So here we are, a quarter of the way through 2024 already. I told you it would go fast once January ended. I had a very slow reading month in March. I couldn’t get into the right frame of mind to read so couldn’t concentrate on books for very long. I also binge watched the…
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Published by Manilla Press Publication date – 9 November 2023 Source – review copy There’s a book written for every one of us… Carl may be 72 years old, but he’s young at heart. Every night he goes door-to-door delivering books by hand to his loyal customers. He knows their every desire and preference, carefully…
Claire Parkin – Q&A
The Final Hours of Muriel Hinchcliffe M.B.E by Claire Parkin was published on 21 March 2024 by Pan Macmillan. Claire kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about The Final Hours of Muriel Hincliffe M.B.E. It’s a darkly comic psychological thriller featuring a pair of warring 70-something ladies trapped in…
Clara Reads Proust by Stephane Carlier, translated by Polly Macintosh – review
Published by Gallic Books Publication date – 28 March 2024 Source – review copy A tender and witty coming-of-age story about the power of literature to inspire new beginnings, peppered with a cast of quirky characters and a unique heroine. Clara is a hairdresser at Cindy Coiffure, a sleepy French salon with an identity crisis….
Kevin the Orange by Alan Windram, illustrated by Olla Meyzinger – review
Published by Little Door Publication date – 14 March 2024 Source – review copy This laugh-out-loud picture book follows Kevin the Orange, who is really tired of being orange. With the help of his friend, Brian the Pear, Kevin tries being lots of different colours with hilarious consequences, only to find out that being the…
Open Up by Thomas Morris – review
Published by Faber Publication date – 17 August 2023 Source – review copy From a child attending his first football match, buoyed by secret magic, and a wincingly humane portrait of adolescence, to the perplexity of grief and loss through the eyes of a seahorse, Thomas Morris seeks to find grace, hope and benevolence in…
Alice McIlroy – Q&A
The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy was published by Datura Books on 2 January 2024. Alice kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about The Glass Woman. The Glass Woman is a psychological thriller exploring the rise of AI, and the tensions that surface when you can no longer trust…
Balancing the Books – February 2024
Well the shortest month has flown by, even with that bonus day they throw us every four years. I spent mine working and didn’t even get any bonus reading in, which is typical. It was a slower month for arrivals and I found my reading slowed down too (except for certain books where the pages…
Karen Powell – Q&A
Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell was published by Europa Editions on 29 February 2024. Karen kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Fifteen Wild Decembers. The novel charts the life of Emily Brontë. After a series of tragedies, young Emily finds solace in the imaginary worlds she creates…
Toppling the TBR Pile – Cornerstone Spring 2024
I’m a little (ok very) late in taking a look at publishers catalogues but here I am with the first round up. My eyes are bigger than my bookcase as there are loads of great sounding titles I want to add to my TBR. First up is Cornerstone which includes the following imprints: Del Ray,…
From First Page to Last 