Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness

Blog Tour:

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour for several reasons:

1) I love nature and animals and birds of all kinds

2) I am passionate about the belief that nature can aid recovery for both physical and mental health issues

3) It brings another spotlight to mental health issues which we need to continue to talk about

 

About Bird Therapy:

When Joe Harkness suffered a breakdown in 2013, he tried all the things his doctor recommended: medication helped, counselling was enlightening, and mindfulness grounded him. But nothing came close to nature, particularly birds. How had he never noticed such beauty before? Soon, every avian encounter took him one step closer to accepting who he is.

The positive change in Joe’s wellbeing was so profound that he started a blog to record his experience. Three years later he has become a spokesperson for the benefits of birdwatching, spreading the word everywhere from Radio 4 to Downing Street.

In this groundbreaking book filled with practical advice, Joe explains the impact that birdwatching had on his life, and invites the reader to discover these extraordinary effects for themselves.

 

The Book:

Bird Therapy has a forward by Chris Packham, who also shares some of his story (which I was unaware of) and this sets up the book for what is to come. This book resonated with me in so many places and the fact that it is written in an engaging way that reassures is very comforting. He talks to us about birds, how to watch and listen, but more importantly the impact they have on developing mindfulness (sounds, behaviours, mannerisms, relationships) – it forces you to slow down, to block everything else out, to become calm.

In Bird Therapy, Joe Harkness shares his personal story of living with OCD, anxiety, and depression, and how he manages it through nature and birdwatching. Of course, he talks about his illness but this is ultimately an uplifting book with practical advice at the end of each chapter. Also in each chapter, which always starts with a lovely drawing of a bird and a quote, he shares a different glimpse of his birdwatching journey, from setting up his first bird feeders to his experiences of rare bird sightings.

Reading this book was a reminder of how much we still need to push the topic of mental health further up the agenda, and also how far we have come in just the last few years which is certainly very encouraging.

 

Verdict:

A book for everyone. Important, timely and accessible.

I moved house a year ago and I am now lucky to live in a garden with many trees (silver birch, oak, pine, cherry) and all day long I am treated to birds and squirrels. On a morning, I open my bedroom window and lean out and just listen. Is there a more lovely way to start the day? I think not.

This book is for anyone and well worth a read. Highly recommended.

Please take a look at the other blogs on the tour too:

 

 

The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson

What I thought:

Once in a while a book comes along that etches into your heart. This is one of those books. I’m not sure there is anything that I can say that will do justice to this piece of gorgeousness but I’ll give it a damn good go.

Firstly, that cover! *imagine a million heart-eye emojis* Whoever says not to judge a book by its cover is wrong. I frequently pick books up because I love the cover (and often overlook those I don’t like). I love the colours and how it perfectly captures the two different worlds inhabited by the characters of The Sealwoman’s Gift.

This book was a joy from beginning to end. I found it to be a really moving tale of love, heartbreak, loss and endurance.

Iceland in 1627 and the inhabitants of a small island just off the main coast live a simple but harsh life, but a life that is nonetheless filled with family and friendships and the telling of folktales. One day, their little island is raided by Barbary pirates and hundreds of men, women and children are ripped from their homes and forced aboard a ship to be taken to a strange and hot land where they are kept as slaves. Farfetched, you may be forgiven for thinking, but this is actually based on a true story. The island Pastor, Olafur Egilsson, and his wife and children actually existed and much of the story is based on a diary that was found to have been written during the time of these events.

I love books based on true stories, especially little known historical ones. Sally Magnusson has clearly done a huge amount of research for this book and her passion for the stories of the people involved and in bringing them back to life was clear to see on every page. What I particularly love is that, despite the diaries that were found being written by the Pastor, it is Asta, his wife who is given a voice in this book. Litte is known of what happened to most of those who were taken once they reached North Africa, however some stories have survived, as remarkably a small number made it back to Iceland many years later. Women have largely been ignored or forgotten about through the passage of time, but Asta is brought back to life by Magnusson who has created a fully-fleshed character who is both feisty and humorous.

The descriptions of the land, the people, the folk tales were all so well crafted, whether it was a bleak and windswept Iceland or a vibrant and chaotic Algiers. It was quite often a surprise when I looked up from the book and realsied I was still in my own front room.

Verdict:

Beautiful, tender, shocking. This book really is all the feels. I absolutely loved it.

Ten seconds of fame:

I was contacted by the production team to review The Sealwoman’s Gift for Zoe Ball’s Book Club so of course, I jumped at the chance to gush about my favourite book of the year so far.

Just in case you missed it, here it is again 🙂

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Blog Tour – The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of the blog tour for author Riley Sager’s new book The Last Time I Lied as I had read Final Girls a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it!

As with Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied is also partly set in a summer camp, which was one of the things that I loved about the first book. Confession: I didn’t realise it was my turn on the tour today so I haven’t written up my review yet so that will follow shortly. However, in the meantime, Riley has kindly answered some questions about favourite summer camp movies for this blog tour.

 

My 5 Favourite Summer Camp Movies by Riley Sager 

Hollywood loves a good summer camp movie. All those dense woods and mist-covered lakes make great backdrops for stories both sweet and scary.

 

The Parent Trap (1961)

This Walt Disney classic stars Hayley Mills and … Hayley Mills as long-lost twin sisters who meet at summer camp. First, they fight. Then they bond. Then they hatch a plan to switch identities and reunite their parents. It’s all insane, which might be why I love it so much. A 1998 remake starred Lindsay Lohan and … Lindsay Lohan, which is why I prefer the original.

 

Friday the 13th (1980)

Erm, no thanks!

Let’s be honest—as soon as you hear the words summer camp, you think Camp Crystal Lake, home of that hockey-masked monster Jason Voorhees. With good reason. The original Friday the 13th changed the way the world things of summer camps. After that, it was no longer safe to venture into the woods alone.

 

Addams Family Values (1993)

While the adult members of the Addams clan are dealing with psychotic bride Debbie Jellinksy (a deliciously bonkers Joan Cusack), Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Camp Chippewa. While there, a group of mean girls target Wednesday. Big mistake, mean girls. Big mistake.

 

Camp (2003)

What’s better than nature? Nature and show tunes, of course. Plus a bunch of drama kids bringing all their issues and confusion to the great outdoors. An added bonus: Seeing a young Anna Kendrick belting out Stephen Sondheim’s “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

 

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Have you ever loved a movie so much you want to live there? That’s how I feel about this Wes Anderson charmer about the adolescent romance between a scout camp runaway and the bookish girl who strikes his fancy. Come for the production design, stay for the surprisingly sweet story.

 

Thank you so much to Riley for taking the time to write this post. I’ve even added a few of those films to my own watch list now. And thank you to Ebury Publishing for my copy of the book and to Anne Cater for arranging the tour.

A Lazy Bloggers Mini Reviews – Part 1

I’ve been a little lazy of late when it comes to reviewing books *hangs head in shame*. The real shame is that some of them have been absolute corkers!

To make up for it (but more importantly so I don’t have to spend the next 3 weeks writing up full-length reviews around my actual job) I have decided to do a blast of lots of mini-reviews. Bite-sized reviews; amuse-bouches, if you will.

I will provide a synopsis by way of the publishers’ blurb and then a verdict on what I thought 🙂

So, in no particular order:

If I Die Before I Wake by Emily by Emily Koch

Summary:

“Everyone believes Alex is in a coma, unlikely to ever wake up. As his family debate withdrawing life support, and his friends talk about how his girlfriend Bea needs to move on, he can only listen.

But Alex soon begins to suspect that the accident that put him here wasn’t really an accident. Even worse, the perpetrator is still out there and Alex is not the only one in danger.

As he goes over a series of clues from his past, Alex must use his remaining senses to solve the mystery of who tried to kill him, and try to protect those he loves, before they decide to let him go.”

