Top Books this Year: a review of 6 months of my blog

This week is a little anniversary for me - I will have been blogging about books for 6 months!

I started because people were forever asking me what to read - knowing that I was rarely without my nose in a book! The blog was really just a way for me to record my thoughts - I never expected to fall in love with the world of twitter and all the brilliant book bloggers out there or that it would lead to so many exciting opportunities with authors, publishers and  - the most coveted gift of all -advanced copies of novels! My TBR pile has never looked so out of control but I love seeing what everyone else is blogging about, what is causing a stir, what authors and publishers read and the constant exchange of reviews, recommendations and bookish chat! Thank you so much twitter for making me so welcome. I have never met such a friendly, supportive and encouraging group of people!

I have learnt a lot about writing a blog, reading for a review, jargon like "TBR" and "Blog tours" - I still have lots to learn - but I am really pleased to have found so many great bloggers out there and so many of you have influenced the way I manage my blog, my reading pile, my choices and shape my writing. Thank you all!

So here's a little review of the last 6 months!

My Most Favourite Books of the Last 6 Months (although I could have added another 50!)

• "The Ballroom" Anna Hope
• "A Library of Lemons" Jo Cotterill
• "The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir" Lesley Allen
• "Let Me Tell You About A Man Knew" Susan Fletcher
• "Fever at Dawn" Peter Gardos
• "The English Girl" Katherine Webb
• "The Little Paris Bookshop" Nina George
• "Jane Steele" Lyndsay Faye
• "The Finding of Martha Lost" Caroline Wallace
• "Five Rivers Met On a Wooded Plain" Barney Norris

Most Visited Blog Posts:

• "Runaway Girl" Emily Organ
• "The Fire Child" S K Tremayne
• "Jarred Dream" Camilla Chester
• "Outside Looking In" Michael Wood
• "Too Close" Gayle Curtis
• "Flying Fergus" Chris Hoy

Advance Copies that I was absolutely desperate for & did a dance when approved:

• "The Finding of Martha Lost" Caroline Wallace (initially recommended by Linda Hill on Twitter) 
• "Museum of You" Carys Bray (saw cover posted on Twitter - absolutely stunning) 
• "Lying in Wait" Liz Nugent (wanted after reading Cleopatra Bannister's review on Twitter) 
• "Weekend Wives" Christina Hopkinson (read her early book years ago and knew I'd love this one) 
• "The Fire Child" S K Tremayne (absolutely loved "The Ice Twins" and HAD to read this!!) 

I'm still keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for a copy of "I See You" by Clare Mackintosh - along with all the other bloggers who have probably crashed the site with requests!!

Authors I have discovered since blogging and now rate as a favourite or as a "go to" brilliant read:

• "The Silk Merchant's Daughter" Dinah Jefferies 
• "The Shadow Hour" Kate Riordan
• "Dictionary of Mutual Understanding" Jackie Copleton
• "The Red Notebook" Antoine Laurain 
• "183 Times a Year" Eva Jordan

My Favourite Thrillers (from this year only) - (this list nearly included every single one- so difficult to choose!)

• "In Too Deep" Samantha Hayes
• "The Cold Cold Sea" Linda Huber
• "You" Caroline Kepnes  - the MOST frightening and unsettling book I've ever read!!
• "My Husband's Son" Deborah O'Connor
• "Lying in Wait" Liz Nugent
• "The Missing" C L Taylor
• "The Swimming Pool" Louise Cavendish
• "The Woman who Ran" Sam Baker

And if you like Detective / Crime Stories look out for anything by these authors:

• Nikki Owen
• Elizabeth Hayes
• Marnie Riches 
• Alex Caan 
• Simon Booker
• Michael Wood
• David Young 

Best Light Reads:

• "183 Times a Year" Eva Jordan
• "Sofia Khan is not Obliged" Ayisha Malik
• "Hey Yeah Right Get A Life" Helen Simpson
• "The Little Paris Bookshop" Nina George 
• "The Reader's of Broken Wheel Recommend" Katarina Bivald

Ones to watch out for - publishing this summer...

