Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.
**********
The lovely Carolyn over at Book Chick City is running a Summer Romance Challenge from June 1st until September 30th and I have decided to join in. Summer is coming and what better way to celebrate it than with a bit of summer loving!
The aim is to read 8 romances in the next four months and they can be any style of romance. Historical, paranormal and contemporary all count towards this challenge.
I haven't got a clue which books I hope to read for this yet, but I will set up a separate page in order to record them.
If you would like to know more about this challenge and join in the fun, then please click here.
**********
Have you seen the new Flipback Books? OMG they will change the way we read whilst travelling. Who needs a Kindle when you can have one of these.
How can they be so small, I hear you ask? Well, they are made with very thin paper often used in Bibles and have been bounded in a special way, to give you a book that fits into your pocket. They go on sale on the 30th June and I will be first in the queue to buy one. Want to know more, please click here.
**********
My Kinda Book posted their Youtube video for Starcrossed last week and I fell in love with it.
Bookangel_ Emma has some fabulous videos of Josephine Angelini today talking about her big break. Here is a link, they are so worth watching.
**********
That is enough randomness from me today. I hope you are having a fab Really Random Tuesday!
This is new monthly feature on the blog where I showcase books that I think are going to be fabulous. The books on show are all new releases for June. There are a mixture of adult and children's books as I do have quite an eclectic taste. I hope you see a book you think you might like too.
I will look at individual publishers and show a couple of the goodies they each have in store for us.
Piatkus
You know how much I loved Sister by Rosamund Lupton, well her second book Afterwards comes out on the 9th June. This book looks just as amazing at Sister and deals with the aftermath of a fire and the hunt for the arsonist. Here is a link to the book summary.
Headline
The Butterfly Cabinet by Bernie McGill is a book set in the Victorian era released on the 9th June in paperback format.
'A secret shared. Two lives entwined. Finally the past must come to light.'
About Last Night by Adele Parks - released 23rd June. A new release from the Sunday Times Bestseller. I have yet to read any of Adele Park's books but this one caught my eye.The book is about a thirty year old friendship that is about to be altered by a few simple words. Click here to find out more.
Atom
One Seriously Messed-Up Week (in the Otherwise Mundane and Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite) by Tom Clempson will be published on 2nd June. I am reading this one at the moment and it is hilarious. Ladies, if you ever wanted to see what went on in the head of a teenage boy, then this book is the one for you. Here is a link to read more.
Alone by James Phelan, the first book in the Alone series will be released on 2nd June too. This book looks it is a brilliant start to a fantastic series. Here is a link to read more about this post apocalyptic zombie series.
Orion Children's Books
The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence is the first book in her new series entitled The Western Mysteries. You may know this author from her very successful Roman Mysteries series. This book is published on the 2nd of June. I am really excited by this book as it is the first western I will have ever read! To find out more click here.
An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons is a real gritty book that opens your eyes to the effects of the war on Afghanistan, but looking much closer to home,at the lives of the people in this country. I will be reviewing this book on Thursday. This book is published on the 2nd of June. To find out more click here.
Virago
I love to have a browse through Virago's books to find something a little different.
Theodora by Stella Duffy will be published on the 3rd of June - This is the story of Theodora of Constantinople who rose from nothing to become the most powerful woman in the history of Byzantine Rome. To find out more, please click here.
Even Silence Has An End by Ingrid Betancourt is a non fiction account of the author's life during the six years she was held in captivity in a Colombian jungle. Not one for the faint hearted I feel. To find out more click here.
Walker Books
Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet is a brilliant coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Cold War and events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. You may have noticed an extract of the book on here yesterday. If you would like to read the first few pages, then please visit Wondrous Reads to begin the journey. The book is published on 2nd June, to find out more, click here.
Egmont Books Ltd
Finally Forgotten by Cat Patrick is published on the 6th June. The main character gets flashes from her future but cannot remember her past. Click here to find out more.
