The Hyena's Daughter by Jupiter Jones - #bookreview

 1797

If she were herself, Mary Wollstonecraft would feel sick as a dog from all the wine they have made her drink. Red wine to compensate for blood loss. But she is not herself. By now, she is half-ghost...

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publicist. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

The Hyena’s Daughter tells the far-too-untold story of a c19th sisterhood, the daughters of Mary Wollstonecraft: Fanny Imlay and Mary Shelley, the famed writer of Frankenstein, plus their step-sister Claire Clairmont, lover of Lord Byron.

Are they the three graces? The fates? They’re women, as alive and breathing and rebellious and analytical as you and me, and well aware and critical of the hemmed-in nature they’re expected to accept as women of their time – a time of “a new way of thinking, a new-world independence, a revolutionary world.”

It features their connection to Percy Bysshe Shelley – “how could we not love him, with his lofty ethics and words that flew like birds?” –and many of the other contemporary poets and thinkers of the time.

Pacy and assured, it turns its history to life from fragment to sensuous fragment. If the dead brought to life is to be Mary Shelley’s theme, this novella asks what the real source of life spirit is, the vital spark. This book, full of detail and richesse, is a piece of vitality in itself.”

My Review

This is an enjoyable novella about the daughters of Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Most of us are aware of her middle daughter, Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. However, the two remaining daughters have remained in the background.

The youngest daughter, Clara Clairmont, is largely known as the wife of poet, Lord Byron. However, the eldest daughter, Francoise Imlay, also known as Fanny Godwin was unknown to me and for this reason I found her the most interesting of the three.

It is through Fanny that we really see how the role of the unmarried spinster played out during the 19th century. The book is full of detail and we get a real insight into the role of women in society at the time.

The book is written in short chapters and which move the book along at a fast pace. Much surrounds the scandal of Mary and Clara running away to be with the poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Although the book is set in the early 19th century it felt very relevant. It addresses themes of sisterhood, family and the role of women. It considers what happens when people faced financial difficulties. For such a short book it packs quite a punch and my heart went out to Fanny in particular. To be the oldest daughter who remains a spinster was considered shameful. She also ends up as the go-between between her sisters and parents.

The book is an impressive and creative addition to our knowledge of the Wollstonecraft/Shelley/Byron canon of books. I enjoyed reading it very much and I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1068176609

Publisher:  Weatherglass

Formats:  Paperback

No. of Pages:  200 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Weatherglass Books

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Jupiter Jones is the winner of the Philip Hoare Prize for creative non-fiction and the Colm Toibin International Short Story Prize. She is the author of three previous novellas: The Death and Life of Mrs Parker; Lovelace Flats; and Gull Shit Alley and Other Roads to Hell.

You can also find Jupiter at:

Author Website

X

Bluesky

(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in June 2025

 

Here we are in June and I am looking forward to this month. Not just for the reading but because it's my birthday and we are going on a long awaited holiday to the Lake District.

Consequently, I should get lots of reading time and I'm looking forward to catching up on some of those books which have been on my radar to read for a while; as well as some nice new recent releases... and who knows if any new birthday books might appear!

Here are just ten of the books I would like to read.

The Door-to-Door Book Store by Carsten Henn

The Silken Rose by Carol McGrath

The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye

The Perfect Crime: Around the World in 22 Murders by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski

Butter by Asako Yuzuki

No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky

Dark Flood by Karon Alderman

The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor

All the Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow

Pioneering Women's Education by Sally Waller

Agatha Christie by Lucy Worsley - #bookreview

Agatha Miller grew up in a special place. Her childhood home stood on a hill above the seaside resort of Torquay in the south of Devon...

***

The Blurb

Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was 'just' an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? As Lucy Worsley says, 'She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern'. She went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness.

So why - despite all the evidence to the contrary - did Agatha present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure?

She was born in 1890 into a world which had its own rules about what women could and couldn't do. Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of an internationally renowned bestselling writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman.

With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realise what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was - truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.

My Review

 When I was in my late teens and early twenties I devoured books by Agatha Christie. For no reason in particular, I haven't returned to them since, but this book has reawakened my enjoyment of her books and has given me a very unsubtle nudge (aka a poke in the ribs) to start reading them again. So, I have ordered one of her later novels which I have never read before.

As you would expect from the author and historian, Lucy Worsley this book has been expertly researched and written. It is a compelling account of Agatha Christie, and I was gripped from start to finish. I already knew a bit about her as I had previously watched Ms. Worsley's three part television series based on the book. Reading this fills in all of the details and unanswered questions that had to be omitted from the programme.

