The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn - #bookreview

The Blurb

Three women, one writing retreat, endless possibilities…

Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?

Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.

And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.

In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…

My Review

When I read The Dubrovnik Book Club earlier this year, I just knew that I would want to read the next in the series as soon as possible. I am so glad that I did as I loved this book as much as the first one.

Although it is the second in the Bookish Escape series, it is very much a standalone novel. One of the characters from the first book, Karmela, is the main character in this one and it was lovely to spend more time with her.

The chapters were told from the perspective of the three main characters: Karmela, Jo and Zina. Three very different women who form a strong bond and help one another to deal with the challenges they are faced with. There are secrets in their lives which the reader is privy to but which are only revealed to one another as the novel progresses.

The setting of the book was beautiful; the titular Santorini was just wonderful to immerse myself in. The author did a great job of creating the environment and thus, the book was atmospheric and I soaked up the beauty of Greece whilst reading.

Anyone who enjoys a bit of escapism in their reading material will love this. Coupled with the story of strong women who form a tight-knit friendship, it makes this a novel well worth reading. 

Thank you to my wonderful local library for sourcing me a copy of this. I am now very keen to read the next book in the series, The Croatian Island Library.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0008648138

Publisher:  One More Chapter

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  368 (paperback)

Series:  Book 2 in the Bookish Escape series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.

In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatia, a country she loves.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

You can also find Eva at:

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The Croatian Library Cover Reveal

The DuBrovnik Book Club - Book Review

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey - #blogtour #bookreview

 

A long long time ago, when I was a little chick, not even a chick but a pink and naked thing, a scar a scrap a scrape fallen on roots and wriggling, when I was catching my death and all I knew of sky was the feel of feathers above me, the belly of black as warm as a cloud above me...

***

The Blurb

In this darkly comic work of literary satire by New Zealand’s most acclaimed and best-selling novelist Tama, a talking magpie and social media influencer, is the sole witness to a marriage in freefall.

Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie. ‘If it keeps me awake,’ says Marnie’s husband Rob, a farmer in the middle of a years-long drought, ‘I’ll have to wring its neck.’ But with Tama come new possibilities for the couple’s future. Tama’s fame is growing, and with it, his earning potential. The more Tama sees, the more the animal and the human worlds – and all the precarity, darkness and hope within them – bleed into one another. Like a stock truck filled with live cargo, the story moves inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion: the annual Axeman’s Carnival.

Part trickster, part surrogate child, part witness, Tama is the star of this story. And although what he says to humans is often nonsensical (and hilarious), the tale he tells makes disturbingly perfect sense. The Axeman’s Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her finest – comic, profound, poetic and true.

My Review

This book is well worth the five stars I have given it. I have not read any books by this author before but I certainly intend to change that as it was a fabulous read.

What makes this book unusual is that it is narrated by a magpie named Tama. In fact, he is the main character of the book. He lives with Marnie and Rob on their sheep farm. They are struggling to make ends meet, and this, amongst other things means Rob has a very short temper. He hates Tama until he realises that the bird may have the ability to change their financial position.

It is a very powerful and sometimes dark novel. It is clear from the very beginning that the book is working towards the annual event, the titular Axeman's Carnival. As we observe Rob preparing to win the title for the tenth year running, we can feel his inner anger oozing from the pages. As readers we know that the book is creeping towards its climax of the carnival and the author has done a great job in building the tension as the story moves along.

Meantime, Tama has learned to mimic speech and as such has become a media sensation. The book has much to say about social media, for good and bad.

The bird is devoted to Marnie and there is a mutual love between them that is palpable. It demonstrates an innocence which contrasts so well with the darker aspects of the novel. Tama also injects a little humour into the story with his mischievous nature.

The book is extremely well written, and the author has bought her story alive on the page vividly. There were aspects of the book which took my breath away. Something happens at the end which had so much to say about human nature and social media and is was quite shocking.

This book is releasing tomorrow, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I feel privileged to have read it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1787705517

Publisher:  Europa Editions

Formats:

No. of Pages:  336 (paperback)

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Catherine Chidgey’s novels have been published to international acclaim. Her first, In a Fishbone Church, won Best First Book at the NZ Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (South East Asia and South Pacific). In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Her second, Golden Deeds, was a Notable Book of the Year in the New York Times and a Best Book in the LA Times. Catherine has won the Prize in Modern Letters, the Katherine Mansfield Award, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship and the Janet Frame Fiction Prize. She lives in Ngāruawāhia, NZ, and lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Waikato. Her novel Remote Sympathy was shortlisted for the DUBLIN Literary Award and longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her novels The Wish Child and The Axeman’s Carnival both won the Acorn Prize for Fiction, NZ's most prestigious literary award.

