📖 Book Review ~ Paperback Publication Day ~The Cabinet of Calm by Paul Anthony Jones

📖 Happy Paperback Publication Day 📖 

Elliot&Thompson
Paperback 8 April 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Open The Cabinet of Calm and discover a soothing word that’s equal to your troubles…

‘These are words to soothe an unquiet mind. To inspire our creativity. To encourage fellow thinking and community spirit, and to give us fresh hope. In essence, collected here are nothing but kind words, for these unkind times.’

For almost a decade, Paul Anthony Jones has written about the oddities and origins of the English language, amassing a vast collection of some of its more unusual words. Last year, doubly bereaved and struggling to regain his spirits, he turned to words – words that could be applied to difficult, challenging times and found solace. The Cabinet of Calm is the result.

Paul has unearthed fifty-one linguistic remedies to offer reassurance, inspiration and hope in the face of such feelings as grief and despair, homesickness and exhaustion, missing our friends and a loss of hope.

My Thoughts...

This lovely book came into my life when we were facing such a troubled time during the first national lockdown, little did I know that, a year later, we would still be in the grip of this global pandemic which has altered our world forever. I'm delighted to share my review of The Cabinet of Calm on its paperback publication day.

Words can be such a comfort in times of trouble and none more valuable than in this difficult time in which we find ourselves. I have been turning more and more to inspirational verse in order to make sense of a world which seems to have been set completely off its axis.

Opening The Cabinet of Calm is like an emotional toolbox, and peeping inside has soothed my imagination in so many different ways and I have found so much to encourage and ponder over that I have been quite mesmerised by the power of its expression.

In more ways than one, The Cabinet of Calm is a beautifully designed book, not just because its content is so fascinating, I never knew that so much could be expressed in a single word, but also in the perfection of its cover design which is really beautiful to behold. Wonderfully tactile and handily sized so that you can carry the book around with you tucked into a pocket, or a handbag - a handy reference guide when a specific word is needed, like Villeggiaturia, meaning city-weary.

Each of the fifty-one words which make up The Cabinet of Calm will appeal and have meaning and so many times when reading through the book I found myself nodding in appreciation because the word described was just completely right in context.

In these times of countless challenges and so often in last few weeks I have struggled to feel positive, not being able to interact with family and friends has been a heartbreaking struggle, so the chapter entitled, Agathism, which is a word for when you are feeling disillusionment or struggling to remain positive, was a very helpful reminder that all we have to do is wait, "enduring the bad times as best we can, and focusing on the good times that will - no matter how distant they might feel at the moment - eventually return"

Beautifully written, each chapter of The Cabinet of Calm is complete in itself so that this is something which you can easily dip into and out of at whim. If you have a love for the more obscure words in our beautiful language, or even if you are trying to make sense of world which is completely out of kilter, then I am sure that you will find as much to ponder over in this lovely book as I did.

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 #CabinetofCalmWords

@enandtbooks

 

Publication Day Review ~ You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse

Delighted to share my review of this lovely story on its

Paperback Publication Day

Michael Joseph
5 March 2020

My thanks to the publishers and edpr for my copy of this book

Betty Wellows dreams of settling down to an ordinary life in the little fishing village of Hallsands in Devon with her husband. But when he returns broken and haunted from the Great War, she finds herself persecuted by his distraught mother - and yearns to escape. It is only when a storm devastates the village that Betty sees her chance. 

Fleeing to Bristol and changing her name to Mabel Brook, she seeks a new life - only to discover destiny has other plans. Penniless and alone, Mabel suffers a brutal attack before being rescued by a psychic named Nora Nightingale. She gets her first taste of communications from the dead and realizes she may have this power herself. But Mabel fears her gift may be a terrible curse as it becomes ever harder to hide from the truth about who she once was - and the tragic life she left behind. Then, one day an all too real message from her past appears and Mabel is forced back to the very place she has escaped. A place of heartbreak, and perhaps even murder, she must confront her actions one last time in order to secure any hope of a future. 

