Well the wind and rain has started here so all the more excuse to tuck myself up and enjoy some good books.
This Week on the Blog
My week started with a five star review of My Sister’s Bones by Nuala Ellwood which reflected my pleasant surprise at how the author’s decision to feature the main protagonist as a war reporter was used in such an intelligent way. This book was just full of surprises.
Tuesday had me featuring the opening paragraph from While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft, her latest psychological thriller where we meet a married woman who wakes up naked in bed next to her neighbour, only to realise he’s been murdered. I’ve finished this read now, and my review will follow shortly.
My weekly This Week in Books post indicted that my next read would be Great Small Things by Jodi Picoult which I’m currently immersed in.
Another review on Thursday, this time for Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan which featured the world of vloggers amongst many other things, in this exciting, high action thriller.
On Friday I reviewed For All Our Sins by T.M.E. Walsh, the first in a series featuring DCI Claire Winters. There was a lot to enjoy in this debut and enough to ensure that the next book has made it to the wishlist…
Which brings me neatly to my re-visit of the TBR Book Tag in which I first counted and confronted my TBR on 6 November 2015 – see how my TBR fared over the year here.
This Time Last Year
I read one of the books that made it to my Top Ten list for 2015 – The Hidden Legacy by G.J. Minett which absolutely wowed me. On the surface this is a book with a truly shocking opening and a woman who inherits a house and doesn’t understand why. On a deeper level the reader is challenged to question whether right and wrong is as black and white as we would like it to be. See my review here
Ellen has received a life-changing inheritance. If only she knew who had left it to her . . .
1966. A horrifying crime at a secondary school, with devastating consequences for all involved.
2008. A life-changing gift, if only the recipient can work out why . . .
Recently divorced and with two young children, Ellen Sutherland is up to her elbows in professional and personal stress. When she’s invited to travel all the way to Cheltenham to hear the content of an old woman’s will, she’s far from convinced the journey will be worthwhile.
But when she arrives, the news is astounding. Eudora Nash has left Ellen a beautiful cottage worth an amount of money that could turn her life around. There’s just one problem – Ellen has never even heard of Eudora Nash.
Her curiosity piqued, Ellen and her friend Kate travel to the West Country in search of answers. But they are not the only ones interested in the cottage, and Ellen little imagines how much she has to learn about her past . . . Amazon
Stacking the Shelves
As anyone who read yesterday’s post will know, I need to seriously cut down on the number of books I acquire so be warned, this may be the last bumper post for a while…
From NetGalley I have been lucky enough to receive a copy of Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land, I just can’t resist the early hype for this psychological thriller which will be published on 12 January 2017.
Blurb
‘NEW N A M E . NEW F A M I LY. S H I N Y. NEW. ME .
‘ Annie’s mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. As her mother’s trial looms, the secrets of her past won’t let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name – Milly. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly’s mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water.
Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother’s daughter…
I saw a wonderful review for The House of Birds by Morgan McCarthy on The Quiet Knitter’s Blog and was delighted to be approved a copy too. The House of Birds was published on 3 November 2016.
Blurb
Oliver has spent years trying to convince himself that he’s suited to a life of money making in the city, and that he doesn’t miss a childhood spent in pursuit of mystery, when he cycled around the cobbled lanes of Oxford, exploring its most intriguing corners.
When his girlfriend Kate inherits a derelict house – and a fierce family feud – she’s determined to strip it, sell it and move on. For Oliver though, the house has an allure, and amongst the shelves of discarded, leather bound and gilded volumes, he discovers one that conceals a hidden diary from the 1920s.
So begins a quest: to discover the identity of the author, Sophia Louis. It is a portrait of war and marriage, isolation and longing and a story that will shape the future of the abandoned house – and of Oliver – forever. NetGalley
My pre-ordered copy of fellow blogger, Margot Kinberg’s book Past Tense dutifully arrived on my kindle on publication day 1 November 2016. If you haven’t visited Margot, I can’t recommend her blog highly enough, here is her publication day post
A long-buried set of remains…a decades-old mystery
Past and present meet on the quiet campus of Tilton University when construction workers unearth a set of unidentified bones.
For former police detective-turned-professor Joel Williams, it’s a typical Final Exams week – until a set of bones is discovered on a construction site…When the remains are linked to a missing person case from 1974, Williams and the Tilton, Pennsylvania police go back to the past. And they uncover some truths that have been kept hidden for a long time.
How much do people really need to know?
It’s 1974, and twenty-year-old Bryan Roades is swept up in the excitement of the decade. He’s a reporter for the Tilton University newspaper, The Real Story, and is determined to have a career as an investigative journalist, just like his idols, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. He plans to start with an exposé article about life on the campus of Tilton University. But does everything need to be exposed? And what are the consequences for people whose lives could be turned upside down if their stories are printed? As it turns out, Bryan’s ambition carries a very high price. And someone is determined not to let the truth out. Amazon
I have also been lucky enough to receive a proof copy of A Life Between Us by Louise Walters which came with a lovely handwritten note from this author who delighted me with her earlier novel Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase. A Life Between Us will be published on 28 March 2017.
Blurb
Tina’s sister Meg died in a childhood accident, but for almost forty years Tina has secretly blamed herself for her twin’s death. During a visit to her Uncle Edward and his sister Lucia, who both harbour dark secrets of their own, Tina makes a discovery that forces her to question her memories of the day Meg died.
