#BlogTour THE PRINCE OF THE SKIES by ANTONIO ITURBE #BookReview #ThePrinceoftheSkies @panmacmillan @RandomTTours

Delighted to be with you today on this wonderful Blog Tour for THE PRINCE OF THE SKIES by ANTONIO ITURBE. 
My thanks to the author,publisher and Anne of Random Things Tours for putting the tour together and letting me be part of it to share my thoughts!

ABOUT THE BOOK

WRITER. ROMANTIC. PILOT. HERO. 

From the bestselling author of The Librarian of Auschwitz comes another captivating historical novel based on a true story – the extraordinary life and mysterious death of. 

Only the best pilots are given jobs at Latécoère – the company destined to become Aéropostale. The successful candidates include Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A man whose desire to fly will put him at odds with his aristocratic family and the girl who loves him – but who wants to keep him grounded. Together with his friends Jean and Henri, they will change the history of aviation and pioneer new mail routes across the world. But Antoine is also destined to touch the lives of millions of readers with his story The Little Prince. 

But as war begins to threaten Europe, is Antoine’s greatest adventure yet to come . . .?

 Translated by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites, this is a novel about love and friendship, war and heroism and the power of the written word. 

PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ANTONIO ITURBE was born in 1967 and grew up in the dock-side neighbourhood of Barceloneta, in Barcelona. His first novel The Librarian of Auschwitz was the number one selling book in translation in the UK last year. It has been translated into 30 languages and has sold over 600K copies internationally.

 Having grown up reading Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s books, Iturbe was inspired to write about the author’s extraordinary life. He conducted extensive research and, despite suffering from vertigo, even flew in a biplane so he would understand how it felt to fly. Iturbe hopes to translate not only the facts but also the poetry of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s writing in The Prince of the Skies.

MY REVIEW

Epic. Emotional. Thrilling!  Wow! What a read this has been!! I loved The Librarian of Auschwitz so have been so eager to read this book and it has not disappointed!  

This is the story of the author of The Little Prince (another favourite read of mine!) and his story has all the elements needed for an astonishing story.  This is a man who was born to fly!  And his dreams came true but didn’t run smoothly, and that adds to the drama throughout.

The author does a brilliant job of capturing the essence of a man who was completely driven in his quest to be in the skies.  He also showed how much writing meant to him, but flying was his true passion.  It charts his exploits from the beginning of his flying career – the good and bad! – alongside his personal life which was never the easiest.

Alongside his story, we also get the story of his 2 closest friends, Henri and Jean, and I loved how they were all such different characters but bonded over their love of flying. That’s when they were all at their happiest!  It charts some very distressing, dark times for them all but there was always that hope in them that things would come right.  They flew all over the world, facing new challenges along the way but never being disheartened when all went wrong.

I got totally caught up with the lives of these men! It is one of those books that is full of adventure and action, but showed their real characters too when their feet were on the ground and the issues they faced both professionally and personally.  Their lives were anything but dull!!

A true delight to read! It is exhilarating, magical and an incredible story! A must read and one of my books of 2021!!

★★★★★

Advertisement

#GuestPost CHRISTMAS OF NEW BEGINNINGS by KIRSTY FERRY #PublicationDay @ChocLituk @RubyFiction @kirsty_ferry

It’s beginning to feel a lot like … CHRISTMAS!! Hope you’re ready!!  And I’m excited today to be handing over the Blog to the lovely Kirsty Ferry, so she can share some thoughts about her newest book, CHRISTMAS OF NEW BEGINNINGS, on Publication Day!! 
Go grab your copy NOW! And get those festive songs playing!!
Over to you Kirsty..

🎄🎄🎄

RELEASE DAY: Christmas of New Beginnings by Kirsty Ferry

My new book, Christmas of New Beginnings, is new in a couple of ways. It’s the first book in a new series, it’s my first venture into Ruby Fiction, the sister imprint of Choc Lit, and it’s the first romantic comedy I’ve written in first person, entirely from the heroine’s point of view. The heroine in this case is Cerys, who relocates to Padcock, a charming village in the South Downs, and she tells her story over a series of Christmases where we trace her relationship with Sam, the owner of the local pub. We are also introduced to Edie, Cerys’ best friend, who we will meet again in the second book of the series which is due out Summer 2022.

