Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau BLOG TOUR @JessicaAnyaBlau @Harper360UK @RandomTTours #MaryJane #BookReview

 

In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family's subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she's glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane's mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it's a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane's mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job--helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she's always known and the future she's only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she's going to be.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau was published by Custom House, an imprint of Harper Collins on 27 May 2021, managed by Harper360 in the UK. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour.

I have no doubt that Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau will be in my list of Top Books of this year. I started reading this book as I set off on a train journey down to London last Friday, and finished it as I arrived back at my home station that same night. Half of the book on the outward journey, the remaining part on my way home. 

The reader is expertly transported to 1970s Baltimore, during a hazy sunny Summer, mixing with a complex and colourful set of characters who will steal their heart. I was entranced as Mary Jane, a fourteen year old girl who has led a sheltered and protected life within a wealthy neighbourhood discovers that life, and family, are far more than keeping the house clean, the cupboards stocked and food on the table for the man of the house. She finds that there's more to music and singing than church songs and showtime bands and she realises that it's OK to be yourself, to wear your shorts above the knee and to shout and raise your voice. It's OK to love and to be loved. 

Mary Jane's parents are pleased when she gets a job as a summer nanny for Dr Cone and his wife. She will care for young Izzy Cone.  After all, he's a doctor, what could go wrong? When Mary Jane arrives at their house it is the total chaos and the noise that shocks her at first. There is 'stuff' everywhere, and every family member seems to SHOUT. However, she also discovers that this doesn't mean that they are a bad, or uncaring, it just means that they are different.

Over the summer Mary Jane grows so much. Whilst bringing a little order and structure into the Cone household is a great thing, she is also able to explore her own self. She sees things, and hears things that shock her at first. There's no way she can let her parents know about the teeny-tiny shorts she wears when she's at the Cones' place; her mother cannot be allowed to discover that sometimes Izzy doesn't bathe or wash her hair for days; and she can never ever mention the fact that Dr Cone's latest patient has moved in. A rock-star heroin addict and his superstar TV actress wife would be the very last people on earth that Mary Jane would be allowed to mix with. 

However Mary Jane both learns and she teaches. Her ability to create a decent meal and keep order in the house, her willingness to overlook the occasional naked body and her overwhelming love for Izzy make her invaluable, but she also becomes one of the family. She teaches them about structure, they teach her about love and about the world outside of the streets and church that she's known all of her life. 

This is a beautiful and wonderful novel and I adored every page. I loved Mary Jane's journey, her innocence and trust, her growth and her questions. It was most certainly a two way street though as Mary Jane taught the adults so much too. Theirs was such an equal relationship, it was joyful to watch unravel. 

The author touches on social issues throughout the novel, with US politics getting a mention and Mary Jane's sudden realisation that whilst she's known the Black staff at her parents' country club for most of her life, they are treated differently to her, and she questions that. It's a difficult thing for Mary Jane to realise; the bias and prejudice around her that her parents have no qualms about and she becomes braver as the summer goes on, asking awkward questions of her parents who, in the past, she has trusted to treat her and others in the right way. 

Full of sunshine, love, music and utter joy, Mary Jane is a stunning read that I would highly recommend. 

Jessica Anya Blau is the author of US bestselling novel The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and
three other critically acclaimed novels, most recently The Trouble With Lexie. 

Her novels have been recommended and featured on CNN, NPR, The Today Show and in Vanity Fair, Cosmo, O Magazine, and many other US magazines and newspapers.

Twitter @JessicaAnyaBlau

Instagram @jessicaanyablau

www.jessicaanyablau.com

Launched in January 2014, Harper360 is HarperCollins’ successful international
publishing programme.

Harper360 UK provides a strong and harmonious global distribution across all genres and formats from HarperCollins global companies in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. Harper360 authors include Jessica Simpson, Curtis Jackson (50 Cent), Cicely Tyson, David Mamet, Donna Hay, Mark Manson, Gary Vaynerchuck, Mina Lima and Julie Murphy.

Twitter @Harper360UK

The Dead Ex by Jane Corry @JaneCorryAuthor #BlogTour @PenguinUKBooks @HannahLudbrook #MyLifeInBooks

HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED.

