‘Keeper’ by Jessica Moor

In all the excitement of setting up my blog and all the new releases, I feel that I’ve not shared my reviews on some absolutely outstanding (but slightly older) books.

This book was released in March 2020 and was one of my five star ARCs of 2019.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this, but wow! This is a well-written and pacy thriller that will not be forgotten easily. It’s shocking, sad, tragic…but more than anything made me feel so angry. Just as the writer intended, I think.

The story begins with the body of a young woman, Katie Straw, being recovered from a river in a small town somewhere outside Manchester. The police recognise that it’s probably a suicide, but they just need to check out a few things to close the case. The narrative then splits between the investigation in the ‘Now’ sections of the book and Katie’s life leading up to her death (‘Then’). In this strand, a much darker theme of domestic abuse rears its head and the novel becomes almost unbearable in its inevitability.

However, this is so much more than your average thriller. It is unflinching and quite unsettling in its portrayal of the trauma suffered by the women in the novel. The women’s refuge featured is at once a safe space but also precarious and underfunded. The women residents are flawed and realistic, their decisions often poor and their thinking blurred by their suffering.

It made me angry, I think, because it was so believable; this does happen every day and the statistics about women being killed by their domestic partners speak for themselves. But how do you help or understand women who repeatedly return to or excuse their abusers?

I raced through this book and recommend it highly. It will make you absolutely furious that this happens, but it’s a clever and an engaging read too and recognises some important issues. It’s much darker than my usual reads, but I am so glad I chose it give it a try.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you would like your own copy of ‘Keeper’, please use my affiliate link below. This supports my blog at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Sydney Sims for sharing their work on Unsplash.

A Sneak Peek at my NetGalley Shelf

I’ve been a member of NetGalley for years, although I really started reviewing in earnest in 2016. Since then, I’ve reviewed over 330 books for the site and my current feedback rating is at 79%.

This doesn’t take a genius mathematician to work out that there are a fair few books on my shelf still to review!

Today, I thought I’d let you have a quick look at some of what is on my shelf and (therefore) a sneaky look at what may well feature on the blog in coming months.

  1. ‘The Whole Truth’ by Cara Hunter – I have loved the rest of the DI Fawley police procedurals by Hunter so was very excited to get the widget for this one! Not published until February 2021, it is an honour to get this advance copy.
  2. ‘The Mitford Trial’ by Jessica Fellowes – another series that I’ve followed since the beginning, these books are historical murder mysteries that feature the lives of the Mitford sisters. This latest one looks brilliant as it is based on a real-life murder. To be published in November.
  3. ‘The Unforgetting’ by Rose Black – this looks like a glorious historical novel in the same vein as those by Laura Purcell. It is out now and I really need to read it!
  4. ‘Between the Covers’ by Jilly Cooper – I love Jilly Cooper and so jumped at the opportunity to read this collection of her musings on life, love and ageing. This is coming out in October.
  5. ‘The Secret Life of the Savoy’ by Olivia Williams – this promises glitz and glamour and some fascinating history. It’s out now.
  6. ‘The Shape of Darkness’ by Laura Purcell – I’ve loved all of Purcell’s books and was so excited to get this ARC! It isn’t out until January 2021 but it is edging up my TBR as I am so keen to read it.
  7. ‘It Takes Two’ by Cathy Newman – I liked Newman’s previous book, ‘Bloody Brilliant Woman’ so jumped at the opportunity to read this account of couples who have made history.

So there you go! 7 books that are at the forefront of my NetGalley shelf. There’s plenty of others and I’m doing my absolute best to get my feedback rating above 80%. I just need to stop requesting now…

Header photo with thanks to Susan Yin for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 23rd September, 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for everyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Affiliate links are provided for books already published. Thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

What are you currently reading?

I had to put them on hold to meet blog tour obligations, but I’ve returned to ‘A Tomb with a View’ by Peter Ross and ‘More than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran. Both are proving compelling and I am now racing through them!

What have you recently finished reading?

I finally finished ‘Unto this Last’ by Rebecca Lipkin that I was reading for a blog tour – my review will be up on Saturday so watch this space! This huge and meticulously-researched novel about artist and critic John Ruskin is a treat for anyone who loves all things Victorian.

I have just finished reading Dawn O’Porter’s new non-fiction book about her experiences of lockdown during the early part of 2020. This is due to be released on 1st October and my review can be found here.

I also read (as a buddy read with the lovely Jodie @relish_books) ‘Good Samaritans’ by Will Carver, a dark and twisty murder mystery. It is the first of (so far) three books featuring Detective Sergeant Pace and I’ve seen lots of praise for this series on Twitter. I found it engaging and fast paced, but I also thought it was perhaps a bit too dark and depressing for me – no-one comes out of it well!

