Showing posts with label jewish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jewish. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

10 Ten Exciting New Release Books in March 2026

 


The month of March always brings the image of frolicking hares to my mind. So this photo seemed like the perfect header for this month.

March also suggests the beginning of spring which always makes me feel a little more optimistic about life. I love the changing of the seasons but I feel very ready for the spring weather now.

Here are ten fabulous looking books which are being published next month.


 Singing Bones by S. G. Ullman

Nearly 8,300 years ago, a sudden climate collapse reshaped the earth. Winters grew longer and colder, harvests failed, coastlines flooded, and the ground itself became unstable. For the Téuta, a settled Neolithic village that had endured for generations, survival became uncertain.

Eini is born with troubling visions of disaster—warnings her people dismiss as superstition. As the climate worsens and violence spreads among desperate neighbors, Eini spends her lifetime trying to protect her family and preserve the fragile traditions that hold her community together. When catastrophe finally strikes, the Téuta must face the unthinkable: abandoning their ancestral home and redefining who they are in a transformed world.

Told across generations, Singing Bones follows the lives of women whose strength, memory, and resilience shape the fate of their people—from prophecy, to survival, to leadership forged in loss. Song, story, and shared history become tools of endurance in a world where nothing can be taken for granted.

Amazon UK


 Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

Everyone said she was wicked.

Now Cinderella's stepmother tells her own story...

After the death of her second husband, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two daughters, Rosamund and Mathilde, her simpering stepdaughter Elin, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor buried in the woods.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change their fortunes, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of girls - only for her hopes to be fulfilled by the wrong one: Elin.

Yet as her stepdaughter's engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn...

Bookshop.org    Amazon UK


 A Time to Hide by Marion Seidemann Fredman

When Grete and Julius fell in love, they planned to build a new life together in Germany, near their families. They never thought they’d be forced to wear yellow stars for everyone to identify them as Jews, use forged papers with fake names, or hide in a stranger’s attic in Holland—with their newborn baby just downstairs, in plain sight of the Nazis.

Author Marion Seidemann Fredman chronicles the story of her parents’ experience through the horrors of World War II and how they survived by taking life into their own hands. Each page weaves a story of its own through historical papers, photographs, documents, and other pieces saved and passed down from one generation to the next. Combined with gorgeously painted artwork by nationally acclaimed author and illustrator Elisa Kleven, the effect renders a uniquely poignant depiction of Jewish life during the Holocaust. Also included at the back is a glossary and an author’s note.

Bookshop.org   Amazon UK


 The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom

For sale: Greek cottage. Price: One Euro.

Skye doesn’t make impulsive decisions. But when she sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, she enters with dreams of a fresh start.

However, her heart sinks as she pushes open the tattered blue door weeks later. Can this wreck ever be her home?

Then Skye finds a bundle of letters hidden in the fireplace, their faded pages drawing her in with a story of long-forgotten love, tragedy, and unbelievable bravery.

But all the while, Skye’s own past is circling. No matter how far she goes, fate is never far behind…

Bookshop.org  Amazon UK


 Good Good Loving by Yvette Edwards


Ellen's beloved, beautiful, complicated family are gathered around her hospital bed as she prepares to slip away, and boy, is she ready. You'd think she could finally get some peace and quiet, but instead her children have chosen now of all times to have a never-ending discussion about her failings. Every single tiny thing they think she's done wrong over the years - and the one big thing too. After all the sacrifices Ellen has made for every last ungrateful one of them, they still take their father's side. If only they knew the whole story.

Full of big personalities, big mistakes, burning love and quiet heartbreak, Good Good Loving moves backwards in time through some of the most dramatic turning points in the life of Ellen and her family. Their story is as heartrending as it is joyous.

Bookshop.org  Amazon UK


Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran

In 1928, Emily Locke's final year at the isolated Briarley School for Girls is derailed when Violet, the school's brightest star (and a cunning beauty for whom Emily would do anything), falls to her death on her eighteenth birthday. Emily and her buttoned-up rival Evelyn are, for once, in agreement: Violet's death was no accident. There's an obvious culprit, the French schoolmistress with whom Violet was getting a little too close - they just need to prove it.