Vicki's husband David once promised to love her in sickness and in health. But after a brutal attack left her suffering with epilepsy, he ran away with his mistress.

So when Vicki gets a call one day to say that he's missing, her first thought is 'good riddance'. But then the police find evidence suggesting that David is dead. And they think Vicki had something to do with it.

What really happened on the night of David's disappearance?
And how can Vicki prove her innocence, when she's not even sure of it herself?

For anyone who loved The Couple Next Door, Lisa Jewell's Then She Was Gone and Cara Hunter's Close To Home, this book has everything you need for the perfect summer read - gripping twists and turns, brilliant characters and a story you can't put down.

The Dead Ex by Jane Corry was published in paperback on 28 June 2018 by Penguin. As part of the Blog Tour, I'm delighted to welcome the author here to Random Things today. She's talking about the books that are special to her in My Life In Books

My Life in Books - Jane Corry

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom. I read this at a particularly difficult period in life. It bowled me over. It’s based upon conversations between the author and his former professor who imparts his life wisdom. Wonderfully uplifting and life-affirming.


WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Graeme. My father used to read this to me as a child. I loved the idea of ‘messing about on boats’ as well as all the characters including the irascible Toad. Now my father is 94 with failing sight. So I read it to him.


LOOK OUT FOR SQUALLS by FRANK ROMER. The author was my great grandfather. I always knew he was a doctor but I only recently discovered that he was a novelist on the quiet with three novels published by Duckworth. This book (published in 1926) is a humorous cosy crime novel. I love the idea that maybe there’s a writing gene in the family. I’m also really proud of him for having made the time to write even though he had a full-time – and demanding - occupation. Frank was one of the first osteopaths in the UK and treated the Royal Family.


THE PALLISER NOVELS BY ANTHONY TROLLOPE. I devoured most of the classics when I was a teenager but only came across Trollope in my mid twenties. I got to the last in the series when I was pregnant with my eldest child. I kept willing myself not to go into labour until I reached the final page. I only just made it!My son is now a writer himself.

JANE EYRE BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE. I didn’t really enjoy school until I got to the sixth form and could concentrate on subjects I liked best, such as English. Jane Eyre was one of our set texts. I would sit on the upstairs classroom window sill (probably not allowed now) and dream myself into her character. I wanted to be her. I now know better.


POETRY BY KEATS. I’ve always loved poetry. As a teenager I wrote reams. Later when I left women’s magazine journalism and became a writer in residence of a high security male prison, I helped the men write poetry. Keats is possibly my favourite poet. He combines warmth of character with scenes you can step into. I know ‘Ode To Autumn’ by heart. ‘Close bosom friend of the maturing sun’ is a wonderful line.


THE ‘ALFIE AND ROSE’ BOOKS BY SHIRLEY HUGHES. I discovered these when my own children were little. I love the stories and charming illustrations. ‘Dogger’ is possibly my story. It’s about a toddler who loses his special ‘comfort toy’ - a situation which many of us can identify with – and then finds it. I now have two small grandchildren whom I look after twice a week. They love Alfie and Rose too.


DAILY STRENGTH FOR DAILY NEEDS SELECTED BY MARY TILESTON. When my mother died at the age of 56 from ovarian cancer, she left me a book which had always been at her bedside table. It contains a selection of sayings and prayers for each day of the year. She
wrote all our birthdays down on the relevant pages and it’s lovely to see her handwriting. It gives me inspiration for the day ahead. And it makes me feel she is close.

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE BY GAIL HONEYMAN. I resisted reading this for a bit because everyone was doing so and I don’t always like to go with the crowd. But then I gave in and was hooked from the start. I now recommend it to everyone. It’s quirky with some wonderful twists. But it’s also poignantly funny.


THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY BY RACHEL JOYCE. This is another quirky novel (you can tell my taste by now!) about a man who goes off to post a letter to a former dying work colleague and end ups by walking to Newcastle to deliver it in person. On the way, he reflects on his life. Thanks to the author’s skill, I walked with him, side by side.


MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER’S DIARY. I was given this by an elderly relative just before he died. I’m extremely grateful. It was written in 1871 and chronicles everyday life as a young mother. Most of it is, to be honest, fairly monotonous and deals with chores such as helping the children with their lessons. But there are hidden gems. Betty talks about being ‘tired’ but it isn’t until the end of the year that she refers to being ‘churched’. This was a ceremony which new mothers went through after giving birth. That meant she’d been pregnant all through the year but hadn’t actually said so because it wouldn’t have been considered good manners, even in a diary. There’s also a line about going ‘to tea with Dickens’ children’. So maybe they knew the author himself!


PUFFBALL BY FAY WELDON. I devoured Fay Weldon’s books as a teenager and young woman but this was the first I read. When I was a magazine journalist, I was sent to interview her. It was a dream come true! I confided in her my ambition to write novels and she encouraged me over the years. We still stay in touch. I’m lucky enough to be asked to her birthday party every year which is held in a huge marquee in her garden with all kinds of people – some famous and some not. She is an inspiration.

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist who has spent time working as the writer in residence of a high security prison for men - an experience that helped inspire her Sunday Times bestsellers 'My Husband's Wife' and 'Blood Sisters'. Jane runs regular writing workshops and speaks at literary festivals all over the world. Many of her ideas strike during morning dog-jogs along the beach followed by a dip in the sea - no matter how cold it is!

Jane's brand-new thriller 'The Dead Ex' is published June 2018 by Penguin Viking.

You can find Jane on Twitter at @JaneCorryAuthor and on 

Facebook at JaneCorryAuthor 

Needlemouse by Jane O'Connor @JaneOConnor100 BLOG TOUR @EburyPublishing @TessHenderson1 #Needlemouse

Sylvia Penton has been hibernating for years, it's no wonder she's a little prickly...

Sylvia lives alone, dedicating herself to her job at the local university. On weekends, she helps out at a local hedgehog sanctuary because it gives her something to talk about on Mondays - and it makes people think she's nicer than she is.

Only Sylvia has a secret: she's been in love with her boss, Professor Lomax, for over a decade now, and she's sure he's just waiting for the right time to leave his wife. Meanwhile she stores every crumb of his affection and covertly makes trouble for anyone she feels gets in his way.

But when a bright new PhD candidate catches the Professor’s eye, Sylvia’s dreams of the fairy tale ending she has craved for so long, are soon in tatters, driving her to increasingly desperate measures and an uncertain future. 

Sylvia might have been sleep walking through her life but things are about to change now she’s woken up…

A quirky, charming uplifting novel perfect for fans of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Sarah Haywood's The Cactus. The feelgood bestseller about unrequited love, loneliness and the redemptive qualities of hedgehogs featuring the most unlikely heroine of 2019.

Needlemouse by Jane O'Connor was published in paperback by Ebury Publishing on 27 June.

As part of the Blog Tour, organised by Tracy from Compulsive Readers, I'm delighted to be offer three paperback copies as prizes.

Entry is simple. Just fill out the competition widget at the end of this post. 

UK Entries only.

GOOD LUCK!

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NEEDLEMOUSE

'An eccentrically heartwarming tale of steeping out of your comfort zone. I was rooting for Sylvia' - Lottie, Netgalley

'I was charmed by this tale. A feel-good book' - Heather, Netgalley

'A lovely story with delightful characters. Would highly recommend, especially if you are a fan of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman' - Mary, Netgalley

'An absolutely superb novel about someone who is dissatisfied with her life but feels it's difficult to change. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a quirky novel to entertain them' - Sue, Netgalley

'Oh how I adored this book which is reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine' - Justine, Netgalley

'I like a book that makes me feel uplifted, that soothes the soul, and this book certainly did that. Sylvia is definitely one of my favourite fictional characters' - Joanne, Netgalley

Three paperback copies of Needlemouse by Jane O'Connor




Jane O’Connor is a former primary school teacher turned academic and writer. 
She was born and brought up in Surrey and lived in London until she moved to the West Midlands in her mid-thirties. 
Jane’s PhD was about child stars and she is now a Reader at Birmingham City University where she researches children’s experiences of celebrity, media and everyday life. 
Jane lives in Sutton Coldfield with her husband and two young sons in a house full of pirates, dinosaurs, superheroes and lots of books. 
She really likes all animals, especially hedgehogs. 
Needlemouse is her debut novel.

