Book Synopsis:

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.

Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure – perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, Erin Morgenstern and Before the Coffee Gets Cold!

Out 16th January 2025

My Review:

Moon Water is a beautifully imagined, absorbing fantasy read which is unlike anything I’ve read before.

Firstly the author has created an incredibly creative world which I loved exploring alongside the characters.  The different areas of the world were so vividly described at times that I felt like I was actually there experiencing it alongside the characters.  There are some truly wonderful parts to this world that were just a joy to read about include the singing forest, a beautiful temple and an area where the odd socks go which I though was just brilliant.  As in all good fantasy books there is a darker side to the world which is gradually revealed as the book continues.  This kept me on edge while I read as I didn’t really know what dangers would appear next.

The story follows Hana and Keishin as they try to find Hana’s parents.  The reader experiences the magical parallel world as they search for clues through some fantastic areas while using some incredible methods of transport.  It was very enjoyable following them on their journey, finding out more about them and watching the two of them grow closer.  The shiikuim who pursue them must be the most terrifying villain I have come across for a while, mainly because they were so unpredictable and kept appearing with little warning.  Their actions help provide some of the darker parts of the story and could be a little hard to read in places as their actions could be quite cruel.

Overall as you can probably tell I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone.  I flew through the book unable to put it down as I was just so absorbed in the story and couldn’t wait to see what other fantastic sights the characters would visit on their journey.  There were lots of twists that kept me guessing including a few at the end which made me actually gasp out loud, much to the amusement of my kids. It’s a book I have continued thinking about long after reading and wish it was part of a sequel as I’d love to visit the world again.  

Huge thanks to Izzie Ghaffari-Parker Bantam books for sending me a copy of this book.  If you are after a truly immersive, magical, unique read I highly recommend this one.  

About The Author:

Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveller, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila. She is the author of Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, A Dream of Trees, and The Beginning of Always. Water Moon is her latest novel and UK debut.

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. As some of you might know I run one of the book clubs at Rossiter books and I’m stuck between three books for our next read!

🪷The Book Of Fire by Christy Lefteri
🪷Frank & Red by Matt Coyne
🪷The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

I’m intrigued by The Mars House as it’s been on my list for a while and it was one of the books on the BBC 2 Book Club so I know it will be good. I’m a bit nervous though as it’s got a science fiction element to it which I think might put people off. I’ve heard great things about Frank & Red and think there will be a lot to discuss in it. However my colleague will have just done The List Of Suspicious Things for her bookclub and I’m worried they’re too similar. Finally The Book Of Fire is another book I’ve heard lots of great things about but I’ve heard the style is a bit different.

Which one would you chose/ want to read? Please let me know!

Find out more about the books below ⬇️

The Book Of Fire by Christy Lefteri

A captivating, moving novel of survival, hope and redemption, THE BOOK OF FIRE is the blazing new book from the international bestselling author of THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO and SONGBIRDS.

AMONG THE ASHES, ONE FAMILY FOUND HOPE . . .

In a tiny, beautiful Greek village, deep in an ancient forest, live a family – Irini, Tasso and their daughter, sweet Chara. One day their world is rocked when a forest fire consumes the village, leaving houses burned and lives irreparably damaged.

But what happens after the fire?

Frank & Red by Matt Coyne

Sometimes, the friend you need is the one you never saw coming.

Frank and Red are a mess.

Frank is a grumpy old curmudgeon. A recluse whose only company is the ‘ghost’ of his dead wife, Marcie. He is estranged from his friends, his son, and the ever-changing world beyond his front gate.

And then Red moves in next door.

Red is six. A boy struggling to adjust to the separation of his mum and dad, a new school, and the demonic school bully. Red is curious, smart, he never stops talking, and he’s got a trampoline.
From the moment Red’s blonde mop appears over the top of the fence that divides their two gardens, the unlikeliest of friendships is born.

. . . And it is a friendship that will change both of their lives forever.

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

January Stirling was one of the principal dancers of London’s Royal Ballet. Now he’s a climate refugee bound for Tharsis, the notorious terraformed colony on Mars. It’s a utopia for the naturalised population. For January, as a dangerous Earthstronger whose body is unadjusted to the weaker Martian gravity, it’s a life sentence to hard labour and ferocious discrimination.

