Someone Else's Shoes by Jo Jo Moyes

 

I read Someone Else’s Shoes by Jo Jo Moyes for our book club and then we didn’t meet. Nevertheless, it’s a good read.

So, two women end up swapping gym bags and therefore shoes when one of them leaves in a hurry. The gym goes bankrupt, and there is more to the designer shoes than either woman could possibly imagine.

Neither has a perfect marriage and having to live in each other’s shoes for a while makes life even more complicated.

Some say the story is far-fetched. It is and it becomes almost like a Whitehall farce towards the end. Yet it comes good for all of the women involved. It is all a little improbable but sometimes stories have to be that way.  Think Dickens, Molière, Shakespeare and most pantomimes.

Jo Jo Moyes certainly persuades us to watch the backs of all of the ladies that feature in Someone Else’s Shoes.

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you, may go to Bridge House Publishing.    

Worth a read. 

Find your copy here 

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing.

A Lancashire Story by Ged Melia.

 

It was difficult to choose this time as I’ve enjoyed all of the books I’ve read this month.

I’ve finally settled on A Lancashire Story by Ged Melia.  Ged is local to where I live and also a fellow member of The Lancashire Authors Association.

Austin Melia is ambitious.

The story tells how he escapes a career path that would have made him work as a miner or a cotton spinner. He becomes a skilled engineer. His family too grow up and become successful. Yet the shadow of war threatens.

Ged Melia has created characters we care about and a pleasing story line in A Lancashire Story.

Find your copy here.        

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you, may go to Bridge House Publishing.      

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnnie Garmus

 

 This month I’m recommending Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

This is the story of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist who is trying to establish herself in the 1950s. 

She has to fight a lot of prejudice against women and female scientists in particular. She is an unmarried mother, which was much less acceptable then that it is now. And she has a wonderful dog, Six-Thirty, who understands a lot more than many humans.

The characters are well- drawn and colourful. This story keeps us engaged. And although things are not yet perfect for women we are appreciative of how much better they are now than they were then.

Bonny Garmus certainly keep us guessing in the story for Every Woman, Lessons in Chemistry.

Find your copy here.

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing.      

Wilding by Isabella Tree and Angela Harding

 

This month I’m recommending Wilding by Isabella Tree and Angela Harding.

It is a book about rewilding and Angela Harding’s illustrations are exquisite.

We read the story of how Isabella and her husband Charlie returned their 3,500 acres of land at Knepp in West Sussex to nature. There is so much information packed into this book. There is the history of the land and the rewilding, there are details about the kinds of wild life that live there and about the types of plants. There are examples of other rewilding projects and also hints and tips about if you would like to do your own rewilding

It is a beautiful book and also very tactile.  It was marketed as a book for children but I believe many adults would also enjoy it.   

Find Your Copy Here 

Now Go Tell by Susan Sachon

 

The month I’m recommending Now Go Tell by Susan Sachon.

Protagonist Jenny Watson has a challenging life anyway. And then she is offered an even greater challenge.

It seems like a dream job - putting on a Shakespeare festival and running a pub but she knows she has to get this right. Then things start to become quite sinister and her life is in danger.  

This novel has well-drawn characters, plenty of pace and tension and a satisfying ending. This makes a good holiday read.

Susan Sachon certainly keeps us guessing in Now Go Tell.  

Find your copy here 

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House publishing.  

Jessamine by Shani Strurthers

 The month I’m recommending Jessamine by Shani Strurthers.

Jessamin loses her husband in a tragic accident for which she blames herself. Will she ever come to terms with his death?

James stays with her and they still talk to each other.  Jessamin moves to Scotland to escape the hustle and bustle of Brighton.  She wants to live in peace and enjoy still being with James. However, life takes over. She becomes part of the community and helps an old man and his son deal with their own ghosts. Can she deal with her own? Are the ghosts real or are they in the minds of the haunted?

Yes, Jessamine is a story of the supernatural and that is what Shani Struther specialises in. I first got to know Struthers’ work when we were both published by Crooked Cat. Out of loyalty to my publisher I bought all of the books that appealed.  However I bought this one because another of her books had delighted me.

Find your copy here.  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay may go to Bridge House publishing.  

The Porcelain Maker of Dachau by Sarah Freethy

 

So, this month I’m recommending: The Porcelain Maker of Dachau  Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay may go to Bridge House publishing.   

Two stories intertwine: that of the romance between Jewish architect Max and ‘degenerate’ artist Bettina and that of her daughter Clara who after her mother’s death seeks to find out more about her father.

We know that Clara and Bettina survive so our question is not what happened but how did they manage that? Why did they come to England?  How did they get there? Who is Erza? How does this avant-garde artist reconcile herself to the Nazi era? How does Max, an architect, become a porcelain maker?

The text isn’t perfect. In the opening chapters I found some odd expression.  I’m not sure if it continued. If it did I stopped noticing. I was soon absorbed in the plot. There is also some odd formatting in some text in italics. I suspect this may be an Amazon rather than a publisher or author problem. 

Sarah Freethy is an author I shall certainly read again. She keeps us guessing about The Porcelain maker of Dachau.