Bloomsbury Publishing
Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper is published on the 7th June. Mary Hooper is one of the authors I keep meaning to read. Set around a cemetery, it really captures my interest. Here is a link to find out more.
Pan
The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond has been popping up in front of me all month on Twitter and now I know I must have it. This book is published on the 2nd of June. To find out more, click here.
Macmillan Children's Books
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is finally published in the UK and you are just going to love this book. This is the first book in the trilogy based on Greek Mythology. Here is my review of the book. Published on the 3rd June. Click here to find out more.
Catnip Publishing
The Legacy of Fire by Margaret Bateson -Hill is the sequel to her successful first book Dragon Racer. An ideal series for 9 year olds and older. Here is a link to find out more. This book is published on the 1st June. I would definitely suggest a visit to the Catnip Publishing site which has some fantastic books for the younger readers. Here is a link.
So I hope you enjoyed a few highlights of the books being published in June, which ones are you interested in?
Life: An Exploded Diagram is the latest novel from multiple award-winning author Mal Peet, who won the Carnegie Medal for Tamar and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for Exposure.
The book is a coming-of-age love story, set in Norfolk in the 1960s against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It has already received great acclaim from Patrick Ness and Anthony McGowan, and Walker have created a book trailer which was revealed on 27th May on Wondrous Reads along with the first extract, but you can also watch the trailer here, below!
You can read the fourth extract here, and the fifth extract will be placed on Undercover tomorrow.
Nervy Pastoral
For weeks soft fruits gave them cover. After strawberries, there were gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries. Frankie worked her sentence, weighing and loading, stacking the stained empty punnets. And at every opportunity, at increasingly risky opportunities, she would excuse herself
through a gap in a hedge, slip into the shade of a tree, amble behind a trailer, to be with Clem. They kissed avidly, clumsily, not knowing what to do with their sticky, juice-stained hands. They did not talk much; they were short of time, and breath. When they did speak, death often cropped up.
“I was dying for that.”
“God, my father would kill me if he knew I was…”
“My dad’d skin me alive…”
“Wouldn’t it be delicious to die like this?”
At first it was a game; it was a hazardous mischief. But not for long. They each soon found the hot days shrinking into the stolen minutes – ten, fifteen at most – when they were together. Other time became numb.
Clem trembled, waiting in hiding for her. Shook, physically. He found these moments hard to bear because it was like being too much alive. His own blood seemed to torment him.
"Yer got it bad, comrade,” Goz said, riding home.
The boys still went to the fields together but worked separately now. Clem’s distraction was proving uneconomic.
“Have I?”
“Yeah. And yer playing with fire. It’s a good job yer so bleddy wet.”
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was ridiculous. It was like a mental illness or something. A continuous rerunning of little films in his head. Her eyes slowly opening after a long snog. Tipping her head back to swing the hair away from her face. Pulling a damp strand of it from her
lips. The movement of her bum as she walked away. At home, he sat in the living-room trying to stop the projector, black out the images. Silently reciting the names of the kings and queens of England until the shameful bulge in his jeans subsided and he could stand up.
Ruth turned away from the telly.
“Wassup with you, Clem?”
“Nuthun. I’m orright.”
“You look like someone who’re lost a fiver and found a shillun.”
“I’m orright, Mum. Bit bored, is all.”
“You usually like this programme.”
“Yeah. Not very good tonight though, is it?”
George said, “Do you mind? I’m trying to watch this.”
Clem checked the state of his lap. He stood up. “I might go out for a bit.”
He spent the nights praying that his bed wasn’t creaking too audibly. Luckily, his grandmother was often loudly murmurous in the nights, praying for something else altogether. Clem synchronized his devotions with hers.
