Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. These are some of the books I’ve added to my tbr this week:
❤️ The Physician’s Daughter by Martha Conway
🧡 The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths
💛 Nanny Wanted by Lizzy Barber
💚 The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek
💙 Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
💜 The Good Liars by Anita Frank
Nanny Wanted and Shark Heart I bought after seeing the fantastic reviews of Short Book And Scribes and Love Reading This respectively. Do go check out their reviews. Shark Heart also happens to be a book club read for next month. Anita Frank and Elly Griffiths are favourite authors of mine so I’m very excited to read these new books. The other two books are ones I’ve wanted to read for ages so I’m pleased to finally have a copy.
In other news I’m going on holiday tomorrow for a week with my in laws. The place we are staying has no WiFi so sharing might be at odd times. My father in law had a signal last time and I could use his data through a hot spot so fingers crossed I can do that again. Apologies in advance for any missed shares.
What was the last book you added to your tbr list?
In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?
Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…
Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs—hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.
But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.
My Review:
All Good Things is another fantastic read from one of my favourite authors. I think I’ve read everything she’s written and in my opinion she keeps getting better and better.
I really enjoyed getting to know the two families and finding out more about them. The chapters are told from the perspective of a different family member in turn which was very interesting as the reader gets to see the story from everyone’s point of view. I really liked this approach as not only did it give me a fly on the wall glimpse into family life it also helped me understand the individual people more and discover more about their history. There are some brilliant characters in this book and I liked how my opinion of them changed over the course of the story as events unfolded.
I thought this story has a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. The author slowly reveals little facts about the families which made for tantalising reading as I tried to work out how everything fitted together and how it would affect things. I really liked the way the author managed to mix warm, uplifting moments with some heartbreaking ones which I thought was very clever as it helped make a the story a very emotional but powerful one.
The ending was beautiful and while it wasn’t perhaps the ending I was hoping for it was probably more realistic that way.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, two non-fiction titles and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart-topping No.1 titles ‘What Have I Done?’, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘My Husband’s Wife’, ‘The Girl in the Corner’ and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.
A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, ‘A Mother’s Story’ won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; ‘Perfect Daughter’ in 2016 and ‘The Boy Between’ in 2022.
Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…
Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I was ridiculously excited to receive a copy of this book through the post this week – there may have been squealing and dancing around the room involved 😳.
Kristen Hannah has long been one of my favourite authors and I’m so excited to read this book soon. I have now moved my planned holiday reading around so I can read this book next!
Are you a Kristin Hannah fan? What’s your favourite book?
Book Synopsis:
It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .
‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.
The Women is the story of one woman who goes to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm’s way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has been all too often forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyrical beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define an era.
About The Author:
Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.
The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore’s bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.
In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.
In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.
The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.
A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.
There is no magical land you finally arrive at where everything is figured out, fixed and sorted. Life, like us, is a sum of moving parts, and if we’re lucky, we get to keep f**king up, figuring it out and laughing in the face of it all.
Nell’s back. Her life still isn’t going to plan. And she’s still asking the big questions and getting none of the answers. Like, for example:
1. Why is falling in love so easy, but staying in love so hard?
2. What do you do when your friendships are put to the ultimate test?
3. Can we ever really live in the moment and leave the past behind?
4. When everything goes tits up, do you fall apart or jump on a plane to LA with Cricket (an eighty-something widow and your BFF)?
5. And when all else fails, will celebrity-scented candles, smashed avocados and Instagram filters save us?*
In this hilarious, un-put-downable follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, now the basis for the major TV series, Not Dead Yet, there are laugh-out-loud lessons to be learned, truths to be told, adventures to go on and joys to discover.
But first, Nell has some more confessions . . .
*#onlyjoking #sortof #LOL
My Review:
More Confessions Of A Forty Something F##k Up is a warm, funny and relatable book which had me laughing out loud.
Firstly it was great to be back with Nell, Cricket and the whole gang. There’s something lovely about being able to step into a book and feel like you are part of the group too. This book starts a few years after the last one ended and I really enjoyed seeing what had happened to everyone. There were some characters that I still absolutely loved like Nell and the amazing Cricket but other that I loved to hate, often wishing I could reach into the book and give them a shake.
The book starts during lockdown and shows the affect that it had on people. As lockdown wasn’t that long ago I’m sure people will remember the feelings of anxiety and loneliness this caused. The COVID mention won’t be to everyone’s taste but for me it helped make the characters more relatable and made the story feel more real. It was interesting following the characters as they rejoin society and seeing how their lives develop.
I thought this book had a great pace to it and I soon found myself absorbed into the story. There were some extremely funny moments that had me laughing out loud – who could forget the build your own coffin classes cricket attends and some very emotional moments which made me cry. My fondness for Nell made me very indignant on her behalf and I found myself wanting to get involved in the action to try to fix things for her. The overall message in this book is a lovely one, urging people to embrace life as we never know what’s just around the corner. I really hope this isn’t the last we’ll hear of Nell and cricket.
