Good morning everyone. This is my latest Locked Library Subscription and I have to say it’s a beaut. I love the beautiful spredges and the gold foil underneath the dust jacket is just perfect.
I love the sound of this book too as I’m always intrigued by books featuring another country’s mythology. This is sadly my last Locked Library Subscription as I can’t justify the expense anymore as working in a bookshop means I get tempted by a lot of books anyway.
What was the last book you bought?
Book Synopsis:
A crown princess. A monster the gods fear. A destiny no one can outrun.
Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken―threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce.
Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.
About The Author:
Lena Jeong wrote her first novel in the fifth grade—complete with a dude in distress, a heroine named Macaroni Pizza, and a dragon that is allergic to men. When she’s not working on her Korean-inspired novels, Lena is doing everything in her power to remain the “Favorite Auntie” amongst her adorable nieces and nephews. You can also find her endlessly experimenting on new ways to make the perfect matcha latte. Lena has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. And Break the Pretty Kings is her debut.
Good morning everyone. Thanks for all your help picking my holiday books. These are the three books I want to read next:
❤️The Quiet Tennant by Clémence Michallon 💛 Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 💚Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen
I’m currently reading The Quiet Tennant which I’m really enjoying and I’m then going to read Hello Beautiful which I’m excited about. I actually read a bit at the shop before I bought it and it was very good.
That’s not to say these are the only books I’ve bought – I’ve actually managed to bring 8 books plus my kindle just in case 😂. I’ve surprisingly had quite a bit of time to read so far and have been enjoying sitting in this chair watching the sea while I read.
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. I’m taking part in the #librarysummersix challenge this summer started by the lovely @the.running.bookworm.
The idea follows the library challenge for children, you’ve probably seen being advertised, but for adults! We have all chosen six books from the library to read this summer. Here are my choices!
Have you read any of these? Which one would you read first?
The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Guntur
‘Inventive, heartbreaking and acutely funny’ Observer
Vacca Vale, Indiana: recently voted number 1 on Newsweek‘s list of dying American cities. According to the developers, however, it’s a city with a whole history of reinvention, one that ‘buzzes with the American spirit.’
Not everyone agrees though – certainly not the residents of the Rabbit Hutch, a low-cost housing complex in the once bustling industrial centre, populated by a cast of unforgettable, disenfranchised characters. There’s an online obituary writer, a woman waging a solo campaign against rodents and, most notably, eighteen-year-old Blandine, recently released from foster care and determined to stop the developers whatever the cost.
Set over one sweltering week in July, The Rabbit Hutch is a savagely beautiful and bitingly funny snapshot of contemporary America. Bold, experimental and brilliantly written, it will live in the memory long after the final page.
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable, but their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.
Villa Aestas in Orvieto is breathtaking, but it has a dark past: in 1974 it was rented by a notorious rockstar, who was joined by up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend, Mari. By the end of the holiday Pierce is dead, and Mari goes on to write one of the greatest horror novels of all time.
As Emily digs into the villa’s history, she begins to think that Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but something more sinister – and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari left behind.
Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge – and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.
An enthralling tale of gothic suspense that will keep you reading late into the night, The Villa is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, with the rock-and-roll glamour of Daisy Jones and the Six.
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
SARAJEVO. SPRING 1992.
Each night, nationalist gangs erect barricades, splitting the diverse city into ethnic enclaves; each morning, the residents – whether Muslim, Croat or Serb – push the makeshift barriers aside.
When violence finally spills over, Zora, an artist and teacher, sends her husband and elderly mother to safety with her daughter in England. Reluctant to believe that hostilities will last more than a handful of weeks, she stays behind while the city falls under siege. As the assault deepens and everything they love is laid to waste, black ashes floating over the rooftops, Zora and her friends are forced to rebuild themselves, over and over. Theirs is a breathtaking story of disintegration, resilience and hope.
The Secret Of Villa Alba by Louise Douglas
1968, Sicily. Just months after a terrible earthquake has destroyed the mountain town of Gibellina, Enzo and his wife Irene Borgata are making their way back to the family home, Villa Alba, on roads overlooked by the eerie backdrop of the flattened ghost town. When their car breaks down, Enzo leaves his young wife to go and get help, but when he returns there is no trace of Irene. No body, no sign of a struggle, nothing.
