The Little Library Project

  When I bought this book a couple of months ago, I hadn't realised that it was a book that had sat on my TBR list for a few years. That's when you know a book is going to be right for you! As part of my effort to work my way through my physical TBR, I picked it up for the bank holiday and immediately got lost in the history of P T Barnum and his museum of curiosities.  Unlike the masses, I wasn't quite as hooked on The Greatest Showman when it came out; whilst I appreciate the film and everything it encompassed, it was a classic case of Hollywood putting a positive spin on an otherwise dark history.  The Mermaid tells the story of a mermaid who choses to join Barnums exhibition so she can fund her dreams to see the world.  Adding a fantasy element to the Fiji Mermaid hoax that Barnum was the ringleader of, the story approaches a number of subjects tactfully. Firstly, the Mermaid, Amelia, is not always allowed the freedom she signed up for and the religious zealots o...

  Hot on the heels of The Witches of Vardo, I delved into another NetGalley Arc - The Last Witch of Scotland.  The tone of the writing between these two stories is vastly different - whereas the Scandinavian tale was drawn down from historical accounts and documents, The Last Witch of Scotland seems to be more ambiguous and whilst still devastating in it's origins, the story has a more lighthearted feel to it.  An account of the life of Aila, the daughter of Janet Horne who was the last woman executed in British soil, as a result of the witch trials.  What I enjoy most about reading these books is the common themes of the trials - over-zealous ministers looking to take control of their 'flock' and using what we now understand to be medical or general science as a platform to denounce these women as witches. It's just ridiculous.  But as I mention, this tale is slightly more lighthearted in the variety of characters that we meet and the stories that intertwine....

If you haven't guessed already - I cannot refuse a witchy read. I've always had an interest in all things to do with witchcraft and the persecution of women in history. I spotted this one when it came out, and thanks to an Amazon gift voucher, I treated myself to The Witches of Vardo.  Based on true events, The Witches of Vardo follows the story of a small group of women from Northern Norway who are held on suspicion of witchcraft. You can read about the witch trial here .  This story is harrowing. Of course, the account of the actual trial is fiction but even the statements made against them and prosecution lead against them is steeping in recorded accounts in history which makes this all the more troubling. As there is always likely to be - there is an element of the supernatural in the story leading to a Are They/Aren't They question but generally, the story definitely highlights the absurdity of the claims.  And it all comes back to this; whilst they couldn't live w...

Having been interested in the Romanov executions from a young age, this book was an immediate addition to my TBR but I was so disappointed to find the paperback was £16 to buy. That's not within my paperback budget.  But then, I signed up to Kindle Unlimited and I cannot tell you how pleased I was to find this book on there - and it was of course my first KU read.  The thing with books that are based on real people and real events; it's easy to judge them on the historical accuracy. It's easy to metaphorically tear a book apart because the fictionalised character and events to not match what the reader believes or knows.  And going into reading Anastasia,, that's exactly what I was concerned about. I have an educated idea of what happened, how and when. And there was one point of this book where the timeline was note matching up - specifically Red Sunday. In reality this would have happened when Anastasia was 4/5 years old, whereas in Lark's story - she was in her t...

  Started: Thursday 7th July 2022 Finished: Saturday 9th July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Given my obsession with the story of the Titanic in my younger years, this is the first book I've ever read which is based around the tragic disaster.  I bought Orphans of the Storm on a whim on one of my Waterstone's sprees - and I vowed to make it my next read. What I didn't realise is that it is based on the true story of the last surviving passenger from the disaster. And it was incredible.  So incredible that the minute I got home, I gave it to my mum to read and I've just bought a copy for one of my ex-colleagues because the history was common ground for us.  I didn't know what to expect - I knew it would pull at the heart strings but I didn't appreciate quite how much.  The way it's written, Imrie really allows the suspense and bewilderment to build. Of course, it's no spoiler to say - The Ship Sinks At The End - but the way it is written from two separate perspe...

​ Started: Sunday 26th June 2022 Finished: Wednesday 29th June 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "It takes a certain sort to withstand being locked up. Loneliness. Isolation. Monotony. Nothing for miles except sea and sea and sea. No friends. No women. Just the other two, day in, day out, unable to get away from them, it could drive you stark mad." I picked up The Lamplighters on a whim when I visited Waterstones at the weekend. The premise of the book is one I'm familiar with: In 1900, three lighthouse keepers disappeared from a Lighthouse off the coast of Scotland.  The story has been adapted into a film with Gerrard Butler called The Vanishing.  In this adaptation, three Lighthouse keepers disappear in 1972, leaving behind their three wives and plenty of speculation as to why and how these three vanished without a trace.  Through flashbacks and articles, we understand not only the mindset of the six main characters that this story circles, but also their secrets, their sto...