Category: literature
Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin
In the dying days of the old asylums, three paths intersect. Henry was only a boy when he waved goodbye to his glamorous grown-up sister; approaching sixty, his life is still on hold as he awaits her return. As a high-society hostess renowned for her recitals, Matty’s burden weighs heavily upon her, but she bears it with fortitude and grace. Janice, a young social … Read More Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin
+ brothers, Catholic Church, childhood, coming-of-age, convent school, family, fiction, friends, friendship, girl's school, Ireland, literature, religion, review, sixties
Emmet and Me by by Sara Gethin
Summer 1966: When her father comes home with lipstick on his collar, ten-year-old Claire’s life is turned upside down. Her furious mother leaves the family and heads to London, and Claire and her brothers are packed off to Ireland, to their reclusive grandmother at her tiny cottage on the beautifully bleak coast of Connemara. #EmmetAndMe @SGethinWriter @honno @annecater @RandomTTours A misfit among her new … Read More Emmet and Me by by Sara Gethin
+ crime fiction, fiction, friendship, literature, loss, murder, murder mystery, Psychological fiction, review, supernatural, thriller
Before You Knew My Name by by Jacqueline Bublitz
This is not just another novel about a dead girl. When she arrived in New York on her 18th birthday carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe, an unidentified murder victim. Ruby Jones is also trying to start over; she travelled halfway … Read More Before You Knew My Name by by Jacqueline Bublitz
+ adventure, brothers, cult, family, feminism, fiction, Greek mythology, literature, love, motherhood, mythology, review, sisterhood, sisters
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
‘My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice, I would take my place in the songs that would be sung about Theseus; the princess who saved him and ended the monstrosity that blighted Crete,’ As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur … Read More Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
+ fiction, India, Jaipur, journal, Literary Festival, literature, review, satire, writers
Jaipur Journals by Namita Gokhale
From the co-founder of the Jaipur Literary Festival, a brilliant, funny, and moving novel set against the background of the festival, and the characters that make it tick. Told from multiple perspectives, from the authors enjoying moments of adulation after years of creative isolation, to the star-struck public mingling with their cultural icons, to those in-between, who are both author and fan, these diverse … Read More Jaipur Journals by Namita Gokhale
+ dark humour, fiction, literature, loss, love, murder, poetry, review
Darke Matter by Rick Gekoski
James Darke is dreading the first family Christmas without his wife Suzy. Engulfed by grief, his grudging preparations are interrupted by a persistent knock at the door. Questions about the circumstances of his wife’s death force him to confront the outside world and what really happened to her. #DarkeMatter @RGekoski @LittleBrownUK #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours Isolated, angry and diminished, James soon faces a crisis both legal and … Read More Darke Matter by Rick Gekoski
+ abuse, child abuse, childhood, family, family drama, fiction, literature, love, mystery, obsession, Psychological fiction, relationships, review, secrets, sisters, thriller
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
Cat lives in Los Angeles, about as far away as she can get from her estranged twin sister El and No. 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing Gothic house in Edinburgh where they grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact … Read More Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
+ family, family drama, fiction, literature, loss, love, review, sisters
The Legacy by Caroline Bond
A death in the family rarely brings out the best in people – even the deceased. Jonathan Coulter planned for his death meticulously, leaving nothing to chance. His will states that his three adult children must decide between them how to dispose of his estate. If they cannot come together over their inheritance, then they risk losing it. But Liv, Noah and Chloe never … Read More The Legacy by Caroline Bond
+ abuse, child abduction, child abuse, community, crime fiction, Dogs, family, fiction, holiday, kidnapping, List, literature, loss, love, motherhood, murder, obsession, Psychological fiction, relationships, review, secrets, serial killer, supernatural, thriller
My Top 8 Books of 2021 so far
Here are my favourite eight books of the first quarter of 2021. Last year I chose eight books in the first half but I already have eight so I’m going to break with tradition. Lost Property by Helen Paris Each year I wait for that one book that grabs me by the heart and won’t let go. It’s only just February and I have … Read More My Top 8 Books of 2021 so far
+ fiction, literature, love, relationships, review
The Republic of Love by Carol Shields
With a foreword by Margaret Atwood A celebration of love in its many guises, The Republic of Love recounts the heartfelt tale of two of life’s unlucky lovers: Fay, a folklorist whose passion for mermaids has kept her from focusing on any one man; and, right across the street, Tom, a popular radio talk-show host who’s been through three marriages and divorces in his … Read More The Republic of Love by Carol Shields
+ abuse, fiction, literature, narcissist, review
Manipulated Lives by HA Leuschel
Five compelling true-to-life stories each highlighting a narcissist’s manipulative mind games. Narcissists are everywhere. They can be witty, charming and highly charismatic. Anyone can be their target. #ManipulatedLives @HALeuschel @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours At first their devious, calculating mind games can be hard to spot because they are masters of disguise, but then they revert to their true self of being controlling and angry in private. … Read More Manipulated Lives by HA Leuschel
+ community, Dogs, family, fiction, friendship, literature, loss, love, motherhood, relationships, review
Dog Days by Ericka Waller
George is very angry. His wife has upped and died on him, and all he wants to do is sit in his underpants and shout at the cricket. The last thing he needs is his cake-baking neighbour Betty trying to rescue him. And then there’s the dog, a dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn’t want a dog – he wants a fight. #DogDays @ErickaWaller1 … Read More Dog Days by Ericka Waller