Gripping, exhilarating and ever suspenseful, Lesley Pearse's You'll Never See Me Again is a tale of one woman's fight to escape her past and find her destiny.

What did I think about it..

The novel's dramatic opening chapter sets the scene for this latest historical saga by one of my favourite authors. Betty Wellows can only dream of the life she had before her young husband was tragically damaged whilst fighting in the Great War. His return home, suffering with shell shock, means that Betty must move in with her harridan of a mother in law who makes Betty's life a complete misery even to sending Betty out in a violent storm. At the end of her tether Betty decides to use the advantage of the storm to disappear and start a new life under an assumed name, and it is this new life as Mabel Brook which forms the heart of the story.

I loved getting to know to know Mabel, she is a very resilient young woman and despite several hardships she makes the best of every situation she finds herself caught up in. This is what this author does so well, she brings alive characters who, over the course of the story, you get to know and love. I really wanted everything to work out for Mabel as she deserves a happy and settled life, but, of course, she has to work through some pretty tough situations before the ending becomes clear.

The author is the absolute queen of the historical saga and writes with such love and passion that every book she delivers is filled with an abundance of rich and varied characters and each story succeeds in delighting her audience of loyal readers. You'll Never See Me Again has everything that this author does so well, a strong female lead character, an authentic historical background and more than a hint of intrigue, danger and compassion. I loved it ♡

About the Author 

©Charlotte Murphy

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, Lesley is a master of the gripping story line, always introducing her readers to characters that are impossible not to care about or forget. With a ‘Lesley Pearse’ book purchased every 4 minutes in the UK, there is no formula to her books or easily defined genre and, whether historical drama like her No.1 bestselling Belle trilogy or the emotionally powerful Trust Me based on the true-life scandal of British child migrants sent to Australia in the post-war period, she always engages the reader completely.You’ll Never See Me Again is Lesley’s 27th novel.

Lesley Pearse was told as a child that she had too much imagination for her own good. She left home at 15 and headed to London where she worked her way through many jobs – from corsetry sales in Cooks of St. Pauls (featured in Dead to Me), to musician’s muse (her second husband was a musician managed by Don Arden) to bunny girl to nanny; from gift shop owner to dressmaker – finally finding her true vocation when she became a published author age 49. Since then Lesley has become an internationally bestselling author, with over 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide. 

A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines, there is no set formula for a Lesley Pearse novel although strong heroines and difficult circumstances are pervasive. Whether historical adventures such as Gypsy or Never Look Back or the passionately emotive Trust Me, Lesley is inspired by stories of courage and adversity and often gives voice to women lost in history and people damaged by their childhood experiences. She is passionate about her research and her stories have taken her far and wide; from Alaska to the Crimea. Lesley now lives in Torquay in Devon where she loves to spend time walking on the beach with her grandchildren and dogs. 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

@MichaelJBooks

@ed_pr

Halloween Read ~ Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

👻👻 Happy Halloween Publication Day 👻👻

Head of Zeus
Paperback 31 October 2019

My thanks to the publishers and ed Public Relations for my copy of this book

‘Wakenhyrst is the story I’ve wanted to write for years’ Michelle Paver

Inspired by a series of real events and fuelled by secrets from her maternal past: from Michelle’s sighting of a murmuration of starlings on a Suffolk marsh; to the discovery of a battered copy of The Book of Margery Kempe by a 15th Century mystic; to the story of the Wenhaston Doom, a medieval painting of the Last Judgement; to the real-life story of Richard Dadd, the Victorian murderer and artist; this is Michelle Paver’s most evocative and personal masterpiece to date. 

In Edwardian Suffolk, a manor house stands alone in a lost corner of the Fens; a glinting wilderness of water whose whispering reeds guard primeval secrets. Here, Maud grows up as a lonely child without a mother, ruled by her repressive and emotionally-absent historian father. When Maud’s father finds a painted medieval ‘Doom’ in a graveyard, an ancient evil is disturbed, and her battle begins. In a world steeped in witchcraft, legend and the even more nightmarish demons of her father’s past, Maud must find a way, not only to survive, but to fly free.