Hiding, waiting for him, Frankie felt angry. Angry that she hungrily fancied a badly dressed working-class boy like Clem Ackroyd. Angry that she couldn’t be with him whenever she wanted to. Angry that she should have to conceal herself from people who worked for her father. Then Clem would step through a gap in the hedge or brush aside a veil of leaves and her breath would catch in her throat and her whole body would come alight.
Over dinner, her mother looked at her. “What’s the matter, darling?”
“Pardon, Mummy?”
“You’ve hardly eaten anything. Don’t you like it?”
“It’s good. I’m just a bit tired.”
Nicole turned to her husband. “Gerard, how much longer are you going to continue this farce, treating your daughter like a labourer? She is exhausted. She can hardly lift the food to her mouth.”
“Nonsense, Nicole. It’s doing her the world of good. Look at her. She’s the picture of health.”
“She is too much in the sun, Gerard. She looks like a gypsy. Her nose is peeling.”
Mortimer dabbed his lips with his napkin then grinned.
“Very well,” he said. “Françoise, I’m putting you on parole. Time off for good behaviour.”
She looked across at him, frowning, not understanding. Parole was the French for “word” or “speech”.
“You don’t have to work any more,” her father said.
Frankie tried to keep her hand steady, lowering the heavy silver fork onto the tablecloth.
“It’s okay, Daddy. I like it, actually. The people are nice. Funny.”
“Françoise,” Nicole said. “What has that to do with anything?”
Frankie forced a shrug. “Nothing, I guess. I just like being in the fresh air. And it’s something to do. I’ll work until the end of the season.”
Gerard Mortimer leaned back in his chair. “Well said. Spoken like a farmer’s daughter, eh, Nicole?”
His wife pulled the corners of her mouth down and cut a neat slice from her veal for the spaniel who sat by her chair.
You can read the next extract tomorrow on Undercover tomorrow.
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.
Dark Souls by Paula Morris. Published by Point in August 2011. I don't think there is a UK publisher for this authors books, but there should be. I read Ruined last year and absolutely loved it.
I can't wait to get my hands on this one.
Goodreads Summary
Welcome to York, England.
Mist lingers in the streets. Narrow buildings cast long shadows. This is the most haunted city in the world. . . . Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . . Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls? Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous — and deadly — is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery — and find redemption.
Having twin girls myself, I find myself constantly drawn to books about them. I recently read Rochoholic by C.J. Skuse and absolutely loved it. I will be reviewing it later in the year as part of the Death and Bereavement month.
Goodreads Summary
Sixteen-year old twins in Candy-Store crime spree. Twins, Paisley and Beau Argent are in the headlines again. Last time, they were the 'wonder twins', when as six-year-olds they were found alive in woods after three days missing following their mother's death -three days spent looking for their dad. Now at sixteen, life's not so wonderful. Out-cast and exploited by their money-grabbing grandmother, they're still clueless about their dad's whereabouts. Until they discover an old letter from him. That's when they decide to hit the road - and make headlines again. Holding up fast-food joints might seem extreme but if they can get on the news, and tell their dad they need him, they might get the dream reunion they thought could happen.
The Big Break welcomes debut author Haley Tanner onto the blog today to talk about her publishing deal. Haley is the author of the fantastic new novel 'Vaclav and Lena', which I reviewed yesterday on the blog. You will find my review here.
Firstly, can I thank you for joining me today on my blog.
So happy to have the opportunity to talk with you!
What career did you have before you began writing for a living?
I was a tutor - which isn’t exactly the same in America as what I understand the term to mean in the UK - I was helping kids with their homework after school - and preparing older students for their exams. I loved all my students - but I was always tempted to just shove aside the equations and the grammar and just chat with them. I have also been a police dispatcher and a bank-teller.
How long did it take you to write your debut novel ‘Vaclav and Lena'?