Huge thanks to the lovely Chloe from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you’re looking for a book to escape reality for a little bit then I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
ALEXANDRA POTTER is the bestselling author of numerous bestselling novels, including CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F**K UP which is now the basis of a major TV series. These titles have sold in twenty-five territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the world.
Born and raised in Yorkshire, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling back in the UK. She currently lives in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog.
Good morning everyone I thought I’d do a reading update today as it’s been a little while.
❤️ Last: Lovelight Farms by BK Borison
I’ve just finished this fantastic book and I’d highly recommend it to everyone. I have the next two books in the series which I’m saving for my holiday next week. I can’t wait to visit Lovelight Farm again!
💛 Now: Bellies by Nicola Dinan
I’m currently reading this as a buddy read with @bookbeforeuleap . I’m struggling a bit with it at the moment and I’m not sure why. I’ve had three amazing books back to back so maybe it’s a bit of a book hangover, maybe it’s just because I’m tired…
💚 Now: The Secret Of Villa Alba by Louise Douglas
I’m a huge fan of this author and when I posted my original library haul this was the book everyone recommended so I was very intrigued. It’s a dual timeline book too which I always love. This will be my third book in the #librarysummersix challenge I’m attempting atm.
💜 Next: Wanderlust by Elle Everhart
I saw this book on the lovely @the_book_fort and knew I had to get myself a copy as it sounded so good. I’m hoping to join the @tandemcollectiveuk read-along for it as I always love a buddy read.
Good morning everyone! Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books thst have seven in the title.
❤️The Seven Husband’s Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I’ve unbelievably not read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, despite hearing lots of great things about her books. When I’ve asked people what book of hers I should read first they always say The Seven Husband’s Of Evelyn Hugo. I actually bought this a while ago and I really want to read it soon.
🩷The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
I’ve read other books by Lucinda Riley but I’ve not tried the Seven Sisters series yet, despite it being one of my mum’s favourite series. It’s a very popular book at the bookshop so naturally this has made me even more intrigued to try it. I bought this book recently to replace my original book which I can’t find anywhere.
What popular book or series have you not read yet?
The whispers started long before the accident on Harlow Street . . . Was it at the party, when Whitney screamed blue murder at her son? Or after neighbour Blair started prowling Whitney’s house, uninvited? Or once Rebecca and Ben’s childlessness finally puts a crack in their marriage? But on the terrible night of the accident, the whispers grow louder, more insistent. Neighbours gather round. Questions are asked. Secrets are spilled. And the gloss on everything begins to rub off. Everyone is drawn into the darkness. Because there’s no smoke without fire. No friendship without envy. And no lie that does not conceal a devastating truth . . .
My Review:
The Whispers is a dark, unsettling and emotional read that will stay with me for a long time.
The story is told from the point of view of four women, neighbours that have lived next to each other for years. Each women represents a different type of mother and I found it interesting to explore these through the characters, seeing not only how they viewed each other but also how society viewed them. In this book we meet the stay at home mother, the working mother, a grieving elderly mother and a woman who desperately wants to be a mother. Each story is very different and I liked how each woman gets to narrate the story as it helped me to understand them better.
I thought it was very interesting how the author explores the concept of motherhood and the pressures that woman can place on themselves to be perfect. As a mother myself I found this very intriguing and felt a lot of sympathy for some of the things the mother’s were going through, though this did change as the story continued. Out of all the mother’s the one I felt most sorry for was Rebecca and Mara. I’ve sadly experienced the loss of a child and the author doesn’t hold back in some of her descriptions of this which was hard to read about at times.
Overall I thought this was a great read which gripped me from the start. It was fascinating to have a fly on the wall glimpse into these women’s lives and I soon found myself engrossed, unable to put the book down as I wanted to see how it was all going to end. There were some incredibly emotional moments that brought a lump to my throat and some scenes that made me so angry I had to put the book down for a minute. I had lots of theories about what was going on but I was wrong about all of them which I always like. The ending was brilliant and I gasped out loud with the twist at the end. I was lucky enough to read this with a friend and I’m glad I had someone to discuss this incredible book with. I think it would make a great bookclub read as there’s lots to discuss but do check the trigger warnings as it might be a difficult read for some people.
About The Author:
Ashley Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada. Prior to Penguin, she worked in public relations. She lives in Toronto, where she and her partner are raising their two young children. The Push is her debut novel.
Good evening everyone I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the fantastic sounding Child Of Earth And Sky by Menna Van Praag this week.
I loved The Sister’s Grimm so I’m excited to see where this series will go next. Find out more about the book and the author below.
Huge thanks to Chloë Rose from Penguin Random House for my copy of this book.
