Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for The Dylan Prize longlist today and I have my review of The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya to share with you.

The Hypocrite is one of 12 books to make the longlist before the shortlist is announced tomorrow which is very exciting.

You can find out more about the book and read my full review below ⬇️

Out Now!

Book Synopsis:

Sicily, 2010. Sophia, on the cusp of adulthood, spends a long hot summer with her father, a successful author. Over the course of that holiday, their relationship will fracture.

London, 2020. Sophia’s father, now 61, sits in a large theatre, surrounded by strangers, watching his daughter’s first play. A play that takes that Sicilian holiday as its subject and will force him to watch his purported crimes re-enacted. Set over the course of one climactic day, this is the story of a father and a daughter, of all that divides and binds them.

My Review:

A surprisingly absorbing, thought provoking read which has been deservedly short listed for the Dylan Thomas and Nero Book Awards.

Firstly I thought that the book was very aptly named as everyone you meet in this book, including some of the minor characters , are a hypocrite.  They all say it’s important for people to act one way but then act a completely different way themselves.  The story flits between the father who is watching his daughter’s play, the mother and daughter who are having lunch while the play is on and flashback to the day ten years ago when their relationship changed.  None of the characters are particularly likeable but I thought the author did a great job with the character of Sophia in this book, perfectly describing a girl on the cusp of adulthood who wants to be seen differently but isn’t quite sure how to achieve this.  

I soon found myself absorbed into the story and into the messy lives of the characters.  The difficult situation that the character’s find themselves in was very intriguing and I loved finding out everything that had happened to cause their relationship to get to this stage.  The mystery of what exactly happened in Sicily that night was gradually revealed and, while I don’t think what happened deserved to have a revenge play written  about it, I felt that it was well handled by the author.  It was interesting to see how differently the father and daughter remembered the month they spent together too.  While the father felt it was a bonding holiday where he helped her gain valuable life experience the daughter remembers it as a boring holiday where she was basically ignored by her father when they weren’t working.  

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to other people.  The pace is a bit slow in places but I found myself too invested in what was happening with the characters to mind.  The ending was interesting and without trying to give anything away I liked seeing how things might be for the family going forward. I think it would make a great book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.  

Huge thanks to Midas for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

JO HAMYA was born in London in 1997. After living in Miami for a few years, she completed an English degree at King’s College London and a MSt in contemporary literature and culture at Oxford University. There, she divided her research between updating twentieth-century cultural theory into twenty-first-century digital contexts, and the impact of social media on form and questions of identity in contemporary women’s writing. Since leaving Oxford, she has worked as a copyeditor for Tatler and edited manuscripts subsequently published by Edinburgh University Press and Doubleday UK. She has also written for the Financial Times.Three Rooms is her first novel. She lives in London.

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good day. Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books from the fantastic Tomes For Tea series.

💜You Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea
❤️Tea You At The Altar

There’s actually three books in the series but I couldn’t find my copy of the second book sadly. This is such a fantastic series and I’ve been really enjoying it so far. If you love books with cruel queens, brave pirates, dragons and golden griffins then you’d definitely love this cosy fantasy series. I think it’s similar to The Spell Shop so if you liked that book then I think you’ll love this one too.

I’m on the blog tour for Tea You At The Altar on Friday so please come back to read my thoughts then. There’s one more book to go in this series too which I think will be out in August!

Huge thanks to @bookbreakuk and @torbooksuk for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure.

What mythical pet would you like to own?

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. I have my review of the fantastic When The Cranes Fly South by Liza Ridzén on my blog today.

I absolutely adored this book and have been shouting about it ever since I finished reading it. It’s easily one of my favourite books ever and I’ll be recommending it to everyone for a long time.

When The Cranes Fly South is out on the 15th May 2025. You can find out more about the book and read my five star review below.

Huge thanks to Izzy from Doubleday for sending me a copy of this book I really appreciate it.

Book Synopsis:

Bo lives a quiet existence in his small rural village in the north of Sweden. He is elderly and his days are punctuated by visits from his care team and his son.

Fortunately, he still has his memories, phone calls with his best friend Ture, and his beloved dog Sixten for company.

Only now his son is insisting the dog must be taken away. The very same son that Bo is wanting to mend his relationship with before his time is up. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotions and makes Bo determined to resist and find his voice.

