I have an ARC of The Tenth Gift from when the title was ‘Crossed Bones‘. I‘ve had it on my TBR for quite a few years and the title has now changed, I don‘t know why, probably to do with reading trends at the time it was published. I‘m reading it with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme is ‘pirates‘ as it‘s ‘Talk Like a Pirate Day‘ on 19 September! 🏴‍☠️

I enjoyed this book. It‘s well written and gives a great insight into society during the 1940s/50s and what it was like being a woman trying to follow a career at that time. There are some lovely descriptions of the Norfolk Broads and the characters are well drawn. An engaging and absorbing tale, probably not my favourite book by Rachel Hore but certainly a worthwhile read.

I very much enjoyed this compelling tale. It‘s an easy and gripping read, a page turner. The parts touching on the Greenham Common protests are fascinating. I can remember the women‘s peace camp happening but some details are hazy. What brave and resilient ladies they were! The story itself is well put together and the characters are well drawn. It really drew me in, I found it hard to put down and was sad to turn the last page. #TBC

A library book to read.

I found this book weirdly compelling to start with and then it started to drag a little. I‘m not a sci fi fan so that may have affected my opinion. It began to get somewhat repetitive and I found it just an odd story. Thought provoking at times, though, with an interesting ending which redeemed it a little for me. “One day all humans will be made this way!” (car advert) 😆 Oh, I do hope not. 😯. F2f book group read. 3⭐️

A book to review. Emily Gunnis is the daughter of the late author, Penny Vincenzi. I‘ve always enjoyed Penny‘s books, especially the ‘Spoils of Time‘ trilogy, so am looking to reading Emily‘s. #TBC on Facebook.

This is the third selection I‘ve chosen to read for my locally book group. We had each to choose two favourite books and then pick one or more of the ones we hadn‘t read chosen by other members of the group. We will discuss how we liked them or not next time we meet up.

A dark tale full of atmosphere and creepy goings on. It‘s fast paced and takes the reader on very much of an adventure, very like being on a rollercoaster - I‘d definitely have my eyes closed on this white knuckle ride! I was gripped from the beginning, keeping my attention throughout until the exciting ending. A wolfishly good read! Just keep those mobile phones and tablets switched off as you never know who might be looking for you! 👀 #TBC

A farmer‘s wife living in England begins a relationship with a museum curator in Denmark by way of exchanging letters and emails. I thought this was a charming and thoughtful little tale. It‘s well written and very engaging. I enjoy epistolary type of books and this one fitted the bill exactly. I read this for my local book group where we all chose two of our favourites and then picked one or more of the ones we hadn‘t read. An enjoyable read.

A library book to read.

I very much enjoyed this magical and enchanting tale. I loved the combination of fact with fiction. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the characters alive and telling the story of the ‘fairy‘ photos. It‘s amazing to think that people actually thought they were real. Beautifully written and thoroughly entertaining, I can highly recommend it.

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Fairies-of-Cottingley/

I enjoyed this thoughtful story about families and finding your place in the world. It‘s an emotional tale at times and it takes the reader on quite a rollercoaster of a journey. Life isn‘t always easy as Jane finds out. It‘s easy to empathise with Jane as she deals with her pre-teen daughter and her father. Her relationship with Claire is particularly well observed and very perceptive. An engaging, well paced and engrossing page turner. #TBC

My local book club have decided the theme this time is for us each pick and submit two of our favourite books, and then read as many of the ones we haven‘t read as we want to. Next time we meet up (24 September) we have to let the club know what we thought of them. Hope that makes sense! ‘Meet Me at the Museum‘ is the second on my list. It‘s a library book.

An advance reading copy which I have to review.
#TBC on Facebook

I very much enjoyed this book. It‘s not only a murder mystery but a family drama, too. Loads of secrets which are slowly revealed. There‘s great insight into life in the outback. I‘m not sure it would suit me at all! It‘s atmospherically written and just a brilliantly gripping read. Highly recommended.