I’d run out of series to write a Christmas book on for this year, as I think I’ve done one for each series now, so I was excited to start something new instead. I wrote the book in the winter lockdowns of 2020 and early 2021, so, as you can imagine, it was sometimes quite difficult to stay upbeat and cheerful while writing; but the good thing was that writing it and escaping to Padcock was a form of self-care and I began to enjoy my forays into Padcock. All the more important, as Christmas 2020 was so disappointing for so many people, I tried to make the Christmases Cerys experienced in Padcock festive and sociable, filled with friends and family. There is no inkling of anything lockdown-related in my book, and deliberately so.

The lovely thing I discovered about writing in first person point of view is that you can really get into the mind of the character and explore all their quirks, flaws and strengths. You can also create an “unreliable narrator”, which is maybe a bit literary and a bit clever for me, but the fun thing with the first person point of view process is that the readers experience everything through the eyes of the narrator and hopefully cheer them on, flaws and all!

I really enjoyed creating the village of Padcock. In my head, as I was writing, I was walking around the streets and knew exactly where everything was and had a real sense of the place. Padcock is very loosely based on Lacock, in Wiltshire. Lacock village is more or less owned by the National Trust and used a location for many television programmes and films. It also has a wonderful stately home called Lacock Abbey which was the home of Henry Fox Talbot who was a photography pioneer. There is a really interesting museum of photography there, and if you, like me, are interested in vintage photos, it’s well worth a visit.

I do hope you enjoy our first visit to Padcock in Christmas of New Beginnings – and that you’ll come back and visit Padcock again next year!

🎄🎄🎄

ABOUT THE BOOK

Not all festive wishes come true right away – sometimes it takes five Christmases …

Folk singer Cerys Davies left Wales for the South Downs village of Padcock at Christmas, desperate for a new beginning. And she ends up having plenty of those: opening a new craft shop-tea room, helping set up the village’s first festive craft fair, and, of course, falling desperately in love with Lovely Sam, the owner of the local pub. It’s just too bad he’s firmly in the clutches of Awful Belinda …

Perhaps Cerys has to learn that some new beginnings take a while to … well, begin! But with a bit of patience, some mild espionage, a generous sprinkling of festive magic and a flock of pub-crashing sheep, could her fifth Christmas in Padcock lead to her best new beginning yet?

Buying links: 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-New-Beginnings-warming-uplifting-ebook/dp/B09G38ZTV3/

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/christmas-of-new-beginnings/id1586450033

 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/christmas-of-new-beginnings

 Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-of-new-beginnings-kirsty-ferry/1140157522

About the author:

Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition and has had articles and short stories published in various magazines. Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.

Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.

Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.

Kirsty writes for both Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction.

🎄🎄🎄

My Bookish Weekly Wrap Up – 16th October 2021

Hello and Happy Saturday!! Weather has improved again this week so it’s been nice to enjoy some time outdoors and the longer, darker nights mean it’s candle time! I may have treated myself to a couple from TK Maxx this week! Spoiled for choice there!!
And I’ve been spoiled on the book front this week  – managed to finish 4 books, got some lovely books through the post and 2 newbies to the netgalley shelf!! The TBR mountain grows ever taller!!
Here’s my look back…

BOOKS FINISHED

CHRISTMAS WITH THE SURPLUS GIRLS by POLLY HERON – 5 STARS

THE ILLUSTRATED CHILD by POLLY CROSBY – 4 STARS

THE IMPOSSIBLE TRUTHS OF LOVE by HANNAH BECKERMAN – 5 STARS

THE PRINCE OF THE SKIES by ANTONIO ITURBE – 5 STARS

BOOKHAUL

Starting with the Netgalley additions….

THE PARIS BOOKSELLER by KERRI MAHER

publication  – January 2022

The captivating story of a trailblazing young woman who fought against incredible odds to bring one of the most important books of the twentieth century to the world. For readers of The Paris Library, The Age of Light and The Paris Wife.

PARIS, 1919.

Young, bookish Sylvia Beach knows there is no greater city in the world than Paris. But when she opens an English-language bookshop on the bohemian Left Bank, Sylvia can’t yet know she is making history.

