How To Promote Healthy Hair Growth & Overcome Hair Loss

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Expert Advice from a Scientist

There are a lot of tips and tricks when it comes to hair care, but not all advice provides genuine benefit. Many are seeking to improve their hair health or suffer from hair loss. ​ Hair loss is an extremely complex issue that affects majority of men and women at some point in their lifetime. ​ Dermoi’s Chief Scientific Officer, Even Casha, MSc in Pharmaceutical Formulation breakdown hair loss & why supplements have become a popular and effective solution.hair growth, hair loss,

How Does Hair Grow?

All hair grows from a mini-organ present in the skin of the scalp called the hair follicle. ​ Within the hair follicle, hair growth follows a regular cycle.

The growth phase (anagen) occurs when new hair is created from the follicle (lasts 2-6 years), this is followed by a transitional phase (catagen) that lasts 1-2 weeks, and the resting phase (telogen) where the hair is lost (3-4 months). ​

Different hair follicles tend to not cycle together to ensure an even population of hair on the scalp.

Why does Hair Loss occur?

Hair loss is a very complex issue that is influenced by many factors. Factors such as genetics, hormones, nutrition and stress, all have direct links with the hair follicle and hair loss.

Nutrition & Hair Loss

Nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition is a leading cause of hair loss. This is because many vitamins and mineral are co-factors for enzymes involved in hair growth.

For example, low iron, biotin, fatty acids, folic acid, zinc as well as vitamins D, E, C, B1, B2, B12, B6, B3, K are all associated with hair loss. Health conditions that affect nutrient absorption by the body also commonly cause hair loss. For women experiencing hair loss, products designed for hair regrowth for women like those from Happy Head can help address underlying causes and support the restoration of healthy, thicker hair.

Hormones & Hair Loss

Males and female patterned baldness is considered a genetically determined condition that results from changes in hormones called androgens (includes testosterone). ​ An excess in androgens, whether it be based on metabolism or changes cellular binding, are linked with hair loss.

Stress & Hair loss

Stress is an extremely common cause of hair loss. ​ This is because stress can worsen already existing hair loss that is a results of nutritional deficiencies, hormones, or inflammation in the hair follicle, but stress can also induce hair loss as it causes hair growth cycles to sync. ​ This causes clumps of hair to fall out.

Why Are Hair Supplements So Popular For Hair Loss?

As hair loss if so complex, a multi-factor approach usually yields the best results when looking to improve hair health and overcome hair loss.

It is best to incorporate into lifestyle changes and wellness practices in daily routines to improve wellbeing and reduce stress. ​ In addition, forming a nourishing diet and achieving hormonal balance is extremely helpful.

Nutraceutical supplements for hair have the ability to address all of the above issues, and therefore, have shown massive improvements in hair health and loss.

 
Hairology by Vida Glow

Real Results from Daily Supplementation with Vida Glow Hairology

Real Results from Daily Supplementation with Vida Glow Hairology

Hair supplements often contain key nutrients and compounds called adaptogens. ​ These compounds lower cortisol levels and help reduce stress on the body. They also contain compounds such as vitex angus-cactus or reishi mushroom, as they have the ability to balance androgen levels and improve hair loss. ​ Lastly, hair supplements can contain scientifically studied active ingredients that act on the hair follicle and stimulate hair growth.

Hairology by Vida Glow is an excellent example of a multi-tasking supplement for hair loss. It uses a bioavailable and clinically-studied to stimulate gene expression (FGF7 & noggin) in the hair follicle and bring it back into its growth phase (anagen). ​ It is also combined with key nutrients and hormone balancing ingredients to create a powerful solution.

The impressive nutraceutical stimulates a 34% increase in hair growth in just 28 days.

Every so often a day turns into more of a pleasure than one expects: Ripon Cathedral and the SO! Bar and Eats

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Off we went to Ripon to admire Ripon Cathedral and were lucky enough to see the ‘Threads through Creation’  exhibition – a double whammy. When we left Thirsk the weather was looking forbidding, and by the time we arrived it actually was. The heavens had opened.

