#BookReview: The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson @Inky_Josie @doubledaybooks @TransworldBooks @Millsreid11 #TheSilenceInBetween #JosieFerguson #HistoricalFiction

Book Synopsis:


Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child…


Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he’ll be fine.

When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city – and the world – in two.

Lisette is trapped in the east, while her newborn baby is unreachable in the west. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate.

Lisette’s teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother – once a talented pianist – the music has gone silent.

Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home….

Based on true stories, The Silence in Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

My Review:

The Silence In Between is a fascinating, emotional and harrowing read that I have continued to think about long after reading.  

The story follows mother and daughter Lissette and Elly through two timelines.  One of these timelines follows Lisette through the second world war but particularly focuses on the aftermath of the war when Germany was under Soviet control, the other is set in 1961 and the construction of the Berlin Wall. Of the two women Elly was definitely my favourite as I found her to be a warm hearted, brave girl who obviously loved her family despite that love not always being reciprocated.  Lisette on the other hand I initially found to be a bit of a cold fish, though as the book continues and the reader discovers exactly what she has been through I began to understand her more.

I don’t think I’ve read much about the aftermath of the second world war in Germany and the construction of the Berlin War so I was very intrigued to find out more about it.  I was very shocked at how German women were treated by the soviet forces and how much they were made to suffer for their countries defeat.  The events described in the book are sadly true and it broke my heart to realise the difficult choices that German women had to make to survive. I actually lived in what was West Germany as a child so I have always been fascinated by the Berlin Wall.  I had no idea that the border was closed overnight or about the daring escape attempts made by those in East Germany which has really piqued my interest and led to lots of googling.  

I thought the book had a great pace to it and I soon found myself drawn into the story. The author’s descriptions are very vivid and I often felt like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters.  As you would probably expect this isn’t an easy read and some of the events depicted in this book are truly horrific- even more so as they are true.  I have found myself constantly thinking about them and about whether if I was there I would have been brave enough to do something different.  

The ending was beautiful as I loved seeing how far the characters had come and that they had got some answers.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid and for my copy of this book it’s really appreciated.

About The Author:

Born in Sweden to a family of writers and readers, Josie Ferguson moved to Scotland when she was two. She returned to Sweden in her twenties, where she completed a vocational degree in Clinical Psychology (MSc). Upon graduating, she moved to London to pursue a career in publishing, something she had dreamed about since delving into fictional worlds as a child, hidden under the duvet with a torch.

She later moved to Asia in search of an adventure and a bit more sun and currently works as a freelance book editor in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and two young children. While training to become a clinical psychologist, Josie learned about the complexity of human nature, something she explores as a writer. She believes books about the past can change the future and she aspires to write as many as possible. The Silence in Between is her debut.

Two For Tuesday: TJ Klune @UKTor @panmacmillan #TwoForTuesday #TJKlune #SomewhereBeyondTheSea #TheHouseInTheCeruleanSea #CosyFantasy

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. I was a huge fan of The House In The Cerulean Sea and rate it as one of my favourite books ever. So you can imagine my excitement when a copy of the sequel, Somewhere Beyond The Sea, was sent to the bookshop.

I’m really excited to read it soon though I’m hoping to re-read The House In The Cerulean Sea first as it’s been a while.

Huge thanks to @torbooks and @panmacmillan for sending this to me.

Out 12th September 2024. There is a special Indie edition with beautiful spredges available too. Find out more about the book below ⬇️

If you could live in any bookish world, which one would you choose?

Somewhere Beyond The Sea by TJ Klune

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

This is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, a cosy-fantasy triumph and a New York Times bestseller.

Arthur Parnassus has built a good life on the ashes of a bad one. He’s headmaster at an orphanage for magical children, on a peculiar island, assisted by love-of-his-life Linus Baker. And together, they’ll do anything to protect their extraordinary and powerful charges.

However, when Arthur is forced to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself fighting for those under his care. It’s also a fight for the better future that all magical people deserve. Then when a new magical child joins their island home, Arthur knows they’ve reached breaking point. The child finds power in calling himself a monster, a name Arthur has tried so hard to banish to protect his children. Challenged from within and without, their volatile family might grow stronger. Or everything Arthur loves could fall apart.Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

The House In The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he’s spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages.

Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside – including the Antichrist.

At the orphanage, Linus must somehow determine if these children could bring about the end of days. But their guardian, the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. And, as Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose: his duty, or his dreams . . .