• "Milkshakes and Heartbreak at the Starlight Diner" Helen Cox
• "Nina is not OK" Shappi Khorsandi
• "Cut to the Bone" Alex Caan
• "Circling the Sun" Paula McLain 
• "The Wrong Hand" Jane Jago

Titles I have recommended the most to friends:

• "Disclaimer" Renee Knight
• "The Widow" Fiona Barton
• "The Missing" C L Taylor
• "The Good Mother" A L Bird
• "I Let You Go" Clare Mackintosh 

The two best things that has happened since blogging:

• Meeting GJ Minett in person! One of my very first reviews was for "The Hidden Legacy" which I bought after reading about on Twitter. Graham has kept in touch via Twitter following my review and I am really looking forward to his second book "Lie In Wait" coming out in August. He has also been generous enough to "introduce" me via Twitter to a handful of other debut authors and through this I have discovered a whole batch of exciting, original and fantastically written fiction. It's been brilliant to actually converse with "real life" authors on social media - a real dream come true!
• AL Bird ("The Good Mother") using my quote on publicity posters, Amazon and the back cover of her paperback......Whoooooo Hoooooooooooo Yes, every single person I know has been shown it or bought a copy. Yes, it is framed. 

So if you haven't already read and reviewed these titles, I would highly recommend you have a look! It's so difficult to pick out any titles at all as I have really read some fab books this year - and still have a lot more sitting waiting to be read!

And for those of you wondering, so far this year I have read 134 books, 66 of those were via NetGalley in return for a review.

All these titles mentioned today have accompanying posts on this site if you use the search engine on my blog to help you locate them.

What's been your highlight this year so far? What would you recommend as your top read so far this year? What do you like best about blogging?

To be in with a chance to win this little bundle of bookish treats, leave a comment below! Winner selected at random on Wednesday 6th July 2016. 

@katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK)

"Breaking Dead" Corrie Jackson

This debut crime thriller introduces us to Sophie Kent, a journalist returning to work after a brief time of compassionate leave following the death of her brother. As with all the best protagonists and heroines, Sophie is bright, determined, fiercely loyal and prepared to take any risks in order to uncover the truth. She is also damaged, vulnerable, dealing with grief, guilt and her own demons. It may be Corrie Jackson's first book but there is nothing novice at her ability to create an intriguingly complex character and spin a story where the back story of the protagonist is as compulsive and affecting as the serious crimes around which the main plot revolves.

Synopsis:
Whilst out on the job interviewing witnesses of a brutal child murder, Sophie befriends a beautiful but traumatised Russian model. When the girl's mutilated body turns up in an upmarket hotel on the eve of London Fashion Week, Sophie knows she could have saved her. Eaten away by guilt, she throws herself headfirst into the edgy, fast-paced world of fashion with one goal in mind: to catch the killer. Only then can she piece her grief-stricken self back together. As she chips away at the industry's glittery surface, she uncovers a toxic underworld rife with drugs, secrets, prostitution and blackmail. 

The investigation propels Sophie from the glamour of the catwalk to London's darkest corners, towards a sinister past and a twenty-year-old murder case that could hold the key. Battling her demons and her wealthy, dysfunctional family along the way, Sophie pushes her personal problems to one side as she goes head to head with a crazed killer; a killer who is only just getting started...

Sophie is a great character. At the moment there are lots of books around with strong, talented women who manage to take on the world while their own life hangs together by a fine thread and Sophie is no exception. Jackson has created a protagonist as interesting as any of the others I have recently come across in the world of crime writing and if you like Marnie Riches, Alex Caan, Michael Wood and Nikki Owen you will love this book.

Jackson gives us a journalist who has fought to get to the top of her game in the tough world of the newspaper industry and we are rooting for her to regain her reputation once more. Sophie's grief is raw and real. She describes herself as staring "down the barrel of grief so raw it felt as though it had fused into my blood stream" and although her boss is suspicious of her decision to return to work, she is acutely aware of the "long stretch go sharp edged moments" from her time off and throws herself back into work with a determination which shows not only her dedication as a journalist but also her attempts to escape the chaos of her personal life - a balance which the reader fears will affect not only her work but her emotional fragility. Therefore from the outset, the premise of this book is already filled with tension- and that's without even considering the murders Sophie's paper are trying to report!