What do you think you will read next?

I really want to read some more fiction as a lot of my recent choices have been non-fiction (or fiction based on real life events).

I’m planning on reading ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ by Philip Bowne for a blog tour on October – this debut book looks absolutely brilliant and I’m looking forward to the promised humour after the bleakness of ‘Good Samaritans’!

I also have a blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdorrir. This one looks like an intriguing slice of Nordic Noir and I love the premise – a body found in a lighthouse and an investigation that uncovers a community’s well-hidden secrets.

My NetGalley shelf is (as usual) overflowing so I still have some lovely options there too – the 2021 Laura Purcell release (‘The Shape of Darkness’), the next Stuart Turton book (‘The Devil and the Dark Water’) and the latest in Cara Hunter’s excellent DI Fawley series (‘The Whole Truth’) are also vying for my attention!

As usual, thanks to NetGalley and blog tour hosts for keeping me in excellent books! All opinions are entirely my own.

Header photo with thanks to Sincerely Media for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Life in Pieces’ by Dawn O’Porter

This book, to be published on 1st October, is a non-fiction journal of the lockdown period in spring/summer 2020 by the journalist, writer and television presenter, Dawn O’Porter.

I really like Dawn O’Porter. Having watched several of her documentaries and read a couple of her novels, I’d say I was pretty much sold on her work and so was very much looking forward to reading this book, a diary of her lockdown experiences. She lives in LA with her actor husband and two small sons so I was fairly confident that her experiences of lockdown wouldn’t be anything like mine!

Saying that though, O’Porter’s experiences are pretty relatable for anyone who has lived with small children. The potty training, the sleep deprivation, the repetitive questions about favourite dinosaurs…I think most people would recognise something there! Add into this pet ownership, navigating the weird new world of lockdown, preparing for a house move, cooking, and the ups and downs of marriage and I expect that something in this book will strike a chord with everyone.

Other reviewers have mentioned that it is a bit soon to be reading about lockdown. As we seem poised on the edge of a second wave of coronavirus, I can totally understand that this book might be a bit too much for some people. As it was, I didn’t particularly focus on the lockdown theme as O’Porter writes engagingly about things not connected to the virus.

Yes, it was lockdown that meant she had to spend more time with her kids, but the anecdotes about family life are funny and entertaining. Indeed, there’s plenty here that’s not corona-themed, such as O’Porter’s grief about the death of her friend, Caroline Flack, or her musings on the death of George Floyd from the centre of LA’s protest-zone (where she lives).

At its best, this book is hilarious and fresh – a funny and lively take on a time that challenged most of us. However, for me, the political elements of the book were slightly less successful and a bit discordant after the candid, confessional style of the rest. It was interesting to hear O’Porter’s views on racism and anti-racism, but it did move the book from something fairly light and entertaining to something more didactic, which wasn’t really what I was after.

Overall. if you like Dawn O’Porter’s writing then there is a lot you will like here. Some of the things she writes about are relatable, some are a bit banal and some are a bit odd (she lost me at the crystals). Some things are very funny and others sad. What isn’t in doubt is O’Porter’s ability to entertain with her writing and it is for this reason that I’d recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to pre-order this book (released 1st October), please use my affiliate link below – I’ll earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Header photo with thanks to engin akyurt for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Dear Reader’ by Cathy Rentzenbrink

This lovely book is out this week – it really is one to savour and return to repeatedly!

I love books and I love books about books! This one is partially a series of book recommendations, part autobiography of Rentzenbrink’s life around books and part meditation on the function of books in our lives.

Rentzenbrink intersperses elements of her own life story with discussion of the books that helped her to get through or make sense of it all. Some of that life story is sad, especially the event of her brother’s death which became the focus of her own book. However, it’s also uplifting as she finds meaning and support and inspiration from the pages of the books she reads which, ultimately, sees her rising through the ranks at Waterstone’s and into a writing career.

The books she discusses are varied and interesting, from the childhood comfort of an Enid Blyton book to the Julian Barnes books that inspired her to take a new path in life.

Overall, if you love reading then there is much to enjoy here. Reminders of books that you have read and enjoyed. An interesting autobiography. Recommendations on books by genre. Lots of bits that will make you nod in recognition. The sense that you have found one of your book tribe! Personally, I found this a comforting and engaging read that made me reflect on the books in my own life.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like your own copy of this, please use the link below – it is an affiliate link so I may receive commission at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Aung Soe Min for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Just Like You’ by Nick Hornby

Released this week – a new book from Nick Hornby is always an event in my diary!