Twitter @JaneOConnor100

Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell #BlogTour #MyLifeInBooks

Meet Liz Lyon: respected TV producer, stressed-out executive, guilty single mother ...

StoryWorld is the nation's favourite morning show, and producer Liz Lyon wants to keep it that way. Her job is to turn real-life stories into thrilling TV - and keep a lid on the scandals and backbiting that happen off-stage.

But then simmering tensions erupt at the station, trapping Liz in a game of one-upmanship where she doesn't know the rules. As the power struggle intensifies, can Liz keep her cool and keep her job? Does she even want to?

In this gripping novel of power, rivalry and betrayal, Jane Lythell draws on her own experiences of working in the glamorous, pressurised world of live TV. 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell, published on 14 July in hardback and ebook by Head of Zeus.  This is Jane Lythell's third novel. Her first, The Lie of You was published in 2014 and  After The Storm, which I reviewed on Random Things, was published in January 2015.

The author's previous books were psychological thriller stories, Woman of the Hour moves away from that genre and looks at the life of a woman working as a TV producer, dealing with the stresses that go with it.

The story is structured very well, and allows the reader to have an insight into both of Liz Lyon's worlds. Narrated by Liz from two locations; the StoryWorld studios on London Bridge and then from her flat in Chalk Farm which she shares with her teenage daughter Flo.

Jane Lythell expertly creates the busy TV studio with the larger-than-life characters and their
enormous egos and the frantic pace of putting together a live TV show whilst ensuring that the celebrities, the presenters and the studio top executives are all kept happy. It's clear that the author has used her years of experience in a similar workplace, and this lends a great sense of authenticity to the plot .... it can also make the reader reel in horror, wondering how anyone can spend their days massaging the egos of these pampered people.

The stark contrast in Lyn's life, from TV producer to worried single-mum is done very well, and the scenes at home, between Liz and her daughter Flo explore issues including guilt, financial pressures and the needs and wants of a teenage girl.

Woman of the Hour is character-led, and there are some amazing, vibrant characters - some you'll love, and some you'll want to hate, but all of them are human and the author cleverly includes details that can explain some behaviours.

I believe that Woman of the Hour is the first in a new series and it has certainly whetted my appetite to find out more about Liz and her StoryWorld colleagues, and of course, about Flo.  As an added bonus at the end of the book, the author has included some Comfort Recipes, for the Stressed Out. Perfect!

My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour.

I'm delighted to welcome Jane Lythell to Random Things today, she's talking about 'My Life In Books'



I've been a passionate reader all my life and as a child would read my favourite books again and again. Knowing the plot did not spoil the pleasure at all. Here are two favourite books from childhood.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton  This stimulated my imagination so much. I loved the idea of little people borrowing, not stealing, the things they need. They had their own code of honour and were never wasteful. Their names: Arrietty, Homily and Pod Clock are inspired because they are just that bit different and non-human. It's a wistful book too because I seem to remember that the Borrowers had once been taller but got smaller and smaller because of their fear. Now that is a powerful idea.


Anne of Green Gables series by L M Montgomery  I read the entire series of Anne books. She is such a spirited character. I loved how she sparred with Gilbert Blythe. This was the first love story I encountered in fiction and it followed the familiar pattern of initial antagonism blossoming into love. I remember so well the scene in the classroom where Gilbert picks up one of Anne's plaits and declares:
"Carrots ....."
"You mean, hateful boy!" she exclaimed passionately.  "How dare you!"
And then - thwack! Anne had brought her slate down on Gilbert's head and cracked it - slate not head - clear across.


Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell  I read this when I was 14 and was consumed by all one thousand pages of it.  I had borrowed it from Sheringham library and read it at every available opportunity. I remember vividly lying on my bed on my stomach as I read the last pages and Rhett Butler leaves Scarlett O'Hara. I was devastated. I must have lain sobbing on my bed for an age until my mum came in and said: "Oh well having a cry does you good."