2003. TV showman and true crime aficionado Milo Conti is Italy’s darling, uncovering and solving historic crimes for his legion of fans. When he turns his attention to the story of the missing Irene Borgata, accusing her husband of her murder, Enzo’s daughter Maddi asks her childhood friend, retired detective April Cobain, for help to prove her father’s innocence. But the tale April discovers is murky: mafia meetings, infidelity, mistaken identity, grief and unshakable love. As the world slowly closes in on the claustrophobic Villa Alba, and the house begins to reveal its secrets, will the Borgata family wish they’d never asked April to investigate? And what did happen to Enzo’s missing wife Irene?
Bestselling author Louise Douglas returns with an irresistibly compelling, intriguing and captivating tale of betrayal, love, jealousy and the secrets buried in every family history.
Girl Crush by Florence Given
GIRLCRUSH is a dark feminist retelling of Jekyll & Hyde by bestselling author Florence Given.
In Given’s debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.
The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill off?
Warning this book does include storylines that some readers may find triggering.
Good morning everyone and happy Friday. Here are some of the beautiful special editions I’ve received as part of my Locked Library Subscription.
❤️The Thorns Remain by JJA Hardwood 💛The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield 💚The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence 💙All The Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley 💜 The Library Of Broken Worlds by Alaya Dawn Johnson
They’re all beautiful and I have the facing edges out on my bookshelves so I can admire them more. These are all tbr for me still but I’m excited to read them soon.
We’re off on holiday at lunch time today! I’m still hoping to post while I’m away but it might end up being at different times so please look out for the posts! Fingers crossed the weather improves so we can get to the beach.
Do you like special editions? What’s your favourite thing about them? Spredges? Gold foil? Hidden pictures under the dust cover?
Eliza Acton, despite never having boiled an egg, became one of the world’s most successful food writers, revolutionizing cooking and cookbooks around the world. Her story is fascinating, joyful and truly inspiring.
The award-winning author of The Joyce Girl seamlessly intertwines recipes and meticulously researched history, serving up the most thought-provoking and page-turning historical novel you’ll read this year. Explore the enduring struggle for women’s freedom, the exhilarating power of friendship, and the creative joy of cooking, through the life of Eliza Acton – finally out of the archives and into the public eye.
England, 1835. Eliza Acton dreams of becoming a poet, but when she takes her new manuscript to a publisher, she’s told that ‘poetry is not the business of a lady’. Instead, he demands a cookery book.
Eliza is hesitant but when her bankrupt father is forced to flee the country, she has no choice but to comply.
Although she has never cooked before, she is determined to learn and to bring her skills as a poet to the craft of recipe writing. She hires young, impoverished Ann Kirby as her assistant and, before long, the two women develop a radical friendship crossing the divides of age and class. Together, Eliza and Ann break the mould of traditional cookbooks, changing the course of food writing forever. But in the process of doing so, their friendship is pushed to its very limits.
My Review:
The Language Of Food is an absorbing, heartwarming book which is best to read on a full stomach otherwise you might find yourself getting very hungry indeed.
Firstly I absolutely loved the main characters and really enjoyed following them throughout the book. It was an absolute joy getting to know Eliza and discover her unique way of thinking which always made me smile. Eliza and Ann gradually grow closer and it was great to see how the friendship helped them- especially Ann who really seemed to find herself under Eliza’s care.
This book has lots of fascinated history details which really helped bring the period to life. It was fascinating to learn more about Eliza and how she developed her now legendary cookbook which helped set the precedent for the modern cookbook. It was especially interesting to see the type of food the rich ate at the time and how it was prepared. I think the eel scene in particular will stay with me for a long time, definitely not something I’d like to do! It was heartbreaking to see the stark differences between how the rich and the poor lived when Eliza goes to visit Ann. It broke my heart how people had to live like that and it was considered normal. The horrific descriptions of the ‘care’ Eliza’s mother receives was also heartbreaking to read about and made me very glad things had chance in this area.
The book started off a bit slow as the author sets the scene but I soon found myself absorbed into the story. I quickly warmed to Eliza and Ann, wanting to keep reading so I could spend some more time with them in that wonderful kitchen. This isn’t particularly a fast paced book but I didn’t care as I was soon caught up in the wonderful descriptions of the food and the lovely friendship that developed between the main characters.
If you are a fan of historical fiction then I highly recommend this book. I read it with the historical fiction book club I’m part of so would also recommend it as a book club read as there was lots to discuss.
About The Author:
Annabel Abbs is the multi-award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, Frieda, Windswept, The Language of Food (Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen in the US) and 52 Ways to Walk. Her next book, Sleepless, comes out in 2024.
