Release date - 5th September 2019
Book length - 352 pages Publisher - The Borough Press (Harper Collins) BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Patricia from Harper Collins Ireland for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK It is 1932, and the losses of the First World War are still keenly felt. Violet Speedwell, mourning for both her fiancé and her brother and regarded by society as a ‘surplus woman’ unlikely to marry, resolves to escape her suffocating mother and strike out alone. A new life awaits her in Winchester. Yes, it is one of draughty boarding-houses and sidelong glances at her naked ring finger from younger colleagues; but it is also a life gleaming with independence and opportunity. Violet falls in with the broderers, a disparate group of women charged with embroidering kneelers for the Cathedral, and is soon entwined in their lives and their secrets. As the almost unthinkable threat of a second Great War appears on the horizon Violet collects a few secrets of her own that could just change everything ... MY REVIEW A SINGLE THREAD by Tracy Chevalier brings the story of Winchester Cathedral and all of the people it draws into its fold alive, in this wonderfully depicted historical tale of female strength, spirit, and determination. In 1932 Violet Speedwell is struggling with her position in life, having lost her brother and fiancè in the war and now viewed as being surplus to requirements for anything other than minding her mother. With a strength of spirit that is just the tip of the iceberg for this woman, Violet organises a transfer from her typing job and moves to Winchester to attain some freedom and some sort of happy life for herself. But life does not always turn out as planned and Violet struggles with money and making new friends, but the peace and serenity she feels in Winchester Cathedral is something she can count on. When she accidentally stumbles across the broderers, a group of women who are embarking on an extraordinary embroidery project for the Cathedral, she becomes one of their number and begins to forge real relationships both with the women and the male bell-ringers, some of whom will bring unbelievable change to her life ... Engaging, fascinating, and absorbing A SINGLE THREAD by Tracy Chevalier brings fact and fiction together effortlessly and as always with this author, the level of historical detail is out of this world. Winchester Cathedral and the broderers come alive on every page and as Violet battles with the many obstacles that are placed in her path, it was a pleasure to watch her strong spirit and grit shine through. A SINGLE THREAD by Tracy Chevalier is a thoroughly enjoyable story and I look forward to more from this wonderful author. AUTHOR BIO Tracy is the author of 10 novels, including the international bestseller GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, which has sold over 5 million copies and been made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. American by birth, British by geography, she lives in London with her husband and son. Her latest novel, A SINGLE THREAD, is set in and around Winchester Cathedral in the 1930s, and involves embroidery, bellringing, and an adventurous heroine. For more information: Website - tchevalier.com Twitter - twitter.com/Tracy_Chevalier Facebook - www.facebook.com/tracychevalierwriter Instagram - www.instagram.com/tracychevalierwriter/
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#BookReview: Filter This by Sophie White @SophWhiteWrites @HachetteIre @ElaineEgan_ #FilterThis4/9/2019 Release date - 5th September 2019
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - Hachette Books Ireland Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Elaine from www.hachettebooksireland.ie for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Ali Jones is hell-bent on achieving her #lifegoals: 10,000 Instagram followers and a win at the upcoming Glossie Influencer Awards. So when she inadvertently leads people to believe she is sporting a baby bump and immediately gains thousands of followers, she realises that the Mummy Influencer wave could be her ticket to Insta-success, even if off-screen it feels like her life is falling apart with what's happening to her beloved dad. But then Tinder Sam, Ali's one-night-stand, resurfaces and seems determined to take his new role as baby daddy seriously. And falling for Sam is definitely not part of Ali's plan. Meanwhile, Ireland's biggest influencer (and Ali's idol) Shelly Divine has it all ... at least on paper. But beneath the immaculately curated feed, cracks are appearing. Shelly harbours a secret from her followers and, more importantly, her husband - but who will be the first to discover what she's been hiding? As the Glossies approach, what will it take for the women realise what's truly important before they lose what matters most? MY REVIEW The book of a generation, FILTER THIS by Sophie White opens up the world of the Instagram influencer through the story of two women who are in the spotlight where their worlds are tinged with that perfect rosy glow. But is it real? Shelly Devine is the top mama of Instagram and influencer culture in Ireland with her beautiful home, gorgeous husband, and adorable little girl. She has her own range of lifestyle products and is in demand from every company in Ireland wanting a piece of the Shelly brand. But that's the problem. Everyone wants a piece of her and she is struggling to hide the cracks - her marriage is falling apart and she barely has any free time with her little girl, and then there is the fact that she just isn't sure who she really is anymore. Ali Jones is struggling with her father's illness, a fraught relationship with her mother, and a job that she feels that she has outgrown so Instagram provides an outlet for her, somewhere where her world can be perfect rather than the bleak picture that it is in reality. But when a