Left on the Shelf
My reading journey
Friday 26 April 2024
A Splendid Defiance by Stella Riley - #blogtour #excerpt
Thursday 25 April 2024
10 Ten Exciting New Book Releases in May 2024
In my small corner of the world there is a carpet of bluebells. In fact, I have a few growing in the garden. They come up every year and fill me with joy. However, this year, the puppy seems rather keen on rolling about in them so I am constantly behind her shooing her off.
Both puppy and the spring make me happy... as do shiny new books to read. Here are ten new releases that I am looking forward to getting my hands on.
Goyhood by Reuven Fenton
When Mayer (née Marty) Belkin fled small-town Georgia for Brooklyn nearly thirty years ago, he thought he'd left his wasted youth behind. Now he's a Talmud scholar married into one of the greatest rabbinical families in the world - a dirt-poor country boy reinvented in the image of God.
But his mother's untimely death brings a shocking revelation: Mayer and his ne'er-do-well twin brother David aren't, in fact, Jewish. Traumatized and spiritually bereft, Mayer's only recourse is to convert to Judaism. But the earliest date he can get is a week from now. What are two estranged brothers to do in the interim?
So begins the Belkins' Rumspringa through America's Deep South with Mom's ashes in tow, plus two tagalongs: an insightful Instagram influencer named Charlayne Valentine and Popeye, a one-eyed dog. As the crew gets tangled up in a series of increasingly surreal adventures, Mayer grapples with a God who betrayed him and an emotionally withdrawn wife in Brooklyn who has yet to learn her husband is a counterfeit Jew.
The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton
In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gave birth to an illegitimate child. The infant, a girl, was swiftly bundled up and handed to a local peasant family to be brought up in one of the hamlets surrounding the Castle. Many years later, 15-year-old Boróka reluctantly leaves the safety of the only home she has ever known in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Trusted members of the countess's household have been sent out to gather new serving girls, and the kindly old man who has taken care of Boróka for almost all her life knows that it is dangerous to turn them away.
Boróka struggles to find her place at Cachtice Castle: she is frightened of the countess's reputation as an alleged murderer of young girls, and the women who run the castle are terrifyingly cruel. When plague comes into the heart of the castle, a tentative bond begins to form between Boróka and the Countess Báthory. But powerful forces are moving against a woman whose wealth poses such a threat to the king: can the countess really trust the women who are so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous 'Blood Countess' where will Boróka's loyalties lie?
Threadbare by Jane Loeb Rubin
Threadbare recounts the story of an innocent but tenacious young girl who chooses marriage to Abe, a lonely widower, rather than follow her farming community north as urban development transforms rural Harlem. Convinced Abe will help her attend high school on the Lower East Side, she faces a rude awakening to the filth and disease of the tenements. Through the following decades, Tillie turns her energy and intelligence to partnering with Abe as he builds a thriving button business while she and her neighbor Sadie launch a unique garment company. Pushing back against anti-Semitic Victorian values dominating the time, she acquires wealth only to have her life upended by a devastating, unforeseen challenge.
Identity by Nora Roberts
Morgan Albright dreams of owning her own bar one day but she's bartending for now - working hard, saving money. Life is hectic but she loves sharing a house with her best friend, Nina, and she is even finding time to date for the first time in what feels like forever.
When a seemingly random attack turns Morgan's life upside down, she must leave the city to return to her family home. She hopes that moving back to a small town where she can feel safe will help her to put the horror of that day behind her but, as Morgan soon discovers, sometimes your past just doesn't want to let you go...
The Happy Hour by Cressida McLaughlin
Jess is happy working in Greenwich market selling trinkets to well-heeled locals and excitable tourists.
Then one Sunday, Jess is thrown together with handsome, funny Ash, as they chase a pickpocket through the market, and before long they are making a habit of running into each other at the same time each week.
Jess starts to realize that their hour together is the brightest part of her life. But Ash isn’t telling her everything – can she discover the truth before it’s too late?
The Peasenhall Murder by Neil. R. Norman
Old Girls Behaving Badly by Kate Galley
Wednesday 24 April 2024
The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher - #bookreview #blogtour
Four weeks ago, a man died. He fell - out in the wildest part of the grounds where the nettles are, where ivy and bindweed have climbed up the plinth of an old stone cherub so the cherub can't be seen now...
