Summer Reading ~ Ten Poems from the Peak District from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press 
July 2025

Myhthanks to the publisher for my copy of this poetry pamphlet 

This mini anthology belongs to Candlestick’s popular series of UK regional titles, and features poems that capture the vivid landscapes and atmospheres of the Dark and White Peaks.

There’s a celebration of the very particular Derbyshire tradition of well dressing, alongside poems that take us up onto the high moors and down into the tunnels under Ladybower Reservoir.

At an iconic Dark Peak landmark, we encounter a raw landscape that tricks the mind into altered perceptions:

“It is endless, a stranded reef
which seeps and surges indefinitely.
Paths slip under streams; pools hover;
stones become sheep become stones.”

from ‘Kinder Downfall, 24 April 1932’ by Rob Hindle

The selection is proof (if needed) that the Peak District is equal to the Lake District in its power to fire the imaginations of poets who live in it – or who simply love it for its wild beauty.

Katharine Towers is a poet who lives in the White Peak.

Poems by Rob Hindle, Helen Mort, Alistair Noon, Mark Pajak, Peter Riley, Anna Seward, Katharine Towers, Tony Williams, River Wolton and Warda Yassin.

Cover illustration by Ian Parkinson 

 My Review..

The Peak District covers some 550 square miles and as the crow flies is about 36 miles from my house and yet it is a place I have visited infrequently but after reading this lovely anthology of poems I feel it is something I should rectify before too long. 

There are verses for all tastes in this group of ten poems, all of which conjure the many moods of this National Park and the importance of our connection to these wild spaces. 

 

Eid at Ladybower by Warda Yassin

We’d traverse along the Ladybower wall, me saying

it’s a giant Y-shaped bath. Abo laughing and teaching me about 

the plug holes at the bottom, and how water is carried…”

The simple pleasure of searching for wild flora in:

Looking for leek-coloured hawkweed at Moss Rake by Katharine Towers

“ Before long we were in our hands and knees in the white grit,

Poking our fingers into clumps of wild thyme and eyebright

And sandwort (or leadwort ) which may have been a form of saxifrage,

Although none of these were what we had come to find..”

I have really enjoyed exploring the Peak District in the company of these ten fine poets. Each bring something special and have captured the beauty of the place in such a way that I have now a yearning to see some of the places for myself. With it’s evocative cover and fascinating end papers Ten Poems from the Peak District is a perfect gift instead of a card for anyone who calls this beautiful place home or for those who love open spaces, big skies and hidden crags.

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 

📖 Publication Day review ~ Slander by Rhiannon Barnsley

One More Chapter
8 August 2025

Thanks to the publis for the opportunity to review this book

When Hollywood actor Ethan Simmons sues his wife Tori for allegedly lying about his infidelity, the world is captivated. Once the darlings of the social scene, the case will tear apart their perfect exteriors.

For Riley Grey, a true crime influencer, the case might hold the key to the disappearance of her sister, Alice, after an anonymous source tips her off.

As the high-profile trial begins, it soon becomes clear that both parties are willing to air their dirty laundry in public. And when Tori hints at an even darker secret, Ethan’s reputation could be destroyed once and for all.

And as the media frenzy intensifies, and the courtroom holds their breath, who will win the defamation case of the century?

📖 My Review..

At the centre of the controversy are a celebrity couple who are determined to air all their grievances in a very public, and live-streamed trial, in which one is attempting to sue the other for slander. This story captures the imagination of Riley Grey who is a true crime influencer, with a growing following onTikTok and with her own agenda very much forefront she is determined to discover more about the disappearance of her twin sister, Alice. How this is blended into the plot forms the basis of this engrossing story of who did what, to whom, and why.

Cleverly blending the trial itself, which is only a small part of the overall story, with the nitty gritty of why celebrity couple Ethan Simmons and his wife Tori have so publicly fallen out of love with each other makes for interesting reading. I enjoyed the alternate chapters from Tori and Ethan’s point of view and the social media posting from Riley Grey adds an altogether different dimension to the story and makes it feel really current.

The story kept my attention, there were surprisingly clever twists which I didn’t see coming and an ending which left me with a wry smile on my face. Great escapism, and a good book to get lost in, hence my reading it over the space of a couple of rainy afternoons.

About the Author

Originally from the West Midlands, Rhiannon currently lives in London with her fiancé and her cat Salem. She's a corporate lawyer by day and writes after work and during weekends.

She is a Faber Academy Writing a Novel graduate and loves to write dark and twisty thrillers with a particular focus on women. When she's not writing, she can often be found reading or training with her cheerleading team.

X @OneMoreChapter _

X @RhiBarnsley 

🌞Summer Reads ~ Ten Poems from the Lake District

Candlestick Press
July 2025

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

This addition to Candlestick’s series of UK regional titles brings the drama and beauty of the Lake District landscape into glorious focus. We encounter dry-stone walls, sublime heights, lakes (of course) and experience an evening dip in the cooling waters of a tarn.