Charles Dickens  I had to include Charles Dickens in My Life in Books because he has given me so much pleasure and so much to think about my entire life. I try to read a Dickens novel once a year, sometimes it is a re-reading, and he continues to amaze and enthral me.  My all-time favourite is Great Expectations though I also adore Bleak House and David Copperfield.  Dickens is the great storyteller and the great populariser.  Who can ever forget Miss Havisham, Abel Magwitch, Lady Dedlock, the Artful Dodger, Ebenezer Scrooge, Uriah Heep and his hundres of flawed and funny and poignant characters?


The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge   I studied English Literature at University College London and was introduced to the poetry of Coleridge.  He remains one of my favourite poets and I must mention Frost at Midnight and The Pains of Sleep.  However it is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner to which I return to again and again for its powerful imagery and its moral message.

The Stand by Stephen King  This book terrified me and I had to keep the light on all night while reading it!  I think Stephen King should get far more praise for the master storyteller he is.  I think he's something of a modern day Dickens in the way he creates strong memorable characters and compelling storylines.


The Shipping News by Annie Proulx  This is my favourite contemporary novel and my respect for Annie Proulx as a writer is huge. The Shipping News has everything I love in a book: a despised and hapless hero; a wonderful sense of place in the depiction of Newfoundland, the land of Quoyle's forefathers and a journey of redemption for Quoyle.  I do not like hopeless books. I like there to be some light at the end.

I'd like to end My Life in Books with two recent reads that have wowed me.  As a writer you go on learning all the time and the best way to learn about writing is to read long and deep.


Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre  I came late to John le Carre and am spending the summer reading his novels.  I have enjoyed the four others I have read so far but Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the one that blew me away. George Smiley is a wonderfully achieved character.
'Small, podgy and at best middle-aged, he was by appearance, on of London's meek who do not inherit the earth.'
But George Smiley has a brilliant mind and he sets out to unearth the mole at the heart of the UK's secret services. The book kept me entranced.


This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson  This is a majestic doorstep of a book that vividly brings to life Robert FitzRoy the Captain of the Beagle and his five year voyage with Charles Darwin to Tierra del Fuego, the Galapagos and beyond. The two men became close during the voyage but differences in their beliefs later started as a crack and widened to a chasm. There are some marvellous discussions between the two men on whether the Biblical Flood ever happened and whether species can transmute.  The book has two descriptions of sea storms that left me in awe of Thompson's writing.

I have just noticed that there is a strong sea and sailing theme with my selection: The Ancient Mariner, The Shipping News and This Thing of Darkness and of course I wrote my own sailing book set on a beach in the Caribbean Sea: After the Storm.

Jane Lythell ~ July 2016 

Jane Lythell worked as a television producer and commissioning editor for fifteen years.

She has been Deputy Director of the BFI and Chief Executive of BAFTA.

Woman of the Hour is her third novel, and the first title in the StoryWorld series.

Find her Author page on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter @janelythell

Follow

The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable **** BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW ***

How can a memory so vivid be wrong? 

In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart. 

In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other's lives and try to create a second chance. 

But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right? 

With strong themes of paganism, love and grief, The Faerie Tree is a novel as gripping and unputdownable as Jane Cable's first book, The Cheesemaker's House, which won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Show's People's Novelist competition. It is a story that will resonate with fans of romance, suspense, and folklore.

The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable is launched on 21 March 2015, I'm thrilled to be kicking off the BLOG TOUR for the author, here on Random Things.

Whilst the actual faerie tree of the title is so very central to this story, I must admit that 'themes of paganism' would not be my usual choice when selecting a novel to read. However, there is so much more to The Faerie Tree than magic and spells. This is a story of human relationships, it's also modern and gritty and so so elegantly written. I was quite swept away by the whole story.

The central theme that I take away from The Faerie Tree is that of memory and loss, and how the human mind can often play tricks on us when trying to deal with trauma and tragedy.

Robin and Izzie are tremendously strong lead characters, both have their own personal issues, both have been damaged, and both have led lives that been unfulfilling. When they met, back in 1986, they were young and they were discovering love. They visited the Faerie Tree, and it is there that their relationship changed for ever. Tragedy beyond their control affected their lives, and their minds and it wasn't until twenty years later that they would face up to what happened, how they dealt with it and how to move forward.

