Book previews

Out this week: New Cathy Yardley

Role Playing was one of my favourite books of last summer, so I’m really looking forward to reading Cathy Yardley’s new book, which came out on Tuesday. Do Me a Favour’s blurb also sounds like absolutely my cup of tea. The heroine is Willa, a cookbook writer who has moved from California to the Pacific North West for a new start after the death of her husband. The hero is her new neighbour, Hudson, a handyman who lives on a farm with his parents and adult children. I am absolutely here for romances with older heroes and heroines with a bit of life experience, and I’m hoping that despite bereavement in the backstory this isn’t going to be too heavy or angsty.

I pre-ordered this one – because it helps authors – but it’s in Kindle Unlimited from the get go, so there’s no Kobo link for you, and it looks like the paperback is from an Amazon imprint too, so it may not be in the shops either.

Book previews

Out Today: The Good, the Bad and the Aunties

The third book in Jesse Q Sutano’s series that started with Dial A for Aunties is out today. I’ve got a copy to read – and I’m hoping it will be a return to what I loved about the first book, rather than the second which I found disappointing as the things that I had liked less about the first book were the things that had been increased and the cringe factor was just too much for me. But as we know, I am very bad with cringe and second-hand embarrassment. Cross your fingers, and I’ll try and remember to report back, but what ever happens, I have loved the covers for this series – the UK versions and the US ones are so pretty.

Also – before I go, Curtis Sittenfeld’s Romantic Comedy, which was one of my favourite books of last year is out in paperback today too and is really, really good.

previews

Out Today: Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes

Out today is The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Dr Kate Strasdin which examines what we can learn about Victorian life through one woman’s textile scrapbook. I’m always fascinated by the clothes people are wearing in portraits and I love a costume museum/exhibition as well so this sounds like it’s going to be my sort of thing. Coincidentally I was following the author on Twitter before I’d even heard of the book because as well as interesting historical stuff she also posts pictures of gorgeous dresses from history. And I do like a look at history through the medium of something mundane/normal.

A couple of years ago, I read The Button Box by Lynn Knight, which looked at the changing lives of women in the twentieth century by looking at the contents of a box of buttons that has been passed down through her family. I have a copy of The Dress Diary… so I intend to report back, but given how easily I get distracted by cozy crime or romance, I thought I probably ought to give it a mention today before I suddenly realise it’s three years later and I still haven’t read it. Which is basically what happened with The Button Box…

Book previews, non-fiction

Out today: Femina

Ok so I haven’t finished this yet, but I wanted to give a mention to Dr Janina Ramirez’s new book, Femina, which is out today. She’s one of my favourite historians at the moment – I’ve enjoyed her TV shows and podcasts that she’s presented and been a guest on and I’m really enjoying her examination of the Middle Ages, looking at the women history has forgotten (or ignored). The Middle Ages are not one of the areas that I studied in much depth at university (I tended to stick to post 1485) but she has a very readable style and I’m learning a lot!

As you probably guessed from the fact that I’ve already started reading it, My copy came via NetGalley, but you should be able to buy Femina from all the usual places – Kindle, Kobo etc – and I’m hoping it will be in the bookshops too, like Foyles, even if I can’t see any click and collect copies at the moment.. Oh and Janina reads the audiobook herself.

Enjoy!