Hello! Happy Saturday!! The sunshine returned during the week, but the cloud has moved in again today – typical! But it’s still milder and the garden is beginning to fill up with Spring flowers so good times are on the way!
And there has been good times on the reading front this week – i did a lot of reading last weekend, but didn’t manage much during the week for one reason or another. But overall I managed to finish 4 books this week! I’m still being very good on the buying front and just one pre-order arrived this week BUT I have to admit to being led astray badly this week by Netgalley! All their fault and definitely not mine that I have had 7 new arrivals to my NG bookshelves…… time to avoid the site again for a while and get my butt in gear to start reading them all!
So here’s a look back at all I’ve read, hauled and am currently reading!! Click on the book title for a link to their GoodReads pages!
BOOKS FINISHED
Finding Joy by Morven-May MacCallum – 5 stars
An emotional read about how an invisible illness affects the sufferer and those around them.
Angel by Elizabeth Taylor – 4 stars
This months’ pick for the Elizabeth Taylor Reading Project and I really enjoyed this one!
Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan – 3 stars
Enjoyable but a bit more serious than her normal books!
The Summer of Chasing Dreams by Holly Martin – 5 stars
Publication Date – 29th March 2019
Adored this!! Thor has a special place in my heart now!! đ Review to follow soon!
BOOK HAUL
Kill by Anthony Good –  copy for review from Readers First
Michael lost his wife in a terrorist attack on a London train. Since then, he has been seeing a therapist to help him come to terms with his grief – and his anger. He can’t get over the fact that the man he holds responsible has seemingly got away scot-free. He doesn’t blame the bombers, who he considers only as the logical conclusion to a long chain of events. No, to Michael’s mind, the ultimate cause is the politician whose cynical policies have had such deadly impact abroad. His therapist suggests that he write his feelings down to help him forgive and move on, but as a retired headteacher, Michael believes that for every crime there should be a fitting punishment – and so in the pages of his diary he begins to set out the case for, and set about committing, murder.
Waltzing through the darkling journal of a brilliant mind put to serious misuse, Kill [redacted] is a powerful and provocative exploration of the contours of grief and the limits of moral justice, and a blazing condemnation of all those who hold, and abuse, power.
THE RUIN OF KINGS by JENN LYONS signed edition from Goldsboro Books
What if you weren’t the hero?Kihrin grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests – despite being raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble’s mansion, hunting for jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he’s marked by a demon and his life will never be the same again.That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince’s royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin attempts to escape his relative’s dangerous schemes, but finds himself in far deeper waters.He becomes tangled in a plot to kill the Emperor, rob the Imperial Vaults, claim a god-slaying sword and free bound demons to wreak havoc across the land. Kihrin also discovers the old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love – and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn’t fated to save the empire. He’s destined to destroy it.The Ruin of Kings is the first book in Jenn Lyons’s epic new series.
NETGALLEY
Hope you are sitting comfortably for this bit!!
THE NEIGHBOUR by FIONA CUMMIN
Out 4th April 2019
The gripping crime thriller of the year with a twist youâll never see coming . . .
FOR SALE: A lovely family home with good-sized garden and treehouse occupying a plot close to woodland. Perfect for kids, fitness enthusiasts, dog walkers . . .
And, it seems, the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer.
On a hot July day, Garrick and Olivia Lockwood and their two children move into 25 The Avenue looking for a fresh start. They arrive in the midst of a media frenzy: theyâd heard about the local murders in the press, but Garrick was certain the killer would be caught and it would all be over in no time. Besides, theyâd got the house at a steal and he was convinced he could flip it for a fortune.
The neighbours seemed to be the very picture of community spirit. But everyone has secrets, and the residents in The Avenue are no exception.
After six months on the case with no real leads, the most recent murder has turned DC Wildeve Stantonâs life upside down, and now she has her own motive for hunting down the killer â quickly.
A BOY AND HIS DOG AT THE END OF THE WORLD by C.A. FLETCHER
Out April 23rd 2019
When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.
My name’s Griz. My childhood wasn’t like yours. I’ve never had friends, and in my whole life I’ve not met enough people to play a game of football.
My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.
Then the thief came.
There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.
Because if we aren’t loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?
A WEDDING AT THE COMFORT FOOD CAFE by DEBBIE JOHNSON
Out March 21st 2019
Wedding bells ring out in Budbury as the Comfort Food CafĂ© and its cosy community of regulars are gearing up for a big celebrationâŠ
But Auburn Longville doesnât have time for that! Between caring for her poorly mum, moving in with her sister and running the local pharmacy, life is busy enough â and itâs about to get busier. Chaos arrives in the form of a figure from her past putting her quaint village life and new relationship with gorgeous Finn Jensen in jeopardy. Itâs time for Auburn to face up to some life changing decisions.
