I love historical fiction and so jumped at the chance to read this book, set in Edwardian England. Thank you to NetGalley and Annabel Fielding for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, plus the chance to join the blog tour.
Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Lying with Lions’ by Annabel FieldingTag: relationships
‘The Inverts’ by Crystal Jeans
Happy publication day to this unusual tale of gay friendship!
I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, but the 1920s setting and the concept seemed interesting – two childhood friends, Bettina and Bart, decide to marry in order to hide their same-sex preferences from a disapproving world. They hope that marriage will bring them a respectability that will allow them to carry out their love affairs in private.
The story opens in 1921 when Bart and Bettina share a moonlit kiss that convinces both of them that their sexual preferences aren’t for each other! What follows is a story of a marriage that is a giant cover-up – although, to the outside world, it looks conventional and produces children. Instead, Bart becomes involved with a French lover, Etienne, and Bettina conducts her own love affairs. As the pair progress through the 1920s and 1930s and into World War II, neither have any sense of where their deceptions will lead them.
I think I had hoped that this would be a heart-warming tale in which the friendship between Bart and Bettina would mean that they have each others’ backs even through the tough times. It doesn’t exactly play out like this as both characters are spiky and tough so they do seem to spend a lot of the novel either not together or not liking each other – I thought this was a shame as it undermined what I hoped would be a message about the power of friendship. It just isn’t that sort of book!
Instead, it is funny and shocking at times and quite graphic – there’s no cosiness in this version of the past. In fact, it reads as quite modern in the social sensibilities and language used – occasionally jarringly so, but this may be because I am used to more conventional historical fiction. It is also quite sad in places, particularly the framing of the novel in more modern times.
This was definitely a novel that kept me reading – it moves through time and space at speed and there really isn’t a dull moment. I enjoyed the varied settings and the historical backdrop, from Hollywood glitz to the very unglamorous work of the Land Girls of WW2. Although I can’t say I liked either of the lead characters, their story was interesting and thought-provoking.
I’d recommend this to anyone interested in the sexual politics surrounding LGBT issues in the past – it certainly doesn’t hold back on the challenges that people like Bart and Bettina must have faced in a much less permissive society than our own.
If you’d like a copy of this book, please use my Amazon Affiliate link below – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.
Header photo with thanks to Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.
Blog Tour: ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Catherine Alliott
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Catherine Alliott.
This book was published on 4th March by Michael Joseph and I thank the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, plus the invitation to join the tour.
I’ve read a lot of Catherine Alliott’s books, although not so recently, so I thought I knew what I was getting myself into with this one. Absolutely not so!
In this book, Lucy Palmer seems to have it all – a big house in London, a job writing cosy crime novels, a handsome husband and two grown-up children who are both successful in their own ways. However, this is all a facade and Lucy’s marriage is about to end spectacularly and suddenly – and, when is does, she has some work to do in dealing with her past. Leaving London, she goes to care for her elderly and bordering-on-alcoholic parents in the country where she starts to rebuild her life.
This is an altogether darker story than I am used to from Alliott, both in the truth about Lucy’s husband, Michael, and the events surrounding the end of the marriage. It also touches on some poignant issues, especially caring for elderly parents and ageing.
However, everything else I expected from Alliott is also there, so this slightly darker turn works well. It still has elements of humour – I really loved Lucy’s parents and their hectic social life of boozy octogenarian parties, plus the sassy teenage twins who have much more of a finger on the pulse than the adults. There’s also romantic strands to the story, although these aren’t as central as I would have expected given what I’ve read of Alliott’s writing previously. Instead, the love story is quite understated and works really well given Lucy’s situation.
I really loved the family dynamic that is at the heart of this book. Lucy is at the centre of a supportive, if slightly eccentric, family network and this is one of the real strengths of the novel. There’s the ageing parents, growing old disgracefully but still frail, Lucy’s sister (Helena) who absolutely has control of everything except her own children, plus Lucy’s children – the strong and reliable Imo and thoughtful, calm Ned. I especially liked the strong women in the novel – Helena and Imo being my favourites, although there are other surprisingly awesome women (and a few men!) along the way.
