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Anna Elliot

@5star.books

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Portishead, Nr Bristol, UK.🇬🇧
I love literary and contemporary fiction, thrillers and historical fiction.
CR: The Calamity Club
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The Aquatics by @osvalde.lewat #ADPR Wow what a novel this is! Set in the fictional African country of Zambuena, Katmé lives a comfortable but loveless life with her politician husband Tashun. Whilst she has the money and privilege that marriage to him brings, it does not match the joy she gets from her friendship with gay artist Samy. Samy is on the cusp of launching his new exhibition when he is arrested for being a homosexual, which is criminalised in Zambuena. Samy is thrown into prison where he suffers unimaginable punishment and torture and Katmé will not rest until he is released. Katmé visits him regularly, paying the guards the expected bribes to be able to see him, all against her husband’s wishes. If the public knew about this friendship it would ruin her husband and family’s reputation; Katmé has the hardest decision to make - whether to stand by her best friend or support her husband’s career. I loved this book, the friendship between Katmé and Samy was so honest and heartfelt and I was sickened by the abuse Samy received. It is brutal in parts, the author does not hold back in her descriptions of violence and homophobia. But at the heart of it is a friendship and the courage to stand up for what is right. Thank you so much @osvalde.lewat @cassavarepublicpress for the chance to read this stunning novel. #theaquatics #readcassava by @5star.books
10
3 days ago
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Happy Publication Day to Mubanga Kalimamukwento on the release of The Shikipisha Club 👏👏🎉🎉🎉. A powerful family drama and courtroom novel, The Shikipisha Club follows a mother accused of murdering her husband, uncovering long-buried family secrets while exploring the pressure many women face to endure abuse and silence for the sake of marriage. Published by @cassavarepublicpress, this is available from today. 💗 #theshikipishaclub by @5star.books
4
3 days ago
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Book Mail 💗 Thank you @cassavarepublicpress for the copy of The Shipikisha Club by Mubanga Kalimamukwento. Described as ‘A gripping family drama in which a murder trial unearths long-buried secrets, testing loyalties across three generations of women’. I love family based dramas and this one explores ‘marriage, motherhood, resilience, and the courage it takes to break free from inherited patterns’. It sounds right up my street! Will share my thoughts soon. #theshipikishaclub by @5star.books
4
9 days ago
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Book Mail💗 Thank you @johnironmonger @flyonthewallpress for the copy of The Angel of St Puran this sounds such an interesting story. Here’s the blurb… ‘When five super-rich trophy hunters descend upon an African forest expecting to shoot chimpanzees, they underestimate the passionate young researcher, Angel Restorick, who has learned to communicate with the apes she studies. As the hunters close in, can Angel use her unique bond with the chimps to outwit the human predators?’ The author has a doctorate in zoology and I am really looking forward to reading this book described as a gripping tale of courage, compassion, and conservation. #bookmail #theangelofstpiran by @5star.books
10
9 days ago
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Had a wonderful night hearing @marxia1 talk about The Mercy Step with @hartmannsbooks @cassavarepublicpress Marcia shared so much about her childhood and her writing process, it was so interesting and Marcia is such an inspiring person. I feel so happy that she came to our little town to talk. Marcia also kindly signed my book journal as well as my copy of The Mercy Step. It was definitely worth coming home from Zante for!! #themercystep by @5star.books
12
10 days ago
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Migrations by @charlottemcconaghy #ADPR I was so pleased to receive a copy of Migrations from @vintagebooks as I loved Wild Dark Shore, and this was equally good, if not better, in my opinion. We meet Franny Stone who has lived a fractured life in Ireland. She is a passionate ornithologist and is desperate to find a way to track her beloved Arctic Tern’s migration to Antarctica. After some dramatic action she blags her way on board Ennis’ boat, The Saghani, and convinces him that by letting her track the Tern’s, they will lead the fisherman to the elusive great fishing catch he is chasing when there are vastly dwindling fishing stocks. As the story flips between her past and present, we feel the attraction between Franny and Prof Niall Lynch. He is a professor at the University where Franny cleans the biology labs. Franny may not have a qualification, but she is passionate about conservation and smuggles her way into his lectures. He is captivated when he understands her enthusiasm for birds and wildlife, and witnesses her dramatically rescue two young boys being swept out to sea. As Franny chases the Arctic Terns on their final migration, we learn all about the crew on board The Saghani, but also about Franny’s dangerous past and fragile family relationships. I loved this book, being close to the sea whilst I read it (albeit in a very different temperature) I could feel the drawing to the sea. There is a time when they rescue a trapped sea turtle from the fishing nets, that I read on the day I saw my first wild turtle, and that felt a very special moment. This book has many layers, it raises stark warnings about conservation in a world where animals and sea creatures are already extinct, but it also centres on the power of relationships and family. I loved this book, thank you so much @vintagebooks for the chance to read and review this. I am off to buy a copy of Once There Were Wolves, the last of Charlotte’s books I haven’t read yet. This is going straight into my top books of the year. #migrations #charlottemcconaghy by @5star.books
