Book after Book

Welcome to the blog tour for The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson! More about the book… The Silence in Between  is a historical novel based in Berlin in 1961 and during the Second World War. Lisette lives in East Berlin but brings her new-born baby to a hospital in West Berlin. Under doctor's orders, she goes home to rest, leaving the baby in the care of the hospital. But overnight the border between East and West closes, slicing the city - and the world - in two. With a city in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate. Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both live for music but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother - once a talented pianist - the world has gone silent. Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Be

Welcome to the blog tour for Felix's Favourite Day by Fiona Lowry! More about the book… Felix’s Favourite Day is a gentle rhyming picture book encouraging positive thinking. Perfect for children ages 3-5 years Felix loves animals and dreams of being a vet when he is older. The only problem is, he doesn’t have his own pet to look after yet. After begging, badgering, and bothering his parents, Felix is finally taken to the local animal shelter for what his parents hope will be a sensibly chosen cat or dog... Felix may have other ideas! More about the author… Fiona is a Scottish children’s author based in Perthshire, where she lives with her family. Having grown up in the idyllic, peaceful, and secluded countryside, her childhood was full of freedom and adventure. Fiona shares her power of positive thinking through children’s stories of encouragement, self-growth, and belief. My impressions… What a cute and uplifting story! Felix wants to be a vet and he feels like the first step tow

Welcome to the blog tour for The Divorce  by Moa Herngren! More about the book… Together for more than thirty years, Bea and Niklas live a comfortable life in Stockholm. But one evening, following a trivial argument, Niklas disappears. Weeks pass before it emerges that he has met someone else. To Bea's horror, he insists they must divorce. But is this divorce really coming out of the blue? Is the person who does the leaving always the one at fault? What emerges once you begin scratching the surface? More about the author and translator… Moa Herngren is a journalist, former editor-in-chief of Elle Magazine and a highly sought-after manuscript writer. She is also the co-creator and writer on Netflix hit- show Bonus Family. Alice Menzies is a freelance translator based in London. Her translations include work by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Fredrik Backman, Tove Alsterdal and Jens Liljestrand. My impressions… Bea and Niklas. They bonded following the death of Jacob, her brother and his best

Welcome to the blog tour for The Love of My Afterlife  by Kirsty Greenwood! More about the book… If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie Bookham would be dying of embarrassment. She’s woken up in the afterlife after choking on a microwave burger, wearing the kind of pyjamas you’d be mortified if anyone saw you in, and has crashed headlong into the most handsome man she’s ever met. Who is also dead and smiling at her. As they talk, Delphie starts to feel that elusive spark between them – something she’s waited her whole life to feel. Perhaps the afterlife won’t be so bad if she’s potentially found her soulmate to spend it with… That is until someone comes running in, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth and leaving Delphie behind. Now the powers that be are offering Delphie a deal: go back down to Earth, find her mysterious maybe soulmate, and get him to fall in love with her. Or stay dead. The challenge? She only has ten days to find him,

Welcome to the blog tour for Northern Boy  by Iqbal Hussain! More about the book… Joyful, defiant and dazzling, this is the story of Rafi Aziz – a Northern boy dreaming of his name up in lights. It's 1981 in the suburbs of Blackburn and, as Rafi’s mother reminds him daily, the family moved here from Pakistan to give him the best opportunities. But Rafi longs to follow his own path. Flamboyant, dramatic and musically gifted, he wants to be a Bollywood star. Twenty years later, Rafi is flying home from Australia for his best friend’s wedding. He has everything he ever wanted: starring roles in musical theatre, the perfect boyfriend and freedom from expectation. But returning to Blackburn is the ultimate test: can he show his true self to his community? Navigating family and identity from boyhood to adulthood, as well as the changing eras of ABBA, skinheads and urbanisation, Rafi must follow his heart to achieve his dreams. More about the author… Iqbal Hussain is a writer from Blackbu

