📖 Book Review ~ A Winter Dictionary: A Collection of Words for the Festive Season by Paul Anthony Jones

Elliot & Thompson
24 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

As the nights draw in and the cold descends, the winter world emerges – and with it an incredible array of words that superbly capture the season.

From frost-dogs (tiny frozen particles of falling snow) and Stepmother’s breath (a sudden cold snap) to hibernaculum (a winter refuge during the winter months) and crapulent (feeling the aftereffects of overindulgence), Paul Anthony Jones delves into the origins of these rare, fascinating and forgotten words, opening up a whole new way of describing the winter months.

Whether you’re keeping cosy in front of the fire, warding off the winter blues or throwing yourself into the party season, A Winter Dictionary is the perfect way to while away the snow-laden days.

📖 My Review..

I love words, their solid beauty and the way in which language has evolved over time. To have a winter dictionary seems like the perfect idea especially when it’s written and presented in such a lovely way. These books, by this talented wordsmith, are always beautifully presented, from the tactile nature of the beautiful book cover to the immersive, educational and downright fascinating information found within its pages. 

The contents are nicely divided into eleven clear chapters which take us from the changing seasons, through winter storms, ice and snow and further towards Christmas Day and into the snow melts of a new year. The words are well explained and placed in context, all evoke a strong sense of time and place whilst at the same time explaining the meaning of words, all perfectly appropriate, many of which I had never heard before. Some made me smile, some words, no longer in common usage, just seemed really perfect and made me wonder why we had stopped using them and then, of course, there’s the local variations, specific dialect and the gradual evolution of words and phrases which are very much part of our ancestry.

This is definitely the most perfect wintery read, it’s one of those gently fascinating sorts of books which you can just dip into and out of it at whim and by merely opening a page at random you will discover something fascinating you never knew you needed to know. 

About the Author

Paul has a Masters in Linguistics and is a language blogger from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. His obsession with words began with a child’s dictionary he received as a Christmas present when he was eight years old. As @HaggardHawks he has tweeted obscure words since 2013 and now has a social media following of over 75k, including the likes of JK Rowling, Robert Macfarlane, Susie Dent, Richard Osman, Greg Jenner, Ian McMillan, Rufus Sewell, Simon Mayo, Michael Rosen and Cerys Matthews.

HaggardHawks.com brings together the entire HH network including a blog, books, quizzes & games, the 500 Words YouTube series, Instagram gallery and newsletter. He regularly contributes to the media.

Twitter @HaggardHawks #AWinterDictionary

@eandtbooks

 

📖 Book Review ~ Captive Queen by Jade Scott

 Michael O’Mara
24 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Alison Menzies for my copy of this book

A fascinating and revealing new biography of Mary Queen of Scots in captivity.

For almost two decades before her or execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote countless letters, many encrypted using complex ciphers to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and her influence, even while incarcerated.

More than 400 years after Mary’s death, the discovery of further encoded letters has led to renewed interest in the breadth of her encrypted correspondence in captivity. 

In Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots, historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence Dr Jade Scott draws on hundreds of Mary’s letters and those sent to her, to paint a vivid portrait of one of history’s most compelling figures. She interrogates Mary’s complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise and bringing Mary’s captivity to life as never before.

📖 My Review..

I’ve long held a fascination for the beleaguered Queen of Scots whose return to Scotland in 1561 heralded a new beginning only to have everything fall to pieces in just a few short years. Whilst the story of Mary Stuart’s fall from grace is widely documented this fresh look at the decrypted evidence from Mary’s letters, whilst imprisoned, certainly help to reshape her story. Covering the twenty years of Mary’s imprisonment, her constant struggle to gain support for her cause and her unjust incarceration, we begin to learn just how frantic were Mary’s efforts to gain her freedom. 

