My huge thanks to Isabelle Wilson at Headline for sending me a copy of Parched by  Philip Clayton in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share my review of Parched today, not least because Philip lives just a few miles away from me!

Parched was published by Welbeck on 9th May 2024 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Parched

Dazzling, diverse, durable – discover the remarkable drought-proof plants that flourish in the driest environments.

With rainfall unpredictable and summers increasingly hot, plants that survive and thrive in these conditions have become more important than ever.

Through expert text and beautiful botanical illustrations from the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Parched explores the captivating variety that exists in the world of dry plants. From poppies and palms to cypress and cyclamen, this stunning book showcases the incredible species that have become a mainstay of dry gardens around the world.

My Review of Parched

A compendium of 50 plants that survive and thrive in a dry garden.

Oh my goodness. Parched is wonderful. From the beautiful cover, through the glorious end papers of the hard backed edition I have, to the illustrations for every plant, this book is a visual delight. Forget those interested in gardening or horticulture, Parched will appeal to those who have an interest in art. The illustrations have come from Kew’s collection and with many being C19th watercolours, there’s so much to research and discover beyond the pages of Parched itself. I found myself spending time looking up the artists mentioned and discovering all manner of information. Indeed, Parched is almost a travelogue as Philip Clayton takes the reader to regions of the world where the plants originate. There are touches of history too.

Each of the entries is written with both authority and accessibility and is accompanied by those wonderful illustrations. With both horticultural and common names provided, it is easy to identify the plants and Philip Clayton provides a short resume of their characteristics before the more detailed information. The entries cover the origins of the plants, how they might be grown (including helpful suggestions for companion planting), potential problems and alternative varieties to try. It’s incredibly helpful to know the frost hardiness of the plants included, their mature size and whether they are affected by other environmental aspects such as wind or salt. Some plants were comfortingly familiar such as the verbena that is the staple of my own garden, but others felt more exotic and had the effect of making me more interested in plants and gardening again.

On a personal note, it gave me great pleasure to discover the inclusion of nerine bowdenii, which I had no idea was also called Bowden Lily – I just knew it as Nerines! You see, this flower always blooms in my parents’ garden every year over 6th October which is their wedding anniversary and feels all the more poignant now Dad is no longer with us.

With a comprehensive index at the back of the book, Parched is a volume to return to time and again. It really is the most perfect gift book and I thought it was quite brilliant.

About Philip Clayton

Philip Clayton is a freelance garden writer and editor, and one of the UK’s most knowledgeable horticulturists, having previously worked with the RHS for two decades, latterly as Deputy Editor of The Garden magazine. He has written hundreds of articles for a broad range of publications with expertise in garden plants, gardens (great and small) and nurseries. Phil’s knowledge is substantial, borne from personal endeavour and an appetite to grow a diverse selection of plants, currently in his small walled garden in Peterborough, one of the UK’s driest cities. His book, A Plant for Every Day of the Year, was published by Dorling Kindersley in October 2022.

For further information, follow Philip on X/Twitter @clayton_philip.

It’s my very great pleasure to share details of my latest My Weekly magazine online review. This time I’m thrilled to have read It’s Getting Hot in Here by Jane Costello. I’ve read and adored Jane’s books under her Catherine Isaac pen name (see here) but have never before read one of her Jane Costello books. I’m delighted to have put that right and my enormous thanks go to Jo Dickinson for originally sending me a copy of It’s Getting Hot in Here.

Published by Hodder on 17th October 2024, It’s Getting Hot in Here is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

It’s Getting Hot in Here

To the outside world, Lisa Darling looks like she has it all. A high-flying TV-executive and twice-divorced mother-of-two, she juggles her inbox and mum-duties with the calmness of a Buddhist monk. Even when her son’s pet hamster, Alan, suddenly gives birth to nine baby hamsters, Lisa takes it all in her stride.

Until handsome New Yorker Zach Russo arrives to replace Lisa’s best friend at work. There is something about Zach that just gets under Lisa’s skin and even her composure begins to crack.