An instant number one bestseller in Sweden and winner of the Swedish Book of the Year, When the Cranes Fly South is a profoundly moving and emotional novel about one man’s desire to preserve his autonomy, about the multitude of stories contained within a life, and the big things for which we have no words.

My Review:

When The Cranes Fly South is a very special, beautifully written book that I’ve kept thinking about long after I’ve finished reading. It has easily become one of my books of the year and I can’t wait for more people to be able to read it.

In When The Cranes Fly South we follow an elderly Bo as he struggles with his failing body and the lack of control he feels he has in his life now.  I really liked Bo and felt a lot of sympathy for his current situation.  He desperately wants to be able to do everything that he used to be able to do and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is physically unable to anymore.  He especially hates that his son and careers don’t let him make his own decisions from simple things like not having a shower to more complex ones like whether he should keep his dog who is his constant companion.  I often found myself getting very worked up on his behalf as I read over the indignities and injustices he has to face.  

Bo spends much of his days lying in bed with only his dog Sixten for company.  He’s visited frequently by careers and his son Hans who he’s always had a complicated relationship with.  His wife, Fredrika, is now in a care home suffering from dementia and no longer recognises Bo or their son Hans.  Bo really misses her and talks to her often when remembering happier times from their long marriage.  He often talks to her as if she is actually there in the room with him still which makes the memories even more poignant to read about.  Throughout the book Bo reflects on his life and the mistakes he feels he made along the way.  He wants to say so much to Hans and to the people he loves but worries he’s left it to late to say everything that he wants to.  

I thought this book was incredibly absorbing and very emotional as I often found myself tearing up as I read.  It’s a very thought provoking read as made me think more about growing old and what I’d want to say to my loved ones before I died.  The battle between an elderly person wanting to retain control and a son trying to do the right thing was very poignant to read about.  It made me realise how difficult some of the decisions people have to make in this situation are.  The ending was incredibly beautiful especially that last line.  I closed the book in tears at the ending and at having to leave the wonderful characters behind.  I think this would make a great book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.  

About The Author:

The idea for Lisa Ridzén’s heartrending debut When the Cranes Fly South came to her through the discovery of notes her Grandfather’s care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life. She was also inspired by her research into masculinity in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside Östersund.

Lisa began penning the novel whilst attending Långholmen Writer’s Academy. When the Cranes Fly South was a number one bestseller in Sweden, won the overall Swedish Book of the Year, and the Adlibris prize both for Debut and Fiction of the Year – the first time in the awards’ history that an author won in two categories. Rights have sold in 34 languages around the world.

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good Monday. I recently finished two very different books.

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gillmore which is the fourth book in the fantastic Dream Harbour series and The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya which has been shortlisted for the Dylan Prize! I enjoyed both of these and I’ll be posting my reviews later this week.

I’m now starting Tea You At The Altar by Rebecca Thorne which is the next installment in the fabulous Tomes And Tea series. I’m a few pages in but I’m loving being back in this world again. I’m on the blog tour on Friday so do come back to check out my review.

Huge thanks to @wnbooks and @midascampaigns for sending me a copy of The Hypocrite and @torbooksuk and @bookbreakuk for the copy of Tea You At The Altar it’s really appreciated.

What are you currently reading?

Good morning everyone and happy Monday. Spring is one of my favourite seasons and I’ve been loving the sunny days we’ve started to get this month so I had to do a stack to celebrate!

🤍The House With Nine Locks by Philip Gray
💛The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
🩵Story Of My Life by Lucy Score
🤍There Are Rivers In The Sky by Elif Shafak
💛 Believe by S. M Govett
💙 Cleopatra by Natasha Solomon
💛The Stranger In Room Six by Jane Corry
🤍Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
🩵 Human Remains by Jo Callaghan

All of these are tbr apart from Blue Sisters but I’m hoping to read Human Remains and Story Of My Life soon as I’ve been hearing lots of great things.

I’m off today and after doing a bit of housework I’m hoping to do some reading. I have a bar of my favourite chocolate ready so I’m looking forward to snuggling up after the school run. I finished a book yesterday and started a new one last night. It’s taken me a little bit to get into it but I’m enjoying it now. I’m planning on posting a reading update later so check back to see what I’m reading.

I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to take part and share a spring weather stack but, as always, no pressure.

Did you have a good weekend? What was your favourite part?

