books.

The author has created a cast of engaging and believable characters. A group of strong women who are learning to stand against the discrimination that was aimed at women in the 1950's. It is very clear from an early point which characters the author intends us to sympathise with and which we are to dislike.

Having based the story line within a tightknit community it was interesting to observe the family links and friendships. Most of the characters lives were intertwined one way or another. 

It was a story about family, motherhood and women's rights. They faced sexism head on in the workplace and it was interesting to observe them beginning to break free of the traditional roles that society had assigned them.

The time period felt very authentic and the author has clearly done lots of research into this period, making this an excellent book to read, and one that I recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction.

ISBN:  978-1035020607

Publisher:  Pan

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Elaine was born and brought up in North West Kent, where many of her Sunday Times bestselling historical sagas are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty-three years and has written widely for women's magazines and national newspapers, with short stories, serials and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to broadcasting on radio about our four-legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio including her Kent based novels, canine subjects, and living with a husband under her feet! She was BBC Radio Kent’s short story writer of the year, a runner up for The Harry Bowling Prize, and winner of Myrmidon Books novel writing competition. 

When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place, her successful creative writing school in Hextable, Kent. She hopes one day soon to have another old English Sheepdog and still keeps in touch with many of her dear friends from her days in the show ring.

Elaine lives in Swanley, Kent with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry.

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(media courtesy of the authors website https://www.elaineeverest.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2018 - White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht - #BookReview

 

It is nearly dawn, and the semi-darkness casts strange shadows along the footpath. Hana distracts her mind so that she doesn't imagine creatures reaching for her ankles. She is following her mother down to the sea. Her nightdress streams behind her in the soft wind. Quiet foot steps pad behind them, and she knows without looking back that her father is following with her little sister still asleep in his arms. On the shore, a handful of women are already waiting for them. She recognises their faces in the rising dawn light, but the shaman is a stranger.

The holy woman wears a red and royal blue traditional hanbok dress, and as soon as they descend upon the sand, the shaman begins to dance...

***

Hana and her little sister Emi are part of an island community of haenyo, women who make their living from diving deep into the sea off the southernmost tip of Korea.

One day Hana sees a Japanese soldier heading for where Emi is guarding the day’s catch on the beach. Her mother has told her again and again never to be caught alone with one. Terrified for her sister, Hana swims as hard as she can for the shore.

So begins the story of two sisters suddenly and violently separated by war. Moving between Hana in 1943 and Emi as an old woman today, White Chrysanthemum takes us into a dark and devastating corner of history — and two women whose love for one another is strong enough to triumph over the evils of war.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2018 and was originally posted on 18th July of that year.  This book has stayed with me ever since I read it.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

This is one of the best books I have ever read; praise which I do not give lightly. Rarely has a book simultaneously shocked, affected and impressed me as this one has. In fact, I borrowed this from the library and having read it I have ordere a copy of the paperback from a book retailer, when it was released on the 30th of August of that year, as I am certain that I will want to re-read this book.

I have read some excellent debut novels this year and I am confident in saying that this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. The writing is beautiful and tells the story of the little known history of Korea's women during the Japanese invasion of Korea during World War Two. Ms. Bract is to be applauded for bringing this to the attention of modern readers. I, for one, had no knowledge of this devastating aspect of twentieth-century history.

If ever fictional characters deserve to be fallen in love with, it is Hana and Emi. The author portrays her characters so fully that I really felt that I knew them and cried for the horrors that they were forced to endure. It is hard to leave this book behind.

The authors research has been thorough and she conveys this information with intelligence and understanding. By the time I had finished this book I was deeply affected and inspired by the bravery and strength of the women being portrayed and, therefore, their real life counterparts.

Bravo, to Ms. Bract for bringing this horrendous period of history to the fore and I strongly recommend this book to you all.

ISBN: 978 1784705459

Publisher:  Vintage

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  320 (paperback)

About the Author:

Mary Lynn Bracht was born in Stuttgart, Germany and grew up in the United States. She studied Anthropology and Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and received her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. Her debut novel, White Chrysanthemum, was published in January 2018 by Chatto & Windus Books and Putnam Books and translated worldwide.

