whatcathyreadnext

WWW Wednesdays – 16th May ‘18

May 16, 2018 whatcathyreadnext15 Comments

WWWWednesdays

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too? Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

Currently reading

The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings (eARC, NetGalley)

Cornwall, summer of 1986. The Davenports, with their fast cars and glamorous clothes, living the dream in a breathtaking house overlooking the sea.

If only… thinks sixteen-year-old Tamsyn, her binoculars trained on the perfect family in their perfect home. If only her life was as perfect as theirs. If only Edie Davenport would be her friend. If only she lived at The Cliff House…

Amanda Jennings weaves a haunting tale of obsession, loss and longing, set against the brooding North Cornish coastline, destined to stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

The Biographies of Ordinary People, Vol. 2 by Nicole Dieker (eARC courtesy of the author)

A millennial-era Little Women that follows three sisters from 1989 to the present, The Biographies of Ordinary People is the story of the Gruber family: Rosemary and Jack, and their daughters Meredith, Natalie, and Jackie. The two-volume series begins in July 1989, on Rosemary’s thirty-fifth birthday; it ends in November 2016, on Meredith’s thirty-fifth birthday.

The second volume follows the three Gruber sisters as they each leave their rural Midwestern hometown and try to make their way in the larger world. Meredith is determined to pursue a career in the theater. Natalie begins sorting and filing for an insurance company. Jackie… well, Jackie still wants to sing, and if the classical music world isn’t interested in what she can do, she’ll figure out how to do it on her own.

Set against the Great Recession, Presidents Obama and Trump, and a growing sense of national unrest, this final volume explores Meredith’s question: is it possible for ordinary people to make art? It also takes us into the close emotional connections between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, and the people we choose to love as adults.

Recently finished (click on title for review)

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall (proof copy, courtesy of Century)

Mike knows that most of us travel through the world as one half of a whole, desperately searching for that missing person to make us complete.

But he and Verity are different. They have found each other and nothing and no one will tear them apart.

It doesn’t matter that Verity is marrying another man.

You see, Verity and Mike play a game together, a secret game they call ‘the crave’, the aim being to demonstrate what they both know: that Verity needs Mike, and only Mike.

Verity’s upcoming marriage is the biggest game she and Mike have ever played. And it’s for the highest stakes.

Except this time in order for Mike and Verity to be together someone has to die…

Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen (Six Tudor Queens #3) by Alison Weir (eARC, NetGalley)

Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and, as an adult, Jane is invited to the King’s court to serve as lady-in-waiting for Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumours of Henry’s lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn—who is also lady-in-waiting to the queen—all the more shocking. For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a painful incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage.

But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures his new queen – altering the religious landscape of England – he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King’s affection and earn favour for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son or will she meet a fate similar to the women who came before her?

Mr. Peacock’s Possessions by Lydia Syson (eARC, NetGalley)

Oceania 1879. A family of settlers from New Zealand are the sole inhabitants of a remote volcanic island.

For two years they have struggled with the harsh reality of trying to make this unforgiving place a paradise they can call their own. At last, a ship appears. The six Pacific Islanders on board have travelled eight hundred miles across the ocean in search of work and new horizons. Hopes are high for all, until a vulnerable boy vanishes. In their search for the lost child, settlers and newcomers together uncover far more than they were looking for. The island’s secrets force them all to question their deepest convictions. (Review to follow)

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl (review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus)

Cecilia Wilborg has it all–a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a gorgeous home in an affluent Norwegian suburb. And she works hard to keep it all together. Too hard…

There is no room for mistakes in her life. Even taking home a little boy whose parents forgot to pick him up at the pool can put a crimp in Cecilia’s carefully planned schedule. Especially when she arrives at the address she was given and finds an empty, abandoned house…

There’s nothing for Cecilia to do but to take the boy home with her, never realizing that soon his quiet presence and knowing eyes will trigger unwelcome memories from her past – and unravel her meticulously crafted life…

The Magpie Tree (Cornish Mysteries #2) by Katherine Stansfield (review copy courtesy of Allison & Busby)

Jamaica Inn, 1844: the talk is of witches. A boy has vanished in the woods of Trethevy on the North Cornish coast, and a reward is offered for his return. Shilly has had enough of such dark doings, but her new companion, the woman who calls herself Anna Drake, insists they investigate. Anna wants to open a detective agency, and the reward would fund it. They soon learn of a mysterious pair of strangers who have likely taken the boy, and of Saint Nectan who, legend has it, kept safe the people of the woods. As Shilly and Anna seek the missing child, the case takes another turn – murder. Something is stirring in the woods and old sins have come home to roost. (Review to follow)

Juliet & Romeo by David Hewson (uncorrected proof copy courtesy of The Dome Press)

Verona 1499, at the birth of the Renaissance. Two young people meet: Romeo, desperate for love before being sent away to study; and Juliet, facing a forced marriage to a nobleman she doesn’t know. Fate and circumstance bring them together in a desperate attempt at a secret marriage to thwart their parents. But in a single fateful week their intricate scheming falls terribly apart.