Book Synopsis:

Do you trust the couple next door?

When Lena overhears a conversation between her next-door neighbours, she thinks she must have misheard.

After all, the Morgans are a kind, retired couple who have moved to a suburban street in Bristol where nothing ever happens.

But it sounded like they were planning a crime.

Her family and friends tell her she’s made a mistake.
Yet the more Lena looks into the Morgans, the darker things seem.
And the more she fears it might be linked to a secret from her own past.

Because, if her suspicions are true, then someone is in real danger.

And it might just be her…

My Review:

The New Neighbours is another gripping, twisty read from one of my favourite thriller writers.  It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

The Story is told from the point of view of several different characters and from multiple timelines.  As we follow them the reader is slowly drawn into the mystery of what is happening next door but also how it might connect with events from years ago.  I really enjoyed following the different timeline and trying to work out how everything fit together.  There were lot of twist that kept me guessing and I kept changing my mind as to what was going on.  Just when I thought I had figured everything out, something would happen to send the story in another direction which I thought was very clever.

I thought most of the characters in this book were quite unlikeable as most had done some questionable things.  I did have a huge soft spot for the main character Lena though, probably because as she’s my age I can really relate to her and her worries for the future.  As someone whose life mostly revolves around her kids as well the prospect of a future where they won’t need me as much scares me.  Her ‘mother bear’ instincts also made me smile as I’ve been known to do that too with my children.

Overall as you can probably guess I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.  I was quickly drawn into the story and into the mystery of what the neighbours were up to. The book was very fast paced and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading, often long into the night which hasn’t happened for a while.  The ending was brilliant, especially that surprising twist at the end and I especially loved that the author includes a bit after everything is resolved so that the reader can see what happens next.  It is definitely a book that will make you think twice about spying on your neighbours.

Huge thanks to Michael Joseph publishers for sending me a copy of this book.  

About The Author:

Claire Douglas is the Sunday Times number one bestselling author of eight stand alone novels: The Sisters (2015), Local Girl Missing (2016), Last Seen Alive (2017), Do Not Disturb (2018), Then She Vanishes (2019) and Just Like The Other Girls (2020). Her seventh, The Couple At No 9 (2021) was an Amazon number one bestseller, a number three Sunday Times bestseller and most recently hit number one on Germany’s Der Spiegel paperback bestsellers chart. The Girls Who Disappeared was a Richard and Judy book club pick for Autumn 2022 and was an instant number one Sunday Times bestseller. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK and have been published worldwide.

Her most recent, THE WOMAN WHO LIED will be published on July 6th 2023.

You can find Claire on Twitter at @DougieClaire, Instagram as clairedouglasauthor, or visit her Facebook page clairedouglasauthor.

Book Synopsis:

Celebrated writer and historian Maria Graham must make the treacherous voyage from Brazil to London to deliver her latest book to her publisher. Having come to terms with the loss of her beloved husband, Maria is now determined to live her life as she pleases, free from the smothering constraints of Georgian society.

For a woman travelling alone it’s a journey fraught with danger, and as civil war rages around her, the only ship prepared to take Maria belongs to roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson. Onboard, all is well until Maria makes two shocking discoveries – the first a deadly secret, the second an irresistible attraction to the enigmatic captain.

With Henderson on a journey of his own and determined to finally put his life of crime behind him, he and Maria grow ever closer. But can Henderson escape his illicit past or will the scandalous secret he’s hiding ruin them both?

My Review:

On Starlit Seas is another absorbing, atmospheric read from Sara Sheridan.  

Firstly I absolutely loved the main character Maria and enjoyed following her throughout the book.  She’s an actual historical character who I’d not heard of before so it was fascinating to find out more about her, chocolate smuggling and Brazil’s war for independence. It’s always a joy to read about independent, strong ladies especially in past times when the odds were more stacked against them and I loved how Maria stands up for herself against the norms of society.  She doesn’t let anyone get in the way of her dreams which is very admirable both in the book and her achievements in real life.

I though the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading.  The author has done a great job of setting the scene and I often felt like I was really there experiencing the heat of the jungle at one moment and the rigidness of English society in the next.  The story has a bit of everything in it war, adventure, ship voyages and romance which worked really well in the story.  I loved learning more about the period as I didn’t know much about the beginnings of the chocolate trade or the gangs that existed purely for smuggling.  The book is based around real events and I liked that the author has been able to fit her story inside of what actually transpired which I thought was very clever.  I always love being able to google real life historical figures whilst reading so I can find out more about them but in this case I suggest not doing this until after you’ve read the book as it does cause some spoilers.