***
Florence Butterfield has lived an extraordinary life full of travel, passion and adventure. But, at eighty-seven, she suspects there are no more surprises to come her way.
Then, one midsummer's night, something terrible happens - so strange and unexpected that Florrie is suspicious. Was this really an accident, or is she living alongside a would-be murderer?
The only clue is a magenta envelope, discarded earlier that day.
And Florrie - cheerfully independent but often overlooked - is the only person determined to uncover the truth.
As she does, Florrie finds herself looking back on her own life . . . and a long-buried secret, traced in faded scars across her knuckles, becomes ever harder to ignore.
***
Florrie, the main character in this wonderful book, is an octagenarian amputee living in a retirement home. She is also spirited and quick witted, and she is a delightful character to become aquainted with in this novel.
One night Florrie witnesses the apparent suicide of someone at the retirement home. However, she is not as convinced as the police that it should be attributed to suicide. Appearing quiet and unassuming, she and her new friend, Stanhope, investigate what exactly did happen. This becomes a classic did she jump or was she pushed scenario.
There has been a number of books published in the last year or two set within a similar environment. However, compared to some others which I have read this one is much more absorbing than many of those.
It has been well-written and the characters well portrayed. I found the book engrossed me from the very beginning.
The pace of the book is gentle, mirroring the genre and I really liked that. I enjoy books that have a more sedate pace as they provide opportunity to absorb the story and the characters. That said, this is not a slow book and much happens to keep a reader interested.
The mystery running throughout is compelling and at times I worried for Florrie's safety as she continues to investigate.
There are several flashbacks to Florrie's past, and I enjoyed reading her backstory. There are moments of both sadness and humour and the author has created a marvellously well rounded character in Florrie.
The book is a great addition to the cosy crime genre and I highly recommend it.
ISBN: 978 1787637412
Publisher: Bantam
Formats: e-book, audio and hardback
No. of Pages: 448 (hardback)
About the Author:
Susan Fletcher was born in Birmingham and studied English Literature at the University of York.
Whilst taking the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, she began her first novel, Eve Green, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award (2004) and Betty Trask Prize (2005). Since then, Susan has written seven novels - whilst also supplementing her writing through various roles, including as a barperson, a cheesemonger and a warden for an archaeological excavation site near Hadrian's Wall. Most recently, she has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Worcester.
She lives in Warwickshire.
(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)
(all opinions are my own)
Tuesday 23 April 2024
The Falconer's Apprentice by Malve von Hassell - #spotlight #blogtour
I love the sepia tones on the cover of this book. Today I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this historical fiction novel as part of the blog tour.
The Blurb
The Falconer's Apprentice is a story of adventure and intrigue set in the intense social and political unrest of the Holy Roman Empire in the thirteenth century.
“That bird should be destroyed!”
Andreas stared at Ethelbert in shock. Blood from an angry-looking gash on the young lord’s cheek dripped onto his embroidered tunic. Andreas clutched the handles of the basket containing the young peregrine. Perhaps this was a dream—
Andreas, an apprentice falconer at Castle Kragenberg, cannot bear the thought of killing the young female falcon and smuggles her out of the castle. Soon he realizes that his own time there has come to an end, and he stows away, with the bird, in the cart of an itinerant trader, Richard of Brugge.
So begins a series of adventures that lead him from an obscure castle in northern Germany to the farthest reaches of Frederick von Hohenstaufen’s Holy Roman Empire, following a path dictated by the wily trader’s mysterious mission. Andreas continues to improve his falconry skills, but he also learns to pay attention to what is happening around him as he travels through areas fraught with political unrest.
Eventually, Richard confides in Andreas, and they conspire to free Enzio, the eldest of the emperor’s illegitimate sons, from imprisonment in Bologna.
***
ISBN: 978 1737101185
Publisher: Malve von Hassell
Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 214 (paperback)
About the Author:
Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994).
She has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer.
Malve has published two children’s picture books, Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020), and Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2023), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012).
The Falconer’s Apprentice (2015/KDP 2024) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945, as well as a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany, Tapestry of My Mother’s Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences (Next Chapter Publishing, 2021), also available in German, Bildteppich Eines Lebens: Erzählungen Meiner Mutter, Fragmente Und Schweigen (Next Chapter Publishing, 2022), and is working on a historical fiction trilogy featuring Adela of Blois.