As a journalist, Sophie has a privileged position of being able to go places the detectives can not and I found this really captivating. It also creates more danger and more emotional entanglement with the victims as Sophie has interacted with them on a personal level. The murder of Russian model Natalia is a gripping opening as Sophie has formed a relationship with this woman and feels as if she could have prevented her death. This drives her further into the dark underworld of the fashion industry to search out the truth.

The novel is extremely fast paced. The story packs a punch. It is gritty, realistic and paints a grim picture of the not so glamorous world of fashion. There is no let up in the violence or sometimes very gruesome details of the murders. Jackson is a brave author who writes unflinchingly about death and police procedure. The detail in some of the postmortem scenes is slightly stomach churning but all in all adds to the foreboding atmosphere and suspense of the novel as it hurtles towards its climactic finale. And Jackson is relentless. The murders keep coming. The personal life of Sophie keeps threatening to distract her. Even in the last quarter of the book, there is no respite and nothing is fully resolved until I was literally watching my kindle race along at 96%, still waiting for the final conclusion to be revealed!

I'm sure we will be seeing more of Sophie Kent. I hope so anyway - and judging by the absolutely glowing reviews on Goodreads, so do many many more readers! Jackson is clearly talented and this is a great first book. I liked reading about a journalist and their relationship with the police as this was slightly different from the usual point for a crime novel. It was as compelling - perhaps even more so than that of a female detective and Jackson is clearly able to combine all the necessary ingredients required for a successful page turning thriller.

I bought this book after reading about it on Twitter. It is published by Twenty7 at Bonnier Zaffre and as a fan of their other debut titles, I was keen to read another. It did not disappoint.

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Tall Oaks" Chris Whitaker

This is a great debut - that reads with the accomplishment and finesse of a much more established writer- set in small town America where 3 year old Harry has gone missing. Although the mystery of his disappearance is the main strand of the story, it is actually more a vehicle around which Whitaker can explore the different lives of the inhabitants. As the town works to uncover the truth behind Harry's disappearance, further lies, hidden pasts, secret ambitions, obsessions, relationships and all the other fascinating stories behind the people that live there, are revealed through wit, humour, pathos and empathy. As the blurb promises, this really is a "dark yet hilarious, suspenseful and sad" read.

The writing is vivid, engaging, lively and full of great dialogue and action. The book opens with the harrowing disappearance of Harry and the palpable grief of his mother Jess. Jim, the detective in charge of the case, is clearly deeply affected by the event as well. We are then, with each new chapter or section, introduced to more characters, each with their own complications. There is a lot to keep up with at the beginning and although a little overwhelmed, I was compelled to read on as I wondered how the threads were related and how they might converge as the novel progressed. Whitaker sets a healthy pace; the short chapters and alternating voices make it a very filmic read. Some of the characters bring humour and entertainment which counteracts the sadness of Jess's loss and the intensity of the narratives from her and Jim. There is a good balance.

Whitaker's ability to evoke such a range of scenarios is commendable. His presentation of small town America and the characters within it are completely convincing. Tall Oaks should be a picture perfect town with perfect white picket fences yet Whitaker manages to unnerve the reader with a prevailing sense of foreboding. His sense of location is very clearly established and it is easy to relate to all the characters whether they are likeable or not, vulnerable or strong. Reading this book was like binging on a box set. Other reviewers have compared it to "Fargo", "Twin Peaks" and "The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair". It certainly has that quirky, original, gripping feel. Personally it also felt to me like a rather dark version of "Desperate Housewives"!

Once half way through, I found the novel picked up further in pace and drama. I really enjoyed the story of Jerry and his mother - Whitaker's depiction of madness and control was purposefully despicable, unpleasant and shocking. Then Jim's obsession with Jess gave Whitaker an opportunity to explore the complex emotions of a police officer who gets over involved in a case. It certainly was a case of "just one more chapter..." (or "one more episode"!)which has always been my downfall and the true sign of a great book!

