Eek I’m so excited for this book. I absolutely loved the first book in this series so I’m very excited to read the sequel, especially to catch up with Nell and Cricket. I love a funny, feel good read so this sounds right up my street.

Huge thanks to the lovely @libraryofchlo
and @panmacmillan for my copy of this book.

Out 17th August 2023.

What’s your favourite funny/ feel good book?

Book Synopsis:

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

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.

I saw this on the lovely @helen_t_reads page and knew I had to join in! They’re maybe not in the best Jenga pattern but I had a little five year old helper who kept knocking it over so this was the best I could do under the circumstances 🤣

Most of these are tbr though I have read The Botanists which I absolutely loved and The Henna Artist. I’m also currently reading The Beasts Of Paris which is very good so far.

Today is my last reading day at the kids school this term which I’m sad about but I’m hoping to move up with them and continue with the same kids next year so fingers crossed that works out. Then I’ve got to move lots of furniture back after having our new carpets which will be fun!

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to join in but, as always, no pressure

Spot any favourites here? Hope you have a good Friday!

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

❤️ Last – The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons
💛 Now – The Beasts Of Paris by Stef Penney
💚 Now – The Language Of Food by Annabel Abbs
💜 Next: Seven Exes by Lucy Vine

I’m absolutely loving my historical fiction at the moment so I was keen to read a few more on my tbr list. I’ve just finished The Air Raid Book Club which I thought was brilliant. You can find my review for this on my profile.

I’m currently reading The Beasts Of Paris by Stef Penney and The Language Of Food by Annabel Abbs which is for the #HFBookClub . I’m really enjoying both of these and looking forward to discussing The Language Of Food soon.

I’m then hoping to read Seven Exes which is the pick for the Gin and Phonics book club which I joined recently. They were so lovely when I asked about joining and I’m excited to make some new bookish friends soon.

Huge thanks to the tagged publishers for sending me these books and to the lovely Kerrie for my copy of Seven Exes.

What are you currently reading?

Ooh I’m so excited to have got a copy of this book and to be taking part in the #romancereadalong with the Tandem Collective. I’ve heard lots of great things about this author but I haven’t actually read anything by her so I’m excited to read this book soon.

Huge thanks to @michaeljbooks and @tandemcollectiveuk for my copy of this book. Do check out the other books on the read-along too.

Book Synopsis:

THE INTOXICATING NEW LANCASTER PREP NOVEL FROM THE TIKTOK SENSATION AND AUTHOR OF A MILLION KISSES IN YOUR LIFETIME

Weston Fontaine is the hottest senior at Lancaster Prep.

He could have any girl on campus, except for one.

Me.

I’m a Lancaster, meaning I’m basically untouchable – or so I thought. My family owns the school which I have to endure before I can return to what I love most: ballet.

West doesn’t make my time here easy. He’s arrogant. Crude. Insufferable. Yet he’s the only boy I’ve ever let touch me . . .

You see, West and I? We share a secret. In Paris, I revealed parts of myself to him I’ve never shown anyone else. And he did the same.

So what happens when you helplessly fall for the one person you know is bad for you? . . .

About The Author:

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their four cats and one crazy dog. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to sometimes putting her characters through tough, angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Good morning everyone I finally have enough pink books to share a Pink Wednesday Stack! As some of you know I sorted my books into colours a while ago and pink books were my smallest section by far.

🩷 The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook

🩷 The Book-Lovers Retreat by Heidi Swain

🩷 The Echoes Of Love by Jenny Ashford

🩷 Wahala by Nikki May

🩷 The IT Girl by Ruth Ware

🩷 The Daughter Of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

🩷 Her Majesty’s Secret Coven by Juno Dawson

🩷 The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

I think the only book I’ve read here is Wahala (fourth pink spredges from top) but I really want to read all of these soon as there are some of my favourite authors here.

Yes that does mean I bought The Shadow Cabinet before I’d even read Her Majesty’s Secret Coven… My next read from here will probably be This Echoes Of Love as I love her books.

Have you read any of these? Any favourites?

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. Today for Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two of the new books I bought last week.

⭐ Chain Gang All-stars by Nana Kwame Adjei- Brenyah
⭐ The Book Of The Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran

I hadn’t heard of Chain Gang All-stars until they came into the bookshop and my boss recommended it. It sounds brilliant, I love dystopian fiction and thought the premise of this sounded very intriguing. The Book Of The Most Precious Substance is a book I saw a book friend posting about and it sounded so good that I had to get myself a copy.

I actually thought I’d done well in not buying too many books and then got to work to see all my pre-orders started to come in and I’ve actually got more than these which I’ll share later this week.

What book have you bought recently? Have you read either of these?

Chain Gang All-stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

She felt their eyes, all those executioners…

Enter a world where, watched by millions, prisoners fight like gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars, the popular and highly controversial programme inside America’s private prison system. In packed arenas, live-streamed by millions, prisoners compete as gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

Fan favourites Loretta Thurwar and Hamara ‘Hurricane Staxxx’ Stacker are teammates and lovers. Thurwar is nearing the end of her time on the circuit, free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares for her final encounters, as protestors gather at the gates, and as the programme’s corporate owners stack the odds against her – will the price be simply too high?

