📖 Blog Tour ~ Catherine : A Retelling of Wuthering Heights by Essie Fox

Orenda Books
12 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

The greatest tragic love story ever told – but this time, Catherine tells it herself. In Catherine, Essie Fox breathes new life into Wuthering Heights, transforming a gothic masterpiece into a haunting confession of obsession, madness and love that even death cannot end.

With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.

Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.

Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.

📖 My Review..

Catherine is told from Catherine Earnshaw’s point of view, firstly as a child, then a young teenager on the cusp of womanhood and finally as a ghost following her untimely death.  Both Heathcliff and Catherine come forcefully to life and as we experience the intensity of their ill-fated relationship so we gain an insight into the unpredictable nature of their characters and the cause and effect of their upbringing at Wuthering Heights. 

By no stretch of the imagination is this a comfortable tale and there’s certainly no guarantee of a happy ever after ending but the sheer lyricism of the writing brings the whole of this tragic story to life. It compares really well with Emily Brontë’s original and offers a different perspective and one which is no less powerful than the 1847 classic. This retelling encapsulates the very essence of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw’s fateful relationship, a relationship which was tormented and filled with passionate intensity which spiralled into a dark and dangerous world of sadness, grief and desperate obsession.

There’s a certain amount of trepidation in reading a retelling of a much loved classic however, if anyone can retell Cathy and Heathcliff’s story, and do the book justice, it is Essie Fox whose work I love to read. As I settled down on a rather grey, wintery afternoon, so the stark beauty of this timeless story began to take shape and I was back on the high moors with Cathy and Heathcliff as they whisper together in the shadow of Penistone Crags, leaving their tokens in the Fairy Cave and dreaming of an uncertain future.

🍳 Best read with…Nelly Dean’s buttered eggs..

About the Author

Essie Fox is the Sunday Times bestselling author of seven historical novels, including The Somnambulist, shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and The Fascination, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has twice been selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month, most recently for her gothic mystery Dangerous. She appears regularly at literary festivals and cultural institutions and is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic. She lives in Windsor.

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📖 Book Review ~ The New Neighbour by Valerie Keogh

Boldwood Books
2 March 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book 

 

A quiet street holds deadly secrets...

Chloe Tomson wants a quiet life. A new home, a new street, and no more drama - she’s had more than her share. But the moment she steps in to help her elderly neighbour during a violent altercation, the peace she craves begins to crumble.

The street seems friendly at first. Until the questions start. Who exactly is Chloe? Why did she move here? And what really happened in the house she lives in before she arrived?

As some neighbours become friends and others become enemies, it isn’t always certain which is which. Because Chloe isn’t the only neighbour keeping secrets…and someone knows the truth about her past. Someone who wants her gone.

But as whispers turn to threats, Chloe realises she’s been here before. And last time, not everyone made it out alive…

📖 My Review..

Chloe Tomson is newly moved into the area and has good reasons for keeping a low profile. She has little enthusiasm for making friends with her new neighbours however, when Tilly, her elderly neighbour, is caught up in a violent argument, Chloe steps forward to help, with devastating consequences. What should have been a quiet place to live soon becomes riddled with problems and as Chloe’s story is revealed so we start to understand why she acts in the way that does. Always distrustful, always wary, always convinced that someone wishes her harm, Chloe soon get under your skin and even though there were times when I almost disliked her, such is the power of the writing that I really wanted her to get her life back in track.

The New Neighbour is another cracking good read from this talented author who knows how to keep the momentum of the story alive whilst at the same time keeping control of a narrative which twists and turns and throws up so many surprises I am constantly on the edge of my seat wondering whatever is going to happen next. As always, I race through these books in one sitting. Each one reads as a complete standalone and every one of her novels, so far, have taken me by surprise and leave me, at the end of the story, already looking forward to the next one.

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now lives in Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

​

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Three Witches by Elena Collins

Boldwood
2 March 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Now: When Ruthie gets the part of one of Macbeth’s famous three witches she can’t wait to get started. Inspired by the beauty of the film’s Scottish locations and the camaraderie of the cast and crew, she can leave behind the expectations of her family and her lacklustre love life, at least for now. But as echoes from the past begin whispering in Ruthie’s ear and a restless spirit draws her further into its centuries-old secrets, it soon becomes clear that only she can uncover the truth of a terrible injustice.