Verdict:

A great device for a book – the narrator is trapped in a body that is paralysed but with a mind that is still very much awake, only he can’t tell anyone this. We, the reader, watch Alex try to piece together the days and hours before his accident and we also watch it dawn on him that perhaps it was more than an unfortunate accident that put him in hospital. Chilling and at times edge-of-your-seat, this is a great thriller. If you like your books dramatic and fast-paced, this may not be for you, however, as it is quite a slow burner. An author to watch out for.

 

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

Summary:

“The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They’re both wrong.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…”

Verdict:

If you like your books twisty and turny then Clare Mackintosh will be right up your street. There were a few “gotcha’s”, one of which I guessed and the others which I didn’t. I bloody love it when I get it wrong as so many of these types of books are easy to predict these days. Fabulous book!

 

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Summary:

“SOMEONE IS LIVING A LIE… BUT WHO?

Is it Lisa?
Haunted by a tragic past, all Lisa wants is a quiet life with her daughter, Ava. And when she meets a new man, things seem to be falling into place. But Lisa is hiding a secret so momentous it could shatter her entire world…

Is it Ava?
When sixteen-year-old Ava saves a young boy’s life, she becomes a local hero. But never in a million years could she have anticipated the fallout of her actions…

Is it Marilyn?
Marilyn has the perfect life. Her husband, her job, her house—she seems to have it all. But she could never admit to her best friend Lisa the lies she tells herself to get through the day…

One moment will change these three women’s lives forever. And the secrets they’ve been keeping could destroy them all.”

Verdict:

I was a huge fan of Behind Her Eyes, out last year, so it is no exaggeration to say that I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on this book. I was not disappointed, in fact, I loved it! Sarah Pinborough really knows how to keep you guessing, and how to take you to the place you won’t suspect. Highly recommended for fans of the psychological thriller.

More soon… 🙂 

Blog Tour & Review: The Lido by Libby Page

What I Thought:

What a joy of a book this is. A book with many themes and all so impactful that after only a few chapters I was already googling outdoor swimming in my area, so keen was I to feel that first icy bite.

Kate is 26 and living a life of loneliness in Brixton, having moved there for work and knowing nobody. She exists on ready meals and spends her evenings alone in her bedroom. Also in Brixton, is 86 year old Rosemary who has lived there all her life. Rosemary has lead a wonderful life, married to the love of her life, George, for over 60 years until his recent passing. Her time is spent swimming in the Lido and occasional tea and cake with friends. That is until the Lido is threatened with closure and Kate and Rosemary find their paths crossing, leading to a friendship that neither of them saw coming.

Kate and Rosemary are both fantastically well-fleshed out characters. Loneliness is a big theme in The Lido as both women are lonely in their own ways and this feeling was palpable through the pages. There was a lot about this book that resonated with me: It is certainly true that you can feel lonely in a crowd. I, like Kate, have moved to new areas, only in my case many times. Starting fresh in a new town or city for work is both exciting and daunting and despite making friends easily at work, I found myself on occasion lonely for company and it can be incredibly debilitating. Libby Page manages to create very relatable characters who are easy to empathise with and easy to invest in emotionally.

Verdict:

The Lido is an uplifting, gem of a novel. With an abundance of character who fizz off the pages and a plight and a goal to root for, I enjoyed every second of this book. Be prepared to laugh and to cry (i.e. big, fat, noisy tears) but to come away feeling uplifted.

My Rosemary:

I was asked to talk about my own Rosemary for this book tour and while there were a few contenders, I chose my late Grandmother, Lily,  whose story and courage I have always admired. Born in 1908, my Grandma left home at 17, to become a Nurse, all against the wishes of her parents who owned shops and later a farm and wanted her to continue in the family business. She wanted to become a Nurse so badly that she lied about her age, telling the college she was 18. Over the years, she rose through the ranks, becoming both a midwife and a District Nurse. She met my Grandad, Harry, in her early 20’s but didn’t marry him until years later as in those days, women had to give up their careers when they got married. Despite being written out of her parents’ will, she stuck to her guns and pursued the career she wanted. I used to love hearing these stories when I was little – she was such an independent woman way ahead of her time and stuck to her principles despite being disinherited (actually, that’s not quite true – her parents left her a tea-towel in their will!). My Grandmother went on to have three children (two in her late 20’s when she finally married my Grandad) and then my Mum when she was almost 40 (very late in those days). She also drove a moped (which she crashed and was in a coma for a while and then got back on again when she was back on her feet). Lily passed away in 1996 but we still talk about her a lot – she was feisty and said what she thought but she was also loving and kind. I’m really proud of telling this story as I think she was truly inspirational. And she would have been straight down to that Lido, waving banners and holding placards!!

NB/ I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review by Orion and I was delighted to be asked to take part in the blog tour for this wonderful book. Please do also check out the other reviews that have already been posted and the ones scheduled for the next few days.

Review: Tangerine by Christine Mangan

What I Thought:

This book had me at “If Donna Tartt, Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith & Daphne Du Maurier collaborated”. Sold!

It’s 1956 and Alice Shipley has moved with her new husband, John, to the sweltering, claustrophobic heat of Tangier in Morocco for John’s work. Once sociable, Alice becomes almost a recluse as she hides herself away from the crowds in her little apartment. Isolated and friendless, Alice’s self-made little cocoon is about to be blown wide open by the appearance of Lucy Mason, her ex-college roommate from Vermont. It is immediately apparent that all is not well between Alice and Lucy: what starts out as uncomfortable and strained, escalates into something far more toxic.

Narrated alternately by both Alice and Lucy, we begin to learn more about their pasts, their friendship and the incident that drove them apart a year ago. With a definite nod to Single White Female, what ensues is a tale of obsession, manipulation and deception. While not a book that hurtles along, it is certainly still a page-turner with plenty of forward momentum as the desire to discover both what happened on a stormy night in Vermont and what the outcome will be for all as Lucy tightens her net around her prey.

Verdict:

Deliciously twisty and chilling and although some just desserts were served, not everything worked out as I had expected which pleased me as it wasn’t all tied up in a neat, predictable little bow.

This is a remarkable debut: so much so that I would have guessed at a much more seasoned writer had I not known. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.

 

NB/ I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review. It is released in the UK by Little, Brown on 22nd March 2018.

Review: Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

What I Thought:

Aside from having a cover depicting cake (sold!) I had high hopes for this book anyway, having read (and loved) The Trouble with Goats and Sheep just a year earlier. In the same way that its predecessor did, Three Things About Elsie gently invited me in by way of a character whose story I immediately wanted to know more about, and whose side I walked by until the final page.

Florence, narrator for most of the book, is 84 years old and living in Cherry Tree home for the elderly with her best friend from childhood, Elsie. Flo is losing her memory and finds it hard to remember the simplest things sometimes,  and being part-narrated by two members of staff from Cherry Tree this also helps us to see how overlooked the elderly become, almost to the point of dehumanisation. There are times in the book when I had to pause and think. One example of this is when Flo is asked about another resident, Mrs. Honeyman, and whether she has lost someone: “only who she used to be” replies Flo.

What I didn’t realise this book would also be, was a mystery. A new resident moves into Cherry Tree; someone whom Flo recognises from her past and someone who causes her distress. Having Flo as our protagonist adds a whole extra level to solving the mystery, as she is an unintentionally unreliable narrator. As Flo picks away at the threads of her memory, supported by Elsie and another resident, Jack, we are able to put together pieces of the puzzle, but only at the same time as Flo, meaning that there are questions, doubts and hold-ups along the way.

Verdict:

Poignant, tender, delightful. A book about friendship, hope and about how our lives can touch others in such a small way but ultimately have the biggest impact. A wonderful read.

Review: Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister

What I thought:

This book started off great guns: I started the book one night before bed “just to see how it is…” and found myself flipping the pages furiously and unwilling to put it down. It was less than halfway through that I then noticed my interest waning and by three quarters I could happily have abandoned it and moved on… but I still liked the idea of the plot and really wanted to see how it would all resolve itself.

