Book Synopsis:

THE EMOTIONAL AND LIFE-AFFIRMING NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP, TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE BY ERIC OZAWA

In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jinbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart’s delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases.

The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out.

For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jinbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bonds.

As a sign of gratitude, Takako gives her aunt and uncle a trip, promising to look after the shop while they are away. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then why is Satoru behaving so strangely? And what does that woman with the red umbrella want who has appeared at the end of the street? How many other stories, emotions, and treasures does the Morisaki bookshop hold?

Loved by thousands of readers worldwide, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a story of hope, friendship and the healing power of books. Will we see you in the bookshop this summer?

My Review:

More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop is a compelling and emotional read which I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Firstly, I loved being back at the bookshop and with the wonderful characters I had grown so fond of.  The bookshop and characters hadn’t really changed, which of course is part of its charm, so in this book the focus was more about the relationships Takako has developed.  It was great fun to learn more about characters that had been mentioned in the first book but not fully developed and it was nice to see Takako finally making friends with people.  Her reaction to people trying to help her with this made me laugh out loud and made me warm even more to her as I’ve experienced a similar situation.

This book had more of an emotional storyline to it which I wasn’t expecting and did bring a bit of a lump to my throat as I was reading.  It was sad to see how this event affected the bookshop and the larger bookish community.  However that’s not to say that it was an overly sad book as there was also lots of great bookish discussions and book love throughout the story which I really enjoyed.  

I thought this book started off slowly as the author catches the reader up with life at the bookshop but soon got going and became very absorbing.  I didn’t mind the slower moments personally though as I was just enjoying getting to hang out with the fabulous characters and visiting the bookshop again.  There were some surprising developments that I wasn’t expecting and I loved the ending which seemed hopeful despite everything.  I really hope there is another book in the series as I’d love to spend more time at the Morisaki Bookstore.  

Huge thanks to Manilla Press for sending me a copy of this book.  

About The Author:

Satoshi Yagisawa was born in Chiba, Japan, in 1977. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, his debut novel, was originally published in 2009 and won the Chiyoda Literature Prize.

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good day. I was lucky enough to get this fabulous looking proof through the post lady week.

I was a huge fan of The Turnglass and have always loved anything to do with Sherlock Holmes (nothing to do with Benedict Cumberbatch in the TV series honestly) so this sounds right up my street.

Huge thanks to @simonschusteruk for sending this to me I can’t wait to read it.

Out 12th September 2024.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️

Book Synopsis:

Can you solve the mystery before the greatest detective of all time?

Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend, Dr John Watson, have been hired by actor George Reynolds. George wants them to find out why the audience who comes to see him perform every night are the same people, only wearing disguises. Is something sinister going on and, if so, what?

Meanwhile, Holmes’ archenemy, Professor James Moriarty is having problems of his own. Implicated in the murder of a gang leader, Moriarty and his second, Moran, must go on the run from the police in order to find out who is behind the set-up.

But their investigation puts them in the way of Holmes and Watson and it’s not long before all four realise that they are being targeted by the same person. With lives on the line, not just their own, they must form an uneasy alliance in order to unmask the true villain. With clues leading them to a hotel in Switzerland and a conspiracy far greater than any of them expected, who can be trusted and will any of them survive?

About The Author:

Gareth Rubin writes about social affairs, travel and the arts for British newspapers. In 2013 he directed a documentary about therapeutic art at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London (‘Bedlam’). 
His books include Liberation Square, set in Soviet-occupied London; The Winter Agent, about British agents in Paris on the eve of D-Day and The Turnglass, two entwined mysteries that take place in Essex in 1881 and Los Angeles in 1939.
He read English literature at the University of St Andrews and trained at East 15 Acting School.

Book Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Jam Factory Girls, comes the second heartfelt installment in Mary Wood’s The Guernsey Girls trilogy.

War separates them, but it cannot dampen their spirits . . .

Spring, 1940. Annie’s new husband Ricky leaves to fight, but she soon discovers battles brewing closer to home. As her sister Janey begins to unravel, only Annie can pick up the pieces – and, with London’s police officers on the front line, she must also step up at work and do her bit for the country.

In Guernsey, Olivia finds herself without her husband and son just as Hitler’s forces invade the island. Trapped and heartbroken, she faces untold horrors as the Germans tighten their hold on the islanders.

How will Annie manage her responsibilities to her family and her country in the thick of the Blitz, while suffering the heartache of not knowing what is happening to her beloved Ricky? And can Olivia survive in Guernsey at the hands of the enemy?

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Mary Wood and always enjoy her books so I was incredibly excited to learn that she had a new book out, especially as it was the second book in a fantastic series.