misunderstanding finds her catapulted to the top of the most wanted influencer stakes, Ali decides that playing along isn't going to hurt anyone. That is until her one-night-stand gets involved, her real relationships start to suffer, and one lie becomes one hundred lies. Now before I go any further with this review I have to say that I enjoy Instagram immensely although you are far more likely to see me posting a #shelfie rather than a #selfie. The effort, the perfection, the filtering is all just a little bizarre to me, and after reading this book it could be downright dangerous for many. But back to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I easily connected with the characters even if I didn't always agree with their actions. Shelly is struggling with motherhood but has herself trapped in this insta-world where she is perfect and is neglecting herself and her family in the process, using Instagram as an escape. Ali is also using it as an escape - an escape from the reality that her beloved dad will die soon - and as her lies become bigger and bigger I really wanted to scream at her to stop!!!! But I also wanted to hug her because she was hurting and hiding behind a screen. This book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between and I really hope there will be more from Shelly and Ali. FILTER THIS by Sophie White is a daring look behind Social Media and what we lose every time we filter ourselves to fit the higher echelons of perfection that seems to be required to flourish in this influencer world. Making yourself anything but you to fit in, is damaging on so many levels and FILTER THIS shows how easy it is to fall under its spell of money, prestige, and adoration. An excellent novel from an excellent author. BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!! AUTHOR BIO Sophie White grew up in Dublin and has a first class honours degree in Fine Art from the National College of Art and Design. After moving to New Zealand in her early 20s, Sophie went on to train as a chef while there and worked in the French Alps for several years before returning to Dublin in 2012. Sophie began her writing career at age 27, when she started writing a weekly column 'The Domestic' for Sunday Independent's Life magazine. After the birth of her first child, she became a full-time writer, penning reviews of books and restaurants, cultural commentary and interviews for a variety of Irish publications and her first book Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown, part-memoir/part cookery book was published in 2016. Mother of Pod, the successful podcast she hosts with Jen O'Dwyer, was launched in January 2018 and they launched a second podcast, The Creep Dive, in January 2019. Sophie lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons. Filter This is her first novel. For more information: Website - www.sophiewhite.info Twitter - www.twitter.com/SophWhiteWrites Instagram - www.instagram.com/sophwhitewrites/ Available Now
Book length - 351 pages Publisher - Harper Collins BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Ciara from Harper Collins Ireland for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Seven friends. One killer. No escape… A group of childhood friends are reunited at a luxury inn on a remote west coast peninsula in Ireland. But as a storm builds outside, the dark events that marred their childhoods threaten to resurface. And when a body is discovered, the group faces a shocking realisation: a killer is among them, and not everyone will escape with their lives MY REVIEW A dark, twisting tale of obsession and hatred, I CONFESS by Alex Barclay is addictive, harrowing, and everything else in between all tied together in one masterful package. When Edie and Johnny buy the old convent that holds so many memories for everyone and transform it into a luxury inn for holidaymakers, not everyone can understand why. But a private party held for their closest and oldest friends will give them all a chance to catch-up and reconnect, as well as understand a little better. But a storm is brewing and when a body is found, everyone begins to question whether they truly know each other at all. And then there is Jess, their friend who died all those years ago who suffered a cruel and horrific fate - what could the present possibly have to do with the past? Who is terrorising them and why? They will soon find out. Told from different characters point-of-view and moving from past to present, I CONFESS by Alex Barclay drew me instantly into this gang of mates and instantly made me connect with them. The present-day plot is filled with friendship and laughter but there is an uneasiness brimming under the surface, and the past plot broke my heart into a million pieces and made me so angry for the innocent childhood that was shattered. I CONFESS has a dark core that will haunt you even after you turn the last page but has so many elements which make it so much more than your usual psychological thriller. It's hard to put this into words so I recommend you buy it for yourself so you can see what I mean. I CONFESS by Alex Barclay is a 5 star read by a 5 star writer and I look forward to more from this fantastic author. AUTHOR BIO Barclay studied journalism at university and worked for a period in fashion and beauty journalism as a copywriter in the RTÉ Guide. In 2003, she left the fashion industry to write Darkhouse, the first of two novels featuring NYPD detective Joe Lucchesi. Her second novel, The Caller, was released in 2007, and Last Call in 2008. She won the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award at the Irish Book Awards for her fourth novel, Blood Runs Cold. For more information: Website - www.alexbarclay.co.uk Twitter - www.twitter.com/alexbarcs Facebook - www.facebook.com/alexbarclaybooks/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/authorbarcs/ |
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