Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. I don’t buy many special editions anymore as I’ve been trying to be good but I could resist this beautiful book.
I’m a huge fan of Sue Lynn Tan so I’ve been incredibly excited to read this new book from her. The spredges are absolutely beautiful and there’s a fabulous map at the front too which I always love.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️
What was the last special edition you bought?
Book Synopsis:
A deadly betrayal…
When Liyen ascends the throne of Tianxia she vows to end her kingdom’s obligation to the fickle immortals who once protected them.
A dangerous alliance…
She must learn their secrets to protect her people, but to do this she will have to forge a tenuous alliance with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War.
A fight for survival…
A treacherous attraction ignites. But dark forces are closing in and to save her people from an unspeakable fate, Liyen must risk everything…even her heart.
About The Author:
Sue Lynn Tan is the award-winning author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, a romantic fantasy duology inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess. Her books will be translated into sixteen languages, and are USA Today and Sunday Times bestsellers.
Born in Malaysia, Sue Lynn studied in London and France, before moving to Hong Kong with her family. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, her first compilation of fairytales from around the world. After devouring every fable she could find in the library, she discovered fantasy books, spending much of her childhood lost in magical worlds. When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills, lakes, and temples around her home.
Good morning everyone and happy Friday. There are some fabulous books out this week so I thought I’d feature a few of them today.
Out of these I’ve read Water Moon and The Dragon Cafe both of which I really recommend. I reviewed it on my blog last week if you’d like to read my full review. I’m currently reading Murder On The Marlow Belle and So Thrilled For You both of which I’m really enjoying so far.
Thanks so much to all the lovely publishers for sending me these proof copies it’s really appreciated.
Find out more about the books below ⬇️
Have you read any of these? Are any on your radar?
An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris
If you had the power between life and death, what would you do?
Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another – something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out. Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead.
Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit. Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job. Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her new-found skills. But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought.
How can she really know who deserves to die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out?
So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
An intense heatwave. A high-stakes baby shower. Will it all end in tears?
Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, life is pulling them in different directions – but when Charlotte organises the baby shower of hell for pregnant Nicki, the girls are reunited.
Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise – and by the end of the day, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house – and everyone’s a suspect…
Is it Steffi, happily child-free but feeling judged by her friends? Is it Charlotte, desperate to conceive and jealous of those who have? Is it Lauren, who is finding motherhood far, far harder than she imagined? Or is it Nicki herself, who never wanted a baby shower anyway?
In the aftermath, the police put together the facts – but the truth will shock everyone. Even you. BIG LITTLE LIES meets EXPECTATION in the incredible new novel from Holly Bourne – it’s the book you’ll want to read three times, then give to every woman in your life.
A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage by Asia Mackay
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they’re ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.
Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.
This could save their marriage – unless it kills them first.
The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T Qureshi
When Saphira opens her cafe welcoming pet baby dragons, she isn’t expecting it to be quite so hard to keep the fires burning. But her young dragon patrons keep incinerating her furniture, which means selling coffee isn’t covering all her costs.
Local heart-throb Aiden is a gardener, though his disobedient baby dragon is a major distraction from his beloved plants. However, Saphira’s café gives him an idea – he’ll ask Saphira to train his dragon, and pay her enough to keep the cafe afloat.
They know they’re the answer to each other’s problems, but happy-go-lucky Saphira and gorgeous-but-grumpy Aiden couldn’t be more different. Can they find a way to work together – and maybe even ignite some fire of their own?
The Favourites by Layne Fargo
BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick
Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn’t. My first love was figure skating.
Katarina Shaw has always known she’s destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating – and each other – to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and rollercoaster relationship.
Until, at the Olympic Games, as the world holds its breath, a shocking incident instantly destroys their partnership.
Ten years later, an unauthorised tell-all documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha. If Kat wants to own her story, she must break her silence. As Kat’s account of her dramatic rise and fall alternates with scandalous interviews from the film, The Favourites spins into a dance between passion, ambition and what it truly means to win.
