"There were only two real people in the world, Chris and this woman whose personality was sounding through her squalor like a beautiful voice singing in a darkened room, and I was absorbed in a mental vision of them."
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The Return of the Soldier is SO quote-worthy! Rebecca West was a thoughtful and poetic writer and I savoured every minute of this short book.
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"The soldier returns home to find three women from his past. There's Kitty, his wife, with her cool, moonlight beauty; and his devoted cousin Jenny, who never quite admits her love for him.
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But it's Margaret whom shell-shocked Chris remembers - his first love of 15 years before. His cousin he recalls only as a childhood playmate, and his wife not at all. The women have a choice: to leave him as he is or to 'cure' him..."
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I have another of West's books on my shelf to read - The Fountain Overflows. Anybody read that one?
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#thereturnofthesoldier #rebeccawest #bookish #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #bookaddict #booknerd #bookstagramfeature #booksarelife #bookstagram #ilovereading #middlegradebooks
Middle-grade steampunk - a new and unexpected favourite genre! I think it's a combination of the Victorian aesthetic, along with an alternate version of history - familiar, but different, that I find enchanting. There's also something appealing about intricate, shiny machinery!
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In Cogheart, "Lily's life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. With her friends - Robert, the clockmaker's son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox - Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Lily realises that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart".
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Cogheart is unique and well written, with a feisty young heroine. It has surprisingly great character development for an adventure novel and a meaningful message about searching for happiness. Perfect for 9-12 year olds (or those of us - and I know there are lots - who love middle-grade reads!).
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Hey, it's Friday!! Have a fab weekend all! 😘
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#cogheart #peterbunzl #bookish #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #bookaddict #booknerd #bookstagramfeature #booksarelife #bookstagram #ilovereading #middlegradebooks
