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Showing posts from July, 2022

Blog tour: Honor

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Welcome to the blog tour for Honor by Thrity Umrigar! More about the book… Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena – a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man –Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her. In this tender and evocative

Book review: Gertrude

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Gertrude  by D.M. Mullan and Kirsteen Harris-Jones What a pleasure meeting Gertrude was! This children’s book can be read on various levels. As it says on the very first page ‘… if your spirit is young, no matter your age, the adventure begins when YOU turn the page’! The rhyming structure keeps even younger children entertained, and so do the striking illustrations. It makes for an amazing starting point for meaningful conversations about the environment and our sense of responsibility. I am most definitely going to look for the other Curious Tales in the series! More about the book… If you think that pollution is not your concern, then like little Gertrude you've got lots to learn. She lies in her treehouse like the laziest lump, and shouts from her hammock across the whole dump: "Are you totally crazy? Are you out of your tree? It's not that I'm lazy, it's just not up to me!" More about the author D.M. Mullan is a world-travelled author from County Derry, N

Blog tour: A Normal Family

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Welcome to the blog tour for A Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton! More about the book… For most of her life, Chrysta Bilton was one member of a small, if dysfunctional, family of four. There was her sister, Kaitlyn, her hedonistic, glamorous, gay mum Debra, and Jeffrey, who Debra hand-picked, in an LA hairdressers, to be the father of her children. During Chrysta's unstable childhood, Debra struggled to keep the family afloat and Jeffrey wandered in and out of their lives. Then, in her twenties, Chrysta discovered that her father had secretly donated his sperm over 500 times - and that she had at least 35 other siblings. A Normal Family is a captivating coming-of-age memoir about Chrysta's reckoning with the secrets both parents had carefully kept from her. Heartfelt, warm and funny, it's a story of embracing the family we have, in all the forms we find it. More about the author… Raised in Los Angeles by an eccentric mother and a father who struggled with mental illness, Ch

Blog tour: Hotbed

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Welcome to the blog tour for Hotbed by Joanna Scutts! More about the book… New York City, 1912. The very idea of feminism is radical and outlandish, but a group of women believe they can change the world. They meet in a bustling Greenwich Village restaurant and give their club a name that enshrines the notion of difference of opinion: Heterodoxy. Among themselves, the women could talk freely—no topic off limits—and plan their liberation without fear of a man labelling them difficult or strident. The group quickly grew: there were pairs of sisters and pairs of lovers; women entwined by family and marriage; and those who had studied together, worked together, and marched side by side for the vote. However, the history of Heterodoxy remains elusive. To allow each other space to disagree, the women kept no records of their meetings. In Hotbed, Joanna Scutts unravels the never-before-told story of this secretive, unruly club by exploring the lives of its members. Socialites and socialists;

Blog tour: The Yellow Kitchen

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Yellow Kitchen by Margaux Vialleron! More about the book… London E17, 2019. A yellow kitchen stands as a metaphor for the lifelong friendship between three women: Claude, the baker, goal-orientated Sophie and political Giulia. They have the best kind of friendship, chasing life and careers; dating, dreaming and consuming but always returning to be reunited in the yellow kitchen. That is, until a trip to Lisbon unravels unexplored desires between Claude and Sophie. Having sex is one thing, waking up the day after is the beginning of something new. More about the author… Margaux Vialleron is a French-born, London-based writer, self-taught cook and co-host of the The Salmon Pink Kitchen book club, culinary community and podcast. The Yellow Kitchen is her first novel. Find out more at her website http://margauxvialleron.com/ or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @margauxvlln. My impressions… Friendships can be a minefield, and this stunning debut no

Blog tour: Now That You're Here

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Welcome to the blog tour for Now That You’re Here by Kate Staves! Now that you’re here, You’re where you belong. We’re so pleased to meet you, We’ve waited so long! Honestly, this book should come with a ‘cuteness overload’ warning! From an AWWW every time I turned the page to a few tears at the end, both my wife and I were hit in the feels and I dare any new (or not so new) parent not to get all sentimental! As far as my children are concerned, both my baby and my toddler loved this book! My baby was in awe of the beautiful illustrations and gifted us with gorgeous smiles when we read the rhyming text to her. I didn’t expect my toddler to be enamoured with this ode to her little sister but I shouldn’t have worried. Like every toddler, she thinks everything is about her, and she lapped up all the love that pours out of this book. All in all, this is the perfect present for the whole family as it has something for everyone! More about the book… Join giraffes, hedgehogs, penguins and ma

Blog tour: The Slow Lane Walkers Club

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Slow Lane Walkers Club by Rosa Temple! More about the book… Daniel isn’t used to living life in the slow lane. So when he finds himself unexpectedly jobless and back in his old Cornish hometown, he can’t sit still. Hazel used to be adventurous too. But now widowed and in her eighties, she barely leaves the house. When she sees an advert for Daniel’s new walking club, she grabs at the chance of some excitement. Daniel’s heart sinks when he sees that the only person who’s turned up for his walking club is the crazy old lady from two doors down. But what he doesn’t expect is to discover that Hazel is one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met . . . More about the author… Rosa Temple began her career writing romantic comedy and chick lit novellas, short stories and books because of her passion for what she calls the 'early chick lit films', like: Sabrina, Barefoot In the Park and Breakfast at Tiffany's . She honed her skills as a ghost w

Blog tour: The Museum of Ordinary People

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle! More about the book… Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. But when in the process Jess stumbles across the mysterious Alex, together they become custodians of a strange archive of letters, photographs, curios and collections known as The Museum of Ordinary People. As they begin to delve into the history of the objects in their care, Alex and Jess not only unravel heart-breaking stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long buried secrets that lie much closer to home. More about the author… Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Time

Blog tour: More Than You'll Ever Know

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Welcome to the blog tour for More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez! More about the book… Lore Rivera was married to two men at once. She led a secret double life - until one man shot the  other. That's the story the world knows. But true-crime writer Cassie Bowman wants to know more - about the mysterious woman at the  heart of it all, and about what really happened the night of that tragic murder. How did Lore lead two lives? How did it feel when it all came crashing down? Cassie is surprised that Lore is willing to talk. But as what really happened that fateful summer of  1986 unfurls, will either woman be prepared when the truth comes to light? More about the author… Katie Gutierrez, a Mexican-American debut novelist from Texas, has an MFA from Texas State University, and has written for Harper's Bazaar, the Washington Post, Longreads, and more. She was born and raised in  Laredo, Texas, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border, and now lives in San Antonio with her husband