Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley - #CoverLove #spotlight #bookboost

 It has been ages since I published a Cover Love post.

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.

 So, here is the cover along with a bit about the book.

The Blurb

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...

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.

From the author of The Cat and The City, Four Seasons in Japan is a gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong.

ISBN: 978 0857529343

Publisher:  Doubleday

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback (paperback publishing in June 2024)

No. of Pages:  336 (hardback)

Available from all good bookshops.

Ebony the Cat: A Quest for Survival by Frances Ive - #BookPromo #blogtour #CoverLove

 

Isn't this a brilliant front cover on this book? 

I am delighted to be bringing you a promo post on today's blog tour. So, without further ado let me tell you a bit more about the book.

The Blurb

Enigmatic, quirky, moody, demanding, loving, amusing, domineering and determined all apply to Ebony. Follow her life story from a stray kitten to a mature feline, in her own words.

Ebony was just eight months old when she was left to fend for herself on the streets, abandoned and alone. The black cat had to learn how to hunt, find shelter, procure food and protect herself from predators. The experience shaped her personality forever. She became a wily, capable little cat before she was reported to a rescue charity and taken to live in a large wooden hut. She was safe and well fed, but she longed for the freedom to be roaming around in nature, practising the skills she had learnt.

Would she find a home and owners who loved her, not abandon her once again?  Could she settle down and be a good domestic cat? This was the quandary for the people who took her and within months she presented them with a bundle of surprises.  A novella.

As well as bringing you the story of Ebony, the text is littered with interesting facts and figures about cats in general. If you are a cat lover, this may well be the book for you.

The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch - #CoverLove

Hello and welcome to this week's cover love feature. It's the place where I quite literally, judge a book by its cover, prior to reading the blurb. Let's be honest, there are occasions when we pick up a book because it has a great cover.

This gorgeous cover is of The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch.

As I sat casting my eye around for a suitable cover, the rain was pouring down and I could barely see out of my window. It is no surprise really then that this leapt out at me and I could dream of sunnier times. Also, I enjoyed a wonderful holiday in Italy a few years ago and this cover reminded me of the view from our apartment balcony. Happy days!

I would love to hear which covers have caught your eye recently.

Italy, 1945. "Where am I?" The young man wakes, bewildered. He sees olive trees against a bright blue sky. A soft voice soothes him. "We saw you fall from your plane. The parachute saved you." He remembers nothing of his life, or the war that has torn the world apart… but where does he belong?

England, present day. Antique-shop-owner Susannah wipes away a tear as she tidies her grandmother’s belongings. Elsie’s memories are fading, and every day Susannah feels further away from her only remaining family. But everything changes when she stumbles across a yellowed postcard of a beautiful Italian stone farmhouse, tucked away in Elsie’s dressing table. A message dated from World War 2 speaks of a secret love. Could her grandmother, who never talked about the past, have fallen for someone in Italy all those years ago?

With Elsie unable to answer her questions, Susannah becomes determined to track down the house and find a distraction from her grief. Arriving at what is now a crumbling hotel by the sparkling Italian sea, she feels strangely at home. And after an unexpected encounter with handsome wine waiter Giacomo, she can’t tell if it’s his dark eyes or his offer to help solve her mystery that makes her heart race.

Together they find a dusty chest tucked in a forgotten corner of the building. The white silk of a World War 2 parachute spills out. And the Royal Air Force identity tag nestled in the folds bears a familiar name…

With Giacomo by her side, and before it’s too late for her grandmother, can Susannah discover the truth behind a shocking wartime secret at the heart of her family? Or will it tear her apart?