Mary scribed thousands of letters, most were cleverly encrypted, with devious codes, in order to make their contents inaccessible to prying eyes. Comprehensively researched and imaginatively written, this showcases the author’s skill in bringing Mary’s troubled captivity to life, as well as documenting the surreptitious duplicity of Elizabeth I’s spymasters, this fascinating read gives a realistic insight into Mary state of mind whilst incarcerated in various strongholds in England. I especially enjoyed the small vignettes at the start of each chapter which give an intimate account of Mary’s thoughts and feelings which read like historical fiction. The detailed Dramatis Personae at the start of the book gives a who’s who of all the key players who played a role in Mary’s imprisonment, be they friends or enemies, and the colour illustrations help to place the biography within it’s specific timeframe.

The legacy of this troubled Queen of Scotland will never grow old as we continue to be fascinated with her life story and her relationship not just with, Elizabeth, her ‘sister quene’ but also with her supporters who wanted her restored to her throne and equally, those who were just as determined to keep Mary, Queen of Scots strictly under the control of her English gaolers.

About the Author

Dr Jade Scott is a historian specialising in Mary, Queen of Scots and an expert on her letters. She is an affiliate in History at the University of Glasgow, an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society and secretary of the Scottish History Society, researching early modern Scottish women and their correspondence. She lives in Stirling with her husband and two St Bernard’s.

X@OMaraBooks 

#JadeScott #Captive Queen

📖 Blog Tour ~ Disturbing the Bones by Andrew Davis and Jeff Biggers

Melville House

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago.

That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project. With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.

The detective and archaeologist’s entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance.

My Review…

When archaeologist, Molly Moore discovers a set of human bones on a construction site in Cairo, Illinois it sets in motion a chain of events she could never have anticipated. Mollie is an ambitious archaeologist and her previous investigations have placed her in the media spotlight however, with outside forces putting pressure on her to conclude the dig, Molly has more than enough to deal with without the arrival of Chicago Detective Randall Jenkins who has been informed that the bones could belong to his mother, a Civil Rights activist who disappeared, from Cairo, several decades ago. This in itself is the premise for a fascinating story but then the whole plot hitches up a high octave notch, or two, with a complex global nuclear weapons incident which places everything on high alert and suddenly this becomes a very different sort of story.

As a political thriller this ticks all the right boxes, there is more than enough political shenanigans going on and with global tensions reaching high levels and with a US presidential election fast approaching the story moves along at a quick pace. Placing an archaeologist and a flawed police detective together seemed at first like a strange combination but the deeper the story goes and the way the plot thickens, it all starts to make perfect sense. The characterisation is believable and with a compelling set of circumstances, the story hooks you into a world of political mayhem.

There is a cinematic quality to the narrative, it’s fast and furious nature would lend itself to a more visual interpretation as it’s a real edge of your seat kind of thriller. I don’t want to give away any of the plot as that would do the authors’ a disservice but I was completely hooked on the mystery and invested in the realistic nature of global politics and by putting all this together in a slick plot and you have all the elements necessary for a really great page turner.

About the Authors

Jeff Biggers is an American Book Award-winning historian, journalist and playwright. Based part-time in Italy since 1989, he is the recipient of the David Brower Award for Environmental Reporting, the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year for Travel Writing, a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism, and other honors. Author of ten books of cultural history and investigative reporting, his work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Salon.com, and on National Public Radio and Public Radio International.

Andrew Davis, raised on the southside of Chicago, is the acclaimed director and screenwriter of numerous films, including Holes, Under Siege, Code of Silence, A Perfect Murder, and The Guardian, and whose landmark film, The Fugitive, chosen in 2020 by Los Angeles Times readers as the ultimate summer film, was nominated for seven Academy awards including Best Picture.

X @melvillehouse #disturbingthebones

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Irish Family Secret by Daisy O'Shea

Bookouture
22 October 2024
Emerald Isles #3

My thanks to the publisher for the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

The sweeping hills and emerald hedgerows seem to dance in the pale Irish sun. Home after far too long, Ginny takes a deep breath and tries to shake off the past. She’s hidden the truth for years. And when Ruari looks at her, his long lashes shading his green eyes, she knows she can’t reveal it now. Her secret would destroy him, as much as it would her…

When Ginny Kingston returns to Ireland’s windswept Roone Bay after ten years of self-imposed exile, the last person she wants to run into is black-haired Ruari Savage. But there he is, glowering at her from the back of the tiny church hall, as she holds the townsfolk spell-bound throughout her lecture on Irish history.

The Kingstons and the Savages have been neighbours, farmers and bitter rivals for as long as anyone can remember. But, finally drawn home by work, Ginny is determined to discover the truth behind their family feud. And what happened to the first young lovers who tried to mend the rift over fifty years ago. For some strange reason, mechanic Ruari with his practical mind and strong hands, has offered to help…

Ruari’s aid, however, comes at a the truth about why Ginny herself left so suddenly. What he doesn’t know is that Ginny’s devastating secret might destroy their families’ new-found peace – and any chance of happiness they have with each other – forever…

Can Ginny and Ruari work together to heal old wounds? And will the secrets that have divided their families for generations ever come to light – or tear them all apart?

📖 My Review..

This dual time story takes us back to Ireland where we follow Ginny Kingston’s return to Roone Bay after an absence of ten tears.  We get to know early on in the novel that there are hidden family secrets which if exposed will further strengthen the animosity between two neighbouring families. The Kingstons and the Savages have had some dark moments between them but with Ginny’s return to Roone Bay there may be hope for the future. This heart-warming family saga takes an emotional look at the family history between these two warring families and does so with an evocative look at how things were handled in the past whilst also bringing to life Ginny’s story and her abiding love for Ireland’s archeological past.

The author writes writes well, bringing both place and people alive in the imagination and her descriptions of rural Ireland reflects both the beauty and the history of the country. The Irish Family Secret is now the third book in this Emerald Isle series and whilst there is a mention of one character we have come across in previous novels this story works well as a standalone although as with any overlapping series it is nicer to start at the beginning with book number one.

The Irish Family Secret is an emotional story reflecting how the tragedy and heartbreak of the past can still influence the future but with love, hope and forgiveness future generations can go forward with peace in their hearts.

About the Author

Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.

Twitter / X @westcorkwriter #TheIrishFamilySecret

@bookouture #BooksOnTour

📖 Book Review ~ Edith Holler by Edward Carey

 

Gallic Books
3 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Norwich, 1901. Edith Holler spends her days among the eccentric denizens of the Holler Theatre, warned by her domineering father that the playhouse will literally tumble down if she should ever leave.

Fascinated by tales of the city she knows only from afar, young Edith decides to write a play of her own about Mawther Meg, a monstrous figure said to have used the blood of countless children to make the local delicacy, Beetle Spread. But when her father suddenly announces his engagement to a peculiar woman named Margaret Unthank, Edith scrambles to protect her father, the theatre, and her play – the one thing that’s truly hers – from the newcomer’s sinister designs.

Teeming with unforgettable characters and illuminated by Carey’s trademark illustrations, Edith Holler is a surprisingly modern fable of one young woman’s struggle to escape her family’s control and craft her own creative destiny.

📖 My Review..

Entering a novel by this talented writer is like descending into a parallel world where all rules are changed and where macabre meets superstition and however fanciful these ideas may be, what is guaranteed is a world quite unlike anything you have witnessed before.

Edith Holler is born and brought up in the family theatre in Norwich. Fated never to leave in case of dire consequences, Edith is a strange solitary figure caught up in her own imagination. When she chooses to write her own play about a grotesque figure known locally as Mawther Meg, it lets loose this author’s vivid imagination in a quirky story.