In fact, the level of detail contained in the book was masterful. I enjoyed reading about how she acquired some of the knowledge she needed for her books. For example, during the war she volunteered in a hospital pharmacy and thus obtained lots of information about poisons that appear in many of her books as a murder weapon.

I actually read this book with my Book Group. As you would expect, some liked it more than others but nevertheless, I think this is probably our highest scoring book for the year. The vast majority of members loved it and for those who didn't... well, you can't please them all and this is no reflection on the quality of the research, writing and information contained in this book.

The overriding thing I have taken away from this book is what an incredible woman Agatha Christie was; particularly in what she achieved as a woman during the period in which she did. The superb writing is accompanied by wonderful photographs and the author has included an extensive list of sources that she used during her research.

She hasn't shied away in discussing the overt racism and anti-Semitism which appear in Mrs Christie's books. Instead, she presents them as they were viewed during the time in which they were written, as well as how we perceive them in the modern day.

For me this was an excellent book to read. It is definitely one of the better nonfiction titles I have read in a while, and I can't recommend it highly enough. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1529303919

Publisher:  Hodder and Stoughton

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  432 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Blackwell's

About the Author

Lucy was born in Reading, studied Ancient and Modern History at New College, Oxford, and I got a PhD in art history from the University of Sussex.

Her first job after leaving college was at a crazy but wonderful historic house called Milton Manor in Oxfordshire. Here she would give guided tours, occasionally feed the llamas, and look for important pieces of paper that her boss Anthony had lost. Soon after that she moved to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, in the lovely job for administrator of the Wind and Watermills Section. Here she helped to organise that celebrated media extravaganza, National Mills Day. 

She departed for English Heritage in 1997, first as an Assistant Inspector and then as an Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings; Bolsover Castle, Hardwick Old Hall, and Kirby Hall were her favourite properties there. In 2002 she made a brief excursion to Glasgow Museums before coming down to London as Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces in 2003. 

You can also find Lucy at:

Author Website

X

Instagram

Facebook

(all opinions are my own)

(author media courtesy of Goodreads)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Reading Roundup for March 2025

 

It has been so lovely to see the sun shine for the last few days. It seems to make people so much happier and more cheerful. Also, the clocks went forward over the weekend and I am looking forward to the lighter evenings. It's so good to feel that winter is behind us now.

Here is the list of books which I have read. What have you all been reading this month?

Death of a Dancing Queen by Kimberly G. Giarratano

I loved the main character in this book. She is private investigator, Billie Levine who is struggling with her work whilst caring for her mother. You can find my review by clicking here.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh

I am always excited when a new novel by Valerie Keogh comes along. I have read several and they never disappoint.  You can find my review by clicking here.

The Undesirables: The Law That Locked Away a Generation by Sarah Wise

Through the early twentieth century, the British Government locked away over 50,000 innocent people. Their ‘crimes’? Being poor and unyielding. This is their story. This was excellent and well worth reading. I was unable to write a review for this one but you can find more about this book here.

Mother Howl by Craig Clevenger

It took me a little while to warm to this book, but it was well worth hanging in there.  You can find my review by clicking here.

Broken Water by Nick Perry

This was such an interesting literary book to read. You can find my review by clicking here.

Cat and Dumpling: Home Sweet Home by Nicola Kent

This is a charming book that will appeal to early readers. You can find my review by clicking here.

Reunion by Fred Ulman

Although I haven't written a review of this one it was my favourite book of the month. A powerful novella about two German boys growing up in 1933; one from German Aristocracy, the other a Jew. Outstanding. You can find out more about the book here.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I thought this was a fabulous book. It was steeped in glamour and made for a luscious read.  You can find my review by clicking here.

Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin

An enjoyable first book in the DI Hillary Green series.  You can find more about the book by clicking here.

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green - #bookreview

 

My great-grandmother has only eighteen days to go. There's no need for alarm though. The doctors have not predicted her precise date of death, nor has she threatened hyper-geriatric suicide on that specific date. No, in eighteen days' time she will become the world's oldest person. Ever...

***

"I am the oldest person ever to have lived in this world. I am the one who lived through their monster camps and brought the ones left of my family to London to make more family. I am the one to laugh at those angry, evil people and tell them, you see, I made it through. We made it through. This is enough. It is my world's record."

