Good morning everyone and happy Friday. I saw this on the lovely @nic_thebookworm ‘s page and thought it looked fun so I wanted to join in.
➕ Addition: Your most recent purchase You Are Here by David Nicholls
➖ Subtraction: The Last Book You Finished The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins (Check out my review on my grid)
✖️ Multiplication: Favourite book by your favourite author The Last Summer by Karen Swan
➗ Division: Your favourite book in your favourite series Lovelight Farms by B.K Borison
🟰Equals: A book you want to reread The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse (In anticipated for the next book in the series coming out in October)
♾️ Infinity: A book you can’t stop thinking about In Memoriam by Alice Winn
I’ve tagged a few people who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure.
I’m off today and hoping for a quiet day. We’re going on holiday next week so I’m going to sort things out for that and do some housework. I’m also hoping to finish my book which I’m absolutely loving so far. I might also be meeting my mum for lunch, which is always fun as without the kids we actually get to chat 🤣
Good afternoon everyone I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of Conviction by Jack Jordan this week as I’m taking part in the Unlikely suspects read-along for it.
I’ve been a huge fan of this author from the start so I can’t wait to read his new book soon. If you love fast paced, gripping thrillers then I highly recommend his books.
Huge thanks to the Likely Suspects and Simon and Schuster for sending this to me.
Conviction is out on the 20th June 2024.
Find out more about the book below!
Book Synopsis:
THE LATEST PULSE-POUNDING THRILLER FROM THE MASTER OF THE MORAL DILEMMA AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, JACK JORDAN.
Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him. But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come. But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself. Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.
Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.
About The Author:
Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019).
His latest thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.
To find out more about Jack, enter numerous annual giveaways to win signed copies of his books, and be the first to hear of new book releases and news, follow him here:
A world without the clattering of carriages through cobbled streets, the distant cries of drunken brawls, the relentless ticking of the clock.
Then he meets a fascinating, mysterious gentleman who sells just that. Precious silk that can drown out the clamour of the world – and everything Henry is so desperate to escape.
Summoned to Sir Edward’s secluded factory to try to cure his young daughter’s deafness, Henry is soon drawn deeper and deeper into the origins of this otherworldly gift: a gift that has travelled from ancient Mediterranean glades to English libraries.
Ignoring repeated warnings from the girl’s secretive governess, he allows himself to fall under the spell of Sir Edward and his silk… but when he learns its true cost, will it be too late to turn back?
From the #1 bestselling author of THE BINDING, this is an enthralling story about complicity, desire and corruption – a novel to lose yourself in.
My Review:
The Silence Factory is a dark, gothic and unsettling read which I wouldn’t recommend if you’re not a fan of spiders!
The story of told in two timelines, the earlier timeline follows Sophia as she follows her husband on an expedition while she later follows Henry as he starts working for Sir Edward the owner of a mysterious factory. Of the two timelines much preferred Sophia’s as I found her to be a much more sympathetic character who I often wished I could reach into the book and hug. She represents the typical Victorian lady controlled and repressed by her husband who I often wanted to throttle because of his demeaning attitude towards her. Through her timeline we learn more about the attitude of a British explorer at the time and their attitudes towards other cultures which made my blood boil at times. It was fascinating to learn more about the Greek island she finds herself living on and learning more about the special spiders. Her relationship with Hera was also fascinating to explore and I loved watching her find freedom through her friendship with her. Henry on the other I wasn’t so quick to warm to as I found him incredibly gullible and needy which made him a bit annoying. He seemed easily drawn into Sir Edward’s world and a bit obsessed with the spiders as well as Sir Edward himself. His inability to see the truth of what was happening was a little frustrating at times particularly as it’s obvious to the reader early on that not everything is as it seems.
I thought this was a bit of a slow burn but I didn’t mind as I was enjoying learning more about the characters and exploring their worlds with them. The mystery surrounding the spiders was very intriguing to learn about and I loved discovering more about the spider silk- especially what it was capable of. The later timeline is set in an alternate Victorian period though it keeps some of the same characteristics namely the work houses and the horrendous working conditions in factories. It was heartbreaking to see how the workers had been affected by working at the factory and how it changed their lives.
The ending was brilliant and I found I couldn’t put the book down in the last few chapters. There were a few surprises that I hadn’t expected and, although I wish we could have followed Sophia’s story further, I was satisfied with how everything was tied up. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I’m excited to read more from her in the future.
Huge thanks to Indie Thinking and the Borough Press for sending me a copy of this book.
About The Author:
Bridget Collins was born in 1981 in Kent, England. She always wanted to be an actor, and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after studying English at King’s College, Cambridge, but after she graduated from drama school she found herself starting to write a novel as a way to distract herself when she wasn’t working – and discovered that she loved it… Her first published novel, The Traitor Game, won the Branford Boase Award and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Since then she has published six more novels for teenagers. The Binding, her first adult novel, was published in January 2019, went straight to no. 2 in the Sunday Times bestseller list, was the bestselling adult debut hardback that year, and reached no. 1 on its paperback release. Her second adult novel, The Betrayals, was also a Sunday Times bestseller.
