Book after Book

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...

Welcome to the blog tour for The  Brainiac's Book of the Body & Brain  by Rosie Cooper, illustrated by Harriet Russell! More about the book… What makes your body work? Is it all in your mind? Sort of! Take a tour of the human body from head to toes and everything in between. This latest instalment in the Brainiac’s series is an accessible, fun and inclusive introduction to the human body. Full of funky facts and astounding activities, readers will discover all there is to know about the body and the brilliant brain that makes it all work. Explore what happens to the food we eat, how medicines can fool us into making us feel better, as well as how and why we dream, and more! Aimed at curious children who want to know how their body works and how their brain keeps it running, The Brainiac’s Book of the Body and Brain  answers need-to-know and quirky questions about the bodies we live in. More about the people behind the book… Rosi...

Welcome to the blog tour for Murder in Moscow by Kelly Oliver ! More about the book… 1918, Moscow. Fiona Figg trails her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks to Moscow. But when she arrives at the grand Metropol Hotel, the bounder has vanished. After Fiona doesn’t show up for work at the War Office, Kitty Lane raises a red flag and tracks her to Russia. Seeking haven at the British Embassy, Kitty and Fiona become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Bolshevik government. But the plot turns deadly when Fiona goes undercover as a governess in the household of Iron Viktor, the Bolsheviks’ Head of Secret Police. And when Viktor turns up dead in his study, Fiona finds herself wanted for murder and on the run. Can Fiona and Kitty find the real killer and escape the Kremlin before it’s too late? Or will this dangerous game of Russian roulette be their last? More about the author… Kelly Oliver is the author of three award-winning bestselling mystery series and dozens of nonfiction books. My impressions...

Welcome to the blog tour for A Swift Return  by Fiona Barker! More about the book… Aria has her head in the clouds. Yusuf keeps his feet on the ground. But when they work together to save a bird who has lost her way, something magical happens. When  Swift loses her way on her epic migration. Aria and Yusuf come to her rescue and are inspired to think big about looking after the sky above their city. Inspired by Fiona and Howard's love for wildlife of all kinds and is the follow-up to Setsuko and the Song of the Sea . Howard's beautiful illustrations evoke a strong sense of place, strengthened by the beautiful Arabic text distilled by Maysoon AbuBlan. More about the author… Fiona is a middle-aged, married mum of one. She is positively potty about picture books; reading them and writing them. When writing, she longs for alliterative loveliness but is reluctant to rhyme. When reading, she looks for a marriage of words and artwork and loves anything that is fun to r...

Welcome to the blog tour for Dark Clouds Bring Waters by I R Ridley! More about the book… We all have questions for the dead… Comedy writer Luke Jessop’s life is in stasis. He hasn’t written a word since his wife, Billie, died almost three years ago and on finding a pile of old letters from her ex, Adam, he has begun to wonder how well he really knew her. Embarking on a pilgrimage to Italy, Luke determines to piece together the full story about his wild and sometimes secretive love. But with Adam refusing to answer his questions and a flame-haired hotel guest threatening his fragile calm, can Luke finally face the truths of the past and learn to live again? More about the author… Ian Ridley is a writer and journalist who spent 35 years on national newspapers, including 18 on The Guardian and The Observer. Dark Clouds Bring Waters is his third novel, and a move into literary fiction after his two crime thrillers, Outer Circle and Don’t Talk , in the ‘Jan Mason investigative...

Welcome to the blog tour for A Bookshop of One's Own  by Jane Cholmeley! More about the book… What was it like to start a feminist bookshop, in an industry dominated by men? How could a lesbian thrive in Thatcher’s Britain, with the government legislating to restrict her rights? How do you run a business when your real aim is to change the world? The captivating true story of an underdog business and a woman at the very heart of the women‘s liberation movement. Silver Moon was the dream of three women – a bookshop with the mission to promote the work of female writers and create a much-needed safe space for any woman. Founded in 1980s London against a backdrop of homophobia and misogyny, it was a testament to the power of community, growing into Europe’s biggest women’s bookshop and hosting a constellation of literary stars from Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou to Angela Carter. While contending with day-to-day struggles common to other ...

Animals Brag About Their Bottoms by Maki Saito If you have or know children, by gifting them this book you will make their day, month or, possibly, year! My children were all over it as soon as they laid eyes on it. A book about bottoms? Wonderful! The fascination is constant, and giggles are guaranteed, regardless of how many times you have already inspected these animals’ derrieres! With elegant illustrations and a simple text, translated from the Japanese by Brian Bergstrom, this is a great tool for parents to teach their children that we are all equal and beautiful, each in our own individual way. The little ones think we’re just having fun, while, in reality, we’re imparting an important lesson. Sneaky. I love it! More about the book…  All bottoms are wonderful! Don’t you agree? Each animal in this adorable book has a different reason for loving their behind—from cute and round to fashionable and striped. Maki Saito makes readers laugh out loud with playful illustrations of th...