I’ve heard so many good things about The Travelling Cat Chronicles. I bought a copy of it a while ago and I’m hoping to read it soon. When a proof for the second book came in I grabbed it as it sounded equally good. I’ve read quite a bit of Japanese translated fiction recently and have loved all of them so I’m very intrigued by both of these.
The bookmark that came with it is very cute too!
Do you like reading translated fiction?
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
It’s not the journey that counts, but who’s at your side.
Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van.
Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn’t know why and Satoru won’t say.
Set against the backdrop of Japan’s changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana’s story explores the wonder and thrill of life’s unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take.
At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives.
The Goodbye Cat
Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave their way through their owners’ lives.
– A needy kitten rescued from the recycling bin teaches a new father how to parent his own human baby – An elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be together for ever – A colony of wild cats on a holiday island shows a young boy not to stand in nature’s way – A family is perplexed by their cat’s devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father – A woman curses how her cat constantly visits her at night
Bursting with empathy and love, THE GOODBYE CAT explores the unstoppable cycle of life as we see how the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down.
A huge bestseller in Japan, every page is a joyous celebration of cats and how we cannot resist sharing our lives with them.
About The Author:
HIRO ARIKAWA is the million-copy bestselling author of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES. Her brand new homage to cats, THE GOODBYE CAT, brings together seven cats as they weave their way through their owners’ lives. Featuring all the irresistible wit, wisdom and warmth that thousands of readers across the world love so much in her storytelling. THE GOODBYE CAT is published into multiple languages. Hiro Arikawa lives in the city of Takarazuka, Japan.
Good morning everyone and Happy Monday. I finally got my hands on this fantastic sounding book last week.
It is such a beautiful book! I love the slightly old fashioned looking map, the foil under the dust cover and the little boat that moves along the pages as the story progresses. I’ve been hearing lots of great things about it so I’m very excited to read it.
What new series have you started recently?
Book Synopsis:
All Talasyn has ever known are the Hurricane Wars. An orphan of the struggle, she uses the power of light to fight for her people against the Night Empire.
All Alaric has ever known is darkness. The son of the Night Emperor and their deadliest weapon, he wields terrifying shadow magic to crush the rebellion.
Then he sees Talasyn, his sworn enemy burning bright across the battlefield. The moment they clash their lives are changed forever.
Now a greater threat is rising and only they can stop it.
The coming storm threatens to destroy everything. If they don’t destroy each other first . . .
About The Author:
Thea is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author born and raised amidst the sprawling sugarcane fields of the Visayas, in the Philippines. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, with a specialization in International Politics and Peace Studies.
Aside from being a writer, she is an avid traveler, an enthusiastic fangirl, a Dungeon Master, and an iced coffee junkie. Villains have her whole heart, as do messy romances with happy endings. She currently resides in Metro Manila.
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. Here’s some of the books I’ve bought recently. I’m trying not to buy so many books as it’s coming up to Christmas but I couldn’t resis these!
❤️ A Witch’s Guide To Fake Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley
🧡The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
💛One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
💚 Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
💙 Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
💜A Haunting In The Arctic by C. J. Cooke
🩷 The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
I’m a huge fan of C. J Cooke so I’m excited to read her new book as it sounds great. I’ve been hearing lots of great things about The Hurricane Wars too so planning to read it asap. The rest are all recommendations from my fellow book lovers, which look perfect for reading this Halloween.
What was the last book you bought? Have you read any of these?
A Witch’s Guide To Fake Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley
Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side – and she kind of doesn’t want him to?
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon – one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry – if he can strike a deal with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle to maintain a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions – including love – which will only spell disaster for them both.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
She found magic in the most unlikely of places.
Mika Moon follows three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn’t mind it . . . mostly.
But when an unexpected invitation arrives to teach three young witches at the mysterious Nowhere House, Mika jumps at the chance for a different life. As she comes to care for its quirky inhabitants – and Jamie, the handsome but prickly librarian – finally belonging somewhere feels like a real possibility.
But magic isn’t the only danger in the world – is it worth risking everything to protect the found family Mika didn’t know she was looking for?
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a new family – and a new love – changes the course of her life.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
ELSPETH NEEDS A MONSTER. THE MONSTER MIGHT BE HER.
An ancient, mercurial spirit is trapped inside Elspeth Spindle’s head – she calls him the Nightmare. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, she is thrust into a world of shadow and deception. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to cure the town of Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. As the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a gothic fantasy romance about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom.
Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
Edinburgh, 1817.
Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.
When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need corpses to study. Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.
But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares – until Hazel.
Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s moving Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer’s, see their sister one last time, and meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Continue the beautiful storytelling with Tales from the Cafe,Before Your Memory Fades, and Before We Say Goodbye.
A Haunting In The Arctic by C. J. Cooke
Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for over a century.
Something that craves revenge…
1901. On board the Ormen, a whaling ship battling through the unforgiving North Sea, Nicky Duthie awakes. Attacked and dragged there against her will, it’s just her and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.
1973. Decades later, when the ship is found still drifting across the ocean, it’s deserted. Just one body is left on board, his face and feet mutilated, his cabin locked from the inside. Everyone else has vanished.
Now, as urban explorer Dominique travels into the near-permanent darkness of the northernmost tip of Iceland, to the final resting place of the Ormen’s wreck, she’s determined to uncover the ship’s secrets.
But she’s not alone. Something is here with her. And it’s seeking revenge…
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
All Talasyn has ever known are the Hurricane Wars. An orphan of the struggle, she uses the power of light to fight for her people against the Night Empire.
All Alaric has ever known is darkness. The son of the Night Emperor and their deadliest weapon, he wields terrifying shadow magic to crush the rebellion.
Then he sees Talasyn, his sworn enemy burning bright across the battlefield. The moment they clash their lives are changed forever.
Now a greater threat is rising and only they can stop it.
The coming storm threatens to destroy everything. If they don’t destroy each other first . . .
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! I’ve seen this challenge doing the rounds on Instagram so I thought I’d join in as I have quite a few books with split spines.
I try to organise my books into colours (when they’re not double stacked) and had to start a whole new section to accommodate them as I didn’t know where else to put them….
Today I’m looking forward to a quiet morning as my husband takes the two youngest to swimming and I’m hoping to read a bit more of my book. I’ve been really tired this week and sadly haven’t been able to read much so I’m hoping to catch up on a few read-alongs I’m taking part in this weekend. We’re then going to my mum’s for my son’s pre -birthday meal where he’s requested his favourite pudding – apple crumble!
I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to take part but, as always no pressure.
Good afternoon everyone I was lucky enough to go to the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday and I thought I’d share some of my highlights today!
The Grounds
I always enjoy looking around the grounds at the festival and seeing what features they have. This year was no exception with lots of fun things for people to do while they are waiting for their author events. I loved the book seating area which I thought was clever and the type writer keys which I thought would be great for photo opportunities. The grounds were even prettier at night with pretty lights on show!
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Meeting Sarah Winman
I absolutely love Sarah’s books so I had been very excited to hear her talk. It was very interesting to learn more about the inspiration behind her books and a bit about her writing process. I met her afterwards too and she was absolutely lovely.
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JoJo Moyes & Mike Gayle
When I saw that two of my favourite authors were doing an event together I bought two tickets straight away before I even knew who I could get to go with me. The talk itself was brilliant the two authors and the chair were old friends which made the conversation flew beautifully as well as some hilarious stories being told.
At the signing I got to talk to both authors who were both really lovely. I might have frightened Mike (sorry Mike) by saying I knew him from twitter though… JoJo was lovely and when I explained that my blog was called JoJo’s over the rainbow blog she kindly signed my book ‘To The Other JoJo” which made my day!
Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I was excited to receive a copy of this fabulous sounding book this week.
I love any books that involve vampires and magic so I’m incredibly excited to read this soon. This is actually a new author for me too which I always enjoy discovering.
Huge thanks to Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book.
Do you like vampire book? Any recommendations?
Book Synopsis:
A dark and thrilling vampire romance set in the world of the New York Times bestselling series Serpent & Dove!
Full of everything I love: a sparkling and fully-realized heroine, an intricate and deadly system of magic, and a searing romance that kept me reading long into the night. Sarah J Maas on Serpent & Dove
Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé, Jean Luc, as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising―one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.
About The Author:
Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn’t fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and reads voraciously. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband and semi-feral children.
Serpent & Dove is Shelby’s debut novel. You can visit her online at http://www.shelbymahurin.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @shelbymahurin.
Illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector investigates a sinister conundrum at a 1930s theatre in this thrilling new mystery novel from Tom Mead, author of Death and the Conjuror, one of Publishers Weekly‘s Mysteries of the Year 2022.
1938, London. Young lawyer Edmund Ibbs has a new client: a woman accused of shooting her husband in the already infamous ‘Ferris Wheel Murder’ case.
The case proves to be a web of conspiracy, and Ibbs himself is accused when a second suspicious death occurs, during a magic act at the crowded Pomegranate Theatre.
Also present at the theatre is Joseph Spector, illusionist turned highly respected sleuth. Spector begins to investigate the mystery, but when another body is discovered later that same night, all evidence points to Ibbs being guilty.
With time against him, and a host of hangers-on all having something to hide, can Spector uncover the guilty party, or will he and Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard conclude that Ibbs is the culprit after all?
My Review:
The Murder Wheel is a fun, clever and entertaining locked room mystery that combines magic with mystery to make a very intriguing read.