(all media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)
(all opinions are my own)
Friday 19 April 2024
Hard Times for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride - #bookreview #blogtour
***
As the war hits London, they’ll band together…
War strikes close to home for chief librarian Cordelia when her flat is bombed, and her beloved Robert is called up and sent abroad. Fortunately, her colleagues Mavis and Jane can help see her through hard times.
The three friends find purpose in making the Silvertown library a friendly sanctuary for their deprived and devastated community. But sinister forces, from callous bureaucrats to crafty criminals, still lurk among the stacks. Worse, Jane’s soldier husband is injured and suffers both physically and mentally.
With so many struggles Cordelia and her friends might need more than books to survive war's shadow. Can they find light in the darkness?
A captivating tale of resilience and determination, perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Elaine Roberts and Lesley Eames.
***
Last year I read the first book in this series, The Library Girls of the East End, and if you would like to read my review please click here. I enjoyed that book very much, so I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to read the next book in the series for a blog tour.
I enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time with the three main characters, Cordelia, Jane and Mavis. Their personalities are developed further in this book, and by the time I had finished reading it I definitely felt as though these three women were my friends.
They are all employed by the library and are alone with their men away at war. In this book, we meet a new library volunteer, conscientious objector, Tom, as well as a range of visitors, each of who have something to add to the colour of the story.
The library is also to be used as an IIP centre by the Red Cross, where people can come to look for their missing friends and relatives. In addition, they set up a quilting group to enable those who have lost or are lonely to come together to talk, share and to produce a quilt dedicated to those they have loved. The library becomes the real heart of the community.
The author is a great story teller and has the skill to bring her characters alive on the page. She is also accomplished at creating a setting which is completely believable. It is a very engaging story with much to commend it and demonstrates the importance of friendship and community. I highly recommend it.
Although this book is the second in a series, it would work equally well as a stand alone novel.
ISBN: 978 1835180105
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Formats: e-books, audio, hardback and paperback
No. of Pages: 264 (paperback)
About the Author:
(ARC and all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own)
Thursday 18 April 2024
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller - #publicationday #spotlight
The Blurb
Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget ...
Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. Too proud and stubborn to admit she is lonely, Birdie’s world has shrunk. But then some new neighbours move in to the house next door.
Jane has come to Brighton for a fresh start, away from her ferociously protective mother Min. While Jane finds it hard to stand up for herself, her daughter Frankie has no problem telling people what she does and doesn’t want. Ada Kowalski has come to England to follow her dreams, but her new life is harder than she expected.
When a series of incidents brings their lives crashing together, the three find that there is always more to a person than meets the eye …
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing celebrates relationships in all their quirky, complicated uniqueness. It is a story about the choices we make and how we justify them. About finding out who we are, not who other people think we should be.
ISBN: 978 0857527257
Publisher: Doubleday
Formats: e-book and hardback
No. of Pages: 352
About the Author:
(author media courtesy of Curtis Brown)
(all opinions are my own)
Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis - #publicationday #spotlight
The Blurb
Paris, 1866. When Baroness Sylvie Devereux receives a house-call from Charlotte Mothe, the sister she disowned, she fears her shady past as a spirit medium has caught up with her. But with their father ill and Charlotte unable to pay his bills, Sylvie is persuaded into one last con.
Their marks are the de Jacquinots: dysfunctional aristocrats who believe they are haunted by their great aunt, brutally murdered during the French Revolution.
Sylvie and Charlotte will need to deploy every trick to terrify the family out of their gold – until they experience inexplicable horrors themselves.
The sisters start to question if they really are at the mercy of a vengeful spirit. And what other deep, dark secrets threaten to come to light...?
Spitting Gold is a darkly atmospheric and propulsive historical debut that twists and turns, blending gothic mystery with a captivating sapphic romance.
ISBN: 978 0857529466
Publisher: Doubleday
Formats: e-book, audio and hardback
No. of Pages: 336 (hardback)
About the Author:
Carmella Lowkis grew up in Wiltshire and has a degree in English literature and Creative Writing from the University of Warwick.
After graduating, she worked for some years in public and academic libraries, before moving into book marketing. She is currently a Brand Executive at Vintage, Penguin Random House, and lives in North London.
Her debut novel, Spitting Gold, is set in 19th century Paris and follows two estranged sisters – formerly celebrated (and fraudulent) spirit mediums – as they come back together for one last con.
(author media courtesy of Mushens Entertainment)
(all opinions are my own)