BOOKSIMO

  Description *** A BBC2  BETWEEN THE COVERS  BOOK CLUB PICK *** *** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME *** In Second World War Bath, young, naïve wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, and at last his life seems to make sense . . . until, soon after, the newly married couple's home is bombed, and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone. No one has heard of Elsa Klein. They say he was never married. Seventy years later, social worker Laura is battling her way out of depression and off medication. Her new case is a strange, isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war. A man who insists his wife vanished many, many years before. Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia. But Laura begins to suspect otherwise . . . Review I loved A Boy Made of Blocks, but this is not really in the same league. I took some time to get into this one. The story begins with Will having rejected any help from Social Servic

  Description Are you looking to start a new chapter? Role:  Bookseller wanted! (3-month fixed-term contract) Location:  A luxury resort on the tropical island of Bounty Cove Cay. Skills required:  The ideal candidate will have experience in a retail environment, preferably within the book industry. Desired qualities:  This role will appeal to a book lover with an adventurous streak who is looking for an escape from their everyday life. What to expect:  Sun, sea, and a bookshop that is far from thriving. No one said it would be smooth sailing! Please note:   You may fall in love with more than just our island along the way... Looking for your next beach read? Look no further! Escape with  The Holiday Bookshop , perfect for fans of Jo Thomas, Phillipa Ashley and Jenny Colgan... Review A lovely escapist read for the summer. I did mostly enjoy this book, what's not to love? A book about running a bookshop and on an island in the Maldives.  In fact there are two bookshops in this book.

  Description 'The  Get Out  meets  The Devil Wears Prada  crossover you've been waiting for' Cosmopolitan 'Riveting, fearless and vividly original' Emily St. John Mandel 'The year's most buzzed-about debut'  i Get Out  meets  The Devil Wears Prada  in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of book publishing. Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and the micro-aggressions, she’s thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events cause Nella to become Public Enemy Number One and Hazel, the Office Darling. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spira

  Description Liv Green loves losing herself in a good book. But her everyday reality is less romantic, cleaning houses for people who barely give her the time of day. So when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero and mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, she can't believe her luck. When Essie dies unexpectedly, Liv is left with a life-changing last wish: to complete Essie’s final novel. To do so, change-averse Liv will have to step away from the fictitious worlds in her head, and into Essie’s shoes. As she begins to write, she uncovers a surprising connection between the two women – and a secret that will change Liv’s life forever… Review A really lovely read. I wasn't sure how this book was going to pan out and spent half the book with my own theory which was completely wrong.  I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a little bit of escapism and I loved following Liv on her journey of self discovery. Not only is she only given six months to finish Essie'

  Synopsis When his beloved little brother is stolen away, five-year-old Tommy Farrier is left alone with his alcoholic mam, his violent step-dad and his guilt. Too young to understand what has really happened, Tommy is sure of only one thing. He is to blame. Tommy tries to be good, to live-up to his brother’s increasingly hazy memory, but trapped in a world of shame and degradation he grows up with just two options; poverty or crime. And crime pays.  Or so he thinks.  A teenage drug-dealer for the vicious Burns gang, Tommy’s life is headed for disaster, until, in the place he least expects, Tommy sees a familiar face…  And then things get a whole lot worse. Buy The Silent Brother at:  Northodox Press  Amazon    Goodreads   Review Simon has woven a rich tapestry with gritty yet eloquent writing. I found Tommy to be a likable character that I was rooting for throughout the book. He suffers some serious physical knocks which didn't make for comfortable reading, but then that is t

  Description Canon Daniel Clement  is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying  Audrey  - and his two dachshunds,  Cosmo and Hilda . When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village. And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to  Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton  - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer. Review I was expecting so much more than I got from this book.  As I began reading this book I assumed it was set in the present day. References to Tenko and To the Manor Born being on the TV made me reth

  Description The wise and gloriously big-hearted debut novel from the much-loved broadcaster, Sara Cox Becky:  a single mum who prides herself on her independence. She knows from painful experience that men are trouble. Louise:  a loving husband, gorgeous kids. She ought to feel more grateful. Jameela:  all she's ever done is work hard, and try her best. Why won't life give her the one thing she really wants? Sheila:  the nest is empty, she dreams of escaping to the sun, but her husband seems so distracted. The inhabitants of the Inventor's Housing Estate keep themselves to themselves. There are the friendly 'Hellos' when commutes coincide and the odd cheeky eye roll when the wine bottles clank in number 7's wheelie bin, but it's not exactly Ramsay Street. The dilapidated community centre is no longer the beating heart of the estate that Becky remembers from her childhood. So the new pottery class she's helped set up feels like a fresh start. And not ju