But I Smile Anyway...

Wild Fires by @SophieJaiWrites @fictionpubteam @SusannaPedan #BookTour

27 May 2022 13 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Debut Novel, Sophia Jai, Wind Fires

I was sent this fantastic book to read and review. A debut by Sophia Jai, set in Canada with roots in Trinidad. Fascinating reading!

WILD FIRES is an astonishingly assured debut that moves between Trinidad and Toronto in a lyrical portrayal of a family undone by grief, regret and long-buried secrets. On a personal level, I love the vulnerability of Jai’s writing. She captures the relationships between sisters, aunts and daughters, all trapped in the ‘swollen silence’ of the big house on Florence Street, with a startingly vivid and distinctive voice. It’s perfect for fans of Ingrid Persaud.

Wild Fires by Sophie Jai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
This debut novel by Sophie Jai is an interesting insight into the Indo Trini community, and more so about the dynamics within quite a dysfunctional family.
Cassandra heads back to Toronto, Canada where her family settled, after leaving Trinidad, after hearing of her cousin’s death.
But it’s not just a straightforward trip, because she isn’t just there to mourn and attend a funeral. Cassandra knows the family has many secrets, and the women in the family live in ways that are alien to most others. Her own mother is one of five sisters, and they all live under the same roof, apart from one who stayed on in Trinidad with her husband, and another who passed away under tragic circumstances. Also, there are Cassandra’s older and younger sisters.
The story took me a little while to get into, as there is a lot of to-ing and frow-ing from past to the present, with the POV appearing to change, but each trip back adds another layer to the story. There are many secrets hidden within the family, and we still do not learn everything by the end of the story, but Jai’s beautiful prose keeps you hooked.

About the Author

WILD FIRES is Sophie Jai’s debut novel. She was selected as a 2020 Writer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford for WILD FIRES, and was longlisted for the 2019 Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award for a First Novel. Jai was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She splits her time between Toronto and London.

The Maidens by @AlexMichaelides #PaperbackRelease @FMcMAssociates

26 May 2022 6 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Tour, Paperback Release, The Maidens

Another day, another book to spread the news about!

So, if you are interested in a bit of a thriller, then you may be interested in The Maidens by Alex Michaelides!

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike – particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything – including her own life.

This is not my usual genre of books to read, but the blurb intrigued me, so, when I was sent a copy, I had to read it.
Mariana is a group therapist and a widow, who has a young niece under her care. When a murder happens at Cambridge University, where her niece, Zoe is studying, Mariana leaves her patients to support her.
From the beginning of the book, it seems that all arrows are pointing to Edward Fosca, a worshipped lecturer at the university, especially since he has a small coven of female students, known as The Maidens, at his beck and call. And more importantly, the initial murder victim and subsequent ones are all members of this coveted group.
Tenuous links to Mariana’s own past mean that she can’t just comfort her niece and leave her. Instead, she decides to stay on and try and find out the truth behind the serial killer mystery.
The story was intriguing, but I felt it lacked depth in certain key areas, and the ending did feel a bit rushed, though surprising.

Buy Here

About the Author

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has a MA in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and a MA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel. It spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking 49 countries. He lives in London.

Reasons To Go Outside by Esme King #SocialBlast @readeatretreat @HodderBooks

26 May 2022 17 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Esme King, New Release, Reasons To Go Outside, Social Blast

I am thrilled to be a part of a special social blast for a new release, today. Esme King’s Reasons To Go Outside.

I read this beautiful book as an arc, not long ago, and the beautiful story truly touched me!