Set in a sliding-doors fashion, the first chapter follows Joanna on her night out with friend Laura, from her selfie with a stranger through to unwanted attention from a man that leads to them leaving the club early. Walking back along the canal side, and still upset from her earlier ordeal, Joanna hears quickening footsteps behind her and a split second decision makes her do something that will have long-term consequences for so many. The following chapters are then alternate between reveal (she confesses) and conceal (she runs away).

Such a great idea for a book and one I was looking forward to enormously to see how the consequences of our actions can affect us so utterly. It should have been great. But I got bored: bored of Joanna, whom I found it was difficult to empathise with, bored of the plot which didn’t seem to go anywhere for a huge chunk of the book and bored of waiting to find out how it would all pull together. If in fact, if it had pulled nicely together at the end (by way of a twist or something jaw-dropping) it would quite possibly have redeemed itself but I found the ending to not only be convenient in an attempt to wrap it all up but a bit of a damp squib.

I feel my main issue is that I couldn’t connect with Joanna or any other members of the cast, at all. It wasn’t simply that I didn’t like her; I couldn’t “get” her in either the reveal or conceal stories. That made it difficult to invest in the book overall as I was not engaged.

Verdict:

Not a bad book, just not a great one. I haven’t read Everything But The Truth (McAllister’s first book) yet but I do have a copy and I have heard great things so I wouldn’t be put off reading this at all.

Great concept, not so great execution.

Review: The Pool House by Tasmina Perry

What I thought:

I have long been aware of the name Tasmina Perry as an author but never been tempted to even venture as far as the first page in any of her books, simply deciding that they weren’t for me. What then drove me to select this on a whim? I have no idea but I am SO glad I did – I loved it!

Mysteries are my favourite genre so when The Pool House started with a murder I was hooked anyway but add a luxurious Hamptons Beach House and I was instantly transported to the glamorous world of young, rich socialites who will do anything to rise to the top. Being everything that I normally despise about society, these self-serving, ruthless individuals, when blended together with sunshine and New York night life, make a heady cocktail of shenanigans that fizz off the pages.

Jem and her husband Dan have moved to NYC from London to live the dream and Dan to pursue his career in publishing. When they are invited to house-share a beach house in the Hamptons with three other couples every weekend in the summer, they jump at the chance. Not quite able to believe their luck, they settle into their new lifestyle quickly and all is well until Jem discovers that the couple who had the room last year didn’t have quite so much luck when Alice was found dead in the swimming pool. With the group reluctant to discuss what happened last summer, Jem – with the help of neighbour and famous thriller writer, Michael Kearney – sets out to uncover what really happened that night, but it seems she may be meddling where she’s not wanted…

Verdict:

This book was so good! I was so engrossed in the story that I could have actually been there and what’s more, I’ve discovered that a lifestyle that would actually be my idea of hell is actually damn good fun to read about. I loved it so much that I’ve gone on to download three more of Perry’s books.

Fun, pacy and with oodles of glamour and also incredibly well written, I am now a firm fan. Highly recommended!

 

NB/ I requested a copy of this book on Amazon Vine in return for an honest review. The Pool House by Tasmina Perry is published in the UK in September 2017 by Headline. 

The Book Whisperer’s Month in Review – March 2017

March appears to have been a mixture of Historical and crime fiction for me, with 7 books read in total, and all bar one having been reviewed (the missing one to come shortly). I’ve discovered 5 brand new (to me) authors and out of those 5, four of them were debuts.

I have listed them in order (best first), although I really enjoyed all bar one (of the ones I finished – there are also some that didn’t make the cut because I couldn’t finish them). The stand out books for me this month were Larchfield and Six Stories. Links to full reviews in the book titles.

Larchfield by Polly Clark

Larchfield was a book I felt I wanted to savour and not attempt to read quickly due to my ever-increasing TBR pile. It was a book I looked forward to getting back to when I wasn’t reading it, not because it was a great thriller or mystery and I needed to know what was happening, but because I was happy in the company of the characters and the gorgeous prose.

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski

A great book: original, engaging and written by an author that is one to watch. Highly, highly recommended!

The Girl Before by J P Delaney

I found this to be a real page-turner and  I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chapters are short, there are unreliable narrators so you’re never really clear on what’s real and what’s not. It was pacy and entertaining and I give it a big thumbs up.

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

I think I wanted to love this book more than I did. And that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it – I did, very much. Perhaps it was a case of great expectations and it didn’t quite hit the mark. Would I recommend? Yes, I absolutely would.

Fierce Kingdom

I liked the fact that this isn’t your normal type of thriller and, there were genuine edge-of-your-seat moments that ensure those pages kept turning. And I actually didn’t see the end coming…

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain

I loved this book and was moved by it, and yet there were parts that left me strangely cold. The boys, as adults, seemed hardly to have matured at all which is a shame and in terms of character development, I didn’t feel there really was any. Or perhaps that was the point? The blurb talks about the book being about friendship but I found it very one-sided, and never really felt the friendship in maybe the way I was intended to. That said, I would still highly recommend this book: Rose Tremain is a fantastic writer.

After the Crash by Michel Bussi

Review to follow.

The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin

I am left with a feeling that is somewhere between perplexed, disappointed and scratching my head with incomprehension. Unbelievable motives, unconvincing and clichéd characters and a feeling that I have wasted several hours of my life. Every now and then I would have a moment of hope / joy when I thought the book might just get back on track again but unfortunately those were all too infrequent and brief.

Have you read any of these or are you planning to? I’d love to hear what you think.

Blog Tour: Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski

Blog Tour:

I am delighted to be part of the blog tour for Six Stories for several reasons:

1. The book is fantastic and original (and a little bit scary!)
2. I had the privilege of meeting Matt last month and listening to him talk about the book
3. It’s published by the fabulous Orenda Books

 

The Book – What I thought:

Deliciously original! I do love it when I come across a book with a format that hasn’t been used before. Hats off, and then some!

Told through the medium of podcasts, the book is split into the stories of 6 people who were around at the time of the death of a 15-year-old boy, Tom Jeffries, in 1997 on Scarclaw Fell in the middle of nowhere. It is hosted by a mysterious podcaster who wears a mask in the hope that his subjects will open up to him more due to the anonymity.  The podcasts grow rapidly in numbers of listeners as each story is aired, and there becomes somewhat of a frenzy around them as we work up to the final one.

But, hang on…. Six Stories isn’t just any thriller. It’s a damn scary one at times! Nanna Wrack terrified me so much that I daren’t stay up reading it on my own. I can’t remember the last time a book had that effect on me (in fact, I’m not normally a fan of horror or spooky but this was really well done).

A great book: original, engaging and written by an author that is one to watch. Highly, highly recommended!

 

Author Interview:

I am really thrilled to have had the opportunity to ask Matt some questions for the blog tour.

TBW – Six Stories had quite a few “hide-behind-the-sofa” moments. Did you intend to make the book a bit scary or did it just turn out that way?

Matt – Coming from a horror background, I think the horror just wound its way naturally into the story. I didn’t plan it; it just sort of happened that way. I was supposed to be writing my first crime novel after all…I honestly didn’t expect the response to the scary parts…it’s terribly humbling! Scaring people is something I’ve always strived to do in my writing.

TBW – Nanna Wrack! Explain yourself! 

Matt – Nanna Wrack is a sort of amalgamation of cautionary folktales from across the world. Cross-culturally, there are many bogeymen (and women) that haunt wild places, from Africa to the Arctic. Folk tales, mythology and cryptozoology are great passions of mine and I felt like Nanna Wrack is a bit like me putting my stamp on a crime story. I also like to entertain the idea that Nanna Wrack is nature perhaps fighting back at a world that is shifting away from nature…

TBW – Crime by podcast: how did you come up with this idea? 

Matt – I was a latecomer to Serial and binged it in a few sittings. I loved this fresh new format and the way it left you with more questions than answers. I figured if no one else had written a book in this style, I would do it first, then when a better writer than me did it, at least I could say it was my idea. I didn’t even know if it work work this way, but I had to try.