This is the stage at which you realise your mac isn’t actually waterproof. None the less a very swift walk from the Market Square to the Cathedral and into the warm and dry and quite  beautiful  small but perfectly formed (as they say) building, with its Arts and Craft pulpit. Off we toddled, looking at this and that, and then came upon the twelve huge textile panels of the Threads through Creation exhibition.  Someone we chatted to thoughr that the panels had probably been created using a long arm on the machine. However it was done, it was a fascinating retelling of the story of creation from Genesis, moving from the whites greys and blacks to the fulsomeness of nature.

Dick the engineer was particularly fascinated at the swirls and spirals and shapes the stitches created, we lingered looking from the embroidered panels to the quite exquisite stained glass windows, and that pulpit, which kept dragging me back, but then, quite frankly, a spot of lunch called. .

So off into the storm we strode, or scuttled perhaps, back to the Market Square and fell into the SO! Bar and Eats and the warmth of their welcome. ‘Were we wet, cold?’ they asked.

‘All of those things,’

So they found us a table slap bang next to the radiator, and by the time we had ordered a pino grigio for me and for Dick a Black Sheep beer, brewed at Masham nearby, from a great menu we were already drying out.

The menu ranged from a quick lunch, even just a sandwich to more of a feast. The starters included marinated olives and yes, Yorkshire Poutine. The main extended from, Charred Mackeral through to Superfood salad and on to the more usual pub grub, Ribs, burgers, and the classics, which is where I headed, longing for haddock and chips. Dick had a massive burger.

But great though the food was, and the heat of the radiator, it was the warmth and helpfulness of the welcome from the staff that we remember particularly. Nothing was too much trouble, and reminded us so much of The Wellington on the Strand in London, where we so often go when down there. So we ate, talked, laughed to one another, and the staff, until it was time to get wet all over again and zip to the bus. We were sorry to leave.

All in all an unexpectedly perfect day.

Info. So! Bar and Eats, 60 Old Market Square, Ripon HG4 1EQ. 017

01765 601 639

Website: sobarandeats.co.uk

Columbia Community Association’s refurbishment has just whizzed through the supposedly unlucky13th week without mishap, how time flies.

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Sad new to open with, but a life well lived as respects are paid to Joan Nichols, former Treasurer of Columbia Community Association who has sadly passed away. ‘R.I.P. lovely lady, gone but not forgotten’, says Marion

A busy week was had by all, what with Warm Spaces, meetings, bookings and parties.  All this and the work continues on around it. But onto specifics:

                Hats from Plain and Purl                  plus           Ukraine donations from their customers

A host of knitted hats was delivered from Plain and Purl, Hazel also sent a donation that had been collected in the shop for the Ukraine appeal. ‘Their generosity is overwhelming,  what a community we live in.’ says Marion, and the Frost Magazine team has to agree. 

Lee, the joiner boxed some pipes and then up went the clock on the kitchen wall, 60 CMS of black magic Tic Toc. New window sills were fitted in the Brady Square room and in Belgravia, though the names take a bit of getting used to. As Marion told Margaret. ‘Eee Margaret they are old names really, older than either of us.’ 

Then the Council  arrived to do the yearly boiler check; and it gave pause for thought – A whole year …?  The committee could barely believe it – and so much achieved. 

Stu from MRM has made a grand job of installing our television aerial. Marion told me how grateful they were to Davey, for organising this, and for his kindness towards their community. 

Donations applenty have arrived too, a 40 in tele and DVD play donated by Norma Warburton. Red Shoes Bob picked it up. Then another 40-inch tele arrived, curtesy of Kevin Roddy along with an array of jigsaws,  There will be a tele in every room. This is what is called ‘community’, something that Frost Magazine applauds. 

Dianne, Pauline and Marion visited Alyson Chapman owner of Bells, who have donated memorabilia to the CCA. Bells of course has been a: ‘part of our lives and they will be sadly missed by us all. Good luck in your retirement.’ says Marion. 

Thursday morning Allison from ASDA called for a photo shoot as they have provided some funding for our new blinds. along with new crockery etc. Pauline is tasked with purchasing the crockery as she loves a bit of retail therapy.

                           

Wayne Ellison called in with the money for the new Kelley signs which he said are ready for collection, and, he brought Marion, yes, Marion a jar of Honey which is produced by local Bees. 