I‘m reading The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme is a story about a picture or painting.

I‘m reading this for my local book club. This time a member suggested we each pick and submit two of our favourite books and then read as many of the ones we haven‘t read on the list as we wanted to. Next time we meet up (24 September) we have to let the club know what we thought of them. Hope that makes sense! I already had The Lost Man on my TBR pile, so thought I might as well start with that one!

This is the first book in a new trilogy called ‘Sevenstones‘, set in America and England. It‘s a great family saga following the lives of the Ravens. It‘s beautifully written with something of a fairytale quality to it. There are some strong and likeable characters. It‘s just a story to get immersed in and wish you were there alongside them. I can‘t wait to read the next in the trilogy, ‘Threads‘. Hurry up and write it, Harriet Evans!

First in a series of short stories revolving around a book shop. An easy and sweet read. There‘s not much more I can say about it other than I enjoyed it. I will read the rest of the series.

A library book to read. I do enjoy a family saga. ‘The Treasures‘ is the first in a new trilogy called Sevenstones. I‘m looking forward to starting it.

I read this book with my online book group, the theme being witches/wizards. It‘s an interesting story inspired by the Pendle Witch Trials. It‘s very well researched and written. I did find it a bit plodding, however, and it‘s full of misery! Too much hardship and suffering. I was very pleased to turn the last page. And I can‘t wait to start something more cheerful!

This is the second book in the Detectives Donovan & Young series. It‘s set in the Yorkshire Dales which aren‘t far from where I live, a beautiful part of the world and an added bonus. I enjoyed this mystery. It had the usual twists, turns and the odd red herring. Some interesting characters and an intriguing storyline make this one well worth the read. I look forward to book no:3!

Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors and I was delighted that my f2f book group chose to read Homecoming. We all very much enjoyed it. I loved the twists and turns, the setting and the way the story was put together. It‘s a beautifully written tale and a page turner. It‘s quite a tome but didn‘t really take long to read as I was gripped from beginning to end.

I loved this story. It‘s beautifully written and the setting is just wonderful. I love books set in Cornwall. It‘s well described, I almost thought I was here. I also enjoy stories revolving around houses and this one does just that. There‘s also a little mystery which gives a bit of intrigue. The characters are well rounded and believable. It has all the ingredients of a worthwhile and engaging read.

I‘m reading this with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme was ‘witches‘ so the chosen book is a story about the Pendle witches, https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Pendle-Witches/. My copy of this book must be about 10 years old. I couldn‘t find it on my bookshelves at first but fortunately it at last turned up! It had added itself to the wrong bookshelf for some reason.😊. Excuse for a tidy up anyway. 😄

Book two in the Detectives Donovan & Young series. I enjoyed the first book, The Fells.

My local book club chose ‘Australia‘ as the theme this time. Luckily I had a copy of the selected book - my daughter bought a signed edition for me for Christmas 2023. I‘m looking forward to getting stuck in as Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors.

The first in a new series, a spin off from the Giordano Bruno series, featuring Sophia de Wolf as former spy and investigator. I really enjoyed this mystery, it‘s a promising start to a new series. Lots of twists and turns and a steady pace make this an engaging and gripping thriller. Sophia is an intriguing character and I look forward to joining her again on her next adventure.

An imaginative and compelling tale with some interesting characters. I thought It had an intriguing and well paced plot. It kept me turning the pages. There‘s plenty of action and a smattering of romance, too. The only quibble I have is with the writing style. To me it reads like a young adult book and some of the dialogue feels a little stilted. All in all it‘s an engaging debut with a satisfying conclusion, leaving it open for a sequel.

A library book.

This book wasn‘t really for me. I can appreciate the research gone into but to me it just read like a school text book. It‘s so dry. And there are so many female characters called Hannah! Very confusing. I persevered with it as it was a book chosen by my local reading group. We all felt the same about it. Love the cover, though. Very attractive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It‘s a compelling and beautifully written story. I‘d never heard of Martha Ballard before reading The Frozen River, but all I can say is what a woman! There are some great peripheral characters and it has an atmospheric setting. It‘s very much a page turner and I can highly recommend it.