(all author media courtesy of her website https://marybracht.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

War Sonnets by Susannah Willey - #blogtour #excerpt

 

I am delighted to be bringing an excerpt of this book to you today. But first, a little about the book.

1942: In the war-torn jungles of Luzon, two soldiers scout the landscape. Under ordinary circumstances they might be friends, but in the hostile environment of World War II, they are mortal enemies.

Leal Baldwin, a US Army sergeant, writes sonnets. His sights are set on serving his country honorably and returning home in one piece. But the enemy is not always Japanese…Dooley wants Leo’s job, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it…Leo finds himself fighting for his reputation and freedom.

Lieutenant Tadashi Abukara prefers haiku. He has vowed to serve his emperor honorably, but finds himself fighting a losing battle. Through combat, starvation, and the threat of cannibalism, Tadashi’s only thought is of survival and return to his beloved wife and son. As Leo and Tadashi discover the humanity of the other side and the questionable moral acts committed by their own, they begin to ask themselves why they are here at all. When they at last meet in the jungles of Luzon, only one will survive, but their poetry will live forever.

The Excerpt

Beloved homeland

Parents, dear wife, and children,

I return to you!

CHAPTER 45

SOMEWHERE IN LUZON—JULY 1945 

No matter where they wandered, the situation was always the same: There was no food. The water was contaminated, and they drank it anyway. They’d had nothing to eat but insects and grass since abandoning the mango tree. All over southern Luzon, the trees were stripped of fruit and bark. There was not a pig, carabao, or dog left alive. Even rats were scarce, and those that remained seemed to know to stay well away from starving humans.

Shimbu Group—the fifty thousand-member Japanese division tasked with defending southern Luzon—now numbered less than eight thousand. Broken up into small groups like Tadashi’s, they foraged for food and struggled to make their way north, where the rest of the army still fought. 

Tadashi had long since given up any hope of winning the war. He was far more occupied with simply staying alive. Two days ago, they had encountered a Japanese platoon and learned that Germany had surrendered. The platoon leader encouraged Tadashi and his men to join them, but Tadashi had an uneasy feeling that they might end up as food instead of recruits. 

The effects of starvation ruled them now. Their bodies were emaciated. They stumbled along the trails, their progress slow and aimless. Their metabolisms weren’t working properly—they were constantly too cold or too hot, their bodily functions erratic. Their muscles were so shrunken that movement was painful, and their skin cracked from dehydration. Even their minds were affected. They felt sluggish and apathetic—sometimes they had hallucinations. There were days Tadashi wanted nothing more than to sleep. He wasn’t even sure if he cared whether or not he woke up.

“Do you ever wonder why we still fight?” Kaito’s voice was weak and raspy as they settled on a downed tree for their third rest of the morning.

“You—the man who pledged undying loyalty to the emperor—ask this?” Tadashi smiled weakly. “You must be hallucinating.”

“The army may have surrendered for all we know,” Kaito said. “And if they go, why should we stay?”

Would the great Japanese Imperial Army surrender? Hundreds of officers would be required to honorably fall on their swords. Tadashi couldn’t imagine that. And how would they know if there was a surrender unless they ran across someone else who knew? 

“Nii-chan,” Kaito said but kept his eyes focused on the now-distant mountains. “Have you ever thought about quitting this war?”

“Desertion?” Tadashi started to protest, but he stopped himself and thought about it. Was it desertion if the army didn’t even know whether they were alive or dead? Was it desertion if they were simply trying to survive? He saw no honor in dying of starvation. “Where would we go? Would you surrender to the enemy?”

Kaito’s eyes went wide. “Never. I would take my own life before I would allow myself to be captured.” His face reddened. “How could you think I would dishonor the emperor like that?”

“No need to get agitated,” Tadashi said. “I simply wondered, what are your plans?”

“I don’t have any plans.” Kaito looked at the ground for a moment then looked up, his eyes filled with tears. “I just want to live. May the kami forgive me; I just want to go home.”