(book courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(media courtesy of Europa Editions)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org afilliated)

Takeout Sushi by Christopher Green & Illustrated by Rebecca Purton - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Tsune moved home at the end of January. Her husband Matsu's company was due to relocate to Yokohama in April and, after several months of searching, they settled on an apartment in nearby Kawasaki...

***

Takeout Sushi is a collection of 17 illustrated short stories set mostly in contemporary Japan that explore feelings of belonging, displacement, and the strangeness of everyday human interaction.

In an innovative, fast-paced company, a man’s job comes under threat when a team of robots are brought in to replace the HR department. A husband’s search for shortcuts to his domestic tasks goes painfully wrong. Overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, a foreigner takes a weekend break and discovers something other than solitude in the mountains.

Marking Christopher Green’s debut adult fiction and inspired by his own experiences, these whimsical slice-of-life tales are full of heart and humour—perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

***

Generally speaking, I am not a lover of short stories. However, every now and again I discover a collection which entices me to read them. When I was offered an advanced reader's copy of this book I was sufficiently interested to try it.

My son and I share a mutual interest in Japanese fiction, and books frequently get passed back and forth between us. This book is a little different to our normal reading fare in that it is not written by a Japanese author. That said, the author has lived in Japan for many years, and these stories are written with insight. His observations of contemporary Japanese life made for easy and enjoyable reading.

The short quote at the header of this post is the opening couple of sentences to the first story in the book, Swallows, which I really enjoyed reading and is a great introduction to the quality of the stories.  They are entertaining and some are written with wit and humour. I laughed out loud at the efforts that a husband went to demonstrate that he could cope alone when his wife was away on business in Burned. 

There are just a few stories towards the end of the collection which are set in other parts of the world but are equally entertaining.

Each of these stories had something to offer, and I hesitate to say which was my favourite as I enjoyed so many of them. However, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be Spinning Wheels, as it demonstrates the fiasco that could occur if we allowed robots to be in charge. I am certain that everyone who reads this book would have a different list of their preferred ones and that is what makes this book so appealing. 

The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition, and I liked their simple yet appealing style.

I recommend this book to lovers of short stories and those interested in modern Japan.

ISBN: 978 1915584311

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  paperback

No. of Pages:  272

About the Author:

A long-time resident of Japan, Christopher lives near Tokyo with his wife and daughter. Christopher writes short stories and children's stories. His first collection of short stories Takeout Sushi is due for publication by Neem Tree Press in May 2024.

For a little more about Christopher and his books, please visit www.greeninjapan.com.

For Christopher's goodreads page for his children's books, please visit Chris Green.

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases for February 2024

 

Brrr..... I don't know about you but it is jolly chilly here at the moment. What better thing to do than dream about all the lovely books which are coming up next month.

There are some exciting new titles due to be published in February and here are just a few that have caught my eye.

The Story Collector by Iris Costello

London, 1915: Tarot reader Katerina is trying to hold her life together amid the wartime chaos. When she opens a bakery that offers divination alongside sweet treats, she is hailed as a beacon of hope. But Katerina is hiding a dark truth that could cost her everything.

Germany, 1918: A mute British soldier is taken to a prisoner of war camp where he meets Miriam, a researcher. She is drawn to his gentle manner and secretly vows to help him. But soon she will have to make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself?

Cornwall, Present Day: Recently widowed Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century...

A long-held secret ties the tales of three women, from the cobbled streets of war-time London to an isolated German WWI camp, and the sea-swept cliffs of Cornwall. Beautifully told, moving and unforgettable.

A Dirty Filthy Book by Michael Meyer

London, 1877. A petite young woman stands before an all-male jury, about to risk everything. She takes a breath, and opens her defence.

Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably – forty-five years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar – Annie is defending herself. Before Britain’s highest judge she declares it is a woman’s right to choose when, and if, to have children. At a time when women were legally and socially subservient to men, Annie’s defiant voice was a sensation. The riveting trial scandalised newspapers, captivated the British public and sparked a debate over morals, censorship and sex.

Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts – and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself – A Dirty, Filthy Book tells the gripping story of a forgotten pioneer who refused to accept the role the Establishment assigned to her. Instead, she chose to resist.

The Unfishished Business of Eadie Brown by Freya North

When your present meets your past, what do you take with you – and what do you leave behind?

Eadie Browne is an odd child with unusual parents, living in a strange house neighbouring the local cemetery. Bullied at school – but protected by her two best friends Celeste and Josh, and her many imaginary friends lying six feet under next door – Eadie muddles her way through.

Arriving in Manchester as a student in the late 1980s, Eadie confronts a busy, gritty Victorian metropolis a far cry from the small Garden City she's left behind. Soon enough she experiences a novel freedom she never imagined and it's seductive. She can be who she wants to be, do as she pleases, and no one back home needs to know. As Manchester embraces the dizzying, colourful euphoria of Rave counterculture, Eadie is swept along, blithely ignoring danger and reality. Until, one night, her past comes hurtling at her with ramifications which will continue into her adult life.

Now, as the new Millennium beckons, Eadie is turning 30 with a marriage in tatters. She must travel back to where she once lived for a funeral she can't quite comprehend. As she journeys from the North to the South, from the present to the past, Eadie contemplates all that was then – and all that is now – in this moving love letter to youth.

When I Feel Red by Lily Bailey

April has always marched to the beat of her own drum, but would life be easier if she learned to fit in? Now that she's in Year 8, things have got even worse. She's much more likely to be trying to rescue an animal in need than worrying about who's dating who at school, which April just finds BORING. Plus, her lessons feel like they're in a foreign language, and it suddenly seems impossible to make it through the week without landing in detention.

As family worries and classroom romances ramp up, it feels like everyone around her is pulling away - even her best friend Ben. But when the pressure's on, can she find a way to fit in and still be true to herself?

An empowering follow up to When I See Blue about finding your place in the world from the inspiring author and mental health activist, Lily Bailey. Perfect for fans of Elle McNicoll.

Library for the War-Wounded by Monika Helfer

From Monika Helfer's award-winning, internationally bestselling wartime trilogy, based on her own family. Translated into English for the first time.

Josef was an illegitimate child, a charity case from Salzburg, schooled by a benefactor. He was drafted to fight in the Second World War while still at school and sent to Russia, returning with only one leg. He married his nurse, and brought his family to the high, idyllic slopes of the Austrian Alps, where he took a position as manager of a home for injured soldiers, a strangely suspended, deeply isolated place with a remarkable library.

He was a man of many mysteries. To his daughter, Monika, none was greater than his obsession with these cloistered, crumbling books, his great treasure and secret amidst a country barrelling away from the memory of war.

Beautifully written, restrained, and memorable, Library for the War-Wounded turns a real life into great literature by confronting the universal question: Who are our parents, really?

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonham-Young

Two bickering strangers trying to foster their younger siblings team up to create a stable home, but the undeniable chemistry between them threatens to ruin everything.

When she discovers her biological mother has had a new baby, Chloe doesn't hesitate to provide a home for her. Failing to meet social services' financial evaluation, she's forced into a new initiative: joining households with another prospective guardian.

Surly garage mechanic Warren, who is trying to gain custody of his deaf teenage brother, does not make a great first impression. But as their lives intertwine, Chloe and Warren discover they have more in common than they thought. So much so that the chemistry between them threatens everything they've fought for...

The List of Suspicious Thing by Jennie Godfrey

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking.

Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don't.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

The Mysterious Mrs Hood by Kim Donovan

A true Victorian murder mystery...

Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away...

Mrs Hood was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story.

Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.

A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five.

The Pieces of Us by Caroline Montague

Marina and Hugh were once madly in love. But after the loss of their beautiful little daughter, grief has created a distance between them that feels impossible to bridge. Marina knows leaving Italy is the only way they will be able to move on, but Thorncliffe Hall, Hugh's family home in England, is so grey and unwelcoming.

Just when life feels like it may never regain colour, Marina and Hugh come across a striking china coffee pot in a London shop window, adorned with a fox flying through the night sky. The coffee pot comes attached with a mystery, one that is connected with Hugh's own family many years ago.

By digging into the past, Marina is about to discover a story far beyond her wildest dreams. But will the past help her heal the present?

A heartwrenching, utterly unforgettable story for fans of Sally Page and Amanda Prowse.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French

She’s loved by all who meet her. But someone wants her gone . . .

Then - When beautiful and vivacious Charlotte Salter fails to turn up to her husband Alec’s 50th birthday party, her kids are worried, but Alec is not. As the days pass and there’s still no word from Charlie, her daughter, Etty, and her sons, Niall, Paul and Ollie, all struggle to come to terms with her disappearance.

How can anyone just vanish without a trace?

Left with no answers and in limbo, the Salter children try and go on with their lives, all the while thinking that their mother’s killer is potentially very close to home.

Now - After years away, Etty returns home to the small East Anglian village where she grew up to help move her father into a care home. Now in his eighties, Alec has dementia and often mistakes his daughter for her mother. 

Etty is a changed woman from the trouble-free girl she was when Charlie was still around - all the Salter children have spent decades running and hiding from their mother’s disappearance.