The ending was really well done and I found myself cheering for how everything turned out.  I do wish one aspect of the ending was slightly different but unfortunately real life events means that it wouldn’t have been possible to end any other way.

If you are a fan of vivid, exciting historical fiction then I highly recommend this book.  

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About The Author:

Sara Sheridan works in a wide range of media and genres but mostly historical and especially the stories of women. She loves exploring where our culture comes from. In 2018 she remapped Scotland according to women’s history. Tipped in Company and GQ magazines, she was nominated for a Young Achiever Award. She has received a Scottish Library Award and has been shortlisted for the Saltire Book Prize and the Wilbur Smith Prize. Her work was included in the David Hume Institute’s Summer Reading list 2019. She has sat on the committee for the Society of Authors in Scotland (where she lives) and on the board of ’26’ the campaign for the importance of words. She took part in 3 ’26 Treasures’ exhibitions at the V&A, London, The National Museum of Scotland and the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. She occasionally blogs for the Guardian about her writing life, the Huffington Post about her activism as a writer and a feminist and puts her hand up to being a ‘twitter evangelist’. From time to time she appears on radio, and has reported for BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent from both Tallin and Sharjah. Sara is a member of the Society of Authors and the Historical Writers Association. A self-confessed ‘word nerd’ her favourite book is ‘Water Music’ by TC Boyle. In 2016 she cofounded feminist perfume brand, REEK: artefacts from the project are now held at the National Museums of Scotland and the Glasgow Women’s Library.

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. As most of you know it was International Women’s Day yesterday and cos I’m daft I forgot to post this yesterday so I’m doing a belated post!

Here are some of my favourite women authors:

❤️Laura Wood
🧡BK Borison
💛Coco Mellors *
💚 Claire Douglas *
💙 Hannah Grace *
🩵Dinah Jeffries
💜Tess Gerritsen
💟Clare Leslie Hall *
🩷Jo Callaghan
💕 Alice Feeney *
🤍 Jane Casey
🩶C.L Taylor

I highly recommend all of these fabulous authors as I’ve loved all of their books. I’ve actually read a few of the books in this stack already but I’m looking forward to reading the rest really soon. The star next to their name shows the books I’ve already read.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies on here who make blogging so fun and offer so much support. My lovely book club ladies for all the laughs and good conversations. Special shout out to my mum, sister, school mum friends and work colleagues I’m so grateful to you all.

Which female authors alive or dead would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Eeek! I was lucky enough to grab this fab book post when it arrived at the book store this week. I’ve loved previous book by this author so I’m very excited to read this one soon. A lovely story set in space? Sounds amazing!

Huge thanks to Hutchinson and All About The Indies for sending this to our Malvern shop it’s much appreciated.

Out June 2025 and find out more about the book below ⬇️

Is this one on your radar?

Book Synopsis:

AN EPIC NOVEL SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE 1980S SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS WE GO TO LIVE AND LOVE BEYOND OUR LIMITS.

In the summer of 1980, astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin begins training to be an astronaut at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond; mission specialists John Griffin and Lydia Danes; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer. As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love – this time among the stars.

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.

Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. As you probably know The Woman’s Prize For Fiction Long List was announced this week.

❤️Good Girl by Aria Aber
❣️The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley
🧡 Somewhere Else by Jenni Daiches
💛Amma by Saraid de Silva
💚 Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings
💙All Fours by Miranda July
🩵The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
💜 Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
💟 Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
🩷A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
💕Birding by Rose Ruane
🤍The Artist by Lucy Steeds
🤎Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Stoud
🖤The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden
🩶 Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

Much to my delight I already have copies of 7 of the books which I’m excited about. I’m sure I’ve got a copy of A Little Trickerie as I went to an event with her last year and Birding but I sadly can’t find them at the moment.

There are four books I haven’t heard of before in the list so I’m looking forward to discovering more about them.

Out of the books I’ve got I’m hoping to read The Artist, Nesting and The Safekeep soon as I keep hearing great things.

Will you be reading any books from the list? Which book would you read first?