When she clashes with Zach in the office (on an almost daily basis) Lisa feels hot and bothered. She tries to pass this off as one of the perimenopause symptoms she’s found on Google, until she finds herself in a sexy – and seriously ill-advised – clinch with him.

Could Lisa’s hot flashes actually be sparks? And is she ready to lose control and risk her heart again?

My Review of It’s Getting Hot in Here

My full review of It’s Getting Hot in Here can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that It’s Getting Hot in Here is a brilliantly relatable, laugh out loud romcom with added depth and a hero to get us all a little hot under the collar! I loved it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Jane Costello

Jane Costello writes bestselling romantic comedy books that celebrate all that’s great about midlife – and make you laugh about anything that isn’t.

She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of 15 novels, five of which were published as ‘Catherine Isaac’.

Her new book, It’s Getting Hot in Here, is a spicy rom com about a 40-something TV exec and mum-of-two navigating perimenopause, a moody teenager, the to-do list from hell . . . and some delightfully steamy thoughts about a handsome new colleague at work.

Her novels have been translated into 26 languages, selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club and she has won a Romantic Novelists’ Award twice. She was born in Liverpool, where she still lives with her husband and three sons.

For further information, follow Jane on Twitter/X @Jane_Costello_, visit her website or find Jane on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s my very great pleasure to share details of my latest My Weekly magazine online review. This time I was lucky enough to read A Christmas in Prague by Helga Jensen.

A Christmas in Prague was published by Canelo’s imprint Hera on 5th September 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Christmas in Prague

What if a last wish could mean a new love?

When Olivia’s beloved Aunt Grace passes, she leaves everything to her niece, with one condition: Travel to Prague and deliver a message to Grace’s long-lost true love, Marek.

The trouble is, Olivia’s world is getting smaller. Since her husband left her one heartbreaking Christmas Eve, she has found even getting into town a challenge, let alone travelling by herself to a different country.

But this is one adventure she has to take, if she is to honour Grace.

The snowy, magical city of Prague slowly starts to awaken her festive spirit, and as Marek’s nephew, Tomas, shows her around the gorgeous Christmas markets, Olivia begins to feel she can truly live again.

Grace never had her chance at love, but might Olivia’s secret Christmas wish come true and grant her a second chance at romance?

My Review of A Christmas in Prague

My full review of A Christmas in Prague can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that A Christmas in Prague is a charming and uplifting story that transports the reader through the wonderful descriptions right to the heart of Prague from the comfort of their own home whilst adding a sprinkle of festive romance. I really enjoyed it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Helga Jensen

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s best selling novel, Fly me to Paris, was a finalist for the 2024 Popular Romantic Fiction Award. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently finishing a PhD. Helga, who lived in the Middle East for much of her life, continues to work as a freelance journalist when not writing books. A former airline stewardess, she now has her feet firmly on the ground and lives with her wonderful family, including a mischievous Labradoodle who never stops making her laugh.

For further information, follow Helga on Twitter/X @HelgaJensenF and find her on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s my pleasure to welcome I J Miller to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me and chat all about a book set in a ,location I love!

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with I J Miller

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag I.J. and thank you for staying in with me.

Thanks so much, Linda for having me. Always fun to hang out and talk books.

It is. So, tell me, which of your books have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought along my latest novel, just published in September, SURVIVING THE STORM. I’ve chosen it because I’m certainly looking to get the word out there about this book. And because of the eight books I’ve published, this one has the most fun plot, with the most exotic location (the Caribbean island of Antigua where I worked for eleven summers), and has so much to say about relationships…what makes them work, what doesn’t, what love is and isn’t.

I love visiting the Caribbean I. J. so I think SURVIVING THE STORM could be just my kind of read. What can we expect from an evening in with the book?

Many readers report they’ve read the book in one sitting. So what you can expect is a page-turner, set around a murder mystery whodunit, that examines the lives of three couples who work at a glamorous resort, each of a different age, struggling to manage their emotional lives, all suspects in the murder of a lascivious co-worker, Alvin, all with ample motive.

Sounds like Alvin may have got what was coming to him! Tell me more about the couples.

JOHN AND BECCA: Late 20s, newly married. He’s the assistant manager. She’s bored and depressed. John loves Becca but is immersed in the daily functions of maintaining a five-star resort and training for a local marathon. He discovers the unusual pleasure Becca finds in the arms of Alvin and knows he must put a stop to it.

There’s a motive right there!

ROB-O AND KATE: Late 30s, live together as a couple. He’s the waterfront director. She’s the aerobics instructor. He has a hard time making decisions. She likes everything perfect. A mis-match centred around their journey to find sexual fulfilment and love amid their many insecurities. Alvin steps in to help with the fulfilment, but gets in the way of their love, and they both desperately wish he would just BACK OFF!

I think Alvin might have been too much of a ‘good’ thing!

TWIGGY AND NED: She’s late 40’s. He’s late 50’s. Married. He’s the owner of the resort. She’s the elegant trophy-wife hostess. A couple of convenience only, as Ned is lost in a world of self-pleasure and autocracy, while Twiggy grapples with his indifference, snoring, cover stealing, colonial attitude, and her raging encounters with the handsomest, flirtiest, sexiest man on the island…Alvin! She’s discovered by Ned through a cruel twist of fate, and he gets in touch with the local island hitman…Hercules.

Crikey! It all sounds very entertaining. What have readers been saying about SURVIVING THE STORM?

Early comments include the following Linda:

“A taut, steamy and sometimes humorous murder mystery set at a 5-star resort in exotic Antigua and featuring a cast of colorful locals and transplants. The mystery will draw you in and the relationship portrayals will get you thinking.” ~S.M. Stevens, author of Beautiful and Terrible Things

“I.J. Miller never disappoints. Passion, mystery, and romance collide to create a captivating page-turner. Filled with dazzling scenarios to ignite your inner flame.” ~Susana Mayer, PhD, Founder, The Erotic Literary Salon.

“This no-holds barred mystery seamlessly blends a classic whodunit with gripping psychological suspense. Hurricane Hugo rips the lid off the glamor of a luxury resort to reveal six couples’ tawdry secrets, along with a man’s dead body.” ~Erica Obey, author of The Brooklyn North Murder

You must be thrilled with those responses.

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

I’ve brought along my favourite Island tee shirt, one that reminds me of the beauty of the Caribbean, the glorious, vibrant music that is so much a part of the Antigua culture, and the passionate, remarkable locals I met during my time there.  All of which inspired the words of this novel.

Love that T-shirt! You say the island, the music and the people. Could you give us a little taster from SURVIVING THE STORM please?

I can.

The island:

For him and his family it was love at first sight: the pristine grounds full of palm trees, perfectly manicured grass, beds of exotic, brilliantly colored flowers, resort rooms just yards from the Atlantic, hypnotized to sleep by the steady crash of waves, the beautiful, calm, clear Full Moon Bay on the other side of the bluff, perfect for water skiing, windsurfing, and sailing.

The music:

Each member of the band stood behind steel drums ranging in height and banged the calypso beat in perfect unison. Rob-O couldn’t take his eyes off her as they danced. She quickly caught on to the island style: feet forward and back, hips swaying side to side to the sound of drumsticks hitting steel. She added an occasional samba flourish—forward, back, a dramatic spin, as her ponytail flew—then faced right back at him without a missed step.

 The people:

 Alvin’s elderly neighbor waited by the ambulance. She wore a light blue dress, her grey hair wrapped tightly in a red scarf, black slippers on her feet, wrinkly arms wrapped around herself, face marked with deep lines of perpetual worry.

Reggie turned towards her. “When the last time you saw Alvin?”

“Haven’t seen him since before the storm,” Juanita replied. “Him don’t come home much.”

“Know where he usually spend the night?”

A wry laugh. All teeth and space again. “That be like me knowin all the places where the wind blow.”

I have a feeling Alvin is a man I must meet I.J.! Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about SURVIVING THE STORM. Let me give readers a few more details:

SURVIVING THE STORM

A STORM. A BODY. AND A LIST OF SUSPECTS WHO ALL HAVE SECRETS TO HIDE!

SURVIVING THE STORM is a sexy thriller about three dysfunctional couples working at a Caribbean resort who are desperately trying to navigate their emotional lives while being suspects in the murder of a co-worker.

September, 1989, Hurricane Hugo blasts the island of Antigua. Three couples, who live and work at an exclusive beachfront resort, shelter in the wine cellar along with the security guard. When the storm passes, the lifeless body of the resort’s handsome assistant manager is discovered on the property. Was he killed by flying debris or was it murder? A local detective is called in who gradually unravels the intimate connections between the dead man and the couples, putting them all in the crosshairs of his intense investigation.

Smart, sexy, and fun, SURVIVING THE STORM is a sensual murder mystery that explores the secret lives and emotional ups and downs of everyday people as it grips the reader in page-turning suspense right up to the surprising reveal at the end.

SURVIVING THE STORM was published on 17th September 2024 by Blank Slate and is available for purchase in all the usual places including Amazon, Bookshop.org and Barnes and Noble.

About I.J. Miller

Surviving the Storm is Miller’s 7th book of literary fiction.  Seesaw was translated into German & Spanish and sold 132k copies.  Miller’s Whipped was also translated into German. The audio version of Wuthering Nights was nominated for an Audie Award. Miller’s short stories have appeared in many anthologies, including The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, 12 & 13. Miller also co-authored Promise Fulfilled: A Memoir of Immigrant Success, available in English & Spanish. Miller credits 17 summers of working in Antigua, St. Kitts, & St. Lucia with the inspiration for Surviving the Storm.

For further information, visit I.J. Miller’s website,  or find I.J. on Twitter/X @Heathcliffian and Facebook.

I confess I have never read a Jenny Colgan book before, so I am incredibly grateful to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou  at Hodder for sending me a copy of Jenny’s latest release, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop is published by Hodder in paperback on 24th October and is available for purchase here. 

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop 

Carmen is at a loose end. Her gorgeous bookshop is the filming site of a cheesy Christmas movie, she’s been ousted from her sister’s house, and the love of her life has just flown thousands of miles away. It’s threatening to be a very unjolly Christmas indeed!

But when the elderly owner of the shop comes to Carmen with a Christmas wish that threatens to never come true, Carmen knows she must buckle down to get the funds to save not only his trip, but the shop itself. While fending off a shady tatt-selling businessman, Carmen discovers wonders to the shop she could have never imagined, and opens a labyrinth of bookish backrooms for the customers to get lost in.

With her deadline looming, it might take more than a fresh coat of paint to solve Carmen’s problems. But with the help of their neighbours, her nieces and nephew, and a very distractingly cute male nanny, Carmen might just pull her greatest magic trick yet…

My Review of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop

Carmen is drifting through life, outstaying her welcome in sister Sofia’s home. 

What a smashing read Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop is. It plunges the reader right into the heart of Edinburgh and transports them to the Brazilian rain forest so that reading the story feels both entertaining and escapist. 

Jenny Colgan’s sense of place is vivid and convincing. It really feels as if you’re there in the Edinburgh bookshop, because the descriptions are so real and with all the senses catered for, from the taste of vegan sausage rolls, to the aroma of Spoons’s room, through the freezing temperatures in Mr McCredie’s home within the bookshop, to the sound of bagpipes murdering Christmas songs and the sight of Carmen’s window displays. All these aspects are incorporated with humour and a sharp eye for observation so that they create a rich background to the story. 

The characters also add to the humour, with the banter of direct speech, and the implication of what is not said every bit as important as what is spoken. Even the children Eric, Phoebe, Jack and Pippa enhance the lighter moments and I loved their inclusion which is a real testament to Jenny Colgan’s skill as normally I loathe reading about children, but here they are remarkably funny – often darkly so.