Desperate for answers, Emily and her classmates turn to spiritualism, hoping for a glimpse of wisdom from the great beyond. To their shock, Violet's spirit appears, choosing pious Evelyn as her unlikely medium. And Violet has a warning for them: the danger has just begun.

Something deadly is infecting Briarley. It starts with rotten food and curdled milk, but quickly grows more threatening. As the body count rises and students race to save themselves, Emily must confront the fatal forces poisoning the school. Emily's fight for survival forces her to reevaluate everything she knows: about Violet, Evelyn, Briarley, and, ultimately, herself.

Bookshop.org   Amazon UK


  A Wedding at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J. Scott


Booksellers Florrie Appleton and her fiancé, Ed, are just three weeks away from their dream wedding. Between hand-selling beloved classics, unveiling Ed’s enchanting window displays and hosting lively book readings with local authors, they’ve managed to plan an intimate ceremony that promises to be everything they’ve ever hoped for – filled with literary delights, lots of laughter and the love of those closest to them.

But when Ed's mother, Dawn, arrives unannounced on their doorstep, Florrie's world is thrown into chaos like confetti. Dawn claims she's come to help with the wedding preparations, yet she's never shown the slightest interest in her son before. As she starts dismissing their carefully curated shelves and snooping around their cosy cottage, Florrie can't shake the feeling that Dawn’s plans stretch far beyond simply choosing flowers and cake.

With her close-knit group of friends rallying around her and the bookshop's loyal customers offering support, can Florrie protect her relationship and the bookshop that means everything to her and Ed? Or will their happily ever after slip through their fingers like pages torn from one of her treasured books?

Amazon UK


  Paradisio 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi


All his life, exile has been the shadow stitched to the sole of Sufien’s shoe.

Born in Palestine on the precipice of 1948’s Nakba, Sufien is forced to leave the only home he’s ever known, the one on the hill with a beautiful blue door. This is the precise moment when time stops making sense. He spends the rest of his life propelled forward, always on the way – although in search of what, he is never quite sure. In the dusty, oil-rich desert of Kuwait, he meets his first love and decides he must leave his family. In a small Italian university town, he spends his youth wrapped up in the sweet promise of the West and the forgetful assurance of wine. When life takes him to a gritty New York, he discovers his true vocation and falls for a Jewish woman born into a wholly different world. Finally, he finds himself recalled to the wild, vast open skies of the desert, in Arizona.

The lyrical pages of Paradiso 17 are haunted with grief and yet they are also struck through with light – not just the light that Sufien sees as he approaches his own end, but the brilliant light of a life lived.

Like all of our dead, Sufien still speaks, the book begins. Listen, this is his story.

Bookshop.org   Amazon UK


 The Lacemaker's Fortune by Andrea Catalano


In the 1870s, the fate of an immigrant desperate to escape the factories of New York City collides with the ambitions and passion of two men in an enthralling and darkly sensual novel by the author of The First Witch of Boston.

New York City, 1879. Eileen Maguire is a factory lacemaker limited by her humble circumstances and dreaming of a better life. Lawrence Barnard is the sole heir of one of Manhattan’s wealthiest families, but his means keep him confined by the expectations of society. When their paths cross one fateful winter night, Eileen and Lawrence become caught under the spell of the charismatic and enterprising Stanley Jones, who extolls the boundless opportunities awaiting in the West. The millinery shop Eileen dreams of owning with her sister is possible, as is the freedom to make his own choices that Lawrence so craves.

What begins as an idealistic journey westward quickly becomes something unexpected and sinister once the group lands in Leadville, Colorado, a wild silver mining boomtown high in the Rocky Mountains. A love triangle emerges, pitting promises and passion against betrayals and lies. With their starry-eyed intentions gone terribly awry and forbidden desires threatening to undo them, it will take heartbreak and a shocking secret to shake Eileen and Lawrence out of their blinded stupors and remind them that their fortunes are entirely in their own hands. Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, this is a dark tale of dangerous, suspenseful seduction.

Bookshop.org    Amazon UK


 The Three Witches by Elena Collins


Now: When Ruthie gets the part of one of Macbeth’s famous three witches she can’t wait to get started. Inspired by the beauty of the film’s Scottish locations and the camaraderie of the cast and crew, she can leave behind the expectations of her family and her lacklustre love life, at least for now. But as echoes from the past begin whispering in Ruthie’s ear and a restless spirit draws her further into its centuries-old secrets, it soon becomes clear that only she can uncover the truth of a terrible injustice.