About The Author:

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, and the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

Book Spotlight: The Lantern Of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi @hiiragisanaka @picadorbooks @panmacmillan @Connor__Hutch #TheLanternOfLostMemories #SanakaHiiragi #JapaneseFiction #BookSpotlight

Good afternoon everyone I hope you are having a great Friday. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of this fantastic looking proof this week at work.

I’m a huge fan of Japanese translation fiction and I have been very intrigued by this book since I heard about it. It sounds similar to Before The Coffee Gets Cold series which I love so I’m very excited to read this soon.

Huge thanks to @connorhutch24 and @picadorbooks for sending me a copy of this.

Out 22nd August 2024
Find out more about the book below ⬇️

Book Synopsis:

One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . .

In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task.

There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, and now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.

But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive.

Extraordinarily moving and wise, The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us.

About The Author:

Sanaka Hiiragi was born in 1974 in the Kagawa Prefecture. She graduated from Kobe Women’s University, majored in literature and completed her studies at Himeji Dokkyo University. After living and working overseas as a Japanese Language teacher for seven years, her debut novel, The Battle of Marriage Island, was nominated for the Konomys Award in 2012 and was chosen as ‘The Hidden Jade’ by the editors in 2013. She is a big fan of cameras, photography and kimono art. Picador publish The Lantern of Lost Memories in 2024.

#BookReview: The Death Watcher by Chris Carter @simonschusterUK @SimonSaysBooks @librofm #TheDeathWatcher #ChrisCarter #HighlyRecommended #RobertHunter #ThrillerThursday

Book Synopsis:

When a routine autopsy on what looked like a straightforward hit-and-run leads the LA Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Carolyn Hove, to discover some puzzling inconsistencies, she calls in Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Not only did Dr Hove discover that the death wasn’t caused by a hit-and-run, but she also found indications that the victim had been severely tortured prior to death.

What no one realises is that what Dr Hove has stumbled upon is just the tip of the iceberg and it will lead Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia, on the trail of a twisted and clever killer who hides in plain sight. A serial killer no one even knew existed – a killer who has always operated under the radar, expertly disguising every gruesome murder as an accidental death.

But with no leads as to why the victim was targeted, the investigation comes to a standstill, until another body is discovered with an alternative cause of death.

What becomes clear is that this serial killer isn’t going to stop – unless Hunter and Garcia can get to him.

But how do you investigate a murder when you have no victims? How do you catch a killer who leaves behind no crime scene? How do you stop a ghost who no one can prove even exists?

My Review:

The Death Watcher is a dark, gripping thriller from a author for me.  I’ve been recommended this author multiple times, so I’m pleased that I finally got a chance to experience his books. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.  

I was immediately thrown into the story and into the, rather terrifying, murder investigation Hunter and Garcia find themselves with.  This book is slightly different to other crime novels that I have read as there aren’t initially a lot of suspects so instead the investigation focuses on why the murder might be choosing his victims which I found quite fascinating to follow.  I liked that the investigation seemed to unfold at a realistic pace and it was great to see the detectives using their brains to solve the crime rather than just relying on technology.  

The story had a great pace to it and soon became very gripping as the reader learns more about the victims, the murderer and their history.  I listened to this on audiobook and soon found myself walking the long way to work as I wanted to find out what would happen next.  The descriptions of torture are quite graphic and definitely won’t be for the faint hearted.  I’ve read quite a few dark crime novels and even I felt queasy at times.  There was lots of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing and I didn’t figure out what was going on until the end which I always love.  

Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ALC through Libro fm.  


About The Author:

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and Criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney’s Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

#BookReview: Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa @bonnierbooks_uk @ZaffreBooks #MoreDaysAtTheMorisakiBookshop #SatoshiYagisawa

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.


#BookSpotlight: Holmes And Moriarty by Gareth Rubin @GarethRubin @simonschusterUK @SimonSaysBooks #HolmesAndMoriarty #GarethRubin #OutSept2024

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 Review: The Guernsey Girls Go To War by Mary Wood @Authormary @panmacmillan #TheGuernseyGirls #MaryWood #Saga

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 Review: The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal @esmacneal @picadorbooks @panmacmillan @CamillaElworthy #TheBurialPlot #ElizabethMacneal #HistoricalFiction

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.

Friday Flat Lay: Borough Press @SierraGreer87 @TeddyWayne1999 @BoroughPress @IndieThinking #FlatLay #BoroughPress #AnnieBot #TheWinner #AccidentalDarlings

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.

Two For Tuesday: Morisaki Bookshop @ZaffreBooks #DaysAtTheMorisakiBookshop #MoreDaysAtTheMorisakiBookshop #TwoForTuesday

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.