Carmen is the star of the story and what works so well is the fact that she is often selfish, quick tempered and snappy, making her relatable and realistic. The dynamics between Carmen and Oke add drama and Carmen’s relationship with Rudi is not only witty, but surprisingly affecting. We all need Rudi in our lives and I rather fell in love with him.

Aside from a charming, heart-warming and uplifting plot in Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop there are so many fantastic references to authors from the past as well as contemporary ones, that I not only thoroughly enjoyed this narrative, but have many others to discover too.

I thought the themes in the story were just lovely. Jenny Colgan shines a caring, yet scalpel sharp, light on family relationships, sibling rivalry, community and true friendship and on the way our high streets become taken over by uniform and poor quality material which prices out those trying to make an honest living. There is, of course, romance in the story, but it is not the main focus as Carmen learns what, and who, is really important in her life. Consequently, these aspects add up to a smashing read that embodies the true meaning of Christmas. 

I thought Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop was the kind of book simply calling out for a roaring fire, a snowy afternoon and a mug of hot chocolate as the perfect accompaniment to while away a few hours in the company of people whose lives feel authentic and true. It’s great fun.

About Jenny Colgan 

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan.

For further information, visit Jenny’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @jennycolgan and find Jenny on Facebook and Instagram.

What a pleasure that my latest My Weekly magazine online review is of The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. I’m always thrilled to be asked to review the latest books and feel very privileged to do so for My Weekly.

My enormous thanks to Alison Barrow at Penguin Random House for originally sending me a copy of The Blue Hour.

Published by  Penguin imprint Doubleday today 10th October 2024, The Blue Hour is available for purchase through the links here.

The Blue Hour

WELCOME TO ERIS – A SCOTTISH TIDAL ISLAND WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE, ONE INHABITANT, ONE WAY OUT. . .

A place that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day. Once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, Grace receives an unexpected visitor.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . .

My Review of The Blue Hour

My full review of The Blue Hour can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Blue Hour is a meticulous, beautifully written and intense exploration of the human psyche wrapped in a thrilling mystery that ensnares the reader and leaves them guessing right to the end. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Paula Hawkins

Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, she moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller The Girl on the Train became a global phenomenon, selling over 23 million copies. Published in over fifty languages, it was a No.1 bestseller around the world and a box-office-hit film starring Emily Blunt.

Paula’s most recent thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant No.1 bestsellers. In 2021 A Slow Fire Burning was nominated for Thriller of the Year at the British Book Awards.

Foe further information, visit Paula’s website. You can also follow Paula on Instagram.

From the childhood discomfort of a malformed coccyx, to the weeks of complete immobility caused by nerve damage between vertebrae from when I spent hours marking as an English teacher; a time when I couldn’t wash, feed or dress myself, I’ve always been aware of being careful with my back. Consequently, when Isabel at MMC Communications contacted me to see if I would like a copy of Heal Your Back: 4 Steps to a Pain Free Life by Anisha Joshi, I was delighted to accept. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Heal Your Back: 4 Steps to a Pain Free Life today.

Published by Ebury’s Vermillion imprint on 17th October 2024, Heal Your Back: 4 Steps to a Pain Free Life is available for purchase here. 

Heal Your Back: 4 Steps to a Pain Free Life

Packed with real-life anecdotes and case studies, drawn from Anisha Joshi’s extensive experience as an osteopath, Heal Your Back will relieve your pain, take charge of your symptoms and future-proof your health! Back pain can adversely affect quality of life. Around 80 per cent of us experience lower back pain at some point, and it is the chief cause of disability among those under 45 in the UK, contributing to missed work days, mental health decline and long NHS waiting lists.

Starting with the basics of understanding how your back works and moving through the different types of back pain, as well as the causes and symptoms, Anisha will draw on her years of experience in clinic to show you how you can manage your symptoms and bulletproof your back using a simple four-step approach:

• Keep moving
• Change your mindset
• Eat well
• Sleep

Using evidence-based research, award-winning osteopath Anisha will help you to understand the real causes of back pain (often not what we might think), and offers practical, everyday advice to help you take care of your back, overcome your pain and live a healthier, happier, pain-free life.

