The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland

The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland
Published in the UK by One More Chapter today, the 31st January 2022.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com / Libro

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2

Helsingør, Denmark, 1943

In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredhal joins the underground resistance and risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community and help them escape to Sweden.

Copenhagen, 2018

Inger’s granddaughter, Cecilie Lund, is mourning her death when a mysterious discovery while cleaning out Inger’s flat leads past and present to intersect. As long-held secrets finally see the light of day, Cecilie learns the story of her grandmother’s courage and bravery, and of the power of friendship, love, and standing for what’s right…even when you have everything to lose.

An inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

The Helsingør Sewing Club is an emotional dual-timeline novel which focuses on a less well-known aspect of the Second World War - less well-known to me as an English reader at least - which was the way in which the majority of the Danish population rallied round to help and protect Danish Jews when they received news that the occupying German forces planned a resettlement programme similar to that already inflicted on Jews elsewhere. Ella Gyland takes readers into the midst of one small, provincial community as its individual members wrestle with fear and their consciences as each strives to do the right thing under such difficult circumstances.

I was moved by the 1940s storylines and, actually, would have been happy had The Helsingør Sewing Club solely consisted of this historical narrative. Switching between that and the present day - where Cecilie is struggling in the aftermath of a hurtful divorce - was distracting, although I can understand why Gyland might have wanted to illustrate the stark contrasts between the two time periods. I particularly appreciated seeing how each character determined where their lines would be drawn when faced with life-threatening choices. I felt the predicaments were sensitively portrayed with no one being wholly good or bad, and each of the main characters being fully realised. I'm glad to have had this opportunity to read The Helsingør Sewing Club and, based on the strength of this novel, will look out for more of Ella Gyland's work in the future.

About the Author

Originally from Denmark, I have lived in London for many years, surrounded by my family, cats, books d the Scandinavian hygge I try to create everywhere I go. As a linguist I love playing with words and language, and I am addicted to story-telling. I also believe strongly in social responsibility and sustainable living.

Twitter ~ Website

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French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain

French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain
First published in French as Rhapsodie française by Editions Flammarion in France in 2016. English language translation by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce published by Gallic Books in October 2016.

How I got this book: Swapped for at a campsite book exchange

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

The arrival of a letter delayed by 33 years sparks off a quest that leads both on a nostalgic journey back to the 1980s and right to the heart of France today. 

Middle-aged doctor Alain Massoulier has received a life-changing letter – thirty-three years too late. Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, the letter from Polydor, dated 1983, offers a recording contract to The Holograms, in which Alain played lead guitar.

Overcome by nostalgia, Alain is tempted to track down the members of the group. But in a world where everything and everyone has changed...where could his quest possibly take him?

On spotting French Rhapsody at a campsite book exchange I remembered how much I had enjoyed reading Antoine Laurain's previous novel, The Red Notebook, so eagerly picked it out. Unfortunately French Rhapsody didn't appeal to me anywhere near as much, actually leaving me more feeling like I did after reading A Long Blue Monday by Erhard von Buren. There are similarities to The Red Notebook in that Laurain explores ideas of what might have been and the narrative is again driven by a lost object, but Laurain didn't seem to employ the same light whimsy touch that I previously appreciated. There are humorous moments, but also a lot of slow scenes where aging men bemoan how the success they achieved isn't the success they wanted. I could have done without several pages of a far right extremist's speech as well. Initially Laurain seems to ridicule this character's bigotry, but by the end of the novel I had a suspicion that we readers might actually be being asked to sympathise with it.

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The Fall Of Troy by Peter Ackroyd

The Fall Of Troy by Peter Ackroyd
Published by Chatto And Windus in September 2006.

I registered my copy of this book at BookCrossing

How I got this book: Swapped for at a campsite book exchange

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

In The Fall of Troy, acclaimed novelist and historian Peter Ackroyd creates a fascinating narrative that follows an archaeologist's obsession with finding the ruins of Troy, depicting the blurred line between truth and deception.Obermann, an acclaimed German scholar, fervently believes that his discovery of the ancient ruins of Troy will prove that the heroes of the Iliad, a work he has cherished all his life, actually existed. But Sophia, Obermann's young Greek wife, has her suspicions about his motivations — suspicions that only increase when she finds a cache of artifacts that her husband has hidden, and when a more skeptical archaeologist dies from a mysterious fever. With exquisite detail, Ackroyd again demonstrates his ability to evoke time and place, creating a brilliantly told story of heroes and scoundrels, human aspirations and follies, and the temptation to shape the truth to fit a passionately held belief.

I was not very impressed by The Fall Of Troy. The central character of Heinrich Obermann is the only one who is fleshed out and he is a very unlikeable selfish fantasist, bent on completely destroying a valuable archaeological site in his desperation to make the site fit the demands of his imagination. All the supporting characters are two-dimensional and poorly created so it is difficult to understand their actions and why they behave as they do. I think that a good knowledge of ancient Greek myths and the work of Homer might add to the appeal of Ackroyd's novel because his characters at times appear to be recreating the legends, but unfortunately the synopsis doesn't state that this expertise is essential to the reader's understanding and my bare bones remembrances weren't up to the task. Fortunately this is only a short book so not too much reading time wasted!

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Dead Cereus by Kira Kinani Seamon + Giveaway

Join Us for This Tour: January 24 to February 18, 2022

 

Book Details:

Book Title: Dead Cereus by Kira Kanani Seamon ​
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 276 pages
Genre:  New Adult Cozy Mystery 
Publisher:  Kira Kanani Seamon
Release date:   January 2021
Content Rating:  PG-13: mature subject matter.

 

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Here is what The Prairies Book Review had to say about Dead Cereus:

Seamon is a master at creating atmospheric settings, and cozy mystery lovers will find it easy to fall under her spell. An appealing, witty heroine, a gem of a leading man, and well-constructed setting and plot make this one a must-read for both mystery lovers and fans of chick-lit literature. Readers will look forward to more of Holly and William’s adventures.

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Book Description:

Holy holly berries! "Hurricane Holly" creates shenanigans on the Olympic level. This mischievous charmer has found herself in many strange messes, but this one takes the carrot cake!

With her college scholarship already on frost alert, when Holly accidentally douses the college's most distinguished donors, she sees her degree and her relationship with the hot Master Gardener quickly wilting.

Her only chance of remaining in Shellesby is to win a vaunted internship with a famous chocolatier. The only problem? The other candidate is Holly’s biggest rival, a stuck-up queen bee-and she just might have her sights set on Holly’s swoon-worthy boyfriend as well!

With a a chance to win over the prestigious chocolatier when the rare night-blooming cereus plant is scheduled to open its petals at the Night Lights Gala, Holly is there-and so is a killer. Events unfold that not only place her scholarship on the line, but also her life…and that of her rival.

Holly finds herself racing the clock to save her arch nemesis, secure her scholarship, and catch a murderer, if she can!

Enjoy this lighthearted romp with its plethora of plants and wonderful characters by picking up a copy of Dead Cereus today! Can Holly stand the heat in the hothouse or is she headed for a spectacular meltdown?

This is an epic romance and a fantastic, unique mystery rolled into one hilarious story. With all the feels, this novel can’t help but implant itself in your heart and grow into one of your favorite reads. Put your petal to the metal and see what all the buzz is about. Dead Cereus is to die for!

Come for the mystery, stay for the food. Chocolate plays a big role in this book; you will ‘chocolate’ as you've never ‘chocolated’ before! Hot new debut author Kira Seamon makes botany cool again, one plant at a time.

Buy the Book:

Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK

The Book Depository

add to goodreads

Dead Cereus is a fast paced cosy mystery with the wonderfully unusual concept of an exclusive university's horticultural greenhouses as its main locations. I loved this idea, particularly the evocative detail that Kira Kinani Seamon imparts in her descriptions of each plant and their environments. Some of these plants even have pivotal roles in the mystery! As someone who loathes gardening herself, but loves to tour other people's beautiful gardens, I was captivated by this setting. Unfortunately I was less enamoured by Holly herself as she is unbelievably impetuous and immature to the extent that I found her quite annoying a lot of the time.

I was surprised that the murder storyline, which I had expected to be the book's central narrative, is actually secondary to Holly's struggle to remain at the university. There's an interesting dynamic between her and the director's daughter, Ivy, which results in several entertaining spats. Their rivalry and Holly's chip on her shoulder about Ivy's privilege seems to be one of the main reasons for Holly's job insecurity and I felt that fully exploring and fleshing out the pair's relationship could easily have been a novel in itself. 