But when their childhood friends, Greg and Morgen Ackerley, decide to do a podcast about Charlotte’s disappearance, it seems like the town’s buried secrets – and the Salters’ – might finally come to light.

After all this time, will they finally find out what really happened to Charlotte Salter?

Is there anything here that you would like to read?

(header photo courtesy of Unsplash)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in October 2023

 

October is set to be an exciting month on the blog as it will be my ten year blogversary on the 10th! Where has that decade gone? 

There will be some special things happening so keep your eyes peeled!

In the meantime, here are ten books being published in October that look exciting. Do any of these catch your eye?

Underground by E.S. Thomson

A plague is coming to London. Dreaded more than the Devil himself, cholera - the 'blue death' - spares no one. As fear grows across the city, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are called to the bedside of a dead man, murdered, and with his throat torn out, in the back room of a brothel. When an innocent man is taken to Newgate, Jem and Will have until execution day to save him. The search for the identity of the corpse, and the killer, takes them to the gates of Blackwater Hall, home to the secretive, and corrupt Mortmain family. With the approach of autumn, no one is safe, for the fog brings with it an evil and poisonous sickness - the perfect shroud for murder.

When family secrets are prised out into the open, people begin dying. But who, or what, is the cause? Searching for answers, Jem and Will are driven underground, to the passages and tunnels beneath the city's teeming streets. Here, their adversary proves to be more elusive, and more deadly, than ever.

The Puppet Maker by Jenny O'Brien

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 the 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?

The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach

When did having it all become doing it all?

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?

Sisters in Arms by Shida Bazyar

An explosive feminist and anti-racist novel about the importance of friendship.

We don’t exist in this world. Here, we are neither Germans nor refugees, we don’t report the news and we aren’t the experts. We’re some sort of wildcard.

Hani, Kasih, and Saya have shared a deep friendship ever since they were kids. After years apart, the three young women meet again for a few days, to pick up where they left off. But regardless of what they have achieved, it becomes clear, again and again, that they can’t escape the racism that accompanies their daily lives: the glances, the chatter, the hatred, and the outright rightwing terror. But their friendship gives them stability. Until one dramatic night shakes everything up.

Sisters in Arms is a provocative, uncompromising, and moving novel about the extraordinary alliance between three young women and the only thing that makes a self-determined life possible in a society that doesn’t tolerate otherness: unconditional friendship.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

Miss Lydia Bennet may be the youngest, but what she lacks in maturity and responsibility, she more than makes up for in energy, fun - and magic.

In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you're a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice - while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life by Liel Leibovitz

A witty and wide-ranging exploration of a book that has perplexed and delighted people for centuries: the Talmud.

For numerous centuries, the Talmud—an extraordinary work of Jewish ethics, law, and tradition—has compelled readers to grapple with how to live a good life. Full of folk legends, bawdy tales, and rabbinical repartee, it is inspiring, demanding, confounding, and thousands of pages long. As Liel Leibovitz enthusiastically explores the Talmud, what has sometimes been misunderstood as a dusty and arcane volume becomes humanity’s first self-help book. How the Talmud Can Change Your Life contains sage advice on an unparalleled scope of topics, which includes communicating with your partner, dealing with grief, and being a friend.

Leibovitz guides readers through the sprawling text with all its humor, rich insights, compulsively readable stories, and multilayered conversations. Contemporary discussions framed by Talmudic philosophy and psychology draw on subjects ranging from Weight Watchers and the Dewey decimal system to the lives of Billie Holiday and C. S. Lewis. Chapters focus on fundamental human experiences—the mind-body problem, the power of community, the challenges of love—to illuminate how the Talmud speaks to our daily existence. As Leibovitz explores some of life’s greatest questions, he also delivers a concise history of the Talmud itself, explaining the process of its lengthy compilation and organization.

With infectious passion and candor, Leibovitz brilliantly displays how the Talmud’s wisdom reverberates for the modern age and how it can, indeed, change your life.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm - and the mysterious curse that has haunted them for generations.

The madness that led to Susanna Farrow's disappearance left her daughter, June, to be raised by her grandmother. Everyone in Jasper is certain it's only a matter of time before she finds the same end, but June has kept secret that her unravelling has already begun.

After her grandmother's death, June follows a series of clues that link her mother's disappearance to the town's dark history, leading finally to a mysterious door.

Behind it may lay the answer to the mysteries that have always lingered like a dark shadow. Upon crossing the threshold, June embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but entangle her fate and her heart in a star-crossed love.

Honest (The Uncut Memoirs of Boris Johnson) by Lucien Young

Offering a comprehensive account of his meteoric rise (and even more meteoric fall) we follow Boris from Eton and the Bullingdon club, via stints in journalism and as London mayor, before finally making it into Number 10 via slick and sophisticated campaign tactics such as lying and hiding in a fridge.