Many leading writers of the day, from Ernest Hemingway to Gertrude Stein, consider Shakespeare and Company a second home. Here some of the most profound literary friendships blossom – and none more so than between James Joyce and Sylvia herself.

When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia determines to publish it through Shakespeare and Company. But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous book of the century comes at deep personal cost as Sylvia risks ruin, reputation and her heart in the name of the life-changing power of books…

FEMLANDIA by CHRISTINA DALCHER

The explosive new thriller from the bestselling author of VOX and Q
Welcome to Femlandia… It’s no place like home.

‘Provocative, sinister, and fascinating’ Stephanie Wrobel, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Recovery of Rose Gold

The United States has sunk into total collapse.

Men in positions of power have wrecked the economy and left women to suffer and pick up the pieces.

Miranda Reynolds has lost her husband, her job and her home. There’s only one place left that she and her daughter Emma can go. Femlandia.

Femlandia is a female-only community. A utopia for women. There’s a reason Miranda never joined before. Now she has no choice.

With what Miranda knows about Femlandia’s founder, she’s right to be wary. While life outside the gates is fraught with danger, there’s something just as sinister going on within.

I was also very lucky to win a copy of this via HWA

SANDS OF THE ARENA by BEN KANE

From Sunday Times Bestselling author Ben Kane comes a collection of short stories:

Sands of the Arena
Can a wet-behind-the-ears gladiator survive a bloody contest ordered by Emperor Caligula?

The Shrine
Centurion Tullus discovers that Fate will always hold him in her grip.

The Arena
Legionary Piso’s much anticipated payday plays out very differently than he expected.

Eagles in the East
Caught up in a bloody rebellion, Centurion Tullus battles to keep his men alive.

Eagles in the Wilderness
Bored with retirement, Centurion Tullus takes service with an amber merchant, voyaging to unknown, dangerous lands far beyond the empire.

Hannibal: Good Omens
History’s most famous general seeks the gods’ approval before his war with Rome.

The March
Romulus and Tarquinius travel to the ends of the earth, searching for their lost friend Brennus.

Then I treated myself over at Eye Books – and got 3 for the price of 2!

SOUR GRAPES by DAN RHODES

When the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanes.

But the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the ghoul-faced, ageing enfant terrible who wreaks havoc wherever he goes.

Sour Grapes is a hilarious satire on the literary world which takes no prisoners as it skewers authors, agents, publishers and reviewers alike.

STONE HEART DEEP by PAUL BASSETT DAVIES

Stone Heart Deep is a compelling and claustrophobic thriller with a remarkable twist, as if Iain Banks had rewritten The Wicker Man.

When burned-out investigative journalist Adam Budd’s estranged mother dies, he inherits her estate. This includes Stone Heart House, a huge, ramshackle mansion on a remote Scottish island. He visits the island to sort out her tangled affairs, and at first it seems like a charming haven of tranquillity. But after he witnesses a strange accident, he begins to develop suspicions about the inhabitants.

Why does everyone seem so eerily calm, even under stress? What is stopping Harriet, the lawyer helping him with his affairs, from leaving the island when she so clearly wants to? Is he making a big mistake by falling for her? And why have so many children gone missing?

THE DROVER’S WIVES by RYAN O’NEILL

Henry Lawson’s short story The Drover’s Wife is an Australian classic that has sparked interpretations on the page, on canvas and on the stage. But it has never been so thoroughly, or hilariously, reimagined as by Ryan O’Neill, remixing and revising Lawson’s masterpiece in 101 different ways.

The variations include a a pop song, a sporting commentary, a 1980s computer game, an insurance claim, a Hollywood movie adaptation, a cryptic crossword and even the selection of paint swatches you can see on this back cover.

Inventive and unexpected, this is laugh-out-loud literature from the author of the award-winning Their Brilliant Careers.

OROONOKO by APHRA BEHN

my subscription copy from RENARD PRESS

When Prince Oroonoko’s passion for the virtuous Imoinda arouses the jealousy of his grandfather, the lovers are cast into slavery and transported from Africa to the colony of Surinam. Oroonoko’s noble bearing soon wins the respect of his English captors, but his struggle for freedom brings about his destruction. Inspired by Aphra Behn’s visit to Surinam, Oroonoko reflects the author’s romantic views of native peoples as being in “the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin.” The novel also reveals Behn’s ambiguous attitude toward slavery: while she favored it as a means to strengthen England’s power, her powerful and moving work conveys its injustice and brutality.