Shakespeare’s most well-known and well-loved play has been turned into a gripping romantic thriller with a modern twist. Rich with the sights and smells of medieval Verona, peopled with a vibrant cast of characters who spring from the page, this is Shakespeare as you’ve never read it before – and with a killer twist at the end. (Review to follow 17th May)

What Cathy (will) Read Next

I Will Find You (Seal Island #2) by Daniela Sacerdoti (eARC courtesy of Headline)

After her mother dies, grief-stricken Cora discovers she has been left a cottage, a crumbling shelter on a mysterious Scottish island. The moment Cora arrives on the windswept isle of Seal, she falls under its spell and is drawn to brooding Innes, back on the island to confront his past.

As Cora begins to trace her mother’s roots, she learns Gealach Cottage has a dark, turbulent history. Another young woman has sought refuge here, fleeing terrible danger, and waiting for her lover to return. What became of her? Only by unravelling a forgotten story of passion and courage can Cora understand what has pulled her to Seal…and led her to a man of many secrets.

That Summer in Puglia by Valeria Vescina (review copy courtesy of Eyewear Publishing and Bookollective)

Tommaso has escaped discovery for thirty years but a young private investigator, Will, has tracked him down. Tommaso asks him to pretend never to have found him. To persuade Will, Tommaso recounts the story of his life and his great love. In the process, he comes to recognise his true role in the events which unfolded, and the legacy of unresolved grief.

Now he’s being presented with a second chance – but is he ready to pay the price it exacts?

Blog Tour/Review/Q&A: The Things We Learn When We’re Dead by Charlie Laidlaw

May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 whatcathyreadnext5 Comments

Having really enjoyed The Things We Learn When We’re Dead when I read it earlier this year, I was delighted to receive an invitation from R&R Book Tours to join the blog tour for Charlie Laidlaw’s book. You can read my review below but I also have a fantastic Q&A with Charlie with some serious – and not so serious – questions.

Do look out for posts by the other great book bloggers taking part in the tour for more reviews, interviews, guest posts, book extracts and giveaways.

About the Book

With elements of The Wizard of Oz, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Lovely Bones, The Things We Learn When We’re Dead shows how small decisions can have profound and unintended consequences, and how sometimes we can get a second chance.

On the way home from a dinner party, Lorna Love steps into the path of an oncoming car. When she wakes up she is in what appears to be a hospital – but a hospital in which her nurse looks like a young Sean Connery, she is served wine for supper, and everyone avoids her questions. It soon transpires that she is in Heaven, or on HVN. Because HVN is a lost, dysfunctional spaceship, and God the aging hippy captain. She seems to be there by accident… Or does God have a higher purpose after all?

At first Lorna can remember nothing. As her memories return – some good, some bad – she realises that she has decision to make and that maybe she needs to find a way home.

Format: Paperback (501 pp.) Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 26^th January 2017 Genre: Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com ǀ Hive.co.uk (supporting UK bookshops)
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find The Things We Learn When We’re Dead on Goodreads

Q&A with Charlie Laidlaw, author of The Things We Learn When We’re Dead

First some serious questions…

Without giving too much away, can you tell me a bit about The Things We Learn When We’re Dead?

It’s literary fiction, and a modern fairytale. It’s about the power of memory to shape us. In the book, the central character is involved in a car accident and begins to remember her life in a slightly different way. It’s a book that asks: if you could remember your life differently, would that change you as a person?

How did you get the idea for the story?

To be honest, I have no idea. The initial idea came to me out of the blue on a train from Edinburgh to London. I suppose it was an apt place for inspiration because Edinburgh is the only city in the world to have named its central railway station after a book.

Do you have a favourite place to write or any writing rituals?

I write in my home office, although I do always carry a notebook. In a sense, I write everywhere because the main part of writing (apart from editing) is thinking about writing!

What’s your favourite and least favourite part of the writing process?

I enjoy the creativity, and finding the right words to describe something. I enjoy it when a main character tells me that what I’ve written is gibberish because he/she would never say or do that. In a way, I am always being guided by my characters. When it’s going well, they write the book – not me.

Conversely, sometimes they don’t speak to me and it can be a bit of a struggle!

Which authors do you admire and enjoy reading?

I enjoy reading mostly contemporary literary fiction. Joanne Harris, Kate Atkinson and Fay Weldon are authors that spring to mind, so I suppose that I like accessible fiction.

Now some silly quick-fire questions that will, I hope, raise a chuckle from those who’ve read the book and intrigue those who haven’t…

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Wars (except for the prequels which were rubbish).