Tadashi touched Kaito’s shoulders. “You do what you must, Kai-chan. I cannot abandon what remains of my squad.”

“Then I will stay too, Nii-chan. We are brothers, and we stay together as brothers should.”

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2017 - The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff - #BookReview

 

They will be looking for me by now.

I pause on the granite steps of the museum, reaching for the railing to steady myself. Pain, sharper than ever, creaks through my left hip, not perfectly healed from last year's break. Across the Avenue Winston Churchill, behind the glass dome of the Grand Palais, the March sky is rosy at dusk.

I peer around the edge of the arched entranceway of the Petit Palais. From the massive stone columns hangs a red banner two stories high...

***

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby.

She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her.

In a moment that will change the course of her life, Noa snatches a baby and flees into the snowy night. And so begins this remarkable, harrowing story of friendship, sacrifice and survival in World War II from the international bestselling author, Pam Jenoff.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2017 and was originally posted on 10th October of that year.  

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

This book absorbed me from the very first page and captivated me right through to the end with it's original portrayal of the events of World War II. The circus setting for this novel dealt with the very serious circumstances that war brought to occupied territories but within the outwardly colourful and vibrant setting of the circus.

The chapters alternate between the two main characters of Noa and Astrid. I must confess there were times I could not find their individual voices but I was so gripped by their story that this really did not seem to matter. It was very interesting to observe their relationship develop as the back story for both of these characters was heartbreaking. Their bravery was astonishing and I felt nothing but admiration for them.

Based on true events Ms Jenoff  successfully weaves fact into fiction and has created a thoroughly well researched and captivating read.

Ultimately, this is an uplifting story of survival that I could not wait to get back to between reading sessions. It is a heartfelt and memorable story that I could imagine reading for a second time - and there are very few books that I place in that category.

ISBN: 978 1848455368

Publisher:  HQ

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  368

About the Author:

Pam Jenoff is the author of several books of historical fiction, including the NYT bestseller The Orphan's Tale. She holds a degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a degree in history from Cambridge, and she received her JD from UPenn. Her novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland. She lives with her husband and 3 children near Philadelphia, where she teaches law.

(author media info courtesy of the author's website https://pamjenoff.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

Christmas at the Cabin by Rebecca Boxall - #CoverReveal #BlogTour

I am delighted to be part of the cover reveal blog tour for Christmas at the Cabin by Rebecca Boxall. It is being published on the 24th November when I will be back with a review of what looks like a delightful festive read.

 Drumroll please.....

The Blurb

A festive, coming-of-age tale about an Oxbridge candidate and a young homeless man who find themselves in the bittersweet predicament of falling in love with exactly the right person at exactly the wrong time.

Well-to-do Jed never imagined he’d end up homeless, but family circumstances have made it his only option. Local vicar, Ben, tries to help him but there’s an element of self-punishment to the homelessness that makes Jed continue to put up with his situation – until disaster leads him to re- consider the vicar’s offer of a place to stay.

Hattie is on the cusp of adulthood, frantically trying to persuade her mum that she doesn’t want to attend an elite university, preferring the idea of pursuing her love of art and textiles. When she meets Jed, she badly wants to understand his circumstances and why, when she has everything at her fingertips, he doesn’t.

Hattie’s mum, Christine, has had a hard life and is desperate for more for her only child. When she meets Ben, the vicar who’s trying to help Jed, she finds an unlikely ally, and the two heartbroken souls find themselves drawn to each other. Until they find their relationship suddenly tested to the limit.

One thing’s for certain: none of these characters is looking forward to Christmas. It’s the worst time of year for each of them, for different reasons. But perhaps this year, the festive season could defy all expectations.

About the Author:

Rebecca Boxall was born in East Sussex in 1977 and grew up in a bustling vicarage always filled with family, friends and parishioners. She now lives by the sea in Jersey with her family and Rodney the cat. She read English at the University of Warwick before she trained as a lawyer and more recently worked at a psychiatric unit.

She is the No. 1 bestselling author of Christmas at the Vicarage and Christmas on the Coast as well as the bestselling writer of Home for Winter, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse, in respect of which she was nominated for the Romantic Novel Awards in 2020. She is also the author

of Christmas at the Farmhouse and her popular short story, A Winter’s Day.

The Puppet Maker by Jenny O'Brien - #BookReview #BlogTour

... The rhyme burrowed through his mind, following the trail of ancient tracks and tunnels forged by countless repetitions, all on the knee of his mam, her golden web of finely spun hair tickling his cheek as she sang ditty after ditty in her breathy, slightly off-key voice.

Mammy had sewn too, he remembered, licking the end of the string before twisting it between grubby fingers and aiming at the large eye of the sailor's needle. She'd knit and sew in the evenings, while they grouped together in their cosy home, the perfect little family. As a memory it was one of his favourites, but then he didn't have that many to compare it to...

***

The scrap of paper looked as if it had been torn from a diary. The words written in faint pencil. The letters rounded, almost childlike: Please look after her. Her life and mine depend on you not trying to find me. 

 

When Detective Alana Mack arrives at Clonabee police station, in a small Irish seaside town on the outskirts of Dublin, she doesn't expect to find a distressed two-year-old girl sobbing on the floor. Abandoned in a local supermarket, the child tells them her name is Casey. All Alana and her team have to go on is a crumpled note begging for someone to look after her little girl. This mother doesn't want to be found. 

 

Still recovering from a terrible accident that has left Alana navigating a new life as a wheelchair user, Alana finds herself suddenly responsible for Casey while trying to track down the missing mother and solve another missing person's case… a retired newsagent who has seemingly vanished from his home.

 

Forced to ask her ex-husband and child psychiatrist Colm for help, through Forensic Art Therapy, Alana discovers that whatever darkness lies behind the black windows in Casey's crayon drawing, the little girl was terrified of the house she lived in. 

 

Then a bag of human remains is found in a bin, and a chilling link is made – the DNA matches Casey's. 

 

Alana and her team must find the body and make the connection with the missing newsagent fast if she is to prevent another life from being taken. But with someone in her department leaking confidential details of the investigation to the media, can Alana set aside her emotional involvement in this case and find Casey’s mother and the killer before it's too late? 

 

Heart-pounding and totally addictive, The Puppet Maker is the first in the Detective Alana Mack series that will have fans of Ann Cleeves, Angela Marsons and LJ Ross racing through the pages late into the night. 

***

The Puppet Maker is the first book in a series featuring Detective Alana Mack. This is defintiely a series which I intend to continue with.

The main character, who calls herself Alan, offers something a little different to the usual detective trope. She is disabled and confined to a wheelchair, and observing the way in which she struggles to delegate tasks to other members of her team was interesting. She clearly wanted to be at the front line but has to accept her own limitations and vulnerabilities. She was an interesting character and one that I look forward to getting to know better.

It was well written, and I enjoyed the dual narrative as it switched between Alan and one of the other characters, Penny who is at the crux of the story. The author understands her characters well, and it is this that makes them so easy to engage with.

I felt the plot had a cinematic quality and could well imagine this being adapted into a television series. Whilst there were some gruesome elements to the story (it is a murder story after all) it never felt gratuitous and the author handled her plot with intelligence and skill.

Set in an area just outside of Dublin the author portrayed the environment well. 

It is an excellent start to the series and I look forward to reading more from this author.

ISBN: 978 1805080268

Publisher:  Storm Publishing 

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  296 (paperback)

About the Author:

Born in Dublin, Jenny O'Brien moved to Wales and then Guernsey, where she tries to find time to write in between working as a nurse and ferrying around 3 teenagers. 

In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You'll be pleased to note she won't be entering Bake-Off.

She's also an all-year-round sea swimmer.

Jenny is represented by Nicola Barr of The Bent Agency and published by Storm Publishing and HQ Digital (Harper Collins).

(ARC and all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Reads)

(all opinions are my own)