Release date - 8th February 2018 (Paperback)
Book length - 464 pages Publisher - Michael Joseph (Penguin) Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Number One bestseller Monica McInerney tells a heart-warming, humorous story about family and coming to terms with the past 'I always thought memories were unchangeable. Set in stone, shaped by the years. But there are always others too, ones you haven't let yourself remember . . .' The wilful and eccentric Lola Quinlan is off on the trip of a lifetime, taking her beloved granddaughter and great-granddaughter with her. More than sixty years after emigrating to Australia, she's keeping a secret promise to return to her Irish homeland. Lola has always been her family's port in a storm, but she's hiding the hurtful reason she left Ireland as a young woman. Lola's walk down memory lane will force her to confront her bittersweet past - and discover that the truth can indeed set you free . . . The Trip of a Lifetime is a moving story about the light and dark times of life, and a colourful, big-hearted family you'll want to call your own. MY REVIEW Yet again Monica McInerney has opened up a world of family, love, warmth, and heartbreaking secrets that will sweep you up and hold your attention until the very end of the story. Lola is a quirky, stubborn, and absolutely wonderful woman in her eighties who decides it is time to return to Ireland for a trip that she needs to make. Going along for the ride is Lola's granddaughter and great-granddaughter. It has been a long time since she has set foot on the Emerald Isle but as memories from the past resurface, secrets will be set free and the importance of family will take centre stage even more. The characters are very relatable and I quickly fell in love with Lola and her beloved family. Moving from past to present, Lola's life and the truth about what happened to her help to show us how she has become the woman that she is today. As always, the settings of Australia and Ireland are described with breathtaking detail and make you feel like you are there which is such an important part of a good story. THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME by Monica McInerney is a superb story of family and recognising our past no matter how much it may hurt, and I thoroughly recommend this book to fiction fans the world over. Author Bio: Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of eleven novels including Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (which was named the General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards.) Monica grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For the past twenty-three years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. For more information: Website - www.monicamcinerney.com Twitter - twitter.com/MonicaMcInerney Facebook - www.facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor/
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Release date - 8th February 2018 Book length - 144 pages Publisher - The Bodleian Library Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Claire Cock-Starkey for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an interesting extract which you can read below. But first here is all you need to know about this fascinating book! ABOUT THE BOOK What can be found in the Vatican’s Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin’s library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts, and enlightening lists, this book explores every aspect of the library, celebrating these remarkable institutions as well as the individuals behind their inspiring collections. From the ancient library at Alexandria to the Library of Congress in Washington DC, and from university libraries to those of humble villages, A Library Miscellany explores institutions both old and new. Opening the door to unusual collections such as herbaria, art libraries, magic libraries, and even the “library of smells,” this book also charts the difficulties of cataloging books deemed to be subversive, heretical, libelous, or obscene. Packed with unusual facts and statistics, this is the perfect gift for library enthusiasts, bibliophiles, collectors, and readers everywhere. EXTRACT Author Bio:
Claire Cock-Starkey is a writer and editor based in Cambridge. She was the series editor for all six editions of Schott’s Miscellany. For more information: Website - nonfictioness.com Twitter - twitter.com/NonFictioness DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 1st March 2018