Pearl Winter hasn’t been outside in 43 years.
Since she arrived in Dartmoor as a teenager, her isolated cottage has been her whole world. A
place of safety. But now Pearl is utterly alone – except for the postman, the local crows, and her
memories of the summer when her life turned upside down.
Connor Matthews feels like a stranger in his own home.
Since his mother’s death, he’s been adrift from his remaining family and the life that’s always
been mapped out for him.
But when Connor takes a summer job as Pearl’s gardener, their unexpected friendship opens the
door to a fresh start for them both. If they can just take the first step…

Reasons To Go Outside by Esme King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where do I start? What a beautiful book!
Three main characters and a story that spans over 40 years.
Pearl is a woman in her late 50s, gripped by the hands of aggressive agoraphobia, with not a soul to reach out to or the ability to help herself.
Connor is an 18-year-old with a big life change ahead of him. Something he is not entirely sure he should be doing. and his own dreams which are being squashed to fulfil those of another.
Nate is a 60 something man with not much but memories to keep him going after being made redundant.
All three have a story that ties them together.
It is a story that has its roots in an awful tragedy, but as it grows, and with love and nurture, it bears the fruit of love, friendship, and reconciliation.
I truly loved all three of these characters, and I feel they will stay with me for a long while. And the cast who support them is equally memorable. There is a lot of goodness in this book, which I think the world needs right now.
A story filled with loss, hope, determination and, above all, friendship in the most unlikely of places.

About the Author

Esme King is a former news journalist and a multi award-winning short film writer and director. She was
inspired to write Reasons To Go Outside after interviewing a woman with agoraphobia. Esme lives in Devon with her husband, two children, and rescue dogs Monty and Milo.

One-Liner Wednesday – Achievements

25 May 2022 35 Comments

by Ritu in #onelinerwednesday Tags: #jusjojan, Achievements, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, One Liner Wednesday

“Not everyone’s an academic, so why do we seem to judge, on that, rather than a whole person?”
Ritu Bhathal

For Linda’s #1LinerWeds Linda was worried about posting late, this week. Well, I’m right with her there, today!

Chai And A Chat #187 #ChaiAndAChat

23 May 2022 27 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat

Good morning, my friends! It is the last week of term, and all I can say is thank goodness! It has been a bit manic, but not in a bad way!

Right, so, have you got your drinks ready?

If we were having chai I’d tell you school was marginally better this week. There were no crazy things happening (most of the time) which meant we had a much calmer week. The last of the SATS happened, with Key Stage 1 finishing their papers, and so hopefully the children and staff can enjoy school again, without the stress of testing! Of course, we still have that threat of Ofsted dangling, but so far, nothing… I know things are going to get a little more manic, as we have to get our final data in for our children at the end of June, as well as writing lengthy reports for the children coming to the end of their Early Years stage, so I was planning report formats as well as writing newsletters for the term, and a curriculum newsletter for the following term, too. All on top of teaching, as you do. I am lucky though. I shan’t complain. As a Phase Leader for the Early Years, I get a day of management time to get a lot of the paperwork done, which really helps.
If we were having chai, I’d admit to not doing as much writing as I wanted, but I seem to have been inundated by emails from publishers, asking if I would read and review books, as well as be a part of official blog tours! Yes, I know I have a NetGalley problem, but that is of my own doing! (Only three in there so far, and that is not too bad!)But when you get physical copies from the publisher, you feel just a little special! But, I shall try and refrain from saying yes to everything, I promise. this first draft needs finishing, too! And, I promise, I am trying to get some words in!

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If we were having chai I’d mention that this week will see us celebrating a whole year in our forever home! I can’t believe the time has whizzed by as fast as it has, to be honest! Last year, a week after we moved in, the rhododendrons began blooming and they were just beautiful, so I was so excited for the same to happen this year. There is a pink bush too, which I noticed two blooms on this morning, but when I took the pictures below, they hadn’t come out. Still, the splashes of purple colour are so welcomed!

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If we were having chai I would tell you that there was cricket as there always is, and though it was a loss for the team this week, the weather held out well, considering the washouts we had on Thursday and Friday!
If we were having chai I would end, as always, with my Sonu Singh. Another day, another box for my beauty, who has now decided that the box is no good, and seems to be spending his days in my office, where it is rather warm. Should be time to bust out the fans, soon!

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This week, school will be fun as we are spending the whole week gearing up for a Jubilee party on Friday! All our learning will be centred around this event that no one is going to see in their lifetimes, again. 70 years is quite a feat, don’t you think? We are also having a Real Maths Dress Up day, and all staff are being dominoes! On the home front, I will be gearing up for the release date of Marriage Unarranged which is in two weeks, under Spellbound Books! Filled in equal parts with excitement and nerves!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!