I think it took about three years. I was working a lot, so there were times I couldn’t work on it at all, and then spurts when I could write for hours and hours a day.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
The characters - Vaclav and Lena - came to me first - and their lives were colored by what I was experiencing at the time. I was tutoring in Brighton Beach - a neighborhood in Brooklyn - and I sat at kitchen tables and helped these kids struggle over their synonyms, while their mothers walked in the door at 7:30, weighed down by shopping bags, and plopped a frozen block of borscht into a hot pot on the stove.
It wasn’t a conscious choice for Vaclav to become a magician. It was just how I saw him - as a precocious little boy with a passion for an art that is widely considered to be outdated or out of fashion. However, once I thought about it a bit more I came to the conclusion that when writing books there are things that appear (“out of thin air” as Vaclav would say) and then acquire meaning later. Magicians are like story-tellers in that we all know that the quarter does not disappear, that the woman is not sliced in half, but we suspend our disbelief for a time and allow ourselves to be carried away. It is the same thing we do when we read a novel about characters we know to be fictional, but we cry and laugh and love along with them anyway.
What was your first reaction when you found out that your book was to be published?
I quite literally did not believe it. I didn’t understand it. It simply wasn’t something that I ever expected.
Who did you tell first?
My husband was with me (he wasn’t yet my husband at the time), overhearing my entire conversation with my agent on the phone, and then we called my parents and told them we wanted to tell them something important, and that we wanted to tell them in person. They thought I was pregnant - so they were relieved, and then thrilled.
How long did it take for your book to reach publication after the initial agreement?
A year and a half - which I thoroughly enjoyed.
What was happening to your manuscript during this time?
I worked with my amazing editors at Random House - we made sure that the voices, the characters, and the setting was exactly how we wanted to be. All in all we made mostly minor edits, and it was a really wonderful process - I felt that my book grew into itself in a really nice way, without changing very much at all.
How have you kept yourself occupied as you wait for publication day?
I’ve travelled, gotten married, taken care of my husband as he battled Stage IV Melanoma, and enjoyed every moment of every day I got to spend with him. (He died February 17 of this year.)
How will you celebrate on publication day?
Have dinner and champagne with my parents, and see my book in an actual store for the first time ever.
Can you tell us a little about your next writing project?
No! It’s such a tiny little delicate infant of a project, I don’t think it can withstand the light of day!
Tell us what a typical writing day would be like?
I wake up, slowly, have coffee, sit down at my desk in my pajamas - my dogs rouse themselves from their beds in the bedroom and join me at my feet under my desk - and open up one of the books that inspired me to be a writer in the first place - like JD Salinger’s Franny and Zooey or Tom Robbins’ Even
Cowgirls Get the Blues. Reading great writing is coffee for the writer’s brain. I think you have to fill your tank before you can start the engine.
What advice would you give to aspiring and unpublished authors?
Sitting down to write is terrifying and awful, but at the end, if you’ve done your job, you’ve told the world a really great story, and bridged some of the gaps that separate human beings, and that’s a pretty great thing to do. So do it, and do it with love.
A huge thank you to Haley for taking the time in her busy schedule to join us. I think I speak on behalf of all my readers when I send our condolences to her over the loss of her husband. A truly inspirational writer to continue through such difficult times.
Book kindly sent to me for review by William Heinemann, part of the Random House publishing group.
Published in 2011
'Here, I practice, and you practice. Ahem. AH-em. I am Vaclav the Magnificent, with birthday on the sixth of May, the famous day for the generations to celebrate and rejoice, a day in the future years eclipsing Christmas and Hanukkah and Ramadam and all pagan festivals, born in a land far, far, far, far, far,far distance from here, a land of ancient and magnificent secrets, a land of enchanted knowledge passed down through the ages and from the ancients, a land of illusion (Russia!), born there in Russia and reappearing here, in America, in New York, in Brooklyn ( which is a Borough), near Coney Island, which is a famous place of magic...........