Jane Cable creates characters that are believable, who have problems, who are often annoying and frustrating, but whose story is compelling. She cleverly takes the reader into the heads of two damaged and fragile people, and this is done so very well. Despite their faults, both Izzie and Robin are characters that the reader will root for throughout this really excellent novel.

I have to mention the faerie tree of the title, and how wonderfully it is described; both the location and the fable. This fine, strong, old tree has been a place for people to share their problems and their hopes for many years. It is decorated with ribbons, and coins and letters are left for the faeries, in the hope that visitor's problems will be resolved.  The faerie tree is a symbol of hope for Izzie and Robin, and many of the more emotional scenes take place under it.

The Faerie Tree was not what I was expecting at all, it far exceeded my expectations. This is high quality writing, and the author is very talented. Her characterisation is outstanding, the story is impeccably paced and very convincing.  A great novel, and one that I'd certainly recommend.


The BLOG TOUR for The Faerie Tree continues this week, at the following blogs - please pop over and see what my fellow bloggers have to say:

23 March      Rosie Amber    www.rosieamber.wordpress.com

24 March     Liz Loves Books       www.lizlovesbooks.com

25 March     My Reading Corner        

www.myreading-corner.blogspot.co.uk

26 March     Crooks on Books       www.crooksonbooks.blogspot.co.uk

28 March     Jaffa Reads Too   

www.jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk

29 March    Being Anne   

www.beingannereading.blogspot.co.uk

31 March    Beadyjan's Books    www.beadyjansbooks.blogspot.co.uk

I delighted to welcome the author of The Faerie Tree; Jane Cable, here to Random Things today. Jane has kindly answered some questions for me ~ I hope you enjoy this short interview.

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

I always read reviews. I was very lucky with The Cheesemaker’s House because the vast majority were really positive. Which makes me even more nervous about The Faerie Tree – your review, on the opening day of the blog tour, is likely be the first so I’ll be quaking in my crocs.

Like any sort of feedback, when the same messages keep coming through then I do take them seriously. Everyone has their opinion, but when it turns out to be shared then it’s definitely time to take note. Writing is a wonderful hobby when you do it for yourself, but when you publish books you really should listen to your readers because you are expecting them to part with their hard earned cash.

How long does it take you to write a novel?
Years. I think since The Cheesemaker’s House came out I’m even slower, because you need to work quite hard on the marketing side too. I started writing The Faerie Tree at the end of 2010 and looking back at my computer records it took me a couple of years to finish the first draft. The published book is somewhere around draft seven and that was completed to my editor’s satisfaction last July.

If I could write full time then it goes without saying progress would be much faster but that isn’t a luxury available to me at the moment.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I almost always write first thing in the morning because it’s when I feel most alive. I like a skinny latte to hand – my mother bought us a Nespresso machine for Christmas a few years ago and it’s the most used gadget in our kitchen.

The exception is when we’re on holiday – I can write almost any time then and often do. That’s the time I write fastest as well – one fortnight I drafted 25,000 words, mainly sitting on the veranda of our room with a beautiful view of the sea.

What was your favourite childhood book?

I am probably not allowed to say because it was called Little Black Sambo. It was a lovely tale about a little boy in India who out-witted a tiger by making him run round and round a tree so he melted and his mother made him into butter.

Name one book that made you laugh
Judy Astley books make me laugh – she has a real knack of pulling the funny side out of middle-aged domestic dramas. I especially like Unchained Melanie because the heroine is an author. There’s one scene where she does her supermarket shop as one of the characters she’s writing. It’s not a bad tip; when I am struggling with someone I try to do something ordinary as they would do it and it helps no end.

Name one book that made you cry

Omar Rivabella’s Requiem for a Woman’s Soul; it’s about the disappeared in South America and it’s based on a true story, which makes it all the more tragic and shocking.

Which fictional character would you like to meet?

It’s a fascinating idea but I’m not sure that I would – sometimes when you meet your heroes they have feet of clay.