But he will live.

Aubrey Gale, energy trillionaire and hereditary senator, is running for election on a hardline platform to protect the native population from dangerous immigrants. The path to equality is simple, requiring all Earthstrongers who choose to come to Mars to undergo the disabling and sometimes fatal process of surgical naturalisation.

Which is no life at all.

When a disastrous media encounter plunges Aubrey and January’s lives into chaos, the solution is a five-year made-for-reality-TV marriage that could secure January’s future and ensure Aubrey’s political success . . . but it soon becomes clear that thousands of lives hang in the balance, and nothing is as it seems.

Timely and utterly unputdownable, The Mars House is an exceptional genre-blending story about privilege, strength, life, and love across class divisions – perfect for fans of Babel by R.F. Kuang, The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, and This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. We’re off to the panto today (oh no we’re not – sorry had to) to watch Sleeping Beauty so it seemed fitting to share a book spotlight of Spellbound by Georgia Leighton today.

Spellbound is a feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty with no enchanted sleep or prince to save the day- just three women trying to fight dark magic. It sounds brilliant and I’m very excited to read it soon. I love retellings as it’s always really fun seeing where the author’s imagination takes the story.

Huge thanks to @bantambooksuk for sending this to me it’s really appreciated.

Spellbound is out on the 24th of April 2024 and you can find out more about the book below ⬇️.

Did you go to a pantomime this year?

Book Synopsis:

Discover the atmospheric, feminist fairy tale retelling that asks, What if Beauty never went to sleep?

“They had not known there would be so much magic.”

In a remote castle perched atop a windswept island, a long-awaited royal heir is born. In accordance with ancient custom, a blessing ceremony takes place to bestow the princess with magical gifts – along with a terrible curse.

Except this is not the love story you may think you know. There is no enchanted sleep for the princess, and no handsome prince to save the day. Just three women, who together concoct a desperate plan of misdirect that changes the course of all their lives.

But dark magic cannot be tricked, and as the end of the curse edges closer, Violanna, Meredyth and Sel each has a choice to make. They can wait to find out if the worst will happen, or they can turn to face the coming storm . . .

About The Author:

Georgia Leighton is a Senior Marketing Manager in publishing. Before working in publishing, she completed an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London, receiving a distinction.

Georgia lives in London with her family and many books. Her debut adult novel, Spellbound, is a reimagining of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday. I took part in the 2024 Audiobook Challenge to try and listen to more audiobooks. I managed the 12 books featured which I’m a little bit disappointed with tbh as I was hoping to get through more. I did read some books part listening and part reading too which I enjoyed as I thought it helped bring the story to life.

I am hoping to listen to more books this year and hopefully beat this amount. I’m planing on doing more walking again and trying to keep up with the housework more which are ideal situations to listen to audiobooks.

Out of the books featured above my favourite was The Glassmaker as I loved hearing the author pronounce the Italian properly. I also loved Under Your Spell as it was a really gripping, easy read.

Huge thanks to Librofm for providing me with bookseller ALC’s and Bookbeat for providing me with even more choices.

Do you listen to audiobooks? Any recommendations for me?

It’s Camilla’s first day back at work, her daughter’s first day at nursery.
But husband Luke is nowhere to be seen. The only trace of him is an unfinished note. Camilla tries to put it out of her mind; there must be a rational explanation.
At work, there are welcomes back, and too many distractions.

Then it starts.

Breaking news: there’s a hostage situation developing in London.
The police arrive: Luke is caught up in it.

But he isn’t a hostage. Luke – doting father, successful writer, enthusiastic runner and eternal optimist – is the gunman.

What Camilla does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind says, and the clues it might hold . . .

Famous Last Words is published on the 31st January 2025.

My Review:

Wow! What an amazing thriller this was. I sped through this in a couple of days as I was so enjoying it and couldn’t put it down.

The story is told from the point of view of Luke’s wife Camilla, Niall the hostage negotiator and later one of a pair of mysterious brothers who are watching Cam. I actually liked both of these points of view as it was fun to see events from both sides. Camilla’s tended to be more emotional as it followed her trying to cope in the aftermath of events while Niall’s followed the police investigation into everything that happened.

