Tag: Literary Fiction

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Secrets of the Bees by Jane Johnson

Published June 5th, 2025 by Head of Zeus
Literary Ficiton, Contemporary Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this delightful and compassionate story. Thank you to Head of Zeus for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and for senidng me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Time has forgotten this remote corner of West Cornwall, and left its many secrets undisturbed. Until now…

Ezra Curnow has lived in the little cottage on the Trengrose estate all his life. He was born there, as was his
father, and his grandfather before that. It is his own little Cornish paradise.

Then the mistress of the estate, Eliza, dies without leaving a will, putting the cottage’s ownership into question. London financier Toby and his wife Minty are soon enticed by Trengrose’s charm and, worse still, see a lucrative rental opportunity in Ezra’s cottage.

But Ezra is prepared to battle to save his beloved home, and has a number of secret weapons in his armoury. What Ezra doesn’t know is that Eliza also took some secrets to her grave – and she doesn’t intend to rest quietly until they come to light…

A sumptuous Cornish tale packed with heart, relationships and mysteries from the past, from the bestselling author of The Sea Gate.

********

MY REVIEW:

Ezra Curnow has lived in the little cottage on the Trengrose estate all his life. Like his father and his grandfather before him, he was born there, has worked the land, and plans to die there. When Eliza, mistress of the estate, dies without a will, the ownership of his slice of Cornish paradise is in question. Her estate is sold to Toby and Minty Hardman, a wealthy London couple looking for a fresh start and an escape from the city.  To them, Trengrose is a lucrative rental opportunity that includes the cottage, which they believe is theirs. The battle lines are drawn in a fight where both sides will do whatever it takes to win. 

Compassionate, immersive, transportive and witty, I adored this book. With her skilful storytelling, layered choreography and richly drawn characters, Jane Johnson pulled me into the pages, and I lost myself within this story of family, secrets, mystery and Cornish folklore. 

At the heart of this story is Ezra, a gruff, curmudgeonly recluse who may appear spiky on the outside, but has a heart as sweet as the honey from his beloved bees. I loved him immediately, not followed by his hardened facade, but charmed by his love of Cornwall, nature and the home he’s always known. In flashbacks we learn more of Ezra’s story, slowly understanding why he prefers isolation. These sections were moving and mysterious, sometimes offering us more questions than answers. One of the things I enjoyed most about Ezra is how he may come off as a doddering old man, but underneath he is wily, and as he fights to keep his home he proves himself a more formidable opponent than the Hardman’s anticipated, particularly Toby who believed Ezra would be easy to intimidate. I took an instant dislike to Toby, who was pompous, rude and vindictive. The rest of the Hardman family were likeable, and I particularly loved the multi-generational friendship between Dom, the Hardman’s son, and Ezra. And I can’t talk about the characters without mentioning Bucca, Ezra’s grumpy and malevolent cat who cracked me up with his cunning antics. I could have happily read a book with him as the main character and couldn’t get enough every time he was on the page. 

A delightful story full of surprising twists, this is another must-read from Ms. Johnson. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane Johnson is from Cornwall and has worked in the book industry for 30 years as a bookseller, publisher and writer.

For many years she was responsible for publishing the works of JRR Tolkien, and later worked on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, spending many months in New Zealand with cast and crew (she wrote the official visual companions to the films). The authors she publishes include George RR Martin (creator of A Game of Thrones), Dean Koontz, Robin Hobb, Stuart MacBride, Mark Lawrence, Raymond E Feist and SK Tremayne.

While she was in Morocco in 2005 to research The Tenth Gift she met her soon-to-be husband Abdellatif, a Berber tribesman from a village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Returning home, she gave up her office job in London, sold her flat and shipped the contents to Morocco and they were married later that year. They now split their time between Cornwall and Morocco, and Jane still works remotely as a Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Double Room by Anne Senes

Published June 19th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Crime Fiction, Psychological Ficiton, Literary Fiction, Translated Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this beautiful fever-dream of a novel. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Orenda for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

London, late 1990s. Stan, a young and promising French composer, is invited to arrange the music for a theatrical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The play will never be staged, but Stan meets Liv, the love of his life, and their harmonious duo soon becomes a trio with the birth of their beloved daughter, Lisa. Stan’s world is filled with vibrant colour and melodic music, and under his wife and daughter’s gaze, his piano comes to life.
 
Paris, today. After Liv’s fatal accident, Stan returns to France surrounded by darkness, no longer able to compose, and living in the Rabbit Hole, a home left to him by an aunt. He shares his life with Babette, a lifeguard and mother of a boy of Lisa’s age, and Laïvely, an AI machine of his own invention endowed with Liv’s voice, that he spent entire nights building after her death.
 
But Stan remains haunted by his past. As the silence gradually gives way to noises, whistles and sighs – sometimes even bursts of laughter – and Laïvely seems to take on a life of its own, memories and reality fade and blur…
And Stan’s new family implodes…
 
For readers who love Laura Kasischke, David Nicholls and Kazuo Ishiguro

********

MY REVIEW:

Melodic, haunting, achingly beautiful, sensual and heart-wrenching, Double Room is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Anne Senes has a style that is all her own; a lyrical and moving prose that was enthralling and I savoured every sumptuous word. I was lost in these pages, completely enveloped by this strange and hypnotic tale. A fever-dream of love, loss and grief.  