Halloween Floral arranging using Pumpkins took place on Thursday evening It was turnips in our day Margaret – Jack Shine a Maggie – now Trick or Treat,’ whispered Marion.

Ged Parker popped in for a chat from the WASHINGTON History Society, he said he was struggling for pictures of the Prefabs that was once in Brady Square so a post was generated on Memories of Brady Square page. Fingers crossed someone out there will have some.  New fridge unpacked and from today onwards there should be a fully equipped kitchen installed. But hang on, it seems a bit of magic occurred as Friday workday rolled to an end: lo and behold the Alcohol Fairy popped something in the fridge. It left Marion hoping that little fairy  was going straight along to theirs . We’ll have to wait to see.

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

 

 

 

 

‘Little Cat and Friends’ : Book Series a ‘Purr-fectly’ Wonderful Way to Help Children Struggling to Read

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‘My daughter loves these books. From the moment they were in her hands she was excited. I have read them to her numerous times now.’ Catherine Yardley. 

Author Anna Emilia got her first cat at the age of thirty. The special relationship that ensued was the inspiration behind her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’, which is both an ode to her cat Molina and also a vital addition to any educator’s playbook. Anna struggled with reading as a child, and she is uniquely aware of how children learn and crucially, what keeps their attention.
little cat and friends book

Utilizing a variety of fonts and colours, the books contain simple, child-like conversations and questions, designed to help parents address a number of topics, from siblings to adoption and more. They are also just plain fun to read, with words that jiggle up and down, whimsical illustrations and stories that will delight children and parents alike.

Synopses:

‘The Little Cat’
The Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Join her as she gets herself into some tricky situations while exploring her new surroundings. She’s so excited. Will she ever be able to settle down and go to sleep? This simple and appealing story will delight young children, especially those with a new pet.

‘Making Friends’

Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Now she needs to go outside and make some friends. Will she find any? Follow Little Cat’s adventures as she looks to explore her new world and finds out what her new name will be. Will she like it? A simple yet delightful tale about exploring, meeting new people, gaining confidence and making friends.

‘Tiny Kitten’
Molina is surprised when a new brother arrives. She decides she won’t like him and is very sad until she helps Mummy choose his name. When her friends come to visit, they love her brother. Will she learn to love him too? A charming story about dealing with change and how first impression aren’t always right.

“When I struggled to read, there weren’t a lot of tools out there to help,” says Anna. “These books would have been an absolute treat for me. For any parents who have children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, I suggest using your child’s own pet or perhaps a favourite toy as a reading buddy. This helps build confidence. I also think that as you read to your children, you should consciously make mistakes. Explain to your children that making mistakes is absolutely okay – and it’s a natural part of reading and of life. This will help your child realize that their own mistakes aren’t the end of the world. In fact, they might start to relish the effort of learning to read. Once you take away the fear of failure, they will feel so much more confident and happy – just like Little Cat!”

Readers – both big and small – have been entranced with the series since its inception.

“A beautiful book, The Little Cat is absolutely loved by my 3 year old boy Emile. Utterly charming and beautifully illustrated, it is an everyday bedtime story book in our household,” writes Delphine.

Ben agrees, writing, “All my children love the stories and the pictures, very colourful and easy to read, they can’t put the books down!”

All three books in the ‘Little Cat and Friends’ series are available now from Waterstones, Amazon, and all leading bookshops as well as the author’s own website:

https://www.littlecatandfriends.com/shop/

Anna Emilia is passionate about helping children become confident with reading. Her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’ was born from her own struggle with reading as a child, and from the love she has for her own cats.

 

SUNDAY SCENE: NATALIE NORMANN ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM SUMMER ISLAND

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When I was asked if I could write a contemporary romance set in Norway, I jumped at the opportunity. I didn’t have a story, but I knew the perfect setting.

I love islands, but I couldn’t make up my mind which one of my favourite places to use, and I ended up making my own fictional island. From that, came Summer Island with it’s quirky characters and the best part of Norwegian summers.

It was the perfect place for a romance between two people with broken hearts who think they have lost what they loved most.

Ninni Torp comes to her beloved island to heal from the biggest shock in her life, only to find there are bigger suprises in store for her.

I also had great fun dropping a big city boy in an unfamiliar environment. Jack Greene arrives from London to sell the farm he has inherited, and finds the experience more than a little strange.  Like here in this scene, where he gets into a rowing boat for the first time.

 

Jack looked at Frikk with a wary expression on his face. The dog looked back at him, ears up, tail down.

‘Are you sure he’s friendly?’

‘Are you scared of dogs?’ Ninni smiled at him.

Jack kept a watchful eye on Frikk. ‘No, not really. I’m not used to them, that’s all. We never had any pets. My brother is allergic.’

Ninni turned to Frikk. ‘Say hello to Jack, Frikk.’

The dog lifted a paw and Jack, after a moment’s hesitation, shook it. ‘That’s pretty good,’ he said and smiled.

Ninni laughed. ‘He has excellent manners. Better than most people, I think.’

She climbed into the boat, keeping it steady by standing with her legs apart. ‘Come on, Frikk, jump in.’

The dog looked at Jack, seemed to grin at him, and then jumped. Ninni grabbed him and lifted him to the front. She looked up at Jack. ‘Come on.’

Jack hesitated. ‘Are you sure that thing is safe?’

‘My word, you are a scaredy-cat. Don’t worry, if you fall while getting into the boat you can’t drown. That’s what the life jacket is for.’

She held out a hand, but Jack ignored it. Copying her, he carefully stepped into the boat, then sat down. He stretched out his hands and grabbed hold of the gunwale on both sides.

Ninni didn’t say anything. It wasn’t nice to make fun of someone sitting in a boat for the first time, no matter how hilarious he looked. He seemed so sure of himself on land and now he sat there, staring at the water as if it was going to attack him.

She sat down in the aft and pulled the cord to the engine a couple of times. It spluttered and then started.

The wind was coming from the south and the water was a bit choppy. The bow jumped on the waves and Frikk had a grand time barking at them.

Jack turned pale.

Ninni leaned forward. ‘Are you seasick?’

‘No.’ He shook his head, then turned a shade greener.

 

I can’t even express how much fun I had writing the two books in A Very Hygge Holiday: Summer Island, and the sequel Christmas Island.

What I Learned About Resilience After The Worst Year of My Life

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TW: baby loss.

We all have fears in life and if we are lucky enough we don’t experience them. Although I have experienced anxiety in my life I thought I was one of those lucky people. It was November 2019 and I lived my life in a cosy bubble. Bad things had happened in my life, and I had lost people I loved, but I felt happy and lucky.

Two months earlier my husband and I had decided to try for a third baby. I was thirty-five but I got pregnant immediately. I was over the moon and slightly smug. Geriatric pregnancy my arse. Later, I was exercising and I felt something weird happen in my body. Like a pop. I immediately stopped and put my hand to where the weird pain had happened. Then I brushed it away.  There was a weird uncomfortable pain in my entire body. It felt like a balloon was filling up. I couldn’t sit down properly. Then when I went to the bathroom there was blood. The blood was very dark and it freaked me out. I went to A&E. They didn’t even scan me and sent me home. Despite the fact I could barely walk and was in a lot of pain. I have a high pain threshold and I felt like they didn’t see that I was suffering enough.

The next day I went to the early pregnancy unit and they thought the pregnancy was an ecoptic pregnancy. I’m not going into detail about all of it in this piece because it is an entire article in it’s own. I started feeling the pain on Monday and it was Friday afternoon when I finally got my ’emergency’ surgery and one of the first things the surgeon said to me when I come to was that they caught it ‘just in time.’ My fallopian tube had ruptured and I was bleeding internally. I had been walking around bleeding internally for days while being told to ‘go home.’

There are snapshots of this time that haunt me: the registrar stroking her very pregnant belly while asking what I wanted to do with the remains of my baby, the fear when they sent me home that I would die in my sleep. Waking up and not being pregnant anymore. Notably the fact that they kept sending me home and eventually, days later, I refused to go home and made them scan me again. On the day of my surgery I almost passed out numerous times and the nurse kept bringing my back with oxygen, refusing to let me faint on her watch.