Abbs is also the co-writer of The Age-Well Project (written under Annabel Streets), a non-fiction work which explores the latest science of longevity and has been serialised in the Guardian and The Daily Mail.
Her journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Irish Times, Tatler, The Author, Sydney Morning Herald, The Weekend Australian Review, Psychologies and Elle Magazine.
Abbs has a BA in English Literature from the University of East Anglia, where she now sponsors a post-graduate scholarship in creative writing, and an MA from Kingston. She was born in Bristol, and now lives in London and East Sussex. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @annabelabbs, or visit her website, http://www.annabelabbs.com.
Good morning everyone. Today is my last day at work for a week and a bit as we’re off on holiday Friday! I’m really excited and have my fingers crossed that the weather will be ok so we can go to the beach.
These are some of the books I’m torn between taking on holiday with me:
❤️The House In The Olive Grove by Emma Cowell 🧡The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods 💛The Other Side Of Mrs Wood by Lucy Barker 💚 Conviction by Jack Jordan 💙The Fascination by Essie Fox 🩵The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer 💜Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen 🩷 Fearless by M W Craven 🤎The Sun And The Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz 🖤The Quiet Tennant by Clémence Michallon 🩶Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
We’re going for a week and I like to have options but I think taking all these might be a bit much 🤣
What books would you take or what book would you recommend?
A slick, smart, stylish – and shocking – thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.
On a lonely farmstead, a 70-year-old woman falls down outside and, unable to move, is consumed overnight by two of her pigs.
It seems like a tragic accident, except the woman was well-known photographer Sophia Bertilak – and inside her house, someone has removed all her photos from their frames, seemingly erasing her past…
The first photo Sophia ever took remains her most infamous: a missing girl who was never seen again. Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen is drafted in for the post-mortem – and slowly becomes obsessed with the victim, her family, and the crimes she brought to light decades ago.
As Cooper pulls on a dark thread of deception, secrets and lies, she begins to unravel the case – as well as herself…
My Review :
Consumed is a dark, absorbing read that I really enjoyed. I absolutely loved Sixteen Horses so I was excited to read this book.
Firstly as someone who reads a lot of crime fiction I really loved how unique this book was. I mean a case involving a lady being eaten by her pigs? I can honestly say I haven’t read anything quite like that before. The book also featured a forensic veterinarian which I hadn’t heard of before. I found it fascinating to discover what their role is and to learn the different things they have to do.
I thought the characters were well described and developed throughout the book, though I don’t think I particularly warmed to any of them. The author does a great job of describing the settings in the book which made me really able to picture it in my mind’s eye. They were so well described that I often found myself shivering as I read, especially the house which I’m glad I won’t be visiting any time soon.
The book had a great pace to it and I liked how the author slowly increases the tension until the book is impossible to put down. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and the shocking ending was brilliant. I actually didn’t guess how it would end which is unusual for me and helped add to my enjoyment of this book.
Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Greg Buchanan is a BAFTA-longlisted writer for interactive and screen. His acclaimed debut novel SIXTEEN HORSES was selected for BBC Two’s Between The Covers and was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. A TV adaptation produced by Gaumont Television is on the way.
Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring the two VMC editions I’ve collected so far. I absolutely love this collection as the covers are always really beautiful and striking. The inspiration for this post came from the lovely @lovedreadingthis who is thinking of starting her own collection soon
I’m reading one of these a month for the #vmcbookclub run by the lovely @r4ch4elreads and @bookbeforeuleap . If you’d like to join us do contact one of them. We are reading Mrs Palfey at The Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor next month.
Do you have a favourite classic book?
The Tortoise And The Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins
Imogen, the beautiful wife of barrister Evelyn Gresham, is facing the greatest challenge of her married life. Their neighbour Blanche Silcox, competent, tweedy, middle-aged and ungainly – the very opposite of Imogen – seems to be vying for Evelyn’s attention. And to Imogen’s increasing disbelief, she may be succeeding – for in affairs of the heart the race is not necessarily won by the swift or the fair.
Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden
High in the Himalayas, the mountaintop palace shines like a jewel. Built for the General’s harem, laughter and music once floated out over the gorge. Now it sits abandoned, windswept and haunting.
The palace is bestowed to the Sisters of Mary, and what was once known as ‘the House of Women’ becomes the Convent of St Faith. Close to the heavens, the nuns feel inspired, working fervently to establish their school and hospital. But as the isolation and emptiness of the mountain become increasingly unsettling, passions long repressed emerge with tragic consequences . . .