The story follows Stan, a composer who returns to his native France to try and put his life back together after the tragic and sudden death of his wife, Liv. Unable to deal with his grief, he spends his nights creating an AI machine endowed with Liv’s voice. In time he moves on, creating a blended family with Babette. But the machine – Laively – seems to take on a life of its own and Stan’s life begins to spiral out of control, threatening the new life and family he’s created. 

Told in dual timelines, the flashbacks begin twenty years ago on the day Stan and Liv first met. She was the love of his life and they enjoyed a fairytale romance. Meanwhile, in the present he’s still trying to move on from Liv’s death and navigate the minefield that is blending a family. He’s not over Liv and it’s affecting his new family. Also, his reliance on the AI machine is unhealthy and unnerving, and Babette understandably isn’t happy about it. Strange things start happening and Stan loses himself in his dreams or locks himself away in his studio rather than dealing with his problems. He struggles to differentiate between reality, fantasy and memory and I was concerned he was descending deeper and deeper into madness and what effect it would have on his already troubled family. I had so many questions: were the strange occurrences real? How could a machine be acting of its own accord? What was real and what was imagined?

Stan starts as a romantic character in his flashbacks with Liv and I enjoyed reading their love story. There is an overwhelming sense of grief that runs through the present narrative, and Stan is a withdrawn and sorrowful character. It was impossible not to feel heartbroken for him and his daughter, but as the story went on he got more unlikeable. I also began to wonder if everything was what it seemed, and felt like there might be something more going on under the surface of this story. Slowly and expertly, Senes revealed the truth and it was apparent that nothing was as it had first appeared to be. 

Original, delicate, passionate and beguiling, this is an unforgettable debut. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Senes is a writer, translator and former journalist. She was born in Paris and studied at the Sorbonne, where she obtained a PhD in English studies. Her passion for Anglo-Saxon literature and culture has taken her all over the world, from London to Miami, via the south of France. She is currently based on the French Mediterranean coast. Chambre Double (Double Room) is her first literary novel.

********

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:

Alice Banks was born in Shropshire and completed her MA in Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia. She now lives in Madrid where she works as a translator from French and Spanish into English. Her first translation, Deranged As I Am, by Comoros writer, Ali Zamir, was published in 2022 and was followed by Madrid Will Be Their Tomb, by Spanish political spokesperson and author, Elizabeth Duval, published in 2023. Alice collaborates with Hablemos, escritoras to translate their podcasts and content into English, and also with The European Literaturen Network, where she worked as Assistant Editor on their Spanish edition of The Riveter magazine.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Published July 23rd, 2020 by Picador
Historical Fiction, Medical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Romance, Lesbian Literature

Welcome to my review for this powerful and unforgettable story. Thanks to Picador for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Three days in a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu. The Pull of the Stars is the Sunday Times Bestseller from the acclaimed author of The Wonder and Room.

‘An immersive, unforgettable fever-dream of a novel’ – The Times

The old world dying on its feet, a new one struggling to be born . . .

Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia’s regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney.

In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.

In The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue tells an unforgettable and deeply moving story of love and loss.

********

MY REVIEW:

Dublin, 1918. Ireland is a country ravaged by war and in the grip of a pandemic. At an understaffed hospital in the city centre, we follow Nurse Julia Power as she cares for expectant mothers who have contracted the flu. She is helped by Birdie Sweeney, an inexperienced volunteer helper, and Doctor Kathleen Lynn, an Irish Nationalist on the run from the police. Over the course of three days, we see them battle to give patients the best care, bring new life into the world, and tragically lose lives to this mysterious disease. 

Beautiful, moving, harrowing and immersive, The Pull of the Stars is an unforgettable piece of historical fiction. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, Emma Donoghue had me hooked from the first pages, transporting me into Julia’s world and making me feel like I was in the room with her. Likeable and easy to root for, Julia was a great protagonist. I loved the care she had for all of her patients, her passion for nursing and that she was refusing to conform to society by staying unmarried as she turned 30. The other characters are equally as compelling. Birdie was naive  but enthusiastic and willing to learn. And my heart broke as we learned more about what she’d been through growing up in religious institutions. Dr Kathleen Lynn, who is based on a real person, was modern, visionary and unafraid to do whatever it takes to further her cause. Each of the women are strong in their own ways and I loved seeing the effect they had on Julia’s life in just three short days.

1918 was a dangerous time to be a woman, especially in a country like Ireland where religious beliefs meant there was an expectation to marry young, an aversion to contraception and a societal expectation to churn out babies back to back regardless of whether or not you wanted to or could afford them. Donoghue explores these issues along with others such as the horrific realities of the Magdalene laundries and religious institutions, and the terrible infant mortality rate, especially amongst poorer families. The characters represent different social groups and offer us an example of many different lives. There are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, impoverished and malnourished women struggling to give birth for a twelfth time and terrified teenage first-time mothers. Each of these women are fighting to survive at a time when the mortality rate was 15% and we see successful births and tragic losses of both mothers and babies.