My Review of Heal Your Back: 4 Steps to a Pain Free Life

A practical guide to achieving a healthier and pain free back.

Gosh I wish I’d had this book decades ago. I thought Heal your Back was brilliant.

Divided into three parts which Anisha Joshi recommends are read consecutively, Heal Your Back is crammed with accessible and informative material that enables readers to gain knowledge about how their back is structured and functions, through practical methods that improve back health to the kinds of treatments that might still be needed by some readers. Add in extensive, authoritative endnotes and a list of useful resources, and Heal Your Back is a guidebook to retain next to the bed and refer to continually. I thought the case studies dotted throughout the text were fascinating and gave excellent context to the chapters. They might well be highly relatable for some readers, thereby assisting their own back pain recovery.

What works so well is the authorial style. Anisha Joshi obviously knows her stuff, but her tone is warm, friendly and conversational so that it feels as if she is chatting personally with the reader, making her advice all the more effective. I thoroughly enjoyed the sections on exercise as many of the activities are those I encounter in my Pilates/Yoga class and which have made a considerable positive impact on my back’s flexibility, so that I can personally vouch for the fact that Anisha Joshi’s advice works. Her everyday exercise activities mean that there’s no need for expensive equipment, or gym membership, but that readers can improve their back health through easily adopted ‘habit stacking’. We all clean our teeth, but how many of us think about using that time to help our backs?

However, the most fascinating aspects were the mental and emotional approaches. I’d never considered that I might be exacerbating any back pain because of my approach to it. Thinking of my body as a smoke detector (read the book – it’s a brilliant analogy) is something I’ll be considering much more in future.

It’s quite difficult to review Heal Your Back without giving away too many of the contents. I want to say, ‘Anisha said x’ or ‘Anisha recommends y’ but that would be to do this excellent text a disservice. Heal Your Back needs to be read carefully and closely. Its advice needs to be incorporated into everyday life and it deserves a place in every home. Do your back a favour and buy yourself a copy. I’m not parting with mine.

About Anisha Joshi

Anisha Joshi is an award-winning multidisciplinary osteopath and clinic director with a wealth of experience and training.

For further information, visit Anisha’s website and find her on Instagram. 

I’ve always adored jewellery for as long as I can remember, so when Joe Christie at Simon and Schuster kindly sent me a copy of If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories by Carol Woolton in return for an honest review, I was delighted. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories was published by Simon and Schuster on 26th September 2024 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories

A treasure trove of forgotten stories about jewels throughout history by internationally renowned jewellery expert, Carol Woolton.

If Jewels Could Talk delves into the history, cultural significance and eclectic trivia of jewellery. As a jewellery historian, jewellery editor at British Vogue and now podcast host, Carol Woolton is uniquely qualified to take us on a whistle-stop tour through history via seven items of jewellery: hoops, rings, beads, charms, brooches, cuffs and head ornaments.

Weaving in examples from cultures around the world, Carol will uncover fascinating stories about Viking silver torques, Imperial jade in China, sixteenth-century Posy rings, organic gems, snake motifs, Roman cameo carving, Hindu wedding jewellery, Etruscan gold, Ancient Greek coins, piercings, Wedding pigs in China, tiaras and anklets – to name but a few.

A beautiful and illuminating gift for any jewellery lover, If Jewels Could Talk shines a light on all that glitters and more.

My Review of If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories

A non-fiction book looking at seven kinds of jewellery.

I’m going to say at the outset that I think the title If Jewels Could Talk: Seven Secret Histories is a complete misnomer! Whilst the book is divided into seven sections covering jewellery from hoops to head ornaments, it is far, far more than that might suggest. This is a real cornucopia of history, culture, myth, legend and vicarious travel. If Jewels Could Talk might have a focus on jewellery but it is fascinating for many other reasons too.

