The Will To Succeed By Christine Raafat. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and kick-ass heroines. An impressive amount of research has clearly gone into this great book.
When the 15-year-old Lady Anne Clifford’s father died in 1605, she was his sole surviving child and expecting to inherit the Cliffords’ great northern estates. But the Earl of Cumberland leaves a will which ignores an ancient law and bequeaths the lands to his brother, in the belief that a prophecy by his great-grandfather will eventually come true and return the estates to Anne. She and her mother vow to contest the will.
Anne spends the next three decades battling for what she believes is rightfully hers. She risks everything by opposing her beloved husband, her family and friends, the nobility, the law courts, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the King. She steadfastly (and treasonably) refuses to accept the King’s decision, whatever the consequences, but is defeated and left with the prophecy as her only hope.
Widowed at thirty-four, she survives an anxious period alone with her two young daughters before surprising everyone with an ill-judged second marriage which gives her access to the highest in the land. But the Civil War destroys that power and confines the 52-year-old Anne to a grand palace in London for six years. Still convinced of her rights, will she ever attain “ye landes of mine inheritance”?
The Will To Succeed By Christine Raafat is available here.
The Storm By Amanda Jennings. A stunningly brilliant book about coercive control. Rich and atmospheric. I raced through it.
To the outside world Hannah married the perfect man. Behind the closed doors of their imposing home it’s a very different story. Nathan controls everything Hannah does. He chooses her clothes, checks her receipts, and keeps her passport locked away. But why does she let him? Years before, in the midst of a relentless storm, the tragic events of one night changed everything. And Hannah has been living with the consequences ever since. Keeping Nathan happy. Doing as she’s told.
But the past is about to catch up with them.
Set against the unforgiving backdrop of a Cornish fishing port in the ‘90s, this is a devastating exploration of the power of coercive control in a marriage where nothing is quite as it seems…
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly. Another cracking Bosch novel. A riveting read full of twists and stunning prose.
A JUDGE MURDERED IN A CITY PARK
Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, defends the man accused.
A HOMELESS PERSON BURNED ALIVE
Detective Renée Ballard catches the case on the LAPD’s notorious graveyard shift.
AN UNSOLVED HOMICIDE FROM A LIFETIME AGO
Harry Bosch is left a missing case file by his mentor who passed away. He was the man who taught Bosch that everybody counts, or nobody counts. Why did he keep the case all these years? To find the truth – or bury it?
IN L.A. CRIME NEVER SLEEPS
But in Ballard, Bosch and Haller: the fire always burns. Will it light the way – or leave their lives in ashes?
The Night Fire is available here.
Living With The Long-Term Effects of Cancer by Dr Cordelia Galgut. This is an essential book for anyone with cancer. I cannot praise it highly enough.
Challenging a number of myths about living long term with or after cancer, this book offers new insights by delving into areas that are not usually spoken about. Written from a dual perspective- that of a psychologist who had breast cancer and who copes with the long-term effects of treatment – the book contests the assumption that the afflicted person will simply ‘get better’ or ‘move through’ to a better situation. Emotional and physical side-effects can worsen over time and people living beyond or with cancer often endure a mismatch between expectations and reality, because they have been told that life would be easier than it actually is. This can leave both those suffering longer term and those close to them confused and unprepared. Including testimonies with people who have had a cancer diagnosis and people in the medical profession, the book signposts ways that professionals may help and offers prompts for friends and relatives to have useful and open conversations with the person affected. It gives voice to many people who feel that their suffering is disputed and diminished by the prevailing narrative around recovery. Galgut includes discussion on relationships, work, trauma, fear of recurrence and the role of therapy. Giving an unflinchingly honest perspective, Living with the Long-Term Effects of Cancer sheds light on these struggles, in the belief that bringing this conversation to the forefront is key to improving life for those who are affected by cancer and who suffer longer term from its effects.
Living With The Long-Term Effects of Cancer.
The First Lie by A.J Park. This is a hugely enjoyable thriller. It will leave you thinking about consequences long after you have read the last page. Keeps you hooked all the way through.
A freak accident. An impossible choice. But what was…
THE FIRST LIE
When Paul Reeve comes home to find his wife in the bathroom, bloodied and shaking, his survival instinct kicks in.
Alice never meant to kill the intruder. She was at home, alone, and terrified. She doesn’t deserve to be blamed for it. Covering up the murder is their only option.
But the crime eats away at the couple and soon they can’t trust anyone – even one another…
The First Lie is available here.
The Summer We Ran Away by Jenny Oliver. This is the perfect summer novel. It is funny, relatable and full of fun and fizz. It is also a great novel that shows that the grass is not always greener on the other side (to use a cliche), and that we have the power to change our lives if we want to.
It was meant to be the party of the summer…
In Cedar Road, everyone is preparing for Lexi’s ‘White Hot’ summer party. For one night, parking squabbles and petitions are put aside as neighbours sip Prosecco under the fairy lights and gather by the hot tub to marvel at Lexi’s effortlessly glamorous life with Hot Hamish.
For Julia, it’s a chance to coax husband Charlie out of his potting shed and into a shirt so they can have a welcome break from the hellish house renovation they’ve been wrestling with. And it’s a chance for Julia to pretend – just for a night – that her life is as perfect as Lexi’s.
But when, during the party, one of Julia’s WhatsApp messages falls into the wrong hands and reveals her most intimate thoughts, things reach boiling point…
And when all the neighbours know exactly what you’re thinking, there’s only one thing to do.
Run away.
It’s going to be a summer Julia will never forget…
The Summer We Ran Away is available here.
What will you read?