Welcome to the blog tour for Daughters of the Nile  by Zahra Barri! More about the book… Paris, 1940. The course of Fatiha Bin-Khalid’s life is changed forever when she befriends the Muslim feminist Doria Shafik. But after returning to Egypt and dedicating years to the fight for women’s rights, she struggles to reconcile her political ideals with the realities of motherhood. Cairo, 1966. After being publicly shamed when her relationship with a bisexual boyfriend is revealed, Fatiha’s daughter is faced with an impossible decision. Should Yasminah accept a life she didn’t choose, or will she leave her home and country in pursuit of independence? Bristol, 2011. British-born Nadia is battling with an identity crisis and a severe case of herpes. Feeling unfulfilled (and after a particularly disastrous one-night stand), she moves in with her old-fashioned Aunt Yasminah and realises that she must discover her purpose in the modern world before it’s too late. Following the lives of three women

Welcome to the blog tour for Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley! More about the book… Flo is sick of Tokyo. She is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up, and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a drunken passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life... It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book

Welcome to the blog tour for The Giant at Number Two by Emily Wensley & Helen Morgan ! More about the book… Daisy-May is known to everyone as having a vivid imagination, so when she tells her family that there is a  giant living on their street, as usual nobody believes her. Nobody that is, except her Gran! Excited that there may be a giant living in the neighbourhood (especially one that wears funny masks!) they form a plan to find out all they can about him, in order to lure him into a trap. My impressions… The children and I had so much fun with this book! Could there really be a giant living at number two, or is it just a very tall person who looks like a giant to a small girl? I don’t wish to spoil your fun and give anything away, but I can tell you that Daisy-May and her Gran, who hasn’t lost the ability to use her imagination despite her age (!), are going to take you on a fun adventure. The illustrations by Helen Morgan are lively and colourful, and the rhyming text by Emil

Welcome to the blog tour for Breaststrokes  by Margaux Vialleron! More about the book… A novel on pleasure, desire and consent told over the course of one weekend. Cloe and Gertrude and the Jenkins-Bell sisters, Mathilde and Sarah, have never met.  They are strangers who share only a city. It is Sunday morning. Cloe has woken-up in someone else’s home; Gertrude starts her shift in the pub kitchen, while Mathilde and Sarah are on their way to lunch. Soon, these four women’s lives will overlap. Saturday felt like a normal day, but on Sunday the past will catch-up with them as they realise that there never is only one side to a story. More about the author… Margaux Vialleron is French-born, Glasgow-based writer, who is co-host of the SPK Book Club – a podcast, reading and culinary community. Her short stories and essays have been published in magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Compound Butter. She is the author of The Yellow Kitchen and  Breaststrokes  is her second novel.  Read mor

Welcome to the blog tour for Mary I:  Queen of Sorrows  by Alison Weir! More about the book… Adored only child of Henry VIII and his  Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father’s court. But the King wants a son and heir. With her parents’ marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary’s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition. The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come – in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be? MARY I. HER STORY. Alison Weir’s new Tudor novel is the tale, full of drama and tragedy, of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, became the infamous Bloody Mary. More about the author… Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of

Welcome to the blog tour for Missing White Woman  by Kellye Garrett! More about the book… Beautiful. Blonde.  Missing. Murdered. It was supposed to be a romantic getaway to New York City. Breanna's new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything – the train tickets, the sightseeing itinerary, the four-story Jersey City rowhouse with the gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline. But then Bree wakes up one morning and discovers recently missing dog-walker Janelle Beckett dead in the foyer. Ty is gone, vanished without a trace. A Black woman alone in a strange city, Bree is stranded and out of her depth. There’s only one person she can turn to: her ex-best friend, a lawyer with whom she shares a very complicated past. As the police and a social media mob close in, all looking for #Justice4Janelle, Bree realises that the only way she can stay out of jail is if she finds out what really happened that night. But when people see only what they want to see, can she uncover the truth hiding in pla