It will outline in bonce-combusting detail the up and downs - but mostly ups! - of his tenure in Downing Street, from Getting Brexit Done and battling the Wizards of Woke, to nearly dying because he shook too many hands. This is BoJo as you've never seen him before.

Scarlet Town by Leonora Nattrass

A rigged election. A town at war. A murderer at large... Disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago and his larger-than-life employer the journalist William Philpott have escaped America - and Philpott's near imprisonment for libel - by the skin of their teeth. They return to Laurence's home town of Helston, Cornwall, in the hope of rest and recuperation, but instead find themselves in the middle of a tumultuous election that has the inhabitants of the town at one another's throats. Only two men may vote in this rotten borough, and when one of them dies in suspicious circumstances, Laurence is ordered to investigate on behalf of the town's patron, his old master the Duke of Leeds. But it is no easy matter, thanks to the machinations of the rival political factions, not to mention the riotous performances of Toby the Sapient Hog. Then the second elector is poisoned and suspicion turns on the town doctor, the gentle Pythagoras Jago, Laurence's own cousin. Suddenly Laurence finds himself ensnared in generations of bad blood and petty rivalries, with his cousin's fate in his hands... 

The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and Times of Lord William Paget by Alex Anglesey

Like Cromwell and Wolsey before him, William Paget came from nowhere to become one of Henry VIII's most powerful 'new men'. After serving as ambassador to the Court of Francis I of France, he became Henry's most influential foreign policy advisor and developed a close relationship with Emperor Charles V. He had the king's ear in Henry's later years, was the key player in drafting his will ( was it a forgery?) and in enabling Somerset to become Lord Protector in the reign of the boy king, Edward VI. For a while, he was Somerset's 'right-hand man'.

When Somerset fell, Paget was imprisoned in the Tower and nearly executed. But he survived and regained power. He had a major role in delivering the Crown to the Catholic queen, Mary, and in arranging her marriage to Philip II of Spain, whom he then advised on English politics. He kept in with the Protestant princess Elizabeth and survived to have influence when she came to the throne.

William was the founder of the aristocratic Paget family - Barons of Beaudesert, Earls of Uxbridge and Marquesses of Anglesey.

From records of the mansion that he built on a site next to today's Heathrow Airport, a picture has been created of how life was actually lived in a Tudor household at the personal family level.

The story is partly told from previously unexamined family letters. It is an exciting narrative of dramatic ups and downs: from rags to riches, plague to plenty, and prison to peerage. Court intrigues, conspiracies, rebellions and coups, follow one after the other. William is usually in the thick of it, the power behind the throne.

All Good Things by Amanda Prowse - #BookReview

 

Daisy Harrop stepped over the 'Welcome' mat in the hallway, with an ironic twist to her mouth. The mat, thick with dust, covered in clumps of mud and bald in places, was not really that welcoming. She picked up the hand-delivered letter addressed to her parents from the floor, admiring the official-looking council crest before placing it on top of the old cool box in the corner - that being the spot whre mail was left for collection and recycling items nested until they were grabbed and plopped in the appropriate bins.

Popping her soft mustard-coloured beret on her head at a jaunty angle and tying her cotton scarf in a natty knot, she opened the front door. The sky was blue, even as the day crawled towards night...

***

In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?

Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…

Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs―hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.

But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.

***

I was meant to be on the blog tour with this book a few weeks ago when I had an unexpected stay in hospital. Needless to say, I was unable to take part at the time. There are two very good reasons why I am posting this review now. First, the old adage about being better late than never, and secondly, it is a book well worth reading and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

I am already a fan of the author's work. I think her books are great and this one was no exception. There are some links at the end of the review if you would like to see my reviews of a couple of her other books.

This book is about two families, the Harrops and the Kelleways, and each chapter is told by members of each family. I loved this aspect of the book as it meant that we had multiple perspectives on the interactions between them.

The story highlights the different economic status between the two families and the implications that has for various members of the families. As always, Ms. Prowse injects realism into her stories. Her characters each have challenges to face in life and she treats issues such as money, mental health, familial expectations and LGBTQ with sensitivity and a sense of authenticity.

I was gripped by this book and I would have loved to have had the opportunity to gobble this in one sitting. It made for a quick and easy read and I was completely engaged with each of the characters  I thoroughly enjoyed being able to read their differing viewpoints on the situations that arose for them. In some books this constant changing from one character to another can be difficult to read but in the hands of an author as talented as Ms. Prowse, the chapters moved seamlessly from one to another. 

It is such a relevant book and I think many readers will identify with both the characters and some of the issues they face. It is full of the highs and lows that families face and is written in a very accessible style.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books set around contemporary family life.