Overall I enjoyed reading Dead Cereus. It is a more action-packed novel than my more usual character-driven reads so that made a change for me and I did like the book's light humour. I'm not sure I've ever seen quite so many botanically themed expletives anywhere before and now I am so keen to witness a night blooming cereus flower for myself.

Meet the Author:

Kira Kanani Seamon was born and raised in Hawaii. She attended the prestigious Punahou School as an award-winning honor student.

A polymath, Kira is a gold medal/state winner in piano performance and a national and two-time regional dance champion. In ten years of competing in dance competitions, she won 18 awards, including special awards from the judges and platinum awards. Additionally, she’s an award-winning photographer and has had her art accepted and sold in national and regional juried shows. She’s had over fifty newspaper cover stories about her art and is a fourteen-time grant recipient from cultural councils. She celebrated her first solo museum exhibit of her work in 2020.

Now living in Massachusetts, she was recently the inaugural artist-in-residence in Natick, Massachusetts. She received a personal letter from the Massachusetts Senate President and a Certificate of Recognition from the Massachusetts State Legislation in recognition of her grant from Framingham, Massachusetts. All of this culminated in her receiving the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, for which she appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 2020.

She took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu, Peru with the Punahou Alumni Association and her travel tale about that expedition is published in the 2021 September/October edition of the Writers and Readers Magazine. Additionally, her Peru photography is the editorial feature in the 2021 fall edition of DRIFT Travel magazine.

DRIFT Travel is an upscale travel and lifestyle magazine with each issue being emailed to 4+ million digital magazine readers worldwide. Additionally, DRIFT is also part of the PressReader magazine/newspaper digital platform that puts DRIFT in thousands of hotels, cruise ships, resorts and airlines around the world, opening the door to an additional 300 million users annually.

Kira has never met a story from Greek mythology that she didn’t love and has kept a daily journal since her teens. Dead Cereus is her first novel.

connect with the author: website ~ photography ~ facebook ~ instagram - goodreads

 

Tour Schedule:

Jan 24 – Character Madness and Musing – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 24 - Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 24 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 25 – From the TBR Pile – book review / giveaway
Jan 26 - Kam's Place – book review
Jan 26 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Jan 27 – FUONLYKNEW – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 28 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Jan 31 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Feb 1 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 2 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 3 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review /giveaway
Feb 4 – @twilight_reader – book review
Feb 4 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight
Feb 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – book review / giveaway
Feb 7 - Books for Books – book spotlight
Feb 8 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
Feb 9 – PuzzlePaws Blog – book review / giveaway
Feb 10 – Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight / author interview
Feb 10 - Olio by Marilyn – book review / giveaway
Feb 11 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
Feb 11 - Reading is My Passion – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 11 - Books are a Blessing – book review / giveaway
Feb 14 – Westveil Publishing – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 15 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 16 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Feb 17 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 18 – Stephanie Jane – book review / giveaway
 

Enter the Giveaway:

Win a signed copy of Dead Cereus. Open to the USA only until the 24th February.

DEAD CEREUS Book Tour Giveaway

 

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Shoot Like A Girl by Kari Bovee + Giveaway

 Join us for this tour from Jan 10 to Feb 4, 2022!

Book Details:
Book Title: Shoot Like a Girl (A PreQuel Novella to Girl With A Gun) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 84 pages
Length: 2 hrs, 14 minutes
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   November 2019
Formats available for review: audiobook (audible download), MOBI (for kindle), EPUB, PDF)
Tour dates: Jan 10 to Feb 4, 2022
Content Rating:  PG + M for mature themes and some swearing (damn, bitch)

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Book Description:

She would do anything for her loved ones, even if it meant she’d be lost to them forever.

Young Annie Oakley never expected to be saddled with responsibility so soon. Following her father's sudden death, the spirited girl finds herself shipped to a nearby county working for a couple promising a good wage. But when she discovers they are not what they seem, Annie suddenly fears her life may be in peril.

Determined to help her mother and siblings, she endures the hardships and mistreatment from the couple. But when that cruelty is targeted at the beautiful Buckskin horse who is her only friend, Annie decides to take matters into her own hands.

Will the spunky teen return to her loved ones, or will her decision land her in jail?

​Shoot like a Girl is the prequel novella to the Annie Oakley mystery series. If you like a fiercely loyal heroine who won’t be anyone’s victim, then you’ll love Kari Bovée’s thrilling story of America’s best-loved sharpshooting sensation.