Welcome to the blog tour for The Night In Question  by Susan Fletcher! More about the book… Florence Butterfield has lived an extraordinary life full of travel, passion and adventure. But, at eighty-seven, she suspects there are no more surprises to come her way. Then, one midsummer's night, something terrible happens - so strange and unexpected that Florrie is suspicious. Was this really an accident, or is she living alongside a would-be murderer? The only clue is a magenta envelope, discarded earlier that day. And Florrie - cheerfully independent but often overlooked - is the only person determined to uncover the truth. As she does, Florrie finds herself looking back on her own life . . . and a long-buried secret, traced in faded scars across her knuckles, becomes ever harder to ignore. More about the author… Susan Fletcher was born in Birmingham and studied English Literature at the University of York. Whilst taking the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, sh

Welcome to the blog tour for Lively Lila: A Dance of Happy Discovery by Ben Levey! More about the book… Step into Lila’s whirlwind world in  A Dance of Happy Discovery! Embrace Lila’s unique sparkle as she twirls through life’s ups and downs with ADHD, showing us all how to love who we truly are. Young readers, prepare to be dazzled by this exciting adventure that’s bursting with boldness, bravery, and the fun of being different. Dive into Lila’s story and uncover a tale that’s all about standing strong, letting your creativity fly, and celebrating the superhero within! More about the author… Ben Levey is originally a Chartered Project Manager in the construction industry from East London, but he has tapped into his love for the creative world through his fashion brand and now, children’s books. My impressions… If you have been following me since I’ve become a mamma, you will know that I love sharing my love of books with my two little girls. I love all books under the sun but, when it

Welcome to the blog tour for The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou ! More about the book… London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can't speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law. Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer. Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide... IS SHE A VICTIM? OR IS SHE A KILLER? More about the author… Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Sta

Welcome to the blog tour for A Sicilian Affair by Susan Lewis! More about the book… A fresh start where no-one knows her name is exactly what Catie is looking for from her Sicilian escape. When Catie meets handsome Giancarlo, she has stumbled across a love that could last forever… If only she can admit the truth about her past. But the scars of betrayal from her broken marriage and fragile family are only part of the story. Some secrets are too devastating to share… More about the author… Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time , the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband, James, and her dog, Mimi. My impressions… Writing emotions – and provoking strong emotive reactions – is so

Today I have something different planned for you! Let me introduce you to Palamedes PR: Palamedes PR is a long-established and award-winning name in the book marketing field and the recognised UK market-leader. Their specialist services include national and international press, TV and radio, and PR stunts. For more information, visit  www.palamedes.co.uk Book bloggers are no longer considered ‘fringe media’ but important vehicles to promote new titles, authors and publishers. Unlike mainstream news and feature outlets, which reach a wide but less targeted audience, blogs like Book after Book are the go-to destination of choice for engaged consumers who return time and time again for expert reviews and advice. According to Palamedes PR, the UK’s market-leading book marketing agency, bloggers can be instrumental in shaping the overall success of a new release and are an indispensable force in the public relations industry. Here, we speak to one of its publicists, Anthony Harvison, to fin

Welcome to the blog tour for Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose by Kate and Sam Cunningham! More about the book… King Henry VIll's favourite ship, the Mary Rose, is sailing to Portsmouth to stop a French invasion. This should be the easy part of the journey, but for Captain Vlad flea and his crew of rats, the humans and their pets create dangers on every deck. More about the author and illustrator… Author: Kate Cunningham Kate was a primary teacher, and Sam is the eldest of her three boys. She is married to historian, Sean and is author of the Flea in History series. Illustrator: Sam Cunningham As well as the Vlad flea books, Sam has worked on graphic novels with The National Archives and created the murals in the Florence Nightingale Museum family corner My impressions… This is my first book in the Flea in History series, and most certainly not the last one. Following Captain Vlad – the flea in question - and his crew on an adventure above and below deck, we learn both how a Tudor sh