Family matriarch and Holocaust survivor Nora Wojnaswki is about to become the oldest person in the world, ever, and her family are determined to celebrate in style.

But Nora isn’t your average centenarian and she has other ideas. When she disappears with her carer Arifa on a trip down memory lane in the East End of London, a wartime secret, buried deep for over 70 years, will finally be revealed.

***

I frequently have several books on the go at one time. I suspect many book bloggers are the same as we have review deadlines to meet for blog tours and so on.  But sometimes, I get to read a book for pleasure, and what a wonderfully pleasurable experience reading this book was. Amongst, the several books I was reading, this was the one which kept calling to me to pick it up again.

Nora is one of the best characters I have come across in my reading. She is 122 years old, rather curmudgeonly but with a mostly sharp brain and a sense of humour. However, she does not suffer fools gladly and when her family decide to throw a huge party for her on the day she officially becomes the oldest person in the world, she is not slow in making her feelings known in that she would rather spend it quietly.

When she leaves her care home to stay with Arifa, who is one of her carers and a refugee from Aleppo, her family are outraged. But Nora is back in the East End of London where all her memories are, and she is determined to stay put. Both women have lived through the horrors and losses of war. They have more in common than even they realise.

In both Nora and Arifa the author has created two fantastic characters. Strong women with a lifetime of traumatic experiences behind them. Nora has been based on the author's own mother-in-law and her writing demonstrates how clearly she understands her character. There is an authenticity to her that she has captured perfectly.

Although there is reference to the past the book is very much set in the here and now. When one of the characters has an accident the action shifts very much to the present. But for Nora, it creates a blending of past and present and the reader is given further insight into her past.

It is a powerful and heartfelt book to read, and I loved every single word of it. It is a book to make you laugh and cry. I do not think I will ever forget Nora and I highly recommend this book.

This is Ms. Green's debut novel, and I am sincerely hoping that she has more books in the pipeline.

ISBN: 978 0008562526

Publisher: One More Chapter

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Originally from London, Cate Green now lives and writes in Lyon, France.

Her debut novel The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W. was inspired by her late mother-in-law, a resilient and feisty Holocaust survivor who lived almost as long as Nora herself. It won the 2019 Exeter Novel Prize.

​Cate is a broadcast and print journalist and copywriter with over twenty years’ experience in international radio, television and corporate communications. She is currently working on her second novel. 

(author media courtesy of the author's website https://www.categreen.co.uk/about)

(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)

The Golden Bell by Robert L. Stone - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

As the serving boys came out of the house carrying jugs of wine, Moses ibn Ezra took a moment to admire the garden, which had almost reached perfection on this fine May evening. Roses bloomed between lilies and flowering grasses. The hornbeam hedges shimmered. Green catkins danced against darker leaves. Moses breathed deeply, savouring the honeyed scent of the mock orange bushes, and running his palm over the cool grass beside his divan.

A dozen poets lounged on divans and cushions around the lawn, dressed in the fine linen robes and turbans of courtiers and scholars, sober browns and maroons brightened by flashes of colour at the cuffs. The men were talking quietly, waiting for the poetry contest to begin...

***

Arriving in Córdoba as a young man in 1088 to learn medicine, Yehuda Halevi is enchanted by a world in which Muslim, Jewish and Christian courtiers share poetry and philosophy in their elegant gardens. Here he falls in love with Deborah, the spirited daughter of his host. In this turbulent world, however, Yehuda also encounters invasions and pirates, book burnings and bandits.Driven by conflict to move from city to city, Yehuda and Deborah are often parted – but always in the hope that they will one day return together to Córdoba. As Yehuda’s fame grows as a poet and as a philosopher, his writings become increasingly mystical but also increasingly restless, for he yearns to travel to the holy city of Jerusalem. In 1140, as an old man, he must finally decide whether to stay with his family or begin the perilous voyage towards Egypt and Crusader Jerusalem…In this beautifully evocative story, Robert L. Stone transports the reader to twelfth-century Andalucía as he traces the extraordinary life of a man determined to devote himself – and his exceptional talent – to a greater truth.

***

This excellent book spans parts of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. I have not read many books set during that period so this made for really interesting reading. It is ambitious in scope and relates the oft unstable religious and political environment in existence during this period of history. 

Although this is a work of fiction, the author has clearly completed extensive research which gives this novel a scholarly feel whilst also being easy to read.  Whilst the backdrop is complex, the characters enable this book to keep the reader engaged and although it is intellectual in feel, it carries the reader along with it very nicely.