The selection wouldn’t be complete without a poem by Wordsworth who captures the tranquillity of a quiet valley in a moment of typically blissful contemplation:

“A soft eye-music of slow-waving boughs,

Powerful almost as vocal harmony

stay the wanderer’s steps and soothe his thoughts.”

from ‘Aira Force Valley’ by William Wordsworth

The double-edged sword of tourism is also present in a sonnet which imagines what this most famous of Lakes Poets would make of the world of postcards and car parks. The poem’s conclusion is a reminder that the sublime will outlive any human interference.

Polly Atkin is a poet who lives and works in the Lake District.

Poems by Polly Atkin, Rachael Bates. Paul Farley, Katie Hale, Matthew Hollis, Eileen Pun, Tom Rawling, Reshma Ruia, William Wordsworth and David Wright.

🌞  My Review..

The brooding nature of the Lake District is never in doubt and as you view the hills and crags an overwhelming sense of majesty abounds. Dark shadows race across the skyline altering the colours from pinks to dark purples, and from green to grey,  as wind and rain sweep across the horizon. It is a place of fickle shadows which can change in the blink of an eye. It is part of my northern landscape, its beauty undimmed by time.

This fine anthology of ten poems capture the magical spirit of the Lake District, bringing its natural beauty to life by the power of expression:

“ Who treads above the mountain-top should die 

Of that pure exultation; he is shriven

By the immaculate wind, the cleansing sky.

From Above Hawkshead by Rachael Bates

The criss cross nature of meandering stone walls are captured in this lovely poem: 

“ See here by the holly tree

Above the highest meadow,

This Eksdale dry stone wall

A warted lichen covered caterpillar

That clasps and humps the how,

Shuffles across the scree’s frost litter

Creeps around the shoulder of the fell,

A line of beauty

Not made to please the eye.”

From Eskdale Dry-Stone Wall by Tom Rawling 

Beautifully written, with a gloriously Illustrated cover, and emotionally evocative of a place caught in time, Ten poems from the Lake District would be a wonderful gift instead of a card for anyone who loves this part of the country or is a perfect introduction to a very special place.

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 

🌞 Summer Reading ~ Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams

Penguin
June 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review

 

She’s found the one. He’s just not the one for her. 

Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.

Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate.

The only thing is, they’re not for her…

🌞My Review..

Jessie really doesn’t believe in love at first sight but then she meets Cal, the man of her dreams, in the most unexpected of circumstances only to discover that he is someone else’s boyfriend.  This is so disappointing for Jessie as she really thought Cal was the one for her and she struggles to get him out of her head.

What then follows is a will they, won’t they romance which covers a whole a range of emotions with characters who leave you feeling frustrated one minute, to seeing hearts and flowers the next. Jessie has so much going on her life and the author covers this well but what stood out for me was the interaction between Jessie and Henry, she’s his nanny, and this is a really sweet relationship, as for most of the story Henry is the most important man in Jessie’s life.

I read Love at First Sight in one sitting, it’s great escapism for a summer afternoon and it would be a good relaxing holiday read either by the pool or in the garden.

About the Author

Laura Jane Williams (she/her) is known as the queen of the meet-cute. She is the author of six rom-coms, as well as the forthcoming Lovestruck (June 2023). She is also the author of three works of non-fiction.

The rights to Laura's international bestseller Our Stop have been sold for television, and her books have been translated into languages all over the world. She loves romance, being a parent, and lifting very heavy weights.

X @PenguinUKBooks #LoveAtFirstSight

📖 Book Review ~ Believe by S M Govett

Michael Joseph
19 June 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book

Natalie has spent ten years trying to get over the twin set of events which changed her life forever.

The first: the moment her boss assaulted her. The second: the moment the jury declared him innocent - and her, a liar.

The memories continue to haunt Natalie, and in her attempts to block out the past, she often wakes up with no recollection of where she’s been – or what she’s done,.

So when her husband, Ryan, gets accused of the same crime, Natalie comes perilously close to the edge.

Natalie wants to believe him. But when the body of the young woman who made the accusation is found in the woods near their house, Ryan becomes a prime suspect, and Natalie realises she can't trust anyone - herself included...

📖 My Review..

Natalie and her husband Ryan live a quiet sort of life, Natalie works from home whilst Ryan works for a marketing company. On the surface they have a lovely life but Natalie struggles with PTSD following an assault some ten years previously when the perpetrator walked free and Natalie was branded a liar. When, out of the blue, Ryan is now accused of a similar crime, Natalie struggles to rationalise this information however, with the discovery of a body, the police are relentless in their search for justice and are determined to make this case stick.

This is a cleverly put together crime novel which is told from Natalie’s perspective alongside that of DI Helen Stratton who is in charge of the investigation. Both women are compelling however, it is Natalie’s unreliability which really makes this such an interesting story. Stratton has her own demons which surface from time to time and although it took me a while to warm to her character I couldn’t help but be impressed with her tenacity. There’s some interesting dynamics between the rest of the detectives, all of which could be explored more if this becomes a crime series. The plot is filled with surprises as you’re never quite sure who to believe, hence the title of the book. I found myself trying to fit the crime to a completely different person only to have my theory completely shattered with the final denouement, which I honestly didn’t see coming.

