Good morning everyone and happy Friday.  I was tagged by the lovely @mrs_hs_favourite_books to take part in this challenge.  I’m a huge fan of both tea and books so I’ve really enjoyed this one!

💚 Green Tea- a classic you love

My favourite ever classic is To Kill A Mocking Bird and I still have my battered, annotated copy from doing it at GCSE.  I’ve included Before The Coffee Gets Cold in the picture as I think it has the potential to be a classic book in the future.

💛 Camomile Tea – A popular book you disliked

Ok confession time, I didn’t like Lessons In Chemistry and I actually DNF’D it….. Everyone keeps telling me to try again and maybe I will one day.

🩵 Peppermint Tea – A comfort book

I always read I May Be Wrong when I’m feeling down or anxious about something as it always helps me.  A Year In Provence was my dad’s favourite book.  We lost him 14 years ago and I often reread it when I want to feel closer to him.

🤍 Jasmine Tea – A book with a pretty cover

I’ve got lots of beautiful books (mainly fantasy) that I could have used for this challenge but Godkiller is my favourite as I think it’s absolutely stunning.  I also love that I see new things in the picture each time I look at it.

💜 Hibiscus Tea – An author that you love.

Too many favourites to mention! I’m a huge fan of Kate Mosse and have read all her books.  I also love Ruth Ware, Karen Swan and Alice Feeny. B.K Borison is an author I discovered this year but has quickly become one of my favourites as I love her books.

🩷Chai Tea – An iconic character

Again so many to choose from.  I’ve gone for Violet and Xaden as I loved Fourth Wing.  I know a lot of people loved them too and I’m so excited for the next installment next week! I’d also include Gaunt and Ellwood from In Memoriam too as they are characters I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure or if you see this post consider yourself tagged!

What’s your favourite type/brand of tea?

Good afternoon everyone I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of this fabulous looking book this week. It sounds absolutely brilliant and I’m very excited to read it soon.

Huge thanks to Jen from Michael St Joseph for my copy of this book.

Out 18th January 2024.

Book Synopsis:

At long last, Adam Sealey has an Oscar within reach. Working with his controversial former mentor, Jonathan, he’s given the performance of a lifetime, and he almost believes it might be worth the cost.

Because Adam subscribes to “the method”. It’s the secret that the world’s greatest actors swear by – digging into their darkest, most personal traumas to bring a role to life.

And Adam’s greatest trauma is worse than most. Losing his mother when he was just a boy. A forced choice between the success he craved and the girl he loved. And that night back in drama school, the night of Adam’s darkest secret, when everyone knows about the dead body, but nobody suspects the truth.

And then he gets a message: someone knows. And if they tell, everything Adam’s worked for will come crashing down.

About The Author:

Chris MacDonald is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor, who attended a top UK Drama School whose alumnae include Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender. His debut play Eye of a Needle played at the Southwark Playhouse and as an actor he’s worked for the BBC, the RSC and Amazon Studios among others. His screenwriting includes social horror This Merrie Land for Agile and his band Playground Champions have soundtracked the ITV show Buffering.

Good morning everyone I thought I’d do a little reading update today:

❤️Last: Maurice And Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst

🧡Now: Supper For Six by Fiona Sherlock

💛Now: The Unspeakable Acts Of Zina Pavlou

💚Now: The Secret Of Elephants by Vasundra Tailor

💙Next: King Of Greed by Ana Huang

I’ve just finished Maurice And Maralyn which I thought was absolutely brilliant, definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. I posted my review yesterday so do go check it out.

I’ve somehow managed to have three books on the go at once. I’m reading Supper For Six a crime book told mainly from interviews, The Unspeakable Acts Of Zina Pavlou and The Secret Lives Of Elephant as part of a Tandem Collective read-along. I’m enjoying all three of them and dipping in and out of them has kept me sane this half term.

I’m thinking I’ll read something completely different next and want to read King Of Greed by Ana Huang which I’m hoping will be the easy read my tired brain needs.

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these?

Book Synopsis:

What begins as an eccentric English love story turns into one of the most dramatic adventures ever recorded…

Maurice and Maralyn couldn’t be more different. He is as cautious and awkward as she is charismatic and forceful. It seems an unlikely romance, but it works.

Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maralyn has an idea: sell the house, build a boat, leave England — and its oil crisis, industrial strikes and inflation — forever. It is hard work, turning dreams into reality, but finally they set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway there, their beloved boat is struck by a whale. It sinks within an hour, and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

On their tiny raft, over the course of days, then months, their love is put to the test. When Maurice begins to withdraw into himself, it falls upon Maralyn to keep them both alive. Their pet turtle helps, as does devising menus for fantasy dinners and dreaming of their next voyage.

Filled with danger, spirit and tenderness, this is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive — not just at sea, but in life.

Out 24th February 2024.

My Review:

Maurice And Maralyn is a beautiful, moving and gripping read that is even more extraordinary as it’s based on a true story.

Firstly, I absolutely loved Maurice and Maralyn and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. They were a fantastic couple, so different to each other but it was lovely to see how they complimented and helped each other. Out of the two Maralyn was definitely my favourite and I really admired the strength she showed on board the life boat. Her ability to find the fun in even the most dire of situations made me smile and the way she helped keep Maurice’s spirits up brought tears to my eyes.

The book is divided into sections with the reader being taken through the couple’s lives from the moment they met until their deaths. It was interesting to learn more about the their different personalities and to see how the idea for sailing to New Zealand came about. The beginning of their journey seemed wonderful and I loved the vivid descriptions of the counties they visited as well as their interactions with some wonderful sounding friends. This contrasts sharply with their lives after the ship wreck and I think helped make their experience even more bleak as the reader realises how utterly alone the pair are. I found the bit detailing the ship wreck very gripping and I was unable to put the book down as I was so absorbed in the story. It was interesting to learn more about the practicality of surviving at sea, how they got water, what they ate to survive and how they kept themselves entertained. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a turtle without thinking of this book again though!

Overall I absolutely loved this book which has stayed with me long after reading. The author cleverly blends fact with fiction to make for a truly fascinating read that’s unlike anything I’ve read before. I liked how the author continues the story after they are rescued so the reader is able to find out what happens to them afterwards. I’d happily rate this one of the best books I’ve ever read and can’t wait for more people to read it so I can discuss it.

Huge thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book through my work at Rossiter Books. If you’re looking for a gripping, unique true story then I highly recommend this one.

About The Author:

Sophie Elmhirst is a journalist. She writes regularly for the Guardian Long Read and the Economist’s 1843 magazine, among others. In 2020, she won the British Press Award for Feature Writer of the Year, and a Foreign Press Award for Finance and Economics Story of the Year. Her first book, Maurice and Maralyn, will be published by Chatto and Windus in 2024. 

Good morning everyone today for Two For Tuesday I thought I’d share two books which I think would make perfect Halloween reading. I had planned to read these before Halloween but life got in the way so I’m hoping to read them both soon as I think they’d be great Autumn reads too.

Today we’re planning to go to our local English Heritage place to hear some spooky tails then the kids want to have a Halloween disco later and I’m hoping to introduce them to my favourite Halloween film Hocus Pocus as they’re finally old enough.

What are your Halloween plans?

The Black Feathers by Rebecca Netley

Where ghosts tread, black feathers fall . . .

When Annie marries widower Edward Stonehouse and arrives at Guardbridge, his estate on the Yorkshire moors, she thinks she has finally put darkness behind her.

She is mistaken . . .

Edward’s sister, Iris, still lives in the family home. A taxidermist and medium, she urges Annie to watch out for black feathers – claiming that they mark the spot where a spirt has visited.

At first, Annie dismisses her warnings. But, before long, an eerie almost haunting feeling takes over her.

What exactly happened to Edward’s first wife? Why is Iris so disturbed?

And should Annie be watching for signs from the dead – or rather is she the one being watched?

SET ON THE YORKSHIRE MOORS IN THE 1800S, THE BLACK FEATHERS IS A GHOSTLY TALE OF MAGIC AND WICKEDNESS.

A Haunting In The Arctic by C. J. Cooke

Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for over a century.

Something that craves revenge…

1901. On board the Ormen, a whaling ship battling through the unforgiving North Sea, Nicky Duthie awakes. Attacked and dragged there against her will, it’s just her and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.

1973. Decades later, when the ship is found still drifting across the ocean, it’s deserted. Just one body is left on board, his face and feet mutilated, his cabin locked from the inside. Everyone else has vanished.

Now, as urban explorer Dominique travels into the near-permanent darkness of the northernmost tip of Iceland, to the final resting place of the Ormen’s wreck, she’s determined to uncover the ship’s secrets.

