I treat myself to an Orenda subscription from Bert’s Books every month and I’m always very excited to see what fabulous looking book I’m going to get. Each book comes wrapped up.in a colourful ribbon which my daughter also loves using in her hair so win win.
If you are interested in getting an Orenda subscription please visit Bert Books website linked below. You can get 20% off your first month using code ORENDA20.
When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Gudrun missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Gudrun will be killed.
Forbidden from contacting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.
Meanwhile, Áróra and Daniel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing.
Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive An Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake…
About The Author:
Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranesin 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja’s English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.
About The Translator:
Quentin Bates escaped English suburbia as a teenager, jumping at the chance of a gap year working in Iceland. For a variety of reasons, the gap year stretched to become a gap decade, during which time he went native in the north of Iceland, acquiring a new language a new profession as a seaman and a family, before decamping en masse for England. He worked as a truck driver, teacher, netmaker and trawlerman at various times before falling into journalism, largely by accident. He is the author of a series of crime novels set in present-day Iceland (Frozen Out, Cold Steal, Chilled to the Bone, Winterlude, Cold Comfort and Thin Ice which have been published worldwide. He has translated all of Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series.
From Colleen Hoover, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us, a heart-wrenching love story that proves attraction at first sight can be messy.
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realise they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realise almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.
My Review:
Ugly Love is only the second Colleen Hoover book I’ve read but she’s quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. When I first started reading her someone warned me her books were very addictive and they were definitely right.
I was immediately drawn into the story with it’s rather unusual start and quickly fell in love with Tate and Miles. Theirs is an interesting relationship and it was fun to follow them as they try to explore what they actually mean to each other. The story is told from Tate’s point of view in the present day and flashes back to Miles’s past. Through this the reader starts to understand him better and realise there’s a reason behind his behaviour.
The story has a great pace to it and quickly becomes very addictive. I quickly found I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to find out what was going to happen with them both and raced through the book in a couple of days. This being a Colleen Hoover book there are some rather steamy moments but also some very emotional ones which left me in tears by the end.
The ending was beautiful and I closed the book very sad that it had ended. I’m hoping there might be a sequel in the future as I’d love to read more about Tate, Miles and the lovely Cap! If you haven’t read anything by this author yet I strongly recommend you pick one up soon.
About The Author:
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-three novels, including It Ends with Us, All Your Perfects, Ugly Love, and Verity. In 2015, Colleen and her family founded a non-profit called The Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly book-subscription service that has donated over $1,000,000 to various charities to date. Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. For more information, please visit ColleenHoover.com.
Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for The Visitors by Owen Kinght today. As part of the tour I have a special feature to share with you where Owen tells us 10 Things About Him.
You can find the feature below but first a little bit about the book.
Book Synopsis:
Fourteen years ago, Peter saved the world. Now, his sister Emily and two strangers receive coded invitations to return to the hidden village of Templewood, where Peter faces a new, terrifying threat.
Templewood is home to the Sect, a secretive organisation intent on global power. They have infiltrated many Governments and are collaborating with the Visitors: alien invaders who have brought gifts of advanced scientific and genetic discoveries. These gifts will potentially provide enormous benefits for humanity and facilitate the Sect’s bid for power.
But at what cost and what is the Visitors’ motive? Why are they taking, then retuning, increasing numbers of the local population? Peter, Emily, and their friends must uncover the truth before their worst fears are confirmed.
10 Things About Me by Owen W Knight
1. The Visitors is my fifth published novel. I am two-thirds through writing the sixth.
2. The first three comprised a YA trilogy. The fourth, Another Life, is speculative fiction, combining the Green Man legend with a quest and cutting-edge science. The Visitors is grounded science fiction; my next book is in the contemporary horror genre. I am gradually progressing through the entire speculative fiction genre.
3. The Visitors examines the use and abuse of power and the moral choices that individuals and governments make. It questions our place and role in the universe.
4. While my stories deal with fantastic themes, nothing happens that could not be true in real life.
5. I believe the best ideas often come from identifying two unrelated themes and creating unexpected links between them.
6. Myths and legends are an excellent source of material for new stories. Some are firmly embedded in our psyche. Their deep roots stretch into the history and shared experience of our forebears. They have much to teach us today.
7. I like to set my books in hidden locations that don’t appear on maps. This creates the possibility of societies whose rules are different from the norm.
8. I write slowly, typically taking a year to research, write, revise and edit each book. My aim is to write one new book a year.
9. Last year, to my surprise, a record producer brought out an album of songs I recorded with a group of friends as a demo disc fifty years ago. He also bought one of four surviving copies of the original from me for £1,000. It’s a shame now that, thirty years ago, I threw away several copies.
10. I have visited several countries some people have not heard of, including Timor Leste, Djibouti and Vanuatu.
About The Author:
Owen W Knight writes contemporary and speculative fiction. He creates worlds based on documented myths, with elements of dystopia, mystery and science fiction, highlighting the use and abuse of power and the conflicts associated with maintaining ethical values.His previous books include Another Life, subtitled ‘It’s a Wonderful Life for the 21st Century’ and The Invisible College Trilogy, an apocalyptic, dystopian, conspiracy tale for young adults, described as ‘1984 Meets the Book of Revelation’.Owen lives in Essex, England, close to the countryside that inspires his writing.
DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING… a dark gothic tale for fans of The Clockwork Girl and The Woman in Black.
London, 1873.
Ivy Granger, an amateur botanist, is plagued by disturbing dreams and faceless whispers. Misunderstood by her father, she fears for her sanity – threatened with the asylum or worse, the hands of a man she loathes.
But a stranger at her mother’s funeral reveals Ivy’s world has been a lie and she could have a different life, for she is capable of so much more…
Miss Earnshaw, London’s most renowned spiritualist, is Ivy’s only hope of revealing what secrets her mother took to the grave and discovering her true purpose.
Ivy’s journey for knowledge takes her to Blackham House, a building haunted by a terrible past – full of macabre artefacts and ancient studies of the supernatural. But behind closed doors, the Blackhams collect more than relics alone, and Ivy will soon find herself at the centre of a conspiracy spanning generations and a hidden evil waiting to be unleashed.
Can Ivy survive in a world where women must play their part or risk being silenced?
My Review:
The Parlour Game is an atmospheric, creepy page turner that I really enjoyed. I went into this book with lots of expectations and I’m pleased to say it definitely delivered.
Firstly I absolutely loved the setting of this book There’s something delicious about a mystery involving a creepy old house that always grabs my attention and I soon found myself completely immersed in the story. The author really brings the Victorian era to life with all the vivid descriptions about how life was then. I felt like I could perfectly envision the dark house and that I was experiencing everything alongside the characters.
I really liked the main character Ivy and felt for the situation she finds herself in. It was great fun to follow her throughout the book and to learn more about her as the story goes on. She has a lot of secrets that she’s hiding and I liked the way this was gradually revealed causing the story to change direction so I never knew which way the story was heading.
Overall I loved this book and I look forward to reading more from this author in future. The creepy atmosphere in the book gradually creeps up until it becomes almost unbearable. The last part of the book is incredibly gripping, making it very hard to put down and meaning I read far to late into the night. It’s the perfect read for snuggling up with this Halloween.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Jennifer Renshaw grew up in Sussex, England, and is a former analyst. She has always been fascinated by history and enjoys a gothic mystery. She now lives in Denmark with her family and two portly cats.Find out more at http://www.jenniferrenshaw.com
Good morning everyone sorry for lack of posts on here my kids and I have had bad colds sadly making it difficult to read or just focus on anything really.
I’m hoping to start this fantastic looking book today while the kids are at school though. I’m a huge fan of this book and think it would be a perfect October read.
What are you currently reading?
Book Synopsis:
In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.
This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child.
Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.
Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.
Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.
As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear.
About The Author:
C J Cooke (Carolyn Jess-Cooke) lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children. C J Cooke’s works have been published in 23 languages and have won many awards. She holds a PhD in Literature from the Queen’s University of Belfast and is currently Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researches creative writing interventions for mental health. Two of her books are currently optioned for film. Visit http://www.cjcookeauthor.com
Good morning everyone today on JoJo Recommends I’m featuring The Hardest Goodbye by Lucy May Walker which is a charity single for baby loss charity Tommys.
This is a cause close to my heart as 8 years ago I sadly lost my second son Christopher who was born at 25 weeks old and was just to small and poorly to survive. When I lost him I found it hard to speak to some people about it and some people still don’t like it when I show a picture of him on social media. In the UK 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss so there are a lot of people grieving and needing to talk to someone about it. Tommys is working towards breaking the taboo and making it normal to talk about baby loss.
Wave Of Light:
Please join in the wave of light on the 15th of October at 7pm wherever you are in the world in lighting a candle for all the babies gone too soon. Together we can help create a wave of light across the world and help bring attention to this worthy cause.
If you would like more information or to donate to Tommy’s you can do so via the links below.