One of the things I love about historical fiction is getting a glimpse of life at the time the book is set and as someone who has always been fascinated by medical history, I enjoyed learning about how different treatments and knowledge were at the start of the twentieth century, while also seeing how knowledge about hygiene and medicine were growing at the time and helped to save lives. I appreciated that Donoghue didn’t shy away from the more shocking and gruesome aspects of nursing and the complications that can arise in obstetrics, although it may be too intense for some readers. 

Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Dublin in 1969, Emma Donoghue is a writer of contemporary and historical fiction whose novels include the international bestseller “Room” (her screen adaptation was nominated for four Oscars), “Frog Music”, “Slammerkin,” “The Sealed Letter,” “Landing,” “Life Mask,” “Hood,” and “Stirfry.” Her story collections are “Astray”, “The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits,” “Kissing the Witch,” and “Touchy Subjects.” She also writes literary history, and plays for stage and radio. She lives in London, Ontario, with her partner and their two children.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

*********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Featured Books

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin

Published February 13th, 2025 by Riverrun
Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

Welcome to my review for this special, moving and heartfelt debut. Thank you to Riverrun for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Wise and playful and tender and beautiful’ Bobby Palmer
‘So brilliant, so original and lovely and funny, that it reminds you of the point of reading’ Rebecca Wait

Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Remarkably Bright Creatures, this is a charming, witty and moving novel about what it feels like to grow up neurodivergent.

‘Climb up here, Little Alien. Sit next to me. I will tell you about life on this planet. I will tell you how it goes’

From her first words to her first day at school, Little Alien can’t help but get things wrong. She doesn’t understand the world the way others seem to, and the world doesn’t seem to understand her either. Her anxious mum and meticulous dad, while well-intentioned, are of little help.

But when Little Alien sees a documentary about the Voynich Manuscript – a mediaeval codex written in an unknown language and script – she begins to suspect that there are other people who feel just like her. Convinced that translating this manuscript will offer the answers she needs, she sets out on a journey that will show her a delicious taste of freedom.

So begins this charming, witty, and profoundly moving novel about the power of language, the wonder of libraries – and how to find a path that fits, when you yourself do not.

‘Unique and thoroughly engaging. It is insightful and funny and gently poignant. By telling the story of one little alien, Alice Franklin has told the story of many’ Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words

‘Totally addictive and brilliant . . . Life Hacks for A Little Alien is sure to find its place as one of the best loved works of fiction’ Aimée Walsh, author of Exile

‘Immersive, moving, and fizzing with humour, I couldn’t put this book down and I still can’t let the character go’ Paula Lichtarowicz, author of The Snow Hare

‘A rare energy lights this wonderful book: a unique recipe of humour, heart, frankness, and an unstoppable fascination with language’ Han Smith, author of Portraits at the Palace of Creativity and Wrecking

‘Witty, bold, heart-warming and entirely delicious. I devoured it’ Jyoti Patel, author of The Things that we Lost

********

MY REVIEW:

“Climb up here, Little Alien. Sit next to me. I will tell you about life on this planet. I will tell you how it goes.”

Beautiful, tender, quirky and deeply human, Life Hacks For A Little Alien is a thought-provoking debut. It explores the world through the eyes of an unnamed protagonist referred to as Little Alien because she feels so different from everyone around her. Little Alien struggles to navigate life and doesn’t understand the world or the people around her. Nor do they understand her. She is seen as strange and distant; unable to look people in the eye and rarely speaking. School is a nightmare for Little Alien. She is overwhelmed, gullible and seems unable to stay out of trouble. They also label her as stupid because of her unusual ways and reluctance to talk, not realising she has a rich inner life and is actually quite clever. She makes one friend, but loses touch with him after she’s forced to move schools again. Then, after seeing a documentary about the Voynich Manuscript – a Medieval codex written in an unknown language and script – Little Alien begins to wonder if she isn’t the only one who feels different after all. She becomes obsessed with the manuscript and is convinced that translating it holds the key to all the answers she’s been searching for. 

Alice Franklin proves herself to be a talent to watch with this glorious debut. From its opening pages it is obvious that this is a book like nothing you’ve ever read before. And it is a story I will never forget. Masterfully written and full of heart and humour, Franklin has created something really special. Little Alien is a unique protagonist that it is impossible not to love. Endearing and sympathetic, her differences only made me feel more protective of her. I loved seeing the world through Little Alien’s eyes, although seeing how she was judged and dismissed broke my heart and made me wish for a kinder world. Franklin expertly shows us how things that make sense to us might be confusing for someone else and  I was glad Little Alien had the narrator to guide her through this confusing world as no-one else was doing it. This little girl fell through every crack possible in life and it was heartbreaking. Her teachers were ignorant and her parents deeply flawed, both so consumed by their own issues and challenges that they failed to help their daughter. But they weren’t bad people and I was rooting for them to get better and for the family to heal as a unit.