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

I have recently given a close friend a first edition of John Betjeman’s Summoned by Bells. I’m going through the sad process of clearing out my mother’s house and there were two identical copies – my parents gave them to each other one Christmas when they were newlyweds. So I’ve kept one and given the other to Ali because she loves poetry.

Are you inspired by any particular author or book?

The book which freed me as a writer was The Time Traveler’s Wife. It made me realise that if you wrote well enough and your characters were sufficiently strong then readers would suspend disbelief and be drawn into your story.

What is your guilty pleasure read?

My guilty secret is that I don’t have enough time to read. I don’t think that any reading should be tinged with guilt; book, comic, magazine: anything’s fine by me.

Who are your favourite authors?

There are authors I will look out for and if I find anything by them I haven’t read then I’ll snap it up. Rosamunde Pilcher, for sure, but also Mary Wesley, Mark Hebden (the Inspector Pel books), RF Delderfield. I hugely admire Sebastian Faulks but find some of his books tremendously hard going.

Which book have you re-read?

Not many, but there are a few old favourites which come out time and again. Douglas Adams’ Watership Down, Rosamunde Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers but most of all Delderfield’s Horseman Riding By trilogy.

Which book have you given up on?

Most famously, Lord of the Rings. I got as far as the beginning of The Two Towers then lost the will to live. It languished under my bed for years when I was a teenager.

Thanks to Jane for some great answers.  For more information about Jane and her books, visit her website www.janecable.com.  Follow her on Twitter @JaneCable

My Top Reads of 2021 #AmReading #TopReads2021 #FavouriteBooks2021 #BookBlogger

 

My Top Reads of 2021

I remember writing my Top Reads of 2020 post and saying that I hoped that we would never ever live though another year like 2020.

My hopes did not come true. For me, my family and my friends, this year has been one of utter devastation. We have been rocked to the core by losing loved ones and seeing those closest to us suffer. Sadly, for my little family, it is inevitable that the coming year will bring more pain and sadness.

Despite the often overwhelming feeling of despair, I have continued to read and shout about the books that I love. I have been able to grow my Blog Tour organising business and once again, I have been fortunate enough to work with some truly amazing books, authors, publishers and fellow bloggers. 

I read around 170 books this year, this includes the submitted books for the CWA International Dagger for which I am a judge. I have already reviewed most of these, either here on my blog, or for the Express.

A few statistics :

I've posted 148 book reviews on the blog this year

107 of these were by female authors, 38 by male authors and 3 were by various authors

Of these reviews, nine were non-fiction titles, 28 were debut books and 16 were translated into English from another language

As always, I rarely finish a book that I'm not enjoying, so to pick my top books out of so many that I've really enjoyed has, once more, been very difficult. 

As always, my list is split into three sections; I start with some of the 2021 books that I read in 2020. I mentioned them last year and hoped that they would be huge.

The second part is my list of  Top Books of 2021

Finally, I'll give a mention to some 2022 publications that I've read early.

I really think that 2022 is going to be another fabulous book year!

Enjoy! 

2021 books that I predicted would do well

At the end of last year, I'd read these 2021 books pre-publication, and predicted that they would do well. I'm still recommending them, twelve months later.  (click on the title for my full review).

The Push by Ashley Audrain - 7 January 2021 from Michael Joseph

The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean - 7 January 2021 from Hodder & Stoughton

Daughters Of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson - 18 February 2021 from Mantle/Pan Macmillan

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles - 9 February 2021 from Two Roads

Everything Happens For a Reason by Katie Allen - 10 April (digital), 10 June (paperback) from Orenda Books 

My Top Reads of 2021

My Top Reads of the year are listed in order of reading. The list contains some favourite authors who pop up year after year, and also some debuts. I think it's a great list, with something for everyone. I heartily recommend all of these books.  (click on the title for my full review)

The Source by Sarah Sultoon published (ebook) 15 February (print) 15 April by Orenda Books
Gripping, emotional, eye-opening and so brilliantly written. Highly recommended by me.

You Me And The Sea by Elizabeth Haynes published 11 February by Myriad Editions

It transported me to a place that felt so much safer than our existing world. It's beautiful and wonderful and I recommend it highly

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin published 18 February by Doubleday
An utter and total delight. Wonderful characters who worm their way into your life and leave little traces on your heart.