1050 Scotland: Isobel and her two sisters have learnt about healing from their loving mother Sidheag, and she in turn has kept them safe. But without the protection of their late father, Sidheag knows that her daughters must find husbands or their futures are at risk.

Isobel believes in love over duty and when she catches sight of King Macbeth’s stepson Lulach she can picture a happiness she had hardly dare imagine. But as heir to a Scottish throne that is drenched in blood, Lulach’s destiny is to be a warrior. When Isobel’s actions leave her and her sisters vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft there may be nothing that can keep the three women safe, not even the great Macbeth himself.

As the calls from the past grow ever louder, Ruthie has no choice. Macbeth’s witches have a story that needs to be told and the truth can no longer stay hidden…

Bookshop.org   Amazon UK



(Bookshop.org affiliated)

(header photo courtesy of Unsplashed)

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Heartache on West India Dock Road by Renita D'Silva - #bookreview #blogtour


Two years into the war, West India Dock Road is tired and looks it, regardless of how much its residents try to spruce it up...


The Blurb

1941 - Amid the bombs falling over London’s East End, the residents of West India Dock Road endure wartime with courage, defiance and a good dose of humour.

From nights spent sheltering together in the Underground station to sharing gossip, pastimes and meals, they lean on each other as their world is turned upside down.

Since the bombing of her family’s boarding house, Charity has held her loved ones together, and now, with her heart set on becoming a ‘sugar girl’ working for Tate & Lyle, she’s determined to forge a new path, despite prejudice about her relationship with the Indian soldier she loves.

Her best friend Divya serves up warmth and spice in her beloved curry house, but is hiding a secret that grows more urgent with each passing day. What will happen when it is revealed?

Ruth is a newcomer, recently arrived from war torn Europe and haunted by the atrocities she’s experienced. On West India Dock Road she finds not just refuge but an unlikely family.

As heartache affects them all and bonds are tested, can these three women find hope and happiness, even in the darkest of times?



My Review

This is my favourite series of books at the moment. I have previously read and reviewed New Arrivals on West India Dock Road and Wartime Comes to West India Dock Road. You can find the links to my reviews by clicking on the titles. However, it is not necessary to have read the books before this one, as they each work very well as standalone novels. However, if you read one, I think you will probably want to spend more time in the company of the residents of West India Dock Road, whichever order you read them.

Whilst the book brings us up to date with all of the characters who reside on the street, the two main characters remain Divya and Charity. Charity is fulfilling her dream of working at the nearby Tate and Lyle sugar factory, whilst Divya is hiding a secret which is sure to come out soon.

In this book we are introduced to a new character, Ruth, who has escaped Germany following Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in order to deliver a letter to Mrs. Rosenbaum from her sister. Part of the book is devoted to Ruth's story of how she came to West India Dock Road, and it is a moving and emotive account.

The book deals with themes, that although would not be seen as scandalous today, they certainly were in 1940's Britain. I really like the way the author depicts attitudes as they were historically, and not through a twenty-first century lens. This lends the book an authenticity and demonstrates that she has done her research thoroughly.

The narrative is interspersed with letters written by Divya. She writes to Jack, a long-time resident of West India Dock Road. Her letters are on behalf of all of the residents, but Jack hasn't replied to any of them for a while. She also spills her heart into letters to her lost love. It is a great device for hearing her inner thoughts.

In my opinion, each book in this series gets stronger, and I am already excited for the next one. I read a fair number of this genre of book and this is by far my favourite. 

Have you read any of this series? I would love to hear your thoughts.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1806560998

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages:  256 (paperback)

Series: Book 3 in the West India Dock Road series


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Renita d’Silva is an award-winning author of historical fiction, often set partly in India, where she is from.

You can also find Renita at:

Facebook

X

Author Newsletter








(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)


Tuesday, 24 June 2025

10 Ten Exciting New Releases Coming in July 2025 - #books



There are so many wonderful looking books which are due to be released next month. I am very excited by some of these titles. As always, I have limited myself to just ten here. Believe me, it is never easy deciding which ten books I am most enthusiastic about as there are loads of wonderful looking ones coming along next month.