As the mother of two neurodivergent children, I wish I’d had this book to read years ago. Wonderful, moving and insightful, it is hard to put into words just how special, and unique this story is. Please read it and find out for yourself.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice Franklin lives and works in London. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Life Hacks for a Little Alien is her debut novel.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BLOG TOUR: Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

Published January 30th, 2025 by Scribner UK
Literary Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this extroardinary and unforgettable debut. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Scribner UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘A moving portrait of life inside the housing system and the courage it takes to try to build a home in society’s cracks’ GUARDIAN

‘Brand-new, urgent and hugely satisfying’ RODDY DOYLE

‘As emotionally charged as it is brutally real. The writing is flawless. I was profoundly moved’ ELAINE FEENEY

‘Will make your blood boil and your heart soar. This is an important novel’ CLAIRE KILROY

‘Gorgeous, maddening, thrilling and compassionate’ SHEILA ARMSTRONG

_______________________________________________________________

An extraordinary and urgent debut by a prize-winning Irish writer, NESTING introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction.

On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe.

This was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan’s relentless campaign to get her to come back. Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another.

What will it take for Ciara to rebuild her life? Can she ever truly break away from Ryan’s control – and what will be the cost?

Tense, beautiful, and underpinned by an unassailable love, hope and resilience, this is the story of one woman’s bid to start over.

********

MY REVIEW:

One afternoon Ciara Fay finds the strength to leave her abusive husband, Ryan. It’s a split-second moment of clarity, so Ciara grabs the clothes from the washing line and a few other meager items that are to hand and flees with her two daughters. She has just a few hundred euro to her name and knows only that she has to get the three of them to safety. But reality quickly dawns for Ciara as she finds herself with dwindling money, nowhere to stay, no job, and a head filled with self-doubt and inner demons. A broken housing crisis sees Ciara and her daughters living in a single room in a hotel, while Ryan incessantly sends messages that either pledging his undying love or drip with venom. As the months tick by with no end to their struggle in sight, Ciara doubts her choices. She found the strength to leave. But can she find the strength to stay away?

Searing, soulful, heart-shredding and hopeful, Nesting is a powerful and moving story that will stay with you long after reading. A story of doubt, fear, trauma, courage, joy and hope that broke me into pieces and then put me back together again. I was very nervous about reading this one as I knew from the synopsis that it would bring back so much of my own trauma. I left my own abusive marriage for the final time in 2008 and so much of Ciara’s story is my own. But while it is a difficult, painful and uncomfortable read, even if you’ve never experienced abuse, it is also an urgent story that needs to be read. 

Roisin O’Donnell showcases herself as a talent to watch with this astonishing debut. Expertly written, every word bleeds raw emotion as she strips bare the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies leaving and staying away from an abusive partner. And she achieves this in a way that is more vivid and achingly real than I’ve ever read before. There is omnipresent fear that lingers over every page alongside the helplessness, vulnerability, strength and courage that flow through the story. I devoured it in a single evening, unable to turn away and felt like an empty shell after finishing this unbelievable debut; loving it completely but also feeling like a hollow shell once it was over. 

O’Donnell masterfully writes these characters and their complex emotions, creating relatable and real characters filled with the shades of grey that make us human. Ciara makes mistakes, but I connected with her quickly. Ryan is clearly controlling from the first pages, but we also see the charm and emotion that drew Ciara to him and made her stay for so long. I think getting Ryan’s character so right was vital so the reader can understand why she is so torn and doubts herself so much. These kinds of people know how to turn on the charm and get inside our heads so that we no longer know who we are and only hear their voice in our head. O’Donnell portrays that perfectly, showing the reader how it is possible to feel so lost without the person who is tearing you apart from the inside. The story also contains beautiful examples of friendship and community in the relationships Ciara formed with the other people at the hotel. There is also real beauty to be found in the community and friendships that Ciara formed with the other people at the hotel. In her darkest hour she found people who rallied round her, supported her, and helped her find the light once again. Something all of us need. 

Tense, haunting and unforgettable, Nesting is an extraordinary debut that packs a strong emotional punch. I expect to see this on many of the prize lists this year and can’t wait for whatever Ms. O’Donnell writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Roisín O’Donnell won the prize for Short Story of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2018, and was shortlisted for the same prize in 2022. She is the author of the story collection Wild Quiet, which was longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award. Her short fiction has featured in The Stinging Fly, The Tangerine, the Irish Times and many other places. Other stories have been selected for major anthologies such as The Long Gaze Back, and have featured on RTÉ Radio. Her debut novel Nesting will be published in 2025. Roisín is represented by Eleanor Birne at PEW Literary. She lives near Dublin with her two children.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.
 

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowen Ivey

Published February 4th, 2025 by Tinder Press
Literary Fiction, Fairy Tales

Happy Publication Day to this dark, moving and extraordinary tale, which is our SquadPod Book Club book for February. Thank you to Tinder Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Where there is wonder, there is love – an unforgettable story of the beauty and savagery of the Alaskan wilderness, from the author of the million-copy international bestseller, The Snow Child.

‘I read with my heart in my mouth, filled with wonder’ Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
‘An enthralling novel about the endurance of love, the power of forgiveness and the savage, irresistible allure of wild places’ Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

Birdie’s keeping it together, of course she is. So she’s a little hungover on her shifts, and has to bring her daughter to the lodge while she waits tables, but Emaleen never goes hungry. It’s a tough town to be a single mother, and Birdie just needs to get by.
And then Birdie meets Arthur, who is quieter than most men, but makes her want to listen; who is gentle with Emaleen, and understands Birdie’s fascination with the mountains in whose shadow they live. When Arthur asks Birdie and Emaleen to leave the lodge and make a home, just the three of them, in his off-grid cabin, Birdie’s answer, in a heartbeat, is yes.

