My goodness 2024 has been tough going. Despite the fact that I don’t believe that adding 5 instead of 4 to the end of the year will make any difference, I am so glad to leave 2024 behind from today. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I confess I’ve struggled rather.

However, in amongst all the horrors of the world and the personal difficulties in 2024, one constant has been books and bookish events (even if a bout of Covid prevented me from being part of the local literary festival so that I missed interviewing and introducing Sara-Jade Virtue, Carol Atherton, Anne Fletcher, Julia Jarman, Suk Pannu, Jack Jordan, Fiona Cummins, Clare Mackintosh, Ajay Tegela and Lev Parikian).

Books Read

Goodreads tells me I have achieved my reading goal at the time of writing this post…

… but Goodreads knows nothing! I’ve read books that are not on Goodreads, books I’ve quietly forgotten because I didn’t enjoy them and books that I will be featuring in 2025 here on the blog, on My Weekly and in (or occasionally on) The People’s Friend in my monthly paperback column, that are not out until next year, so I haven’t included them. Indeed, I actually loathe all the various reading challenges as I think reading should be a pleasure, not a challenge. I also really don’t like awarding stars either as it’s such an imprecise science and I ignore those who say my reviews are invalid because I only have positive things to say. Why would I post a negative review? I’m a blogger, not a scalpel sharp critic. I could quite easily eviscerate a book I don’t like or that isn’t well written, but someone else might love it and quite honestly, there’s enough unkindness in the world with me adding to it!

Not on a list?

As ever, I am aware that, as I blog about the books I’ve enjoyed the most this year, there will be authors who never appear on anyone’s lists, feel deflated, unseen and lost. Let me say to you that yours might just be the book I’d enjoy most in my life, but I haven’t discovered it yet, that my list is not of the ‘best books’ out there, but is my personal choice from those I’ve actually got round to reading in the last 12 months. There are many hundreds more on my shelves that would be my favourite reads if only I’d had time to reach for them.

Choosing a ‘Book of the Year’

As ever, an explanation of how I choose the books featured here is that I keep a spreadsheet of the books I read and as soon as I have finished reading a book I award it a ‘gut reaction’ mark out of 100. Anything 95+/100 is a book of the year for me. This means that there might be no books of the year or dozens! You may already have seen my most favourite 7 reads of the year over on My Weekly, and all these achieved 97+/100 on my personal gut-reaction-o-meter.

Previous Years

Previous favourite books can be found by clicking on the year – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Take a look. You might just find a book you love too.

My Favourite Reads of 2024

Today I’m going to feature all the books I enjoyed that I scored 95+/100 in 2024. Books that made me laugh or cry, terrified or entertained me completely or books that simply swept me up in glorious storytelling. They are presented in the order I read them. Click on the titles to read my full reviews and for full book details.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey

The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy

Frank and Red by Matt Coyne

The Lifeline by Tom Ellen

The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

Make Art With Nature by Pippa Pixley

The Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein

Seven Summers by Paige Toon

Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz

The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne by Freya North

The Black Loch by Peter May

Edith Holler by Edward Carey

The Good Liars by Anita Frank

Figgles and Flo by Antonia Blackmore, illustrated by Sarah P. Sharpe

Ice Town by Will Dean

All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft

So there they are – non-fiction and crime stories, thrillers and children’s books, coming of age stories and romances, historical fiction and even a bit of fantasy and horror woven in. But one book has stood out for me the most and I awarded it 100/100. Those who follow me on social media or here on Linda’s Book Bag will know already that my favourite read of all in 2024, and possibly ever is:

My Favourite Book of 2025

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story – with a unique twist on each…

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of teenager Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who will risk everything to find her best friend.

But when she does: it will break her heart.

Patch lies alone in a pitch-black room – until he feels a hand in his. Her name is Grace and, though they cannot see each other, she lights their world with her words.

But when he escapes: there is no sign she ever even existed.