1050 Scotland: Isobel and her two sisters have learnt about healing from their loving mother Sidheag, and she in turn has kept them safe. But without the protection of their late father, Sidheag knows that her daughters must find husbands or their futures are at risk.

Isobel believes in love over duty and when she catches sight of King Macbeth’s stepson Lulach she can picture a happiness she had hardly dare imagine. But as heir to a Scottish throne that is drenched in blood, Lulach’s destiny is to be a warrior. When Isobel’s actions leave her and her sisters vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft there may be nothing that can keep the three women safe, not even the great Macbeth himself.

As the calls from the past grow ever louder, Ruthie has no choice. Macbeth’s witches have a story that needs to be told and the truth can no longer stay hidden…

📖 My Review..

Inspired by the Scottish Play, this fascinating dual time / time slip novel takes us right back to the time of Macbeth’s three witches and gives us the tragic story of Isobel Druimeinach and her sisters, Ysenda and Merraid who lived in eleventh century Scotland and whose destiny was forged and immortalised in Shakespeare’s ill-fated play. Running alongside is the present day interpretation of a documentary being filmed in the beautiful Scottish landscape and of the actors who were charged with bringing history, and the witches, to life.

The story is so beautifully atmospheric that as I read about Isobel and her sisters, so the jealousy and superstition of the people started to swirl around me and I found that I was whisked back to a dark and dangerous time in Scottish history. Time became suspended and I was back in 11th century Moray watching as Isobel made her potions and danced with her sisters. Likewise the modern day story is equally fascinating and Ruthie’s involvement, as one of the witches, becomes all the more powerful as she becomes ever closer to discovering the truth about Isobel.

I’ve absolutely loved reading The Three Witches and flew through the story in a couple of days. Each of the time narratives is compelling, and with neither one trying to outshine the other, I was soon as comfortable in 1050 with Isobel as I was with Ruthie in the present day, both are strong female characters who deserve to have their stories heard. With each successive story this author seems to go from strength to strength with The Three Witches being the best yet.

🥣Best read with…freshly made brose and soft white bannocks

About the Author

Elena Collins is the pseudonym for Judy Leigh, the million-selling author of Five French Hens , The Old Girls' Network and The Silver Haired Sisterhood. Judy writes uplifting novels in the 'second chances' and ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. Elena Collins' novels are historical/ dual timelines. In 2025, her novel The Wicked Lady received the RNA award in this category. Judy has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton

Boldwood
4 March 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour 

1938: For Camilla Kerrigan, life at her family's Oxford manor is a delicate balancing act – between duty to her family and a yearning for something more. When her brother Anthony returns for the summer, bringing with him a new friend, Camilla recognises a kindred spirit. Like her, Henry is thoughtful, restless and uncertain of his future.

But the arrival of four strangers – among them a gifted artist determined to paint Camilla’s sister Mabel – soon shatters the fragile peace of the manor. In the shimmering heat, desires are stirred and one impulsive act will set in motion a tragedy that echoes for decades.

1952: Haunted by war and the memory of that long-ago summer, the last thing Henry wants is to return to Montagu Manor. But when a photograph arrives, showing the painting he thought destroyed – the portrait that ruined so many lives – he is drawn back into the past.

Now, Henry and Camilla must face the secrets that shaped them, and the love that refuses to fade.

One unforgettable summer. One devastating secret. A love that time could not erase.

📖 My Review..

When a set of artists arrive at Montagu Manor in 1938 their presence not only disturbs the equilibrium of the house but they also become involved in a huge scandal which will reverberate down through the years. At the centre of the story is Camilla Kerrigan who lives, with her family, at Montagu Manor and whose history is entwined with the fabric of the house and its connection to the artist, William Morris. 

Beautifully written, with a compelling dual time narrative, the story starts just as the country is on the cusp of war which not only brings a time of great change but there are also some big decisions which have to be made. This is portrayed well in the indecisive nature of some of the central characters particularly in light of what happens once their all too brief sojourn at Montagu Manor is over. Divided into two distinct time frames, I found that I was equally at home in the 1930’s getting to know the characters as I was in 1952 when we are drawn back to Montagu Manor to discover more of its secrets.

As the history of The Strawberry House is gradually revealed so a story of family drama, long buried secrets and the hope of second chances is finally revealed.

🫖Best read with.. large pot of tea and slices of cake

About the Author

Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.

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📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall

Harper Collins UK
Harper Fiction
12 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

Cambridge, 1942

Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.

Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.

Two years later, only one of them comes home.