Out in the wilderness Birdie’s days are harsher and richer than she ever imagined possible. Here she will feel truly at one with nature. Here she, and Emaleen, will learn the whole, fearful truth about Arthur.

********

MY REVIEW:

Haunting, beautiful, breathtaking and profound, Black Woods, Blue Sky is an unforgettable masterpiece. A moving story of love, survival, resilience and hope, it’s been a few months since I read it and I still think about it all the time. Eowyn Ivey has created something very special, almost magical, with this book. And everyone needs to read it.

The story follows Birdie, a single mum to six-year-old Emaleen. Birdie is a reckless character who thinks she’s holding it together, but others see it differently. She often leaves young Emaleen alone while she works at the bar or goes fishing. While working at the bar Birdie becomes close to a quiet and strange young man named Arthur. But Arthur listens to her, is kind, he’s great with Emaleen, and the pair share a fascination with the mountains near their Alaskan small town. So, when he asks Birdie to leave her life and bring Emaleen to live offgrid with him she doesn’t hesitate to agree. 
Life in the wilderness is harder than she imagined, but so much more beautiful. But Arthur is acting strange and Birdie begins to think he’s hiding something. Soon, she and Emaleen discover the shocking and fearful truth about him that is beyond anything they ever imagined. 

No-one writes like Eowyn Ivey. I became an instant fan when I read The Snow Child a few years ago and this book solidified her status as one of my favourite authors. Utterly mesmerising, insightful, chilling and devastating, every word went straight to my soul. This book is one of a kind; a dark and forbidding fairytale that is both something from your dreams and straight out of your nightmares. The story builds steadily over three parts but got more intense in the final third and I read with my heart in my throat and shed tears as my heart shattered into pieces. Set in Alaska, the story’s strong sense of place is one of its greatest qualities. Ivey uses the harsh but beautiful  wilderness as another character in the story. The imagery is so evocative that I could see the snowy mountains, hear the twigs crunch under my feet and feel the frigid coldness on my skin.

Ivey has filled the book with characters who are richly drawn, fascinating, and achingly real. Ivey lays bare their flaws, fears and imperfections, making them more relatable, while their strength and resilience made them easy to connect with. Through Birdie, Ivey offers an honest portrayal of the difficulties of single parenthood, showing that alongside the love, joy and strength it brings is also incredible hardship and moments where you doubt your ability. As someone who was a single parent, I related to Birdie but also felt enraged by her behaviour and was rooting for her to become a better mother. However, I did appreciate that Ivey didn’t gloss over the more challenging parts or make Birdie an idealised version of a single mother. Arthur was more enigmatic, the fears of his father for his ‘dangerous’ son making us question what this nice guy is hiding. This led to a lot of tension as I tried to guess what was going on and while my guesses seemed crazy, I couldn’t shake them. But the star of this show was undoubtedly little Emaleen. It was impossible not to love this smart and sweet child who has made a permanent home in my heart. .

An extraordinary story that is like nothing I’ve read before, this is a book that everyone should read.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eowyn (pronounced A-o-win) LeMay Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. She worked for nearly a decade as a bookseller at independent Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska, and prior to that as a reporter for the local newspaper, The Frontiersman.

Her new novel, Black Woods, Blue Sky will be released February 2025. To the Bright Edge of the World was published in 2016. Her debut novel, The Snow Child, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and is a New York Times bestseller published in more than 25 languages. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a UK National Book Award winner, an Indies Choice award for debut fiction, and a PNBA Book Award winner

Eowyn’s essays and short fiction have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, London’s Observer Magazine, Sunday Times Magazine, Sunday Express Magazine, Woman & Home Magazine, the anthology Cold Flashes, the North Pacific Rim literary journal Cirque, and Alaska Magazine, among other publications.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliatel inks

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Published November 3rd, 2022 by Faber & Faber
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the phenomenal Small Things Like These.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CILLIAN MURPHY

A SUNDAY TIMES AND IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’ ‘100 Best Books of the 21st Century’

WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE AND THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE AND THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE DALKEY LITERARY AWARDS

‘Exquisite.’ Damon Galgut
‘Masterly.’ The Times
‘Miraculous.’ Herald
‘Astonishing.’ Colm Tóibín
‘Stunning.’ Sunday Independent
‘Absolutely beautiful.’ Douglas Stuart

It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him – and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church.

********

MY REVIEW:

Small Things Like These is a book that I’ve heard nothing but high praise for. It was nominated for the Booker Prize, named one of the New York Times’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, and chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club, yet it has languished on my shelf unread since I bought it two years ago. But when I heard that there was a movie adaptation being released, I knew it was time to finally dust it off and discover it for myself. 