Are there any soon to be released books that you are looking forward to reading?


 Till Death Us Do Part by Revd. Penny Stephens

Weddings can be murder . . .

Reverend Clare Brakespear is used to a challenge. With a young family to wrangle, a parish to manage and a particularly excitable Golden Retriever by her side, life is never dull.

But when she attends a wedding where one of the guests is fatally stabbed with a cake knife, even Clare admits that she might have been given too much to handle this time.

As the police investigate the murder, they zero-in on one woman as their prime suspect, who they believe had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. The trouble is, Clare is convinced that they have the wrong person. She might not understand forensic testing and finger-tip searches, but if there's one thing Clare does know, it's people and the complexities of their emotional lives. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.

However, investigating a murder is no mean feat and Clare soon finds herself embroiled in a complex web of family secrets and deceptions. Is she in way over her head or can she find the real killer before an innocent woman is sent down?

Preorder Link


Romance is Dead by Katie Bohn

Roses are red, violets are blue, romance is dead - but is their love true?

Scream queen Quinn has had it with scary movies. After years as Hollywood's horror It Girl, she's sick of the tabloids and the off-screen drama. So she's decided: one last film, before quitting for good.

All that stands in her way is leading man Teddy James. Reality TV star and renowned playboy Teddy has looks to kill for, but absolutely no talent. AKA, Quinn's worst nightmare.

That's until they stumble - literally - across a dead body on set. Everyone believes it's a tragic accident, but Quinn's not convinced. So she offers Teddy a deal: acting lessons in exchange for his help investigating. And as Teddy and Quinn dig deeper, she begins to wonder what's most at risk here - their lives, or her heart?

Preorder Link


The Writer by Valerie Keogh

Cara Jenkins is a successful author about to embark on her thirtieth novel. But as she sits at her desk to write, she realizes that she has no ideas left. And as the pressure mounts for her to deliver, she begins to fear that her career is over.

Then the letters start.

At first, they seem harmless. But as the messages grow darker, Cara becomes convinced that someone is watching her, waiting for their moment to strike.

Her husband, Artie, dismisses the notes as stupid pranks, but Cara feels them pulling her back to a past she can't escape. With no easy answers, Cara does what she does best and begins to write. But the more words that come, the more fantasy and reality begin to blur and soon her imagination, and her accusations, begin to run wild.

With reality blurring into fiction, Cara struggles to see the truth. Is someone really watching her, or is her unravelling mind feeding her paranoia? And how will this story - her story – end?

This time her deadline has never felt more deadly….

Preorder Link


Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld

It's 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever. Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he's incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again. Nearly fifteen years later, April is happily living in Chicago married to Peter, a mother of three with a fulfilling career and standing yoga date with her girlfriends. On the eve of Peter's election for local office, Rudy is up for parole. Headlines explode about April's past, jeopardizing Peter's campaign and everything they hold dear. Suddenly, April is faced with an impossible choice: protecting the life she created, or the person who sacrificed everything to make that life a possibility. Such Good People is a captivating portrait of blurred lines, divided loyalties, and what it means to love purely, steadfastly, and interminably.

Preorder Link


Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle by Lilac Mills

Will she give everything up for love?

Freya Sinclair has it all. An exciting life in London, a successful career as a ceramicist and a handsome boyfriend. But when she receives a call that her father is in hospital, she drops everything to support his recovery in Skye.

On the island, Freya finds new inspiration – Coorie Castle’s craft centre is firing her creativity and she’s glad to be back with her dad again. Being so close to her schoolgirl crush, Mackenzie Burns, is an added bonus. The two share an instant connection and Freya misses London less and less.

But Freya has a boyfriend at home and now a dazzling job offer in New York. She must figure out what she truly wants, before anyone gets hurt..

Preorder Link


The Lines We Draw by Tim Franks

A moving journey through a Jewish family history from BBC Newshour presenter Tim Franks.

Tim Franks spent years as the BBC's Middle East Correspondent covering Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. During that time, he was attacked as a self-hating Jew and as an Islamophobe - as a tool of competing, malign agendas. He always tried to respond with a journalist's detached curiosity, drawing a clear line between his identity and his work. Up to the point that he asked himself: is that necessary? Beyond the judgments of others: what does it mean to be Jewish?