Book length - 325 pages Publisher - Thomas & Mercer Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THE BOOK Emma’s darkest secrets are buried in the past. But the truth can’t stay hidden for long. Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen. It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge… Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone. Panicked, Emma confesses to her husband. But this is only the beginning. Soon, Alex will discover things about her he’ll wish he’d learned sooner. And others he’ll long to forget. MY REVIEW SILENT VICTIM by Caroline Mitchell is the perfect example of a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first sentence to the last. Emma has closed the door on her past and has tried very hard to move on and be the caring wife and mother that was always missing in her own life. But when her loving husband, Alex, gets a promotion that will mean moving to Leeds and leaving behind their ramshackle family home on the island, Emma knows that she must move on and be excited for the new phase of their lives. There is just one task that must be accomplished before she can finally feel free and it lies buried at the bottom of their land. But when Emma arrives at that fateful spot, the ground is empty and the body is gone. Could the man who groomed her really still be alive? And as threatening incidents begin to occur could he be coming back for revenge? Or is she slowly losing her mind? This story moves from past to present and is told from different characters points of view which allows the plot to unfold perfectly in front of our eyes. The characters are gripping and I felt so sorry for Alex who adores his wife and son and has no idea what to believe when his beautiful life starts to come apart at the seams. With many twists and turns, and some shocking surprises along the way, SILENT VICTIM by Caroline Mitchell is a compelling thriller that is sure to make your stomach churn with anxiety as you become completely caught up in the tense atmosphere. SILENT VICTIM is a must for crime fiction fans everywhere and would make a perfect tv drama. Author Bio: USA Today Bestselling Thriller Author. Caroline originates from Ireland and now lives with her family in a pretty village on the coast of Essex. A former police detective, Caroline has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. She now writes full time. Set in Shoreditch, London, her DS Ruby Preston trilogy is described as terrifying, addictive serial killer thrillers. Caroline also writes psychological thrillers. The most recent, Silent Victim, has been described as 'brilliantly gripping and deliciously creepy'. Her new DI Amy Winter series is published by Thomas & Mercer and launches 2018. For more information: Website - carolinemitchellauthor.com Twitter - twitter.com/Caroline_writes Facebook - www.facebook.com/paranormalintruder Instagram - www.instagram.com/Caroline_writes/ Available Now
Book length - 394 pages Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Christine Bernard for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Rose Madison is of sound mind, with a sharp focus and a willingness to succeed. At only twenty-three, she’s already won an award for her short story, and has been hailed as the next big thing in the literary world. She’s beautiful, funny, intelligent, and comes from a wealthy and successful family. It’s clear to all, including herself, that her future looks bright and promising. Why then, does the perfect Rose Madison start to slowly lose her mind? This is a story of a young woman in her prime, clutching at the remains of sanity. MY REVIEW UNRAVEL by Christine Bernard is a fabulously twisted tale that will have you second-guessing yourself throughout. From the very start, we get the impression that something sinister is taking place and as the story develops and Rose's life starts to go downhill, there are so many ifs and buts that will always keep you on edge. I don't want to give away too much about this story but I have to mention Rose. She is an unusual character with many elements and I found myself liking her, getting irritated with her, and feeling sorry for her all at different points of the narrative. UNRAVEL by Christine Bernard is a suspense novel with something for everyone and I was delighted to find it wasn't at all what I was expecting when I picked it up to read. Fast-paced, this thrilling plot flows effortlessly from start to finish, never letting the intrigue or mystery burn low, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely a must for suspense fans! Author Bio: Christine Bernard is a South African author, with an obsession for good coffee (or wine), books and guinea pigs. She’s also a graphic and layout designer who illustrates on the side, but she’s happiest when writing. She enjoys writing mystery/suspense and contemporary fiction. For more information: Website - www.christinebernard.com Twitter - twitter.com/AuthorCB Facebook - www.facebook.com/christinebernardauthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/flatwhitepics/ Release date - 1st February 2018
Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Head of Zeus Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Melanie from headofzeus.