The book follows the life of Yehuda Halevi. He was a well written and fully fleshed character who was easy to engage with. I enjoyed accompanying him on each step of his journey, and the author's descriptions made Yehuda's world feel very relevant. I equally enjoyed reading of his wife, Deborah, who Mr. Stone portrays as a strong female character within a very patriarchal society.

Well written, it's excellent narrative and dialogue propels the story forward, making it well worth reading.  I learned much about both the time period and the places that Yehudi travelled. There is much attention to detail which enables the reader to feel very close to the story and setting.

What this book demonstrates clearly is that during the time period in which it is set different faiths were able to co-exist harmoniously and indeed learn from one another. It is a book that is very relevant to todays society and is well worth reading.

ISBN: 978 1915036537

Publisher:  Stony Mere

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  304 (paperback)

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Having gained a PhD in history and political anthropology from Cambridge University, Robert L. Stone has worked for many years advising governments on strategies to fight poverty, particularly in the wake of conflicts. He has a lifelong interest in how different cultures and ethnicities relate to each other - this, combined with his love of literature, is the inspiration for The Golden Bell.

(book, photos and all info. courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

The Devil's Glove by Lucretia Grindle - #BookReview #BlogTour

Sun cracks the purple dark and for an instant, something less than a breath, the bay is a field of fire. Then it misted white. Swaddled like an infant, or a wound. Another breath turns it silver as the underbelly of a fish. So each day of the world begins.

This morning, the tide creeps across across the wide ledge below the meadow than slithers back, coy and silly as a girl. If I climbed down I would feel it, slick and silvered with newness, as if the ocean had not been here all night but had only just arrived. I know that isn't true, of course. I know the sea is always here, eternal as the stars...

***

Northern New England, summer, 1688.

Salem started here.

A suspicious death. A rumor of war. Whispers of witchcraft.

Perched on the brink of disaster, Resolve Hammond and her mother, Deliverance, struggle to survive in their isolated coastal village. They’re known as healers taught by the local tribes - and suspected of witchcraft by the local villagers.

Their precarious existence becomes even more chaotic when summoned to tend to a poisoned woman. As they uncover a web of dark secrets, rumors of war engulf the village, forcing the Hammonds to choose between loyalty to their native friends or the increasingly terrified settler community.

As Resolve is plagued by strange dreams, she questions everything she thought she knew - about her family, her closest friend, and even herself. If the truth comes to light, the repercussions will be felt far beyond the confines of this small settlement.

Based on meticulous research and inspired by the true story of the fear and suspicion that led to the Salem Witchcraft Trials, The Devil's Glove is a tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the power of secrets. Will Resolve be able to uncover the truth before the town tears itself apart, or will she become the next victim of the village’s dark and mysterious past?

***

The first thing I must say about this book is that it was not what I had expected as I had expected it to be a novel about the Salem Witch Trials. There are many novels which have this as its dominant theme and I have enjoyed several of them. However, this book was refreshingly different in that it covers the time prior to this well known historical period. Although the witch trials are present, the subject was more a background note than the main focus.

Instead, the author offers up this wonderful story based during the aforesaid time and place but which focussed more heavily on the relationship between the settlers and the indigenous population. I very much enjoyed reading this fresh and stimulating perspective from an author who is new to me.

I really enjoyed getting to know the main character, Resolve, as well as the people with whom she is connected. Her mother, Deliverance, was an extremely interesting character and her friendship with Judith was well presented. The author gave us a set of fully formed characters who I enjoyed getting to know. Ms. Grindle has done an excellent job of bringing her characters alive on the page.

The writing was nicely presented and easy to read and I felt immersed into the time period. The author has clearly conducted her research thoroughly.

This is the first book in the Salem trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the next one, which I suspect will focus more on the witch trials themselves. I also intend to read some of the back catalogue from this skilled writer.

ISBN: 978 1960610010

Publisher: Casa Croce Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  344 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lucretia Grindle grew up and went to school and university in England and the United States. After a brief career in journalism, she worked for The United States Equestrian Team organizing ‘kids and ponies,’ and for the Canadian Equestrian Team. For ten years, she produced and owned Three Day Event horses that competed at The World Games, The

European Games and the Atlanta Olympics. In 1997, she packed a five mule train across 250 miles of what is now Grasslands National Park on the Saskatchewan/Montana border tracing the history of her mother’s family who descend from both the Sitting Bull Sioux and the first officers of the Canadian Mounties.