The Book Of The Precious Substance by Sara Gran

Rare book dealer Lily Albrecht has been given a tip-off about The Book of the Most Precious Substance, rumoured to be the most powerful occult book ever written. With some of the world’s wealthiest people willing to pay a fortune for it, she embarks on a journey from New York to New Orleans to Munich to Paris, knowing that it could also help erase the greatest tragedy of her life.

But does the book really exist at all, or will Lily lose everything in search of a ghost?

Book Synopsis:

As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive…

London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl.

But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour…

My Review:

The Air Raid Book Club is a beautiful, emotional and heartwarming read from a new author for me.

Firstly I absolutely loved the characters the author has created and really enjoyed following them throughout the book. They were such fun to be around and I soon found myself growing very fond of them as I read. I found myself wishing that I could be part of their bookclub as it seemed like such a lovely group that I’d love to be friends with. Gertie was a fantastic main character and I loved watching her slowly heal as the book goes on. It was great to see her go from strength to strength and blossom as she cares for Hedy.

As a book lover myself I really liked the message in this book I about the power that books can have. This was evident through the book club which helped to provide a wonderful community for people at a difficult time but also in the packages the red cross were sending to prisoners of war to help boost their spirits. I thought it was really nice that this happened and it made me hope that they did help in some small way.

I found it interesting to learn more about how Britain helped some of the Jewish population of Europe escape from Nazi persecution as I didn’t realise how much was known about this in Britain. It was very poignant to witness Hedy wondering about the family she left behind when we know through history what might have happened to them. It made me want to jump into the book and give her a huge hug. Hedy and Gertie’s developing relationship was wonderful to read about and I liked how they were both able to help each other when they both needed it the most.

This book had a great pace to it and I was soon absorbed into the story. I found the book hard to put down as I was so enjoying the descriptions of the fabulous community created by the book club but also because I really cared about the characters so I wanted to keep reading to check they were ok. The ending was beautiful and I closed the book happy to have read such a fantastic story but sad to leave the characters behind.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction then you’ll need to read this book.

About The Author:

After a career in bookselling and publishing, Annie Lyons became an author. When not
working on her novels, she teaches creative writing. She lives in south-east London with
her husband and two children and puppy, Nelson.

Good morning everyone I’m Jo and I’m a little bit of a bookaholic and …. I’m not sorry about it 🤣

Books have always brought me joy since I was a kid and have continued to provide an escape from the world in adult life. They help me to relax after a long day and there is nothing like having a new book to enjoy – a fact that’s often mentioned by customers that visit Rossiters .

Yes my shelves are a bit chaotic at the moment,a cause of continuous moaning from my husband, but I can honestly say I’m looking forward to every book on these shelves!

Thanks to all the publishers who send me books and all the book friends who pass books on to me I really appreciate it!

Are your bookshelves neat or chaotic like mine? Do you see any books I should bump up my list?

Have a great Sunday!

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday. Here are some of the books I’m reading for book clubs this month!

⭐ Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden
⭐ A Fortune Woman by Polly Morland
⭐ The Language Of Food by Annabel Abbs

Black Narcissus is for the #vmcbookclub , Language Of Food is for the #HFBookClub and I’m really looking forward to reading it as I’ve been wanting to read it for ages. A Fortune Woman is the book club read for @rossiter_books in Malvern and I’m very intrigued by this one as I’ve heard great things about it.

Do you belong to any bookclubs? What are you reading this month?

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 . . .

A Fortunate Woman by Polly Morland

When Polly Morland is clearing out her mother’s house she finds a book that will lead her to a remarkable figure living on her own doorstep: the country doctor who works in the same remote, wooded valley she has lived in for many years. This doctor is a rarity in contemporary medicine – she knows her patients inside out, and their stories are deeply entwined with her own.

In A Fortunate Woman, with its beautiful photographs by Richard Baker, Polly Morland has written a profoundly moving love letter to a landscape, a community and, above all, to what it means to be a good doctor.

The Language Of Food by Annabel Abbs

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.

Good morning everyone I was so excited to get a copy of this fabulous sounding book. I love books that are inspired by folklore from another country and I’ve been seeing this book get a lot of good reviews on here so I’m very excited to read it soon.

Huge thanks to Jamie-Lee Nardone for my copy of this book.

What’s your favourite folk lore inspired book? (Not me sneakily looking for recommendations 🤣)

Book Synopsis:

Enter a lush world inspired by the history and mythology of South America, where twisted family politics deceive, dark magics thrive, and fantastical creatures roam.

Reina is desperate.

Stuck on the edges of society, Reina’s only hope lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never met. But the journey to her is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the mountains, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn―and keep―her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesaré is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries to be the perfect daughter, but Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet it’s hard to ignore power when it has always been denied you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

About The Author:

Born and raised in Venezuela, GABRIELA ROMERO LACRUZ now lives two thousand miles from home, in the land of bayous and astronauts. She graduated with a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Houston and, after a stint in Oil and Gas, decided to dedicate herself to the arts. She writes young adult and adult fantasy stories set in places that remind her of home, so in her mind, she’s never too far from the beaches and mountains of Venezuela. She also scratches that ChemE itch with a science fiction story or two. She illustrates as The Moonborn.