CURRENTLY READING

RAMBLE BOOK by ADAM BUXTON *audiobook*

HAPPY READING!!

#BlogTour WITCH by MARK BROWNLESS #BookReview @ZooloosBT @SpellBoundBk #SHOctober #ZooloosBookTours

Are you ready?! Shocktober is with us and it’s time to get scared!! Huge thanks to the team at Spellbound books and ZooLoosBookTours for putting this all together and letting me be part of it all!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞

We are delighted to present Ty Llun – Lake House – which is, once again, available.

A beautiful 400 year old waterfront property in an idyllic Welsh village, the property has plenty of character and comes complete with the spirit of a long dead witch.

It’s the ideal place for a couple to move to, to start again, to try and forget the heartbreak of the past.

And we are sure that, this time, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 will leave you in peace…

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹.

Published by  SPELLBOUND BOOKS

PURCHASE LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Brownless lives and works in Carmarthen, West Wales, UK. He has been putting ideas on paper for some years now but only when the idea for THE HAND OF AN ANGEL came to him in the autumn of 2015 did he know he might be able to write a book. Mark likes to write about ordinary people being placed in extraordinary circumstances, is fascinated by unexplained phenomena, and enjoys merging thriller, science fiction and horror.

Mark’s new novel, The Shadow Man is a terrifying horror thriller imagining what would happen if you found out the memories of your childhood were untrue, and that something sinister was lurking behind the facade of your life. Could you face what had happened back then? Could you face The Shadow Man.

Mark is also fascinated by myths and legends such as those of Robin Hood and King Arthur. This has culminated in the release of his short story series, Locksley, a Robin Hood story.

Follow him at:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markbrownlessauthor 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgI_jjJAyOhCtuZTH7Vx8Q 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markbrownless

MY REVIEW

An isolated 400 year old waterfront property in a rural Welsh village… what could possibly go wrong??!!  I am so glad I read this book with all the lights on and during the daytime!!  Even now I am still wincing at weird noises around the house….. just in case the witch has decided to come and haunt me!

Victoria and Gabe are both writers, and they find themselves moving to this new property to try and help them move on from a tragedy.  But you can really tell that this grief goes deep and it’s very hard to move on.  The locals aren’t too welcoming and soon talk turns to the witch that haunts the property!!  That would see me running for the hills! But Victoria and Gabe aren’t put off by these tales….. and then the weirdness starts up at home!!

There’s noises, strange sightings, messages left on the wall….they begin by trying to be rational about it all but it soon turns much darker and Gabe is left to find out more about the past of this home in the hope he can put an end to it all, whilst Victoria seems to become more fascinated by this ghostly presence.

It was wonderfully descriptive throughout, that really helps put you at the centre of the action and leaves you with chills as the darkness that surrounds them takes hold!  I also loved the flashbacks to the past to tell the story of Morvith and could have happily read more tales of her and the goings on of the past!

It’s a book to frighten, to shock and to entertain and I loved every single minute of being scared and chilled to the core!!

★★★★

#GuestPost WRONG SORT OF GIRL by HELEN BRIDGETT #PublicationDay @ChocLituk

Hello and thanks for joining me at Books & Me today! And I’m very happy to be handing over the blog today  to the lovely Helen Bridgett to help celebrate publication day for WRONG SORT OF GIRL!!!  Go get your copy ASAP!!!

Over to you Helen….

Wrong Sort of Girl by Helen Bridgett

I read across many genres so it seemed fairly natural for me to write both rom-com and crime fiction. At the end of the day, both genres are often about a woman who finds herself in a difficult situation and has to work out how to deal with it. Whether you’re reading Serenity Bay or either of my Professor Maxie Reddick novels, I hope you can relate to the main protagonist and see yourself in some of their actions.

In my crime novels – One by One and Wrong Sort of Girl – the heroine isn’t a policewoman but she does work closely with them and knows their procedures. She’s a professor of Criminology and in each case used her knowledge of that subject to help identify the culprit. I have to confess that I have loved researching all of the topics that are covered in Criminology and there are days when I forget that I actually have to get on with writing the book itself!