An ARC to read and review.

A library book to read. It‘s the first in a new series. Sophia de Wolfe who was a former spy for Robert Cecil, spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I, is asked to investigate the murder of an heiress.

The Standing Stone in the Moor by Allie Cresswell
This is a beautifully and atmospherically written story where the house is very much a character. The descriptions of the house and moors are very vivid and easy to visualise. The human characters are well rounded and realistic. There‘s a good plot-line which gets quite exciting towards the end, I was on the edge of my seat at one point. An engaging and enjoyable read.

I‘m reading this with my online book club, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme was a story set near water.

A sweet little tale about books. This is not only about the power of books, though, but also the importance of books in our lives. The blurb says to never underestimate great literature and to think for ourselves no matter what our ‘charismatic‘ leaders might say! An easy, charming and fun read with a message. I must add that I loved the cover and the cat pattern on the edges of the pages!

The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell

“Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne‘er-do-wells.‘ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.”

A book I‘ve received to read and review.

Set in the marshlands on the south coast of England, this tells the story of Alinor and her family who live off the land. Alinor is for all intents and purposes a wisewoman and raises the suspicions of her neighbours that she is a witch. She meets James, a spy for the Cavaliers during the English Civil War. I really enjoyed this book, it‘s a real romp through a tumultuous time in England‘s history. It‘s entertaining stuff.

I‘m reading this with my local book group, the theme being a biography. I‘ve been reading a chapter or so a day - I‘m finding it quite dry. I‘m not a big non-fiction fan so it‘s a bit of a slog for me. I have to read it alongside a book I am enjoying or I think I‘d go mad! We‘re not meeting up until 12 June so hopefully I will have either read it all or at least a good deal of it! 🥱

I loved this one. It‘s about how one drop of water can connect us. It‘s told via the unique voices of three people. Arthur who born very near the Thames, Narin who lives near the Tigris and Zaleekah who is renting a houseboat on the Thames. Beautifully written and very moving at times, I was very immersed in these characters‘ lives and found it a page turner.

I‘ve just collected this book from the library and just have to share a photo of the page edges with you! How lovely are they!?🐱😻

I‘m reading this with my online book group https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main

An enjoyable read. I liked how it was written. If you‘re looking for a fast paced thriller where the bodies line up, Whisper Cottage is not for you. I would class it as more of a gothic tale of suspense. It‘s nicely creepy and I liked the characters. It slowly draws the reader in and ends on a little twist!

I‘m reading this on my Kindle as I have another book on the go and it‘s a hardback. Kindles are more easily transportable. I always like to have my book with me. I would feel lost without it. ☺️

A library book. I loved The Island of Missing Trees by this author so looking forward to this one.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Gallows Wood, so was looking forward to Memorial Park. I wasn‘t disappointed! Quite a dark read with some twists and turns and the odd red herring. PD Iggy is certainly the hero in this book. It all makes for a gripping and engrossing read. I look forward to joining Lucy and her furry friends/police dogs again on another mystery.

This is a quirky story about friendship, grief, guilt and finding yourself. There are lessons to be learnt here - to live in the moment and not look too far into the future as that can be quite a minefield for the brain. It‘s a well written book with some fascinating characters, although I did find Robin a little immature for his years. There are some very humorous moments as well moving ones. A heartwarming, engaging and enjoyable read. #TBC

An ARC to read and review for #TBC (the Book Club Reviewer Group) on Facebook.

This is a moving love story which spans a whole lifetime. It‘s a tale of misunderstandings and regrets. There‘s quite a bit of background with the history of Iran - women seem to have had more freedom in the 1950s than they do now in that part of the world. The characters are well written and believable. An engaging and captivating story of lost love.