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Showing posts from May, 2020

Book review: Finding Om

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On one of my rare browsing sessions on NetGalley, I came across a charming illustrated children’s book titled Finding Om . I was hooked right then and there! I am a passionate – if not entirely consistent – advocate of meditating and chanting mantras and I couldn’t believe that I had just found what seemed to be the perfect book to teach my daughter to sit still and find peace and connection to the universe and everything that surrounds her. Guess what? I did find the perfect book. Written by Rashmi S. Bismark and beautifully illustrated by Morgan Huff, the book narrates the story of an Indian African girl who hears her grandfather chanting OM and, with a curiosity known only to children, embarks on a journey of discovery. At 9 months of age, my daughter might be too young to appreciate the book just yet, but my wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I would go as far as to say that I know an adult or two who could learn a lot from Anu and her Appuppa! Published by Mango

Book review: The Catch

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By T.M. Logan Published by Zaffre Synopsis: Ed finally meets his daughter's boyfriend for the first time. Smart, successful and handsome, Ryan appears to be a real catch. Then Abbie announces their plan to get married . There's just one problem. Ed thinks Ryan is lying to them. All of Ed's instincts tell him his daughter is in terrible danger - but no-one else can see it. With the wedding date approaching fast, Ed sets out to uncover Ryan's secrets, before it's too late… How did this book end up in my hands? I read a serialisation of this novel via The Pigeonhole app. Was it a page-turner? At  448 pages, the book is not short. Having established that, I can’t explain how I read each instalment in minutes. I was always surprised when I reached the last screen so soon after starting. Did the book meet my expectations? The synopsis was right up my street so I knew I would enjoy it. I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite so much though, which is always a p

Blog tour: Catalyst

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Welcome to the blog tour for Catalyst , the second book in the young adult series The Catalysts by Tracy Richardson .  I am so excited about having the author on the blog that, without further ado, here is our Q&A: Hi Tracy! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Catalyst ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Catalyst is about Marcie Horton, a junior in high school, who is spending the summer working at an archaeological dig site in southern Indiana. Things immediately shift into the paranormal when Lorraine and Zeke, two mysterious dig assistants who claim to access the Universal Energy Field with their minds, assert that the Earth and its resources are in grave danger. Marcie must decide if she’s brave enough to do her part to save the planet. Was this always going to be a series? And did you have the entire plot entirely figured out since the beginning? A: No, it didn’t start out as a series. I absolutely did not have

In conversation with... Kate Eberlen

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Hi Kate ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Only You ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: It’s about two young people, Letty and Alf, who meet at language class in Rome. They speak English, they are learning Italian, but they discover that the way they communicate best is through dance. Letty was a ballet student, Alf was a junior ballroom champion. When they waltz in the Piazza Navona, the connection between them becomes electric. But why are they both in Rome? What have they left behind in England? When the unthinkable happens, Letty returns to London, Alf to Blackpool. Are the secrets they have kept from each other too disturbing for them to contemplate a future together? Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page? A: I always have a strong idea of where the book is heading, and what themes I want to explore. My preparatio

Book review: Only You

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By Kate Eberlen Published by Pan Macmillan   Synopsis: Letty and Alf are the only English speakers at an Italian class in Rome, where they discover the language that really connects them is dance: Letty’s first love was ballet, while Alf was a junior ballroom champion. They come from different worlds, until the moment they waltz around the Piazza Navona, and everything changes. But one moment can’t change the past, and it’s clear that Alf and Letty still have their secrets. What caused them to leave their lives behind in England? And who, or what, are they running from? As their relationship deepens, it becomes harder and harder to tell the truth… When the unthinkable happens, Letty returns to London and Alf to Blackpool. Will they spend their lives apart, or discover a future together? How did this book end up in my hands? I read a serialisation of this novel via The Pigeonhole app. Was it a page-turner? Every day of the serialisation began with me not being able to w

Blog tour: Tsarina

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Welcome to the blog tour for Tsarina , Ellen Alpsten ’s exciting debut novel, published by Bloomsbury.  Shining the spotlight on one of history lesser known empresses, the storytelling in this book is amazing and I am happy to be able to take you behind the scenes through a Q&A with the author herself. Hi Ellen! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Tsarina !  A: Thanks so much, dear Silvia – so kind! I am incredibly excited about this launch and delighted with all the interest ‘ Tsarina’ gets. I hope that no-one who reads her story shall ever forget her again, and that the book offers readers something on every level, touching them deeply.  Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: ' Tsarina' - my UK/US debut novel – tells for the first time ever the extraordinary story of Catherine I. of Russia – NOT Catherine the Great – who rose from serf to Empress, while the nation morphed from backward nation to the beginnings

In conversation with... Elizabeth Kay

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Hi Elizabeth ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of  Seven Lies ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you so much! Most simply – and perhaps as you might expect! – it is a book about lies. It’s about the lies we tell ourselves, those we tell our friends and our families and about how little lies can evolve into something much bigger. I think, for me, it is also a book about truth. In an era of fake news, misinformation and discussions around the authenticity of social media, I found myself wondering what the truth actually looks like. Can we accurately report on our own lives? Is there ever only one version of the truth? I hope that it’s also a book about the intensity and emotional intimacy of female friendships. I was particularly keen to explore how childhood friendships can evolve into adulthood, and what happens when they become tangled and complicated. It’s also about grief and loss, themes which run through the entire s

Book review: Seven Lies

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B y Elizabeth Kay Published by Little, Brown Synopsis: Jane and Marnie have been inseparable since they were eleven years old. They have a lot in common. In their early twenties they both fell in love and married handsome young men. But Jane never liked Marnie's husband. He was always so loud and obnoxious, so much larger than life. Which is rather ironic now, of course. Because if Jane had been honest - if she hadn't lied - then perhaps her best friend's husband might still be alive… How did this book end up in my hands? I read a serialisation of this novel via The Pigeonhole app, which I am ever so grateful to. Was it a page-turner? I almost tripped over the words in my rush to read on! Hadn’t this been a serialisation, it definitely would not have taken me 7 days to finish reading it. Although 7 days for 7 lies has a good ring to it! Did the book meet my expectations? I don’t think I expected something quite so breath-taking! Jane is an extremely intere

Blog tour: The Lizard

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Welcome to the blog tour for  Dugald Bruce-Lockhart ’s debut novel, The Lizard , published by Muswell Press . Ahead of the online virtual launch , which is happening on Facebook on May 5th, I am honoured to be able to share a Q&A with the author himself: Hi Dugald! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of The Lizard ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you! Set in 1988, it’s about a Philosophy and German undergraduate, Alistair Haston, who heads to the Greek islands to get over a broken heart and broaden his horizons. There, he meets Ricky, a magnetic Australian, who promises a cushy job on the Island of Paros recruiting models for a retired German artist. With mega earning potential and addictive benefits, Haston soon sheds his conservative skin and is swept up in a cocktail of hedonistic pursuits, but when the body of a missing tourist is found, the finger of blame points at Haston and his world collapses. The body coun