I quickly found myself drawn into the story and into the horrendous situation Cam and Niall find themselves in. Luke had no criminal past and this hostage situation is very out of character for him. I enjoyed finding out more about the unique situation and discovering what had actually happened. I had lots of ideas about what had been going on and I actually thought I’d guessed it quite early in the book but they all proved to be wrong. The story had lots of twists and sudden reveals to it which kept me guessing which I always love, with the story getting more complex as the book goes on. I couldn’t put the book down and found myself trying to sneak away from the kids so I could read a few more pages.

The ending was brilliant and seemed realistic as if it could actually happen. I especially liked that the author keeps the story going for a little bit after the resolution so the reader can find out what happens next.

Huge thanks to Phoebe our Penguin rep and Michael J Books for sending me a copy of this book. If you are after a fantastic, tense and gripping thriller then I highly recommend this one. It was honestly one of the best thrillers I’ve read!

About The Author:

Gillian McAllister is the New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time, Just Another Missing Person, Everything but the Truth, The Choice, The Good Sister, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast.

Good morning everyone and Happy New Year! It’s that time of year to make resolutions so I thought I’d share some of my bookish resolutions with you.

🥰 Reading What I Feel Like

I’ve really enjoyed just reading what I fancy this year and want to continue feeling unrestricted next year. I’m going to continue not doing any blog tours and I’m going to try and not be restrained by publishing dates too as it can sometimes stress me out.

🎧More Audiobooks

2024 was the year I discovered audiobooks and I’ve loved listening to stories whilst walking or doing the housework. I haven’t got to as many as I hoped as sometimes I like just walking with my thoughts. I’m hoping to get out and exercise more next year so I’ll hopefully have more opportunities to listen. My favourite audiobook was The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier as I loved hearing the Italian as it’s meant to be pronounced.

✍🏻 Attending More Events

I’ve been lucky enough to attend some fabulous events last year and I’m hoping to continue this year. Rossiter Books have some amazing events coming up and I’ve booked to see Natalie Haynes in March too. I’m hoping to make it to Hay On Wye and Cheltenham festivals this year too – I’ll be brave and go on my own if needed!

📚 Bookclub

I’ve had a wonderful year attending the bookclub I run for Rossiter Books this year. Not only have we read some great books together but I feel like I’ve made some lovely friends as well. We’ve even gone to the theatre together which was really nice as we got to know each other better. Here’s to more bookish fun next year!

📔Book Journal

I was lucky enough to get this fabulous book journal from my sister for Christmas and I’m determined to fill all of it in this time. It only has 32 entries so I’ll probably need another one for my birthday but they come in lots of pretty colours so it’s a great excuse to get another one.

🛍️More Bookseller Fun

I’ve had a great year working as a bookseller last year and I was lucky enough to be involved in lots of fun events. I’m looking forward to another year of bookish fun next year.

What are your bookish resolutions?

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. These are my last three reads of 2025.

❤️ Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (5 stars)
🧡 Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (5 stars)
💛Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (currently reading)

My last book kept changing as Broken Country and Famous Last Words was so good that I read them much quicker than expected. I reviewed Broken Country on here yesterday so do go check it out if you’re interested and I’ll be posting my review of Famous Last Words on Thursday. I highly recommend all of these as they’re all fantastic reads!

I’m working this morning which should be fun and then I’m meeting everyone for some fun this afternoon. My in-laws are down and there was talk about going out for food tonight which could be interesting as we haven’t booked anything. We’re then having an evening of board games and the kids want a disco which will be a lovely way to bring in 2025.

Happy New Year to all of my friends on here. Thanks so much for all the love and support this year it’s really appreciated. 2025 looks like it’s going to be a great bookish year!

What are your New Year’s plans?

Book Synopsis:

Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel. Over that heady, intense summer, he made her think and feel and see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story. When Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken.

It was Frank who picked up the pieces and together they built a home very different from the one she’d imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband and son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading.

But when Gabriel comes back, all Beth’s certainty about who she is and what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it’s wrong and she knows people could get hurt. But how can she resist a second chance at first love?

A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences.

Broken Country is out on the 4th March 2025.

My Review:

Broken Country is a gripping, emotional love story that I’ve been unable to stop thinking about since I read it. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I want to do it justice but at the same time not give anything away.

