Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="749" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-1000x749.jpg" alt="gullivers" class="wp-image-88145" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-1000x749.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-800x599.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor-701x525.jpg 701w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-gullivers-books_Fotor.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Jane of the super-duper, award-winning <em><a href="https://www.booksandvinyl.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gullivers Bookshop</a></em> in Wimborne – the Best Bookshop in Dorset, Somerset and Bristol in the Muddy Awards for the second year running – bookmarks her favourite autumn books. Pop into your local indie bookstore, visit Gullivers (and their sister shop Square Records which sells vinyl and CDs), or <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/i-m-jane-and-this-is-what-i-ve-read-so-far-in-2023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">buy them all here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-over-my-dead-body-by-maz-evans"><em>Over My Dead Body</em>  by Maz Evans</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1538" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_.jpg" alt="over my dead body " class="wp-image-88044" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-520x800.jpg 520w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-650x1000.jpg 650w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-260x400.jpg 260w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-768x1181.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-999x1536.jpg 999w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-over-my-dead-body-61KuVEOdBJL._SL1000_-341x525.jpg 341w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s wonderful for us when a customer and Dorset resident releases a debut novel for adults and it&#8217;s even better when it&#8217;s a belter!&nbsp; Maz is well known for writing middle grade fiction but her heart lies with adult fiction. </p>



<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m Dr Miriam Price . . .and I&#8217;m dead. The local police, who couldn&#8217;t investigate their own nostrils, think I drank myself into an early grave. The nerve! I was murdered.&#8221;&nbsp; It&#8217;s fair to say that Dr Miriam Price is furious about her situation and the only person who&nbsp;can help her is her belligerent neighbour, a neighbour that Miriam has been at war with for years.&nbsp; </p>



<p>This book is hilarious but also&nbsp;manages to be moving and heartwarming; it&#8217;s witty and wonderfully original.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Bad Men</em> by Julie Mae Cohen</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1538" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_.jpg" alt=" books - bad men" class="wp-image-88042" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-520x800.jpg 520w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-650x1000.jpg 650w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-260x400.jpg 260w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-768x1181.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-999x1536.jpg 999w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-bad-men-61LCRfox52L._SL1250_-341x525.jpg 341w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Julie Cohen tends to write beautiful, warm novels; in her reincarnation as Julie Mae Cohen we see a darker side and it&#8217;s brilliant. </p>



<p>Saffy is a serial killer but don&#8217;t&nbsp;worry, she only targets bad men, the cheaters, frauds and abusers.&nbsp; Hilariously she lets mansplainers off, she just doesn&#8217;t have the time!&nbsp;Saffy has an embarrassing&nbsp;secret, it&#8217;s not the penchant for death it&#8217;s the fact that she has a crush and just doesn&#8217;t know how to deal with it!&nbsp; We follow Saffy on a murder spree while working out how to get her man. </p>



<p>This is a thriller with heart and humour. Highly readable!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece</em> by Tom Hanks</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1553" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="books - tom hanks" class="wp-image-88046" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-515x800.jpg 515w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-644x1000.jpg 644w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-258x400.jpg 258w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-768x1193.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-989x1536.jpg 989w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-tom-hanks-71DEbLzaTCL._SL1500_-338x525.jpg 338w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>We all know that Tom Hanks can act and boy, can he write too!&nbsp; This is an immersive novel that takes you inside the making of a movie.&nbsp; The movie is inspired by a comic book that features in graphic novel pages within the book.&nbsp; We get a real inside look at the process&nbsp;of movie making, from the story of the movie&#8217;s inspiration to the cast and crew members&#8217; lives. It feels like a genuine peek inside the world of Hollywood – after all, it&#8217;s written by a legend of the screen.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Change</em> by Kristen Miller</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1529" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="books - the change" class="wp-image-88045" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_-523x800.jpg 523w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_-654x1000.jpg 654w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_-262x400.jpg 262w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_-768x1174.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-the-change-81BFoNM365L._SL1500_-343x525.jpg 343w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This is a brilliant rallying feminist smash the patriarchy novel, featuring a group of women in their peri/menopausal years, a group of women who feel overlooked, invisible&nbsp;and full of rage.&nbsp; They start to embrace the way they feel; one begins to hear the voices of the dead, one channels her rage into strength and one turns to her garden and the plants she&#8217;s learnt to cultivate.&nbsp; The women stumble across the body of a young girl who the police write off as a runaway but they refuse to let it go and ultimately uncover multiple crimes being committed by a rich, male crime syndicate, where money talks and the&nbsp;lives of vulnerable women mean nothing.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Wake Up Call</em> by Beth O&#8217;Leary</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1543" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="books - wake up call" class="wp-image-88047" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-518x800.jpg 518w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-648x1000.jpg 648w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-259x400.jpg 259w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-768x1185.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-995x1536.jpg 995w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-wake-up-call-71JAuC6Hb0L._SL1500_-340x525.jpg 340w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Beth is most well known for writing <em>The Flat Share</em> which has been made into a Paramount TV series. This new novel is based in a failing hotel, a hotel based in the New Forest and featuring Fordingbridge.&nbsp; &nbsp;It&#8217;s an enemy-to-lovers trope but there&#8217;s absolutely nothing wrong with that. </p>



<p>The hotel is falling apart, Covid hit it hard and a small miracle&nbsp;is needed to save it.&nbsp; In steps Izzy who returns a lost wedding ring to a guest and is then inspired to sort through lost property to see what else can be reunited with its owner, to see if a reward might be offered.&nbsp; Izzy takes on this task with Lucas, her sworn enemy and you can guess what happens next.</p>



<p>A heartwarming and satisfying novel (reader warning:&nbsp;it ends at Christmas!)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The Memory of Animals</em> by Claire Fuller</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1632" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals.jpg" alt="books - memory of animals" class="wp-image-88043" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-490x800.jpg 490w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-613x1000.jpg 613w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-245x400.jpg 245w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-768x1253.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-941x1536.jpg 941w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/09/00-memory-of-animals-322x525.jpg 322w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>In this dark and thoughtful&nbsp;novel, a pandemic has swept the world (imagine!) and grief stricken Neffy is looking for a way to escape the&nbsp;mistakes of her past.&nbsp; She signs up to a vaccine trial at a centre along with a group of volunteers. Unbeknownst to Neffy, once she&#8217;s a part of the trial the virus mutates and she and the strangers realise that they are alone, locked in the vaccination centre.&nbsp;None of the group knows what has happened outside, all communications are down and food is running low. The streets of London appear silent and Neffy has to decide if she&#8217;s safer locked in with a group of strangers or if she should attempt&nbsp;to get home.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.booksandvinyl.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gullivers Bookshop</a>, 47 High Street, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 1HS.<br>01202 882677.</em></p>


6 riveting reads, recommended by a Dorset bookshop

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