What did I think about it..

In the shadow of the ancient land, Maud Stearne lives with her family at Wake’s End the house which nudges the nearby water of the Suffolk fen, but which for many reasons stands apart from the landscape, for the house has too many secrets and many dark corners, where glimpses of an evil past sometimes surface.

In 1966, when the story opens, three unusual paintings have been discovered which direct public interest back to Edward Stearne, Mauds’s father, who was incarcerated in a mental asylum for many years. The reason for this curiosity in Stearne’s work becomes apparent as we move back in time to the early part of the twentieth century when Maud was growing up in the shadow of her dictatorial father and beautiful, but totally compliant, mother.

Filled with a wealth of supernatural imaginings and with more than a hint towards the gothic gloom of the Edwardian era, Wakenhyrst is an incredibly detailed story, with a wonderful dark imagery, which immediately places the reader right in the centre of the action. To say I devoured this story is absolutely correct, the place, the people, the inherent danger, all drew me in from the very beginning, and I couldn’t wait to see how the story played out.

There is an undeniable darkness to the story for all is not quiet at Wake’s End and Maud’s childhood is a deeply lonely affair, and whilst she is brutally aware of the undercurrents of the dark and dangerous emotion which plague her parents’ marriage, she finds what comfort she can in the myths and legends of the place she calls home. The stark beauty of the Suffolk fens, and the ancient superstitions which are at the very heart of local folklore are described in such beautiful detail that I could picture myself with Maud in the damp and cold, watching the creeping shadows of the fen come to life as a murmuration of starlings glide and dance in the early evening twilight.

To say much of what happens in the three hundred or so pages of Wakenhyrst would do both the author and the story a complete disservice as this is one of those beautifully plotted stories which takes time to emerge and is all the stronger for taking things slowly.

I’ve now read most of this author’s work, with the exception of her books for children, and I am always aware of how beautifully intuitive her writing is, and how she does her utmost to include the reader every step of the way so that the engagement with the story is utterly consuming from start to finish. There is no doubt that Wakenhyrst is a glorious example of this author writing at her absolute best.

About the Author

©Anthony Upton

Michelle Paver is an international bestselling author with over 3 million copies of her books sold in 37 countries across the globe. She writes for both adults and children and her work includes two of the most critically and commercially acclaimed ghost stories of modern times, Dark Matter and Thin Air and the prize-winning, million copy selling, children’s series, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. A new book in the series, Viper’s Daughter, will be published by Head of Zeus in April 2020. Born in Malawi, Michelle Paver came to England as a child. She studied Biochemistry at Oxford University before becoming a partner in a City of London law firm. She began to write after her father’s death prompted her to take a one-year sabbatical. She has never looked back. Known for her extensive research, Wakenhyrst was inspired by the rich and haunting folklore of the Suffolk fens, chance encounters, and both the personal and universal stories of women’s quest for independence. 

Website

Twitter @MichellePaver #Wakenhyrst

@HOZ_books

@ed_pr

Amazon UK

Paperback Publication Day ~ The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby

✨✨ Happy Paperback Publication Day  ✨✨

No Exit Press
 24 October 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Set in 1880s Birmingham, Carolyn Kirby’s stunning debut The Conviction of Cora Burns tells the story of Cora, a young woman born in a prison to a convicted criminal she never knew but from whom she fears she has inherited a violent nature. Perfect for fans of Sarah Schmidt, Anna Mazzola and Hannah Kent.

Cora was born in a prison. But is this where she belongs?

My thoughts..

Right from the start of this story there's a real sense of history and as we are taken by the hand into Cora Burn's fractured life we soon start to understand that she is no ordinary gaol bird. Born into the dark restrictions of a Victorian prison system Cora very quickly learns that to survive with her spirit intact she must use her considerable wit in order to keep one step ahead of a social welfare system that threatens to engulf her.