Good morning everyone and happy Monday. I saw @helen_t_reads do this challenge and was so intrigued I had to try it.
Here’s what I found:
❤️ Juniper And Thorn by Ava Reid 💛 Amy & Isabelle by Elizabeth Stroud 💚 Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors 💙 Gwen And Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher 💜 Clara & Olivia by Lucy Ashe
I actually found more than I thought. I knew I had Clara & Olivia but I was very excited to find the others. All of these are tbr but I’ll hopefully be reading them soon.
I’ve tagged a few people who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure.
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. These are some of the lovely books I’ve bought this week.
❤️ Unladylike Lessons In Love by Amita Murray 💛 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan 💚 The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan 💙 The List by Yomi Adegoke 💜 A Game Of Lies by Claire Mackintosh
I actually thought I’d been really good and not bought many books this week but then all my pre orders started coming in 🤣🤦♀️
I absolutely loved The Last Summer so I’m very excited to read the second book in The Wild Isle series. I’m hoping it features a bit about Effy as I really want to find out what happened to her next. I’m a huge fan of Claire Mackintosh and Julie Owen Moylan so I knew I had to get their latest books. Unladylike Lessons In Love and The List have been getting great reviews on here which made me very intrigued.
If you want to know more about any of the above books, please look below for their synopsis.
Have you read any of these? Any of these on your radar?
Unladylike Lessons In Love by Amita Murray
Not every Regency lady is looking for a husband…
As the daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress, impulsive Lila Marleigh has already broken the rules of society into tiny pieces.
When a face she never thought she would see again appears and begs for help, Lila must court notoriety once more and pit her wits against the annoyingly handsome aristocrat, Ivor Tristram. But does she risk opening her heart to the one person who can break it…?
73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan
When Edie Budd arrives at a shabby West London boarding house in October 1958, carrying nothing except a broken suitcase and an envelope full of cash, it’s clear she’s hiding a terrible secret. And she’s not the only one; the other women of 73 Dove Street have secrets of their own . . . Tommie, who lives on the second floor, waits on the eccentric Mrs Vee by day. After dark, she harbours an addiction to seedy Soho nightlife – and a man she can’t quit. Phyllis, 73 Dove Street’s formidable landlady, has set fire to her husband’s belongings after discovering a heart-breaking betrayal – yet her fierce bravado hides a past she doesn’t want to talk about. At first, the three women keep to themselves. But as Edie’s past catches up with her, Tommie becomes caught in her web of lies – forcing her to make a decision that will change everything . . .
The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan
A reluctant bride. A forbidden romance. An island full of secrets . . .
It’s the summer of 1929 and Mhairi MacKinnon is in need of a husband. As the eldest girl among nine children, her father has made it clear he can’t support her past the coming winter. On the small, Scottish island of St Kilda, her options are limited. But the MacKinnons’ neighbour, Donald, has a business acquaintance on distant Harris also in need of a spouse. A plan is hatched for Donald to chaperone Mhairi and make the introduction on his final crossing of the year, before the autumn seas close them off to the outside world.
Mhairi returns as an engaged woman who has lost her heart – but not to her fiancé. In love with the wrong man yet knowing he can never be hers, she awaits the spring with growing dread, for the onset of calm waters will see her sent from home to become a stranger’s wife.
When word comes that St Kilda is to be evacuated, the lovers are granted a few months’ reprieve, enjoying a summer of stolen hours together. Only, those last days on St Kilda will also bring trauma and heartache for Mhairi and her friends, Effie and Flora. And when a dead body is later found on the abandoned isle, all three have reason enough to find themselves under the shadow of suspicion . . .
The List by Yomi Adegoke
ONLINE RUMOURS. REAL LIFE TROUBLE.
Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist, is marrying the love of her life in one month’s time. Young, beautiful, successful – she and her fiancé Michael seem to have it all.
That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message:
‘Oh my god, have you seen The List?’
It began as a list of anonymous allegations about abusive men. Now it has been published online. Ola made her name breaking exactly this type of story. She would usually be the first to cover it, calling for the men to be fired. Except today, Michael’s name is on there.
With their future on the line, Ola gives Michael an ultimatum to prove his innocence by their wedding day, but will the truth of what happened change everything for both of them?
A Game Of Lies by Clare Mackintosh
They say the camera never lies. But on this show, you can’t trust anything you see.
Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for.
Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.
The disappearance of a contestant wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she’s watched on screen, and find out who these people really are – knowing she can’t trust any of them.
And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.
Over The Rainbow Blog 