This book follows characters at transitional points in their lives; a time of challenging personal choices, change and new starts. Tall Oaks is a place which means different things to different people, whether it's somewhere to hide or somewhere to run from, a place of safety or a place of threat. It is compulsive rather than gripping, full of hard punches but not shocking. It has elements of a comedy, a thriller, a police procedural novel and lots of drama. The ending was absolutely suburb. Amazing. It was so well executed.

At the end of the novel, Abe says to Manny as they prepare to move on in their lives, it's the "end of an era". That's definitely how I felt when I (reluctantly) turned the last page.

I would highly recommend this book. But don't just take my word for it. Lesley Allen's review on Goodreads really sums it up:

This may be Whitaker’s debut novel, but it’s quite clear he’s a natural. His writing sparkles with wit, passion, pathos and hope, and there isn’t a word out of place. The narrative is jam-packed with twists and turns, shocks and surprises, with gasps aplenty – and the denouement provided me with one of the most outstanding ‘I didn’t see that coming’ moments from any book I have ever read. 

I bought this book myself after reading about it on Twitter and thought the front cover was appealing. 

"The Fire Child" giveaway winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition to win a copy of this fab book!

The winners are:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoy the book! I will let Harper Collins know the winners and they will ensure you receive your prize shortly!

Thanks again to all of you who entered and winners, let me know what you think of the book!

"The Perfect Girl" Gilly MacMillan

Zoe, child prodigy and extraordinary pianist, is giving the most important performance of her lifetime when a man appears in the audience accusing her lying to each and every person in the room - including her new step father and step brother.

Zoe recognises the man. She killed his daughter. And six hours later, her mother is dead too.

The opening is very gripping - I had so many questions and was intrigued by this seemingly perfect girl who insinuated a dark hidden past. Indeed, Zoe has been in a Secure Unit for 18 months after killing 3 teenagers in a drink drive accident when she was 14. I had to read on. I had to know how a teenager with an exceptional IQ, caring, nurturing parents and a normal upbringing had become a murderer......... But as Zoe says, "A high IQ doesn't mean you're clever enough to avoid being a massive teenage cliche."

The story then moves backwards and forwards; one strand following on directly from events after the concert and the subsequent 6 hours leading up to the death of Zoe's mother, Maria. Another strand filling us in with events leading up to the accident which led to Zoe's arrest and further flashbacks from inbetween the events. The chapters are very short and we hear from Zoe, Lucas - her step brother, Tessa - her aunt, and Sam - the lawyer involved in defending Zoe and then called upon once her mother's death is discovered. This use of multiple narrators is really effective in revealing crucial information, clues and insight, so that the reader is able to piece together a full understanding of events and the complexities of the relationships between all the characters, as well as the events leading up to the fatal accident and then the death of Maria. I found it impossible to put down.

My favourite voice was Tessa, Maria's sister and Zoe's aunt. In a way, she is more of a friend to the reader; chatty, inviting confidence, giving us a more truthful account of events and providing more reliable insight about the other characters and events. There is more to Tessa than meets the eye. Prejudged by others because of her childlessness and still being single, she harbours some resentment and bitterness but is candid and astute in her observations. Tessa listens to Chris (Maria's new husband) as he reflects on Maria's "extraordinary qualities of sweetness and poise". Tessa knows that this shows how little he knows about her and her past as he's only met "her version of her ....coshed by antidepressants and shock not frailty and composure."

Zoe is also a very well drawn character. MacMillan successfully evokes a very normal, authentic, believable voice of a teenager. I liked her use of capital letters for added emphasis - "Second Chance Family", "Second Chance Baby," "Miracle Baby", "A Gift To Us All." They cleverly hint at underlying tension and the fact that Maria and Zoe are basically living under a ticking time bomb until their past catches up with them. MacMillan also captures the tension between Zoe and her mother both before the accident and after the man's outburst at the concert. She captures Zoe's grief following her mother's death convincingly; her confusion, anger, fear and regret as the full story unravels in front of everyone, are very well handled and presented. Zoe is also very likeable, very down to earth and very normal. She is sharp; her asides and comments capturing the dry sarcasm of a teenager: "I didn't realise I wasn't supposed to speak to Jack Bell because no one had explained to me that by virtue of his parents money, boy band hair, low riding jeans, Jack was Social Gold Dust and as Music Scholar I was automatically granted status of Social Pond Life."