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review via Netgalley.com ABOUT THE BOOK Laura Lake, deputy editor of glossy mag Society, has been promoted to the hot seat while her boss recovers from 'exhaustion' in rehab. Finally she's in charge, but who can she share the free jollies with? Not her international glamourpuss BFF Lulu, who's left Knightsbridge for Britain's poshest village. Lulu's busy living the good life at her new pile Riffs, a ex-rock star's ex-country mansion. But not everything in her guitar-shaped garden is lovely; Lulu's attempts to join the hunt, act in the panto and grow the biggest marrow are blocked by the snobbish locals. Who does she call on for help? Journo extraordinaire, Laura Lake... MY REVIEW Laura Lake is back with a bang and this time she manages to get herself into even more crazy situations in LAST OF THE SUMMER MOËT by Wendy Holden. As acting deputy editor of glossy magazine, Society, Laura Lake is determined to make the most of being in charge so when she discovers that there is a village in the English countryside that plays host to some of the wealthiest celebrities and politicians in the world, Laura jumps at the opportunity to enter this privileged society, courtesy of her wealthy best friend, Lulu. With the locals making themselves known, insane escapades and hilarious deeds and misunderstandings, Laura will never have a dull moment, and as for her love life, well that's another disaster entirely ... LAST OF THE SUMMER MOËT by Wendy Holden is a book that will make you laugh out loud, roll your eyes at the mad-cap positions Laura and the rest of the characters will find themselves in, and simply cheer you right up on these cold, wintery days. While there are a lot of characters to keep a track of, this didn't bother me and I enjoyed it all the more for it. Most of the drama and action in this story is a bit off-the-wall but that's what I loved about it! LAST OF THE SUMMER MOËT by Wendy Holden is a novel that will make you laugh and suck you into a world of unbelievable wealth and craziness and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! I can't wait for more from Laura Lake. Author Bio: Number-one bestselling author Wendy Holden was a journalist on Tatler, The Sunday Times, and the Mail on Sunday before becoming an author. She has since written ten consecutive Sunday TimesTop Ten bestsellers. She lives in Derbyshire. For more information: Website - www.wendyholden.net Twitter - twitter.com/Wendy_Holden Facebook - www.facebook.com/wendyholdenauthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/wendyholdenauthor/?hl=en DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 8th February 2018
Book length - 369 pages Publisher - Trapeze (Orion Books) Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Lauren from www.orionbooks.co.uk and TBC on Facebook for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THE BOOK A story about love, loss and finding hope-against all odds. Rob Coates can't believe his luck. There is Anna, his incredible wife, and most precious of all, Jack, their son, who makes every day an extraordinary adventure. Rob feels like he's won the lottery of life. Or rather-he did. Until the day it all changes when Anna becomes convinced there is something wrong with Jack. Now Rob sleepwalks through his days, unable to bridge the gulf that separates him from his wife, his son and the business of living. But he's determined to come to terms with what's happened-and find a way back to life, and forgiveness. We Own the Sky will resonate with anyone who has ever suffered loss or experienced great love. Luke Allnutt shows that the journey from hope to despair and back is never as simple as we think, and that even the most thoroughly broken heart can learn to beat again. MY REVIEW Before you sit down to read this book you need to make a cup of tea, have a box of tissues close at hand, and if you have kids give them a huge hug and a kiss. Then and only then should you turn the first page and become caught up in this emotional and heartbreaking tale of love and family that will change you forever. Rob Coates had the perfect life but everything he loves is suddenly threatened when his little boy becomes ill. As the story moves from past to present we get to see Rob's life before Jack's diagnosis and after, and I am telling you now this book will have you ugly crying. Such a sensitive topic is always difficult to read but the author has such an honest and raw way with words that you feel what these characters are feeling and you will put yourself in their shoes (which is often harrowing). WE OWN THE SKY by Luke Allnutt is a story about despair and fear, but it is also sprinkled throughout with hope and love - the love one has for their child and how far you would go for them. WE OWN THE SKY is a stunning debut and should be on everyone's to-read list this year. Author Bio: Originally from the U.K., I’ve lived and worked in Prague since 1998. I work as an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and have written for various publications about technology and Eastern European politics. I wrote about my father’s death from a brain tumor in Unspoken, a Kindle Single for Amazon. My debut novel, We Own The Sky, will be published in the U.K. by Trapeze (Orion) in January 2018. For more information: Website - lukeallnutt.com Twitter - twitter.com/lukeallnutt DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 8th February 2018