It’s actually quite hard to review If Jewels Could Talk without merely regurgitating the wonderful factual information between its pages, but that would be like telling the plot for fiction and is in danger of spoiling discovering the contents for yourself. What it is possible to say is that the underpinning thread of If Jewels Could Talk is the connections and identity made through wearing jewellery. It might be to belong, to illustrate status or wealth, to act as protection or to suggest our personalities, but what Carol Woolton presents so sensitively is the need for human connection. And when she considers so-called environmentally friendly lab created jewels, QR codes, or the future of technology in jewellery making, there is still the message that jewellery helps us define ourselves – both to others and to our own hearts. It seems ridiculous that a whirlwind tour of seven kinds of jewellery can leave the reader feeling slightly emotional, but I found If Jewels Could Talk remarkably touching as well as engaging.

Whether a reader’s interest is in the world of fashion from discovering the Cartier anti-occupation brooches of the second world war through an Elton John style party, or in civilisations across the globe and in discovering the Egyptians were the first to create fake jewels, If Jewels Could Talk is a book with something for every reader presented in an erudite but accessible tone that is a joy to read. That said, I won’t be wearing jewellery containing a slug design any time soon!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading If Jewels Could Talk as it is authoritative, informative and hugely entertaining. I think it’d make the perfect gift for a jewellery lover who otherwise seems to have everything.

About Carol Woolton

Carol Woolton is a jewellery historian, editor, author, stylist and jewellery editor at British Vogue for twenty years, where she remains as Contributing Jewellery Director. She was the first jewellery editor of Tatler magazine and has contributed widely to the likes of the Financial Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue and the Daily Telegraph. Carol has written several books about jewellery for the special sales market, including The New Stone Age (2020), Vogue: The Jewellery (2020),Floral Jewels (2014) and Dolce & Gabana High Jewelry (2023). Carol curates jewellery exhibitions and hosts If Jewels Could Talk, the podcast she launched in 2020.

For further information, visit Carol’s website and follow her on Twitter/X @carolwoolton. You can also find Carol on Instagram.

It’s almost three years since I reviewed Edward Carey’s A Year in Plague and Pencils in a post you’ll find here. Consequently, I’m delighted that my latest My Weekly magazine online review is of Edward Carey’s latest book Edith Holler. My enormous gratitude goes to Sophie Goodfellow at FMcM Associates for sending me a copy.

Published by Gallic on 3rd October 2024 Edith Holler is available for purchase here.

Edith Holler

Edward Carey’s witty and entrancing story of a young woman trapped in a ramshackle English playhouse – and the mysterious figure who threatens its very survival.

Norwich, 1901. Edith Holler spends her days among the eccentric denizens of the Holler Theatre, warned by her domineering father that the playhouse will literally tumble down if she should ever leave.

Fascinated by tales of the city she knows only from afar, young Edith decides to write a play of her own about Mawther Meg, a monstrous figure said to have used the blood of countless children to make the local delicacy, Beetle Spread. But when her father suddenly announces his engagement to a peculiar woman named Margaret Unthank, Edith scrambles to protect her father, the theatre, and her play – the one thing that’s truly hers – from the newcomer’s sinister designs.

Teeming with unforgettable characters and illuminated by Carey’s trademark illustrations, Edith Holler is a surprisingly modern fable of one young woman’s struggle to escape her family’s control and craft her own creative destiny.

My Review of Edith Holler

My full review of Edith Holler can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Edith Holler is a stunning book. Part horror, part fantasy, part love letter to theatre and to the city of Norwich, and gothic in tone, I found it utterly mesmerising and totally absorbing. It’s completely out of my usual genre, but is also one of my favourite reads this year!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Edward Carey

Edward Carey was born in Norfolk, England. He is a novelist, visual artist, playwright and director. He is the author of four novels, including Little, which was a Times and Sunday Times book of the year, and the YA series The Iremonger Trilogy. His collection of lockdown drawings, B: A Year in Plagues and Pencils, was published in November 2021.

Edward lives in the United States and teaches at the University of Texas at Austin.

For more information visit Edward’s website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter/X @EdwardCarey70 and Instagram.