Left with only her voice and her name, he paints her from broken memories – and charts an epic search to find her.

As years turn to decades, and hope becomes obsession, Saint will shadow his journey – on a darker path to hunt down the man who took them – and set free the only boy she ever loved.

Even if finding the truth means losing each other forever…

I’ve loved everything of Chris’s that I’ve read including Tall Oaks , All The Wicked Girls, We Begin At The End, The Forevers, and of course, All The Colours of the Dark.

Although I don’t bother to look much at my blog stats – reading is not a competition –  but it gives me great pleasure that, at the time of writing this post, my review of All The Colours Of The Dark has had 14,468 views since I blogged it in July. I hope some of those folk have gone on to love the book just as much as I did.

****

So, that was 2024. On 5th February 2025 I will have been blogging for exactly a decade. I wonder what books I’ll discover in my tenth year of Linda’s Book Bag…

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2025 brings you good health and happiness, and of course, books!

When I was asked if I’d like to choose my top seven books of 2024 for My Weekly magazine online, I was briefly hesitant as I always put out a post about my favourite books at the end of the year. However, there were some that I simply couldn’t resist sharing with a wider audience than just Linda’s Book Bag and it’s such a privilege to work with My Weekly so it’s my absolute pleasure to announce them today.

But I’m not telling you here what they are!

I do have a few hints though:

One is about an unexpected friendship between generations.

One is set over seven years and involves sisters.

One is a book about grief written by someone who knows.

One is the most glorious celebration of reading.

One is probably my favourite read ever!

One is chillingly good…

I think many of you might be able to guess, but to see if you’re right, head to My Weekly by clicking here and find out.

****

I’ll be back with my full list of favourite reads of 2024 on 31st December where any book scoring a gut reaction 95+/100 on my personal spreadsheet will feature!

I’m so delighted that my final online review of the year for My Weekly magazine is Home Again for Christmas by Emily Stone. I absolutely love Emily Stone’s books and it’s a real delight to catch up with this latest one.

You’ll find my review of Emily’s Always, in December here and of One Last Gift here. One Last Gift has a special place in my heart as one of the characters is named after me!

Published by Headline on 10th October 2024, Home Again for Christmas is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Home Again for Christmas

Lexie is always on the move, but there is one constant in her life – her ‘wish jar’; the childhood tradition from home that she couldn’t leave behind.

When Lexie’s estranged dad dies, she is shocked to learn that she has inherited half of his travel company in Bath. Her dad’s will stipulates that she must work with Theo, her handsome but bad tempered business partner, for a year.

Once the year is over, Lexie intends to leave. But a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.

Will Lexie find a reason to stay in one place? Will she discover the secret her father kept from her, and finally learn the meaning of home?

My Review of Home Again for Christmas

My full review of Home Again for Christmas can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Home Again for Christmas is achingly emotional and filled with the concept of belonging and facing our fears. There’s a gorgeous, fizzing romantic attraction, with a wonderfully flawed cast of characters that makes the book a true delight. I thought is was glorious.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Emily Stone

Emily Stone wrote Always, in December in an old Victorian manor house in Chepstow with an impressive literary heritage. Her debut novel was partly inspired by the death of her mother, when Emily was seven, and wanting to write something that reflected the fact that you carry this grief into adulthood, long after you supposedly move on from the event itself. Emily now lives in Bristol.

For more information, follow Emily on Twitter @EmStoneWrites. You’ll also find Emily on Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Martin Lloyd for sending me a copy of the graphic novel Dogland Rescue in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Dogland Rescue is available for purchase here.

Dogland Rescue

A Graphic Novel for readers of all ages.

In Dogland, friendship and kindness are prized above all. So it’s a huge shock when crooks and their savage dogs seize Mr and Mrs MacDuff’s orphanage. MacDuff escapes and his friends gather round him.