Set in a small Irish town as Christmas approaches in 1985, the story follows coal miner and timber merchant Bill Furlong during his busiest season. One morning, during a routine delivery, Bill discovers a young girl locked in a coal shed and is forced to face the stark truth of the church’s control of the town and the horrors they inflict behind closed doors. 

I had heard and read about Ireland’s infamous Magdalene laundries, and this story offers a glimpse into how the church used power, secrecy, fear and control to allow them to continue their atrocities for so long. The last of the laundries didn’t close until as recently as 1996 and it was in 1993 that the unmarked graves of 155 women were uncovered in the grounds of one of the laundries. 

This is a story that is short but mighty. Deftly told, succinct and consuming, Claire Keegan doesn’t waste a word as she explores the very best and worst of humanity in this heartfelt, profound and thought-provoking tale. It is one of those books that you need to sit with after reading, ruminating on the lessons in the story. A short read, it took me just over an hour to read it, but this haunting story will stay with me forever.  

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Keegan’s works of fiction are critically acclaimed, international bestsellers — and have been translated into thirty languages. Antarctica won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Walk the Blue Fields won the Edge Hill Prize for the finest collection of stories published in the British Isles. Foster won the Davy Byrnes Award— the world’s richest prize for a short story. Small Things Like These, a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Rathbones Folio Prize and won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and The Kerry Prize for Irish Novel of the Year. So Late in the Day was published in the New Yorker and shortlisted for the British Book Awards. Keegan was awarded Woman of the Year for Literature in Ireland in 2022, Author of the Year 2023, the Seamus Heaney Award for Arts and Letters 2024 and most recently the Siegfried Lenz Award.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Squadpod Featured Books

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Unfinished Life of Eadie Browne by Freya North

Published September 12th, 2024 by Mountain Leopard Press
Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

Welcome to my review for this magnificent and unforgettable story, which was one of our recent SquadPod Featured Books. Thanks to Mountain Leopard Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘You really must read this book. A rare and phenomenal life affirming read’ DINAH JEFFERIES

‘Get ready to fall in love with Eadie Browne, the eponymous and eccentric heroine of this tender-hearted, steeped-in-nostalgia story about chosen family’ RED

When your present meets your past, what do you take with you – and what do you leave behind?

Eadie Browne is a quirky kid living in a small town where nothing much happens. Bullied at school, she muddles her way through the teenage years with best friends Celeste and Josh until University takes them their separate ways.

Arriving in Manchester as a student in the late 1980s, Eadie experiences a novel freedom and it’s intoxicating. As the city embraces the dizzying euphoria of Rave counterculture, Eadie is swept along, ignoring danger and reality. Until, one night, her past comes hurtling at her with consequences she could never have imagined.

Now, as the new millennium approaches, Eadie is thirty with a marriage in tatters, travelling back to the town of her birth for a funeral she can’t quite comprehend. As she journeys from the North to the South, from the present to the past, Eadie contemplates all that was then and all that is now – and the loose ends that must be tied before her future can unfold.

‘A delightful dose of nostalgia’ HEAT

‘A beautifully written tale about growing up, letting go and moving on’ SUN

‘A gorgeous, heartfelt, atmospheric novel by a wonderful storyteller’ LUCY ATKINS

‘A beautifully moving portrait of youth, friendship and love . . . I loved it’ MIKE GAYLE

‘Beautifully written, funny and wise . . . heart-breaking and heart-warming’ ALEXANDRA POTTER

********

MY REVIEW:

Heartfelt, enthralling and unforgettable, The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne is a gorgeous slice-of-life story that packs a strong emotional punch. Brimming with kindness, joy, friendship and self-discovery, it explores the defining moments in one young girl’s life and how they echo in her adult years, as well as the many ways we leave indelible imprints on each other’s lives. 

Some books arrive in your life at exactly the right time and change you forever. That is what this book did for me. Freya North had me in the palm of her hand from start to finish, immediately enthralling me with her beautiful, descriptive prose of this exquisitely written and insightful story. It resonated with me on a visceral level and in a way few books have done before. I make notes in my phone as I read to help me write my reviews and I found myself so lost in this story that I barely made any. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in two sittings, staying up until the early hours until I’d finished and left me with one hell of a book hangover. 

I fell totally in love with the eponymous Eadie Browne, a quirky and eccentric child who seemed quite sad when we first met her. Eadie lives in a small town and spends her time with her only friends, who just happen to be the residents of the cemetery neighbouring her home. She’s teased mercilessly for this and other things at school and it was impossible not to feel for her. But Eadie also radiates an undeniable charm that makes you like her from the start. I felt like I really connected with young Eadie and I loved that the author has filled this book with not only a heroine who is recognisable, relatable and real, but a whole varied cast of characters who are too. I loved Eadie’s friendships with her best friends, Josh and Celeste. I loved watching them grow together, help each other, and how they were inseparable during their tumultuous teenage years. Other friendships I really enjoyed were Eadie’s friendships with the people who worked in the cemetery. These men were a real source of wisdom and comfort to her when she really needed them and I’m a sucker for a multi-generational friendship. 