In Wrong Sort of Girl, I cover a subject called unconscious bias – how we all make decisions about someone purely on their appearance and how this impacts the justice system. The missing girl in this novel – Kelly – loves to party. She’s wild, tattooed, pierced and simply wouldn’t look good on the front pages of the newspapers. But she’s also a loving, successful young woman and Professor Reddick is determined to remind the general public of this and equally determined to find her. It’s set in the week before Christmas and in researching the book, I was fascinated and horrified to find out how many people actually do go missing at this time of year.

Professor Reddick has a cast of characters helping her to find Kelly including Kelly’s gorgeous but fiery Spanish boyfriend. We also see the return of DS Andrew Dawson who tries to keep Professor Reddick out of trouble – good luck with that!

Wrong Sort of Girl will get you thinking and will keep you on your toes as, alongside the professor, you try to work out what has happened to Kelly.

📚📚📚

ABOUT THE BOOK

A young woman has gone missing. It’s nearly Christmas. Why does hardly anyone seem to care?

Kelly Ingles’ case should have been one to tug on the public’s heartstrings: a young woman missing in the run-up to Christmas.

But Kelly wasn’t perfect – she liked to party, enjoyed a drink, didn’t always make the best decisions. And when evidence of her drunken antics appears online, it becomes clear that Kelly might not just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time; she might also be the wrong sort of girl to encourage public sympathy.

It’s a case that’s right up Maxie Reddick’s street. As a criminology professor, she’s made it her mission to challenge unconscious biases within the criminal justice system – the sort of biases that cause girls like Kelly to slip through the cracks.

But can she get the police and public on board before it’s too late?

Buying links: 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrong-Sort-Girl-completely-Professor-ebook/dp/B09FM1GC4P 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/wrong-sort-of-girl/id1584824924 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/wrong-sort-of-girl

 Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrong-sort-of-girl-helen-bridgett/1140139387

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen Bridgett lives in the North East of England. Outside of writing feel good fiction, Helen loves the great outdoors and having a good laugh with friends over a glass of wine. Helen lives with her husband and their chocolate Labrador, Angus; all three can often be found walking the Northumberland coastline that inspired Summer at Serenity Bay.

Helen writes romantic comedies and chilling thrillers.

📚📚📚

#BookReview PEOPLE LIKE US by LOUISE FEIN #historicalfiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

For fans of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See, a spellbinding story of impossible love set against the backdrop of the Nazi regime.

As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.

Realizing she is taking a huge risk—but unable to resist the intense attraction she has for Walter—she embarks on a secret love affair with him. Together, they dream about when the war will be over and plan for their future. But as the rising tide of anti-Semitism threatens to engulf them, Hetty and Walter will be forced to take extreme measures.

Will the steady march of dark forces destroy Hetty’s universe—or can love ultimately triumph…?

Propulsive, deeply affecting, and inspired by the author’s family history, Daughter of the Reich is a mesmerizing page-turner filled with vivid characters and a meticulously researched portrait of Nazi Germany. In this riveting story of passion, courage and morality, Louise Fein introduces a bold young woman determined to tread the treacherous path of survival and freedom, showing readers the strength in the power of love and reminding us that the past must never be forgotten.

PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Just brilliant!! This is one of those books that makes you feel a whole range of emotions and you get so caught up in the storyline that you forget what is going on around you! This is the story of Hetty, a young girl growing up in Germany during the rise of Hitler. She’s the daughter of a high ranking Nazi so is well versed in the propaganda that was being circulated at that time. And why would she not believe all that her family tell her!? Life is treating them well so there’s no need for them to show concern. The cult like status Hitler has amongst the youth in particular has them turning on their own family if they dare to share an opinion against the regime…. The abuse against the jewish community is laid bare for all to see as the story unfolds – from the school teachers to people out walking their dogs, their treatment is appalling, and as Hetty starts to question why she is being taught to hate, she is forced to deal with the fact that her friend Walter is a Jew and all contact with him must be stopped. I absolutely adored the character of Hetty. You really see her start to question her own feelings and judgements as she sees what is going on around her and the realisation that all she’s been told isn’t the truth was powerful and life changing for her. This book took me all over the place emotionally and that’s what kept me turning the pages! Wondering how her story would play out and seeing how time and perceptions were changing around her added to the heightened tension at times. Wonderfully told – highly recommended!! ★★★★★

#BookReview THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD by ZOE SOMERVILLE #historicalfiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

An atmospheric literary thriller set in north Norfolk in the shadow of the Cold War, in which a love triangle turns murderous.