 

Buy the Book:
Audible ~ Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK
The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads

Shoot Like A Girl is a novella length prequel to Kari Bovee's first Annie Oakley series novel, Girl With A Gun. Through witnessing Annie's difficult life after her father's untimely death, readers can see some of what drove Annie to become such a fiercely independent adult woman.

Despite its brevity, I found Shoot Like A Girl to be quite the heartbreaking read. Annie's mother sends her daughter away at such a young age, for the best of reasons as the family is desperately poverty-stricken, but the harsh life Annie is hired out to is even worse. All credit to Bovee for managing to keep a light touch to this tale despite the grinding drudgery and mistreatment that Annie endures. I was encouraged to root for her throughout and appreciated how Annie's ebullient character keeps her going, never abandoning her dreams.

While I think there was certainly enough still-untold story in this novella to have fleshed it out into a longer and deeper novel, I understand that this wasn't really the book's purpose. Instead, as it is the first of the series I've read, it has encouraged me to spend more time with Annie Oakley so I am delighted to know I already have the next installment, the first of the Annie Oakley mystery series, ready to be opened.

Meet the Author:

 

When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels. Bovee writes the award-winning Annie Oakley Mystery Series and the Grace Michelle Mystery Series, and has more ideas than time for many, many more.
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​Connect with the author:  Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram
~ Pinterest

Tour Schedule:

Jan 10 - Mystery Review Crew - books spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 10 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 10 - StoreyBook Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 11 – Cover Lover Book Review – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 11 - I'm All About Books – book series tour / giveaway
Jan 11 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 11 - Lamon Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 12 – Kam's Place – book series spotlight
Jan 12 – Celticlady's Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 12 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 12 - 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS - book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 13 – My Bookish Bliss – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 13 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 13 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Jan 14 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 18 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 18 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 18 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Jan 18 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Jan 18 – Literary Flits – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 18 - PuzzlePaws Blog - audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 19 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 19 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 19 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Jan 20 – My Bookish Bliss – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 20 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 21 - StoreyBook Reviews – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 21 - Faith And Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 21 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Jan 24 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 24 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Jan 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 25 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 25 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of PECCADILLOW AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 26 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 26 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 26 – Chit Chat with Charity – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 26 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 27 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 27 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL /  giveaway
Jan 27 – Literary Flits – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 28 - Faith And Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 28 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE /  giveaway
Jan 28 - Books for Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 31 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR /  giveaway
Jan 31 - Books for Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Feb 1 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 1 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Feb 1 - Books for Books – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Feb 2 – Chit Chat with Charity – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Feb 2 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 2 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Feb 2 - Books for Books – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Feb 2 - PuzzlePaws Blog - audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Feb 3 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 3 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Feb 3 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Feb 4 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Feb 4 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Feb 4 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR

Enter the Giveaway: 

Win a $25 Amazon.com gift card. Open internationally from the 27th January to the 11th February.

 GIRL WITH A GUN (Annie Oakley Mystery) Audiobook Tour Giveaway

 

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Books by Kari Bovee / Western fiction / Books from America

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
First published in Italian as La storia di un burattino in Giornale per i bambini in Italy in 1881.
One of my WorldReads from Italy.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Libro

The Book Depository / Waterstones

The old wood-carver Geppetto decides to make a wonderful puppet which can dance and turn somersaults, but by chance he chooses an unusual piece of wood - and the finished puppet can talk and misbehave like the liveliest child. But Pinocchio is brave and inquisitive as well as naughty, and after some hair-raising adventures, he earns his heart's desire.

Reading around after finishing Pinocchio, I have learned that its author, Carlo Collodi, didn't actually like children very much and this fairytale was his attempt to scare them into behaving properly. Given the horrors that befall the poor puppet, I can quite believe it! The original Pinocchio is one dark story and I'm not even sure children should be allowed to read it.

I was surprised that I enjoyed reading Pinocchio so much because, in true fairytale style, there is little in the way of proper description or realism in the characters. Everyone is pretty two-dimensional and scenes pass swiftly with the emphasis on action rather than scene-setting. (It is strange how this works in a fairytale, yet is one of my main criticisms of both the other novels in this post. For them, the lack works against the novel.) However, what makes the writing wonderful and gripping is Collodi's fantastic imagination. Having not read this for decades, I could not remember what happens next and there is no way I could have guessed! Even tiny cameo roles like the Snail are fun. I could have done with less of the repetitive moralising, but otherwise Pinocchio is a great read.