If you would like to read my reviews from other books written by Amanda Prowse, please click on the title links below and it will take you straight there.

Women Like Us

The Day She Came Back

ISBN: 978 1542024822

Publisher:  Lake Union

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

No. of Pages:  319 (paperback)

Purchase Link*

About the Author:

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, two non-fiction titles and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart-topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Purchase Link*

(all media info courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

*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.

Reading Roundup for August 2023

 

This month has not been such a great one for me, and I have not reviewed as many books as usual. I had to have a stay in hospital (nothing serious) and upon my discharge I caught covid. I was looked after brilliantly by the NHS but lying there recovering I found it really difficult to read. There was so much necessary hustle, bustle and noise going on around me and I found I couldn't settle to anything.

Most of all, I missed my dog. It goes without saying that I missed by lovely husband too, but I was at least able to see him each day during visiting hours. My husband tells me that the dog missed me equally and judging from the reception his waggy tail gave me when I returned home he was quite right. So, this month my gorgeous dog, Buddy, is my header photo for no other reason that I love him and missed him so much.

Anyway, enough dog talk and on to books. I am a little behind with my reviews this month but they will be coming. In the meantime, here are the books which I read this month.

Books I Have Read

The Wolf Hunt by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen - This was easily my favourite book this month. My review will be up very soon so watch this space.  Purchase Link*

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes - This was an excellent book and my review will be up soon.  Purchase Link*

All Good Things by Amanda Prowse - I like this authors' books very much and this was no exception. My review will be up soon.   Purchase Link*

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - This was most enjoyable for anyone who enjoys Golden Age detective fiction.  Purchase Link*

How to Draw a Giraffe: The Alice May Way by Alice G. May - I spent a very enjoyable afternoon with this book. You can find my review by clicking here.

Norah's Ark by Victoria Williamson - My review of this smashing book will be up tomorrow in time for the blog tour.  Purchase Link*

Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker - This is the first in the Cornish Girls series. I liked it very much and my review is coming.  Purchase Link*

Kings and Queens: Alfred the Great to King Charles III and Everyone In-Between! by Marcia Williams - This was a fantastic comic-strip presentation aimed at junior school/middle grade children. If you would like to read my review you can do so by clicking here.   Purchase Link*

The Cornish Rebel by Nicola Pryce - This historical fiction title is one in a series and I cannot wait to read some of the others. My review for this book can be found here.  Purchase Link*

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan - Although this book is not what I expected I enjoyed reading it very much. You can find my review by clicking here.  Purchase LInk*

The Prosecco Pact by Kiltie Jackson - A story of three very different women who are friends. You can read my review by clicking here.

Don't Look Away by Rachel Abbott - This was a fabulous read and I highly recommend it. You can read my review by clicking here.  Purchase Link*

Books I Did Not Finish

Last of the Summer Moet by Wendy Holden - Not finishing this is no reflection on the book but I was trying to read this in hospital and could not get into it.

I, Julian by Claire Gilbert - I had really high hopes for this book but couldn't get into it. I may try it another time.

Books I am Partway Through

Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells

The Yorkshire Farm Girl by Diane Allen

*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.

The Time Between Space by Charlie Laidlaw - #BookReview

 

Yippee! Mummy is taking me to the cinema and has told me that it's a surprise. This doesn't really make sense, because if taking me to the cinema is a surprise, why has she told me?

But this is typical Mum; opening her mouth and saying something, then realising that she shoudn't have said it and wishing that she could un-say it. Even in my short life, I know she's confused a lot of people - and offended many others. Nothing nasty, but if someone at the shops says what a nice day it is, Mum will often disagree about the weather.

***

There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on Earth...

Emma Maria Rossini appears to be the luckiest girl in the world. She's the daughter of a beautiful and loving mother, and her father is one of the most famous film actors of his generation. She's also the granddaughter of a rather eccentric and obscure Italian astrophysicist.

But as her seemingly charmed life begins to unravel, and Emma experiences love and tragedy, she ultimately finds solace in her once-derided grandfather's Theorem on the universe.

The Time Between Space is humorous and poignant and offers the metaphor that we are all connected, even to those we have loved and not quite lost.

***

I so enjoyed reading this lovely book. I have previously read two of the authors books, The Things We Learn When We're Dead  and Everyday Magic both of which I enjoyed enormously. You can read my reviews of these books by clicking on the title.

The main character is Emma who we first meet as a child. Mr Laidlaw does a fabulous job of not only writing from the perspective of a child, but a child of the opposite sex which he does admirably well.

Emma has a wonderful relationship with her grandfather, Alberto Rossini, an astrophysicist. Running throughout this story is Alberto's book, Universe Theorum. Each chapter heading is an equation and there are many references to physics throughout this book which went way above my head. However, I am not a scientist, and I do not feel it is necessary prerequisite in order to get a lot out of this book.

For me, the relationship between Emma and her grandfather was perfect. Equally well done was her relationship with her actor father and her somewhat irrational mother.

A very enjoyable book and I am looking forward to Mr. Laidlaw's next offering.

This is a republication of the author's book, The Space Between Time. The cover photo above shows the new cover.

ISBN: 978 1901514759  

Publisher:  Ringwood Publishing

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org*

About the Author:

Charlie Laidlaw is a PR consultant, teaches creative writing, and lives in East Lothian. He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and was previously a national newspaper journalist and defence intelligence analyst. His other novels are The Things We Learn When We’re Dead, Being Alert!, Everyday Magic and Love Potions and Other Calamities.

All but one of Charlie Laidlaw’s novels have a strong local connection, collectively forming an East Lothian Quartet. 

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org*

(Book and all author info courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

*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.

Ten Exciting New Releases in September 2023

 September is almost upon us and with it comes some fabulous new books to be released. 

Here are just ten that I think look great.

Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells

Lambing season always brings the unexpected… But no one expected murder

Jude Gray never thought she’d find herself widowed and running a working farm full-time, but here she is, living in the small Malvern village her husband Adam spent most of his life in.

After a particularly gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off, but there’s no rest for the wicked, especially when she finds the body of one of Adam’s oldest friends on her farm.

Unimpressed with the local constabulary's efforts, Jude starts an investigation of her own. But as the body count rises, danger creeps ever closer to Malvern Farm.

A killer is on the prowl. And all that stands in their way is one woman – and her dog.

The Kitchen Witch Handbook by Aurora Kane

A magical life begins at home with this warm and lively introduction to the traditions and practice of kitchen witchcraft.

As spiritualists, healers, and herbalists, witches throughout history have developed various methods of healing through potions, spells, and remedies worldwide. Despite their efforts for good, many have suffered from years of persecution, which has led to a general misunderstanding of their craft. The Kitchen Witch Handbook combats that, providing an assortment of magical traditions from a fresh, modern perspective. If you are interested in Wicca and traditional kitchen potions, spells, and rituals, The Kitchen Witch Handbook is the perfect magical reference. 

This hands-on guide introduces the home-based folk witchcraft that has been practiced for countless generations. Learn to weave your magical intentions into food and cooking and use everyday ingredients for mystical purposes.

Brimming with beautiful photography and illustrations, this intriguing and accessible volume offers: 

Guidance on creating a magical kitchen and kitchen altar, 100 Recipes and kitchen spells, including a candied lime money spell, rosemary protection cookies, and a lavender simple syrup for clarity and calm, tips on how to incorporate magic and intention into cooking, a glossary of correspondences and magical properties for fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients and a framework for creating your own unique spells at home using the ingredients you have on hand.

Preorder Link*

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors - and looters - alike.

When Helena inherits her grandparents' apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime's generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?

Helena's desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth - and to understand the origins of her grandfather's collection.

Helena's attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather's actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of 'home', both in relation to looted objects of antiquity ... and herself.

Preorder Link*

Stone Mother by Malve S. Burns

Imagine growing up in a German family right after WWII with no knowledge of your country's horrendous Nazi past or an understanding of your own family's fierce internal struggles.

Marie is a dreamy child of a doctor whose family is offered refuge within the walls of Falkenburg Castle after the war. Within the safety of this thousand-year-old "stone mother," Marie begins her coming-of-age journey dominated by her troubled, often violent mother and comforted by her beloved father.

Soon, Marie is forced to leave the castle and is bounced from a Dickensian Children's institution, to an inspiring private prep school for girls in Heidelberg, to the wild Alaska Highway, and back to Germany, where, at age fifteen, she discovers the full extent of Nazi atrocities and contemplates suicide.

With the help of her mother's former teacher and the spirit prince of Falkenburg Castle, Marie begins to understand her mother's pain. She finds a way to accept-though never condone-what she cannot change. Ultimately, when she faces the transgressions of both her mother and her motherland, she is inspired to engage more fully with her new Germany.

The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page

Her new chapter starts now…

Jo Sorsby is hiding from her past when she agrees to run her uncle’s beloved stationery shop. Glimpsing the lives of her customers between the warm wooden shelves, as they scribble little notes and browse colourful notebooks, distracts her from her bruised heart.

When she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret, and Malcolm, a septuagenarian still finding himself, she suddenly realizes she isn’t alone.

They each have a story that can transform Jo’s life… if only she can let them in.