📖My Review..

Twins Tessa and Theo have always had a special relationship but this close knit bond is about to be altered by the outbreak of war. In 1942 Theo joins the RAF whilst Tessa is secretly recruited to the clandestine Special Operations Executive and posted to occupied France.  Over the next two years their lives become greatly different, each facing their own challenges, with secrets which will last a lifetime..

Told in very distinct parts, we follow Tessa’s eventful time in France, the difficulties she encounters in the shadowy world of undercover operations and her constant fear that danger and discovery were never very far away. Likewise, we sense Theo’s own personal turmoil as he manoeuvres his Spitfire towards the landing beaches of Normandy and his constant quest to discover more about those who were lost. Years later, and bringing together the jigsaw puzzle pieces of Tessa’s war is Edie, a young PhD student whose fierce determination to know more about the women who were recruited by the Special Operations Executive finally brings together the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Beautifully, and compassionately written, and based on true wartime accounts about the women who had been sent behind enemy lines, The Shock of the Light is a powerful and memorable story and one that kept me reading long into the night. It is a story which will stay with me for a long time and for that reason I am making this my Favourite Read of Month for February.

☕️ Best read with… a pot of strong coffee and an assortment of rich cream cakes 🍰

About the Author

Lori Inglis Hall was born and raised in Leicestershire, and now lives with her family in East Sussex. THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT is her first novel. She holds an MA in History and she currently works in the archives of World War 2 photographer Lee Miller.

#LoriInglisHall #TheShockOfTheLight

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📖 Publication Day ~ The Girl with the Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

Penguin
Paperback 26 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher and EDPR for the copy of this book

 

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. 

Elizabeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. 

Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. 

After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?

📖My Review..

A chance meeting with a total stranger alters the course of Mary’s life forever and with the unexpected chance of a completely fresh start, Mary grabs the opportunity to move away from her life of drudgery and hardship. Set against the backdrop of WW2 we travel between war torn London, rural Ireland and affluent Bristol in a story which tugs away at the heartstrings with a remarkable young woman who takes whatever life throws at her and does so with that innate steadfastness of all those who’s survived wartime.

Beautifully written as only this author can, it is very easy to be drawn into the world which she recreates so sensitively. I loved Mary’s character, she’s such a strong person and yet it’s also the other characters who bring the story to life, especially Kathleen in Ireland and Rose in Bristol. A story of strong women  who support Mary in everything she does. At its heart are a couple of empathic love interests, good and kind men who take away Mary’s doubts about the shadows of her past with an indifferent mother and an abusive stepfather.

The Girl with the Suitcase is the author’s 33rd novel and is another lovely story from this sensitive and considerate writer. 

☕️ Best Read with…a pot of tea and poached eggs on toast

About the Author

Lesley Pearse is a global No.1 bestseller with fans across the world and sales of over 10 million copies of her books to date. One of the nation’s best-loved storytellers – a Lesley Pearse book is sold every 4 minutes in the UK – Lesley is a master of the gripping story line, always introducing her readers to characters that are impossible to forget. Although there is no set formula or easily defined genre for a Lesley Pearse novel, strong heroines and jeopardy are pervasive, and she always engages the reader completely. 

Told with Lesley's trademark warmth, wit and poignancy The Long and Winding Road is the extraordinary story of a remarkable woman fighting against the odds to achieve her dreams and finally winning.

Lesley lives in Torquay where she enjoys walking on the beach with her grandchildren. A fantastic speaker and committed and passionate fundraiser for the NSPCC, Lesley is a much sought after guest at literary lunches, library events and festivals up and down the country.

Twitter @LesleyPearse #LoveLesley #TheGirlWithTheSuitcase

X @michaeljbooks @ed_pr @PenguinUKBooks

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ I’ll Be Watching You by Deborah Masson

Random House
Transworld
26 February 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

He sees everything.

As a CCTV operator, Casey can monitor the streets of Aberdeen and keep people safe, all from the comfort of his chair.

He knows your secrets.

You are one of his favourite people to follow. He keeps an eye on you even in your most private moments, when you think you’re alone.

But now he wants more.

There's a reason he’s learnt your routine like the back of his hand. Casey wants revenge. And when you know as much as he does, it’s easy to take advantage…

📖My Review..

Casey works as a CCTV operator, hidden away behind the scenes in Aberdeen city centre, keeping people safe and watching their movements as they go about their business. After a troubled childhood, Casey needs to be in control, he is good at watching, and waiting, and underneath the general facade of his troubled personality is a person with dangerous scores to settle. 

