Author: whatcathyreadnext

Q&A with Melissa at Literary Book Gifts

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I have something a little different on What Cathy Read Next today as my guest is Melissa, owner of online shop Literary Book Gifts.

As regular followers of my blog will know, I mainly feature book reviews with the occasional author interview, guest post or book extract; I generally don’t do any type of promotional feature.  However, when Melissa contacted me and I looked at some of the products on the Literary Book Gifts website, I was delighted to make an exception.  After all, second only to actual books, us bookworms love anything book-related, don’t we?

Please note: I have no commercial relationship with Literary Book Gifts and received no payment or products in exchange for this feature on my blog.  Any queries about products or shipping should be directed to Literary Book Gifts.

Melissa Literary Book GiftsWelcome, Melissa!  Can you please tell us a bit about yourself, about Literary Book Gifts and why you decided to start up the business?

My name is Melissa, and I am from the beautiful city of Toronto, Ontario. I have always harboured a deep love for literature and stories.

I’ve never really been able to find clothing that suited my personal style. At face value this always seemed rather unimportant. But over the years I came to realize that self expression is a key part of the human experience, in the very same way that tastes for specific novels between individuals differ. So I combined my love of reading with my background in design to create Literary Book Gifts.

What is the typical process from initial design idea to finished product?

It really differs for each product. Sometimes very old book covers are available that I think already look great for a shirt design. In this case I process them into graphics that will print properly. Depending on the condition of the book cover, this process of remastering and editing can take anywhere from an afternoon of retouching to many days.

In most cases, the book covers available do not fit very well with what I have in mind for the collection. In this case I scour unrelated very old books and their illustrations for images. This process is hit and miss and sometimes I pass on the title altogether until I can find what I am looking for. If I do find something I think is suitable I match it with typography and go through the same reprocessing to get it top notch and ready for the shirts and totes.

What legal restrictions, if any, are there over the images you can use on your products?

Yes, the images and titles themselves must be free to use. This really limits what is available as well as where I find them.

What has been the most challenging thing about setting up Literary Book Gifts?

Definitely the website, I am not very computer savvy so it was a big step for me to launch it as its own site. I’m learning a lot about websites every day; it’s challenging but quite interesting.

….and the most rewarding?

The most rewarding has definitely been some of the feedback I have heard. Right now it is only early stages but it amazes how a simple design can make someone so happy.

What’s the best-selling product from the Literary Book Gifts range?

Definitely the Jane Austen items, with the most popular being the Pride and Prejudice T-Shirt. The Jane Austen Tote Bag is also very popular.

 

 

What’s the best piece of customer feedback you’ve received?

That they love the shirt or bag!

If a friend was browsing Literary Book Gifts for a gift for you, what item would you hope they’d  choose?

I would hope they choose the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland T-Shirt and J. M. Barrie Peter Pan Tote Bag for me!

 

If we were to peek inside your own tote bag (and now we know it would be a Peter Pan one!), what personal favourite books or authors might we find?

I love Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger! And I am also a super fan of the Harry Potter series. One would also find a pair of headphones in my tote because the audio book versions of Harry Potter are some of my all time favourites.

What plans do you have for Literary Book Gifts in the next twelve months? For example, do you intend to add further products to your range?

This is a tough question! I really don’t know what the future will hold. There are a few more designs I’d love to add when I get a chance. In the far future I’d love for the designs to be available in scarves because I just know how cozy they feel!

If Melissa’s answers to my questions and the product examples above have tempted you to purchase, I’m delighted to say Melissa is offering an exclusive promotional discount.  Just enter the code WHATCATHYREADNEXT20 to receive 20% off anything in the store.  There’s no minimum spend or expiry date.

Happy shopping at Literary Book Gifts!

#BlogTour #BookReview Sleeping Through War by Jackie Carreira

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Sleeping Through War

Today I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour for Sleeping Through War by Jackie Carreira.  Do check out the reviews by the other great book bloggers taking part in the tour (see bottom of this post) and find out why I’m not alone in my appreciation for this wonderful book.

Sleeping Through WarAbout the Book

It is May 1968. Students are rioting, civil rights are being fought and died for, nuclear bombs are being tested, and war is raging in Vietnam. For three ordinary women in Lisbon, London and Washington life must go on as usual. For them, just to survive is an act of courage. How much has really changed in 50 years?

Format: Paperback, ebook (224 pp.)
Publisher: Troubador/Matador
Published: 28th February 2018
Genre: Literary Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk  ǀ  Amazon.com  ǀ Wordery | Waterstones
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Sleeping Through War on Goodreads

My Review

Sleeping Through War tells the stories of three different women and is set against the backdrop of world events in 1968, a turbulent time of student demonstrations throughout Europe, civil rights marches in the United States, political tension in Eastern Europe and the Vietnam War.     Although the backgrounds of the three women are different, they live in different parts of the world and there is no direct connection between them, their concerns are similar: home, family, worries about the future.  In addition, the church plays a role in all their lives.

Both Amalia, a single mother widowed in the war between Portugal and Angola, and Mrs. Johnson, with a son serving in Vietnam, are coping with the consequences of war.  Rose, a nurse recently arrived in England from St. Lucia, is engaged in a different kind of war – a war against racial prejudice and discrimination.  The author, Jackie Carreira, is a playwright and therefore used to communicating the stories of her characters to an audience through dialogue.  Her skill at this is evident from the stories told in the first person – by Rose and Mrs. Johnson – in which the reader gets a real insight into their thoughts and feelings through the distinctive narrative voice of each.

Having said this, Amalia’s story was probably the one I found most engrossing.  Left alone to support her son, she is forced to do whatever it takes to earn money to put food on the table, placing herself at the mercy of others as a consequence.

You would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by the letters Mrs. Johnson writes to her son, Rod, in which the cheerful snippets about domestic life back home barely disguise the despair she obviously feels at being parted from him.  A final revelation is heartbreaking, but not in the way you may have been expecting.

Rose was definitely my favourite character.  Although she encounters both casual and overt racism, she responds with kindness, understanding and tolerance to those around her, particularly towards her neighbour, Brenda.  I also loved her observations about the differences between her birthplace in St. Lucia and England – the cold and rain, the English fixation about discussing the weather, the queuing, the feigned politeness, and how ‘everything in London always looks so dull’.   I particularly liked her experience of attending a church service in London.  ‘I sing with everyone else during the hymns, but not as loud as I might have done at home.  The songs they sing in church here are all so slow.’ Rose felt so real to me in the end that it got to the point where I found myself thinking, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what Rose would do’ or ‘You go for it girl!’.

Sleeping Through War is an engrossing, beautifully written novel about the challenges facing three women in a time of upheaval and change.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, it taught me some things I didn’t know and it made me think.  Honestly, what more do you want from a book?

I received a review copy courtesy of the author and Rachel’s Random Resources in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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In three words: Touching, insightful, thought-provoking

Jackie CarreiraAbout the Author

Jackie Carreira is a writer, musician, designer, co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre Company, and award-winning playwright. She mostly grew up and went to school in Hackney, East London, but spent part of her early childhood with grandparents in Lisbon’s Old Quarter. Her colourful early life has greatly influenced her first novel, Sleeping Through War.

Jackie now lives in leafy Suffolk with her actor husband, AJ Deane, two cats and too many books.

Connect with Jackie

Website  |  Facebook ǀ Goodreads

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