Bruno Bassett tells the story of Nipper, a reckless Jack Russell, Forensic Fred, a canine scientist, Pavlova, his brilliant, feisty fiancée, and many more. Together they try to defeat the crooks Smiler and Slimy and reinstall the MacDuffs in their home.

Ridiculous accidents happen, daft inventions go wrong, but ingenious ideas and a powerful sense of smell might just save the situation.

My Review of Dogland Rescue

The Macduffs seem to be missing.

A graphic novel with canine characters.

Initially I didn’t tune in properly to Dogland Rescue as I was thinking it was a children’s story and it didn’t seem quite right to me. Once I understood that this is, rather, a graphic novel for all ages, it made much more sense. It would certainly appeal to youngsters (perhaps those just in double figures and above) because it is an excellent adventure with peril, danger, humour and excitement, but I think Dogland Rescue’s strength lies with a more mature audience. I think the level of threat and intended violence is too high for young children and I admit I found the text a little small for my poor sight. 

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The reasons I think Dogland Rescue would make an excellent gift for teenagers (especially those embarking on work experience!) and adults is because there’s some smashing word play, particularly through creative spelling like Chewedear for Tudor, and humour can be found both in the text and in the brilliant illustrations. Take a close look at the train timetable or the book titles in the study, for example. Indeed, visually, Dogland Rescue is a complete work of art. The images are not only impressive, but they are so detailed they must have taken hours to produce. Dogland Rescue rewards returning to time and again as there’s so much to discover in each image. I loved the dark, menacing colour scheme for the negative characters. 

The plot zips along and draws on all manner of ideas that make it feel both recognisable and fresh. There’s crime caper, a touch of romance (I adored Forensic Fred’s adoration of Pavlova) and a real sense of drama. I thought the characters were smashing too.

However, it’s the layers of content I found so fascinating. There’s a sense of feminism, there are aphorisms to live by, there’s a true sense of community and friendship mixed with team work, there’s science and art, but there’s also a darker side with alcohol, spiking food, and homes being taken over. The characters might be dogs, but Dogland Rescue is an anthropomorphic microcosm of modern society. 

Having begun Dogland Rescue feeling slightly ambivalent, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, the adventure and the humour. I was impressed by its contents and think it would make an excellent gift for a teenage boy who is difficult to buy for! Oh, and I’m rather hoping Bruno Bassett will have other adventures to tell us about in the future.

For more information about Dogland Rescue, visit the website.

It’s been manic here of late and regular blog readers will have noticed I haven’t had much time for reading and blogging. However, that doesn’t mean I’m not finding out about brilliant sounding books and it’s my pleasure today to welcome Blair J Collins to Linda’s Book Bag to tell me all about his debut novel.

Staying in with Blair J Collins

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Blair. Thank you for staying in with me.

Good evening Linda. Thanks for inviting me over. I hope you don’t mind, I’ve brought a bottle of red, already at room temperature plus a few nibbles to accompany the book I hope you read and want to discuss further.

Ah! I’ll eat the nibbles as we chat but sadly red wine makes me really unwell so you’ll just have to drink that alone. So, tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

The book in question is my first novel A Coastal Shelf. 

The book is set in the world of the fire service. Having said that it is not the main theme, simply the plot device that carries the story. That theme being what we hand down to the next generation and the effects, both positive and negative, that they have. 

That sounds fascinating. Where did the title come from?

The title A Coastal Shelf is taken from a poem by Phillip Larkin, This Be Verse. 

I quote. 

Man hands on misery to man / It deepens like a coastal shelf/ Get out as early as you can/ And don’t have any kids yourself. 

Oh yes! I thought it sounded familiar. Thank goodness you’re only quoting that part! What can we expect from an evening in with A Coastal Shelf? Is it as bleak as Larkin’s poem?

No. Despite that dour extract the book is laced with humour, drama but most importantly love. Eddie Hart, the main character, is conflicted by the love heaped on him by his mother and the lack of it from his father. He needs to know why, while struggling with his own private agony regarding his mother’s recent demise. He is a lonely man. As a manager he is caught in a power struggle at work, his relationship with his father is poor to say the least, then there is Jane and the unrequited love that they both must deal with. Can he bring these differing strands together to a satisfactory conclusion?