Book Synopsis:
Born of bright-white wishing and black-edged desire, the Grimm girls each command a single element and wield it with great power. But a child born of a Grimm and a fallen star will have command over every element . . . and wield infinite power.
At twenty-one, Goldie gave birth to a daughter by her dead lover. Now Goldie is nearly thirty and Luna almost nine. Conceived in the realm between life and death, Luna is part star-soldier, part Grimm and now those opposing forces are waging war within her.
Terrified of losing her increasingly volatile child, Goldie goes on the run. Then an act of violence forces her to return and Luna is taken into care. Mother and child can still meet – in the haunted otherworld that is Everwhere.
Desperate to reclaim her daughter, Goldie must also confront whatever is corrupting Everwhere. For fresh leaves are falling, and Grimm girls are dying. Fearing the return of her father, Goldie knows she cannot succeed alone and summons her sisters.
But can the bonds of sisterhood bear the terrible price that will be paid . . .
About The Author:
Menna van Praag was born in Cambridge, England and studied Modern History at Oxford University. She’s the author of five magical realism novels, all set in Cambridge. The first instalment of her fantasy trilogy, The Sisters Grimm, will be published in 2020 by Transworld (UK) & HarperVoyager (US).
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. I’ve been attempting to be good and not buy too many books recently but I did get tempted by these:
❤️ Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Highly recommended by two of my Rossiter Books colleagues.
🧡Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
I was very intrigued by this book as I was born in 1982 so thought it would be interesting to see what life in South Korea might have been like for me.
💛The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
This series is very popular at the book store and I can’t believe I’ve not read this series yet. Hoping to read this soon.
💚Too Late by Colleen Hoover
I’m a huge Colleen Hoover fan so I had to get this one!
💙Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I’ve heard lots of great things about this book which sounds like a fun Summer read.
💜The Virago Book Of Witches by Shahrukh Husain
I love books about witches so this book of folklore and legends around witchcraft really appealed to me. I will be doing a book spotlight for this book soon.
Have you read any these? Which one would you read first?
August is Woman In Translation Month so I thought I’d share some of the translated fiction I have on my shelves.
❤️Thirty Days Of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen 💛Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo 💚You Can’t See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir 💜 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
All of these are tbr though I have read Eva Björg Ægisdóttir ‘s books before and think they are fantastic. I’m very intrigued by Kim Jiyoung as I was born in 1982 so I think it will be interesting to discover what life in Korea would have been like. I’m also very intrigued by Convenience Store Woman as two of my colleagues at Rossiters have recommend it.
Today my husband is going to collect his new car with my eldest so we’re making pizza’s with grannie and going to the reading club at the library.
What are your weekend plans?
Thirty Days Of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen
Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim. But nobody actually reads them, and frustrated by writer’s block, Hannah has the feeling that she’s doing something wrong.
When she expresses her contempt for genre fiction, Hanna is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colourful local characters – for inspiration.
But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah…
Atmospheric, dramatic and full of nerve-jangling twists and turns, Thirty Days of Darkness is a darkly funny, unsettling debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a breath-taking new series.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY SELLING SOUTH KOREAN SENSATION THAT HAS GOT THE WHOLE WORLD TALKING
Kim Jiyoung is a girl born to a mother whose in-laws wanted a boy. Kim Jiyoung is a sister made to share a room while her brother gets one of his own.
Kim Jiyoung is a female preyed upon by male teachers at school. Kim Jiyoung is a daughter whose father blames her when she is harassed late at night.
Kim Jiyoung is a good student who doesn’t get put forward for internships. Kim Jiyoung is a model employee but gets overlooked for promotion. Kim Jiyoung is a wife who gives up her career and independence for a life of domesticity.
Kim Jiyoung has started acting strangely.
Kim Jiyoung is depressed.
Kim Jiyoung is mad.
Kim Jiyoung is her own woman.
Kim Jiyoung is every woman.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is the life story of one young woman born at the end of the twentieth century and raises questions about endemic misogyny and institutional oppression that are relevant to us all. Riveting, original and uncompromising, this is the most important book to have emerged from South Korea since Han Kang’s The Vegetarian.
You Can’t See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland’s remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he’s the boyfriend of Petra’s aunt, but he’s struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…
As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.
But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?
Masterfully cranking up the suspense, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws us into an isolated, frozen setting, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted, as the dark secrets and painful pasts of the Snæberg family are uncovered … and the shocking truth revealed.
Succession meets And Then There Were None … A Golden Age mystery for the 21st Century, with a shocking twist.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Meet Keiko.
Keiko is 36 years old. She’s never had a boyfriend, and she’s been working in the same supermarket for eighteen years.
Keiko’s family wishes she’d get a proper job. Her friends wonder why she won’t get married.
But Keiko knows what makes her happy, and she’s not going to let anyone come between her and her convenience store…
Over The Rainbow Blog 