When Cora is given the opportunity to move away from the only place she has known, she grabs the opportunity but is filled with a real sense of trepidation. Working as a Between Maid in the household of a scientist, Cora soon gets drawn into the very mysterious world of Mr Thomas Jerwood, a gentleman who has, it must be said, a very unusual interest in photography.

Moving seamlessly forwards and backwards over a twenty year period, the author creates a very believable Victorian world which is very dark at times, and yet, which poses an interesting conundrum about the question of nature over nurture. The story opens up the dark and often dangerous world of the Victorian reform system, whilst at the same shining a spotlight on the more unusual scientific practices which seemed to obsess some Victorians. Beautifully written with a real sense of history, Cora Burns, literally leaps of the pages, she is fierce and feisty, not always very likeable as she does some very odd things, but always, throughout the story, she has such a real sense of drive and ambition which is quite wonderful to observe.

To say too much about the way the story plays out would really spoil things, however, if you enjoy the brooding nature of a Gothic mystery combined with a tragic tale of  lives ruined by circumstance, then I am sure that this story will appeal. Without doubt, The Conviction of Cora Burns is a stunning historical debut by an author who knows how to get right into the heart and soul of a story.

About the Author

Originally from the northeast of England, Carolyn Kirby studied history at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, before working in public housing and then as a teacher of English as a foreign language. Her novel The Conviction of Cora Burns, begun in 2013 during a writing course at Faber Academy in London, won the inaugural Bluepencilagency Award and was a runner-up for the DGA First Novel Prize and the Mslexia Novel Competition, Carolyn has two grown daughters and lives with her husband in rural Oxfordshire.

Twitter @novelcarolyn #TheConvictionOfCoraBurns

@noexitpress

Amazon UK

The paperback edition is out today (24th October) and the ebook is currently available for 99p until 10th November

Publication Day Giveaway ~ The Light in the Dark by Horatio Clare

 📖 📖 Happy Paperback Publication Day 📖 📖

Elliot & Thompson
3 October 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

As November stubs out the glow of autumn and the days tighten into shorter hours, winter’s occupation begins. Preparing for winter has its own rhythms, as old as our exchanges with the land. Of all the seasons, it draws us together. But winter can be tough. 

It is a time of introspection, of looking inwards. Seasonal sadness; winter blues; depression – such feelings are widespread in the darker months. But by looking outwards, by being in and observing nature, we can appreciate its rhythms. Mountains make sense in any weather. The voices of a wood always speak consolation. A brush of frost; subtle colours; days as bright as a magpie’s cackle. We can learn to see and celebrate winter in all its shadows and lights.

In this moving and lyrical evocation of a British winter and the feelings it inspires, Horatio Clare raises a torch against the darkness, illuminating the blackest corners of the season, and delving into memory and myth to explore the powerful hold that winter has on us. By learning to see, we can find the magic, the light that burns bright at the heart of winter: spring will come again.

My thoughts about it..

Marking the change of season as we go into winter is always a time for contemplation as days become shorter and the dark takes over. Moving to the rhythm of the seasons doesn't always come easily to us, as deprived of light we can struggle to make sense of the world around us. For this author the answer to his difficulty in adjusting to the dark days was to keep a diary of his thoughts, feelings, observations and actions.

On the book's journey, we go from the onset of winter, in October, to the beginning of spring. in March, where the lyricism of the words and the author's natural skill in observation takes you completely into his world. His relationship with his partner, his children and his mother, his upbringing in Wales, all play a central role in the careful way the book evolves.

Throughout the book there's a real magical quality to the imagery, the author has such a lovely way with words and brings scenes and emotions vividly to life. I found that I spent some time going back over particular sentences because they were so lovely.."..a word containing a silver moon and the crackle of burning twigs, flying things and Kings led by stars, berries, gold and pheasant feathers" conjured Christmas quite perfectly.