It was a question he struggled to answer. As a child in 1970s Birmingham, Tim was a practising Jew with hardly any relations or sense of lineage. And so he embarked on a search for his ancestral roots, from Constantinople to Curaçao, from Amsterdam to the death camps, from Lithuania to Downing Street.

Framing each part of his journey through what he has learned as a journalist, Tim discovers ancestors who all speak to a part of the Jewish story: there are the refugees and the risk-takers; the artists, rabbis, soldiers and revolutionaries; there is even a route to the Conservative Party's unlikeliest leader, Benjamin Disraeli.

This book is a deeply empathetic memoir which encourages us all to confront the lines we draw. In searching for what it is to be Jewish, Tim discovers what it means to take a stand and write about the world.

Preorder Link


A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet

Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she's writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who've run away from dry land to live on London's waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she loves: a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating face down in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn. Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river - India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve's quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own - Maeve may have a shot at saving herself. As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won't hesitate to kill again...

Preorder Link


Chance at Life by Susan Ellison Busch

Chance at Life provides a portal into the lives of dialysis unit 'regulars, ' both patients and staff. Together they confront life's limitations and its certain end, with unique stories of struggle, hope, and resilience.

Rachel is a novice nurse whose well-intentioned choices put her career in jeopardy. Her personal life disintegrates when she discovers that she is pregnant, and her fiancé abuses her.

Kidney failure derailed Darnell's career path. He waits in vain for a transplant, losing hope as long days on dialysis consume his future.

Elizabeth, a seasoned nurse practitioner, faces her own failing kidneys and decides to refuse dialysis, planning to let nature take its course-though her daughters and her doctor won't let her go so easily.

The dialysis unit is a high-stakes cauldron of conflicts and ethical dilemmas. A machine malfunction claims one patient's life, another patient buys a black-market kidney, and another patient withdraws from dialysis entirely, throwing herself a "goodbye" party. Covid 19 arrives, bringing an entirely new dimension to the daily dramas.

Chance at Life is a gripping, poignant exploration of the human spirit and the unforeseen connections that form in the most trying of circumstances, perfect for those who appreciate medical dramas filled with real-world challenges and heartfelt storytelling.

Preorder Link


The Getaway by Rona Halsall

Would you swap houses – and lives – with a stranger?

Maddie and her long-term boyfriend, Tom, dream of a life living and working abroad, though right now they’re settling for a lovely vacation in the sunny European beach town.

When Maddie is befriended by a lovely-seeming couple, who are living the digital nomad lifestyle, they make her an offer that feels hard to refuse…

Swap houses, swap lives – just for a couple of weeks - and see if living abroad is a lifestyle that would really suit them.

But as soon as they’ve handed keys over to their home in London, it becomes clear the couple aren’t who they’d seemed to be. And Maddie and Tom’s dream getaway is about to become a nightmare they could never have imagined…

Preorder Link


Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting by Barbara Breen

Knit your way to peace of mind!

A meditative approach to knitting that brings relaxation and calm as you create elegant handcrafted pieces

19 easy projects for knitters of all levels, from beginner to experienced

Step-by-step instructions achieving a meditative state while knitting

Clear easy-to-understand patterns for knitwear accessories and home décor, each specifically created for mindful knitting

An essential volume for those who seek balance and stress reduction through knitting

Whether you're a beginner exploring the art of knitting as a portal to serenity, or a seasoned knitter looking for relief from intricate patterns, Simple Designs for Meditative Kitting cuts a soothing path toward mindfulness and well-being.

This stunning collection of super-easy designs allows you to unwind and embrace the calming rhythm of knitting. Timeless patterns with easy-to-memorize knit and purl repeats are the key to a true meditative knitting experience. Choose from a versatile mix of knitwear and home décor items. All are well suited for hours of mindful knitting.

Captivating photos underscore the contemplative theme of the book, while a sprinkling of quotations from notable authors enhances the peaceful narrative. The simplicity of the designs is complemented by carefully curated yarns, resulting in the perfect finish for every piece.