Lucy May Walker is a British singer songwriter from London. She’s also a London busker and can often be found outside Wembley Stadium singing to the football crowds. She also recently supported Texas on tour in Scotland which is really exciting. If you would like to follow Lucy on twitch or social media you can do so by clicking on the links below.
Jojo recommends is now featured on Island Vibing Presents. Huge thanks to the channel for always being so supportive and for featuring me every week.
They are on every Thursday at 10pm EST (3am BST/ 7pm PST) or the first Saturday of the month at 8PM BST for a special UK friendly stream. The next one is this Saturday if you’d like to catch it.
Death came aboard with the cormorant. It arrived on the seventh day of our voyage…
This is the secret report of disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago, written on the mail ship Tankerville en route to Philadelphia. His mission is to aid the civil servant charged with carrying a vital treaty to Congress that will prevent the Americans from joining with the French in their war against Britain.
When the civil servant meets an unfortunate ‘accidental’ end, Laurence becomes the one person standing between Britain and disaster. It is his great chance to redeem himself at Whitehall – except that his predecessor has taken the secret of the treaty’s hiding place to his watery grave.
As the ship is searched, Laurence quickly discovers that his fellow passengers – among them fugitive French aristocrats, an American plantation owner, an Irish actress and her performing bear – all have their own motives to find the treaty for themselves. And as a second death follows the first, Laurence must turn sleuth in order to find the killer before he has an ‘accident’ of his own.
The new pageturning historical mystery from the author of BLACK DROP, a 2021 TIMES Book of the Year. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.
My Review:
Blue Water is a gripping, absorbing historical novel from an author who’s fast becoming one of my favourite historical authors.
The reader is quickly drawn into the story and into the lives of the people on board the ship with an exciting chase across the waters. Not only was this a very exciting opening but it also cleverly gave the reader an introduction to life on the sea and the dangers people faced. It definitely wasn’t for the faint hearted and I don’t think I’d have wanted to be on board a similar ship, especially when I discovered what the toiled facilities were.
The ship helps create a locked door scenario which I always find really fascinating. It was very interesting to follow Lawrence in his investigation as he tries to find the murder and the treaty. All the passengers seem to have a motive and I thought it was clever how we learn a little bit more about each of them throughout the investigation.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. The style of writing took a little while to get used to but I think helped to add to the story as it helped draw the reader into the period more. The many twists and turns kept me guessing and the fabulous descriptions made me feel like I was actually there on the ship alongside the characters.
Huge thanks to Viper for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Leonora Nattrass studied eighteenth-century literature and politics, and spent ten years lecturing in English and publishing works on William Cobbett. She lives in Cornwall, in a seventeenth-century house with seventeenth-century draughts, and spins the fleeces of her Ryeland sheep into yarn. Her first novel, Black Drop, was published in 2021. Find her on Twitter @LeonoraNattrass
In thirty-six hours, thousands of innocent people will die. There’s not a second to waste. And no time for sleep…
Michael North has a bullet lodged in his brain which could kill him any second. That makes him the perfect MI5 asset: he’s ruthless, loyal, brave. And, best of all, disposable.
Teenage computer expert Fangfang Yu does not feel the same way. She’s determined to keep her friend out of danger – however many cyber laws she has to break to keep him alive.
Now North has been sent undercover into a doomsday cult on a remote Scottish island. He has thirty-six hours to stop their charismatic leader from inciting the murder of thousands. He can only do it with Fangfang’s help – but when they uncover a shocking link between the cult and the dark heart of the US defence establishment, it doesn’t just put North’s life at risk… it threatens Fangfang too.
Perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Lee Child and Mark Dawson, Sleep When You’re Dead is a rollercoaster action thriller packed with twists that will keep you up all night.
My Review:
Sleep When You’re Dead is a fast moving, absorbing and clever read that is the third book in the series.
Firstly I really liked the main character Michael North and have enjoyed following him throughout this series. He sometimes comes across as to good to be true as he manages to escape one dangerous situation after another but underneath everything is a very likeable guy who I couldn’t help but warm to. His brain injury from his time in the army makes him a very sympathetic character and I liked that rather then let that slow him down it has made him determined to help as many people as possible with the time he has left.
The plot is very fast paced and there were multiple story lines running alongside each other with something to appeal to everyone. I thought it was very clever how the author managed to make these all seem individual so I never got muddled and I liked the slow way they weaved together. There was always lots going on which made the book hard to put down with the pace of the book not slowing down until the last page.
This is the third book in the series but I think it could be easily read as a standalone as the author includes information about the characters and their past subtly into the story without huge summaries of previous books. The ending was brilliant and sets the scene for the next book in this exciting series.