Deeply unsettling at times, I followed the story with interest, not always sure of the direction of where the story was going but so compelling was the writing that I was determined to stay with it and my goodness what an exciting ride it became as the story really started to bite. I was left completely engrossed in the plot, the writing and the way in which this fascinating story of revenge and retribution unfolded.

Packed with tension, jeopardy and real sense of horror I’ll Be Watching You is a really cleverly put together thriller. It kept me so much on the edge of my seat that I read the book in one sitting. It’s definitely a story which will stay with me for a quite a while.

☕️Best Read with..A strong coffee and a plate of shortbread biscuits.

About the Author

Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, she worked in several jobs including secretarial, marketing, reporting for the city's freebie newspaper and a stint as a postie – to name but a few. 

Through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when motherhood finally settled her into being an adult (maybe even a responsible one) she turned her hand to writing what she loved. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her son into the world, she decided to challenge her writing further through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and Faber Academy, where she wrote her award-winning debut novel Hold Your Tongue, the first in the DI Eve Hunter series. I’ll be Watching You is her first standalone thriller.

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📖 Book Review ~ A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Emma Orchard

Boldwood Books
28 February 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

She must marry for her family’s future. He must never marry at all.

Spring, 1805. Nineteen-year-old Allegra Constantine is under pressure to choose a husband, but none of her suitors inspire her. Lord Milton is respectable but passionless, Sir Harry is charming but witless, and the dangerously handsome Mr Englishby has designs she cannot trust. The only man who truly interests her is Max Severin – cynical, scandal-shadowed, and not at all a suitable prospect.

But when a stolen kiss ignites a fire between them, Allegra realises she is in more danger from her heart than from society’s gossip. Because Max carries a secret so perilous, it could ruin them both. And when long-buried truths about Allegra’s family and Max’s past come to light, the consequences threaten more than her reputation. Torn between duty and desire, Allegra must choose: a safe, sensible marriage… or risking scandal, ruin, and her very future for the only man she has ever truly loved.

📖 My Review..

Allegra Constantine realises, for the sake of her family, that she must marry however, her current suitors do not inspire her to romantic thoughts of love but ever pragmatic, Allegra realises that love has nothing do do with her need to find an eligible marriage partner. And yet when she encounters the enigmatic Max Severin at the various social soirees Allegra is intrigued by his dark good looks, his air of detachment and his apparent cynicism of the social niceties. 

There is much to enjoy in this deliciously passionate Regency romance, both Allegra and Max have their secrets and watching these unfold, together with their burgeoning, and at times, illicit relationship made me smile. The story is beautifully written in the style which this talented author has made her own and there's enough intrigue, innuendo and passion to ignite the pages and a real revelation I didn't see coming but which seemed entirely plausible.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor is another hugely entertaining and enjoyable Regency romance from one of my favourite writers of this genre.

It is published by Boldwood on the 28th February.

Best read with..a glass of sweet lemonade

About the Author

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

Facebook: @EmmaOrchardBooks

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📖 Book Review ~ Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer

 

Headline 
10 February 2026

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of this book 

Nova Scotia 1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.

Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.

Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love…

📖 My Review..

Travelling from Jamaica in 1796 Cora is newly arrived in the Maroon community in Nova Scotia where she takes time to settle into this new way of life. It’s a place where the change of customs, the biting cold and the ever present fear of danger never really goes away. When Cora discovers another young black woman called Agnes living in the heart of the surrounding woodland a tentative friendship develops between them and which, over the course of the story, becomes something much more meaningful.

Running alongside the burgeoning relationship between Cora and Agnes is that of a trial which is taking place and as the story progresses, we get to know more about, and the reason why, one of the women is facing such a terrible ordeal. It becomes obvious that both young women are trying to escape from a traumatic past but it is not until all the jigsaw pieces of the puzzle come together that we realise just what is at stake for both Cora and Agnes.

So beautifully and imaginatively written, I felt the story coming alive, not just learning about a period of history of which I knew nothing but also experiencing new way of life alongside Cora and Agnes as they both strive to survive in a world which doesn’t understand either of them nor does it offer any sort of respite from old prejudices. Whilst Fireflies in Winter is an emotional and poignant love story, it also offers an insight into this difficult moment in black history.

🥣 Best Read with..Bone broth over a smoky fire..