But she’s not alone. Something is here with her. And it’s seeking revenge…

Good morning everyone and Happy Halloween.

I was tagged by the lovely @mrs_hs_favourite_books
to share some of my favourite things!

📚Special edition books with pretty spredges
🕯️Candles
🍫 Chocolate
☕Pretty mugs
🧦cosy socks or slippers (I ask for some new ones every Christmas)
🧣Pretty scarfs
🍷Wine
🔖 Homemade bookmarks (preferably made by my kids)
📓Cute notebooks
🎶 Discovering new music (mug featured is from one of my favourite musicians Joshua Woo)
🍂Autumn leaves
🚸 Spending time with my kids
👜Cute bags
💐Fresh flowers

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

It’s Half Term this week and we’re off to our local National Trust to join in some Halloween activities. The kids want to have a Halloween disco later and I’m going to finally show them Hocus Pocus my favourite Halloween film.

Happy Halloween!

Match Your Balloon Monday (In Barney’s voice- “It’s going to be a thing”!)

Good morning everyone and happy Monday.  It’s the start of half term for us and my daughter’s 8th Birthday today! She’s very excited and woke me up every hour last night – so I’m rather tired

She got this beautiful balloon for her birthday and wanted me to do “one of my book photos” with it. 

🩷Cursed Crowns
💛 Supper For Six
💚Well Met
💜That Bonesetter Woman
🩵Evil Eye
💚Once Upon A Frosted Star
🩷 Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

All these books are tbr, though I am half way through Belladonna and Once Upon A Frosted Star which I’m hoping to finish soon.  I’m on the blog tour for Supper For Six on Saturday so I’m reading that one next. 

Do you have anything nice planned this week?

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! I was tagged by the lovely @mrs_hs_favourite_books to share a black and orange stack recently.

In my stack are:
🖤Hydra by Matt Wesolowski (possibly one of my favourite creepy series ever)
🧡 Supper For Six by Fiona Sherlock
🖤The Fortunes Of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson
🧡 The First To Die At The End by Adam Silvera
🖤 Remember Remember by Elle Machray
🧡Songs Of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao
🖤To Cage A God by Elizabeth May
🧡 Midnight by Amy McCulloch

Most of these are tbr apart from Hydra and I’m planning on reading Supper For Six soon for the blog tour!

Today I’m hoping for a quiet morning as my husband takes our two youngest to clubs on Saturday morning, leaving just my eldest who’s happy playing his Xbox with his friends. I’m hoping to get some reading done before dropping my daughter off at a swimming party and then taking the boys to a Halloween party with their cousins.

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

What are your weekend plans?

Book Synopsis:

A secret romance was just the start of the story…

Tucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson’s Bar – an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey – until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.

Six years on, and Maddy’s life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.

As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can’t help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she’d thought it was…

The festive new novel about love, family and the power of words from Sunday Times bestseller Sue Moorcroft, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Phillipa Ashley.

My Review:

The Christmas Love Letters is a beautifully written, heartwarming read that will help get you into the festive spirit.

Firstly I absolutely loved the Norfolk setting, which seemed like a beautiful place to live. The snowy scenes made it feel more Christmassy and I loved the festive spirit that seemed to be oozing out of the village. I’m not a huge fan of snow in real life but I found myself wanting to see the beautiful scenes described in the book for myself.

There are some wonderful characters in this book who I loved getting to know throughout the book. They seemed so real and they soon started to feel like old friends. I absolutely loved Maddie and the way she kept going, despite everything, was wonderful to read about. It was great to see her growing closer to Raff though they did frustrate me at times as I wished I could go into the book and help get them to talk to each other.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. The plot was fairly fast paced and there were lots of twists that kept me guessing. I enjoyed trying to work out the links between the families and following the mystery as it slow unfolded. The Christmas references were really heartwarming to read about and I closed the book with a happy sigh – sad to leave the characters behind but very excited for the Christmas period.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Sue Moorcroft is an award-winning Sunday Times and internationally published author of emotionally compelling, feel-good, page-turning fiction who has reached #1 on Amazon Kindle UK and Top 100 Amazon Kindle US, Canada and Italy. Her novels, short stories, serials, courses and columns have appeared around the world. An army child, Sue was born in Germany and then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK.