Mrs Cooke’s Books

People Like Us by Louise Fein

It’s my stop on the blogtour for People Like Us by Louise Fein and I am delighted to share an extract with you today!

Synopsis

I nearly drowned and Walter rescued me. That changes everything.’

Leipzig, 1930s Germany.

Hetty Heinrich is a perfect German child. Her father is an SS officer, her brother in the Luftwaffe, herself a member of the BDM. She believes resolutely in her country, and the man who runs it.

Until Walter changes everything. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect in every way Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew.

Anti-semitism is growing by the day, and neighbours, friends and family members are turning on one another. As Hetty falls deeper in love with a man who is against all she has been taught, she begins to fight against her country, her family and herself. Hetty will have to risk everything to save Walter, even if it means sacrificing herself…

Extract

Tomas is waiting for me when I come out of school. Long-legged and skinny, he leans nonchalantly against the trunk of a large tree on Nordplatz. Before I can make a run for it, he spots me and rushes over, bumping into me with a crooked smile.

‘What’s it like, then?’ he asks, looking over his shoulder at the school. We fall in behind a noisy group of older pupils streaming across the grassy square towards Gohlis.

‘It’s still school. Just… smarter and stricter, that’s all.’

Tomas looks a little wistful. He’d go there in a shot, if only his parents could afford the fees. He’s clever enough to pass the test.

‘It’s odd, you not living in our block any more,’ Tomas says. ‘Emptier,’ he adds, after a pause.

‘I’m not far away.’

‘I guess.’ He’s breathing heavily as we walk, pausing to cross Kirchplatz. ‘What’s your new place like, then?’

‘Just wait till you see it,’ I laugh. ‘After the flat, you won’t believe it! Come on!’ And I break into a run, a bubble of excitement rising inside.

Our vast new house on Fritzschestrasse has a pointy roof and two chimneys sticking up like thick fingers towards heaven. There are four layers of windows. We could have a whole floor each.

‘It’s the biggest house in the street,’ breathes Tomas, staring up in awe at the handsome building, all sandy brick and trimmed with black. His tawny hair is dishevelled and his eyes insect-big through the grubby lenses of his tortoiseshell glasses. He screws up his nose as he surveys its vastness.

I stand taller.

‘Does it have a garden out back?’

‘Of course it does! That’s my room.’ I point up at the window with the balcony overlooking the road on the first floor. There’s a beautiful old cherry tree growing beneath it. Its branches extend over the iron railings and the pavement on one side and under the balcony on the other. From my special seat in the window, I can see the junction with Berggartenstrasse and nearly the whole of Fritzschestrasse until it bends around to the right, near Walter’s flat. I watch him come and go.

‘It must be very grand inside.’ Tomas presses his face right up against the iron railings. ‘Bet it’s got two staircases. And a cellar. Maybe it’s even got a dungeon with prisoner’s bones in it!’

‘Don’t be stupid.’

‘Can I come in?’ asks Tomas.

I steal a sideways look at him. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, it feels like a different lifetime that he and I played in the street behind the flat we used to live in. It was the old me who kicked a ball around and slid down the muddy embankment to watch the trains puffing in and out of the station.

‘Not today,’ I hear myself say. ‘Sorry. Maybe another time.’ And I push my way through the sturdy iron gate. It opens with a creak and when I let go, it shuts Tomas out with a loud and satisfying clunk.

People Like Us is out now in hardcover and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Vicky Joss and Head of Zeus for my beautiful proof copy and the invitation to the blogtour.

If you liked my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the blog tour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

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Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Happy Monday booklovers! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! We went for a long walk in our local woods yesterday and it was such bliss 🥰 it really lifted the mood!

Today I’m excited to share my thoughts on Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens!

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Synopsis

For years, rumors of the ‘Marsh Girl’ have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life – until the unthinkable happens.

My Thoughts

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I jumped at the chance to be part of this Tandem reading, not only because I just love their readalongs (y’all should check them out, they’re brilliant) but also because I felt like I must have been one of the last people on the planet to read this book – so I was dying to finally know what all the hype was about!

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Being first and foremost a murder mystery, I was drawn in to this book quickly and soon became obsessed with being back in the marsh with Kya. I could hear the whistle of the wind in the trees and the splash and gurgle of the water in the marsh. With deliciously lucid and vivid prose; It was such a joyful escape of a read.

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Owens is a real wizard with words. I adored her sumptuous descriptions of the marsh and her turn of phrase really gave the marsh its own character in the novel. Her writing is effortlessly elegant and so wonderfully easy to read and lose yourself in.

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Whilst this has been dubbed a “Coming of Age” novel, (a statement which I don’t at all disagree with), Where The Crawdads Sing, in my opinion, is so much more. It depicts how a human survives abandonment and complete isolation; learning to fend for herself and become totally self sufficient. In time we learn how these sad circumstances impact on her emotional and social interactions with other humans later on in life.

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A breathtaking, soulful and simply mesmerising book; I have no doubt that Where The Crawdads Sing will be one of my top reads of 2020.

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My thanks go to those gorgeous people from Tandem Collective for having me along for this stunning read along, and also to my read long buddies (tagged on my instagram post).

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Where the Crawdads Sing is out out now in stunning paperback and you can buy it here .

Until next time! Have a wonderful day!

@mrscookesbooks

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

It’s my stop on the blogtour for What lies Between Us by John Marrs and I am delighted to share an extract with you today!

Synopsis

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

Extract

You can’t see me from my place up here in the crow’s nest. No one going about their business in the street can. I know that because I must have waved at my neighbours hundreds of times and they’ve never responded. To all intents and purposes, I’m invisible to the world. I don’texist, I have expired, I am a ghost.

I probably resemble one too, standing behind these shutters that mute the light entering my bedroom and turn me into a shadow. When the lamps aren’t switched on outside, it’s like dusk in here even during the sunniest of days. It’s why each time I venture downstairs, I squint until my eyes adjust to the daylight. When the shutters were first installed, they made me claustrophobic; a barrier between the outside world and me. But I’ve grown accustomed to them. Given a little time, I become used to most things in the end. I’m that kind of woman; I’ve learned to be adaptable.

I refer to this room as the crow’s nest because it reminds me of a ship’s lookout point on the tallest of its masts. Sailors use them to see for miles across the horizon. My view extends as far as this housing estate.

Right now, I’m watching Barbara helping her mum Elsie into the passenger seat of a car. Barbara always makes time for her mum. Any parent would be proud of her. Elsie recently became reliant on a walking frame, one of those aluminium ones with castors attached to the front. I remember her complaining how the arthritis in her ankles and knee joints was escalating and that over-the-counter anti-inflammatories were no longer effective. I can’t tell you the number of times I suggested she make an appointment to see Dr Fellowes. Once I even offered to pull a few strings in my job as the deputy practice manager to ensure she got an appointment on a day of her choosing. But she’s a stubborn old coot. She thinks she’sbeing a nuisance if she sees a doctor more than once a year for her flu jab.

I wonder if Elsie still thinks of me. I wonder if she ever questions why I just stopped going to her house for coffee every Thursday afternoon. Half-past three sharp, regular as clockwork; we stuck to that routine for years. I’d return home from work, grab my own jar of coffee from the shelf – she always served that bitter supermarket brand I hated – and we’d spend a couple of hours putting the world to rights or gossiping about the neighbours. I miss those chats. I’ve caught her looking towards the house on numerous occasions, so I like to think she hasn’t forgotten about me.

Barbara’s car moves off the drive, along the street and past number forty. The letting agency has taken its eye off the ball with that one. From up here, I can just about see into the rear of the property – and what a pigsty it is now. If the previous owner, Mr Steadman, knew what had become of his once-beautiful garden, he’d be turning in his grave. The lawn has grown into the borders he spent hours fussing over and they’re filled with cans and takeaway boxes. Students have no respect for anything.

His grandson should have just sold the place. Or perhaps he couldn’t find a buyer. Not everyone is content to live in a house where the previous occupant’s dead body lay undiscovered for weeks. I was the only one who noticed the build-up of newspapers poking through Mr Steadman’s letterbox and spotted that his curtains hadn’t been opened. I would have raised the alarm myself but of course that’s the last thing I can do.

What Lies Between Us is out this week in gorgeous paperback and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Sophie Goodfellow and FMCM Associates for the invitation to the blogtour.

If you liked my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the blog tour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

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There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom by James Sellick and Frann Preston-Gannon

It’s my stop on the #blogtour for #TheresARangTanInMyBedroom by James Sellick and Frann Preston-Gannon

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Synopsis

A stunning picture book about one little girl and her orangutan friend, based on the Greenpeace film that became a viral sensation.

When a little girl discovers a mischievous orangutan on the loose in her bedroom, she can’t understand why it keeps shouting OOO! at her shampoo and her chocolate. But when Rang-tan explains that there are humans running wild in her rainforest, burning down trees so they can grow palm oil to put in products, the little girl knows what she has to do: help save the orangutans!

Published in collaboration with Greenpeace, featuring a foreword from Dame Emma Thompson and brought to life by award-winning illustrator Frann Preston-Gannon, this is a very special picture book with a vital message to share.

Extra pages at the back include information about orangutans and palm oil plus exciting ideas about how young readers can make a difference.

My Thoughts

My Littles really enjoy chatting about and discussing how we can treat our planet 🌍 better so I was excited to be asked to review this book with them as I knew they’d be keen on it.

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This book is full of charming illustrations and the central character is an adorable and very friendly looking orangutan who causes havoc in a little girl’s house.