About the Author

Eleanor Shearor is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate. Her debut novel River Sing Me Home sold in 20 territories. It was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2023, was a finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Award, shortlisted for the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025 in France and also shortlisted for the Prix Fragonard 2025 in France. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and has been optioned for film by AL Films and BBC Films.

X @headlinepg 

#EleanorShearer #FirefliesInWinter

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O’Brien

Storm
6 February 2026
Threads of Resistence #1

My thanks for the copy of the book
and invitation to the blog tour

Inspired by the true story of a woman who used knitting patterns to encode intelligence during World War Two.

Guernsey, 2010. After a stroke, an elderly woman shocks her family by speaking perfect French – a language they never knew she possessed. As her granddaughter unravels seventy years of silence, a hidden wartime story emerges...

Paris, 1941. After her brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk, eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne vanishes into Churchill’s secret army. In a bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, she poses as a simple shop girl while encoding intelligence from Nazi headquarters into knitting patterns. Each sweater smuggled to prisoners contains flight paths. Each scarf holds radio frequencies. Each mistake means execution.

Fellow agent, Harry Dennison, is the only person who knows her real name. But when the Gestapo close in, Lenny faces an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris – one that will haunt her family for generations. Because in the resistance, the most dangerous secrets are the ones you keep from those you love most.

📖 My Review..

Seventy years of silence means that Leonora (Lenny) Galliene’s wartime secrets have never been revealed especially to her family who, after Lenny’s sudden illness, are surprised to realise that she can speak fluent French. During the momentous years of WW2 Lenny led a dangerous clandestine life as a special agent and over the course of the novel we discover just what happened to her during her time in occupied Paris. A skilled knitter, Lenny discovers an ingenuous way to incorporate pieces of code into her knitted garments which allows vital pieces of information to be passed in a seemingly innocent way. 

Based on a true story this is an interesting slant on the wartime resistance theme and as a knitter I was fascinated by the use of knitting to pass on messages as I hadn’t heard of this before but could well imagine how it was accomplished. I think the author has tackled this difficult subject well and successfully combines wartime history alongside an emotional romance story. The characters throughout were well described and there was enough tension and jeopardy in the plot to give the story its momentum. 

The first book in a new series, The Resistance Knitting Club  certainly gets the series off to a good start. 

☕️ Best read with : A cup of tea and a plate of treacle scones 

About the Author

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit. Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born. Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

BOOK NEWS

The Resistance Knitting Club comes out in February, 2026. A blend of Jenny’s two hobbies - knitting and reading. For more check out The Resistance Knitting Club Facebook Page. Join the conversation as well as share your crafting projects.

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📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems about Birds from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
First published 2017
Revised November 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet 

Our smallest creatures seem to demand the most rapt attention. The poems in this revised edition of our much-loved title suggest that there’s something in the nature of a bird that makes it particularly suited to the small and intense space that is a poem.

The ten selections are little miracles in themselves, capturing the quirks of habit or appearance that distinguish one species from another. For Jean Atkin a chough is an embodiment of King Arthur, while for Katrina Porteous a skylark offers:

“…all the music the heart needs,

Full of its sudden fall, silent fields.”

from ‘Skylark’ by Katrina Porteous

The poems beautifully imagine the brief and joyful lives of birds, while teasing out what thrills and moves us when we encounter them. A poem, it transpires, can reveal just as much as a pair of binoculars.

Poems by Jean Atkin, Alison Brackenbury, John Clare, Emily Dickinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Rebecca Goss, Thomas Hardy, Caleb Parkin, Katrina Porteous and Lynne Wycherley.

Donation to The Owls Trust 

📖 My Review..

I’m extremely fortunate to have an interesting collection of birds visit our garden bird feeder. Nothing fancy, just chattering sparrows, chirpy robins, excitable starlings and mellifluous blackbirds, but they’re all a delightful addition to the garden and such fun to observe. This anthology of ten beautifully written poems about birds all capture the distinct personality of these tiny creatures. 

To hear their hopeful song as they herald spring is something special to treasure and captured beautifully in this lovely poem:

From “Hope” is a thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson 

“Hope” is a thing with feathers-

That perches in the soul

And sings a tune without the words-

And never stops -at-all..’