On receiving this book, I had very little knowledge about it, all I knew was that it had something to do with Russians, which intrigued me from the start as I don't think I have ever read a book that had Russians as main characters. As the young Vaclav stepped onto the page and began his opening speech in broken English for his upcoming magic trick, I was instantly smitten by his character. His warmheartedness burst out of the story and enveloped me into a bear hug. His assistant Lena, exists more quietly within the book, seeing everything that goes on around her and carefully taking it all in. Vaclav has enough love for both of them and guides Lena through everyday life.
The story begins with Vaclav and Lena as children. Vaclav believes without any doubt that he will be a famous magician when he grows up and that he will marry Lena. Both children, are Russian-Americans who are brought together after attending English-as-a-second-language classes. Vaclav's life is secure and stable and he knows he is unconditionally loved. Lena's life is not such a happy one and she finds comfort in being at Vaclav's home. Then one day, Lena just stops visiting Vaclav.
Seven years later we are introduced to a more grown up Vaclav, who has developed a healthy interest in girls, yet stills remains faithful in his love for Lena. He stills also holds the dream of being a magician. The story then unfolds as what actually happened to Lena all those years ago. Can Vaclav now understand the things he was too young to cope with then.
I found the innocence within this story quite breathtaking. Vaclav and Lena are both children you want to hug, yet each have their own set of problems which seem to be defining their future. Vaclav, although living a happy existence, seems slightly mollycoddled by his mother, who cannot see that she may be smothering him a little. Her love for him is all consuming; she instigated the move from Russia with her husband, just so that her son could have a better life. Lena's life is full of sadness and neglect. Vaclav's mother does her best to take her under her wing and protect her, but she is concerned about the effect this girl has on her son.
When the story moves to Vaclav's teenage years, the story of the past begins to fall into place like a jigsaw, each piece of the story finally revealed with the reasons for each person's actions. I had no idea the book would end with the truths that were revealed and found that the author had cleverly hidden any trace of what had happened, yet on reflection I should have been able to read between the words to work it out.
This story is extremely original and captures the innocence of first love, which can overcome the issues of life that are thrown in its pathway . It shows you that occasionally little white lies can actually make things better for the one you love. The author is very good at evoking your emotions, so that you instantly feel involved in the lives of the characters. By the end of the book, I felt content in the knowledge that all would be well in their lives. I really loved reading this book and look forward to many more by this author.
As you can see from the fabulous poster above, Caroline Lawrence's UK blog tour to celebrate the release of the Western Mysteries series begins on the 1st June. Caroline will be stopping by on my blog on the 6th June to tell us about the five favourite places she likes to write.
The book looks fantastic and has me reaching for my stetson! I will be reviewing it very soon.
Pages - 358
Copy - My own.
Published by Piatkus in 2010
Opening lines Dearest Tess, I'd do anything to be with you , right now, right this moment, so I could hold your hand, look at your face, listen to your voice. How can touching and seeing and hearing - all those sensory receptors and optic nerves and vibrating eardrums - be substituted by a letter? But we have managed to us words as go-betweens before, haven't we?
Beatrice gets the first flight back to England after a frantic call from her mother to inform her that her younger sister Tess has gone missing. From the moment she begins to learn about what happened to Tess, she realises that the story she is being told isn't the truth. Can she uncover the truth, before she puts her own life at risk.
Whoa, what a book! If this is Rosamund Lupton's debut novel, I can't wait for the next one.
I have been really careful not to reveal anything of the plot in this post, because I honestly don't want to spoil it for you. The book is best served cold, with no prior knowledge, so do not read reviews that may contain spoilers!
I have had this book on my shelf for ages and kept meaning to read it. I only decided to pick it up after realising the author was about to bring out her second novel and now I am so glad I did. This book was AMAZING! This book BLEW MY MIND! Psychological thrillers have never really been my genre, but I have definitely changed my mind since reading this book.