TBW – Which podcasts do you listen to and can you recommend any for crime fiction fans?

Matt – I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts rather than fictional ones. for me, truth is always scarier; my favourites at the minute are My Favourite Murder, Last Podcast on the Left, True Crime Brewery, Case File and They Walk Among Us.  For fictional ones, I quite enjoyed The Black Tapes and Tanis.

TBW – Did you alway want to be a published author? How did you get to where you are today with your debut novel just being released?

Matt – I’ve wanted to be an author, ever since about year 8. I’ve had many jobs in my time but they’ve always felt secondary to writing. I got here by perseverance; I didn’t stop writing, I went to every workshop, every event, everything that would help improve my craft. I joined a writing society at university. I wrote plays, poetry, short stories, sent stuff out , got rejected again and again and again. Maybe being stubborn is a better term for me…that’s the advice I’d give to any aspiring writer; be stubborn, never let that dream die.

TBW – If you weren’t a writer what would be your dream job?

Matt – If I wasn’t a writer, my dream job would be working with animals, maybe in a sanctuary for abused and rescued farm animals, up on a hill, near a forest, far from civilisation. Or reindeer herding in the Arctic circle.

TBW – Are you working on another book? If so, can you give us any sneak previews?

Matt – I’ve just finished another one which, I’ll let you know, is not as original in terms of format as Six Stories. The intention of writing something stylistically original was just how Six Stories happened, it was just what fell out of my brain. I will say the next one has less of a horror element and is more of a crime ‘procedural’ but is equal in terms of darkness.

I’m currently half way through something that I don’t want to reveal yet, but let’s just say fans of northern grimness won’t be disappointed…

TBW – You’re stranded on a desert island for a year. Which 3 books do you take and why?

Matt – Rik Mayall – Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ. This book never fails to make me laugh out loud. Rik Mayall was and still is one of my all time heroes and this autobiography is written so distinctly in his voice.

The Voynich Manuscript – a 15th century codex from Italy that is either a piece of linguistic genius or an elaborate prank. I discovered this when I was studying Linguistics at university; it has never been deciphered and whilst I’m no expert, a year on an island might give me a good chance.

The Necronomicon – by Abdul Alhazred. A year alone on a desert island is going to send me insane, I might as well pre-empt it and become a slave to the Great Old Ones.

TBW – Which other authors should we be reading and why?

Matt – Everyone should be reading Johana Gustawsson, a French author who’s just been snapped up by Orenda. I managed to get my paws on an advance copy of ‘Block 46’, a dark, brutal serial killer tale, the writing is magnificent. She’s going to be big! I would also advise anyone who hasn’t, to read anything by Lauren Beukes; she’s an incredible writer at the very top of her game.

TBW – Is there a question you wish I’d asked you and if so what is it?

Matt – I wished you’d asked me about food, no one asks me about food. Your answer would be hummus. All the hummus. Lebanese hummus. Nothing compares.

TBW – Quick fire round:

Favourite colour: Green

Favourite food: Turkish / Lebanese

Favourite holiday destination: Finland

Favourite animal: Cow

Favourite film: Dead Man’s Shoes

Favourite childhood memory: walking in the woods on an icy new year’s day.

TBW – A new book is already written – hurray!!!

Have you read Six Stories yet? What did you think?

 

 

Throwback Thursday: East Lynne by Ellen Wood

Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

East Lynne by Ellen Wood

Whenever I mention this book to anyone they tend to look at me blankly. Why this book is not better known, I will never know. In fact, I might just start a one-woman campaign to get more people to read it. Here is my review from 2010:

What I thought:

Eat your heart out Wilkie Collins. What a fantastic book this is! I just loved every minute of it (and there were a LOT of minutes – for some reason it took me an age to read). For about three weeks I felt like I was living in the middle of a Victorian soap-opera. There was murder, betrayal, divorce, disguises and death and all this set among a backdrop of stately homes and horse-and-carriages. What’s not to love?

I can’t understand why this book is not better known or held in higher esteem. Hallelujah for Oxford World Classics reviving this book (with a fab cover too). I haven’t read anywhere near the amount of Victorian classics that I want to yet but for me, this ranks among my favourites now. Classed as a sensational novel in the 1800’s when it was written, this book was serialised in a weekly newspaper. How I would have waited with baited breath for each new edition to hit the news- stands!

The books main character is Lady Isabel Vane who lives at East Lynne (a grand stately home) with her Father. When her Father, the Earl of Mount Severn, dies and his debts are discovered Lady Isabel is proposed to by the lovely young lawyer, Archibald Carlyle (much to the heartache of one Barbara Hare who, unbeknown to Archibald, is in love with him). Lady Isabel and Archibald seem happy together and go on to have three children, but all the while Archibald is helping Barbara Hare to clear her brother’s name for a murder that was committed some years ago and for which he escaped the scene of the crime and hasn’t been seen since. With all the clandestine meetings between Archibald and Barbara, Lady Isabel is overcome by jealousy and in the heat of the moment abandons her entire family for a man of very dubious character. I don’t want to say too much else for fear of spoiling the book for anyone, but needless to say that this is most definitely not the last we see of Lady Isabel (or the “cad” she ran off with). With misinterpreted conversations galore, hushed secrets and Christmas-cracker disguises this book gallops along with you not daring to let go.

I can honestly say that, for me, there was not a dull moment in this book. It is very accessible and easy to read, even for those who find Victorian literature hard going, and long though the book was, I was sad when I came to the end.

Verdict:

I think I can honestly say that the sensational novels of the Victorian era are some of my favourites, having also loved Lady Audley’s Secret (Mary Elizabeth Braddon) and The Woman In White (Wilkie Collins). I love the dramatic storylines and the fact that you can almost hear the swish of the stage curtain at the end of a chapter and the “DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN”!!!

Fabulous book. Highly recommended! Why oh why is this book not better known???

Review: A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde

What I thought:

Katie Fforde always comes up trumps. I was first introduced to her books about 10 years ago when I was looking for something heart-warming and escapist and started with Practically Perfect (which included a rescued greyhound called Caroline – and I am a sucker for books with animals in them) and I instantly fell in love with the way the book took me somewhere else entirely. I have since read almost all (with just one or two left for when they might desperately be needed).

A Secret Garden has all the ingredients of Katie Fforde’s books that I love. An unlucky-in-love protagonist (or two) and a dashing, brooding Mr Darcy type. I have to admit, though, that the men in A Secret Garden were not as aloof as most of the male characters start out being; they were nowhere near as grumpy or oblivious to the attentions of the women around them which I found a tad disappointing.

Lorna is a gardener and Philly is a plantswoman and they work in the grounds of a beautiful manor house in the Cotswolds, where both of them come to work on a project that puts them in the path of potential new suitors. There is the supporting cast of quirky characters too, that I have come to expect from Katie Fforde, this time in the form of Philly’s Grandpa and Lady of the house, Anthea who inject some real humour into the book. And what I really love about these books is that everyone seems so frightfully posh (but down to earth so relatable).

Verdict:

Katie Fforde’s books, for me, are like curling up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate. It’s so easy to slip between the pages to that familiar world of sweet, but not sugary, funny and romantic. A Secret Garden is a real joy to read.

Blogger Recognition Award

Although not a newbie into the book blogging world (The Book Whisperer actually kicked off in 2009), I am a relatively new returner after a couple of years hiatus (more later) so I am chuffed and delighted to be nominated for this award by Renée IT’S BOOK TALK, especially as she is one of my favourite recently discovered blogs.