The story takes a shift in tone when Eadie moves to Manchester for university. This part felt very emotional to me as my eldest and his girlfriend made the same move to the same city 14 months ago. When Eadie moves to Manchester it is overwhelming and she is back to being all alone and needing to make new connections, but she does settle and make new friends. And with those friends comes her introduction to the Rave scene that was sweeping the city in the late 1980s and they spend their nights dancing in an Ecstasy-induced haze. It is a time of euphoria, brightness and discovery. While it feels innocent to them, we know the danger they are in. A danger that Eadie becomes aware of when her past and present collide in a terrifying way one night, leading to a new exploration of trauma and PTSD, subjects that the author handles with both honesty and sensitivity. She brings that same talent to her writing in the ‘present’ part of the story, which takes place in 1999. Eadie is now thirty and married. But her marriage is strained and as she and her husband  make a pilgrimage back to her home town for a funeral. As she travels home, Eadie reflects on the past, how the events in her life have impacted her over the years and in the present, and asks herself if her marriage can be saved. 

Consuming, funny, heartwarming, moving and uplifting, this magnificent story is one that I will never forget. One of my favourite books this year, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

 Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am the author of 16 bestselling novels including my debut Sally (1996), Pillow Talk (2008 – winner of the RNA award) The Turning Point (2016), Richard & Judy Bookclub selection Little Wing (2022) and my newest, The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne (2024) – my love letter to youth, to friendship, to growing up in the 1980s… and to Manchester!

A sense of place is central to my writing and previous novels have featured Derbyshire, Teesside, North Norfolk, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Vermont, France and British Columbia. A passionate reader, I founded and ran the Hertford Children’s Book Festival, have judged the Costa Book Awards and am a patron of the Society of Women Writers & Journalists. I’m proud to be an Ambassador for Bowel Cancer UK and patron of Pointers In Need. I have degrees in Art History from the University of Manchester and the Courtauld Institute, London and love teaching at writing workshops. Currently, I’m trying to work out which novel to write next… as there are quite a few vying for my attention!

I love books. Books have defined and shaped all the key stages of my life. A A Milne taught me about rhyme – and reason; Barbara Sleigh fired my imagination and my playtimes with the Carbonel stories. Black Beauty was the first book that made me cry, while Ruby Ferguson’s Jill books transported the pony-mad girl in me away from the city.

In my teenage years, I found solace in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Judy Blume’s novels, while To Kill A Mockingbird and Flowers for Algernon opened my eyes to justice, humanity and judging people. At University, I turned to Jilly Cooper for respite during exams and books by Jane Gardam and Barbara Trapido introduced me to characters whose shoes I wanted to step in to. I now host a series on Instagram called Wednesday Writers – a half-hour slot at lunchtime where I chat candidly with another author about how we write, why we write, where we write…and how we cope when we fear we can’t bloody write!

I grew up surrounded by books and loved weekly visits to the library to choose something new – or an outing to the bookshop to spend a book voucher! Whether my childhood home or student digs in Manchester or various flat-shares and then my own home, books have always filled my space. I don’t own an ebook reader – I’m happy to continue to decorate my home with my book collection. Every book I own is a treasured possession of mine, an essential part of my history. Every book I own, quite literally, tells a story.

Since 2009 I have lived on a small farm in East Hertfordshire with my family – my offspring Felix and Georgia, my dogs Milo and Bee, my horses Nathan and Jack and my sheeps Brontë, Emily, Eliza and Lovely. In my spare time, I enjoy ceramics classes (I’ve been going for years and basically make the same bowl over and over again, plus little porcelain sheep) or invariably I can be found in one saddle or other. I’ve ridden horses since I was little but I took up road biking after my back surgery in 2017 – and have become somewhat obsessed…

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BOOK REVIEW: The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid, 2) by Nita Prose

Published January 18th, 2024 by Harper Fiction
Mystery, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Women Sleuths

Welcome to my review for this gorgeous cosy mystery. Thank you to Harper Fiction for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

*The sparkling new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of THE MAID*

‘Utterly delightful’ DAILY MAIL

‘Captivates from page one’ JANICE HALLETT

_________________________________________________________________

DO NOT DISTURB. WHODUNNIT IN PROGRESS …

Molly Gray wears her Head Maid badge proudly for every shift at the Regency Grand Hotel: plumping pillows, sweeping up secrets, silently restoring rooms to a state of perfection. But the hotel’s reputation is sullied when a guest – a famous mystery writer – drops very dead on the tearoom floor.

As suspicion swirls in the hotel corridors, it’s clear there’s grime lurking beneath the gilt. And Molly knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. But unlocking it means thinking about the past, about a dusty old house, and everything else she’s tidied away in her memory.

Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time – and she knows his secrets too …

********

MY REVIEW:

“Every fairytale teaches a lesson. The monster is always real. Just not the way you thought. No secret stays buried forever.”

When renowned author J. D. Grimthorpe drops dead during an event at the Regency Grand Hotel; our favourite cleaning lady-turned amateur sleuth, Molly Gray, is drawn into another investigation. Suspicion fills the hotel’s halls and the list of suspects seems to grow daily: could it be Lily, the new Maid-in-Training or Serena, Mr. Grimthorpe’s Secretary? Maybe it could even be one of his devoted fans. But this victim is no stranger to Molly and she quickly realises that long-buried memories from her past and a secret the author has long kept hidden could hold the answers to his death. 