Sensational rumours have haunted Kat and Heath’s every step for years, but the truth may be even more outrageous than the headlines.
Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him – it’s time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action.
Oliver was a rather complicated chap and he wasn’t short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they’ll crack the case in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and the gang will need to keep their wits about them, otherwise a killer may sail away scot-free …
And He Shall Appear by Kate Van Der Borgh
In the hallowed halls of Cambridge, a dangerous obsession takes hold…
When a young man arrives in Cambridge as a first-year student, he finds himself an outsider. There’s the punting and the politics, the wine and the waistcoats, all seemingly familiar to everyone but him. Then he falls under the spell of Bryn Cavendish.
A notorious party boy and skilled magician, Bryn is magnetic. To be in his circle is to revel in clouds of ecstasy, untouched by the rules. To be exiled is to haunt the peripheries of campus life like a ghost.
As the academic year intensifies and Bryn’s magic tricks become more sinister, one question lingers. Is Bryn’s charisma the source of his influence or does he wield a much darker and more dangerous power?
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?
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!
Cate Kay is the most famous author on the planet. But it’s just a name. Somehow, despite her bestselling novels and the record-breaking film franchise, the writer has remained completely anonymous.
Anne Marie Callahan is the name nobody knows. Only the people she left behind. And Annie knows there’s no one there anymore who could connect the dots between the girl who ran away all those years ago and the famous novelist.
If you asked, she’d say her name was Cass Ford. That’s what her barista shouts each morning. And it’s how she introduces herself to the woman she’ll eventually call the love of her life.
Three names, three lives. But Cate Kay is finally ready to tell you who she really is.
And when the truth is out, will everyone’s favourite novelist hold on to her place in our hearts or are some betrayals impossible to forgive?
Kate Fagan is the author of several New York Times bestselling non fiction books. Her debut novel is an astounding achievement. The Three Lives of Cate Kay explores the cost of ambition, the longings of first (and second and third) love, and how it’s never too late to go home.
My Review:
The Three Lives Of Cate Kay is an absorbing, intriguing read which I’ve continued to think about and unpick long after I’ve finished reading. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.
The story is told from multiple points of view with each character’s name clearly stated at the top of each chapter. Out of all the characters Annie was my favourite followed closely by Amanda as I loved reading about the wonderful friendship the two of them has. I also had a soft spot for Ryan as she came across as a very sympathetic character who I often just wanted to reach into the book and hug as she seemed so lost.
The book has a great pace to it making it easy for the reader to become absorbed into the story. Each character describes a little bit more about Cate’s life allowing the reader to slowly piece together what has happened to Cate throughout her life. The slow reveal of what happened was tantalisingly done and helped create a lot of tension in the book as I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next. As a reader I loved the book inside a book element of the story, particularly trying to unravel which parts of Cate’s book were based on her life. I actually loved the sound of The Very Last and wish that it actually existed as I’d love to read it as it sounded fascinating.
The ending was lovely and I was pleased that the author included the last chapter as it was nice to see what happened next for Annie.
If you’re after a gripping, thought provoking read that will stay with you then I highly recommend this one. I’m hoping to do it as a book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.
About The Author:
Kate Fagan is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Made Maddy Run, which was a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for literary sports writing. She is also the author of three additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife, Kathryn Budig, and their dog, Ragnar.
When aspiring travel writer Chloé Campbell is invited aboard a luxury airship flying to the North Pole, she thinks she’s bagged the opportunity of a lifetime.
But she hasn’t had long to admire the dazzling icy views before a fellow passenger is found dead in their cabin.
Trapped at the top of the world, the group agrees a tragic accident has occurred. But as the hours tick by, fear turns to doubt.
It seems everyone’s a suspect.
And it isn’t long before the passengers begin to turn on each other . . .