How To Survive Everything by Ewan Morrison published 1 March by Saraband

A terrifying and harrowing novel, yet is is also deeply touching

Bound by Vanda Symon published 18 March by Orenda Books

Do not miss this, it's edge-of-the-seat drama that will satisfy any fan of crime fiction. Highly recommended.

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller published on 25 March by Fig Tree

Clever, sharp and irresistible, this is a novel that has to be savoured

Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz published 4 March by Orenda Books

Addictive, extremely hard to put down. Another fabulous chapter in what has become a favourite series of mine

Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly published 1 April by Hodder

 It is so intricate, so tightly plotted and in my opinion, the author's best book to date. 

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins published 5 April by Pan Macmillan

This is an accomplished, brutal and moving story, and comes highly recommended by me.

Boys Don't Cry by Fiona Scarlett published 6 May by Faber

This book is one that will evoke every emotion from anger, to compassion, despair and hope

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins published 29 April by Harper360 UK

It's a complex and intricately woven story with hints of magical realism that reminded me at times of Alice Hoffman's work

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox published 17 June by Doubleday

It is masterfully created and it's a story that will stay with me for a very long time

Dead Ground by MW Craven published 3 June by Constable

Breath-taking, fascinating and gripping

This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech published 10 June by Orenda Books 

Wonderfully moving, emotional and very thought provoking. A book to savour and love. Highly recommended. 

Fragile by Sarah Hilary published 10 June by Pan Macmillan 

It is a superb mix of gothic tension, obsession, young love and disappointment, woven together masterfully

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau published 27 May by Harper360 UK

Full of sunshine, love, music and utter joy, Mary Jane is a stunning read that I would highly recommend. 

No Honour by Awais Khan published 19 August by Orenda Books 

This is a very special book. One that will stay with me forever, and one that I will re-read, for sure.

Love And Missed by Susie Boyt published 26 August by Virgo

An utter joy to read. A book that touched me deeply and one that I highly recommend. 

The Sound of Sirens by Ewan Gault published 28 October by Leamington Books

This is Ewan Gault's debut novel and it is stunning. Highly recommended from me, one of the best books I've read this year.

The Shadowing by Rhiannan Ward published 16 September by Trapeze

This is an excellent gothic mystery, with a hint of the supernatural

The Woman In The Middle by Milly Johnson published 14 October by Simon and Schuster

It's a warm, touching read and you'll be longing for Shay to find her own happy ending

The Leftovers by Cassandra Parkin published 1 October by Legend Press

A really stunning piece of writing, nuanced, uncomfortable at times but incredibly powerful. Highly recommended. 

The Red Monarch by Bella Ellis published 18 November by Hodder

It's intricately detailed, full of vibrant and vividly created characters and has such heart. 

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen published 28 October from Orenda Books 

Death, a touch of violence, fraud and a tender emerging romance all combine to create the most magical story

The Quiet People by Paul Cleave published 25 November by Orenda Books

So very very intense, so dark and utterly compelling

Fall by West Camel published 9 December by Orenda Books

An author who uses words like an instrument, creating a symphony that will thrill any reader. 

Books to look out for in 2022 ....

I've already made a start on the 2022 books, and if the ones that I've read already are anything to go by, we are in for another outstanding book year.

Here are a few tips; books that I think will be huge next year. 

Some of these reviews have not  been published yet but I can assure you that I enjoyed every one of them. 

Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell - 20 January 2022 from Headline

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond - 6 January 2022 from

 Quercus

The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry - 3 February 2022 from Orion

How To Find Your Way Home by Katy Regan - 3 February 2022 from Mantle

Other Parents by Sarah Stovell - 20 January from HQ Stories 

Wahala by Nikki May - 6 January from Doubleday 

Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes - 17 February from Michael Joseph

That's 2021 over and done with. Thank goodness!

It's been a fabulous year for books, but honestly, not for much else!

I want to wish everyone the VERY BEST for next year and I really hope to see lots of lovely book friends soon.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone who reads my reviews and puts up with my book shouting.