The Silence Factory will be published in May 2024.
Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books from Kate Foster.
💚 The Maiden 💙 The King’s Witches
I absolutely loved The Maiden and it was one of my favourite books last year so I was very excited to learn she had a new book coming out. I absolutely love a witchy book so I’m very excited to read The King’s Witches and to be part of the blog tour on the 7th.
Huge thanks to the lovely @libraryofchlo for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
Out 6th June 2024. Find out more about the book below ⬇️
The King’s Witches by Kate Foster
The King’s Witches by Kate Foster is a compelling and beautiful historical novel that gives voices to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland.
Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.
1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland. Before they can wed, Anna must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy of being Scotland’s new Queen. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . .
By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady-in-waiting. But, whilst tending to Anna’s every need, Kirsten has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to succeed . . .
Meanwhile, in North Berwick, young housemaid Jura practises the healing charms taught to her by her mother. When she realizes she is no longer safe, she escapes to Edinburgh, only to find herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital, but the new queen . . .
The Maiden by Kate Foster
Inspired by a real-life murder trial, Kate Foster’s The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist that gives voices to women otherwise silenced by history.
In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.
Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.
Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? She wasn’t the only woman in Forrester’s life, and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead . . .
About The Author:
Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.
Good morning everyone I realised I hadn’t shared a rainbow stack for a while so I thought I’d share one today to hopefully brighten up your Monday!
❤️The Book Of Fire by Christy Lefteri 🧡The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas 💛The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson 💚Martyr by Kaveh Akbar 🟢 Maya’s Laws Of Love by Maya Khawaja 🩵 Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors 💙One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz 🩷Mixed Signals by B K Borison 💞 Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch 💜The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell
All of these are tbr but I’m hoping to read some of these soon as I’ve heard great things. Out of these I’ll probably read The Silence In Between and Blue Sisters as I’m very excited to read them.
I’ve been off today and I tidied up the house as it was a bit of a tip from the weekend and then I read some more of my book. I’m in a weird situation where I’m in a reading slump but I’m actually enjoying my book… Think I need to lock my phone away so I stop scrolling!
Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good Sunday. I was very excited to receive a copy of The House Of Fever by Polly Crosby last week.
I’m particularly interested by this one as it’s based on real historical events and because it features tuberculosis which is a disease I have always been intrigued by.
Huge thanks to Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book. I’ve been such a huge fan of her previous books so I can’t wait to read this one.
Out 15th August 2024.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️
What have you been up to this Sunday?
Book Synopsis:
Can she unlock the secrets of The House of Fever?
1935, Hedoné House, a luxurious sanatorium for the creative elite dedicated to the groundbreaking treatment of tuberculosis. As the doctor’s new wife, Agnes Templeton has pledged her life to a house of fever.
But Hedoné is no ordinary hospital. High society rubs shoulders with artists, poets and musicians. No expense is spared on the comfort of the guests, and champagne flows freely. It’s a world away from everything Agnes knows.
Her husband’s methods are unusual. There are whisperings about past patients and even a cure. Hedoné’s secrets draw Agnes in, revealing truths she could never anticipate, and soon she is caught between a past she is desperate to escape and a future she may forever regret.
About The Author:
Polly Crosby grew up on the Suffolk coast, and now lives with her husband and son in the heart of Norfolk.
Polly writes gothic historical mysteries for adults. Her first novel for young adults – This Tale is Forbidden – a dystopian fractured fairytale with hints of the Brother’s Grimm and The Handmaid’s Tale, came out in January with Scholastic.
In 2018, Polly won Curtis Brown Creative’s Yesterday Scholarship, which enabled her to finish her debut novel, The Illustrated Child.
Later the same year, she was awarded runner-up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel. Polly received the Annabel Abbs Creative Writing Scholarship at the University of East Anglia.
Polly can be found on Twitter, Instagram & Tiktok as @WriterPolly
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. I was tagged by the lovely @mrs_hs_favourite_books to take part in the Three Current Things Challenge. I sadly have passed a few of my favourite books on so couldn’t include them in the picture.
Three Favourite Books Of The Year
The Wartime Bookclub by Kate Thompson
The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton
The Night In Question by Susan Fletcher
Three Random Facts About Me
I met my husband in a game of Spin The Bottle (classy I know)
I don’t watch a lot of TV, though I’ve just discovered Scrubs on Disney Plus and I’ve been binge watching it.
My favourite place to be is by the sea and I’m looking forward to being there in a week
Top Three Books On My Tbr
When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker
Puzzlewood by Rosie Andrews
The Lifeline by Libby Page
Three Current Favourite Songs
Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
Smooth by Santana
I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to join in but, as always, no pressure!