Oh, I think those are themes so many of us can relate to Blair. And loneliness does seem to be becoming the prevalent human condition.

What else have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?

It would be great to bring Eddie along so you could meet him. Despite his inner turmoil, Eddie is a nice guy. He is popular with almost everybody he comes into contact with. German people use the word sympathisch, it translates as sympathetic, the connotation however is more. This is a guy you would be happy to spend time with. His persona is interesting, he is clubbable and behind those eyes there is a hidden depth of which we want to know more which is slowly revealed in this book and the sequel already written. 

Interesting. Tell me more.

‘It started to rain’ is the phrase from which this whole novel grew. As well as the wine and nibbles I mentioned earlier, I’ve also brought along a chapter of the book that starts to reveal the relationship between Eddie and Jane plus the heavy weight Eddie is carrying. What we don’t know yet is why: 

Eddie drove out to Hullbridge. Hedgerow and trees were budding in various shades of green. The fields would soon be hidden from the road behind dense walls of foliage. The remainder of the day had been quiet apart from the volleyball that was always loud and abusive with the recruit getting most of the stick but he had played reasonably well. He was physically quick, his eye to hand coordination good. Verbal badinage was not his forte so he laughed at crude and corny comments that came his way and had done his best to let his game do the talking. 

Normal day then Eddie thought. A shout, politics, sport. 

He parked up and walked into the pub garden that ran down to the waters edge. It was sparsely populated in the chiaroscuro of early evening. Couples were dotted around in quiet conversation and a large family with kids that ran around noisily were being indulged by all the customers who hoped they would be gone soon. The tide had left for other shores leaving the Crouch low enough to make the riverbank on the other side almost accessible. A Heron stood stock still one leg raised. A gull flew close over the Herons head laughing. The Heron never moved. 

Jane had chosen a sunny spot and was seated at a wooden table with a bench attached either side. In front of her was a pint and half of lager. 

Eddie sat down opposite Jane, one leg either side of the bench. 

“Bit clandestine,” he said. 

Jane ignored the comment. 

“Evening Eddie, I got them in.”

“Cheers” he said taking a swig of beer, “urgh what’s this?”

“Shandy, you’re driving.”

“Yes Mum.”

Jane thought the remark was a perfect in for the conversation she wanted to have but decided against it. 

“Seriously why here. Have you come to tell me you’re leaving Neville so we can run off together.”

Jane sipped her drink and looked at Eddie. His face now had the shy embarrassment of his adolescence. He knew he had overstepped. 

She could ask him why on earth would she leave such a good kindhearted man that has given her and her daughter so much. She could say she would leave Neville at the drop of a hat, ruin lives and throw it all away to be with him, if he asked her, if he meant it. She looked out over the river Crouch allowing a few seconds for her mind to reset. 

“What and be next in the long line of women, casual dates a thousand flirtations.”

He was stung by her harsh comment. 

“You were the first Jane. My very first girl friend.”

“Yea and I won’t be the last.”

She is not pulling her punches tonight he thought .

 “I’m just saying we go back aways.”

They both took a drink. 

“I asked you out here because I want to talk to you.”

“Talk to me or tear me off a strip?”

“Sorry,” she said. 

“Couldn’t we do that in the shop I need a trim.”

“No I need to concentrate on what I’m talking about.”

“Must be the only woman that can’t multitask.”

“I’ll multitask you in a minute.”

They were back on familiar ground. 

“You could come round the flat.”

“Oh yea and if Neville found out I’m going to your place on my own then what.”

“Neville wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh really! He knows our history, he ain’t as dumb as he is cabbage looking and for a smart bloke you can be pretty thick at times.”

“I know I know I’m just fucking with you Jane.”