Carpet burns or sand in your knickers?

Being Scottish, I don’t wear knickers. My wife wears knickers, and they wouldn’t fit me.

Lamb cutlets or beef & horseradish sandwiches?

Lamb in the evening, beef sandwich at lunch. That said, I rarely eat either.

Greek beach bar or North Berwick seaside?

I love North Berwick, because it’s home. But, given the weather, I’d rather be in a Greek bar right at the moment. Greece is my most favourite foreign country.

Titanic or Four Weddings and a Funeral?

Titanic I’ve seen twice, and couldn’t watch again. Four Weddings is one of those films that I could watch again and again.

Tinman, Scarecrow or Lion?

They’re all in my book for readers who want to seek them out. I would have to say Lion because I have hopes for Lorna in that direction…

Transition or stasis?

I quite welcome change because, frankly, change happens. Staying still isn’t much of an option unless you’re a goldfish.

Lorna, Suzie, Irene – Snog, Marry, Avoid?

The only character I could possibly snog is Irene, because she might be persuaded to be anyone I wanted her to be.

My Review

As Lorna adapts to her new surroundings on the spaceship, random objects she sees – M&S underwear, lamb cutlets, even a hamster – trigger memories from her past life. At first these are fragmented, incomplete and often confusing. Some are pleasant memories: childhood holidays, family picnics, games with friends, the first stirrings of interest in the opposite sex. Others are reminders of loss and grief.

Many of Lorna’s memories revolve around exploits with her stylish friend, Suzie, and Lorna’s relationships with men that, it has to be said, have not been entirely successful. I confess to feeling a pang of sympathy for poor sweet, stolid Austin (described at one point as ‘a rather dull dog with very few tricks’). As the book progresses, the reader sees that actions do indeed have consequences, even if unintended, and may set in motion a chain of events that can end tragically.

In the book blurb, the publisher describes The Things We Learn When We’re Dead as having ‘elements of The Wizard of Oz, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Lovely Bones’. Personally, if looking for cultural references, I would say the depiction of the stranded HVN spaceship draws more from Star Trek than anything else with its transporters, holographs and replicators. I enjoyed Lorna’s pleasure at the small, surprising miracles on the spaceship, like the ability of a chilled glass of wine to stay chilled even when drunk in the bath.

When it comes to The Wizard of Oz, certainly there are characters described as lacking courage (the Cowardly Lion) and not having much of a brain (the Scarecrow). However, I think someone reading this book in the expectation of it being a strict retelling of The Wizard of Oz may be disappointed. What they won’t be disappointed in is the quality of the writing, the quirky humour and the authenticity with which Lorna’s childhood and young adult experiences are described.

I really enjoyed The Things We Learn When We’re Dead. As someone who reads very little fantasy and reads science fiction only occasionally (and then more of the dystopian variety), I wasn’t that disappointed that the extra-terrestrial element takes more of a back seat as the book progresses. The ending didn’t particularly surprise me but I found myself wishing Lorna well in the future choices she makes.

I received a personally inscribed review copy courtesy of the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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In three words: Quirky, engaging, fun

Try something similar… for more space-based fantasy, Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar (click here to read my review)

About the Author

Charlie Laidlaw is the author of two novels, The Herbal Detective (Ringwood Publishing) and The Things We Learn When We’re Dead (Accent Press).

Charlie writes: ‘I was born in Paisley, central Scotland, which wasn’t my fault. That week, Eddie Calvert with Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra were Top of the Pops, with Oh, Mein Papa, as sung by a young German woman remembering her once-famous clown father. That gives a clue to my age, not my musical taste. I was brought up in the west of Scotland (quite near Paisley, but thankfully not too close) and graduated from the University of Edinburgh. I still have the scroll, but it’s in Latin, so it could say anything.

I then worked briefly as a street actor, baby photographer, puppeteer and restaurant dogsbody before becoming a journalist. I started in Glasgow and ended up in London, covering news, features and politics. I interviewed motorbike ace Barry Sheene, Noel Edmonds threatened me with legal action and, because of a bureaucratic muddle, I was ordered out of Greece. I then took a year to travel round the world, visiting 19 countries. Highlights included being threatened by a man with a gun in Dubai, being given an armed bodyguard by the PLO in Beirut (not the same person with a gun), and visiting Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave in Samoa. What I did for the rest of the year I can’t quite remember.

Surprisingly, I was approached by a government agency to work in intelligence, which just shows how shoddy government recruitment was back then. However, it turned out to be very boring and I don’t like vodka martini. Craving excitement and adventure, I ended up as a PR consultant, which is the fate of all journalists who haven’t won a Pulitzer Prize, and I’ve still to listen to Oh, Mein Papa.

I am married with two grown-up children and live in East Lothian.’

Connect with Charlie

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