As Tina finds the courage to face the past, she unravels the mysteries of her estranged parents, her beautiful Aunt Simone, the fading, compassionate Uncle Edward, and above all, the cold, bitter Aunt Lucia, whose spectral presence casts a long shadow over them all.
The second novel from the author of MRS SINCLAIR’S SUITCASE is a gripping tale of a family’s disintegration and eventual redemption. Goodreads
I also was posted a copy of A Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys, again with a lovely message which made my day. A Dangerous Crossing will be published in April 2017.
Blurb
It was a first class deception that would change her life forever
1939, Europe on the brink of war. Lily Shepherd leaves England on an ocean liner for Australia, escaping her life of drudgery for new horizons. She is instantly seduced by the world onboard: cocktails, black-tie balls and beautiful sunsets. Suddenly, Lily finds herself mingling with people who would otherwise never give her the time of day.
But soon she realizes her glamorous new friends are not what they seem. The rich and hedonistic Max and Eliza Campbell, mysterious and flirtatious Edward, and fascist George are all running away from tragedy and scandal even greater than her own.
By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and life will never be the same again. Goodreads
TBR WATCH
Since my last post I have read 3 books, discarded two part-read books that I’m not going to pick up again, and managed to gain 5 and so my TBR is standing at 181 books!
95 physical books
68 e-books
18 books on NetGalley
What have you found to read this week?
I shall look forward to seeing your review for Good Me Bad Me loved this book x
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I saw your review so I was delighted to be approved for this one 🙂
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A Dangerous Crossing sounds good, Might be one I get for my mum
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I’m particularly excited about this one but I can’t tell you all why just yet – it’s a secret!
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Ooh, I want to read Margot’s book and Rachel’s! They look great.
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Don’t they just – I’m really excited about them both!
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I won a copy of The Snow Garden by Rachel Joyce which looks lovely.
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Ooh lucky you – it looks lovely 🙂
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I’ve also got Good Me Bad Me and The House of Birds to read. I didn’t know Louise Walters has a new book coming out so am going to pop that on my wishlist as I loved Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase.
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I thought it was a fabulous story too and so when I heard about this one on twitter I was thrilled. We can compare notes on the Good Me Bad Me and The House of Birds which has such a beautiful cover!
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I’d love to compare notes, although I’m afraid I’m not very good at keeping up with all my Netgalley books. I’m just a bit too greedy!
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So glad you got a copy of House of Birds, really hope you like it x
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Aw thank you – I would have missed this one if it weren’t for you x
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Great new adds to your collections! I can’t wait to hear more about each story. I’ve tried to cut back on getting new books, and as far as ARCs are concerned I succeeded but it’s still hard to resist to Amazon and I bought The Stranger in my Home and Three Darks Crowns!
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As you can tell from yesterday’s post I badly need to cut back on books that sneak into this house under all different descriptions but there will always be room for a few new ones 😉 Enjoy your new reads too – I have a copy of A Stranger in my Home too.
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Thanks very much, Cleo, for the kind mention. I hope you’ll enjoy Past Tense. The Rachel Rhys looks terrific; I very much want to read that one. And the Ali Land looks interesting, too, although I’m not usually one for serial killers. That one looks like a different sort of take – interesting!
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You are very welcome Margot – as you know I am very keen to read Past Tense 🙂 I’m not too keen on serial killers either but Good Me Bad Me seems to have its sights in a slightly different direction to the norm.
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I hope you’ll enjoy The House of Birds. That book looks really beautifu.
But I hope you’ll like everything you added to your collection.
You have many books to read I see. 🙂
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Isn’t that cover wonderful? Thank you, yes I have way too many books to read!
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At least you know there’s so many new adventures to have in your books. 😉
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Wow! I wish I could whittle myTBR down to something more manageable 181 would be a good start. You’ve read some great books. Happy reading..
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Haha this has shown how widely different the TBR mountains are in size – thank you!
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Some great looking books.
sherry @ fundinmental My Sunday Memes
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I’m happy to see a couple of books I have to read have received great reviews from you.
How do you handle so many Netgalley titles at once, I freak out if I’ve got more than 3 at once lol
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That’s why I need the spreadsheet 😏 and I’m so pleased you’ve got some winners coming up!
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I love the look of Good Me Bad Me, and While You Were Sleeping is already on my list. Can’t wait! Thanks for sharing all these delicious books…and for visiting my blog.
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Thank you for returning my call Laurel 😊
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I snagged Good Me Bad Me from Netgalley as well and I’m excited for it!
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I must of missed your review (and maybe others) of The Hidden Legacy and it sounds great so I have now added it to the list (better late than never). I really enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s book and just need to get the review up…I hope you continue to be emersed and have a good week.
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It is well worth a read – I finished it earlier so I’ll be reviewing soon too 😊
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So many great books on list and “review” shelf. I’m hoping for some bad weather here so I can curl up with a few!
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We had a lot of hail today which firmly denotes reading time 😊
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Not reading a book today, but I’m sitting under a blanket, watching football and catching up on my blog!
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Cleo, what are you doing to me! Your posts always have me adding way too many books to my to-read list and my Amazon shopping cart;-) I’m especially curious about The House of Birds, looking forward to your review!
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I’d like to say I’m sorry but, there are just so many good books waiting to be read 😊
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