Hi everyone! Here are some of my latest NetGalley picks for the 8th of January!
Keep reading to find some of the NetGalley’s uploads I’ve picked this week – a few new, interesting books to add to your TBR’s!
{CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO BE TAKEN TO THE NETGALLEY PAGE}
Title: Secret Britain
Author: Mary-Ann Ochota
Synopsis: An Ice Age cannibal’s skull cup, a hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold, a seventeenth-century witch bottle… Britain is full of ancient wonders: not grand like the Egyptian pyramids, but small, strange places and objects that hint at a deep and enduring relationship with the mystical.
Secret Britain offers an expertly guided tour of Britain’s most fascinating mysteries: archaeological sites and artefacts that take us deep into the lives of the many different peoples who have inhabited the island over the millennia.
Illustrated with beautiful photographs, the wonders include buried treasure, stone circles and geoglyphs, outdoor places of worship, caves filled with medieval carvings, and enigmatic tools to divine the future.
Genre: non-fiction, history, popular archaeology
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Publishing: 29th Sept 2020
Title: The Holly King
Author: Mark Stay
Synopsis: The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . .
It’s December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply.
Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way.
As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King’s spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction?
Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas?
Genre: historical fantasy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing: 29 Nov 2023
Title: A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England
Author: Malcolm Hislop
Synopsis: Spread across the medieval kingdom of England in a network of often formidable strongholds, castles, like cathedrals, are defining landmarks of their age, dominating their settings, in many cases even to this day. By representing an essential aspect of our history and heritage, the interpretation of which is constantly being revised, they demonstrate the value of Malcolm Hislop’s compact, authoritative and well illustrated new guide to English castles.
The gazetteer includes an astonishing variety of types, sizes and designs. Individual entries bring out the salient points of interest including historical context, building history and architectural character. The defensive and domestic purposes of these remarkable buildings are explained, as is the way in which their layout and role developed over the course of hundreds of years, from the predominantly earth and timber fortresses of the Normans to the complex stone castles of the later Middle Ages, many of which can be visited today.
Genre: history
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Publishing: 31st Jan 2024
Title: A Short History of Flowers
Author: Advolly Richmond
Synopsis: Garden and social historian Advolly Richmond (of Gardener’s World) unravels the surprising histories of 60 flowers that shape our gardens.
Have you ever wondered where your favourite garden flowers came from? Where their names derived? Or why some cultivars go in and out of favor? Every flower in your herbaceous border has a story, and in this book Advolly Richmond takes you on a tour of the most intriguing, surprising and enriching ones.
Tales of exploration, everlasting love and bravery bring these beautiful flowers to life. Advolly has dug down to uncover the royalty, scholars, pioneers and a smuggler or two that have all played a part in discovering and cultivating some of our favourite species. From the lavish and exotic bougainvillea, found by an 18th century female botanist in disguise to the humble but majestic snowdrop casting a spell and causing a frenzy. These plants have played pivotal roles in our societies, from boom to bust economies, promises of riches, and making fashion statements. These unassuming blooms hold treasure troves of stories.
With specially commissioned artworks from award-winning botanical illustrator Sarah Jane Humphrey, which sumptuously bring each flower to life – this is a beautiful compendium for every garden lover.
Genre: history, home & garden
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Publishing: 5th Mar 2024
So that’s it for this week! Starting off with three non-fiction books and one fantasy book, which is a bit different to how I normally read, but I expect more fantasy books next week.
Anyway, have you requested any of these books, or now plan to? I’d love to hear your thoughts
The Ink Thief 