My Review:
Death In The Arctic is a gripping, locked room murder mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Firstly I loved the unusual setting of an airship in this book which helped add a different element to the story. I really enjoyed discovering more about this unusual form of transportation and finding out how it works. I ended up spending hours on the internet searching it up and discovering, much to my delight, that it is actually making a come back and is every bit as decedent as described in the book. I actually wondered if I’d fallen through a time loop whilst looking at one webpage as not only did it say flights were currently suspended but the head chief was also called Jasper which is one of the characters in the book.
The book is told through the point of view of multiple different characters which was really fascinating as everyone had something to hide. It was very intriguing to follow them all on their flight as we find out more about them and all their secrets. They are mainly a dislikeable bunch, though I did have a soft spot for Chloe and Ben who I thought made a great team together. There were quite a few that I loved to hate and I kept reading, hoping that they would get their comeuppance in the end. I did struggle to keep all the character’s straight at the beginning as we are introduced a quite a few at once. There is a passenger list at the front of the book to help but I wonder it would be better if the character’s job title or role was put onto it as well as I kept getting confused between a few of them.
I thought the book was very gripping and I quickly found myself drawn into the story. I’ve got a fascination with the arctic so I loved the vivid way the author described the views from the windows, especially the different colours the sky creates there which sounded so beautiful. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and I found myself reading faster towards the end as everything is revealed. Unusually for me I didn’t guess who the murder was which I always love. I think I might be in the minority with this though as I’ve read a few reviews where people say they guessed it fairly early on , so maybe I’m losing my touch! The ending was brilliant and although I wish that some of the characters had a different outcome maybe that wouldn’t have made it so realistic. It’s a book I’ll be recommending to crime or mystery fans and one I’m hoping to do for our book club as I think they’d be lots to discuss.
Huge thanks to our lovely penguin rep Phoebe for sending me a copy of this book. If you are after a gripping crime book in an unusual setting then I highly recommend this one .
About The Author:
Tom Hindle hails from Leeds and lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, a cat and two surprisingly cunning tortoises. He is the author of A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game and Murder on Lake Garda – which were inspired by masters of the crime genre such as Agatha Christie and Anthony Horowitz.
Good morning everyone and happy Monday. Here is a little reading update of what I’ve been reading recently!
❤️Last – The Three Lives Of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
I’ve just finished The Three Lives Of Cate Kay and I really enjoyed it. It was a little slow in the middle but I did enjoy seeing how everything worked out. Full review coming later this week.
🧡Now – The Favourites by Layne Fargo & A Language Of Dragons by SF Williamson
I’ve been impatient to read both of these as I’ve been hearing lots of great things about them. I think they’re different enough from each other that I’m going to attempt to read them together. I think I have A Language Of Dragons on audiobook so I might end up listening to it instead.
💛Next – So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
I’m then hoping to read So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne which is another book I’ve been hearing great things about. I’ve read a few of her YA books so I’m intrigued to read an adult fiction book from her
I’m off today which I’m looking forward to as I’m still feeling very tired. I need to sort some laundry and tidy up the kids rooms from the weekend but then I’m curling up with my blanket for some reading time.
Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. Here are some of the fabulous looking thrillers that I’m looking forward to reading soon.
❤️The Troubled Deep by Rob Parker 🧡A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage by Asia Mackay 💛An Ethical Guide To Murder by Jenny Morris 💚The Surf House by Lucy Clarke 💙 Making A Killing by Cara Hunter 💜The Voices by Natalie Chandler
The majority of these are new authors for me so I’m looking forward to discovering some new authors. Lucy Clarke and Cara Hunter are old favourites so I’m excited to read their new books.
I’m off today which I’m looking forward to as I’m feeling really exhausted at the moment. I’m meeting a friend for coffee first thing and my mum for lunch which will be really nice. In between I’m hoping to do some housework and read some more of my intriguing book Death In The Arctic by Tom Hindle which I’m really enjoying atm.
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?
Over The Rainbow Blog 