Firstly I thought that the author has created some wonderful characters who I warmed to instantly and enjoyed following throughout the book. It was lovely to learn more about them, the lives they lead and the different relationships they have with each other. Unusually for me I didn’t have a favourite character as they were all so likeable which I loved as it meant I could just sink into the book and enjoy the story.

The book is told from multiple timelines some detailing events from when Beth and Gabriel first met, one set in the present time and one following a trial which lets the reader know that something awful happened. I loved all three timelines and enjoyed slowly piecing together what has gone on throughout the course of the book.

I found the book incredibly gripping and I soon found myself drawn into the book and into the lives of the characters. The author does a great job of giving the reader a fly on the wall glimpse of everything that happens and slowly letting the story unfold so you can understand more about what happens next. The tension in the book slowly increases as the book continues and becomes so gripping I couldn’t put it down. There were lots of twists that made me gasp and helped keep me in suspense until the end which I always love. The ending was brilliant! One of the best and most emotional endings I’ve ever read. I was absolutely sobbing at the end which never happens.

Huge thanks to Ellie from John Murray Press for sending me a copy of this book. Believe the hype people this book deserves to be huge!

About The Author:

Clare Leslie Hall is a novelist and journalist who lives in the wilds of Dorset, England, with her family. Under the name Clare Empson, she published two domestic noir thrillers, Him and Mine, that were published in the UK and Germany. She has always loved The Go Between by LP Hartley and Broken Country is a nod to it, featuring a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions. Broken Country is her US debut.

Good morning everyone I hope you had a great Christmas. Here are some of the fabulous Christmas presents I received this year.

The two books I bought with vouchers I received at work and the reading journal I received from my lovely sister. I’m very excited to read the two books as I’ve been hearing lots of great things about them and I can’t wait to start my new reading journal. There’s only 32 entries so I’ll either just put my favourite reads in there or I’ll ask for another one for my birthday. There’s a blue one which might be nice.

I’m back to work today which should be fun as we’ll hopefully have people coming in to spend their Christmas vouchers. I’m then taking the boys for a haircut – always stressful as my youngest doesn’t like the clippers. We’re then going to see my mum as my aunty and uncle are over which will be lovely as I haven’t seen them this Christmas time.

Did you get any bookish Christmas presents?

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and lolloped around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, over two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and snoozed in your house for hours on end. This happened to me.

When lockdown led busy professional Chloe to leave the city and return to the countryside of her childhood, she never expected to find herself custodian of a newly born hare. Yet when she finds the creature, endangered, alone and no bigger than her palm, she is compelled to give it a chance at survival.

Raising Hare chronicles their journey together and the challenges of caring for the leveret and preparing for its return to the wild. We witness an extraordinary relationship between human and animal, rekindling our sense of awe towards nature and wildlife. This improbable bond of trust serves to remind us that the most remarkable experiences, inspiring the most hope, often arise when we least expect them.

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers

In all failed relationships there is a point that passes unnoticed at the time, which can later be identified as the beginning of the decline. For Helen it was the weekend that the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park.

Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with Gil: a charismatic, married doctor.

One spring afternoon they receive a call about a disturbance from a derelict house not far from Helen’s home. A thirty-seven-year-old man called William Tapping, with a beard down to his waist, has been discovered along with his elderly aunt. It is clear he has been shut up in the house for decades, but when it emerges that William is a talented artist, Helen is determined to discover his story.

Shy Creatures is a life-affirming novel about all the different ways we can be confined, how ordinary lives are built of delicate layers of experience, the joy of freedom and the transformative power of kindness.

Happy Christmas Everyone!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the support this year. I feel like I’ve made some really lovely friends and I’ve been enjoying posting on here.

To my fellow bookstagrammers thanks for all the likes, comments, tags and shares I’ve really appreciated them all.

Huge thanks to all the lovely publicists/ publishers for all the proofs and blog tour invites I’m so grateful!

I’m signing off until the 27th now so Happy Christmas everyone I hope you have a great time. Here’s to more friendship and bookish fun in the future.

In case you missed it below are my favourite books of 2024 in case you’re looking for some last minute gift recommendations.

What books are you hoping to receive this Christmas?