Rules of this award

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
Write a post to show your award
Give a brief story of how your blog started
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide a link to the post you have created

How I got started

The Book Whisperer started back in December of 2009 after a suggestion from a friend on a group I was a member of on Goodreads. I didn’t actually know that book blogging was a “thing” back then but I quickly discovered a whole world of like-minded people who shared my passion for all things bookish. My blog readership grew quickly and I made lots of friends both online and also in person after meeting up a few times. In about 2014 I had a major book slump and as a result I stopped blogging for quite a while (not deliberately but I just stopped posting apart from the odd review for Netgalley). At the end of last year I decided to resurrect The Book Whisperer and have fallen in love with it all over again. It’s good to be back 🙂

Advice

This is supposed to be two pieces of advice but speaking from personal experience, while it’s amazing to be part of such a great group of like-minded people, it’s also easy to get carried away and do too much and then burn out, so I have included a few more tips.  Try to remember:

• This isn’t your job (although if someone wants to pay me to do this full-time, I’m listening… 😉 ).
• Don’t feel pressured to read every book you’re sent (you can’t)
• Don’t feel obliged to do book tours (you don’t have to do them all – personally speaking, I only do the ones where I have already read the book and loved it or it is a publisher or author I know and respect)
• I know how much fun it is to get so many gorgeous shiny, new books sent from publishers but read some of your own choices too (back catalogue books by one of your favourtie authors, something you’ve ordered from Amazon or picked up in a bookshop on a whim)
• Remember why you started blogging in the first place. Keep it fun and if it starts to feel like a chore, either take a break or change what you’re doing to please you.

15 Fantastic blogs

I have included blogs I love from the first time I blogged (some of whom I have met in person) and blogs I have recently discovered where I not only enjoy reading their posts but they have also really welcomed me into the fold, either by liking and commenting on my posts or engaging with me on Twitter. A fabulous bunch of people in no particular order:

She Reads Novels – Helen

Beyond Eden Rock – Jane

Reading Matters – Kim

Savidge Reads – Simon

Annabookbel – Annabel

Dees Rad Reads and Reviews – Dee

My Chestnut Reading Tree – Jo

The Quiet Knitter – Kate

The Misstery – Annie

Rather Too Fond of Books – Hayley

Fiction Fan – Fiction Fan

The Last Word Book Reviews – John

Cleopatra Loves Books – Cleo

Damp Pebbles Book Blog – Emma

Random Things Through my Letterbox – Anne

Have a little look at their blogs and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Taken from my review in 2010:

I read this book in a day – I just found it impossible to put down. Although it’s bleak I found it to be written in a gentle, almost dream-like way which I loved.

The story is of a man and his son (whose names we never learn) who are travelling south during the harsh, post-apocalyptic winter. They set off along the road with their cart and all their worldly belongings in it. We never find out the reason that the road and the fields and whole cities are burnt and abandoned; we are left the imagine for ourselves if it is due to war, asteroid etc.

I have read many reviews, since reading this book, that seem obsessed with knowing what happened to bring them to where they were. For me, that reason didn’t feel important – whatever had happened was years ago and clearly they had got past the “why?” etc and were just focused on survival. The book was like a snapshot in time which is why we never really find out anything other than what is going on right then.

The relationship between the man and boy is beautiful and so tender. It’s one of the most touching and important relationships I can remember reading about. The backdrop that McCarthy managed to pain in my mind was bleak and burnt and gray. Imagine having to survive through that? Not just life as you know it gone forever but how on earth would any survivor (and there are some whom the man and boy meet on the way – all struggling too) even begin to set up a new community? There were no animals left, no crops. Where would you even start? Would there even be a point?

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? I have heard mixed reviews on this book but I still think about it all these years later. That’s the sign of a powerful book.

Throwback Thursday: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

From my review in 2011.

I finished this book this afternoon after trying to drag out the ending as long as possible. I did not want to leave these characters behind; I wanted to continue on their journey with them, make sure they were OK – I miss them already.

I have been hearing about this book and have read lots of positive reviews for the longest time but sometimes I get put off by books that have so much hype around them and end up passing them by. Oh how glad I am that I didn’t do this with The Help. It is worth every glowing review, every recommendation and every superlative ever written about it.

The book is set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 and is narrated by three women in turn. Aibileen and Minny are black maids and Miss Skeeter is a white college graduate who mourns the disappearance of her old maid and wants to do something more with her life than marry a local boy and have her kids raised by maids.

The story takes us with these women as the embark on a dangerous journey to try and change decades of prejudice and pave the way for a better life for the next generations. Through the words of each of these women we learn how rife racism and intolerance was back in the 1960’s deep south. There are tales of unbelievable cruelty and humiliation but also tales of tenderness and real love. It was so good to hear a story told primarily from the point of view of the black maids too and refreshing to hear both sides in all its rawness; the distrust and even hatred on both sides. The book also successfully managed to avoid being sensational or over-egging the pudding. Despite the subject matter (which is so important) the book never feels too heavy or preachy: it is as light as one of Minny’s famous caramel cakes and aswell as riotously funny and tender.

I implore you to read this book – you will fall in love with Aibileen, roar with laughter at Minny and rootfor Miss Skeeter for 450 pages. And I guarantee that Miss Hilly is one of the best bitches you will come across in any book! She is truly awful but so brilliantly drawn and you will root for her to get her just desserts (pun intended ;)).

I feel like I have lost friends now I have finished this book. It is a true gem and I highly, highly recommend.

I interviewed the author, Kathryn Stockett, for my blog and she was lovely. The interview can be seen here. Have you read this? What did you think?

Blog Tour: Evil Games by Angela Marsons & Author Interview

Evil Games

I jumped at the chance of being part of this blog tour because Angela Marsons is my new author crush! I admit I had never even heard of her or her books until a few months ago when I downloaded Lost Girls (#3 in the DI Kim Stone series) on to my Kindle. I finished it, I downloaded the 4 others and read the entire series in 2 weeks. Kim Stone is my favourite Detective right now. She is direct, ballsy and sarcastic. She is also passionate about her job and makes me laugh out loud.

Evil Games is the second book in this series. I honestly don’t think you have to read them in order, but it’s always good to follow characters as they develop and get to know them. Certainly I would suggest that you read this book before #5 (Blood Lines) as the same character reappears and she is a bloody great one too! Dr Alex Thorne, Psychiatrist and evil manipulator is a fabulous creation and one you just love to hate. She has her own agenda at all times and, believing she is far smarter than everyone else, thinks she is untouchable. But has she met her match in Kim Stone?

Author Interview

On desert island books, sociopathy and scary Editors…

I was intrigued to know more about Angela Marsons and how she came up with her awesome creations and was chuffed to bits when she kindly agreed to answer some questions for this blog tour:

TBW: Kim Stone is my new favourite fictional Detective. How did she stalk you into bringing her to life and is she based on anyone you know (even a teensy bit)?

Angela: I love this question especially because you have deduced that I had no choice in the matter! She was in my head for many years before I allowed her to take control of the pencil and it was purely because she was just bursting to get out and have her say. And she hasn’t shut up ever since.  I think some of her directness does come from me. Previously I managed a large team of security officers which is not a job you can do without an element of assertiveness. Although I do like to think I have better social skills than Kim Stone.

TBW: Who would win in a game of Cluedo: Kim Stone, Hercule Poirot or Inspector Rebus? Why?

Angela: Ha, love this! I think they would all come together with their expert deductive minds and solve the crime together.

TBW: You’ve had five books in the Kim Stone series published now. When you write do you have a plot mapped out from the beginning or do you see where the book takes you? Has Kim or any of the other characters ever surprised you?

Angela: I don’t normally have a plot mapped out as I like to be surprised as I unfold the stories.  I generally have a vague idea of the beginning and the end although sometimes that is subject to change too. Yes, as the characters grow and become more real in my mind they begin to dictate some of the action. I may be writing a scene and it’s not working and often I realise it’s because I’m trying to make one of my characters do something that is not right for their character.

TBW: In Evil Games, Dr Alex Thorne is one of the best characters I’ve come across in crime fiction. Evil, twisted, brilliant. How did you research her and did she ever try to manipulate you into taking the book in her own direction rather than yours?

Angela: This has to be one of my favourite questions, ever. I had always wanted to write about a sociopath from a factual point of view. Not necessarily a hands-on killer but someone devoid of remorse and emotional attachment. The more I read about the subject the more intrigued I became.  I spent many hours reading books on the subject and honest first-person accounts of sociopathy.  I think that on occasion she did try and take over the book as I could write about her again and again so I had to limit myself to ensure that Kim Stone maintained the upper hand.