Although this was not what I wholly expected when I picked up this book, I’d recommend it. It is certainly less cosy than I was anticipating and includes some difficult issues, not least domestic abuse, but it is an immersive and engaging read. I genuinely struggled to put it down and loved the clever, understated explorations of relationships and dependencies between people.
Blog Tour: ‘Old Bones’ by Helen Kitson
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Old Bones’ by Helen Kitson. This book was published by Louise Walters Books in paperback and e-book in January 2021.
This blog tour was organised by Damp Pebbles.
Book Blurb:
Diana and her sister Antonia are house-sharing spinsters who have never got over their respective first loves. Diana owns a gift shop, but rarely works there. Antonia is unemployed, having lost her teaching job at an all girls’ school following a shocking outburst in the classroom after enduring years of torment. Diana is a regular at the local library, Antonia enjoys her “nice” magazines, and they treat themselves to coffee and cake once a week in the village café.
Naomi lives alone, haunted by the failure of her two marriages. She works in the library, doesn’t get on with her younger colleagues, and rarely cooks herself a proper meal. Secretly she longs for a Boden frock.
When a body is discovered in the local quarry, all three women’s lives are turned upside down. And when Diana’s old flame Gill turns up unexpectedly, tensions finally spill over and threaten to destroy the outwardly peaceful lives all three women have carefully constructed around themselves.
Helen takes us back to the fictional Shropshire village of Morevale in this, her brilliant second novel which exposes the fragilities and strengths of three remarkably unremarkable elderly women.
My Review
This is a bit outside of my usual genres (crime, crime, more crime…and some historical crime!) but I was intrigued by the blurb. I’ve heard so many fabulous things about Louise Walters Books that I was keen to give it a try – many thanks to the author, publisher and Damp Pebbles for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
The novel alternates between the stories of the three main characters – Diana, Antonia and Naomi. All three are older women living in Morevale and share a long history, although aren’t particularly close as friends and confidantes. Diana and Antonia are sisters and share a house (slightly acrimoniously), while Naomi lives alone following two disastrous marriages. When some bones are discovered in a nearby quarry, secrets from the past of all three women start to bubble to the surface.
The real strength of this book is the characterisation of the three women. Although we only hear Diana’s voice in the first person narration (the sections on Antonia and Naomi are told in the third person), the women have very distinct and engaging personalities.
Locked together as they are by their shared past, the women really do come off the page as three women who – in some ways – feel that life has passed them by a little. All three seem prematurely settling into old-age (the sisters are in their early 60s – an age I don’t really associate with their world of afternoon teas, doilies, church fetes and chats with the vicar). However, the discovery in the quarry (among other things) does shake them up and they are forced to face the secrets and resentments they have hidden for so long.
I loved that these three ordinary-looking women had such interesting elements in their past and I found myself wanting to read more and more. I also loved the realism of these characters – they are occasionally infuriating, petty, spiteful, silly and sly – but none of that put me off them and I was absolutely caught up in their stories.
Of the three, I really found myself warming to Naomi – she is tough and spiky, but does have the biggest ‘journey’ of the book (ugh, that feels like such a cliche to write, but it really doesn’t feel like this in Kitson’s sensitive, realistic and finely-observed writing).
The themes of the novel are the stuff of everyday lives – ageing, the regret that comes from things not done in life, missed opportunities and paths not taken. The novel is thought-provoking and compelling without being depressing – yes, the women have regrets, but they are also finding their place in the new, older landscapes of their lives and letting go of the past in some ways.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys meditative and thoughtful fiction that is beautifully written and observed. You will find yourself caught up in the lives of these three extraordinary women – after all, is anyone truly ‘normal’! – and strangely bereft when you leave Morevale at the end.
About the Author
Helen lives in Worcester with her husband, two teenaged children and two rescue cats. Her first poetry collection was nominated for the Forward Best First Collection Prize. She has published three other poetry collections and her short fiction has appeared in magazines including Ambit, Feminist Review and Stand. She holds a BA (Hons) in Humanities.