Firstly I love a good locked room mystery so this book instantly appealed to me. It reminded me a lot if an Agatha Christie book as it was very cleverly plotted with the reader unable to guess who the murder was which I always love. Despite it being a murder mystery with a high number of victims there isn’t a lot of violence which I liked as it helped me relax into the story a bit more.
The characters were all fantastic creations who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I like how they all brought something different to the story and I enjoyed getting to know them better so I could work out what their motivations might be. It’s one of those books you need to pay attention to the little details as they often seemed to come back to haunt the character later. I found this very clever and enjoyed seeing what would be revealed next.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. The book had a great pace to it and the many twists made the book hard to put down as there always seemed to be something happening. The inclusion or magic or illusions in the book was very interesting as it helped give the story a unique twists as well as adding a bit of unpredictable into the story as the reader isn’t sure what is actually real.
The ending was very clever and thought provoking as I have kept thinking about it long after reading, wondering what I’d have done.
Huge thanks to Sophie from Ransom PR for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book. If your a fan of locked room or golden crime mysteries I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Tom Mead is a UK crime fiction author specialising in locked-room mysteries. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the International Thriller Writers’ Organization. His debut novel is DEATH AND THE CONJUROR, featuring magician-detective Joseph Spector.
Good morning everyone I know I’m a bit late but here is my Spell The Month Challenge for October.
O- Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill C- Conviction by Jack Jordan T- The Beast Of Paris by Stef Penney O- One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley B- Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen E- Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett R- Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
These are all tbr but I’m hoping to make a debt in my list over the next two weeks as I’m going to try and not buy too many books in the run up for Christmas (famous last words).
I’m off to the Cheltenham Literature Festival today to see Sarah Winman, JoJo Moyes and Mike Gayle which I’m excited about. Trying to decide whether to carry three books around all day to get them signed….
The new novel from the bestselling author of Icebreaker….
When Russ and Aurora cross paths at a university party, a drinking game ends with them spending the night together. The next day, Aurora slips away before Russ learns her full name.
This anonymity ends when they both turn up to their first day of work as camp counsellors. A job they had both chosen to escape Maple Hills for the summer.
Given their history, there’s still an obvious tension between the two but the camp has a strict “no staff fraternizing” rule. Russ doesn’t want to risk heading home early but Aurora has never been one for rules.
As things heat up, they’ll have to resist or risk starting something they just can’t stop.
My Review:
I was a huge fan of Ice Breaker so I was very excited to read Wildfire the next book in the series. Once again the author has written an incredibly absorbing, romantic and spicy book that I really enjoyed.
Firstly I absolutely loved the characters in the last book so I really enjoyed being back with the gang who are starting to feel like old friends. The author cleverly writes these scenes so that I felt like I was actually there, experiencing everything alongside the gang which I absolutely loved. They are such a close knit group and I loved feeling a part of all their in jokes.
This book follows Russ, who was a secondary character in the last book, and Aurora through their relationship. It was lovely to follow them as they grow closer and get to know each other better. The two have a lot of issues relating to work out and it was wonderful that they were able to support each other through them.
The setting of the summer camp was an interesting one that I wasn’t too sure about to begin with as it did make the story a little bit less spicy then Icebreaker but it grew on me as the story continued. It was sweet watching the two trying to fight their feelings (and their instincts) while at the camp, especially as it meant they got to know each other first.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which had a great pace to it and made it hard to put the book down as there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. The ending was brilliant and I’m now very excited to read more from this series. My understanding is that the next book features Henry as the main character which I’m excited about as I find him hilarious.
About The Author:
Hannah is an English self-labelled “fluffy comfort book” author, writing predominantly new adult and contemporary romance from her home in Manchester.
When she’s not describing everyone’s eyes ten-thousand times a chapter, accidentally giving multiple characters the same name, or using English sayings in her American book that nobody understands, you can find her hanging out with her husband and two dogs, Pig and Bear.
Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books I think look like perfect books to read this Autumn!
I absolutely loved Lovelight Farms so I’m very excited to read In The Weeds the sequel and find out more about Beckett who was a bit of a mysterious character in the first book. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a book I’ve been hearing lots of great things about from my fellow book friends so I’m excited to read it this month.
What book are you most looking forward to reading this month?
In The Weeds by B. K Borison
In the Weeds is a sweet and steamy second-chance romance about finding your happiness, from TikTok favourite author B. K. Borison, for fans of Elena Armas and Hannah Grace.
Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget. Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine and he’s officially a man distracted.
So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he’s . . . confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a social media influencer and global phenomenon.
Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, Evelyn is trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy – Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild. It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with. Nothing at all . . .
In the Weeds is the second book in a quartet of cosy romances. Enjoy more seasonally-inspired stories with Lovelight Farms and Mixed Signals.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
Over The Rainbow Blog 