It was unlike Eddie to use a course phrase in Jane’s company but after a day at work sometimes the boundaries blurred. 

She ignored the vulgarity. 

“I wanted to sit down with you where we would not be distracted and talk about your mum.”

Eddie grimaced and looked away. 

“Eddie look at me.”

He watched the Heron fly off, the neck retracted, head tucked in close. Was it a fish in its long beak, he couldn’t tell. 

He turned and looked at Jane, his face now drained of any warmth. 

“Don’t Eddie, don’t look at me like that. You have not been right since the accident.”

“I’m supposed to be right am I Jane, OK I’ll just make myself right  for you and everyone else.”

It was her turn to feel stung. 

“Do you know how long it’s been. He never let her answer. Five years, three years, two ? No. Its been exactly 294 days. So still quite fresh in the mind. Give me till 300 and that should do it.”

Wow thought Jane. She never realised how much he was still hurting. 

“I know Eddie,” she put her hand on his, “we all mourn in our own way and in our own time but Eddie you ain’t mourning.”

“What do you want, me collapsed on the floor crying my eyes out in a darkened room.”

“No but it would be more natural. I’ve been watching you and I’ve been asking about you.”

“Who?”

“Well just Jim and your Dad.”

“What do they say?”

“Not much it’s what they don’t say. Not bad, doing ok. He’ll be alright. Normal male rubbish. But I see you’re not OK. I remember a man that laughed easily, got on with people had an easy going manner was, she stopped, is respected and listened to. Always on a date, Mr cool who is now,” she hesitated “who is now Mr cold.”

They both took a drink becoming calm again with one another. 

“I’m alright” he said after awhile. “I was having a joke with Jim and Adam today.”

“Were you, really having a laugh a big old belly laugh. Laughing your head off were you ?”

Eddie frowned thinking back. 

They sat in silence Eddie running a thumb and forefinger down the condensation formed on the outside of his glass. 

“Talk to someone Ed, it doesn’t matter who it is, a counsellor, your boss, one of the watch, me even but please talk to someone, you need to.”

“You are the only one who calls me that.”

“What?”

“Ed.”

“Well everyone knows Eddie Hart don’t they, but I know you. Please Ed for me.”

Eddie nodded. 

“Do you want another drink” he asked.

“No let’s get out of here before people start talking.”

****

That’s a great introduction to the story and to Eddie. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat all about it Blair.

Well what a nice evening. I thought for £2:50 the wine would be better than that, even so I hope I have enticed you to read A Coastal Shelf and recommend it in your blog. 

You have! But if that was the cost of the wine, I’m glad I gave it a miss! You drink up and I’ll tell readers a little bit more about A Coastal Shelf.

A Coastal Shelf

Eddie Hart, a devoted officer at Langdon Fire Station, grapples with the lingering grief over his mother’s demise and the burdensome secret he harbors concerning her death, a truth he finds impossible to share with his seemingly detached father. At the firehouse, he faces the challenge of appeasing senior managers hell-bent on either reining in his Watch or disbanding it altogether, all while guiding the new recruit through the demanding facets of the profession. Amidst the workplace turmoil, the ghost of a past romance resurfaces: Jane, his high school sweetheart, now wed to the imposing Nev, but the lingering connection between them persists.

As the disparate threads of Eddie’s life converge towards a pinnacle, the pressure mounts. Will he navigate the tempest of professional challenges, mend the rift with his father, and reconcile the embers of a bygone love? Or will the surmounting adversities cause his life to unravel into chaos?

Published by Austin Macauley on 8th November 2024, A Coastal Shelf is available for purchase here.

About Blair J Collins

Blair J Collins was born and bred in Essex, close to the Thames River. A Coastal Shelf is his first work of prose fiction although he has always enjoyed writing but prior to retirement his busy life curtailed it to shorter forms of poetry and speech writing. He spent the majority of his working life in the fire service, retiring recently to concentrate on his writing. Blair and his partner divide their time between the UK and Germany. Blair has three children and so many grandchildren he’s lost count.