Settle in for a slice of wedding cake at the Comfort Food CafĂ© â a place where friendships are made for life and nobody ever wants to leave.
THE PORPOISE by MARK HADDON
Out May 9th 2019
âI really am so very, very sorry about this,â he says, in an oddly formal voice⊠They strike the side of a grain silo. They are travelling at seventy miles per hour.A newborn baby is the sole survivor of a terrifying plane crash.She is raised in wealthy isolation by an overprotective father. She knows nothing of the rumours about a beautiful young woman, hidden from the world.
When a suitor visits, he understands far more than he should. Forced to run for his life, he escapes aboard The Porpoise, an assassin on his tailâŠSo begins a wild adventure of a novel, damp with salt spray, blood and tears. A novel that leaps from the modern era to ancient times; a novel that soars, and sails, and burns long and bright; a novel that almost drowns in grief yet swims ashore; in which pirates rampage, a princess wins a wrestlerâs hand, and ghost women with lampreysâ teeth drag a man to hell â and in which the members of a shattered family, adrift in a violent world, journey towards a place called home.
POPPY’S RECIPE FOR LIFE by HEIDI SWAIN
Out 30th May 2019
Treat yourself to a glorious novel full of food, sunshine, friendship and love!
Things havenât always been straightforward in Poppyâs life but her dreams are finally within her reach.
She’s moving into a cottage in beautiful Nightingale Square, close to the local community garden, where she can indulge her passion for making preserves and pickles. She may not have the best relationship with her family but she is surrounded by loving friends, and feels sure that even her grumpy new neighbour, Jacob, has more to him than his steely exterior belies.
But the unexpected arrival of Poppy’s troubled younger brother soon threatens her new-found happiness and as the garden team works together to win community space of the year, Poppy must decide where her priorities lie and what she is prepared to fight for âŠ
FINDING DOROTHY by ELIZABETH LETTS
Out 4th April 2019
A richly imagined novel that tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s intrepid wife, Maud–from the family’s hardscrabble days in South Dakota to the Hollywood film set where she first meets Judy Garland.
Maud Gage Baum, widow of the author of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, met Judy Garland, the young actress playing the role of Dorothy on the set of The Wizard of Oz in 1939. At the time, Maud was seventy-eight and Judy was sixteen. In spite of their age difference, Maud immediately connected to Judy–especially when Maud heard her sing “Over the Rainbow,” a song whose yearning brought to mind the tough years in South Dakota when Maud and her husband struggled to make a living–until Frank Baum’s book became a national sensation.
This wonderfully evocative two-stranded story recreates Maud’s youth as the rebellious daughter of a leading suffragette, and the prairie years of Maud and Frank’s early days when they lived among the people–especially young Dorothy–who would inspire Frank’s masterpiece. Woven into this past story is one set in 1939, describing the high-pressured days on The Wizard of Oz film set where Judy is being badgered by the director, producer, and her ambitious stage mother to lose weight, bind her breasts, and laugh, cry, and act terrified on command. As Maud had promised to protect the original Dorothy back in Aberdeen, she now takes on the job of protecting young Judy.
THE TRUE QUEEN by ZEN CHO
Out March 21st 2019
Fairylandâs future lies in doubt
The enchanted island of Janda Baik, in the Malay Archipelago, has long been home to witches. And Muna and her sister Sakti wake on its shores under a curse, which has quite stolen away their memories. Their only hope of salvation lies in distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal runs a controversial academy for female magicians. But the pair travel via the formidable Fairy Queenâs realm, where Sakti simply disappears.
To save her sister, Muna must learn to navigate Regency Londonâs high society and trick the English into believing sheâs a magical prodigy. But when the Sorceress Royalâs friends become accidentally embroiled in a plot â involving the Fairy Queenâs contentious succession â Muna is drawn right in. She must also find Sakti, break their curse and somehow stay out of trouble. But if fairylandâs true queen does finally return, trouble may find her first . . .
The True Queen is Zen Cho’s spelling binding second book, following her award-winning The Sorcerer to the Crown. This standalone is set in that same wonderful Regency world with a fairy tale twist.
CURRENTLY READING
THE RUIN OF KINGS by JENN LYONS
THE HAUNTING OF HENRY TWIST by REBECCA F.JOHN
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So that has been my week! Quiet eh!! Hope your bookish week has been as entertaining!! Would love to hear if you’ve read any good books or been adding to your TBR shelves!!
HAPPY READING!!
Books and Me! 