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Review - A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier What makes this book a wonderfully enjoyable read is the authors' talent at taking subjects I have absolutely no interest in and weaving such a lovely story around them that I am absorbed and entranced throughout.  Her writing is outstanding and the book is a delight to read. It tells the story of a very ordinary young woman, Violet, who has had the misfortune to become one of the thousands of "surplus" women following World War One. In an era when a woman’s worth was measured by the quality of husband she could marry and at a time when men are extremely thin on the ground and eligible ones almost non-existent, there are a plethora of such unattached ladies, the archetypal spinster. Violet lives at home with her overbearing and crotchety Mother who neither appreciates nor values her daughter. Violet has known love, she is one of many women whose fiancé was killed in the war. Approaching early middle age her opportunities are few...

The Giver of Stars by JojoMoyes My Review Recently I was asked the question who is your go-to author? Whose books I'd read regardless of the subject and would know, without doubt, they were going to be completely satisfying. Well, my choice is Jojo Moyes - she gets it right EVERY SINGLE TIME. This woman is a genius and I adore her work. So I was doubly thrilled to find her newest book coming out soon (from my go-to publisher, to boot) and delighted to be able to read it before it's even released. It didn't disappoint in any way whatsoever. Jojo Moyes writing is the epitome of top quality women's fiction and like her previous novels which have included the highly acclaimed Me Before You, The Giver of Stars cast me under its spell as soon as I turned the first page. It ticks ALL my boxes. In this historical setting, I discovered some wonderful characters to keep in my heart forever and some loathsome ones which infuriated me. From the stifled mundane existence of middle E...

Another You by Jane Cable - Blog Tour and my review - revisited When the publisher, Sapere books approached me to be part of the Blog Tour for Another you by Jane Cable, I was delighted to join in, especially as this is a book I'd already fallen in love with.  Another you is a delightful book which I originally reviewed in January 2017. It's now got a beautiful new cover and is reaching out to a new audience, so if you didn't catch it first time around I urge you to try it now, treat yourself! The Blurb Sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself… Marie Johnson fell in love with The Smugglers pub when she first moved to Dorset with her husband, Stephen. But when Stephen’s wandering eye caused the breakdown of their marriage, and the costs of running the pub started to mount, Marie felt her dreams crashing down around her. With local celebrations planned for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Marie is hopeful things will turn around. But she could never have predicted the ...

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow - my Review I absolutely adored this beautiful new book.  The COVER, look at the beautiful cover!! You know when you read a book then struggle to find the words to do it justice in a review? When you finish a book feeling bereft that its over and all you really want to do is hug the Author and say a heartfelt Thank You.  Well, this is one such novel. I am one VERY fortunate person to have early access to this book and as such, I feel like a privileged explorer who has visited a world where few people have ever trodden. From page one, I was spellbound with this wonderful debut novel, rapt in the story and utterly invested in the main character, January. The book is possibly best described as a young adult/ coming of age fantasy for ALL ages (I'm 63 and loved it) and as soon as I started it, I slipped into a world where Doors to other worlds exist. The storytelling is so convincing it had me looking behind every tree and at ever...

Riverflow by Alison Layland - Blog Tour and review Today I'm part of the Blog Tour for the new title by Alison Layland - Riverflow. My Review: Riverflow, as the name suggests is a book set in a watery location, the banks of the River Severn in the Welsh marches, on the borders between rural England and Wales, the writing however is far from watery, it is slick and engaging and subtly nuanced. It is all about undercurrents and things glimpsed below the surface which appear murky and alarming. The setting of rural Wales has a lovely bucolic feel and the author does a sterling job of making the reader feel familiar with a place, I for one, have never visited.  The themes of climate change and fracking are ultra-current, with eco-warrior Bede taking the lead role accompanied by his long-suffering wife Elin at his side. He believes passionately about environmental issues and is bent on saving the planet. Determined to stop fracking taking place nearby he makes it his mission.  The ...

Found by Erin Kinsley - Review and Blog Tour Today I have the pleasure of being part of another fabulous Random Things Blog Tour. A BBC Radio 2 book club choice, there is plenty to talk about in Found and I hope my thoughts on this twisty new psychological thriller help you decide whether to read it. #Found has just been published by @headlinepg and you can grab a copy right now. My Review Found is the story of every parents’ nightmare – imagine if your child went missing – wouldn’t that be … …the WORST thing that could EVER happen?  Well, it’s happened to Matt and Claire. Their 11 year old son Evan disappears without trace after setting off for a bus, he doesn’t come home from school and the family’s nightmare scenario begins and the reader is about to be with them all the way, experiencing their grief, frustration and anger at a system which leaves the police so overworked that it seems they haven’t the resources to find one small boy.  We watch Mum and Dad’s lives fall apar...

The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale My Review The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale is a great Domestic Noir debut for this new author who has shown she is wickedly capable of the cunningly warped and twisted thoughts fans of psychological thrillers love. The eponymous Sunday Girl of the title is one Taylor Bishop, a modern girl many readers will find it easy to relate to. She has a successful career and lives in a great area of London, albeit in a minuscule flat. She’s bright, sexy and sassy, she is also ragingly, seriously angry and hurt and about to prove that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” as the old adage goes. She has just split up with her long term boyfriend Angus, who she hoped was THE one, her forever man, but turned out to be the boyfriend you really don’t want to be involved with and he’s about to prove he’s an even worse louse than he at first appeared to be. This book is heart-racingly fast-paced, pulls no punches and reminded me of the original twisty tome Gone Girl. Alt...

Those Who Are Loved - Victoria Hislop - My Review and Blog Tour What a pleasure it is to be invited along on the Blog Tour for the latest book by Victoria Hislop which I have read and loved and am delighted to share my thoughts and hope you go on to read and enjoy this lovely new summer title. My Review Renowned author Victoria Hislop returns to early to mid 20th century Greece to introduce us to the life of heroine Themis, who begins the story as a young woman and as her life story opens up we follow her into her future as Greece struggles with the occupation of her country by Germans.  Greece is split in two by politics and war and I wondered if the historic political details may make this book a touch a little heavy going for a summer read as often political details can be complex and confusing.  However, I found it superbly easy to engage with such a likeable and believable protagonist as Themis and I slid into her life like slipping into a bath of warm olive oil. I was qu...

Baxters Requiem by Matthew Crow Follow the Blog Tour here on Beadyjans Books for the heartwarming new book by Matthew Crow entitled Baxters Requiem which I have read, loved and reviewed. If you're looking for a genuinely uplifting, sweet and captivating book, please consider Baxters Requiem - it's just adorable. My Review Baxters Requiem is a gentle and heartwarming tale of thwarted love and dealing with loss. Perfect for fans of Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon , it’s about an elderly man, the eponymous Baxter who in his twilight years decides he must have one last attempt to say goodbye to the one true love of his life. In doing so he forges new friendships, and helps a young man come to terms with his own grief. I found it a quick and easy read, which I galloped through, enjoying every word. Simple yet meaningful, hauntingly beautiful and a real testament to companionship and self-forgiveness. Baxter himself is a delight, irascible, humorous and forthright at the ag...