Crowvus Book Blog

... Our focus book this week is Beneath a Darkening Sky by Judith Crow This collection of gothic horror short stories is a thrilling and terrifying compilation, designed to send shivers down your spine while getting you turning the pages. We love this book because it contains ten brilliant stories that will stick with you long after you've read the final page. But you needn't take our word for it! Here what other readers are saying on Goodreads: "I was so excited to read each one and had a tingly feeling before and after each one. I loved the whole book and was sad when I was on the last story." "I like how quick these stories are, snippets but full stories in their own right. Well written, engaging and thought provoking. Loved it!" "I loved these books flow of the stories and the writing gripped me from the off. I really enjoy fairytale retelling and these were very clever with ghostly folklore and supernatural events woven into them." "I rea...

We couldn't do what we do without our readers. Thank you so much for supporting us over the years. In return, we've created this fun little reading challenge which will hopefully help you discover and rediscover some amazing books. All you have to do is use our hashtag #CrowvusReadingChallenge on your reviews of the twelve books listed. You don't have to do them in the order we've put, and you don't have to wait a month between. All you have to do is share them by the end of 2026. Next January, we'll draw one reader at random and reward them with a £30 voucher for their favourite bookshop. Happy Reading!

Kay Harker and Cole Hawlings Picture accessed via BBC  There are few things more Christmassy than the opening few bars of the theme tune to The Box of Delights . In fact, the tune is based on Victor Hely-Hutchinson's Carol Symphony and had been used in radio adaptations of the same novel years earlier than the 1984 television series. Clearly, everyone already knew that you just couldn't improve on that sound to evoke the magic of Christmas which - for me and for many - is so wonderfully explored in John Masefield's story. As a viewer, one of the things I enjoy most about the television series of The Box of Delights is the acting. Child actors are precarious things: too sweet and they're almost unbearable to watch, not sweet enough and they're unbelievable. They must walk that fine line between the two, and it is a perilous one! Most young actors fall into the first category, where their on-screen presence is almost dangerously saccharine.  Not so the child actors ...

Today's #HistFicThursdays blog is a fantastic guest post from  Apple Gidley ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour! Read on to find out about her treasure hunt of research and how she used it to bring her new book, Annie's Day , to life. But first, let's meet the book... Blurb War took everything. Love never had a chance. Until now. As an Australian Army nurse, Annie endures the brutalities of World War II in Singapore and New Guinea. Later, seeking a change, she accepts a job with a British diplomatic family in Berlin, only to find herself caught up in the upheaval of the Blockade. Through it all, and despite the support of friends, the death of a man she barely knew leaves a wound that refuses to heal, threatening her to a life without love. Years later, Annie is still haunted by what she’d lost—and what might have been. Her days are quiet, but her memories are loud. When a dying man’s fear forces her to confront her own doubts, she forms an unexpected frie...

 One of the best things about the Historical Fiction community is that it is  a community. Through it, I've discovered some fantastic authors, who write some amazing works of art. I'm delighted to share a review today from one lady who I met through the online Historical Fiction community, and whose fabulous new book Hiding the Flame  launched on Monday. I was fortunate enough to have a sneak peek of the book before it was released, and it's been great to share in some of the excitement about this new novel. But, before I share my thoughts, let's meet the book... Florence, 1497. A city ablaze with religious fear. A woman forced to hide her art. And a love so dangerous it could cost her everything. Francesca Rosini, a gifted but silenced painter, lives under the strict rule of her husband - a man whose devotion to Savonarola’s puritanical revolution leaves no room for beauty, tenderness, or truth. While Bonfires of the Vanities burn paintings, books, and anything deemed ...

 After the loss of NaNoWriMo, it did not take the Crowvus writers long to realise how much we relied on this structured routine for our writing. For me, November had become the only time I was guaranteed to do creative writing. In fact - if truth be told - I've done very little at any other point of the year. Consequently, we decided to adapt to our own interpretation: Cro(w)NoWriMo - the W is in brackets because there was some discrepancy over whether or not it should be in there. The rules were simple: Write. As November went on, the end goal changed slightly for each writer. Was it 50,000 words? Was it to write every day? Was it to write an entire book? For me, it was about finishing a book. I haven't finished an historical fiction book in ages - though I've started plenty! Now, with four more writing days left on the clock and into the final chapter, I might finally be able to lay the ghost. The story I returned to was Poisoned Pilgrimage , the book I began as a submiss...