I’m hoping for a quiet morning as my youngest two are going out to clubs so I’m hoping to read a bit more of The Silence Factory which I’m really enjoying. I’m then taking my daughter to a birthday party before going to my mum’s for food which is always lovely!
Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good Friday. I was very excited to receive a copy of Swift River by Essie Chambers this week. I always enjoy books that involve family history so this sounds very interesting.
Huge thanks to Millie from Dialogue Books for sending me a copy of this book.
Out 4th July 2024.
Book Synopsis:
What if the price of moving forward is losing the only family you’ve ever known?
Summer, 1987. On the sweltering streets of the dying New England mill town of Swift River, sixteen-year-old Diamond Newbury is desperately lonely. It’s been seven years since her father disappeared, and while her mother is determined to move on, Diamond can’t distance herself from his memory. When Diamond receives a letter from a relative she has never met, she unearths long-buried secrets of her family’s past and discovers a legacy she never knew she was missing. The more she learns, however, the harder it becomes to reconcile her old life with the one she wants to lead.
So begins an epic story spanning the twentieth century that reveals a much larger picture of prejudice and love, of devotion and abandonment – and will change Diamond’s life forever.
About The Author:
Essie Chambers earned her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell, Vermont Studio Center, and Baldwin for the Arts. A former film and television executive, she was a producer on the documentary Descendant, which was released by the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company and Netflix in 2022. Swift River is her debut novel.
Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. I was meant to be on the cover reveal for Close Knit by Jenny Colgan yesterday but I misread the email (it’s been one of those weeks) so I’m sharing today!
I’m a huge fan of this author’s books and I always look forward to a new book from her as they are always such warm hearted, fun reads.
Close Knit is published in hardback and ebook on the 15th August 2024.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️
Book Synopsis:
Everyone knows her life story. But who will win her heart?
Gertie has always had her head in the clouds, wondering what her life might be like if she could only pluck up the courage to leave the remote Scottish island where she was born.
It’s the only place she knows, but you can’t do anything there without everyone knowing – the glue of this close-knit community is the Knitting Circle, a group of strong, capable and frankly nosy women who work hard, gossip, knit and support each other through thick and thin. At the centre of this sisterhood is Gertie’s mum Jean and her grandmother Elspeth, and the three generations of women live together, surrounded by wool, in one small cottage.
When the chance comes to make changes – a new job working with old schoolfriend Morag on the local airline, new friends and even a possible new romance – a world of possibilities opens up before Gertie. Is this the way to make her dreams come true?
Fifteen million copies sold. A readership that spans the world. It’s time to fall in love with Jenny Colgan.
Your favourite authors love Jenny Colgan’s novels: ‘An evocative, sweet treat’ Jojo Moyes ‘Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting’ Marian Keyes ‘Irresistible’ Jill Mansell ‘Just lovely’ Katie Fforde ‘Naturally funny, warm-hearted’ Lisa Jewell ‘A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book’ Mike Gayle
About The Author:
Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan.
THE TENSION-FILLED NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF NUMBER ONE DIGITAL BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK, THE PRISONER .
Iris and Gabriel have just got home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their dearest friends, Laure, is in their house – sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture. She has walked out on her husband – and their good friend – Pierre over his confession of an affair.
Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive. But as Laure’s mood becomes more unpredictable, her presence begins to unravel secrets in all their pasts – until things reach breaking point …
My Review:
I really enjoyed this gripping, unsettling read from one of my favourite thriller authors.
Firstly I loved all the characters and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. They all had a fascinating back story and all seemed to be hiding secrets which I loved unraveling. The story is told from the point of view of Iris with a few chapters from Gabriel’s point of view. All the characters were pretty unlikeable and quite selfish which made it easier to just sit back and watch everything unfold.
I thought the book had a great pace to it and I found it hard to stop listening to the audiobook once I had started. There always seemed to be something happening to keep me interesting and even when there wasn’t I just enjoyed being a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold. There were a few twists that kept me guessing and some that I did guess often before the characters had caught up.
The ending was absolutely brilliant and took me completely by surprise. I honestly hadn’t guessed the final twist which I always love and I have found myself thinking about the book long after I’ve finished reading it. I listened to this as an audiobook yid highly recommend it as I thought the narrator was fantastic.
Huge thanks to Libro FM for providing me with an arc audiobook. If you’re a thriller fan I highly recommended this book.
About The Author:
B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors, and her latest thriller, The Guest.
Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Three of her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with films of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and The Therapist in development.
Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris, who spent most of her adult life living in France, worked in finance as a trader before retraining as an English teacher. She and her husband then ran a language school together whilst bringing up their five daughters. Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England.
Follow B.A. on Twitter and Instagram at @baparisauthor. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub. Sign up to her newsletter for teasers, giveaways and updates.
Over The Rainbow Blog 