The plot is slowly unravelled, like a long game of Pass the Parcel, where a treat falls out with every layer of wrapping. Every few pages you get a hint of something sinister; each plot twist leaving you gasping for more. I could not this book down. I was desperate to find out what had happened by the end. And what an ending! Not in a million years would I have guessed that the story would come to a close in such a way. The story moves along at a steady pace, finding you desperate to ride the train all the way until the end of the line.
The characters felt very real and quite quickly you find yourself lost in their lives, desperate to find the answers to not only Tess's disappearance, but also to Beatrice's own issues. By writing in first person in a letter format to her sister, Beatrice pours her heart out onto the pages as she intertwines each thread of her sister's life to find out what happened to her. Her love for her sister will leave you emotionally spent. You realise the lengths that love will take you in order to find the truth.
Whilst reading this book, I felt like I had been absorbed into a second skin, as most of thoughts seemed to dwell on which direction Beatrice would take to find out the truth. Even now, a week after reading it, I am finding it hard to let the story go. I want more! I may have to petition Piatkus to beg Rosamund Lupton to write two books a year at least, to keep me satisfied.
This is a an evocative,poignant mind blowing pyschological thriller that deserves a whole weekend reading reservation just to lose yourself in it!
Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.
**********
I attended my book club last Thursday evening where we discussed our previous book choice, Assagai by Wilbur Smith; unfortunately I never got to finish this book, but hope to come back to it at some point. Who ever hosts the event has to provide the choice of books for the following month. Sally was our host this month and the event was held at a local restaurant where we had desserts whilst discussing the book. I was quite happy to dive into a bowl of Eton Mess!
Sally chose a selection of books written by authors who have lived in Sussex. We all voted for the next book and chose - Twilight by Peter James.
Has anyone read this or any other Peter James book?
***********
Have you visited the new blog just for girls. This blog is aimed at girls from 8 years old and onwards and features some of Great Britain's best authors. The authors involved include Luisa Plaja, Keris Stainton, Susie Day, Liz Kessler and many many more.
Every day a different author writes a post. Click here if you would like to visit the site.
***********
Some of you have commented on the lack of Life As We Know It posts lately. Well I have to apologise profusely, but I am so busy writing that I haven't been able to find the time to write them. They do take a lot of work and I figured it might be more productive to save up all my humorous pieces to put into my present plot. I hope you all don't mind, but if it means I finally finish writing a book, then there will be a much bigger post to read in the end!
************
I was browsing through the Guardian online and found two treats for you. The following two ladies are fabulous authors and both have featured on my regular feature The Big Break. Here they are giving their advice on good books to read.
***********
I have been coveting Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck for some time now and I was lucky enough to be sent a copy this week. I thought I would share with you the trailer I found for the book. Enjoy!
All the event pictures in this post are thanks to the lovely Sarah, who has kindly allowed me to use them.
Here are Michelle and Sarah standing outside the huge offices of Headline which had a glass lift on the outside of the building, which as it rises gives you a panoramic view of London. Not that I saw it, as I had my eyes shut and was clinging to the poor lady in front of me, as my vertigo kicked into gear.
The blogger party began with a showcase of the books that Headline presently publish (some of which I will show you later in this post). We then took part in a quiz followed by a chat with the authors. I got to finally meet one of my favourite authors, Jenna Burtenshaw, who wrote the Wintercraft series. If you haven't read the two books already available in this series, then I strongly suggest you do. I also got to spend time with the lovely ladies, Sarah and Liz from My Favourite Books, as well as Carolyn and Laura from Book Chick City.
I also got to meet Maura and Sam, the lovely ladies from Headline who organised the event and helped to feed my book addiction.
The Headline Showcase amazed me, because I didn't realise the vast variety of books they published.
Here are a few of the books they showed us that I am really excited to read.
I have been coveting this book for quite some time, so to get a copy of it made my month!
Goodreads Summary
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.
Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
Cathy Brett is a brilliant illustrator and actually drew some caricatures of the the bloggers during the event. This book really shows her artistic brilliance.