I cannot believe how few of the wonderful books by Sarah Morgan I’ve actually read. Consequently, I’m thrilled that my latest online review for My Weekly magazine is Sarah’s latest book, The Christmas Cottage. My enormous thanks to Felicia Hu at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of The Christmas Cottage in return for an honest review.

You’ll find my review of Sarah’s The Christmas Sisters here, of The Christmas Book Club here, and of The Summer Swap here.

Published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 24th October 2024, The Christmas Cottage is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Cottage

Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?

A PAINFUL SECRET

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS

Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?

My Review of The Christmas Cottage

My full review of The Christmas Cottage can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Christmas Cottage is perfect seasonal reading. It’s packed with mystery and intrigue, romance, family and loneliness, all of which lead to the most gorgeous and engaging story that had me cheering for Imogen. I loved it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She has sold more than 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives with her family near London, England, where the rain frequently keeps her trapped in her office.

For further information, visit Sarah’s website. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter/X @SarahMorgan_ and on Instagram.

I adore Sue Moorcroft’s writing so I’m thrilled that her 25th novel A Skye Full of Stars is my latest online book review for My Weekly magazine. My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for originally sending me a copy of A Skye Full of Stars in return for an honest review.

A Skye Full of Stars was published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 7th November 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Skye Full of Stars

Under the winter stars, anything is possible…

Ezzie Wynter can’t wait for Christmas on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Her island home sparkles at this time of year thanks to the snow-capped mountains and frosty winter walks, topped off with family gatherings with those she loves the most.

But her peaceful Christmas idyll is upended when she hears that the Larsson family – the owners of Rothach Hall – are flying in from Sweden for the festivities. As Manager of their grand Scottish manor house, Ezzie suddenly has decorations to hang, food to source and itineraries to organise.

Life only becomes more difficult when Mats Larsson turns up. The owners’ handsome, self-assured son is used to doing things his own way – and he is only another headache to add to her overflowing list.

Yet when unexpected visitors arrive looking for Ezzie, nothing else matters as she is left questioning everything she ever knew about herself. But amidst the Christmas chaos, she might also discover that, when all is lost, it’s sometimes those we least expect who come to our aid…

A beautiful, escapist festive tale to curl up with by the fire this Christmas. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

My Review of A Skye Full of Stars

My full review of A Skye Full of Stars can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that A Skye Full of Stars is the most perfect Christmas or winter reading. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and hugely affecting. It’s also beautifully written, romantic and filled with themes any reader can relate to. I adored it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy. She writes two books a year for publishing giant HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

For more information, follow Sue on Twitter/X @SueMoorcroft, or find her on Instagram and Facebook and visit her website.

I’m not meant to be blogging this month, but I couldn’t resist taking part in the blog tour for the children’s book Santa Steals Christmas! by Eve Nairn-Magnante and would like to thank Kelly of Love Books Tours for inviting me to participate. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Santa Steals Christmas! is available for purchase here.

Santa Steals Christmas!

Santa Steals Christmas! has been showcased by The People’s Book Prize, a book award which is decided exclusively by the public!

You can vote for it here.

A witty and surprising Christmas mystery!

It’s Christmas Eve and a mysterious-looking Santa is stealing all the presents that Santa has just delivered! How could this be?! Santa, Rudolph and the other reindeer must beat the ticking clock to unmask the naughty imposter. Will Rudolph and the elves be able to save Christmas before all the girls and boys wake up?

• Originally by six-year-old Eve, this is a magical Christmas story written by a child for children everywhere!

• A fun-filled mystery that will hook in young readers in the hunt for Santa clues

• An action-packed adventure, this is the perfect holiday storytime read-aloud

• Set in a typeface designed by a dyslexic for people with dyslexia

• Delightful, detailed, colourful illustrations capture the humour and magic of Santa’s world

• Highlights the meaning of presents and the true spirit of Christmas – a time for friends and family to gather together

• 5% of sales donated to Dyslexia Scotland

• 5% of sales donated to Scottish Autism

My Review of Santa Steals Christmas!