This book continues from where the last one left off and it was great to be back with the fabulous characters Annie and Olivia.  The author has clearly done her research and I loved learning more about the invasion of the Channel Islands as well as more about the Blitz in London.  I hadn’t read anything before about women having to step in to help police London during the second world war as I had assumed that it was a protected profession so I especially enjoyed learning more about that.  

I thought the book had a great pace to it and I felt that there was always something exciting happening to keep me interested.  Even in the slower bits I didn’t mind as I was just enjoying hanging out with the wonderful characters.  Mary is known for her gritty, emotional reads and this one is no exception with Mary laying bare the full horrors of war without sparing the readers feelings.  This was quite difficult to read at times but I felt made the reader more aware of the truth of what happened during the war.  

There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and I thought the ending was brilliant. I’m now very excited to read the next book in this fabulous series.  If you haven’t read anything by Mary yet then I highly recommend you do!  

Huge thanks to Phillipa from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.  

About The Author:

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended.

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool, United Kingdom during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels

Book Synopsis:

From Elizabeth Macneal, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory, The Burial Plot is a spellbinding Gothic thriller about murder and manipulation.

London, 1839. With the cemeteries full and money to be made in death, tricksters Crawford and Bonnie survive on wicked schemes and ill-gotten coin. But one blistering evening, their fortunes flip. A man lies in a pool of blood at Bonnie’s feet and now she needs to disappear.

Crawford secures her a position as lady’s maid in a grand house on the Thames. As Bonnie comes to understand the family – the eccentric Mr Moncrieff, obsessively drawing mausoleums for his dead wife, and their peculiar daughter Cissie, scribbling imaginary love letters to herself – she begins to question what secrets are lying behind the house’s paper-thin walls and whether her own presence here was planned from the beginning.

Because Crawford is watching, and perhaps he is plotting his greatest trick yet . . .

My Review:

The Burial Plot is a gripping, intriguing read that took me by surprise.

Firstly I love a book that features a house which has a fascinating history so this book instantly appealed to me. I really enjoyed exploring the house and learning more about the intriguing characters. I started off not liking many of the characters but they all slowly grew on me as the book continued. My favourite character was Mr Moncrieff as I loved his gentle nature and how much he obvious cared for Bonnie, wanting to incorporate her ideas into the graveyard along with his own. Bonnie was a very interesting character who I warmed to as the book continued. I found her a bit frustrating at times as I felt she could have been braver and stuck up for herself at times but I think she represents the typical women of the period who was viewed as the weaker sex , who doesn’t have much of a voice. I enjoyed following her as the book continued and seeing how different her life ends up from what was initially planned for her.

The author has clearly done her research and I felt completely transported to the early 19th century. It was particularly interesting to learn more about the way burials were treated and how much money criminals could make from grieving families. I loved the descriptions of the new type of grave yards that offered a more gentle experience and approach to death.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others. It was great fun discovering more about the secrets of the house and I liked trying to figure out what was really going on. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and a few which took me completely by surprise which I always love. The ending was brilliant and while I hoped for a slightly different outcome I don’t think that would have made the story as plausible as it was.

Huge thanks to Camilla from Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book. If you love historical fiction then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Elizabeth Macneal is the author of two Sunday Times-bestselling novels: The Doll Factory, which won the 2018 Caledonia Novel Award and has been adapted into a major TV series on Paramount+, and Circus of Wonders. Her work has been translated into twenty-nine languages. Born in Scotland, Elizabeth is also a potter and lives in Twickenham with her family. She can be found on instagram @elizabethmacneal.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday.  I love the look of these Borough Press Proofs so thought I’d do a flat lay to show how lovely they are. I love the simple design and how they match!

Huge thanks to the lovely @boroughpress and @indie_thinking for sending me these proofs.  I’m currently reading The Winner and loving it so far!

Find out more about the books below ⬇️

Do you like series to match or do you like them to be different?

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Out now

She’s human in every way that matters.
Annie is the perfect girlfriend. She has dinner ready for Doug every night, wears the outfits he buys for her, and caters to his every sexual whim. Maybe her cleaning isn’t always good enough, but she’s trying really hard.

She was designed that way, after all.

Because Annie is a robot. But what happens when she starts to rebel against her stifled existence and imagine the impossible – a life without Doug?

The Winner by Teddy Wayne
Out now

A razor-sharp novel that skewers the life of the uber-rich in the vein of The White Lotus, with shades of The Talented Mr Ripley and The Graduate

Conor is a recent graduate from a law school no one has heard of. Without any job prospects and needing to support his chronically ill mother, he takes a summer job teaching tennis at the affluent gated community of Cutters Neck, Massachusetts. One of his first students is Catherine, a magnetic divorcée keen to hire him for more than advice on her serve. What begins as a transactional arrangement soon develops into an intoxicating sexual relationship.

Accidental Darlings by Crystal Jeans
Out 1st August 2024

A delightfully subversive and darkly funny new novel from Polari Prize-shortlisted author Crystal Jeans, inspired in part by Dickens’ Great Expectations…

In the night, I slept with my head under a shawl, listening to the ceaseless low groans of the house, telling myself that my mother would never have sent me to live with a murderer or a witch or a Miss Havisham…

1924.

When Anastasia’s beloved mother dies, she has no choice but to go to rural Skimpole and move in with ‘the Aunt’ – too fearsome for a first name, an outcast from the village who lives in a dilapidated mansion with two servants and an unruly pack of dogs.

The many mysteries of Skimpole are irresistibly intriguing: how did Anastasia’s father really die? Who wrote the extremely raunchy love letters she has found in the Aunt’s bedroom, signed ‘Big Willy’? And why does everyone in the village hate the Aunt so much?

When some of the Aunt’s friends from her youth arrive at the house, wreathed in cigarette smoke and an air of debauchery, Anastasia may be closer to finding answers – but the truth she was so desperate to uncover will turn her entire world upside down…

From the author of THE INVERTS (‘the sort of thing Nancy Mitford might have written if she’d been gay… wonderfully blithe, witty and moving’ – Rowan Pelling, Daily Mail), this is a delightfully subversive and darkly funny novel, inspired in part by Dickens’ Great Expectations.

Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books from the Morisaki Bookshop series.

I was such a huge fan of Days At The Morisaki Bookshop so you can imagine my excitement when I learnt there was going to be a sequel and the squeaks when I received an advanced copy.

I’m currently reading More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s really nice to be back at the bookshop and finding out more about the fabulous characters.

Huge thanks to @manilla_press for sending this to me! It’s really appreciated.

Out 4th July 2024. (Though if you live near a Rossiter Book shop we have copies in store).

Do you have a favourite book shop?

More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop

In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jinbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart’s delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases.

The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out.

For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jinbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bonds.

As a sign of gratitude, Takako gives her aunt and uncle a trip, promising to look after the shop while they are away. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then why is Satoru behaving so strangely? And what does that  woman with the red umbrella want who has appeared at the end of the street? How many other stories, emotions, and treasures does the Morisaki bookshop hold?

Days At The Morisaki Bookshop

The beloved Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, family, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book.

When twenty-five-year-old Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru’s pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.

Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.

And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to readers of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.

About The Author:

Satoshi Yagisawa was born in Chiba, Japan, in 1977. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, his debut novel, was originally published in 2009 and won the Chiyoda Literature Prize.

📚 Reading Update: Last Now Next

Good morning everyone and happy Monday. I haven’t been able to read as much as normal as I’ve been rather tired but I thought I’d do a reading update today!

Last: The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal

I’ve actually got a few pages left of this book but I’m hoping to finish it today so I’m counting it 🤣 I have enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would which I’m surprised about.

Now: More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop & Brotherless Night

I’m currently reading More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop as I couldn’t wait to read it and Brotherless Night as I’ve been hearing great things about it.

Next: ?

I’m not sure what I’m going to read next as I’m going to see what I feel like. I’m really enjoying my historical fiction atm and I’ve been recommended Hold Back The Night a few times so I think I’ll read that next alongside When The Moon Hatched which I’ve actually read the first chapter of and I’m very intrigued!

What are you currently reading?

Book Synopsis:

World War One, and as shells fall in Flanders, a Canadian nurse searches for her brother believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise in this gripping and powerful historical novel from the bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

January 1918. Laura Iven has been discharged from her duties as a nurse and sent back to Halifax, Canada, leaving behind a brother still fighting in the trenches of the First World War. Now home, she receives word of Freddie’s death in action along with his uniform -but something doesn’t quite make sense. Determined to find out more, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about ghosts moving among those still living and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie – but if so, where is he?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped under an overturned pillbox with an enemy soldier, a German, each of them badly wounded. Against all odds, the two men form a bond and succeed in clawing their way out. But once in No Man’s Land, where can either of them turn where they won’t be shot as enemy soldiers or deserters? As the killing continues, they meet a man – a fiddler – who seems to have the power to make the hellscape that surrounds them disappear. But at what price?

A novel of breath-taking scope and drama, of compulsive readability, of stunning historical research lightly worn, and of brilliantly drawn characters who will make you laugh and break your heart in a single line, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book that will speak to readers directly about the trauma of war and the power of those involved to love, endure and transcend it.

My Review:

The Warm Hands Of Ghosts is an absorbing and emotional historical read with a touch of the paranormal.

The story is told from the point of view of siblings Laura, an ex nurse who was sent home early from the front and Freddie who is missing presumed dead. This was easy to follow on the audiobook as they had a female narrator for Laura and a male narrator for Freddie. I liked both siblings and enjoyed following them throughout the book but my favourite was definitely Laura. I really admired her strength and determination both in trying to find her brother and in her nursing skills that she uses to help injured soldiers – all while being injured herself. There are an amazing group of secondary characters in the book too who I enjoyed getting to know more about especially Pim who I initially dismissed, as many other do, as a bit of a ditzy blonde but who really surprised me as the story continued.

The author has clearly done her research so I felt fully transported to France in the last year of the war with all the horrors and heartache you’d expect from war. Some of the descriptions, especially the ones involving the injuries of some of the soldiers were quite gruesome and did turn my stomach in places. It was heartbreaking to learn more about the conditions of the trenches and how different the war was for the upper classes compared to the ordinary soldier.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others. The book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. The two timelines gradually come together and I loved finding out what had happened to Freddie as well as learning more about the mysterious fiddler.

Huge thanks to Penguin for providing me with a ALC of this book via Libro FM.

About The Author:

Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine Arden spent her junior year of high school in Rennes, France.

Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrolment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she specialized in French and Russian literature.

After receiving her BA, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd job imaginable, from grant writing and making crêpes to serving as a personal tour guide. After a year on the island, she moved to Briançon, France, and spent nine months teaching. She then returned to Maui, stayed for nearly a year, then left again to wander. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.

She is the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I signed up to do the audiobook challenge hosted by the Caffeinated reader this year and I’ve just reached the first milestone and completely the Newbie section having listened to 5 audiobooks!

Here’s what I’ve listened to so far:

❤️The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
💛The Guest by B A Paris
💚The Warm Hands Of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
💙The Fury by Alex Michaelides
💜Argylle by Elly Conway

All of these I rated as 4/5 stars and you can find my full reviews on my blog. I’m hoping to post my review of The Warm Hands Of Ghosts later today. I tend to listen to audiobooks as I’m walking to work and setting up the shop in the morning. I’m often too tired to read at night so I’m thinking of starting to listen to audiobooks in the evening too.

I’m off today and hoping to have a quiet day as I’m a bit exhausted. I’m going to walk to the shops to get some father’s day presents and maybe meet a friend for coffee. I’ll be listening to my current audiobook The Death Watcher by Chris Carter which I’m enjoying so far.

Do you listen to audiobooks? When do you fit them in? I need advice!

Book Synopsis:

The Blue sisters have always been exceptional – and exceptionally different.

Avery, a strait-laced lawyer living in London, is the typical eldest daughter, though she’s hiding a secret that could undo her perfect life forever.

Bonnie was a boxer but, following a devastating defeat, she’s been working as a bouncer in LA – until a reckless act one night threatens to drive her out of the city.

And Lucky, the rebellious youngest, is a model in Paris whose hard-partying ways are finally catching up with her.

Then there was Nicky, the beloved fourth sister, whose unexpected death left Avery, Bonnie and Lucky reeling.

When, a year later, the three of them must reunite in New York to stop the sale of their childhood home, they find that it’s only by returning to each other that they can navigate their grief, addiction and heartbreak and learn to fall in love with life again.

My Review:

Blue Sisters is a beautifully written, emotional but heartwarming read that will definitely be staying with me.

The story is told from the point of view of three sisters who are struggling in the aftermath of the death of their beloved sister Nicky. It was very poignant to follow each sister as the reader witnesses how much they were struggling and how much everything had changed because of it. I enjoyed following the sisters as they try to come to terms with her death and start to make positive changes to their lives. It was so lovely to see them grow closer together again and try to work on their relationships.

I thought this book had a great pace to it but even when there wasn’t much happening I was just enjoying hanging out with the fabulous sisters. There’s some quite serious subjects discussed in the book which I found interesting to follow and I especially loved the message to remember to take care of yourself too. The ending was lovely and it was great to see how far everyone had come. My only complaint is that I wish the book had been a tad longer as I’d have loved to hang out with the sister more and find out what happened next.

Huge thanks to Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book.

About The Author:

Coco Mellors is a writer from London and New York. She received her MFA in Fiction from New York University, where she was a Goldwater fellow. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Cleopatra and Frankenstein is her first novel.