Goodreads Summary
You're dead Scarlett...Previously a poor taste jibe from school enemies, now a statement of fact. Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself while trying to get out of a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her. Life as a ghost is pretty dull - if only some of her friends were dead too...
This book deals with the relationship between identical twins. How could I resist? Julia did say to me that she hoped she had got it right with her twins in the book.
Goodreads Summary
Liza Haven couldn’t wait to escape the small village where she grew up with her perfect identical twin sister, Lee. Her life in LA as a stunt woman is reckless, fast and free – and that’s just the way she likes it. But when a near-fatal mistake drives her home, she finds Lee gone and everyone in the village mistaking her for her twin sister. Liza has to deal with her ailing mother, the family ice cream business, and Lee’s dangerously attractive boyfriend. Liza’s always been the bad twin, but as she struggles to keep up the masquerade and puzzle out where her sister has gone, she realises it’s not so simple. She’s spent her whole life getting away with it – is it finally time to face up to who she really is and where she really belongs?
I have read such rave reviews about this book, so I was really excited to get hold of a copy.
Goodreads Summary
A dark, juicy, deliciously unsettling, read-it-in-one-sitting psychological drama.
Rose has it all - the gorgeous children, the husband, the beautiful home. But then her best friend Polly comes to stay. Very soon, Rose's cosy world starts to fall apart at the seams - her baby falls dangerously ill, her husband is distracted - is Polly behind it all? It appears that once you invite Polly into your home, it's very difficult to get her out again..
I haven't read any of Jill's book, but I am aware that she has written quite a few. She was really lovely and down to earth and had the most loveliest sparkly flip flops.
Goodreads Summary
When Ellie Kendall tragically loses her husband she feels her life is over. But eventually she’s ready for a new start – at work, that is. She doesn’t need a new man when she has a certain secret visitor to keep her company...
Zack McLaren seems to have it all, but the girl he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him a second glance. If only she’d pay him the same attention she lavishes on his dog.
Moving to North London, Ellie meets neighbour Roo who has a secret of her own. Can the girls sort out their lives? Guilt is a powerful emotion, but a lot can happen in a year in Primrose Hill..
This book won't be out until September, but it really has me curious.
Goodreads Summary
BexBex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?
*Headline also have a new dystopian novel due out in February 2012 called Pure - and that is all I can tell you. Apart from the fact that I think it might just blow your mind!*
So there you are, some of the wonderful books presently on offer from Headline. Which ones are you interested in?
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick Cityand runs every Saturday. It's where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.
*******************
After reading the guest post by the author on BookCityChick this week, it has made me want the book more. The fact that the story is based on an old Essex folk song, has me intrigued. BookCityChick has five copies of this book to giveaway, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Published by Random House Children's Books.
Goodreads Summary
A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge. Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss ...When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has re awoken an evil that has lain waiting for years. A haunting voice in an empty room ...A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ...A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church ...Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi. Intensely atmospheric and truly compelling, this is a stunning debut.
*********************
Published by Bloomsbury on the 4th July.
I am tempted to camp outside their offices and bribe them with cupcakes!
Goodreads Summary.
Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?
************************
Published on the 4th August by Piatkus Books.
I just have to have it!
Goodreads Summary
Susannah Leyton has grown up behind the counter of her father's apothecary shop, surrounded by the resinous scents of lavender, rosemary, liquorice and turpentine. More learned than any apprentice, she concocts soothing medicines and ointments with great skill. Content with her life, Susannah is shocked when her widowed father announces his intentions to marry again, and later becomes caught in a battle of wills with her new step-mother. When she receives a proposal of marriage from handsome and charming merchant Henry Savage, she believes her prayers have been answered and resolves to be a good wife to him. But Henry is a complex and troubled man, haunted by his memories of growing up in Barbados. As the plague sweeps through the city, tragedy strikes, and the secrets of Henry's past begin to unfold .