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Written in collaboration with Greenpeace, the theme of this book is (unsurprisingly) saving our planet and the author and illustrator have done an excellent job of conveying this message in the sadness of the orangutan when she tells the girl why she’s in her home and not back in the rainforest.

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This book has been a brilliant catalyst for discussion with the Littles, particularly my five year old, who has today written a letter to “the boss of the chocolate factory” to ask them to use only responsibly sourced palm oil and not that which has resulted from destroying swathes of our rainforests.

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There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom is a beautiful book which highlights an important message to young children in an easy and accessible way. My children have asked to read this book repeatedly since it arrived I would recommend it for every young child.

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My thanks go to Namishka and Hachette for our beautiful copy of the book and the invitation to the blogtour.

There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom is out in paperback this week and you can pre-order it here

If you enjoyed my post please do check out my others and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time! Have a wonderful day!

@mrscookesbooks

Who We Were by B.M. Carroll

It’s my stop on the blogtour for Who We Were by BM Carroll and I am pleased to share an Extract with you today!

Synopsis

A KILLER TWENTY-YEAR REUNION.

AND YOU’RE INVITED…

Twenty years after they went their separate ways, friends and enemies are coming together for their school reunion. Katy, who is desperate to show that she’s no longer the shy wallflower. Annabel, who ruled the school until a spectacular fall from grace. Zach, popular and cruel, but who says he’s a changed man. And Robbie, always the victim, who never stood a chance.

As the reunion nears, a terrible event that binds the group together will resurface. Because someone is still holding a grudge, and will stop at nothing to reveal their darkest secrets…

Extract

3 GRACE
Grace can’t stop looking at it: Yearbook of Macquarie High, Class of 2000. Ninety-odd pages that depict another lifetime, one that feels so very strange it could belong to someone else. All the girls wearing similar hairstyles – layered at the front, highlighted – and the frumpy uni- forms that they’d hated, with good reason. The boys with hunched shoulders and sneakers instead of the proper school shoes. The self- conscious quotes speckled throughout, not remotely as meaningful or humorous as they’d believed at the time. God, they all looked so gauche. And so terribly, terribly young.
‘We thought we were hot,’ she comments to Tom as he emerges from the en suite, dressed for bed in a pair of old soccer shorts and singlet. ‘But we were just babies, really.’
‘Are you still looking at that old thing?’ he asks, sliding into bed next to her.
‘I can’t seem to put it away,’ she laughs. ‘I’ve become fixated on it.’
He sidles over, rests his head hopefully against her chest. ‘I could give you something else to be fixated on … if you like.’
Grace is considering his proposition when, with impeccable timing, the bedroom door creaks open.
‘Mummy, Daddy,’ whispers a voice.
Tom sighs and smiles at the same time. ‘Yes, Lauren?’
It’s nearly always Lauren who pays the after-hours visits. Their third child suffers anxiety about school, social occasions, nightfall, and a long list of other things.
‘I heard a noise in my room. I’m scared.’
‘Right.’ Tom dramatically throws back the covers. ‘Daddy’s coming and we’ll have a full-scale search. There’ll be no escaping the eagle eye of Tom Coleman.’
He bounds out of the room, giving a great impression that this – a hunt for would-be intruders – is exactly what he’d like to do at this precise moment.
Grace goes back to the yearbook, flicking once again to her own entry.
Why did she say that the Year 10 formal was her best memory? Why not the Year 12 one? Was it because it was all coming to an end, and she felt sad that they were about to go their separate ways? Or was it because Annabel, seven months’ pregnant, didn’t attend the Year 12 formal, and because her best friend hadn’t been there, it didn’t hold the same importance?
Probably, pathetically, the latter. For this reason, Grace is watch- ful of the friendships that her children form and, whenever she can, veers them away from relationships that compromise their own identity.
Don’t have one friend, she tells them regularly. Have lots and lots of them. Be your own person, not just a mimic of your friends.
Sometimes she is more forthright: When I was in high school, I had only one friend. If she was in a good mood, I was in a good mood. If she was in a bad mood, I was in a bad mood. I think I missed out on a lot of fun because of her.
Grace is brimming with things to tell her children, lessons she herself had to learn the hard way. She even has a notebook where she writes things down, practical advice and nuggets of wisdom to be imparted when the timing is right. Tom calls it the Mother Manual, although he’s been known to write a thing or two in there as well. They laugh about it – ‘That’s definitely one for the manual’ – but beneath it all they’re deadly serious. Tom was always one of those men who was going to make a great father. It’s Grace who’s the surprise. Being a mother is her calling in life, even though she never knew it until she held Tahlia – her eldest – in her arms. Grace plans to be proud about it at the upcoming reunion. No, I don’t have a paid job at the moment, because I have four fabulous kids – the best in the world – and I put all my time, energy and imagination into them.

Who We Were is out now in gorgeous paperback and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Flora and Viper Books for my copy of the book and the invitation to the blogtour.

If you liked my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the blog tour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

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