Returning to graduate school as a ‘mature student’, Lucretia completed an MA in Biography and Non-Fiction at The University of East Anglia where her work, Fireflies, won the Lorna Sage Prize. Specializing in the 19th century Canadian West, the Plains Tribes, and American Indigenous and Women’s History, she is currently finishing her PhD dissertation at The University of Maine.

Lucretia is the author of the psychological thrillers, The Nightspinners, shortlisted for the Steel Dagger Award, and The Faces of Angels, one of BBC FrontRow’s six best books of the year, shortlisted for the Edgar Award. Her historical fiction includes, The Villa Triste, a novel of the Italian Partisans in World War II, a finalist for the Gold Dagger Award, and The Lost Daughter, a fictionalized account of the Aldo Moro kidnapping. She has been fortunate enough to be awarded fellowships at The Hedgebrook Foundation, The Hawthornden Foundation, The Hambidge Foundation, The American Academy in Paris, and to be the Writer in Residence at The Wallace Stegner Foundation. A television drama based on her research and journey across Grasslands is currently in development. The Devil's Glove, and the concluding books of The Salem Trilogy are drawn from her research at The University of Maine where Lucretia is grateful to have been a fellow at the Canadian American Foundation.

She and her husband, David Lutyens, live in Shropshire.

(book, author photo and bio information provided courtesy of The Coffee Pot)

Reading Roundup for May 2023

 

May began as spring but now feels like early summer. I am thrilled that I have been able to sit outside with a book a few times. There is something about reading outside that I love. Hearing the birds sing, the sunshine on my face and nature all around me.

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that I have joined the affiliate programme with Bookshop.org. I like this website because it means that every sale made via my page means that money goes towards supporting independent booksellers, and I receive a small commission too. If you would like to see my shop front then please click on the link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/LeftontheShelf. It is still a work in progress, and I am adding new books daily so please do pop over there and take a look from time to time.

It has been a good reading month too. So without further ado, here is my reading roundup for May.

Books I Have Read

The Devil's Glove by Lucretia Grindle - I only finished this last night. My review will be up on Friday as part of the blog tour.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop - This book was my favourite this month and you can read my review by clicking here.  You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat - This was a lovely book for middle grade children about a twelve year old girl who helps care for her grandmother who has Altzeimers. You can read my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Maybe It's About Time by Neil Boss - This was almost my favourite of the month. Set during the pandemic it tells of the experiences of two very different people. It is well worth reading and you can read my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

A Mother's War by Helen Parusel - I enjoyed this WWII novel very much. It is set in Norway during the German Occupation. You can find my review of this book by clicking here.

The Foundling by Stacey Halls - I read this as the book of the month with the book group that I lead. I really liked this historical novel and you can find my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Lyrics for the Loved Ones by Anne Goodwin - This is a sequel to Matilda Windsor is Coming Home and is excellent. You can read my review by clicking here. 

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page - This was a delightful read which I highly recommend. You can read my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir - I can guarantee that when I pick up a book by this author I am going to love it. This lived up to my expectations in every way. You can find my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

A Stepney Girl's Secret by Jean Fullerton - I enjoy a good saga set during WWII and this one was very good. You can read my review by clicking here.    You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan - I read this YA title as part of a blog tour and it was an excellent read. You can find my review by clicking here.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Through Three Rooms by Sven Elvestad - This novella is part of the Asbjorn Krag series and has recently been translated from Norwegian. You can find my review by clicking here.

James I: The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman - This non-fiction title was informative and interesting and I recommend it. You can read my review by clicking here.  You can buy the book from Bookshop.org *

Books I Did Not Finish

The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood - There was nothing really wrong with this book but it just was not working for me when I had so many other books waiting to be read. Don't let that put you off though as it was not a bad book.  You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso by Kali Nicole Gro - The only reason that I did not finish this book is because I had to take it back to the library.   You can buy this book from Bookshop.org *

Books I am Partway Through

Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok

Hope is a Woman's Name by Amal Elsana Alh'jooj

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

(header photo courtesy of Unsplash)

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James - #bookreview #blogtour

 

If Lady Rothwakes had been here to witness her eavesdropping, Bobby would've had to write a lengthy and thorough dissertation on the importance of good manners. Only, Her Ladyship was not here to witness such vulgar, ill-mannered behaviour. She had been gone a long time now, so this, like so much else Bobby did that the lady might've objected to, would go unpunished.