I feel like I should declare my love of Nick Hornby books at the start of this review – I usually love the dialogue and the insight into people and the humour of Hornby’s writing. Indeed, ‘High Fidelity’ is up there with my absolute favourite novels and I think I’ve read pretty much all his work.

This book had so much promise – essentially an age gap romance between a 42 year-old white woman (Lucy) and a 22 year-old black man (Joseph) set against the Brexit referendum. There’s loads of scope for exploration of people’s attitudes to race, class, age, 21st century British society…so far, so good!

And indeed, a lot of this is delivered upon very well by Hornby – he perfectly captures, for example, the rage caused by Brexit on both sides of the Leave/Remain debate. Lucy’s job as a teacher also struck a chord with me as reflecting my own life.

However, it’s not a perfect novel. While it’s enjoyable and interesting, it doesn’t quite hit the spot for a romance as it’s too messy and makes you wonder what the appeal is in the relationship, especially for Lucy who tolerates some pretty poor behaviour from Joseph. It felt a bit more like social commentary than a fully absorbing novel in places.

Overall, I would say this is an engaging and light read with some interesting points about British culture in the age of Brexit and Black Lives Matter. Whether it works as a romance is more up for debate – it didn’t for me. If you like Hornby’s writing (as I do) then you’ll probably like this, but for everyone else then I’d start with ‘High Fidelity’ or ‘About a Boy’ as Hornby’s real masterpieces.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can buy this book using the link below – I may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Jude Beck for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘And Now For The Good News’ by Ruby Wax

I really like Ruby Wax and – to be honest – felt like I needed to read some good news in 2020, so this seemed like a good book for me right now.

This book is packed with ‘good news’ – ways in which humanity is making steps forward in various fields that are often unreported by the doom-and-gloom mass media.

It was really heartening to read of some really positive projects and people really making a difference, from a global project setting up ecovillages to those individuals helping refugees on the front line in camps in Greece. There are some really worrying and harrowing stories alongside the cheeriness – it is useful (but sad) to see the extent of the problem before Wax shows us the people and projects trying to fix the issues.

Wax also looks at technological advances and the ways in which businesses are embracing more sustainable models and developments in education so that schools become more than exam factories. In order to do all this, she travels widely and meets lots of interesting people. This all makes for engaging reading as Wax relates all this with her trademark humour and self-deprecation.

One of the slightly odder things about the book is that it was written pre-pandemic so it doesn’t grapple with that at all. However, Wax has added some footnotes and a little bit of an introduction to explain this so it is not a problem – just strange to read the optimism with the hindsight of what has actually happened!

All in all, this is an uplifting and hopeful book and one that I would recommend to anyone who feels that the world is headed in the wrong direction. I can’t quite embrace the mindfulness that Wax endorses so enthusiastically, but I’m totally on board with all the other messages in this engaging and positive book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Jon Tyson for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Their Silent Graves’ by Carla Kovach

Happy publication day to this excellent police procedural!

This is the seventh book in the DI Gina Harte series and it is one of the best. I picked up the series at Book 3 and am never disappointed with any of the novels, but this book is excellent – just the right mix of tension and terror!

This one really isn’t ideal for the claustrophobic – a killer is on the loose in Cleevesford who is burying people alive in coffins. The victims are left with three matches and a string attached to a bell with no clapper so the victim will never be heard while thinking they have a lifeline – fiendish! It’s a terrifying idea and one that DI Gina Harte is personally horrified by as it reminds her of being incarcerated during her abusive marriage to Terry, mentioned in previous books. When a second body is found, Harte and her team have to race against time to identify the links between the victims; this will, ultimately, lead to more potential victims that need protecting, as well as the killer themselves.

What makes this book stand out for me is the way that Cleevesford is starting to feel like a familiar and developed community – Harte’s team, the various locations and the geography of the town are all coming together in my head and becoming much more real. This is especially true in this book as the settings are perhaps more varied than previously – we whisk between the police station, the graveyard, woods and plenty of other places (no spoilers!) with real pace and purpose.

The other strength to this novel is the tension that Kovach creates as we experience the terror of the serial killer’s victims (and Harte herself). This isn’t new to the series, but seems ramped up here as victims have time to realise their fate before their death. This is truly sinister and creepy and the stuff of nightmares – perfect for a novel written about Halloween and during our shared confinement of lockdown.

I think this book could easily be read as a standalone, although I’d really recommend that you start at the beginning to fully understand Harte’s situation with her abusive husband and tentative relationship with her colleague Briggs. However, this is one book in the series where the personal lives of the police team are more in the background than some of the previous books so it’s not essential.

