February has been an interesting month – to say the least. Freezing winds which distinctly discouraged us from stepping foot outside. The heating going off for a couple of days in the middle of it all. A, so far fruitless and highly disappointing, search for a dog to call our own. A car that decided to break down at one point. I can keep going but I’d run the risk of making everyone feel depressed!

So I needed some new books to inspire me, and cheer me up. I know retail therapy is no substitute for the real deal but god – I feel so much better looking at the stunning covers of the books I have bought. Sometimes a book-haul is all you need to make things right, or a bit better at least.

The Sisters Grimm

By Menna van Praag - Published by Black Swan - First Published on the 15th of October 2020

Synopsis: ‘This is the story of four sisters Grimm – daughters born to different mothers on the same day, each born out of bright-white wishing and black-edged desire.

They found each other at eight years-old, were separated at thirteen and now, at nearly eighteen, it is imperative that they find each other once again.

In thirty-three days they will meet their father in Everwhere. Only then will they discover who they truly are, and what they can truly do. Then they must fight to save their lives and the lives of the ones they love. Three will live, one will die.’

My thoughts: I received this book in yet another fabulous Chocolate and Book Subscription - this was actually the book for this very month. I have to admit I hadn’t heard about this book but I am intrigued. Menna van Praag’s style has been likened to that of Erin Morgenstern which can be a hit or a miss for me, I guess there is only one way of finding out though!

The Familiars

By Stacy Hall - Published by Zaffre Publishing - Published on the 4th of February 2019

Synopsis: ‘Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance, she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.’

My thoughts: Historical fiction that discusses the Witch trials - regardless of location - is one of my weak spots. Like many others, I went through my ‘witchy-phase’, and I have never completely grown out of it. I think after this one I’ll just go out and buy a copy of the Malleus Maleficarum.

The Binding

By Bridget Collins - Published by the Borough Press - First published on the 7th of January 2019

Synopsis: ‘Emmett Farmer is a binder’s apprentice. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books and, within each, to capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If you have something you want to forget, or a secret to hide, he can bind it – and you will never have to remember the pain it caused.

In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and secrets – are meticulously stored and recorded. Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of the volumes has his name on it.’

My thoughts: I don’t think I’ll ever need much validation to buy a book that has been crowned: ‘The breakout sensation of the year’, by the Sunday Times. Although Amazon having a magnificent sale on the book certainly helped me pop this in my basket as well.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf

By Marlon James - Published by Riverhead Books - First published on the 5th of February 2019

Synopsis: ‘Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard

Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written an adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf explores the fundamentals of truths, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all.’

My thoughts: If you have read my blog post in honour of Black History month in the USA, here, you’ll know how much I am already looking forward to reading this book. In fact, writing that blog post reminded me of how excited I had been when I first learned about this book and immediately made me buy it. I guess I self-influenced?

The Rage of Dragons

By Evan Winter - Published by Orbit - Published on the 16th of July 2019.

Synopsis: ‘The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.’

My thoughts: This is another fabulous book I discussed in relation to Black History Month, here. Sometimes it is a case of putting your money where your mouth is. In this case, it meant supporting a Black author, by buying their book. Though I still feel that’s a bargain because this book has widely been applauded and heralded as the new standard for debut novels.

What are your thoughts? Have you read any of these books, did you love them, did you hate them? Do you have any recommendations for my next retail therapy session? Let me know in the comment section below and, until then - just one more page!