MacMillan has made this novel very prevalent by incorporating the sinister side of social media in the life of teenagers and how various apps which seek to unite teenagers actually divide and destroy them. The anonymous messages that haunt Zoe create tension and suspense.

Lucas is also a great character. He has his own dark secret to reveal. He choses to tell Zoe his story through a film script he has written. I loved this technique. It is amazingly effective. Firstly it creates a change in narrative style which alters the pace and tension, but also it provides another point of view. It also creates a little bit of space between the reader and the emotional events it is about to recount. I found these sections quite captivating as well as beautifully executed. These sections are poignant and affecting without becoming too harrowing as we are essentially "watching" them through a screen that is a kind of buffer between us and the text.

The first half of the novel concerns itself with the Zoe's involvement with the death of three teenagers. It is not until just over 50% of the way through that we are reminded that Maria is also now dead. The novel then switches to the dramatic events between the end of the concert and the discovery of Maria's body. MacMillan expertly pulls the reader along with drama, revelation, unexpected twists and plenty of extra threads of further complications and twists; all speeding towards an incredibly satisfying and suitable climactic conclusion.

A very engaging read. I enjoyed Zoe's characterisation - a highly gifted and beautiful child whose talent actually separates her from her peers and her intelligence being academic rather than the common sense necessary for navigating her way through school and the teenage years. I liked the tension created through Maria's determination that she can simply bury her past and reinvent herself and her daughter in a Second Chance Life and the consequences of what happens when it catches up with you. I also liked the fact that Maria and Zoe are not the only characters with dark and sinister pasts........

I would recommend this book for all lovers of psychological thrillers who enjoy fast paced stories with multiple narratives and plenty of well executed plot lines which all converge to a devasting conclusion.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"The Hummingbird's Cage" Tamara Dietrich

"Put a frog in a pot of boiling water and he will jump out at once. But put him in a pot of cold water and turn up the heat by degrees and he'll cook to death before he realises it." 

Joanna and her 7 year old daughter Laurel live in the small town of Wheeler, new Mexico with Joanna's husband (and Laurel's father) Jim, the town's Deputy Sheriff. The book opens with:

"My husband tells me I look washed up. Ill favoured, he says, like old bathwater circling the drain. If my clothes weren't there to hold me together, he says, I'd flush all away. He tells me these things as often as he can, til there are times I start to believe him and I can feel my mind start to dissolve into empty air."

Prepare yourself. The first 20% of this novel is a heart-rending account of a wife living with a monster. Although having served a short jail sentence and being on probation, Jim continues to physically abuse Jo frequently. The violence and psychological damage he has caused her is quite harrowing and the impact of his behaviour is destroying Jo. She recounts her attempts to leave, to report him, to escape and to challenge him but because of his outward show of being the most diligent and caring husband and with his respected role of Deputy Sheriff, it is impossible to condemn him. The consequences of her actions against him are also devastating.

Help comes from the most unexpected places. One day Bernadette, an ex girlfriend of Jim's, offers Jo a way out for both her and her daughter. Jo seizes it and leaves him.

Dietrich leaves us hanging in mid air as we watch Jo try to escape - an escape full of tension and real nail-biting moments. The next section of the book starts with Jo waking up in a strange house. She finds herself in the home of a kind farmer and wife, in the idyllic town of Morro which is set deep in the barren countryside of New Mexico; enclosed by a huge mountain. With their diligent care, gentle wisdom and insight- never probing, never judging - Jo and Laurel begin to heal.

At about 40% I had worked out the twist but was still intrigued and read on, keen to see how it would play out - and if I was right! The characters in Morro were so endearing and the magic of their "perfect pitch town where whims can come true" was quite spellbinding. I liked how the Native American folklore, myths and rituals shaped the beliefs of the towns' people and how they used them to guide Jo through her journey to rebuild herself, physically and mentally. The hummingbird metaphor was particularly effective.

The most obvious metaphor is probably the mountain that overshadows the town and reflects both Jo's real and spiritual "climb". There is a deep connection with the landscape throughout the novel. Dietrich creates vivid imagery and description to paint a detailed picture of the place, hinting that there is something fantastical about it. As one person tells Jo, "You are a welcome guest. But there's somewhere else you have to be. It's not a bad thing."