Huge thanks to Sophie from Head Of Zeus for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you’re looking for a new spy thriller series I highly recommend this one.
About The Author:
Judith O’Reilly is the author of Wife in the North and A Year of Doing Good (both published by Viking Penguin, 2008 and 2013 respectively). Wife in the North reached number three in the UK bestsellers’ chart and was in the top ten for five weeks. It was also a top ten bestseller in Germany. It sold into ten countries, was serialised by The Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week, and was based on Judith’s eponymous blog which was named as one of the top 100 blogs in the world by The Sunday
A story of life and survival during the war which is heart-rending and bitter-sweet, bringing you laughter and tears.
Cambridgeshire – 1941
As the war rages on in Europe, it brings untold heartache to the Talbot family at Blackberry Farm.
First Tom is missing in action and then his brother John. leaving the family distraught with worry.
Faith finds herself in trouble and turns to Lizzie for support as fear and grief bring them closer together.
But tragedy is never too far away and when it strikes, it may not be those who fight that suffer the most.
Will Pam’s prayers be answered and will both her sons return home?
And can the family at Blackberry Farm unite to overcome their heartache and find hope for the future?
My Review:
I love this series, and this author, so I was very excited to learn there was to be another book in the series. I think I went through all the emotions whilst reading this book. There were moments of pure happiness which made me smile but also moments of heartbreak too.
The author does a great job of setting the scene so I felt like I was actually there in the farm experiencing everything alongside the characters. It’s an interesting period in history as the war starts to take hold and the effects of it become more apparent. I enjoyed seeing the different sides of the war from the land girls helping at home, to the soldiers fighting and even the nursing side of things. It made for a fascinating read and I liked learning more about the different areas.
It was great to be back with the land girls who are starting to feel like old friends. They seemed such realistic characters that I felt everything they went through keenly as if it was happening to me. It was interesting to see how the war had changed people’s attitudes to things like unmarried mother’s with some putting shame on the mum but others just happy that a little baby was on the way. The farm in general had such a lovely attitude to everyone who came to its doors asking for help which was so good to see. It made me wish I could visit the farm and experience everything for myself.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Mulberry Laneseries. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.
Good morning everyone I’m stuck deciding what book I should read next and would love your help! Let me know in the comments below which of these four books you’d recommend reading next.
Thanks in advance!
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Mallory is delighted to have a new job looking after gorgeous four-year-old, Teddy. She’s been sober for a year and a half and she’s sure her new nannying role in the affluent suburbs will help keep her on the straight and narrow.That is until Teddy starts to draw disturbing pictures of his imaginary friend, Anya. It is quite clear to Mallory and to Teddy’s parents, even in his crude childlike style, that the woman Teddy is drawing in his pictures is dead.Teddy’s crayons are confiscated, and his paper locked away. But the drawings somehow keep coming, telling a frightening story of a woman murdered… and they’re getting more sophisticated. But if Teddy isn’t drawing the pictures anymore, who is? And what are they trying to tell Mallory about her new home?
About The Author:
Jason Rekulak is the author of HIDDEN PICTURES (coming May 2022) and THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS (a finalist for an Edgar Award). For many years he was Publisher of Quirk Books, an indie press headquartered in Philadelphia, where he ghost-wrote many odd books that may or may not surface on this page, depending on the metadata. Today, Jason is an active member of Writer’s Guild East and Mystery Writers of America. He lives in West Philly with his wife and children and too many pets.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books.Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he’s Nora’s work nemesis.Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she’s the one men date before finding their happy-ever-after. To prevent another dating dud, Nora’s sister has persuaded her to swap her city desk for a month’s holiday in Sunshine Falls.It’s a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into…Charlie.She’s no heroine. He’s no hero. So can they take a page out of an entirely different book?Brimming with witty banter, characters you can’t help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, BOOK LOVERS is Emily Henry’s best novel yet.
About The Author:
Emily Henry writes stories about love and family for both teens and adults. She studied creative writing at Hope College and the now-defunct New York Center for Art & Media Studies, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the ‘Battle-Axe’ anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.
About The Author:
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard’s library. He knows not to ask too many questions, stand out too much, stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve ‘American culture’ in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic – including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him through the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can turn a blind eye to the most searing injustice. It’s a story about the power – and limitations – of art to create change in the world, the lessons and legacies we pass onto our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.
About The Author:
Celeste Ng is the number one New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere. Her third novel, Our Missing Hearts, will be published in October 2022. Ng is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, and her work has been published in over thirty languages.
Over The Rainbow Blog 