I can’t find the necessary words to adequately describe the contents of this book which would do it anything like justice, so I won’t spoil what is either a magnificent world of horror fiction or a rather bizarre fall into a dark fairy tale. Imaginative, descriptive and with Carey’s trademark gift for bizarre storytelling, Edith Holler captured my imagination especially with the added joy of Carey’s trademark sharp line drawings which do so much to enhance the narrative. There is no doubt that Edith Holler is every bit as good as this author’s previous novels which are always presented with such a unique perspective. 

About the Author

Edward Carey is a novelist, visual artist and playwright. He is the author of three acclaimed novels, Observatory Mansions, Alva & Irva and Little. Born in England, he teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. 

X @EdwardCarey70 #EdithHoller

X @GallicBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Island Girls by Rachel Sweasey

 

Boldwood Books

22 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources

for the invitation to the blog tour

1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war in Europe feels to be right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.

1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.

But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible..

📖 My Review..

This lovely dual time story takes us into the heart of Dorset as we get to know Rebekah in the present time who works as a conservationist on the beautiful Brownsea Island. There, Rebekah enjoys her time meeting the tourists who visit this tiny island and yet she also guards her privacy well, that is, until a stranger arrives unexpectedly on her doorstep. Back in 1941, Peggy Symonds works as a BOAC boat operator, skilfully manoeuvring her small craft as she collects freight and passengers from the flying boats who come frequently into Poole harbour. Determined to do her duty for the war effort Peggy has some tough decisions to make.

Seamlessly moving between both time frames, a rather special story emerges and as one section finishes we return either to the past, or the present, following the story of two strong and determined young women. This picturesque part of Dorset comes to life as we explore Brownsea Island with Rebekah or travel the choppy coastal waters in Peggy’s boat. The author writes well, carefully blending the dark moments of history together with a gentle love story and with beautifully imagined characters the whole story becomes a delight to read and one which held my attention from start to finish.

About the Author

Rachel Sweasey is a historical fiction novelist. She lives in Australia, where she was born to English parents, but bases her fiction in Poole where she grew up, which provides inspiration for her WWII stories. her first book for Boldwood was The Last Boat Home.

Facebook: @RachelSweaseyAuthor / @highspotlit

Instagram: @highspotlit

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RachelSweaseyNews 

Bookbub profile: @rachelsweaseyauthor

📖 Book Review ~ The Last BookShop in Prague by Helen Parusel

 

Boldwood 
25 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The banned books club was only the beginning; a place for the women of Prague to come together and share the tales the Germans wanted to silence.

For bookshop owner, Jana, doing the right thing was never a question. So when opportunity comes to help the resistance, she offers herself – and her bookshop. Using her window displays as covert signals and hiding secret codes in book marks, she’ll do all in her power to help.

But the arrival of two people in her bookshop will change everything: a young Jewish boy with nowhere else to turn, and a fascist police captain Jana can’t read at all. In a time where secrets are currency and stories can be fatal, will she know who to trust?

📖 My Review..

Jana lives with her widowed father above their bookshop in the city of Prague which is, at the start of the story, under German occupation. With certain books banned, Jana is determined to maintain interest in her bookshop and so organises a book club where local women have a safe place to get together but with her shop being watched, Jana is placing herself in great danger especially when she sees what is happening within the Jewish community.

This is such a beautifully described story which brings this dangerous period in European history alive in a really special way. I enjoyed getting to know more about a period in WWII history which I didn’t know very much about and which is brought to life so vividly. Desperately sad in places, this story reiterates the stoicism and bravery of those European communities who suffered so much during this dangerous time in world history.

The Last Bookshop in Prague combines everything I love in skilful historical fiction, the chance to learn something new about a moment in time and to have a story with one of the main characters being a bookshop. With a strong sense of time and place, The Last Bookshop in Prague, is a story which stays with you long after the last page is turned.

About the Author

Helen Parusel is a historical novelist, having been a teacher and a clothes buyer for M&S. she currently lives in Hamburg.

X@HelenParusel #TheLastBookshopInPrague

X@BoldwoodBooks