Her heart beat hard. There was a crazed beauty to the storm. It was almost miraculous, the way it took away the mess of life, sweeping all in its path…

No-one could have foreseen the changes the summer of 1952 would bring. Cramming for her final exams on her family’s farm on the Norfolk coast, Verity Frost feels trapped between past and present: the devotion of her childhood friend Arthur, just returned from National Service, and her strange new desire to escape.

When Verity meets Jack, a charismatic American pilot, he seems to offer the glamour and adventure she so craves, and Arthur becomes determined to uncover the dirt beneath his rival’s glossy sheen.

As summer turns to winter, a devastating storm hits the coast, flooding the land and altering everything in its path. In this new, watery landscape, Verity’s tangled web of secrets, lies and passion will bring about a crime that will change all their lives forever. 

PUBLISHED BY HEAD OF ZEUS

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

This was a wonderfully intoxicating novel, set around the real life flood that hit the East coast of England in 1953. It merges the before, during and after of the events while looking at the lives of local characters who are all dealing with their own issues and insecurities.

It’s set in Norfolk, and centres around the goings on of a family living on a farm. Verity lives there with her father and brother, Peter, and they are all still coming to terms with a loss that impacted on them dreadfully. You get the impression that they all feel trapped by past events, and seem unable to fully move on and dream of a life away from the area. Verity especially has ideas of going to University, but that dream is always squashed by her father who wants her married off to a neighbours’ son as times are tough and the financial standing of the farm is more important.

The Americans are in town due to the local airbase, and when Jack shows up in all their lives it seems to shake things up. He’s a character not short of confidence and makes them all sit up and take notice – in good and bad ways!

I loved how the story plays out – the build up to the night of the flood showing life carrying on as normal, with the characters having no idea what was just around the corner for them all and that would impact the area so devastatingly.

I found all the characters so interesting to read about – the secrets, the emotions – and the impact that a change of personality added to the mix had on them all! It was a very atmospheric read and I was totally captivated by the setting, the impending disaster awaiting them and the angst they were all feeling due to their lives not being what their hearts desired and had left them feeling unsettled and regretful, but aware of responsibilities that were holding them back.

★★★★★

#BookReview DANCING FOR STALIN by CHRISTINA EZRAHI #NonFiction #RussianHistory @SarahHarwood_

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nina Anisimova was one of Russia’s most renowned ballerinas and one of the first Soviet female choreographers. Yet few knew that her exemplary career concealed a dark secret.

In 1938, at the height of Stalin’s Great Terror, Nina was arrested by the secret police, accused of being a Nazi spy and sentenced to forced labour in a camp in Kazakhstan. Trapped without hope – and without winter clothes in temperatures of minus 40 degrees – her art was her salvation, giving her a reason to fight for her life.

As Nina struggled to survive in the Gulag, her husband fought for her release in Leningrad. Against all odds, she was ultimately freed and astonishingly managed to return to her former life, just as war broke out. Despite wartime deprivation and the suffocating grip of Stalin’s totalitarian state, Nina’s irrepressible determination set her on the path to become an icon of the Kirov Ballet.

Dancing for Stalin is a remarkable true story of suffering and injustice, of courage, resilience and triumph.

PUBLISHED BY ELLIOT & THOMPSON

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Wow! If you’re looking for a story about an inspirational woman then look no further! I knew nothing of Nina Anisimova before picking this book up, and was just interested in finding out more about Russian history and I’ve been left gobsmacked by the story of this woman who found herself arrested during the purge of Stalin in 1938, and was sentenced to forced labour in Kazakhstan.

Her story is horrific and inspiring in equal measures as you read what was she was forced to endure under this brutal regime and it really brings home the horrors of life under Stalin. Her husband fought relentlessly on the outside for her release, and their story is made even clearer by the letters they shared and that is where the author found her inspiration. She only came across their story by mistake – what a story to uncover!

