BLOG TOUR: See the Stars - Eleanor Ray

Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?

When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.

Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?

Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel reminds us all that we need the darkness if we want to see the stars.

 

What did I think?

If you haven't read any of Eleanor Ray's books yet then you are missing a real treat.  I loved Everything is Beautiful and adored The Art of Belonging so I couldn't wait to read her third novel, See the Stars and it is simply breathtaking.  Eleanor Ray will be seeing a lot of stars as the reviews start rolling in.

I loved Alice from the start, although her place in my affections was seriously challenged by young Berti who she befriends at the library.  Alice returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire to convalesce after a heart episode.  Yorkshire holds so many memories for her, both good and bad, and Alice has regrets about the last words she spoke to her Grandad before he died.

It was Alice's Grandad who taught her about the night sky and he kept detailed notes about his search for an undiscovered comet.  Along with Berti, Alice is determined to continue her Grandad's search and she must revisit some parts of her past she would rather keep buried.

There is so much I could say about this book but you really must discover it for yourself and I don't want to spoil it.  The writing is sublime and the plot is both engaging and surprising, making it difficult to put down and I read it faster than I expected.  I definitely want to read it again as I'm already missing the characters and if I had the time, I would have turned back to the first page as soon as I had read the final word.

Incredibly poignant and wonderfully uplifting, See the Stars is a beautiful book and worth so much more than five stars; if I could award more stars, I would.  

I chose to read a digital ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase link: https://geni.us/SeetheStars

About the author

Eleanor Ray is the author of the highly acclaimed novels Everything is Beautiful and The Art of Belonging. She has an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and had a career in financial marketing before turning to writing. She lives in London with her husband and three young children.

See the Stars, her new novel, is about reclaiming our dreams and was inspired by her own career change. Her son’s passion for space fuelled her research, and together they visited science museums, planetariums and observatories around the world. She is currently writing her next novel.

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Night Sky Almanac 2023 - Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion

A beautiful gift for anyone interested in the night sky.

Follow the progress of constellations throughout the seasons with this beautiful companion to the night sky from Astronomy experts Collins.

With the aid of easy-to-understand monthly calendars and maps, you will chart the rhythm of the lunar phases, discover events that light up the sky for brief periods, and explore the rich tapestry of characters that adorn the starry canvas overhead.

• never miss a night sky event wherever you are in the world with this month-by-month guide
• go meteor spotting, track the phases of the moon and explore the constellations
• worldwide coverage – with details for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres
• discover fascinating celestial facts and notable astronomical anniversaries

Written and illustrated by astronomical experts, Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion, and approved by the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

What did I think?

I’ve always been interested in the night sky but this is the first almanac I have ever had; I expect it to be put to good use throughout the whole of 2023.

The hardback has a beautifully illustrated cloth bound style cover and it’s a really handy pocket-sized book to slip in your bag if you’re going out stargazing.  The month by month guide to the night sky has some handy features to quickly and easily select the correct month: each month is highlighted on the page edges and there is a very useful ribbon marker too.

There is a lot of information at the start and end of the book for novices and accomplished stargazers alike, including: introduction, some interesting objects, major events in 2023, the moon, map of the moon, the circumpolar constellations, world map, dark sky sites, twilight diagrams, glossary and tables, and an index.

Each month contains a wealth of information to devour as well as charts and diagrams to peruse.  I found some of the small fonts on the diagrams to be a little hard to read, especially as they are white words printed on a black background so you might need a magnifying glass if you don’t have good eyes.

It’s very good value for money and incredibly giftable for anyone interested in looking at the night sky.  I can’t wait for January so I can improve my knowledge and further appreciate the night sky.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe: And Our Place Within It - Andrew Newsam

What happens inside black holes? Is dark matter real? Could we do anything to prevent being wiped out by an approaching asteroid? Will our explorations of our neighbouring planets reveal life or a new place to settle? What can observations of stars reveal about our origins – and our future?

Professor Andrew Newsam draws on his vast expertise to show us what’s going on beyond the limits of our planet, from our solar system to distant galaxies – and what this tells us about our own place in this vast expanse called ‘the Universe’.

From glowing nebulae to the sweeping majesty of the Milky Way, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe will spark your curiosity and help you make sense of the amazing discoveries and fascinating mysteries of the cosmos.

 

What did I think?

I don't think I've ever read non-fiction as quickly as I read this brilliant book.  I know very little about astronomy although I've always been interested in our solar system, however, many astronomy books just go straight over my head.  This is most definitely not the case with Andrew Newsam's Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe: And Our Place Within It that is written in such an informative and engaging way that I found easy to understand and incredibly entertaining.

I not only learnt things, I found that I retained the information and it made me eager to find out more.  The writing is captivating and entertaining without being patronising to any readers who may already know some basics about astronomy.  It's clearly written for the layperson who has no prior knowledge of astronomy and incredibly easy to read.  I'm amazed at how much knowledge about the universe I gained and retained.  It's true what Frank Carson said: it's the way you tell 'em!

There are six chapters: Looking out from Earth, The Sun as a star, The Solar System, Stars, Galaxies, and The Big Bang.  Ranging from 16 to 52 pages long, each chapter covers a lot of ground but it never gets boring and I found myself eager to read just one more chapter, which is almost unheard of for me when reading non-fiction.  There are also some stunning colour images in the middle plate section to enhance and support the text.

So, if you've always wanted to know more about the universe then this is the book for you.  I didn't even hesitate before awarding the full five stars and it deserves every single one of them.  I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Andrew Newsam and I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to Alison Menzies for sending me an ARC to read and review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon