Ridley Road by Jo Bloom ** BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR Question & Answer **

It is June, 1962. Vivien Epstein, twenty-two years old and a hairdresser from Manchester, arrives in London having just lost her father. Alone in the world, she is looking for Jack Fox, a man she had a fleeting but passionate love affair with some months before. But the only address she has for him leads to a dead end.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Vivien convinces Barb, the owner of Oscar’s hair salon in Soho, to give her a job. There, she is swept into the glittering world of the Swinging Sixties, with its coffee bars and jazz clubs, a place where she begins to feel free.

But still, she pines for Jack. And when she spots him among the crowds at an anti-fascist rally in Trafalgar Square, Vivien is elated. But all is not as it seems . . .

Ridley Road by Jo Bloom is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion Publishing) on 11 December 2014, in hardback and eBook.  I'm delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for Ridley Road today.

 ‘One August afternoon some summers ago, my dad and I gave a lift to an elderly man called Monty whom we’d met at a funeral. I took my place in the back, and on the drive to the nearest station, listened to them share memories of their early life in post-war East London. But when they mentioned something called the 62 Group, I pushed myself forward and heard about the Jewish community’s street resistance to fascism for the first time. Even then I knew I would write about it. This was a tale that hadn’t been told before in literature; how, fewer than two decades after Hitler had been defeated and awareness of the atrocities against the Jews in World War II had begun to penetrate the mainstream, British fascism was rearing up again. But now it was opposed by the 62 Group – a band of brave, passionate men who took matters into their own hands and spent the sixties fighting fascism on the streets.’ Jo Bloom

Set in Soho and Hackney’s Ridley Road in 1960s London, Jo Bloom’s debut novel explores the political unrest and post-war street resistance to the growing fascist extremism which was taking place just as the city was embracing the Swinging Sixties in its coffee bars, its nightclubs and its music and fashion.

I am a huge fan of fiction set in the 1960s, especially stories that are set in London. The 1960s are my favourite era, I love the fashion and the music and the huge changes that took place during that decade, especially for women.

Jo Bloom has captured the sense of the 60s so well in Ridley Road. Vivien, the lead character has recently moved to London from Manchester. She's left behind tragedy and sadness and is determined that from now on, things are going to get better for her. She has another reason for moving to London too, she wants to find Jack, the guy who stole her heart and left without a word to say where he was going. Armed with an old address and memories of Jack's handsome face, she starts her new life.

It's not long before Vivien has found herself a job in a salon in Soho, working alongside a group of friendly, fun-loving girls, overseen by caring and wise Barb. Vivien throws herself into the nightlife and excitement of swinging London. Nightclubs, dancing, meeting actors and musicians and it's not long before she has caught the eye of a local likely lad.

Vivien can't forget Jack, and is thrilled when she spots him one afternoon. Thrilled until she realises just what Jack is doing, what he is part of. For although 60s London is free and easy and a great place for a young woman to live, there are undertones of violence and hatred. The fascist movement is growing stronger and Vivien is part of the Jewish community who are a target of the fascist extremist activities. 

I have to admit that I knew almost nothing about the rise of British fascism during this time, and the Jewish community's fight to overcome it. It's a subject that seems to have been swept under the carpet and I was shocked to read of some of the terrible things done just twenty years after the end of World War II. Jo Bloom has researched this subject very well, and some of the events make for difficult and upsetting reading, yet there is a realism and authenticity about her writing that leaves me in no doubt that these things happened.

The contrast between the innocence of Vivien and the hatred and evil of the fascists, combined with the strength of feeling and bravery of those who fought against it is startling and makes for compelling, and enlightening reading.

Ridley Road contains an important story, very well told by an excellent author who writes so well. Her characters are rounded and well developed, the sense of place and era are very real and the plot is full of surprising and shocking twists and turns. A great novel, I enjoyed this one very much.

I am thrilled to welcome the author, Jo Bloom here to Random Reads together. Jo agreed to answer some questions for me;

Do you read reviews of your novels?  Do you take them seriously?  

I’m going to try my best not to look at every reader/media review, but I’m aware that will take a lot of restraint! I think it’s quite easy to get ‘stuck’ in other people’s opinions and that’s probably not very helpful.

How long does it take to write a novel?     

It took me about 3-4 years but I had a baby and worked during that time.

Do you have any writing rituals?       

I get up early to write (around 5.30am) and I drink a coffee out of a particular white, handle-less mug.

What was your favourite childhood book?     

I was a huge fan of Enid Blyton’s St Clare’s and Malory Towers series.

Name one book that made you laugh?    

Most recently, Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans. It’s so funny and touching.

Name one book that made you cry?    

Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.  

Which fictional character would you like to meet?      

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

Which book would you give to your best friend as a present?      