Her life before her arrest makes for astonishing reading too, as she rose to the top of the ballet world, and that love for ballet is what kept her going through the toughest times in the labour camps. She would dream of returning to the stage and choreography and you are left in no doubt with her attitude that she was going to achieve that aim, no matter what she was facing on a daily basis.

The background into Russian history was also absolutely fascinating, and seeing how the propoganda and paranoia whipped up by Stalin would make the population so fearful. The treatment of prisoners was horrific and the author pulls no punches in sharing what those locked up had to go through.

The love of her husband was equally powerful – their letters were so touching but always spoke of hope, and he just wouldn’t give up on getting her back. A truly amazing and courageous couple!

An astonishing story that needs to be read to be believed! Powerful!

★★★★★

My thanks to Sarah Harwood for the review copy in return for a fair and honest review.

My Bookish Weekly Wrap Up – 9th October 2021

hello and happy Saturday!!  If anyone has seen my get up and go, could they please return it?!  I feel like I need a rocket up my butt again at the moment to get caught up with everything! Except the book front – I always seem to be fairly well motivated on that front (other than the reviews that need writing!!).
And on the book front it’s been a rather good week! 5 books finished, 1 newbie on the Netgalley shelf, and 4 new bookish additions to my bookshelf that I just HAD to treat myself to this week!
Here’s my look back…

BOOKS FINISHED

CHRISTMAS WITH THE SURPLUS GIRLS by POLLY HERON – 5 STARS

THE OTHER BENNET SISTER by JANICE HADLOW (audiobook) – 4 STARS

PEOPLE LIKE US by LOUISE FEIN – 5 STARS

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by SHIRLEY JACKSON – 3 STARS

THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD by ZOE SOMERVILLE – 5 STARS

BOOKHAUL

Starting at Netgalley..

THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS by LISA HALL

publication date – 14th October 2021

She’s out there. Waiting for you.

From the bestselling author comes a haunting read about witchcraft and superstition that will have you gripped…

When Allie moves to a quaint old cottage with her husband, it’s their dream home. Nestled in the village of Pluckley, it seems a perfect haven in which to raise their two children. But Pluckley has a reputation. It’s known as England’s most haunted village. And not long after the birth of their new son, Allie begins to notice strange things…   

What’s the flash of white she sees moving quickly through the woods to the back of their house? And what’s the strange scratching noise from the chimney?

As Allie discovers more about the history of their new home, she uncovers a story of witchcraft and superstition, which casts a long shadow into the present day. And not everything is as it seems. Her family might well be in danger, but it’s a danger none of them could have foreseen…

Bestseller Lisa Hall’s The Woman in the Woods is full of creeping unease and nerve-wracking tension, and will have readers on the edge of their seats…

And then I bought the following books….

SIX CRIMSON CRANES by ELIZABETH LIM

 the cover seduced me!! 😍

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Peniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her. 

CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLE OF SKYE by KIRSTY FERRY

How far would you go to be with the one you love at Christmas?

The Isle of Skye is a magical place, especially at Christmas, and there’s no place Zac Fallon would rather be. But whilst Zac has everything he needs on Skye, there’s still something missing – and that something is a somebody called Ivy McFarlane.

Ivy used to work with Zac but then spread her wings and moved to Glastonbury. He’s missed her ever since. Now it’s almost Christmas and Zac realises that the Ivy shaped hole in his life is too big to bear. So starts his festive mission to the mainland – but will he back in time to spend Christmas in Skye? And, more importantly, will Ivy be with him?

THE BORROW A BOOKSHOP HOLIDAY by KILEY DUNBAR

The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Café invites literature lovers to run their very own bookshop … for a fortnight.

Spend your days talking books with customers in your own charming bookshop and serving up delicious cream teas in the cosy café.

Bookworms, what are you waiting for? Your holiday is going to be LIT(erary).

Apply to: The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Café, Down-a-long, Clove Lore, Devon.

Jude Crawley should be on top of the world. She’s just graduated as a mature student, so can finally go public about her relationship with Philosophy professor, Mack.

Until she sees Mack kissing another girl, and her dreams crumble. And worse, their dream holiday – running a tiny bookshop in the harbour village of Clove Lore for two weeks – is non-refundable.