TBW: Can you give us a sneak preview into what is in store for Kim in the next book?

Angela: In the book that comes after Evil Games – Lost Girls – Kim is involved in a time-sensitive case involving the kidnap of two young girls. I can’t tell you anything about the one I’m working on as my editor would kill me and I’m very, very scared of her.

TBW: Have you ever read a book and thought “damn, I wish I’d written that”?

Angela: Disclosure by Michael Crichton. It was the only book that ever caused me to call in sick for work.  I re-read it a few months later to analyse and understand what it was that the author had do to entrap me in the story so successfully. Needless to say, the film was a complete disappointment.

TBW: Who are your favourite fictional characters from other books and why?

Angela: My two favourites are Tony Hill from the Val McDermid series. I love main characters that are a bit ‘off’ and not quite normal. I think it makes for very interesting reading.  My second favourite would be Kathy Mallory created by Carol O’Connell.  She is a police officer who is borderline sociopathic and is an intriguing main character to follow.

TBW: You’re stranded on a desert island for a year. Which 3 books do you take and why?

Angela: A Mother’s Secret by Renita D Silva – I love this author and all of her books and this one in particular brought me to loud, messy unladylike tears.

Bella’s Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watsons – This book made me laugh out loud and if I’m on my own I’m going to need a chuckle or two.

Anything by Kathryn Croft as I’ve been dying to read one of her books.

TBW: You can go back to any time period in history for a day. Where and when do you go and why?

Angela: I think it would have to be the day the Berlin Wall began to fall.  It is such a significant event in my lifetime although I didn’t understand the importance when it happened so would like to go back and experience the hope with the knowledge of its meaning.

TBW: Which other authors (of any genre) do you currently enjoy reading?

Angela: Renita D’Silva – Women’s fiction

KL Slater – Psychological thrillers

Alex Caan – Crime

TBW: Is there a question you wish I’d asked you and if so, what is it?

Angela: Yes, the question would be – How highly do you value the input and time from bloggers and reviewers?

My answer – Very highly.  The time and effort that bloggers and reviewers put into their passion for words and championing the books they love continues to both amaze and inspire me.  On each new release of a Kim Stone book the response blows me away even more.

TBW: Quick-fire round:

Favourite colour: Burgundy

Favourite food: Pizza

Favourite animal: Dog

Favourite holiday destination: Wales

Favourite film: A few Good Men

Favourite childhood memory: Christmas mornings with my family.
Thank you so much to Angela for dropping by The Book Whisperer!

How many of this series have you read?

Throwback Thursday: Sacrifice by Sharon Bolton

Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

Sacrifice by Sharon Bolton

My original review in 2011 is here.

If you love the sort of book that is so relentless in pace, with characters whom you don’t know whether you can trust or not from one page to the next, and wrapped up in a plot so engaging that you just can’t find a suitable place to put the book down and take a break, then this book is for you!

Tora, a surgeon, and her husband Duncan have recently moved to the Shetland Islands from England (although Duncan was brought up there but hasn’t lived there for 20 years). From the opening pages, when Tora unearths the body of a young woman while trying to dig a grave for her horse, through to the action-packed final scenes the tightly woven plot never slips despite its 550 pages. After the discovery of the body, Tora can’t quite bring herself to leave it alone, convinced that there are other bodies to be found and sets off on a mission to discover the mystery surrounding the nameless girl in her garden, but it seems that someone (or several someones) are trying to stop her. Teaming up with Dana Tulloch, a serious young police detective who agrees with Tora that nothing is quite as it seems, they embark on a mission to find out what has happened to the girl in her garden and unearth the secret that someone on the Shetland Islands is deadly intent on not being exposed.

With gothic undertones, ancient history and myths and action and adventure among a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop, what more can you want? Just don’t get comfortable……with twists aplenty you’ll never quite be sure who you can trust!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Have you read any of Sharon Bolton’s books? I am a massive fan. What do you think?

Review: The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

What I thought:

Dor (or Old Father Time as he comes to be known) is banished to a cave to live alone for the next 6,500 years as a punishment for being the first person to start measuring time and to learn how his actions have affected human life ever since. He is finally allowed to atone by being sent back to earth to save two people of his choosing.

Billionaire Victor is coming to the end of his natural life and wants to live on so he seeks a way to do this.

Sarah is a teenager who is ready to give up on herself and life.

The sentiment of this book is about appreciating the moment you’re in and not wasting life by wishing it away or looking back. God sends Dor back to earth to witness how man spends his time counting moments:

“You marked the minutes,” the old man said. “But did you use them wisely? To be still? To cherish? To be grateful? To lift and be lifted?”

As with the previous Mitch Albom books I have read, it is a moral tale of cherishing the time we have more and living in the moment. It’s also about how the relentless pace of our lives today allow us no time to stand still:

“The tools of this era – phones, computers – enabled people to move at a blurring place. Yet despite all they accomplished, they were never at peace. They constantly checked their devices to check what time it was…”

“He explained how once we began to chime the hour, we lost the ability to be satisfied.

There was always a request for more minutes, more hours, faster progress to accomplish more in a day. The simple joy of living between sunrises was gone”.

This book is simply written and that added to the overall experience I think. It’s a quick book to read (and no the irony of saying this isn’t wasted on me) but while the characters weren’t fully fleshed out, there was enough that I could imagine their worlds.

Verdict:

The theme was certainly thought-provoking as it reminds you to try to savour more rather than always wishing for more time or wishing time away or not being present in the moment etc. I did like the ending too despite feeling that I was reading an It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol mash-up at one point. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

Have you read anything by Mitch Albom?

 

 

 

Review: The Breakdown by B A Paris

What I thought:

Cass leaves a party in the middle of a violent storm one summers evening. Desperate to get home, she drives her little mini down a shortcut through a winding country road that cuts through woods and immediately regrets her choice. Spotting a car in a layby with a woman inside, she stops to see if everything is OK but due to the torrential rain and the fact that the woman doesn’t get out or flash her lights, Cass takes the decision to drive on assuming that she doesn’t need help. It is a decision that will haunt her from that night on, as the next morning it is all over the news that a woman has been found murdered in her car down that very road.

Plagued by guilt at her decision, Cass descends into a state of stress and anxiety which seems to result in short-term memory loss, scaring her to death as her mother recently died of early onset dementia. Strange things start happening: conversations are forgotten, online purchases she can’t remember making turn up, guests she can’t remember inviting arrive. And then begin the silent calls…

Watching Cass spiral further out of control this leaves the reader to guess whether she is having a breakdown or whether someone is trying to break her. Is she being paranoid or are her fears founded?

Verdict:

This is the first book I’ve read by this author so I came to it with no expectations (actually, if I’m totally honest, I half expected it to be fairly mediocre and similar to the masses out there at the moment, but I was wrong). The Breakdown was actually a really gripping read, and one that kept me guessing and on my toes throughout. A real sense of place and believable characters as well as subtle misdirections and the mounting fear felt by Cass ensued I kept turning those pages well into the night. The reveal was very cleverly done too and had me hooked firmly in it clutches as I raced towards the end. A real page-turner.

Have you read this? What did you think?

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and Harelquin in return for my honest review.

 

Throwback Thursday: Blindness by Jose Saramago

Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

Blindness by Jose Saramago

From my original review in 2010.

This book is amazing, incredible, breathtaking. It was recommended to me and once I started it  I was barely able to put it down. This book earned a place in my top 5  books of all time and deservedly so.

The story starts with a man in his car at traffic lights who goes suddenly blind. He is helped home by a stranger, who a few hours later also goes blind. Within a few days the blindness has spread round half the city and also those afflicted are herded up by the government into a disused mental assylum and left alone. The wards quickly become overrun with filth and chaos ensues. In the middle of this, though, we get to know a handful of characters very well and it is really their story that we follow through the neverending days, lack of food and riots. The whole story is told through long paragraphs of uunbroken text. There are no quotation marks, hardly any punctuation and none of the characters are given names.

