Book after Book

Hi Darren! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the paperback publication of Our Little Secret . Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Our Little Secret is about a man named Chris, who on the 5th of May is going to step out under a cargo train and take his life. Something has happened to him, something tragic, a secret he cannot share, and he feels this is the only solution to his grief. He has planned it to perfection but, minutes before, Sarah steps onto the platform and he cannot finish what he started. Leaving the station, he has to wait for another date that matters. So, consumed with the knowledge she has accidently saved a man, Sarah begins a journey to find him and save him again. But the more she finds out about Chris, the more dangerous it becomes, because some secrets are meant to stay buried. Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing or did it develop before your eyes as the characters grew on the page and did so...

By Emily Barr Published by Headline Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room, with no idea how you got there. You are abroad, in a city you have never visited before. You have no money, no passport, no phone. And there is no sign of your baby. What do you do? How did this book end up in my hands? I borrowed this book from the library and it lived for a few weeks on my nightstand waiting for the right time. Was it a page-turner? Yes, the story gripped my attention from the very opening and made me want to turn the pages at lightning speed. Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? Yes, and it was just what I needed. Did I like the ending? I did – even though perhaps I would have liked a final confrontation between the two parents. Did the book leave me with unanswered questions? No, it's a perfectly formed story in less than 100 pages. Three words to describe it. Intriguing. Fast-paced. Sad. Do I like the cover? Yes, it definit...

Great advice by Austin Kleon on the gates of Much Ado Books in Alfriston. I remember arriving to the bookshop that day and finding it closed. Oh, the despair! I thought I was too late and then realised that even people who work in bookshops deserve a lunch break so I calmed down and went back later!

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Cherry Radford was published by Urbane Publications on April 5 th and the blog tour for this novel with an Anglo-Spanish flavour was successfully kicked off a few days ago with some great reviews. Today I am the lucky host of a stop on this tour: sit comfortably, click here to listen to the playlist created by the author (I know, a book with a soundtrack!) and read below... Synopsis: After the break-up of her marriage, Imogen escapes to her aunt’s converted lighthouse on Beachy Head. Writing for a tedious online magazine but hoping to start a novel, she wants to be alone until she finds an entrancing flamenco CD in her borrowed car and contacts the artist via Twitter. It turns out that actor-musician Santiago needs help with English, and is soon calling her profesora . Through her window, the other lighthouse winks at her across the sea. The one where her father was a keeper, until he mysteriously drowned there in 1982. Her aunt is sending...

Welcome back to Blind Date With a Book Thursday… even if it’s Friday morning! Thank you all for joining in the fun and sharing your guesses on Twitter or on the blog. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! A quick look at the clues: I was published in 2012 I was written by a male British writer I am a mysterious thriller I am the last book in a series about a detective from Rome but I can be read as a standalone novel I am set in Venice during the Carnival celebrations I follow a forensic pathologist from Rome as she looks for her disappeared aunt I will make you suspicious of everyone Any last-minute guesses? No? Ok, here we go This week’s book was… Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson . I read it back in 2012 and I couldn’t put it down. To read more about the book and what I thought of it, please click here . I hope to see you next week for some more fun!

Another week, another appointment with Blind Date with a Book Thursday, a new weekly tradition initiated by Ebru from Ebs And Her Reads . The rules are simple: You choose a book --> You write a few clues that will help people identify it --> You ask people to guess the title of the book, including the bloggers that have inspired you to join --> You later reveal the identity of the book Ready? Here we go… I was published in 2012 I was written by a male British writer I am a mysterious thriller I am the last book in a series about a detective from Rome but I can be read as a standalone novel I am set in Venice during the Carnival celebrations I follow a forensic pathologist from Rome as she looks for her disappeared aunt I will make you suspicious of everyone Any guesses? Leave your answers in the comments below and come back tomorrow morning to find out if you were right. You can also share your guesses on Twitter and don’t forget to invite your friends t...

This week I have the pleasure of catching up with Rachel from Rachel’s Rambling Reviews, where she writes about all of her favourite books, mainly fantasy, and rates them in cats (because she’s a bit of a cat lady). Are your bookshelves a ‘work in progress’ like mine or are they clearly and systematically organised? They’re a work in progress – I don’t have much room in my house, and I only have one small bookshelf – which is jam packed. The rest of my books are spread all around the house – I even have a drawer full of them in my bedroom. I guess I put books I’m less likely to re-read at the back, ones I’m more likely to re-read at the front. Apart from books, what is to be found on your bookshelves? Like I said I don’t really have any room on my shelves, but on top I have photos and plush toys, and also some Harry Potter merch. What do you do with books once you’ve read them? Generally, I keep all my books because I’m likely to re-read them (I’m a big re-reader) but l...