Helen’s debut novel The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson was published in March 2019. Her second “Morevale” novel, Old Bones, will be published on 16 January 2021.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jemima_Mae_7
Purchase Links:
Louise Walters Books: http://bit.ly/37dpwKM
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2LPuDKI
Foyles: https://bit.ly/3pdjamn
Waterstones: http://bit.ly/3660WMc
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/365gdwN
‘The Split’ by Laura Kay
Happy publication day to this funny and uplifting book which I was fortunate enough to read towards the end of last year during lockdown.
I’d heard lots about this book on Twitter and felt that a cheery read was needed, so thought I would give it a try. I’m so glad I did – it was just what I needed to lift me out of the November gloom!
The main character, Ally, starts this book at her lowest ebb. She has quit her job and been dumped by her girlfriend, Emily, leaving her effectively homeless as she has to leave Emily’s houseboat. Taking the cat, who becomes a topic of dispute between the two ex-partners, she heads back to Sheffield and her father’s house. Initially wallowing in her own grief, she starts to see light at the end of the tunnel after rekindling an old friendship, using her passion for baking to find a new job and – most unlikely of all – taking up running after she (rather ill-advisedly) signs up for a half marathon.
I thought that Kay did a gorgeous job of exploring Ally’s thought processes as she worked her way through the end of her relationship. It felt real, with all its ups and downs, irrational thoughts and acts of pettiness – the emails between Emily and Ally about the cat were particularly telling. I also loved Ally’s feeling about running – as someone who has tried and failed to run, I really could imagine the scenes as she slogged round various circuits with no joy and considerable pain!
Indeed, the characterisation is the real strength in this novel = Ally’s friend Jeremy (who is nursing his own heartbreak) is funny and sweet and just the kind of person you’d want on your team if you were in Ally’s situation. Ally’s dad is similarly wonderful – a supportive, straight-talking (when needed) and realistic parent who has his own ways of getting Ally back on the road to recovery – I loved the disco for Syria scenes as these were so keenly observed by someone who clearly has experienced (in recent memory and with vivid clarity) the joys of a school dance!
The plot followed a fairly predictable course, but that absolutely was not a problem as I was reading this exactly to avoid any stressful or horrible situations. Instead, I was treated to a comfortable and engaging read as I followed Ally’s journey back to happiness. It’s a novel that has moments of sadness, but also bucketloads of humour and really relatable moments.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys uplifting stories which are strong on character – those in a similar vein to Beth O’Leary’s ‘The Flatshare’ and ‘The Switch’. I enjoyed this a lot and it made a cheerless lockdown day a lot brighter.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you’d like a copy of this book, my affiliate link is below. Thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.
Header photo by Allec Gomes on Unsplash.
‘Why Mummy’s Sloshed’ by Gill Sims
I first started reading Gill Sims’ writing on Facebook where she produces the very funny ‘Peter and Jane’. These (mainly slightly-veiled autobiographical) updates became a book, that book became a series and here we are – the fourth and final book in the ‘Why Mummy’ series.
In this book, Peter and Jane are now older teenagers and our main protagonist, Ellen, is having to deal with GCSEs, A Levels and her oldest baby leaving for university. She also has her ex-husband to contend with as he seems to be about to start a new family with his girlfriend, Marisa,. She is surrounded by her usual bunch of funny friends and eccentric family members.
As with previous books, this is presented as a diary, although most of the events seem to happen in the first part of the year. There are some real rites of passage here that those who have been through it (either themselves or as parents) will recognise – the driving test, first car, 18th birthday parties, exam results,..it is all just so relatable!
And that really is Sims’ skill – taking the everyday and making it funny. This isn’t an idealistic view of parenting – Ellen looking after her friend’s toddler for the weekend is enough to put anyone off having children and also reminded me of the time in my own life when I needed eyes in the back of my head and a cure for sleep deprivation. Much of the book is very funny – some of it made me laugh out loud in recognition or because of Ellen’s sharp take on things.