Book length - 270 pages Publisher - RedDoor Publishing Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Anna from reddoorpublishing.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK The year is 2144, and the world is powered by sport - politically and practically. Each community owes its prosperity or otherwise to the success of its teams and athletes. A person's class is determined by their aptitude for sport. Once their useful life as an athlete has expired, they are placed in stasis at an age predetermined by that class. But not in Wales. Separated from the rest of the world by a huge wall, the Welsh still play games for joy. They play, they carouse, they love, they die. They have fun. Of all the Welsh, the greatest sportsman is an unreconstructed genius called Ivon. When the chance arises to become the first Welshman to cross the great divide into England, he cannot resist. His parents, exiled from England before he was born, know what London will do to him. They are desperate to have him back. But London will not give up an asset like Ivon so easily. Ivon is a celebration of where sport has come from and a satire on where it is going. MY REVIEW IVON by Michael Aylwin is fresh, unusual, quirky, and defies being placed in any current genre as it really stands in one of its own making. Set in a future where sport reigns supreme and everyone is a cog in the wheel that makes this society function, discarded when they have served their purpose and looked down upon when they are unable to play sport, this is a world that was beginning to sound vaguely familiar and that made it all the more worrying. Individuality, originality, fun, and that special love of life is missing in this society where conformity and usefulness are at the forefront, and efficiency is key. But in a small chunk of the country known as the Lapsed section (aka Wales), life continues there as it has always done before - sport is played for fun, people fall in love, have children, laugh, and die the way it always has been, naturally. When two people from these differing worlds come into contact it will change so much in their lives, but when you cross over into the unknown can you ever truly find your way back? IVON by Michael Aylwin is a thoroughly entertaining, sometimes witty, sometimes disturbing story, with characters that are unique and memorable. While this may not sound like a story that interests you (I hate sports and am wary of futuristic novels), trust me that you will enjoy this story that really gets under your skin and makes you stop and think about what kind of a future you would like for your children and theirs. IVON by Michael Aylwin is a fascinating story and will suit readers who like something a little different. Author Bio: Michael Aylwin is a sports reporter for the Guardian and Observer. He lives in Southfields. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/mdmaylwin DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 8th February 2018
Book length - 480 pages Publisher - Ebury Publishing Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com ABOUT THE BOOK Do you remember when you believed in magic? The Emporium opens with the first frost of winter. It is the same every year. Across the city, when children wake to see ferns of white stretched across their windows, or walk to school to hear ice crackling underfoot, the whispers begin: the Emporium is open! It is 1917, and London has spent years in the shadow of the First World War. In the heart of Mayfair, though, there is a place of hope. A place where children’s dreams can come true, where the impossible becomes possible – that place is Papa Jack’s Toy Emporium. For years Papa Jack has created and sold his famous magical toys: hobby horses, patchwork dogs and bears that seem alive, toy boxes bigger on the inside than out, ‘instant trees’ that sprout from boxes, tin soldiers that can fight battles on their own. Now his sons, Kaspar and Emil, are just old enough to join the family trade. Into this family comes a young Cathy Wray – homeless and vulnerable. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own. But Cathy is about to discover that while all toy shops are places of wonder, only one is truly magical... MY REVIEW THE TOYMAKERS by Robert Hinsdale is a beautiful story that will appeal to all of us who can remember the magic of toys and the special place they can hold in your heart. When Cathy Wray finds herself on the doorstep of the unusual Papa Jack's Toy Emporium she is afraid of the huge changes that are taking place in her life and hopes to find a job and a place to stay. But as soon as she walks through its magical doors, Cathy realises that there is so much more to the Emporium than meets the eye ... THE TOYMAKERS by Robert Dinsdale really must be read to be understood but I will try my best to convey the magic that lies within these pages. From the stunning description of the toys and shop itself to the quirky characters that inhabit it, this story will transport you to another time and place and make you feel every emotion, and see every enchanting scene unfold before your very eyes. But not everything smells of roses as anger and jealousy find its place among the happiness, and with the shadow of the War serving as a comparison, THE TOYMAKERS has a rich depth to its narrative that works well. I loved this story and I highly recommend THE TOYMAKERS by Robert Dinsdale to everyone who loves a magical story with heart. Author Bio: Robert Dinsdale was born in 1981 in North Yorkshire and currently lives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. He is the author of THE HARROWING, LITTLE EXILES, GINGERBREAD and THE TOYMAKERS. For more information: Website - www.robertdinsdale.com Twitter - twitter.com/Robert_Dinsdale |
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