Molly the Maid is back! The Maid was one of my favourite books of 2022 so I was excited to step back into the Regency Grand Hotel For another mystery. Nita Prose has once again written a captivating mystery that also feels like a warm hug. I devoured this book, enjoying every moment of being back with Molly and the other characters. 

This book has solidified Molly’s place as one of my favourite amateur sleuths. She is such a warm, endearing and quirky character who I think it would be impossible not to love. Since the last book Molly has been promoted to Head Maid and it is clear she relishes her new role. I loved seeing how she has grown since the first book and delving into her past to solve this mystery. The flashback scenes were some of my favourite and I loved getting to know her late Grandmother better and seeing their dynamic. It helped me understand Molly even more and you can see the seeds for who she is in the present being sown in her past. Also back are other favourite characters such as Anglea, the feisty barmaid and Molly’s best friend, Preston, the loveable Doorman, Hotel Manager Mr Snow, and Molly’s old foe, Detective Stark. I loved being back with these characters, feeling like I was back amongst old friends. 

Cosy, comforting and compelling, this is the perfect book for anyone wanting their mystery with a side of uplit. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to listen with 60 days free.*

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nita Prose is the author of The Mystery Guest and The Maid, which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and was published in more than forty countries. A #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club pick, The Maid won the Ned Kelly Award for In­ternational Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Novel of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mys­tery, and was an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. 

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Published October 10th, 2024 by Doubleday UK
Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this atmospheric and suspenseful thriller. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Doubleday UK for the gifted proof in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 FRONT ROW

‘Utterly compelling. Could not put it down.’ LIZ NUGENT

‘Really, really, REALLY good. Highly recommended!’ MARIAN KEYES

‘I LOVED this art-world-set thriller with its stately-home Saltburn vibe.’ DAILY MAIL

THE CHILLING AND ADDICTIVE NEW THRILLER FROM THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

**************
WELCOME TO ERIS – A SCOTTISH TIDAL ISLAND WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE, ONE INHABITANT,
ONE WAY OUT. . .

A place that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day. Once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, Grace receives an unexpected visitor.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . .

‘A gripping, ambitious, big-skied novel about women who refuse to surrender to the tide.’ ERIN KELLY

‘Extremely hard to put down.’ MICK HERRON

‘A masterpiece! Gorgeous and chilling.’ SHARI LAPENA

********

MY REVIEW:

Eris Island is a secluded island off the coast of Scotland that has just one house, one inhabitant, and is cut off from the mainland for twelve hours each day. This made it the ideal sanctuary for Vanessa Chapman, an eccentric and reclusive artist, who lived and created much of her work there until her death five years ago. Upon her death Vanessa bequeathed her home to her companion, Grace, but her work to gallery owner, Doug Lennox. But there are works rumoured to be missing, and when a human bone is discovered in one of her sculptures, Janes Becker is sent to Eris Island by the Lennox family to investigate. Will he finally reveal the secrets Eris has kept hidden for decades…

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Paula Hawkins, but I loved The Girl on the Train and knew I needed to read this one as soon as I read the synopsis. It started strong: the beautiful and compelling prologue pulling me in and telling me that this was going to live up to the hype. And it did. Atmospheric, claustrophobic, tense and alluring, The Blue Hour is a story about dark secrets, fractured people, male violence, and women who refuse to conform. Skillfully written, tightly plotted and twisty, there’s a dark, haunting and mysterious atmosphere that permeates the pages from start to finish. It’s a darkness that feels seductive, luring you to Eris Island and its long-held secrets and holding you in its thrall. The island’s harsh, unforgiving and isolated landscape only heightened these feelings. Eris seems like the perfect place when you want peace or solitude, but it’s frightening when things go wrong. And while I had my theories about what had gone wrong, I didn’t predict even a slither of the many twists and turns. Hawkins steadily builds the tension to its heart-pounding crescendo, leaving me breathless when all was finally unveiled.

The story is told by dual narrators: Vanessa’s companion, Grace, and James, who works for the Lennox family. While James seems reliable, steadfast and someone who is what he appears – a fanboy of Vanessa’s who now works for the family who sold her artwork – Grace is more of an enigma. We know Grace is keeping secrets and are never sure if we can trust her. Is she just protective of her dear friend and her legacy or is there something darker to what she’s hiding? This mystery added to the tension and kept me on tenterhooks. Meanwhile, Vanessa may have passed five years before, but she is kept very much alive by the inclusion of extracts from her diary before each chapter. These were often my favourite parts; the author dropping breadcrumbs of clues for us to piece together as we try to unravel the mystery of what really happened on Eris Island.

Eerie, suspenseful and totally riveting, The Blue Hour is a thriller not to be missed.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, she moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller The Girl on the Train became a global phenomenon, selling over 23 million copies. Published in over fifty languages, it was a No.1 bestseller around the world and a box-office-hit film starring Emily Blunt. Paula’s most recent thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant No.1 bestsellers. In 2021 A Slow Fire Burning was nominated for Thriller of the Year at the British Book Awards. Her upcoming thriller, The Blue Hour, will be published around the world in October 2024.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliopihles xxxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.