That’s not to say that this novel doesn’t have serious moments – there is recognition of the situation of having ageing parents and realising they aren’t invincible, plus the emptying of the family nest. As someone who has this a few years ahead of me, it does seem sad and unimaginable that my babies will move out one day. However, I still have the experience of living with them as teens which – according to this book – might soften the blow of them leaving! The teenage boys that eat through everything in the house, the teenage girls obsessed with socialising above all else, the nagging over revision and chores…all familiar already!
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys funny, relatable books about family life – things like Matt Coyne’s books and the Unmumsy Mum and Hurrah for Gin (all worth investigating if you aren’t familiar with them). It is funny, a bit poignant and absolutely engaging.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you’d like to buy the book, please consider using my affiliate link – I’ll earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!
Header photo with thanks to Kevin Kelly for sharing their work on Unsplash.
‘More than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran
I love Caitlin Moran. I think she is funny, brave and always readable. I love the fact she has turned her considerable journalistic writing skills into a career in which she produces brilliant fiction and non-fiction books. She is the reason I have a Times subscription (she is a regular writer for them) and a shelf full of her previous books.
That needed to be said up front. Although I read and review lots of books, I’m not the most impartial reviewer in this case. Evidence: I pre-ordered this book and paid out of my own pocket! No ARC, no waiting for the prices to come down, no second-hand copy, no waiting for Christmas…honestly, this is all so out of character for me!
With that said, I did wonder how she would have enough to say about the topic of being a woman. She covered a lot of ground (rather marvellously) in her book ‘How to be a Woman’ ten years ago – how much more is there to say?
Loads, it turns out. Moran is now in her forties (like me) and has plenty to say about this stage in her life. It is in middle age that (Moran observes) life becomes less about you and more about everyone else – your children growing up, pressures of work, ageing parents – and it is really tough. You aren’t the same person as you were ten years ago and it needs a whole new way of navigating. Add into this the current state of society – it’s safe to say the patriarchy hasn’t yet been smashed – and Moran has plenty to write about.
This book is structured into chapters denoting an hour in the middle-aged women’s day. Thus, we are taken from 7am (The Hour of ‘The List’) through various points in the day – The Hour or Parenting Teenage Children (eeek – not looking forward to this myself!), The Hour of Housework, The Hour of Crisis… It is all hugely relatable and it is strangely comforting that the things I stress about seem to be universal.
Particularly striking for me was ‘The List’ as I’ve done a lot of thinking about mental load recently and the fact that women seem to bear the brunt of the thinking about things. It was heartening to read Moran’s own list and think that I am not the only one trying to keep on top of work, parenting, marriage, life admin, pet care…
Yes, there are a lot of serious points made here about women’s place in society and the pressures to ‘have it all’ (read: ‘do it all’). However, it is also absolutely hilarious and Moran is unafraid to share some rather intimate things. It is like a chat with your best friend, if your best friend is a totally unfiltered over-sharer! The bathwater thing (you’ll have to read it) really made me laugh out loud…
As well as being laugh-out-loud funny in places, there are some really serious points, especially Moran’s daughter’s fight with anorexia. I found the story extremely moving and am glad that Moran (and her daughter, because it was shared with her permission) included this intimate story that shows that each family has its struggles behind closed doors.
This is a feminist book but one that should be required reading for everyone – it is so insightful and engaging that I think anyone would enjoy it (and probably learn something along the way).
Please do go and buy a copy of this book. If you are a women of a similar age to Moran (or live with one) then you will recognise a lot here. It is uplifting and extremely funny, but will leave you with a lot of food for thought.
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‘People of Abandoned Character’ by Clare Whitfield
Happy publication day to this delicious slice of dark, historical fiction!
I am obsessed with anything set in the Victorian era and have read a lot about the Jack the Ripper murders. With that in mind, I came to this book with lots of enthusiasm and a little bit of trepidation – I am a bit of a stickler for historical accuracy when a writer is using events that are so well documented as the basis for their story.