49
13 days ago
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Having loved The Wedding People I had really high hopes for The Adults which was Alison Espach’s debut novel. Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. A lot of the storyline reminded me of My Dark Vanessa but so much seems to be like the ramblings of a teenager with no real purpose. You can see some of the wit that I loved in The Wedding People but I think this just lost its way. I loved the cover though and the earlier storylines with Emily and her friend Janice were the best bits. by @5star.books
24
18 days ago
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Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin is a beautiful story that follows Oliver Ines’ life. As a young boy, with stars and galaxies decorating his bedroom walls and ceiling, Ollie dreams of space and through his hard work and determination he earns a prestigious place as an astronaut destined for Europa - a distant moon that will take 10 years to achieve. The book sways between present day and Ollie’s childhood where he meets Philly who has a love of nature and biology; a young girl who captures his heart from an early age. In taking on the mission to Europa, Ollie has some very tough decisions to make and I know I wouldn’t be able to make that same commitment. It highlights the scheming of large commercial ventures who seem to forget the human cost at stake. I loved Ollie’s passion for his dream, and Philly’s love of her family, it was a story that I didn’t want to end. #celestiallights by @5star.books
31
23 days ago
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I loved everything I read this month but if I had to pick my favourites they would be The Mercy Step by @marxia1 and Under Water by @taramenon . I went to my first book event at @mrbsemporium to hear @tahmima talk about Uprising which was so interesting. We had some fantastic news as my daughter passed her Maths and Accounting degree at Exeter Uni with a first. I am so proud of her and all her hard work. We look forward to going to her graduation next month👩‍🎓 I’m looking forward to seeing all your monthly wrap ups and I can’t believe July is here! #junewrapup by @5star.books
27
a month ago
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Just when I thought I had decided what books would be going on holiday with me, this stunning copy of The Aquatics by @osvalde.lewat has dropped through my door! It is described as, ‘A gripping and deeply human story of friendship, complicity, and the impossible choices that reveal who we truly are.’ This sounds great so I am off to make more space in my case!! Thank you @cassavarepublicpress for sending me the copy to review. #ADPR. #theaquatics by @5star.books
11
a month ago
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💙Happy Sunday Everyone💙 This morning I have been making a journal page for Under Water by @taramenon that I loved and reviewed yesterday. @summitbooks What are your plans today? #bookjournal #underwater by @5star.books
26
a month ago
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Oh wow I have just finished Under Water by @taramenon in one sitting, with tears pouring down my cheeks. It is going straight into my best books of the year. It is centred on friends Marissa and Arielle who meet at the age of 6. Following the death of her mother, Marissa and her father live on a small Thai island where conservationists and researchers are able to visit and study the sealife and wildlife. Arielle lives in a hotel in Phuket, owned by her beautiful, caring mother and her bullish ignorant father. Marissa and Arielle grow up in the sea and love to swim with the mantas, which they know individually by name. It is an idyllic place to grow up, learning about and living with nature, until the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 hits and countless lives are lost to the force of the Indian Ocean. The story is told in a dual time line between 2004 and 2012 when another storm is reaching New York and Marissa is numbly finding her way. This is such a beautiful story of female friendship, nature and tragedy. It evokes such mesmerising images of the oceans and sea life, I feel like I have been there. This is nominated for the Waterstones debut fiction prize and it thoroughly deserves its place. One of my favourite books this year💗. This was one of my contenders to come on holiday with me but I couldn’t wait.. it had to be read💗. #underwater #taramenon #waterstonesdebutfictionprize @waterstones by @5star.books
44
a month ago
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