Welcome to the blog tour for Lost & Found: 9 life-changing lessons about stuff from someone who has lost everything by Helen Chandler-Wilde! More about the book… On New Year's Eve of 2018, journalist Helen Chandler-Wilde  lost  everything she owned in a storage unit fire in Croydon, where she'd stowed all her possessions after a big break-up. She was left devastated, and forced to re-evaluate her relationship with owning material things. A mix of memoir, self-help  and  journalism,  Lost   &   Found  explores the psychological reasons for why we buy  and  keep the things we do,  and  explains how we can liberate ourselves from the tyranny of 'too much'. Helen interviews people from all walks of life, including behavioural psychologists on the science of nostalgia, a nun on what it's like to own almost nothing  and  consumer psychologists on why we spend impulsively, to help us better understand why we're surrounded by clutter  and  what we can do to cha

Welcome to the blog tour for The Romanov Brides  by Clare McHugh! More about the book… They were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and two of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Princesses Alix and Ella were destined to wed well and wisely. But while their grandmother wants to join them to the English and German royal families, the sisters fall in love with Russia—and the  Romanovs . Defying the Queen’s dire warnings, Ella weds the tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Serge. Cultivated, aloof, and proud, Serge places his young wife on a pedestal for all to admire. Behind palace gates, Ella struggles to secure private happiness. Alix, whisked away to Russia for Ella’s wedding, meets and captivates Nicky—heir apparent to the Russian throne. While loving him deeply, Alix hears a call of conscience, urging her to walk away. Their fateful decisions to marry will lead to tragic consequences for not only themselves and their families, but for millions in Russia and around the globe. The  Romanov  

Welcome to the blog tour for The Divorcées by Rowan Beaird! More about the book… Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness is hardly grounds for divorce - except in Reno, Nevada. At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno's 'divorce ranches' Lois finds herself living with half a dozen other would-be divorcées, all in Reno for the six weeks' residency that is the state's only divorce requirement. They spend their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys, and it's as wild and fun as Lake Forest, Illinois, was prim and stifling. But it isn't until Greer Lange arrives that Lois's world truly cracks open... Gorgeous, beguiling, and completely indifferent to societal convention, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever ha

Welcome to the blog tour for Anna’s Garden by Sarah Hewitt! Anna is a little girl who is aware of what she can and can’t do. Playing with a ball or running down a hill is not for her, but she shows her care for her friends in other ways. We are all different, but our differences don’t have to separate us. With a delicate colour palette and beautiful illustrations, Anna’s Garden is a very special book, which conveys a powerful message of kindness and acceptance. More about the book… Anna knows what she likes and what she is good at. Even though catching a ball is not her favourite game and loud noises make her ears hurt, there are lots of other things that Anna can do. Although she likes to spend time on her own, she is also very kind and loves sharing with others. 'Anna’s Garden' is a classic rhyming picture book with a charming art style. With a memorable cast and unique handling of its themes, this story will help young readers embrace their true selves. Here’s what the auth

Welcome to the blog tour for The Best Postboy in England by Stephen Frost! More about the book… Summer, 1916. Fourteen-year-old Freddie Lovegrove begins his new job as  Postboy in the quiet rural English village of Eagley. But the shadow of war looms large over this peaceful idyll as Freddie is tasked with delivering news from the battlefields of France. The villagers call him the angel of death. Freddie is befriended by Suhani Harkness, an Indian woman living in an isolated Manor House where she tends to wounded soldiers from the trenches. Persuading Freddie to become the amanuensis to a soldier who cannot write, he finds new purpose in his work. But the grim reality of his job weighs down ever more heavily, until the telegram he has most feared arrives from the front – news of the death of one of Suhani’s sons. Set against the backdrop of one of the deadliest conflicts in history, this novel is a poignant and powerful exploration of the human cost of war for those left behind, and t