Overall, this is a strong police procedural with real menace. I’d recommend this to fans of crime writers such as Cara Hunter, Rachel Lynch and MJ Arlidge. It will keep you turning the pages and isn’t one you will forget for quite a while!

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to David Menidrey for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 16th September 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for everyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Affiliate links are provided for books already available – I may earn commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

What are you currently reading?

I’ll admit that I’m still reading ‘Unto This Last’, the fictionalised biography of John Ruskin, for a blog tour later in the month. The length of the novel and the complexity of the writing mean that I’m slowing and savouring this one!

I’ve just started my buddy read with the lovely Jodie at Relish Books – we are tackling ‘Good Samaritans’ by Will Carver. It’s early days but all good so far.

What have you recently finished reading?

I’ve just read Gill Sims’ latest book in her ‘What Mummy’ series – this one, the fourth and last – is called ‘Why Mummy’s Sloshed’ and follows Sims’ protagonist Ellen through the parenthood highs and lows of having teenage children. My review will be on the blog nearer to publication date (1st October) but it is – delightfully and hilariously – more of the realistic and relatable views of parenting we have come to expect from Sims.

I’ve also just finished Ruby Wax’s ‘And Now For the Good News’, an uplifting non-fiction book about the things that humanity is getting right – something I really needed to hear about! The review will follow on the blog nearer to the publication date next week.

Finally, I finished an audiobook by Adam Rutherford called ‘The Book of Humans’. It is a really interesting analysis of how humans differ (or perhaps don’t!) from other animals. I also love Adam Rutherford’s voice and could probably listen to him read the phone book so all was good!

What do you think you will read next?

I am absolutely never accurate with this because new things arrive and bump everything else down the TBR!

I’m still very excited to read some of the line-up of ARCs I’ve got on NetGalley, although I’m trying to prioritise in order of publication. I’m keen to read Stuart Turton’s ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’, Laura Purcell’s ‘The Shape of Darkness’ and Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith (based on the narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’).

I’ve also just received this glorious-looking book, ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ by Philip Bowne for a blog tour in October that is just calling out to be read! It’s a debut novel that’s already won a Spotlight First Novel prize and I am looking forward to it. It will be published on 24th September.

My non-fiction TBR is also looking huge and precarious! Jilly Cooper’s ‘Between the Covers’ (ARC), Dawn O’Porter’s ‘Life in Pieces’ (ARC) and Olivia Williams’ ‘The Secret Life of the Savoy’ are all clamouring for my attention!

I received these books (apart from the Will Carver and Adam Rutherford ones) from NetGalley or a blog tour company in return for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Robert Anasch for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Review: September’s ‘Books that Matter’ subscription box

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been a subscriber to the Books that Matter feminist book box for a few months.

Although I do generally like the books (more hits than misses so far), I was weighing up whether to continue with the subscription at £20 a month (including postage) as a lot of the things included were posters and leaflets that I didn’t really have much use for.

Has this month’s box changed my mind…?

My Review

This is a great box from Books that Matter!

Despite the usual gripes about the packaging (the outer box always looks squashed and a bit worse for wear), the contents were beautifully packed and put together.

The theme this month is ‘Strong Female Lead’ as a collaboration with Penguin Books whose distinctive design elements are evident throughout the box contents.

This month, the box contained:

  • ‘The Bastard of Istanbul’ by Elif Shafak
  • A wax melt from The Good Aura Company
  • Three pencils with slogans on (Strong Female Lead, Writer of My Own Story and I was not made to be subtle)
  • A Bird and Blend ‘fruit salad’ tea bag
  • A little Penguin book/leaflet containing an essay by Elif Shafak on sisterhood, family and strength
  • Two Penguin bookmarks
  • Three @cocoroses.uk art/slogan cards
  • A Books that Matter booklet about the box contents and contributors

Firstly, I’m really pleased with the book – I saw Elif Shafak interviewed at the Hay Festival a few years ago and have meant to investigate her work for quite a while. This book, about an extended Turkish family, looks excellent and I love the ‘bonus’ book containing an essay by the same writer.

The wax melt smells a bit sweet for my personal taste, but my daughter loves it so it has found a happy home.

I love the pencils – they look so smart and sassy!

I’ll absolutely use the tea bag, bookmarks and have already enjoyed a flick through the Books that Matter booklet. The art cards are pretty and – while I can’t immediately think what to do with them – appreciated.

Overall, this is a fabulous month for Books that Matter and I’ll definitely stick with my subscription.