Not that it felt that way to Bobby. Twelve years since the best woman in the world had died, and still, it felt as if she was there, waiting around a corner to call her to tea, or reprimand her for things like eavesdropping. Feeling her presence contantly, particularly in the house, was something which was both reassuring, and painful...

***

May the best Viscount or Miss…

…win!

When her best friend and employer is injured, groom Roberta ‘Bobby’ Kingsley feels compelled to help him. She agrees to step into the saddle and compete in an endurance horse race to help secure his ancestral home. Yet the minute Bobby comes face to face with her opponent—arrogant yet infuriatingly charismatic Lawrence, Viscount Hayes—it’s clear that it won’t just be the competition that has her heart racing!

***

I am new to both this author and publisher imprint and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a wonderful bit of escapism and was perfect yesterday when the weather dictated that I curl up on the sofa with a good book.

The main character, Bobby, is feisty, determined and self assured. She is not the average 19th century woman and some of her values were very twenty-first century. 

Speaking as a history graduate, its paucity of correct period attitude would usually have bothered me. However, with Bobby I did not care. I was rooting for her all the way. She is the daughter of a blacksmith who was raised as the ward of Lord and Lady Rothwakes. She struggles with her place in the world and prefers to spend her nights sleeping on a bed of hay with the horses.

It is the story of a horse race and a budding romance, and I very much wanted her to succeed on both counts.

The chemistry between Bobby and Lawrence was unmistakable, and the author did a good job in bringing this to life. The book is rather racy at times and if you are a reader who prefers the more intimate scenes in a book to conclude with the closing of the bedroom door, this may not be the book for you. However, it is not gratuitous in its descriptions of the intimate side of their relationship but served to highlight the significant attraction between them.

Setting this book in the beauty of the English countryside added a further dimension to its atmosphere. 

The enemies to lovers trope is not an original one, but Ms. James did a great job in bringing all the elements of this book together. It was a captivating story, and I enjoyed it very much. 

ISBN:  978 0263305135

Publisher:  Harlequin Historical

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  282 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lotte James trained as an actor and theatre director, but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers whilst dreaming up stories of love and adventure. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she's not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration, or nestling with coffee and a book.

(book, photos and bio info all courtesy of the blog tour host, Rachel's Random Resources)

The Vicar Man by Amelia Crowley - #BBNYA2022 #spotlight #semifinalist

 

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 55 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner. 

I have had the honour of being one of the judging panel and I am delighted to be spotlighting some of these books.

Today in the spotlight is The Vicar Man by Amelia Crowley.

Dora is a barmaid.

Usually her life is fairly simple: she gets up, cleans the inn, feeds the chickens, argues with the increasingly obstreperous cockerel, listens to the woes of her fellow barmaid, avoids doing the laundry, and serves drinks to the motley crew of islanders who lurk about the taproom every night.

The same old routine, day in, day out.

Tonight, though, is different.

Tonight, just one week before the vernal equinox, after a catastrophically bad harvest the year before, a stranger has walked into the bar…

Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 196 Pages 

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Comedy, Satire

Age Category: New Adult, Adult

Date Published: 20 August 2021 

About the Author:

Amelia lives in Yorkshire with her family.

At least she definitely had a family around here somewhere, but to be honest she's spent so much of the last year staring into a word processor she thinks they may have wandered off.

Her writing is fuelled by mugs of terrible, over-sugared coffee, much better chocolate, and the occasional macaron, and is punctuated by her soulless whimpers and the sound of her head hitting the keyboard. 

She posts updates on her books and writing at https://www.ameliacrowley.com/ When she remembers.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Books I Want to Read in December 2022

 

Well, my friends, here we are approaching December. I would like to say that I am well organised, that all of my shopping is done, the presents are wrapped and the turkey is in the freezer.

However, whilst most of the gifts have been purchased, the truth of the matter is there are far too many good books to read and I am by no means organised. When I have to choose between reading, wrapping and writing cards, I bet you can guess which one you are most likely to discover me doing!

As always I have made a list of the books that I would like to read during December. I dare say a seasonal book or two may sneak into this list too.

How about you? Are you planning on reading any Christmas books this month?

You're the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher

The Only Daughter by A. B. Yehoshua

The Patron Saint of Lost Souls by Menna Van Praag

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Strictly Friends by Frances Mensah Williams

The Woman Under Water by Penny Goetjen

The Devil's Slave by Tracy Borman

Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir

4321 by Paul Auster

The Charity Shop Detective by Peter Boland