Throughout  The Light in the Dark the authors bares his soul and I found that to be quite an emotional experience. I appreciated his honesty in the way he deals with, and shares, his darker moments and rejoiced when everything seemed to be on a more even keel for him and his family.

There is much to reflect upon in this Winter Journal, particularly if you too struggle with darker days, however, as the author reminds us, "Spring will come. It will come"

About the Author

HORATIO CLARE is a critically acclaimed author and journalist. His first book, Running for the Hills: A Family Story, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His second book, Truant is ‘a stunningly-written memoir’, according to the Irish Times. A Single Swallow: Following an Epic Journey from South Africa to South Wales, was shortlisted for the Dolman Travel Book of the Year; Down to the Sea in Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men won the Stanford-Dolman Travel Book of the Year 2015. Horatio’s first book for children, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, won the Branford Boase Award 2016 for best debut children's book and The Light in the Dark was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year 2019.He lives in West Yorkshire

Twitter @HoratioClare #TheLightInTheDark

@eandtbooks @alisonmenziespr

A perfect book to take you into winter and here's the chance to chance to win a copy of The Light In The Dark (UK only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

🌠🌠 Good Luck  🌠🌠

His Fic Saturday ~ The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to .....1919

Headline
5 September 2019
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book


✨✨ Out now in paperback ✨✨

Nightingale House, 1919. Liddy Horner discovers her husband, the world-famousartist Sir Edward Horner, burning his best-known painting The Garden of Lost and Found days before his sudden death.

Nightingale House was the Horner family’s beloved home - a gem of design created to inspire happiness - and it was here Ned painted The Garden of Lost and Found, capturing his children on a perfect day.

One magical moment. Before it all came tumbling down...

When Ned and Liddy’s great-granddaughter Juliet is sent the key to Nightingale House, she starts a new life with her three children, and opens the door onto a forgotten world. The house holds its mysteries close but she is in search of answers.

For who would choose to destroy what they love most? Whether Ned’s masterpiece - or,in Juliet’s case, her own children’s happiness.

Something shattered this corner of paradise. But what?


What did I think about it...

I really enjoyed this book when I posted my review when part of the blog tour earlier in the year. It is with pleasure that I re-post my review on the book's paperback publication.

Set between two times frames we meet with Juliet Horner in the present time who is a descendant of Ned Horner, a respected Edwardian artist whose most famous art work was destroyed many years ago in a fire. When Juliet’s home circumstances change she takes her three lively children back to Nightingale House, the now dilapidated residence which was once Ned’s home and which has been owned by various members of Juliet’s family since the house was built in late 1800s.

Moving seamlessly between two frames a complicated story of hurt and despair starts to be revealed and without giving too much away about the historical part of the novel, it’s safe to say, that both time scales have their own unique strength. I was just as comfortable reading about the goings on in the Edwardian era as I was in learning all about Juliet and her complex family drama in the present day.

The author has given us such an absolute gem of story that once I started The House of Lost and Found I found that I really couldn’t put the book down. The story is beautifully reminiscent of a bygone time with all of the social and moral predicaments which so blighted the early years of the twentieth century. And yet, the modern day dilemmas of infidelity, marriage breakdown and complicated motherhood are also highlighted with a genuine sense of reality.

The Garden of Lost and Found brings the world of art to life in a glorious tale of long lost treasure and devastating family secrets which, in the hands of this talented writer, reach out from the past to threaten the future.

I’ve now read several of this author’s excellent books and, without doubt, The Garden of Lost and Found, is my favourite story to date.

About the Author

Harriet Evans is the author, Going Home, A Hopeless Romantic, The Love of Her Life, I Remember You, Love Always, Happily Ever After and Not Without You. Before becoming a full time writer Harriet was a successful editor for a London publishing house. She lives in London with her family.

Twitter@HarrietEvans #GardenOfLostAndFound

@Headline