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Betting On Love by Kani Sey

Betting On Love by Kani Sey

Published by Love Africa Press on the 12th February 2021.

How I got this book:

Bought the ebook from Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

Smashwords

Despised and constantly degraded, Binta can’t wait to leave home when she discovers her family never wanted her. She is determined to cut a path and succeed in her life without love and emotional connections. Until she bumps into her former best friend, Bass.

Once upon a time, Bass was head-over-heels in love with Binta. But she shattered his heart, and he had to move on without her. A chance encounter with her five years later brings back all the buried emotions.

However, it seems Binta hasn’t overcome her trust issues. This time, though, Bass is not willing to walk away so readily. Can he convince her to bet on their love?

My first literary visit to the Gambia is this romantic novel, Betting On Love by Kani Sey. It's a second chance romance tale in which protagonists Binta and Bass had been best friends and almost had a relationship as teenagers, but it didn't quite work out - leaving Bass heartbroken. Now, five years later, they unexpectedly meet again and, while I already had a pretty good idea that the story would culminate in a Happy Ever After, I did enjoy the twists and turns involved in getting the couple to that conclusion.

Binta is a complex character whose deprived upbringing has left her staunchly self-sufficient. Career-minded and utterly self-reliant, I could see that she wouldn't easily be bowled over by Bass' attentions and I appreciated how Sey respected her independent streak. Bass is a lovely counterfoil to Binta. I liked how his calm demeanour worked to allow Binta to begin believing in the possibilities for them both, and their shared history made their otherwise rapid infatuation feel plausible and authentic. I could also believe that Binta and Bass belonged together. 

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	Second Chance  Romance Sweatshirt by Balbina Boutique Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by Kani Sey / Romance fiction / Books from the Gambia

The Sky Above the Roof by Nathacha Appanah

The Sky Above the Roof by Nathacha Appanah

First published in French as Le ciel par-dessus le toit by Editions Gallimard in France in 2019. English language translation by Geoffrey Strachan published by MacLeHose Press yesterday, the 20th January 2022.

How I got this book:

Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

It all begins with a crash.

One night, seventeen-year-old Wolf steals his mother's car and drives six hundred kilometres in search of his sister, who left home ten years ago. Unlicensed and on edge, he veers onto the wrong side of the road and causes an accident. He is arrested, imprisoned, and leaves his mother and sister to pick up the pieces.

What follows is an unflinching account of the events that lead to this moment, told through the alternating perspectives of Wolf's mother, sister and various other voices. In this raw and poignant novel, Nathacha Appanah reveals how trauma shapes generations and the wounds it leaves behind. The Sky Above the Roof is both a portrait of a fractured family and a poetic exploration of the ways we break apart and rebuild.

I found The Sky Above the Roof to be quite a strange novella and, even after a couple of days mulling the book over, I'm still not sure whether I really enjoyed it or not. I did love Nathacha Appanah's poetic writing style which I thought Geoffrey Strachan did a wonderful job of rendering into English, however I found the switching between so many different voices didn't work for me. It seemed as though as soon as I had got to know one person, the narrative focus changed to another. Admittedly they were all ultimately telling the same overall story, but perhaps within a longer book I would have found the frequent changes less distracting.

It was interesting to see how the dysfunction in this dysfunctional family had come about, especially how the actions and decisions of one generation impacted on subsequent generations so Phoenix's emotional reaction to her childhood was directly responsible for the way in which she raised her own children even though it did not seem to be a conscious decision on her part. I would have liked to explore more how much her parenting style was responsible for Wolf's ultimate behaviour. The nature versus nurture debate. I wonder if The Sky Above the Roof would benefit from more than one reading in order to reveal its full depths. Personally I thought it was too short for everything I felt it was trying to say.

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	Black Forest  Gateau Earrings by Sweets Of My Own Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by Nathacha Appanah / Contemporary fiction / Books from Mauritius

Little Knights by Berta Jereb + Free Book

Little Knights by Berta Jereb

Self published on the 14th March 2013.

How I got this book:

Downloaded the ebook from Smashwords

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Smashwords (free)

This work could not be written without scientific research. It is about those, who as children, had their bout with cancer. These children were in pain, were frightened to death, were lonely, felt abandoned and felt injustice. In the booklet we see them as young adults, we meet them on the street, do not notice them, but they carry within them many a treasure and secret, unknown to us.