Throwing caution to the winds, Jude heads down to Devon, eager to immerse herself in literature and heal her broken heart.

But there’s one problem – six foot tall, brooding (but gorgeous) Elliot, who’s also reserved the bookshop holiday for two weeks…

As Jude and Elliot put their differences aside to run the bookshop, it seems that Jude might be falling in love with more than just words. Until she discovers what Elliot is running from – and why he’s hiding out in Clove Lore.

Can Jude find her own happy ending in a tiny, tumbledown bookshop? Or is she about to find out that her bookish holiday might have an unexpected twist in the tale…

CHRISTMAS IN LITTLE PENHAVEN by ANGELA BRITNELL

Have yourself a little Cornish Christmas …

Wannabe author Jane Solomon is expecting an uneventful Christmas in her Cornish village of Little Penhaven.
But then super fit American gym owner Hal Muir comes to town, and suddenly the holiday season looks set to be far more interesting. Hal is keen on embracing every British tradition on offer, from mince pies to Christmas pub quizzes – and perhaps some festive romance too …

CURRENTLY READING

LUCKY by ED JACKSON

HAPPY READING!

#BookReview ON GALLOWS DOWN by NICOLA CHESTER #NonFiction @chelseagreen

ABOUT THE BOOK

Part nature writing, part memoir, On Gallows Down is an essential, unforgettable read for fans of Helen Macdonald, Melissa Harrison and Isabella Tree.

Nicola Chester won the BBC Wildlife Magazine’s Nature Writer of the Year Award – this is her first book.

The story of a life shaped by landscape; of an enduring love of nature and the fierce desire to protect it – living as part of the rural working class in a ‘tied cottage’ on a country estate – and what it takes to feel like you belong.

On Gallows Down is a book about hope – from the rewilding of Greenham Common after the missiles left to how, as a new mother, Nicola walked the chalk hills to give her children roots, teaching them names and waymarks to find their way home. It is about the songs of the nightingale and cuckoo – whose return she waits for – the red kites, fieldfares, skylarks and lapwings that accompany her, the badger cubs she watches at night and the velvety mole she finds in her garden.

And it is also the story of how Nicola came to write and to protest – unearthing the seam of resistance that ran through Newbury’s past, from the Civil Wars to the Swing Riots and the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camps and to the fight against the Newbury bypass. A resistance that continues today against the destruction of hedgerows, trees and wildlife through modern farm estate management.

On Gallows Down is perfect for fans of H is for Hawk, The Salt Path and Featherhood.

‘It is impossible to write with integrity about nature without protesting and resisting and waving a desperate red flag.

Isn’t it?’

PUBLISHED BY CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHING

PUBLICATION DATE – 7TH OCTOBER 2021

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Publisher Website

Amazon

MY REVIEW

This is a book that inspires you to appreciate the nature around us as the author does a wonderful job of combining her personal experiences over the years, amidst the backdrop of the ever changing world we find ourselves living in.

This is a memoir of Nicola Chester, who has found herself protesting over the years to protect the environment in various locations whilst bringing up her family, and doing what she can to pass on the knowledge and love of wildlife and nature to her children and those around her. I have nothing but admiration for this woman after reading about her life experiences, and how she writes so passionately about the natural world. Her enthusiasm is infectious and I share the same anticipation as her awaiting wildlife sightings whilst you’re out for a walk.

I knew very little about some of the areas she talks about, but she brings them to life with her writing style and I also found myself googling pictures of the area to get more of a feel for the areas that meant so much to her over the years, and those areas that she fought so passionately to save and protect.

With her husband, she moved around the country over the years due to various job changes and there’s always that connection to nature and the outside world that allowed her to cope with change – the nature around always seemed to give her hope and it was lovely to see her passing that interest on to her children as she had them exploring local areas with her.

There’s lots of fascinating information about the wildlife she sees and how the changes in areas has impacted on the animals and their habitats, as well as the history of places she lived in, that it made for an absorbing read, and one that has made me more determined to do what I can for local areas and wildlife so that more can be protected and saved for future generations.

★★★★★


Thank you to the publisher, Chelsea Green Publishing, for the advanced reader copy in return for a fair and honest review.