Thanks to Milly Reid at Quercus for inviting me onto the blog blast for ‘Tell Me Everything’ by Laura Kay which publishes TODAY!
Thanks to Quercus too for my proof of this quirky and uplifting book – as always, opinions are entirely my own.
Continue reading Blog Blast: ‘Tell Me Everything’ by Laura KayWelcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Love that Dares’, a collection of letters by LGBTQ+ writers throughout the ages.
Thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me on to the tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was published on 27th January 2022 by Ilex Press.
I’m really sorry that I let this one sit on my NetGalley shelf for so long! Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story opens in 1980 with the chance meeting of two women on Hampstead Common. Elise Morceau is young and naive and immedialtely falls under the spell of Constance Holden. Connie is older, already a successful writer and confident in ways Elise isn’t. When Connie’s book gets made into a Hollywood film, Elise accompanies her to Los Angeles and the pair fall into a glamorous party lifestyle.
This 1980s story – essentially of the relationship between the two women – is interspersed with a present day story in which Rose Simmonds is looking for her mother. When she learns that Connie was part of her mother’s life, she decides to ask some difficult questions of the writer – now in her 70s and a recluse…
Continue reading (Audio)Book Review: ‘The Confession’ by Jessie BurtonWelcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Hotel Portofino’ by J P O’Connell.
Thanks to Random Things Tours and Simon and Schuster for inviting me on the tour and for the copy of the the book in exchange for an honest review.
I love Jilly Cooper – her Rutshire Chronicles were pretty much my constant companions throughout my teens and twenties – and was so pleased to be granted access to read this collection of her journalism. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book features a selection of Cooper’s journalism covering the period she wrote columns for The Times (roughly from the end of the 1960s to the early 1980s). As expected from Cooper, it features meditations on sex – the raunchy nature of her fiction books is well-known – but also mid-life, family, pets, domesticity, relationships and plenty more. It is also packed with humour – there’s lots of self-deprecation, witty turns of phrase, puns and plenty of Cooper’s ability to see the ridiculous in situations.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘Between the Covers’ by Jilly CooperI love historical fiction, am utterly intrigued by the Arctic as a setting for a novel and am totally sold on duel timeline stories. It was clear before I even opened this book that it would tick a lot of boxes for me.
I just didn’t appreciate quite how many.
I loved everything about this book – the setting, the time periods, the gorgeous descriptive language, the characters, the mystery. Everything!
Continue reading Book Review: ‘A Woman Made of Snow’ by Elisabeth GiffordI was contacted by the author to review this novel and she kindly provided my review copy – thank you to Alison Jean Lester for my book, ‘Glide’ coaster and postcard. This has not influenced my review – as always, opinions are my own.
I’ll admit I didn’t fully know what to expect from this novel. I knew it was a study of human relationships, had some psychological drama and also featured photographs alongside the text – all of which intrigued me!
Continue reading Book Review: ‘Glide’ by Alison Jean LesterI love crime novels – especially Agatha Christie’s – so jumped at the chance to read this fictionalised account of the period during 1926 when Christie disappeared for 11 days. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book, to be published in January 2022.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘The Christie Affair’ by Nina de GramontI’ll admit I perhaps didn’t come to this book for the most obvious reason. I didn’t actually know anything about Barbara Pym or her books, but have read and enjoyed several biographies by Paula Byrne and so was keen to read this. I’m grateful to NetGalley and Fourth Estate Books for my copy of her latest book in exchange for an honest review.
Continue reading (Audio)Book Review: ‘The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym’ by Paula ByrneGiven my book obsession (hardly a secret), it is quite rare that I pick up a newly released book in my genres in Waterstones that I haven’t heard of before. This one grabbed my attention (bright orange cover!) and I began idly flicking through it. Within a couple of skimmed lines, I was sold and bought it.
I hadn’t heard of Georgia Pritchett before, although I now feel ashamed to say that given her impressive CV writing for pretty much every comedy show I could think of from ‘Spitting Image’ to ‘Veep’, ‘Have I Got News For You?’ to ‘The Thick of It’.
What grabbed me was just how funny this book is. I’m always on the lookout for books that make me laugh and – as it made me giggle to myself in Waterstones – this one hit the spot in seconds.
Essentially, the book is written as Pritchett’s explanation to her psychiatrist about all the things she is anxious about. This starts from her earliest memories and works in chronological order through her life to date – right through her stellar career and into the struggles she is having that take her to her doctor’s door.
Doesn’t sound immediately hilarious, does it?!
However, the writing is absolutely sublime. Pritchett perfectly skewers thoughts and people and events with such precision that it is just so relatable. This is something I didn’t think would be possible when I compare my life (pottering round in Cheshire) with hers (pottering round the White House with celebrities). Turns out that anxiety is a universal experience – who knew?!
There are some great running jokes – Bob Dylan’s every appearance made me snort with laughter – but there is also real warmth in the descriptions. I loved Pritchett’s Dad (complete with story about how he got his nickname – The Patriarchy), The Moose, The Speck…no-one is called by their actual names and it is like being let in on family in-jokes.
As Pritchett becomes older and immersed in her career, the reader is treated to some lovely anecdotes about celebrities and working on high-profile comedy programmes. It never becomes about name-dropping and there is always Pritchett’s imposter syndrome to contend with – she is self-deprecating to the point of not realising that her achievements are down to her own talent.
That’s not to say that the book doesn’t cover some really serious (and anxiety-inducing) topics. Some of Pritchett’s experiences are heartbreaking, yet there is a matter-of-fact presentation of them and an ability to see humour in the darkest of situations.
I loved this book so much. I raced through it, reading bits to anyone who would listen along the way, and I’m already thinking about a reread! If you love humorous books with bucketloads of warm wit then this is for you. If you have anxiety in any form, the sentiments will all seem so familiar – except narrated by someone really, really funny.
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