The wonderful Sue @brownflopsy, my reading guru extraordinaire and member of my fab #squadpod group of super supportive book bloggers, has posted the first in a series of spotlights on some of the “smaller players” that she has come across since she started blogging. She’s been kind enough to let me use her title and picture (below) to do a small accompanying post to share my own enthusiasm for Louise Walters Books. For more detail, check out Sue’s brilliant post here.
Like Sue, for me one of the greatest joys of starting on this odd but fun book blogging journey has been discovering more indie publishers. The best books I have read this year have all come from indie presses, and it has been a real eye-opener to actually start paying attention to who publishes the books I am reading, and where I buy my books from.
I’ve been dipping my toe into the world of blog tours, mostly with the absolutely lovely @damppebbles, whom I cannot recommend highly enough. Through Emma, I have discovered some fantastic books that I may not have come across otherwise. Louise Walters does outstanding work publishing incredible books, and while I am not (yet) the expert that Sue is, I thought I would share three LWB books that have crossed my path.
The Naseby Horses by Dominic Brownlow
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Simon’s sister Charlotte is missing. The lonely Fenland village the family recently moved to from London is odd, silent, and mysterious. Simon is epileptic and his seizures are increasing in severity, but when he is told of the local curse of the Naseby Horses, he is convinced it has something to do with Charlotte’s disappearance. Despite resistance from the villagers, the police, and his own family, Simon is determined to uncover the truth, and save his sister.
Under the oppressive Fenland skies and in the heat of a relentless June, Simon’s bond with Charlotte is fierce, all-consuming, and unbreakable; but can he find her? And does she even want to be found?
Drawing on philosophy, science, and the natural world, The Naseby Horses is a moving exploration of the bond between a brother and his sister; of love; and of the meaning of life itself.
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book, which I read and reviewed for the @damppebbles blog tour. You can read my full review of this beautiful, highly original novel here. It is a very special book, and I urge you to check it out.
In the Sweep of the Bay by Cath Barton
Blurb:
This warm-hearted tale explores marriage, love, and longing, set against the majestic backdrop of Morecambe Bay, the Lakeland Fells, and the faded splendour of the Midland Hotel.
Ted Marshall meets Rene in the dance halls of Morecambe and they marry during the frail optimism of the 1950s. They adopt the roles expected of man and wife at the time: he the breadwinner at the family ceramics firm, and she the loyal housewife. But as the years go by, they find themselves wishing for more…
After Ted survives a heart attack, both see it as a new beginning… but can a faded love like theirs ever be rekindled?
My Thoughts:
I’m on another @damppebbles blog tour for this book in November, and I can’t wait to read it. It sounds so lovely, and I know a few fellow book bloggers have already read and raved about it.
Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge
Blurb:
1960s New York, and Emma Bowden seems to have it all – a glamorous Manhattan apartment, a loving husband, and a successful writing career. But while Emma and her husband Jonathan are on vacation at the Hamptons, a child drowns in the sea, and suspicion falls on Emma. As her picture-perfect life spirals out of control, and old wounds resurface, a persistent and monotonous voice in Emma’s head threatens to destroy all that she has worked for…
Taut, elegant and mesmerising, Don’t Think a Single Thought lays bare a marriage, and a woman, and examines the decisions – and mistakes – that shape all of our lives.
My Thoughts (ha):
I’m awaiting delivery of Don’t Think A Single Thought by Diana Cambridge, and I can’t wait to read it. If you’re quick and order it before the 24th of September, Louise and Diana have an amazing offer here. I am very excited that with my paperback copy, I’ll be getting a free copy of Writing Magazine AND a chance to have a phone chat with Diana!
If any of these books pique your interest, or you want to check out the rest of Louise’s amazing catalogue, visit her website here. Supporting brave indie publishers like Louise is such a good way of spreading the book love, and you get some fantastic books into the bargain!
@brownflopsy is planning more spotlight posts, so do keep an eye out and make sure you are following her on Twitter – myself and the rest of the #squadpod will be supporting her all the way!
Elspells 