The perfect gift for book lovers, The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Bookshop in this gorgeous novel about secrets, second chances and finding friendship in the most unlikely places.

Preorder Link*

The Pit by Peter Papathanasiou

With DS Manolis on leave in Greece, Senior Constable Sparrow receives a phone call from a man who wants to turn himself in.

Bob is sixty-five years old, confined to a Perth nursing home. But thirty years ago, he killed a man in the remote northern Kimberley mining region. He offers to show Sparrow where the body is, but there's a catch: Sparrow must travel north with him under the guise of being his carer.

They are accompanied on the drive by another nursing home resident: Luke, thirty years old, paralysed in a motorbike accident. As they embark on their road trip through the guts of Western Australia, pursued by outback police and adrenaline-soaked miners, Sparrow begins to suspect that Bob's desire to head north may have sinister motivations. Is Luke being held against his will? And what lies in store for them when they reach their goal?

Preorder Link*

The Two-Tailed Snake by Nod Ghosh

North-east India, 1945. Tensions are rising, but fourteen-year-old Joya doesn't pay much attention to 'political business' - she is more concerned with doing well at school and having fun with her best friends.

Yet when her father disappears without a trace, Joya's life falls apart. Forced to drop out of school and support her mother by working in a garment factory, she refuses to accept that her father is gone forever, spending her nights sewing him a suit from scraps of fine material.

But as political unrest grows and rumours of corruption spread, Joya questions the true nature of her father's disappearance. And who is the sinister figure known only as the two-tailed snake?

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace

I have a gift. I see people as ghosts before they die.

Of course, it helps that I'm the one killing them.

The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Lucas in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But even before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him buy her a drink, before she takes him home and carves him up into little pieces, something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.

The thing is, it's not sensible to tangle with a part-time serial killer, even one who is distracted by attending a weekly bereavement support group and trying to get her art career off the ground. Claire will do anything to keep her secret hidden - not to mention the bodies buried in her garden. Let the games begin...

Preorder Link*

The Worst Medieval Monarchs by Phil Bradford

Stephen. John. Edward II. Richard II. Richard III. These five are widely viewed as the worst of England’s medieval kings. Certainly, their reigns were not success stories. Two of these kings lost their thrones, one only avoided doing so by dying, another was killed in battle, and the remaining one had to leave his crown to his opponent. All have been seen as incompetent, their reigns blighted by civil war and conflict. They tore the realm apart, failing in the basic duty of a king to ensure peace and justice. For that, all of them paid a heavy price. As well as incompetence, some also have reputations for cruelty and villainy, More than one has been portrayed as a tyrant. The murder of family members and arbitrary executions stain their reputations. All five reigns ended in failure. As a result, the kings have been seen as failures themselves, the worst examples of medieval English kingship. They lost their reputations as well as their crowns. Yet were these five really the worst men to wear the crown of England in the Middle Ages? Or has history treated them unfairly? This book looks at the stories of their lives and reigns, all of which were dramatic and often unpredictable. It then examines how they have been seen since their deaths, the ways their reputations have been shaped across the centuries. The standards of their own age were different to our own. How these kings have been judged has changed over time, sometimes dramatically. Fiction, from Shakespeare’s plays to modern films, has also played its part in creating the modern picture. Many things have created, over a long period, the negative reputations of these five. Today, they have come to number among the worst kings of English history. Is this fair, or should they be redeemed? That is the question this book sets out to answer.

Preorder Link*

The Lost Flock by Jane Cooper

The Lost Flock is the story of the remarkable and rare little horned sheep, known as Orkney Boreray, and the wool-obsessed woman who moved to one of Scotland’s wildest islands to save them.

It was Jane Cooper’s passion for knitting that led her to discover the world of rare-breed sheep and their wool. Through this, Jane uncovered the ‘Orkney Borerary’ – a unique group within the UK’s rarest breed of sheep, the Boreray, and one of the few surviving examples of primitive sheep in northern Europe.

As her knowledge of this rarest of heritage breeds grew, she took the bold step to uproot her quiet suburban life in Newcastle and relocate to Orkney, embarking on a new adventure and life as farmer and shepherd.

Jane was astonished to find that she was the sole custodian of this lost flock in the world, and so she began investigating their mysterious and ancient history, tracking down the origins of the Boreray breed and its significance to Scotland’s natural heritage.

From Viking times to Highland crofts and nefarious research experiments in Edinburgh, this is a so-far untold real-life detective story. It is also the story of one woman’s relentless determination to ensure a future for her beloved sheep, and in doing so revealing their deep connection to the Scottish landscape.

An unforgettable story of a heritage breed and the importance of its existence.

Preorder Link*

*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.