I will always remember the pure joy of observing a murmuration of starlings and feeling the beat of thousands of tiny wings or of regularly seeing those long  ‘V’ formations of birds as they fly overhead in spring and autumn :

I sense an agitation in the sky,

long Vs trailing like pennants

Altocirrus, swans white

As the tundra they come from

From Berwick Swans at Ouse Washes by Lynne Wycherley

Originally published in 2017 this anthology of Ten Poems about Birds has been reissued with a striking new cover. Each of the poems are a delightful addition and bring something special to treasure. It would be a delightful gift instead of a card for any ornithologist or simply a reminder that we should all enjoy the special kind of magic that birds bring into our lives.

 

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle 

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

Website

📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

 

Pan MacMillan
6 January 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Carwyn and Rhian – the last in a long line of sheep farmers – are living out a brutal year on their hillside farm, deep in the mountains of North Wales.

When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly descends into obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realization that the man with whom she shares her life and home is becoming a frightening stranger.

As the harsh winter closes in, Rhian finds herself alone with her increasingly unrecognizable husband, and the mountains, and the looming megalithic stones.

📖My Review..

Carwyn and Rhian Gwynnant eke out a meagre existence on their hill farm in the mountains of North Wales. The dark and brooding hillside around them lends an air of melancholy to the place and gives a sense of their isolation and dependence on each other for physical and emotional support. When Carwyn discovers a carved stone head, in what appears to be a prehistoric mound, he seems to become obsessed with the past and subtle changes in his personality start to make Rhian concerned for his state of mind. 

Rich in both local history and ancient Welsh folklore this is a quietly observant story, filled with the prickle of unease and a realistic sense of doom not just from the landscape which has shaped and moulded Carwyn and Rhian into the people they are but also gives off a real sense of the passage of time, both ancient and modern, and how our presence in the structure of the landscape is merely transitory. Imaginatively written and with more than a hint of menace the story unfolds almost mesmerically so that, as a reader, I became part of the very fabric of the place, the gloom of the hillside, the sense of ancient ancestors being disturbed, and a sense of horror which was so beautifully described it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

The Hill in the Dark Grove is a commendable debut novel, imaginative, brooding and deeply memorable, the story will stay with me for a long time and for that reason I am making this my Favourite Read of the Month for January.

☕️ Best read with : Strong tea from an old teapot and a slice of bread, thickly spread with homemade damson jam.

About the Author

Liam Higginson was born and raised in rural North Wales and lives in Llandudno with his wife. The Hill in the Dark Grove is his debut novel.

X#LiamHigginson #TheHillInTheDarkGrove

X@PanMacmillan

 

📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems about Fathers from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
November 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this poetry pamphlet 

Dads, fathers, papas, daddies: the poems in this updated edition of our best-selling mini-anthology explore fatherhood from a host of angles. We encounter a father who likes running up hills, a father who plays the accordion and – poignantly – a father who needs to be taught how to hug.

The poems celebrate the fact that fathers can be both protectors and purveyors of imaginative childhood adventures:

“My father was a bear.

He carried me through forest, sky

and over frozen sea. At night

I lay along his back

wrapped in fur and heat

and while I slept, he ran…”

from ‘You May Have Heard of Me’ by Shazea Quraishi

There are also poems of tender remembrance. Everyday happenings become special with hindsight, acting as a reminder that a father’s love is something we can carry with us forever.

Poems by Melba Joyce Boyce, Lewis Buxton, WD Ehrhart, Wilfred Gibson, Edgar Albert Guest, Tyehimba Jess, Joanne Limburg, Roy McFarlane, Shazea Quraishi, Siriol Troup

Cover illustration by Sara Boccaccini Meadows

📖 Mt Review..

This poignant mini-anthology of ten poems explore fatherhood in all its many guises, discovering the subtle nuances of nurturing a protective role whilst at the same time allowing a glimpse into the man.  I’ve enjoyed discovering new verses, each of them bring something unique, and express very personal memories which resonated with me in an emotional way. 

After my father passed away I recall going into my family home and imagining him still there in every nook and cranny.

‘Dad, 

I come home 

and find you sitting

in every room in the house,

it’s smell your smell

as if it were a jacket

you’d only just thrown off,

Still warm.

From The Return by Joanne Limburg

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this mini anthology, some of the verses made me smile, whilst others brought a tender feeling of loss which reminded me powerfully of my own father who gave so much of himself in order to give his family everything. This would make the perfect gift instead of a card for fathers everywhere, especially on Fathers Day in June, or to anyone who has lost a father recently, or even a new father to remind them all quite simply how precious they are in our lives.

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle 

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

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