Today, Barcelona and the whole of Catalonia celebrate el dia de la rosa y del llibre by exchanging gifts of… you guessed correctly: books and roses… ‘a rose for love and a book forever’! Forget Valentine’s Day: this is the most romantic celebration of love for bookworms! On this day I present to you hand-made paper roses* and a heart-warming little book by Jojo Moyes : Paris for One . Part of the QuickReads collections, it is a delightful short story about love. Not necessarily romantic love – although that’s a bonus – but love for yourself and your dreams. Meet Nell and Fabien – the former English and yet to come out of her shell, the latter French and in need of rediscovering the proverbial joie de vivre . Follow them through the beautiful Paris, which is here a third main character in its own right, and root for them as they help each other find that je ne sais quoi that makes life more interesting. In less than 100 pages, Jojo Moyes created three-dimensional characters who ...

By Jessica J. Lee Published by Virago Press Synopsis: At the age of twenty-eight, Jessica Lee, who grew up in Canada and lived in London, finds herself in Berlin. Alone. Lonely, with lowered spirits thanks to some family history and a broken heart, she is there, ostensibly, to write a thesis. And though that is what she does daily, what increasingly occupies her is swimming. So she makes a decision that she believes will win her back her confidence and independence: she will swim fifty-two of the lakes around Berlin, no matter what the weather or season. She is aware that this particular landscape is not without its own ghosts and history. This is the story of a beautiful obsession: of the thrill of a still, turquoise lake, of cracking the ice before submerging, of floating under blue skies, of tangled weeds and murkiness, of cool, fresh, spring swimming - of facing past fears of near drowning and of breaking free. When she completes her year of swimming Jessica finds she has...

There are so many reasons why I love this photo! For a start, it's a book stand! It sells books! Apart from the obvious, however, I like how the colours create such harmonious balance... the yellow, the green, the blue... oh, it's all so perfect! Assuming that this is the fixed location of this gorgeous book stand, in 2016 it was located next to the wonderful Metropolitan Ervin Szabo Library in Budapest.

Welcome back to Blind Date With a Book Thursday… even if it’s Friday morning! Thank you all for joining in the fun and sharing your guesses on Twitter or on the blog. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! A quick look at the clues: I was published in 2010 I was written by a female British writer I am set between Brighton and London… at one point quite literally, on a train between the two cities I introduce you to three women with their own strengths and issues I warn you: someone dies… but not necessarily one of these women I show you how everything can change in an instant I will make you cry. A lot… Any last-minute guesses? No? Ok, here we go… This week’s book was… One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner . I read it back in 2010 and I still hold it very close to my heart. I have recommended to anyone who would listen and I bought it for a few friends. To read more about the book and what I thought of it, please click here . I hope to see you next week for some ...

Another week, another appointment with Blind Date with a Book Thursday, a new weekly tradition initiated by Ebru from Ebs And Her Reads . The rules are simple: You choose a book --> You write a few clues that will help people identify it --> You ask people to guess the title of the book, including the bloggers that have inspired you to join --> You later reveal the identity of the book Ready? Here we go… I was published in 2010 I was written by a female British writer I am set between Brighton and London… at one point quite literally, on a train between the two cities I introduce you to three women with their own strengths and issues I warn you: someone dies… but not necessarily one of these women I show you how everything can change in an instant I will make you cry. A lot… Any guesses? Leave your answers in the comments below and come back tomorrow morning to find out if you were right. You can also share your guesses on Twitter and...

Please join me in congratulating Erin Niimi Longhurst , a Japanese/British food, art and travel blogger, on her first book, Japonisme , published today by Harper Collins . The elegance of the simple illustration and the texture of the hardback cover speak of the attention to detail and the traditional values that inspired the creation of this beautiful lifestyle guide. I haven't spent a lot of time with this book yet but I already feel that it will be a great companion in the months to come - as I intend to savour it in small morsels.

This week I have the pleasure of catching up with Aimee from Aimee, Always , where she writes about anything and everything about young adult books - from book reviews, to discussions, to lists, and much more! Are your bookshelves a ‘work in progress’ like mine or are they clearly and systematically organised? Tell us a little bit about your method if you have one. Oh, they’re definitely a work in progress! I used to have them arranged this way: paperbacks in one shelf, hardcovers in another, and then sorted by favourites. Now, since I don’t have enough space for all my books, my shelves are double-stacked and have zero organization whatsoever. Apart from books, what is to be found on your bookshelves? I leave my everyday school needs on my shelves for easy access: my ID, my necktie, my wallet, and my hair ties. What is the prettiest book to be found in your current TBR pile? This is a super tough question. ??!?!?!?! What do you do with books once you’ve read them? I...

Hi Jessica ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the UK paperback publication of Turning . Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thanks for having me! Turning is a nature memoir following a year I spent swimming lakes in and around Berlin. It’s a hybrid work of swimming writing, landscape history, limnology, and personal memoir, among other things. Or, as some people like to tell me, it's about being a somewhat mad woman swimming: hammering my way into frozen winter lakes, taking dips amidst dark histories, and trying to find a way to feel at home in a new place. Turning has now been published in Canada, in Germany and in the UK with different covers. Do you have a favourite? A: I couldn't possibility pick a favourite cover, because I think they all capture something integral to the book, but I will say, when I saw both the UK paperback and the Canadian covers (both illustrations) my heart skipped a beat. I am a translator at heart so I a...