Right now, I’d probably press The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan, Stoner by John Williams or The Enchanted by Rene Denfield into their hands.

Are you inspired by any particular author or book?      

Alice Munro.   

What is your guilty pleasure read?  

Jilly Cooper’s early novels. Octavia is my favourite. They’re so funny and well-observed.   

Who are your favourite authors?  

Alice Munro, Richard Yates, William Trevor, Colm Toibin, A M Homes, Anne Tyler.

Which book have you re-read?     

This year I’ve re-read East of Eden by John Steinbeck and OliveKitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

Which book have you given up on?  

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I wanted to love it but I didn’t.   

Jo Bloom has worked in the media in Prague and New York, and was a book reviewer for Time Out for several years. 

She currently works as a freelancer in arts marketing and press roles, as well as in the e-learning sector. 

Jo lives in Brighton with her husband and young son.

For more information about Jo Bloom, visit her website www.jobloom.com

Follow her on Twitter @missiejobloom

A Gift from Bob: How a Street Cat Helped One Man Learn the Meaning of Christmas by James Bowen

From the day James rescued a street cat abandoned in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, they began a friendship which has transformed both their lives and, through the bestselling books A STREET CAT NAMED BOB and THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BOB, touched millions around the world. 

In this new story from their journey together, James looks back at the last Christmas they spent scraping a living on the streets and how Bob helped him through one of his toughest times - providing strength, friendship and inspiration but also teaching him important lessons about the true meaning of Christmas along the way.

A Gift From Bob by James Bowen was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 9 October 2014.

I fell a little in love with Bob the cat when I saw him on YouTube a couple of years ago, I read James Bowen's first book that details how they met, and their adventures together and enjoyed it very much. I'll be the first to admit that James Bowen is not the best writer in the world, but his story is really heartwarming.

A Gift From Bob is just a short book, but look at that gorgeous cover!  Bob really is a very beautiful cat.

This is the story of how Christmas used to be for James, before he met Bob. James has spent time in the gutter, battling drug addiction, homelessness and hunger and he really believes that finding Bob was the turning point in his life. The companionship and the affection shown by Bob has made James reconsider how he views the world. In the book, he compares himself to Scrooge in Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and looks at how his whole outlook has changed.

A Gift From Bob would make a great stocking filler for any cat lover this Christmas.  My lovely friend Pauline bought my copy for me as a Birthday present - thanks Pauline!

James Bowen is the author of the bestselling A STREET CAT NAMED BOB and THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BOB. 

He found Bob the cat in 2007 and the pair have been inseparable ever since. 

They both live in north London.

Check out their Facebook page
Follow them on Twitter @StreetCatBob

Guernsey Retreat by Anne Allen

Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection… 

A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past. 

Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger - for them both. 

Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. 

Malcolm's journey is more tortuous: conceived in Guernsey, he travels to Canada as a baby with his bereaved mother. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. 

This was his father's home, where Malcolm was conceived, but never lived and where his father was killed at the start of the Second World War. 

At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice. 

Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…

Guernsey Retreat is Book 3 of the Guernsey Novels by Anne Allen, and was published on 5 August 2014. I featured Finding Mother by Anne Allen here on Random Things in January of this year.

The story opens with a tragic incident that happened way back in 1939, just as the Second World War is breaking out. A violent murder that will have a long lasting impact on many lives over the years.

The reader is brought back to the present day and introduced to Malcolm, a wealthy businessman who is opening a high-class health spa on the beautiful island of Guernsey. La Folie is a new and exciting venture for Malcolm, but means so much more to him than just another business opportunity. The location was the home of his father, the home where he so tragically lost his life.

Louisa has also suffered heartbreak and tragedy. Her much beloved mother has died after an intruder frightened her in her own home. Louisa is determined to find out what the man wanted, and to try to solve the mystery of the priceless jewels that appear to be the reason for her mother's tragic death.

Louisa and Malcolm meet for the very first time on Guernsey. Malcolm is shocked to find that he has a daughter, and Louisa is saddened that they have missed so many years together. Together, they are determined that the men who have brought so much sadness into their lives will be brought to justice.

Guernsey Retreat is best described as a romantic mystery. The mystery takes the lead in this very well written story, but the romance bubbles nicely away in the background.

Anne Allen creates a cast of characters and a setting that are so easy to read about and are very believable. This story has quite a dark feeling at times, with the historical murder mystery at it's centre, and it is very easy to become totally caught up in the world of La Folie, it's staff and guests and the easy going pace of life of Guernsey.

Readers of the author's previous novel, Finding Mother will recognise some of the characters in Guernsey Retreat, and the setting of La Folie is a familiar one too.

An easy to read, well paced story with some great characters.

My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review.