One of the things about my WorldReads reading challenge that I most appreciate is the way in which searching out global authors allows me to discover a wide range of books that I would probably never otherwise come across and that is certainly the case with Berta Jereb's fascinating memoir, Little Knights. In this book she recounts anecdotes about the children, and their families, she met during her decades of work in child oncology wards in Slovenia and elsewhere.

Although we have as a friend a man who survived cancer as a youth, it's not ever something I had ever discussed so I had no idea of the particular needs of childhood cancer sufferers during their illness or, as Jereb passionately argues, throughout the rest of their lives. She explains how the trauma of experiencing a terminal illness at such a young age, often before the patient can truly even understand that concept, has a long-term psychological impact on the survivor. I learned how childhood cancer survivors generally develop a different life outlook to their peers and how Jereb's pioneering healthcare program seeks to both help and learn from them. Jereb writes sensitively and authoritatively about the Little Knights program in Slovenia, its successes and how its operations can be improved going into the future. Although this book is relatively short, it is also a very interesting and insightful read.

Etsy Find!
	Childhood Cancer Awareness Bracelet by EC Jewellery Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Berta Jereb / Science books / Books from Slovenia

The Young Woman and the Sea by Catherine Meurisse

The Young Woman and the Sea by Catherine Meurisse

First published in French as La jeune femme et la mer by Dargaud in France in 2021. English language translation by Matt Madden published by Europe Comics on the 15th December 2021.

How I got this book:

Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

Catherine Meurisse once again draws upon her memories. Her stay in a far-off, strange-yet-familiar land, at the Japanese villa Kujoyama in 2018, provides the artist another opportunity to pursue her creative quest, this time where the West and Far East meet. In the manner of Lewis Carroll, the young artist lets characters out of legend lead her through pictorial landscapes. Imagination and dialogue are key to penetrating the secrets of this strange territory and discovering why the young explorer finds it so fascinating. This Alice daydreams and wonders, returning every now and then to reality and nature, that dynamic dictator of events and situations. After The Great Outdoors, Catherine Meurisse continues her pursuit of beauty in an unknown land, between mountain and sea, illustrating landscapes that reflect the seasons and the artist's progress. Truly splendid!

The Young Woman And The Sea is a graphic novel on a very different emotional scale to the previous one by Catherine Meurisse, Lightness, that I read. That work was driven by grief whereas The Young Woman And The Sea focuses on artistic discovery and has a lovely gentle humour to its narrative. Inspired and partially based on Meurisse's own sojourn in Japan, I loved her recollections of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, and the beautiful way in which she portrays Japanese landscapes. The cartoon-style depictions of human characters - which I now know to be typical of Meurisse - contrast so effectively with her gorgeous natural scenes. In fact, there are several single page images which would be stunning if framed and hung on a wall. I was amazed to find them within a graphic novel!

There is a kind of artistic coming of age story in The Young Woman And The Sea which felt poignant when I considered it in relation to Lightness. I particularly appreciated moments such as when the Young Woman is comparing the familiarity of things, such as wisteria, between France and Japan. She recognises them, but the way in which they are situated allows her her to see them afresh, thereby sparking her artistic drive. I found The Young Woman And The Sea gave me inspiration to get out in nature again, albeit only locally to my home. I really enjoyed reading this quirky graphic novel. 

Etsy Find!
	Tanuki t-shirt by nietoair Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by Catherine Meurisse / Graphic novels / Books from France

Girl With A Gun (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee + Giveaway

 

Join us for this tour from Jan 10 to Feb 4, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title: Girl with a Gun (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 316 pages
Length: 9 hours, 24 minutes.
Genre:  Historical Mystery / Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   April 2020
Content Rating:  PG + M: Mature themes, mild swearing 

 

Book Description:

She’s on the rise to fame and fortune, but her sudden notoriety comes with some deadly consequences.

Annie Oakley thrives as a sharpshooter in the Wild West Show. Finally, she has a chance to save her family’s farm—and make her dreams come true.

But her act misfires when she discovers her Indian assistant dead in her tent. Uncovering a shocking secret from her assistant’s past, the girl with the gun believes it’s murder. Determined to find the truth, she ruffles some horse feathers, making enemies along the trail.