As well as themes of ritual, ancient spirituality, ceremony and faith, there is also Jo's realisation that she needs to take control of her life. Despite having been such a victim, Jo is very reflective and begins to make some very astute observations. She wants nothing more than "unremarkable days" and when asked to read her poetry at a public event she realises that her real fear was not standing up in front of everyone, not trying to find her own voice, but "whether she had anything worth listening to in the first place. And the only one who could determine that was me." She needs to learn of what she is really capable.

This book was not what I expected. It is tricky to define the genre of this book. Dietrich's novel fuses dreams and reality to create an unusual story. It's an interesting concept and one which readers will either embrace fully or find a little too fantastical. There is still plenty of tension and drama in the final section of the book which makes a good ending. The characters are quite memorable and I think there is plenty to discuss - as does Dietrich who at the end has helpfully added a few pages of thought provoking questions for Book Groups.

It's been quite a difficult book to review as I don't want to spoil anything or create any preconceptions. My advice would be to give a whirl - it's different and it's well written.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for a fair review. For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Intrusion" Mary McCluskey

"A domestic drama with a chilling conclusion"

This is the story of Kat and Scott, mourning the death of their son, Christopher. Scott has thrown himself into work, Kat has become reclusive and listless; consumed by grief and loneliness.

Then a face from Kat's past in England turns up in their home town in California. A school friend who appears to have transformed herself into a wealthy and formidable business woman. Can she help Kat move on to a brighter future or is she harbouring a deep grudge and only interested in revenge?

I was drawn to this book after reading several reviews on Twitter and was pleased when I was able to claim it as my June 2016 Kindle First Read via Amazon.

Kat's grief at losing her only son is very well described. I thought the way people's sympathy for her made them "virtually inarticulate" and how they "murmured a welcome and then drifted off to easier company" captured the sense of isolation and loneliness that becomes two fold for Kat; not only has she lost a child but she is also excluded from society, her grief setting her apart and generating huge awkwardness for everyone. Kat can not contemplate returning to work and as Scott's hours become longer and longer, their marriage is threatened by the aftermath of the worse tragedy to befall parents.

When Sarah, Kat's school friend, suddenly appears at a business function, Kat is immediately wary of her. McCluskey sows seeds of suspense and tension with the implication that there is something more untoward about this beautiful, self confident woman and she is not as she seems. Kat herself observes that her voice is soft, "indicating gentleness and was dangerously deceptive." Maggie, Kat's protective sister, is much more vocal about her dislike and distrust of Sarah, using words like "deceptive", "vindictive" and "nasty." But Kat is vulnerable and desperate. Will she unwittingly play right into Sarah's hands?

Sarah is a great character - she is such a good villain. McCluskey keeps you guessing about her true motive and true character throughout the novel. We watch with horror as we begin to see through Sarah's behaviour and manipulation, trying to call out to Kat to see beyond her false hand of friendship. I loved her predatory nature and think she reminded me of several famous female villains.

So much of the story is revealed through suggestion and clues, the reader trying to piece together the reality as it hurtles along to a dramatic finale. The theme of revenge is so powerful and McCluskey shows how it is like a disease - slowing gnawing away at somebody until it consumes them. I always love it when the author gradually reveals the immense planning that has gone on by a character and you have that stomach-churning-penny-dropping moment as you realise the full threat they present to the protagonist - with whom you have emotionally bonded!

It is also a story about Kat and Scott, their marriage and their journey to finally accepting their loss and learning to confront their grief together. I found this really interesting and very sensitively handled. It could have become overwhelming or too melodramatic but it is gently handled to remain authentic, relatable and necessary to the plot.

This is a story with some strong characters, strong themes and it is well written. It basically has all the ingredients of a good thriller, with self absorbed characters bent on self destruction, raw emotion, harrowing pasts, secrets and complex plans to seek revenge. It is a straightforward, satisfying read. Perhaps a little predictable in places and with some slight cliches around the characters but all in all, very readable and enjoyable. A good thriller.

I received "Intrusion" as my June 2016 Kindle First Read.

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.