I needn’t have worried at all – I was in safe hands with Clare Whitfield who has produced a well-researched and absolutely compelling book.
The story follows a young woman, Susannah, without family of her own who comes to work at the London hospital as a nurse. She catches the eye of a young doctor, Thomas Lancaster, who marries her and installs her in his home in Chelsea. The marriage isn’t a happy one and, as the Ripper murders begin to terrorise the streets of Whitechapel, Susannah is led to consider the possibility that her husband is responsible for the killings.
What I loved about this book was the way that Susannah herself is presented. The story is told primarily in the first person, so we are given access to Susannah’s thoughts and perspective. This is really effective as our doubts about Thomas grow as Susannah’s do, although we also recognise her unreliability as our guide through this period of Victorian history as she has a laudanum dependency.
Another strength is the way that the Ripper murders are integrated into the story; initially, they are merely backdrop but, as Susannah’s focus shifts to them, we get more involvement and detail. True Ripperologists will note the inclusion of the death of Elizabeth Smith, not one of the canonical five and often disputed as being one of Jack’s victims, but this absolutely works in relation to the story and gives Susannah personal investment in the crimes.
Indeed, the treatment of the victims by the writer is another commendable aspect of the novel; the women are given personalities, back-story and even a voice though Susannah’s own imaginings of them.
Without giving too much away, the plot is extremely clever and the way that twists in the story are gradually revealed is absolutely engrossing – as the novel gathers pace in the second half, the reader is on constantly shifting sands which definitely left me racing for the denouement.
Overall, this is a well-constructed and well-paced novel with convincing historical detail and a heroine who – far from being perfect – is unreliable but extremely resourceful.
I would recommend this to any lovers of historical fiction, but also those who enjoy psychological thrillers as there is something extremely tense (but enjoyable) in watching Susannah weigh up how dangerous her husband may prove to be.
I received a free copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, I’d recommend that readers try to get a physical copy of the book as there are some little illustrations separating chapters that I bet look fabulous in print.
If you would like a copy of this fabulous book, please consider using my affiliate link below – at no extra cost to you.
Header photo with thanks to Renè Müller for sharing their work on Unsplash.
Blog Tour: ‘Unto This Last’ by Rebecca Lipkin
I’d like to welcome you to my stop on this blog tour for Random Things Tours. This book was published on 28th August by Book Guild Publishing.
From the Publisher
London, 1858. Passionate, contradictory, and fiercely loyal to his friends, John Ruskin is an eccentric genius, famed across Britain for his writings on art and philosophy. Haunted by a scandalous past and determined never
to love again, the 39-year-old Ruskin becomes infatuated with his enigmatic young student, Rose La Touche, an obsession with profound consequences that will change the course of his life and work.
Written in a style recalling Victorian literature and spanning a period of twenty years, the story poses questions about the nature of love, the boundaries of parenthood, and compatibility in marriage.
‘Unto This Last’ is a portrait of Ruskin’s tormented psyche and reveals a complex and misunderstood soul, longing for a life just out of reach.
“This is an atmospheric and utterly convincing novel… tackling the subject with great empathy in prose that is both detailed and vivid. A considerable achievement.” Michael Crowley, writer and dramatist
“Deeply researched and charmingly written, it resurrects not only John Ruskin, one of the most influential characters of the Victorian age, but his fascinating pupil Rose La Touche, who is portrayed so sensitively that you feel as though you know her.” Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny
“Rebecca Lipkin’s thoughtful novel about this complicated man – and his often-confusing world – is a pleasure to
read and a very welcome addition for all lovers of Pre-Raphaelitism.” Lucinda Hawksley, biographer
My Review
I am a huge fan of any books set in the Victorian era as I love this period in history. As soon as I knew that this was a book about John Ruskin, artist and art critic linked to the Pre-Raphaelites (who I also love!) then I knew this would be a book for me.
It is a huge book that has been meticulously researched and beautifully written. In keeping with the great Victorian novels themselves, it feels substantial and weighty, retaining the writing style while also being compelling and readable.