Believe is a fast paced crime drama which kept my attention from start to finish. I really hope we get to see more of DI Helen Stratton in future crime stories, I have a feeling this one could run and run.

About the Author

S.M. Govett read Law at Trinity College, Oxford, before qualifying as a solicitor in the City. After realising that didn't suit her, she started tutoring before turning her hand to writing, which she discovered was her true calling. She has since authored several bestselling YA novels, including The Territory trilogy and We Go On Forever. She also co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film, T.I.M., which was the no. 1 film on Netflix upon release. Believe is her debut adult thriller.

She currently lives in London with her husband and three children.

X @sarahgovett #Believe

X @MichaelJBooks

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Foreshore by Samantha York

Salt Publishing
4 August 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to review this book

In the wake of a deadly storm, past sins return to haunt the living…

Eilean Eòin is a tiny scrap of land which is stranded amidst miles of fierce ocean, where the scant population barely cling to a centuries’ old way of life. It is here that Flora McKinnon, an aging islander, is brought news of her youngest child’s death, whilst tensions are riled by the arrival of a new reverend, Thomas Murray. Murray has a mission: to weed out religious dissent and purge the island in the name of progress.

When a strange young woman is found washed up on the foreshore, illness and famine start to blight the island, stirring whispers of witchcraft. Despite their differences, Flora and Murray unite in an uneasy attempt to solve the mystery of the girl’s identity, which soon becomes an all-consuming obsession. With their own deep-buried skeletons, will the island's dark secrets make or break them both?

📖My Review..

When Reverend Thomas Murray arrives on the tiny Scottish island of Eilean Eòin he is confronted by a group of mistrustful group of islanders who don’t take kindly to religious strangers nor do they like any interference in how they should run their lives. With a bad harvest and food in short supply the  men of the island must do whatever they can in order to provide for their families. However illness and hunger are never far away so when a young woman is found washed up on the foreshore, there starts the whispers of her being a witch and the cause of all their misery and misfortune.

Bleak and beautiful in equal measure, The Foreshore is a darkly claustrophobic story of a tiny place which is deeply troubled. The islanders are a wary lot, suspicious of each other and yet they are bound together by their history and shared secrets. Parts of the story are slow and considered, whilst others are viscerally affecting, especially the outpouring of blame which is caught up with feelings of guilt and isolation. Quite stunning in its description of island life, about how gut wrenchingly hard were their lives as they eked out a meagre existence, survival dependent on what foods they could forage from cliff edges.

 The Foreshore is a powerful story, beautifully told, and one that will stay with me for a long time.

About the Author

amantha York is a writer and advocate for young people with additional support needs. She grew up by the sea in Northumberland before moving to Scotland to complete her master's degree in literature and history. She now lives in Glasgow.

X @saltpublishing #TheForeshore

📖 Book of My Month ~ The Bride Stone by Sally Gardner

Head of Zeus 
31 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review

The spellbinding new historical novel from multi-award-winning author Sally Gardner.

It is 1796. Duval Harlington, recently released from a French prison, is on his way home. He must reach his late father’s estate Muchmore House before the following evening if he is to inherit it.

But the inheritance rests on another condition: he must also be married. He is at a market, hoping to buy a fast horse, when he hears about a wife sale. He takes his chance and makes an extravagant bid for young widow, Edmée Hyde. To his delight and dismay, the bid is accepted and they marry, only to find that he and Edmée are both hiding life-threatening secrets.

📖 My Review..

Duval Harlington returns to England from France after being incarcerated during the latter years of the Revolution. On his return he discovers that, on his father’s death, he has now inherited the dukedom and the family estate of Muchmore. However, one of the terms of his late father’s will is that Duval must marry or lose the estate and with only hours before the deadline the race is on to find a bride. When he encounters a wife sale in a nearby village it seems like the only solution, and so, paying ten guineas, Duval chooses a young widow, Edmée Hyde, an enigmatic young woman, who has more than enough tragic secrets of her own. Together they take the path to their destiny.

What then follows is a fascinating story of two troubled young people, the traumas they have each suffered, and the secrets which they carry within them, all of which are explored in a compassionate love story which despite the many twists, turns and obstacles which come their way shows that the human spirit remains strong. Beautifully written, with a lyricism which belies its strength, there is much to enjoy in a story which is strong on historical detail, high in compassion and rich with scandal and intrigue. There are villains and champions, characters who make your blood boil and also those whose strength and kindness shines through the worst of human nature.

It is a story to be treasured and for that reason I am delighted to make The Bride Stone the Book of My Month for August.

About the Author

Sally Gardner gained a first-class degree at a leading London art college and became a successful theatre costume designer before illustrating and writing books. Her debut novel I, Coriander won the Nestle Gold  award, and she is also a Costa and Carnegie prize-winner. Her books have been translated all over the world and have sold over three million copies.

Website