Author Barbara Breen is a highly skilled knitter, designer, and writer. Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting embodies her belief that knitting need not be complicated to produce beautiful results. Her inspiring collection is certain to bring you a joyful knitting experience and enhanced creativity. As a bonus, the universal appeal of this book makes it a gift that any knitter will treasure.

Preorder Link


(I am Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 17 March 2025

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in April 2025

 

picture of open book and cup of hot chocolate


Mere by Danielle Giles

book cover of mere by Danielle Giles red background with green tree with two nuns

Norfolk, 990 AD. Deep in the Fens, isolated by a vast and treacherous mere, an order of holy sisters make their home. Under the steely guidance of Abbess Sigeburg they follow God’s path, looking to their infirmarian, Hilda, to provide what comfort and cures she can.

But when the mere takes a young servant boy, Sigeburg’s grip falters and Hilda quickly realizes this place holds secrets darker and more unholy than she can fathom.

Then proud Sister Wulfrun, a recent arrival to the convent, has a vision: a curse is upon them and change must be brought. Is she saint or serpent? To Hilda, Wulfrun is a signal bolder and brighter than any fire set – one she cannot help but follow . . .



The Best of Everything by Kit De Waal

multi coloured book cover with two boys playing. the best of everything by kit de waal

Paulette's the kind of woman who likes the future all mapped out: the wedding to Denton, the Caribbean honeymoon, the gingham quilt on the baby's crib. Until one morning Garfield, Denton's friend, arrives at her door with the news that Denton won't be coming around any more, that there won't be time for her to say goodbye.

Somehow Garfield finds his way into her bed, and sooner than anyone can believe there is a baby, and suddenly giving Bird, her son, the best of everything is what gives Paulette's life meaning.

So why is it another little boy, Nellie, who keeps Paulette awake at night? Nellie who is being raised a few streets away, with no sign of a mum. Surely Paulette is the last person who should be getting tangled up in any of that?



The One True Thing by Linda Newbery 

multicoloured book cover with a house

Jane, in her twenties, is left parentless when her father dies suddenly; a second shock follows when his Will reveals the existence of a son no-one knew of. Now Wildings, the family home, must be sold. Spanning two generations, the novel tells the story of Bridget, Jane’s mother, trapped in an unhappy marriage on which her career depends, and of stone-carver Meg, who wants only independence but is enmeshed in conflicting loyalties and desires when Adam, a young artist, enters their lives, to devastating effect.

 Now far from Wildings, Meg is bound by a promise to support Jane in her loss. Having thought of herself as an observer who saw everything, she’s forced to realise how much she failed to see – and the cost to those she loves.



Death in the Dressing Room by Simon Brett

book cover of a stage with open curtains

Carole Seddon, a very respectable retired woman living in the English seaside village of Fethering, doesn't care for the theatre. But her neighbour Jude counts the job of actress among her many and varied past careers. So when Jude attends the closing night of a new play based on a classic TV sitcom, Carole is interested - but only because she suspects the leading man, Drake Purslow, is one of her scandalous friend's ex-lovers.

The night turns out to be more dramatic than either Carole or Jude could have ever predicted. After the performance, Jude makes her way to Drake's dressing room, only to find him dead - in what, to Jude's experienced sleuthing eye, seem very suspicious circumstances.

Did one of the play's cast - made up almost entirely of the original sitcom's actors - have a long-held grudge against the show's star? Or are more recent hatreds to blame? Jude is determined to find out - and Carole, who despite protestations is almost pathologically nosy, is right there to investigate alongside her.



Hidden in Plain Sight by Julie Brill

black and white book cover of two jewish children

Discover a powerful, untold chapter of Holocaust history and a daughter's enduring quest to know the story that began a generation before her birth. From childhood, Julie Brill struggled to understand how her father survived as a young Jewish boy in Belgrade, where Nazis murdered 90 percent of the Jewish population without gas chambers or cattle cars. Through exacting research, a bit of luck, and three emotional trips to Serbia, she pieces together her family's lost past, unearths secrets, and returns to her father a small part of what the Nazis stole: his own family history.


The Boyfriend by John Nicholl

book cover with white background with red fading roses

When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired.

But Mark is less a prince than a man with a dangerous secret, and as their love life becomes ever darker, Anna flees him.