Given the fact that Lipkin’s book is a (fictionalised) biography of a character that I thought I knew, I was surprised to read about this aspect of his life – books on Ruskin tend to focus more on his failed marriage to Effie Grey which happens before the opening of this book (although is explored later in the narrative).
This book is instead about his relationship with young Irish girl Rose La Touche, a child who (along with her sister) started as his student but later became the focus of his obsession. The fact that Ruskin is in his late thirties when he meets ten year-old Rose seems slightly uncomfortable to a modern reader (and perhaps was also odd to the Victorians) but Lipkin doesn’t shy away from the less comprehensible elements of Ruskin’s personality. The relationship – not inappropriately physical but oddly obsessive – is presented with all its ups and downs through the narrative and through letters between the key parties (including Rose’s mother, who is the one who brings Ruskin in as art tutor for her children and seems to have a soft spot for him herself).
Indeed, the presentation of John Ruskin is very well done. He is a complicated character and Lipkin presents this through all his contradictions and traits – both noble and less pleasant. There were times in the novel when I really didn’t like Ruskin, but appreciated the factors that had shaped him to be like this – for example, his problematic relationship with his father and his living situation in Denmark Hill. His own struggles with his relationship with Rose are evident in the novel and he – ultimately – seems like a complex man with conflicting emotions.
I did love the way that Rose was portrayed. From the immature petulance of a slightly over-indulged ten year-old, I felt that she grew into someone with so much depth and richness to her personality. I could have happily read more about her in this book.
The real strength in this book is that Lipkin has taken a figure from the Victorian era and breathed life into him. Ruskin isn’t someone that widely known now outside of history and art buffs, so this is a lovely book to reintroduce him to a modern readership. You may not find his situation relatable, but I think most readers would recognise the portrait of a man struggling with his own emotions and desires.
I would recommend this to any fans of the Victorian era and anyone who enjoys reading about interesting characters from the past. In ‘Unto This Last’, Lipkin has produced a gloriously lavish, engaging and immersive book.
About the Author
Rebecca Lipkin has had a passion for Victorian art and literature from a young age. She first discovered John Ruskin through E.M. Forster’s novel, A Room with a View, and later joined the Ruskin Society at the age of seventeen to learn more about Ruskin’s work. Rebecca pursued a career in journalism, specialising in arts writing
and theatre reviews, and has worked for a number of national publications. Rebecca says, “Most accounts of John Ruskin’s complex personal life focus on his brief marriage to Effie Gray, but his twenty-year relationship with Rose La Touche was of huge importance to the evolution of his thinking; it is a captivating and tragic story of two people whose loving friendship transcended boundaries and conventions to the very end.”
With thanks to Random Things Tours for my copy of this book for review.
‘The Magnificent Sons’ by Justin Myers
This book – published today in hardback – is a warm, witty and uplifting read.
I really love funny books and Adam Kay (who endorsed this book) so I thought this was definitely worth a try. I am certainly glad I did.
Jake is edging towards thirty with a girlfriend who is expecting to become a fiancee, but he isn't quite comfortable in his own skin or even with his own family. His younger brother, Trick, has just publically come out as gay, not that anyone ever considered he might not be. Their parents are accepting of their youngest son's sexuality, but seem a whole lot less supportive when Jake announces his own bisexuality. This book charts Jake's progress from heterosexual coupledom into uncharted waters...
The book is funny - not side-splittingly so, but certainly warm and witty. However, its strength lies in its characterisation. Jake is troubled and flawed and capable of some bad decisions, and his family and friends are so real. This is a book that swerves stereotypes wherever possible - Jake's girlfriend is fabulous even when she is hurting when she could easily have been made into a woman scorned and I loved her. Similarly, Jake's family are brash and loud, but also extremely subtly drawn and tender when it matters.
I enjoyed this book - it's a lively and engaging read that doesn't preach or stereotype. Instead, we get a full range of well-observed and realistic characters who are just trying to navigate their own situations. A lovely book and one I whole-heartedly recommend.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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