There’s an imposter Santa stealing all the gifts!

Santa Steals Christmas is quite wonderful. Firstly, it is a smashing Christmas story that young children will love with a little bit of peril as an imposter Santa is stealing all the gifts the real Santa has just delivered. It ends happily with a lovely message about the real meaning of Christmas and is fresh and modern with reference to technology. All these aspects make it perfect for reading with young children.

However, there’s so much more here. Santa Steals Christmas is perfect for developing independent reading. There’s a dyslexia friendly font with plenty of white space around text so that children who find reading tricky have greater accessibility. There’s excellent use of punctuation that allows natural pauses so that children (or their parents and teachers) can read aloud more easily and there’s sufficiently challenging vocabulary so that the story doesn’t feel patronising but children can extend their own lexicon. I could easily see this book being used in schools and children’s groups to promote independent writing and drama too. It would be lovely to see it acted out – or to include Mrs Claus’s yoga activities in PE!

The illustrations are perfect accompaniments to the text. They are childlike in style, appealing to the target audience, but they hold so much to explore. The fact the elves have a variety of skin tone makes the book feel inclusive. When the outcome of the story is known, head back and look at the conveyor belt of elf activity to find hidden clues… Or take a look at the word play and puns on Rudolf’s and Santa’s cushions. There’s fun and humour here that young children will thoroughly enjoy. Indeed, the more I looked at Santa Steals Christmas, the more I found so that I think this could become an annual favourite to return to time and again.

Santa Steals Christmas is a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

About Eve Nairn-Magnante

Eve, at just 13, has shown an incredible knack for storytelling. A believer in inclusivity, her works reflect her ethos, ensuring no child is left behind in the world of literature. Recognised by Young Writers for her contributions, Eve continues to inspire and innovate.

You can find out more on Twitter/X @SantaStealsXms, on Instagram or by visiting the website.

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What a pleasure today to share my latest online book review for My Weekly magazine. This time I’m taking a look at Foster’s Mill by Val Wood. My grateful thanks to Emma Fairey at Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of Foster’s Mill.

Foster’s Mill was published Penguin imprint Bantam on 21st November in hardback and will be available in paperback from 16th January 2025 through the publisher links here.

Foster’s Mill

Holderness, Yorkshire, 1988.

Elizabeth Foster has lived in Tillington all her life. She knows everything about the local community… Everything except why another family, the Reedbarrows, now live in her ancestral home, Foster’s Mill.

When Christopher, a man from ‘down south’, arrives and begins asking questions about the Mill that no one has dared to ask for generations, secrets begin to surface, and Liz may finally find the answers she’s been looking for. And perhaps, at last, Liz and her father will be able to return to their family home.

But Liz soon realises that if the sea continues to ravage the cliffside, the land which the mill is built on will fall away. If she doesn’t take action soon, there may not be a home for her to return to.

With the help of Chris and the local community, can Liz save the village and claim what’s rightfully hers?

My Review of Foster’s Mill

My full review of Foster’s Mill can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Foster’s Mill is a multi-layered and affecting story that was far more entertaining and interesting than I had perhaps anticipated. The themes in particular are thought-provoking and arresting, with characters that feel real and relatable so that this book stays in the reader’s mind long after the last page is turned.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Val Wood

Since winning the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her first novel, The Hungry Tide, Val Wood has become one of the most popular authors in the UK.

Born in the mining town of Castleford, Val came to East Yorkshire as a child and has lived in Hull and rural Holderness where many of her novels are set. She now lives in the market town of Beverley.

When she is not writing, Val is busy promoting libraries and supporting many charities. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hull for service and dedication to literature.

For further information, visit Val’s website or find her on Twitter/X @val_wood, Facebook and Instagram.