​But, when her prized gelding is stolen, Annie realizes she might have been the target all along.

Can Little Miss Sure Shot save her equine friend and find the killer before everything she’s worked for is destroyed?

​If you like a cunning mystery, a feisty heroine, and a fast-paced plot that keeps the pages turning, you’ll love this wild ride with the iconic Annie Oakley in the saddle.

 

Buy the Book:
Audible ~ Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK
Add to Goodreads

I've already enjoyed reading this novel's prequel, Shoot Like A Girl (review to follow soon), which set up Annie Oakley's tale nicely for Girl With A Gun. I think the two books could read either way around because Shoot Like A Girl provides interesting background information, but it isn't essential to have read it first.

Girl With A Gun is a fun mix of historical Western fiction and cosy mystery with young Annie Oakley, newly arrived to star in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, setting herself the task of discovering why her tentmate, Kimi, had suddenly dropped dead. A verdict of natural causes doesn't sit right with Annie, even more so because Kimi's being Native American seems to render her invisible to the other white stars of the Show. Kari Bovee walks a fine line between accurately portraying the racism of the time towards Native Americans and not horrifying twenty-first century readers. I did find several conversations uncomfortable to read, but I could understand why they were included. Attitudes towards animals have changed too. Several bison and birds are shot at each Show just for 'entertainment'.

Bovee's portrait of Annie as a talented, dedicated young woman makes her a great sleuth and, while this particular aspect isn't historically accurate (and Bovee does take quite a few liberties with other facts of the real Annie's life too), I never felt it jarred with the convincing world creation within this novel. The Show environments were wonderful to read about with backstage chores and backbiting contrasting with the fabulous atmosphere of the Shows themselves. Bovee really put across that excitement so well. There's quite a large cast of characters to keep track of who, obviously, aren't all as well defined as Annie or Girl With A Gun would be a very long book! I imagine we will get to see more of the central roles as the series progresses. 

Meet the Author:

 

When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels. Bovee writes the award-winning Annie Oakley Mystery Series and the Grace Michelle Mystery Series, and has more ideas than time for many, many more.
​
​Connect with the author:  Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram
~ Pinterest

Tour Schedule:

Jan 10 - Mystery Review Crew - books spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 10 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 10 - StoreyBook Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 11 – Cover Lover Book Review – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 11 - I'm All About Books – book series tour / giveaway
Jan 11 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 11 - Lamon Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 12 – Kam's Place – book series spotlight
Jan 12 – Celticlady's Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 12 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 12 - 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS - book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 13 – My Bookish Bliss – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 13 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 13 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL

Jan 14 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 18 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 18 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 18 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Jan 18 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Jan 18 – Literary Flits – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 18 - PuzzlePaws Blog - audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 19 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 19 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 19 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Jan 20 – My Bookish Bliss – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 20 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 21 - StoreyBook Reviews – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 21 - Faith And Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 21 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Jan 24 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Jan 24 - Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Jan 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 25 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 25 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of PECCADILLOW AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Jan 26 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 26 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Jan 26 – Chit Chat with Charity – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / author interview / giveaway
Jan 26 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 27 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 27 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL /  giveaway
Jan 27 – Literary Flits – book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 28 - Faith And Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Jan 28 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE /  giveaway
Jan 28 - Books for Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Jan 31 - Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR /  giveaway
Jan 31 - Books for Books – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Feb 1 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 1 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN
Feb 1 - Books for Books – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Feb 2 – Chit Chat with Charity – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Feb 2 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 2 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL
Feb 2 - Books for Books – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR
Feb 2 - PuzzlePaws Blog - audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Feb 3 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of GIRL WITH A GUN / giveaway
Feb 3 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of SHOOT LIKE A GIRL / giveaway
Feb 3 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE
Feb 4 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR / giveaway
Feb 4 - Adventurous Jessy -book review of PECCADILLO AT THE PALACE / giveaway
Feb 4 - @twilight_reader – audiobook review of FOLLY AT THE FAIR

Enter the Giveaway: 

Win a $25 Amazon.com gift card. Open internationally until the 11th February.

 GIRL WITH A GUN (Annie Oakley Mystery) Audiobook Tour Giveaway

Click here to see all my current 

Giveaways & Free Books!

 

Etsy Find!
	Vintage Annie Oakley  cloth doll by Surrey Treasures Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Kari Bovee / Western fiction / Books from America