I admit to being concerned that I would find it difficult to overcome the lack of punctuation, but for commas and fullstops, and the lack of names (characters are referred to in such ways as the girl with dark glasses, the boy with the squint etc) but not only was it very easy to get used to this it actually added to the story. Also, although the characters don’t have names, I found myself identifying with and caring about these characters far more than I have done in other books as Saramago writing drags you in and you find yourself unable to let go. It’s as though I was “there”. Genius!

If you read nothing else this year, make it this. It is astounding.

Have you read any Saramago. If so, what do you think?

Throwback Thursday: Five Quarter of the Orange by Joanne Harris

Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

My choice for this week is:

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

I am head over heels in love with this book. Only a terrific author can write about something as appalling as war and occupation and unnecessary death but yet make you feel so alive and carefree whilst reading it. The prose was as mouthwatering, succulent and juicy as the food in the book and I wanted to be there! Yes, I wanted to run down to the Loire and swim and splash and yell and hang upside down from trees overhanging the river and race through sun-soaked fields and pick fruit in the orchards. I wanted to sneak off on the back of bicycle to the nearest village to watch a film in the cinema unbeknown to my mother, I wanted to set traps in the Loire and catch fish and I wanted to go to market on a Thursday morning and sell home-made pastries. And all this under German occupation. Only a talented author can make you feel like that while telling the story of something far more sinister.

This is a book about an old woman who comes back to the village of her childhood, but can’t allow the villagers to find out who she really is. Aged nine Framboise and her family has to make a hasty exit from Les Laveuses and now she can’t allow them to know the truth of who she really is and also what really happened back in 1942. The book is as sumptuous as it is teasing with bits of information that allows the reader to piece all the fragments together over the course of the story and lead us to the final catastrophic moments.

I adored this book; it was ripe, tangy and a feast for the senses. I want to read it all over again. But if not, it has made me hungry and now I need to go and raid the fridge………

This book is in my Top 10 ever!

Here is my original review from 2010.

Have you read any Joanne Harris? She is one of my favourite authors so I’d love to know what you think about her books.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

What I thought:

Firstly, that cover! They say never judge a book by its cover but in this case – do! It’s vibrant and gorgeous. I was drawn to this book by the cover and the rave reviews I was starting to see: an author to watch, stunning debut, ambitious etc. They’re not wrong.

I’m actually finding it quite difficult to gather my thoughts over this book. Spanning 300 years, it tracks the families of 2 sisters, Effia and Esi, born in Ghana in the 1700’s and the book begins in Cape Coast Castle, a castle that was used to house captives before they were shipped to the Americas as slaves. Effia is forced to marry an Englishman, one of the slave traders, and lives in comfort in the upper floors of the castle. Meanwhile, her sister, Esi, is captured and thrown in the dungeon below before being shipped to America to be a slave. From there we follow the stories of one of the descendants of each sister over the next 300 years in both Ghana and America. The book follows each descendant in turn so it’s essentially 12 short stories but they are all linked and there are enough references to people and places already featured that it feels like a complete book.

I imagined this book to be a sort of love letter to the authors’ ancestors and homeland. It is brutal (but never gratuitous), it is shocking (but never sensational), it is moving (but never sentimental). I liked the style of the book; Gyasi managed to create characters that I could totally believe belonged to the time and place they were featured in.

Verdict:

I felt Homegoing was an important book. I enjoyed parts of it enormously and others I found more difficult (but that might have been the point). Despite knowing, and have read books about, slaves and the slaveships before (read my review of The Book of Negroes here), it never gets any easier to read. I find it difficult to say I enjoyed this book as much of it was about enduring horrific hardship, but also it was about finding love and relationships.

I didn’t necessarily find any weak links in any of the 12 stories but some I did enjoy more than others. I particularly liked the ones set in Africa. The history, the legends; it felt more vibrant.

Have you read this? What did you think?

NB/ I was kindly provided a copy of this book for my honest review from Netgalley and Penguin Books.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

What I thought:

I bloody love a whodunnit. Let me just get that out there. What if I was to tell you that Magpie Murders has two whodunnits? In the words of my teenage niece, ikr.

Susan Ryeland is an Editor at a small publishing house. As she settles down one night to read the brand new manuscript of their most famous client, Alan Conway, author of the famous Atticus Pünd series, all is not what it seems. As the bodies mount up in Pünd’s latest adventure, Magpie Murders, real-life seems to have started imitating art and Susan finds herself doing a bit of sleuthing of her own.

I admit I wasn’t sure what I thought about having two mysteries on the go at the same time (one fictitious and one “real-life”) as I considered I might get too heavily invested in one plot at the expense of the other. Not so. The manuscript that Susan reads is the mystery we start with (a book within a book): Atticus Pünd investigating a double murder in the sleepy village of Saxby-on-Avon in 1955. A full-length story and an obvious homage to Agatha Christie and her most famous creation Hercule Poirot, Atticus Pünd is a German PI who pokes around in the business of a full cast of potential suspects, all of whom have motive for murder and all who seem to have something to hide. There are clues and red herrings and misdirections and all the other fabulous components that make up a golden age mystery. Unfortunately, just as Susan and the reader arrive at the same point – the imminent announcement of the killer – the story stops abruptly. The last few chapters are missing.

It’s difficult to review the book without giving too much away, but let’s just say that as Susan starts to search for clues as to the location of the missing chapters and also to another potential murder much closer to home, she finds some remarkable parallels between the fictional world of Atticus Pünd and that of its creator, Alan Conway.

Being a massive Christie fan, this pleased me in itself and I could honestly quite happily read the entire series if Anthony Horowitz ever decides to bring them to life. I also loved the many nods to and references to various mystery writers – a treat for any crime fiction fan. I really hope, after reading this, that Horowitz also likes Poirot, Marple et al and didn’t just make Alan Conway in to an extension of himself (you’ll have to read it to find out what I mean). Please tell me it’s not so!

Verdict:

I love modern day crime fiction but reading Magpie Murders was like pulling on a cosy pair of slippers, lighting the fire and settling down with a mug of cocoa: going back to an age without mobiles, emails. DNA, forensics. Just good old-fashioned detective work. Highly recommended.

Have you read this? What did you think?

I Found You by Lisa Jewell

What I thought:

Alice lives in a cottage in a Yorkshire seaside town overlooking the beach with her three children. One rainy day she observes a man sitting on the beach all day, alone, without a coat and when she goes to speak to him she discovers he has no memory of who he is or where he has come from. Alice invites Frank (as her youngest daughter names him) to stay with her as a lodger for a while until he remembers something about himself.

Meanwhile, in London, Lily is newly married and has only been in the UK for 10 days (from the Ukraine) and still very much in the honeymoon stage so when her husband doesn’t return from work she sets about tracking him down.

The story alternates between Alice and Lily and also back to the same seaside town in 1993 where teenagers Kirsty and Gray are holidaying with their parents. On the beach they meet the handsome, enigmatic and intense Mark who befriends Kirsty before their holiday ends in a tragedy that nobody saw coming. We, the readers, are left to piece together all three strands of the book and work out how they are all linked.

The pacing was good and the momentum more than sufficient to carry me through with building curiosity and intrigue. I found the characters all believable and actually likeable in most cases, particularly the two female leads – Alice, with her chaotic life, is unapologetically human and flawed but someone I felt like I would want to know and Lily who has a fragility that made me worry for her  but also a determination that made me cheer her on.

Verdict:

I did really enjoy this book. It was an easy and compelling read that flows well and works enough intrigue into the plot to keep a high level of interest.

Have you read this or anything else by Lisa Jewell? What are your thoughts?

 

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

The Blurb:

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST WHEN YOU CAN’T EVEN TRUST YOURSELF?

I look at my hands. One of them says FLORA BE BRAVE.