There is nowhere safe from him, though. Not for Anna. Nor for the girlfriends who follow her.

Because this is a boyfriend who would kill to make sure he can continue to kiss sleeping princesses.

Preorder Link


The Eights by Joanna Miller

book cover with pink and purple city scape with woman riding a bike

Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world’s most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.

Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way – and her own friends – for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won’t be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone – even The Eights – if she is to succeed.

But Oxford’s dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.

Preorder Link


Charles II's Portugese Queen: The Story of Catherine of Braganza by Susan Abernethy

book cover old fashioned image of woman in blue dress

Catherine of Braganza has regularly been referred to as ‘the forgotten queen’ and there is much truth in this statement. Following her death in 1705, a fully detailed biography in English remained unwritten until 1915. The last major bio published about her was in Portuguese in 1941 and it has never been translated into English. Despite her sheltered and religious upbringing, she made a spectacular marriage that was plagued by the infidelities of her husbands. Readers can readily find published biographies of Charles II’s many glamorous mistresses, but curiously, little on his wife. This new work presents more comprehensive information on Catherine’s life in Portugal than previous biographies and integrates new scholarship regarding Catherine’s practice of queenship and patronage of Catholic Baroque culture in an effort to carve out a prominent role at the Stuart court and to compete with her rivals. Readers familiar with Catherine’s story may learn some delightful new details about her life.

Catherine has never been forgotten in Portugal. She considered herself Portuguese at heart and during her reign as Queen of England, she persistently looked out for Portuguese interests. In her own words, she considered her marriage a personal sacrifice to what was best for her home country. She is one of the few dowager queens in history to return to her homeland where she acted as regent for her brother.

This biography places Catherine within the context of the history of Portugal and their seaborne empire, and the strong political and commercial ties between England and Portugal dating to the mid-fourteenth century which played a key role in the culmination of the Marriage Treaty of 1661. Her legacy lives on in her dowry, specifically the port of Bombay which allowed England to become a global empire, introducing many everyday items into European culture.


The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins


Now: When Megan’s father gets a letter containing a secret from the past, he asks her to go to the Cornish village of St Mawgen Cove to get to the bottom of the mystery. Megan is happy to take a holiday after a challenging year but as soon as she checks into The Ship Inn something feels amiss. There are noises in the room above, the locals tell tales of smugglers and shipwrecks and she can’t escape the story of the witch who waits and watches from the top of the cliff.

1625: Susanna and her daughter Katel live a contented life, but without the protection of a husband and father, Susanna fears for Katel’s future as she blossoms into womanhood. The fishing community of St Mawgen Cove is close knit but when misfortune arrives in the cove, it’s not long before villagers are looking for someone to blame. And when talk turns to witches, Susanna knows she and Katel are no longer safe.

Can Megan bring peace to St Mawgen and to two women who have been broken-hearted for centuries?



(media courtesy of the publishers/bookshop.org)
(all opinions are my own)
(bookshop.org affiliated)

Friday, 1 November 2024

Books I Want to Read in November 2024

 


Wow, it's November already and I am looking ahead to some of the books that I hope to read this month.  Here are just ten that have caught my eye.

You may notice that there are no Christmas titles in this list. There will be a dedicated post of Festive reads coming soon so watch this space!

What are your reading plans this month? Are any of these books on your reading radar?



The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker

The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker book cover


The Dressmaker's Mirror by Susan Weiss Liebman

The Dressmaker's Mirror by Susan Weiss Liebman book cover Jewish


The Reunion by M. A. Hunter

The Reunion by M. A. Hunter book cover


Someone Like You by Sandy Barker

The Reunion by M. A. Hunter book cover


The Palace Dressmaker by Jade Beer

The Palace Dressmaker by Jade Beer book cover


Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty by Beverley Adams

Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty by Beverley Adams book cover


A Witch's Book of Wisdom by Patricia Telesco

A Witch's Book of Wisdom by Patricia Telesco book cover


Shtum by Jem Lester

Shtum by Jem Lester book cover


The Cavendon Women by Barbara Taylor Bradford

The Cavendon Women by Barbara Taylor Bradford book cover


My Family: The Memoir by David Baddiel

My Family: The Memoir by David Baddiel cover photo