For more information about Anne and her novels, visit her website www.anneallen.co.uk and follow her on Twitter @AnneAllen21

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

'There came the splash of water and the rub of heels as Mrs Barber stepped into the tub. After that there was a silence, broken only by the occasional echoey plink of drips from the tap...

'Frances had been picturing her lodgers in purely mercenary terms - as something like two great waddling shillings. But this, she thought, was what it really meant to have paying guests: this odd, unintimate proximity, this rather peeled-back moment, where the only thing between herself and a naked Mrs Barber was a few feet of kitchen and a thin scullery door. An image sprang into her head: that round flesh, crimsoning in the heat.'

It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.

For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the 'clerk class', the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.

This is vintage Sarah Waters: beautifully described with excruciating tension, real tenderness, believable characters, and surprises. It is above all a wonderful, compelling story.

Angi & I at our event in Birmingham

I'm thrilled to welcome my friend Angi back to Random Things today. Angi has written this guest blog spot - her review of The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. 
This is the second time that Angi has been my guest here, she also reviewed The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill back in January of this year. 

I've known Angi for around 6 years now, we met online through our love of books and have met in person many times over the past few years.  Angi is an Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan 
University and also writes herself.  Angi is on Twitter @josephsyard

The Paying Guests was published by Virago in hardback on 28 August 2014.

Angi's thoughts on The Paying Guests:       In her latest novel The Paying Guests Sarah Waters draws us into the world of London in 1922, where Frances Wray lives a life of faded gentility with her widowed mother. Her father’s death has left the two women in financial difficulty, her brothers have both died in The Great War and domestic servants are but a distant memory. Property rich but cash poor, it seems the women’s only solution is to take in paying guests.

The Barbers arrive in a flurry of excitement and colour, restyling their rooms with an assortment of ‘bits and bobs’. The dull and familiar house on Champion Hill is transformed by Lil’s vivid shawls and silk slippers and the throbbing beat of a gramophone, by Len’s cigarettes and barely-concealed innuendos. They are of the ‘clerk class’, young and aspirational, but their elocution-accents betray their working-class origins.

Inevitably there are the initial embarrassments of living at close quarters with total strangers. Frances, despite her higher social status, scrubs the hall floor and lights the fires. Meanwhile Lil takes a leisurely bath mid-morning in a household more used to economising on hot water. Discreet envelopes conceal the rent which Frances counts out in private, with considerable relief. Despite these awkward moments the Barbers settle in and a tentative friendship develops between the two women.

In the unravelling of their separate histories and intertwined lives, Waters introduces a wider cast of characters; friends with whom Frances might have shared her life had circumstances been different, Lil’s lively and exuberant family, Mrs Wray’s conservative neighbours and bridge companions. There is a world outside the confines of the tired and shabby house. The occasional glimpses of life around the park and skating rink and inside London flats and crowded terraces emphasise the social conventions that define life on Champion Hill.

However, this being a Sarah Waters novel, so we know that social conventions will be challenged, and that the relationship between Frances and Lil isn’t going to remain simple. And it is a murder story, so we also know to expect violence, a police enquiry, smoke and mirrors. We are not disappointed.

Sarah Waters has clearly done her research. Her flawed characters are complex and interesting, 1920s suburban London is sympathetically evoked and attitudes on both sides of the social divide are convincing. We feel as though we’re in a safe pair of hands and The Paying Guests could just be a polished study of social attitudes in a community on the cusp of change. But it’s more than that. It’s a fascinating tale of obsession and forbidden love, with a plot which becomes increasingly tangled until we reach its tense conclusion. Most importantly, it’s a great story and an absorbing read.

For more information about Sarah Waters, and her books, visit her website www.sarahwaters.com

Find Virago Press on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @ViragoBooks

Thornfield Hall by Jane Stubbs ** A Pre-Christmas Giveaway **

"The Rochesters are very good at keeping secrets...Thornfield Hall, 1821. 

Alice Fairfax takes up her role as housekeeper of the estate. 

But when Mr Rochester presents her with a woman who is to be hidden on the third floor, she finds herself responsible for much more than the house. 

This is the story Jane Eyre never knew - a narrative played out on the third floor and beneath the stairs, as the servants kept their master's secret safe and sound."

I am delighted to be able to offer paperback copies of Thornfield Hall by Jane Stubbs to five lucky winners today on Random Things.  Entry is simple, just fill out the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.


Thornfield Hall is historical fiction, published by Corvus (Atlantic Books) on 5 December 2014 in paperback original and eBook

Told from the perspective of the servants in Thornfield Hall, this is the perfect read to curl up with once Downton Abbey has finished and truly brings Thornfield Hall to life.

"Compelling, surprising and beautifully written, the story behind Jane Eyre told from the hidden and secretive world of those below stairs. A fascinating classic, to stand alongside Wide Sargasso Sea"  ~ Elisabeth Gifford, author of Secrets of the Sea House


Jane Stubbs studied English at London University. She went on to teach the subject to a variety of ages in colleges and schools. As well as raising a family, she has worked for various charities, has written a weekly column for a Scottish newspaper, and has won prizes for her short stories.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After Helen by Paul Cavanagh

From international Lit-Idol winner and critically-acclaimed author Paul Cavanagh, this novel tells the story of Irving, an unassuming history teacher grieving the recent death of his larger-than-life wife, Helen, whom he first met during a chance encounter at her father's bookstore. 

Their teenage daughter, Severn - angry at Irving, angry at Helen - has disappeared after stealing a book that may reveal more about her mother than she ever wanted to know. 

On the road in search of Severn, Irving revisits his past with Helen as he follows a trail of clues that reveal why Severn has disappeared.

Along the way, he comes face-to-face with some long-buried family secrets - secrets that he'll have to confront if he wants to save his relationship with his daughter.

Irving's wife Helen died of cancer and he is trying his best to carry on with his life. Continuing to work, caring for his daughter Severn whilst coping with a grief that is all consuming.

Severn is angry. She is angry that Helen is dead, she blames Irving, she blames Helen and she's disappeared. Irving and Marla set off on a road trip to Toronto to try to find Severn and her unsuitable boyfriend Avery (Marla's son), to try to work out just why Severn has taken off like this.

The story of Irving and Marla's journey is told in chapters that alternate with the story of how Irving and Helen met years ago. Alongside these two stories the reader learns about Sir John Franklin, who led a doomed 19^th century expedition to find the Northwest Passage, a passion of Irving's with echoes of his and Helen's own particular story.

Paul Cavanagh writes very well, expertly exploring relationship issues between a father and daughter, and a husband and wife whilst also concentrating on how loss and grief can affect the mind, and have a huge impact on actions.

Irving discovers many things during his journey, some things that have been buried for many years, and things that now uncovered, must be dealt with.

Whilst Helen and Irving are the predominant characters in After Helen, the author has created a cast of supporting characters who also bring this story to life, and I was especially drawn to Will, the bookseller, and whilst Marla could be seen as annoying and irritating to some, she certainly brings an edge to what could have become a quite heavy and dark novel.


Paul Cavanagh is a critically-acclaimed Canadian novelist who was crowned the world’s first LIT IDOL at the LONDON BOOK FAIR 2004 for his manuscript, After Helen. A publishing deal followed and After Helen was released exclusively in Canada to glowing reviews. Now, after a 10 year hiatus, this award-winning novel is available for the first time in the UK, published by Not That London Publishers on 20 November 2014.

Find him on Facebook    Follow him on Twitter @cavanaghpaul

Intrigued readers can visit www.afterhelen.com to read the opening chapters of the novel.

The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

One magical summer turns into a nightmare when a young girl discovers the secrets locked into a reclusive toymaker's mansion.

A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the mechanical beings he has created... an enigma surrounding strange lights that shine through the mists that envelop the small island on which the old lighthouse stands... a shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods... these are the elements of a mystery that bind 14-year-old Irene to Ismael during one magical summer spent in the Blue Bay. Irene's mother has taken a job as a housekeeper for the toymaker, Lazarus, but his house contains more secrets than Irene and Ishmael have bargained for.

Published in paperback by Phoenix (part of the Orion Publishing Group) on 9 October 2014.

I have been a huge fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novels for adults for many years. The Shadow of the Wind is one of my all time favourite books, it's very different to my usual read, but holds a special place in my heart - for many reasons.

The Watcher in the Shadows is the third of the novels that Carlos Ruiz Zafon wrote for younger readers at the beginning of his career in the 1990s, and was recently published here in paperback.

Irene Sauvelle moves with her mother and her younger brother to a large house on the coast of Normandy. At first the family seem to have fallen on their feet. Irene's mother will be the housekeeper for Lazarus Jann.  Lazarus is a toymaker, and his house is full of weird and wonderful creations - the perfect place for children to explore ...... or is it?
As Irene falls in love with local boy Ismael, strange things happen. Young girls disappear, shadows appear and menacing, magical forces cause chaos in the forest.

Although the target market is young adults, The Watcher in the Shadows is also perfect for the adult market, especially for those readers who like some gothic horror with some clever creepiness thrown in for good measure. Add that to a great storyline and Carlos Ruiz Zafon's magical writing ability and this is the perfect book to read on a dark evening .... make sure the doors are locked though, as you may find yourself glancing over your shoulder more than once!

My thanks to Leanne from Orion Books who sent my copy for review.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the author of six novels, including the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, and The Angel's Game. 

His work has been published in more than forty different languages, and honoured with numerous international awards. He divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California.

For more information about the author and his books, visit his website www.carlosruizzafon.co.uk