Flora has anterograde amnesia. She can’t remember anything day-to-day: the joke her friend made, the instructions her parents gave her, how old she is.

Then she kisses someone she shouldn’t, and the next day she remembers it. It’s the first time she’s remembered anything since she was ten.

But the boy is gone. She thinks he’s moved to the Arctic.

Will following him be the key to unlocking her memory? Who can she trust?

 

  What I thought:

I have read several Emily Barr books and absolutely loved them so I was looking forward to reading this. I had a few problems with this one though, and the first one only stems from the fact that this is a YA book (which I have no issue with at all, I have read plenty and loved them) but this felt very young YA to me and I never really fully invested in the book or characters despite being able to recognise what a remarkable young girl Flora Banks was. My second problem was knowing that in her head, Flora was only 10, and yet she kisses a boy passionately and can’t stop thinking about him. I have 2 nieces aged 10 and they are still little girls so it made me quite uncomfortable to read this.

That said, the book itself is really going to appeal and engage and enchant. Flora Banks is a feisty, adventurous girl despite the best efforts of her family to keep her wrapped up in cotton wool. To travel half way across the world on her own, with instructions to herself written on her arm as she forgets her life every couple of hours, is remarkably brave and I admired her spirit and grit to not let herself be dictated by her condition.

There is an element of mystery to this book, as we only ever know what Flora knows so we have to fit the pieces together alongside her which is a great device for keeping the momentum going.

 

  Verdict:

While I completely recognise that this is going to be a firm favourite with some, it left me slightly indifferent.

 

Snow White Must Die by Nele Nuehaus

What I thought:

I must admit that I was intrigued by the title of this book; it sounded sort of sinister fairy-story. Fairy-story is isn’t but there are sinister goings-on a plenty alright.

Tobias Sartorius has just been released from prison where he has served 10 years for the murder of 2 teenage girls (one his girlfriend – the “Snow White” of the title – and the other his close friend) after a drunken night back when he was also a teenager. Despite the fact that the girls bodies were never found, Tobias was found guilty of their murder and his reappearance back in the small German village where he grew up is more than unwelcome. The Police are called in when things heat up in the village, especially when another 17 year old girl, Amelie, who not only seems to be particulalry interested in the case but also bears a remarkable resemblance to Snow White goes missing…

I liked the way that this book drew me right in from the first page. It’s pacey and moves along at a speed that satisfied the currently unsatisfied reader in me and didn’t waste time on too many descriptions and unecessary detail when I just wanted it to get on with the plot. I needed twists and sub-plots and that’s what I got. I liked the Police duo Pia and Oliver; I found them to be human which made them endearing, and I understand that this is the 4th book the author has written with them in (although the first to be translated from German).

What I didn’t like so much was the translation. Occasionally I would find whole sentences to be clumsy or clichéd (even lazy) but realised that this probably had more to do with the translation than the author. The book was clearly translated by an American which really seemed to strip away the “Europeaness” of the book. When I’m reading about tiny German villages I don’t want “guys” and “the joint” and “streetcars”. It felt wrong, and could easily have ruined the book for me if I had been in a pernickity mood.

 

Verdict:

I needed a page-turning whodunnit and that’s what I got. I will definitely be looking out for more of this authors books and look forward to getting to know this Police duo more.

 

Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

The blurb:

“A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

A totally gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page to the final, dramatic twist.”

 

  What I thought:

I have a new author crush! Less than 2 weeks ago, I started my first Angela Marsons book. Last night (well, early hours of this morning, truth be told) I finished my fifth. Oh, Ms Marsons is clever alright with her short, cliff-hanger chapters that mean you can never put the damn things down. But what a series. I am utterly bereft now I’m done.

Not only is Marsons my new author crush but Kim Stone is my new Detective crush. I just love her. Deadpan and sarcastic and makes me chuckle out loud on a regular basis. Her interactions with other key characters are just brilliant, especially Bryant, her partner and only real friend and Keats, the ME. Stone is forthright and doesn’t do small talk, yet she has a heart of gold under that prickly exterior and an unrelenting drive for justice.

I read Lost Girls first (number 3 in the series but although I have since read the rest in order, I didn’t feel I had missed out) and I enjoyed every single one of them, but found Blood Lines a particular treat as we see the return of sociopath Psychiatrist, Dr. Alex Thorne. Alex Thorne first appeared in Evil Games (book 2) and what ensued was a game of cat and mouse between Detective and Doctor as they tried to outwit each other at every turn. In Blood Lines, Alex manages to create pandemonium even from behind bars and her evil plotting knows no bounds. The dynamics between Stone and Thorne are so well written and I found gaining insights into Thorne’s twisted mind with regards to how she uses manipulation to get what she wants fascinating.

 

  Verdict:

Tight plotting and breakneck speed chapters meant putting these books down have been near on impossible. I particularly love the device that Marsons uses by leaving us dangling off a cliff at the end of a chapter and then the next chapter flits to another character/plot, ensuring you keep reading to find out what happens. Clever!

If you have never read any of the Kim Stone series, do yourself a massive favour and dive right in. Bloody brilliant!

 

   

 

Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

The Blurb:

Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.

We know where you live…

After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly.

What I thought:

I am always intrigued to read books about people who quickly up-sticks and leave, often without leaving a forwarding address. The motivations and secrets of those who disappear and the detail that is deliberately left out and drip fed to the reader throughout the book, teasing us with snippets of information that we have to try to piece together ourselves.

Julie is an author with a best-selling crime fiction book called The Murder Game but it appears that there are some who don’t believe that it is entirely fiction. After a stalker becomes increasingly volatile, Julie uproots her whole family to Cincinnati to get away. She begins to make some new friends in the neighbourhood, and one in particular is John, the married man across the street, who she starts running with every morning. 

The book alternates between Julie and John, each telling their story in present day and the past. It is clear right from the start that there has been a major incident that lands some of the cast in court for murder but we don’t know who, why or what happened. The tension is always just enough to keep us reading one more chapter.

Some of the characters were brilliantly drawn, in particular Cindy the interfering neighbour, but although I didn’t necessarily dislike Julie, I didn’t particulalry warm to her or her children either so although I felt I should be rooting for her I didn’t quite get there despite her becoming (unfairly) a pariah in her own neighbourhood.

Verdict:

I have seen this book categorised as both psychological thriller and women’s fiction and to be honest I found it to be the perfect hybrid of the two – an intelligent, well-paced page-turner. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton

What I thought:

There is little more comforting that settling down to read a book by one of your favourite authors and knowing you’ll be in for a treat. And little more satisfying than reaching the end and congratulating yourself on being right.

I first discovered Sharon Bolton’s books about 5 years ago (then known as S J Bolton) when I was recommended Sacrifice by a friend. I devoured it. And all her others since.

Daisy in Chains centres on prison inmate Hamish Wolfe, incarcerated for the murders of 4 young women. Despite the court case being lost and Wolfe being found guilty, he wages a campaign to get lawyer Maggie Rose on his side to help him prove his innocence. Maggie Rose has a reputation – that of an illusive, limelight-shunning lawyer who finds loopholes and inconsistencies in evidence that has overturned the convictions of even the guiltiest of murderers. That’s why Wolfe wants Maggie on his side, only she is playing very hard to get.

What ensues is a game of cat and mouse between Wolfe and Rose and we’re never really sure of either Wolfe’s guilt or innocence or Maggie’s belief in him. What I like about Bolton’s books is her way of dropping in bits of information throughout the book, some almost seeming irrelevant at the time. It is held back and then weaved cleverly in to the plot, constantly making your question your assumptions.

 

  Verdict:

In this age of the psychological thriller (and it is – just check out the supermarket shelves!) I have either read far too many of them that I can guess way too early what will happen, or publishers are jumping on a bandwagon and pushing any old rubbish out it sometimes seems, it restores my faith in good writing and plotting when I am left with some surprises at the end.

Great book, highly recommended. And if you haven’t read any of Bolton’s other books please make sure you do, they really are fantastic.