Mostly I remember the grief. There is no pain like losing a baby. I always thought people who killed themselves before that were selfish, now I know they are just in so much pain that they want to leave their bodies. I was completely and utterly broken. The only thing that brought me through were my other children. I figured if I could just put my feet onto the floor every morning and then get out of bed, I could survive. I only had to put one foot in front of the other.

In the blur of everything I took care of my children and tried to make sure they couldn’t see my pain. I didn’t want them to suffer, and I refused to let them see their mother depressed or spending days in bed. I knew that I had to structure my days. I had to get out of bed and smile at my children. Play with them, read them books. I took up Spanish and started doing yoga. It helped that we were moving house and I had to pack up and deal with all of that.

Just as the surgery scars started to heal a little I got ill. really ill. I had this continuous cough that wouldn’t go away. I spent boxing day with my mother-in-law and my husband’s aunt, uncle and their children. I had to find an emergency doctor’s appointment and fainted at the pharmacy getting antibiotics. I somehow managed to walk home although I have no idea how.

A few days later I was going to take my children to bed when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It took my breathe away and then I couldn’t breathe. I was on the floor crying, barely able to breathe, begging my husband to help me. He called an ambulance and long story short I had double pneumonia, just as rumours of a SARS like illness started in China. I was unable to eat anything or lie down flat. I spent the next six months recovering as the world went into lockdown.

It was now July and my world started to come together again just as I noticed my period was late. I took a test and I was pregnant again. The happiness I felt was like nothing else.  But then weeks later I started bleeding. I made my way to the hospital, desperate to hold onto this baby, only to lose another one.  A few of my amazing friends told me they were pregnant and I didn’t want to tell them about my miscarriage because I didn’t want to scare them, or take away their joy. I would see pregnant women on the street and feel a bitterness that made me not recognise myself. I was full of hate and pain. I found women who were pregnant with their third child, or who had one, especially triggering. The pain of a miscarriage is hard to describe. It wasn’t as tough as the ectopic pregnancy, but the emotional pain of waiting for your baby to pass through you is sharp and brutal. The loss is acute.

I got up, homeschooled my oldest until 2pm and then focused on my toddler for a few hours. Then I forced myself to write three thousand words a day. I started another novel which I finished in six weeks.Then one day I walked out into my garden and the world seemed so beautiful. I sat down to take it in and I saw dew on the blades of grass. I thought about how cruel it was that my baby never got to experience a moment of this world, and yet I knew the world was still beautiful and that life went on. Even if the pain never really goes away.

I started to hate who I was becoming so I stopped. I decided that I didn’t want anyone else to feel this pain that I was feeling. I wanted to put positivity and love out into the world. To spread nothing but kindness. In this I finally found myself again. There is nothing uglier than bitterness or hate and my refusal to let it consume me was a turning point. I donated to charity and did everything I could to spread community and love. I kept writing and I started submitting my novel to agents and publishers. I went after every dream I had and I worked hard.

It has been two years now since my grief threatened to swallow me whole and I look back at that time and it still hurts, but I’m proud of myself. My Spanish is still mediocre and my yoga is not great, but I got a book deal and my novel Ember published in March 2022 to great acclaim. Ember has a character in it who had a miscarriage in the past and the lead character is also an obstetrician. I almost abandoned the book after my ectopic as I found editing it so painful, I put all of my pain into it. It was like therapy. I persevered and I’m proud I did. More importantly, in June 2021 I had my gorgeous and beautiful rainbow baby who I am grateful for every day. A little boy who is sunshine personified.

I didn’t let my pain break me or change who I was. The worse things got the harder I reached for the best. The negativity made me search for the positive. Faith and love helped me reach the other side and I know that life is always beautiful and precious. I promised myself I would always live my life to the full and never take it for granted. I won’t break it.

How to Get the Quality Health Care You Deserve: Insider Tips Straight From a Medical Professional

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Although I am lucky enough to live in the UK I have always been fascinated by the American healthcare system. Not good fascinated, but WTF fascinated. It blows my mind that a country like America has people who are too poor to receive proper medical care. In the UK the National Health Service is free at the point of use. It’s free to see a doctor, have an operation, whatever you need. All you pay for is dental care. Which is probably why other countries think British people have bad teeth, some people can’t afford dental care. I digress, this book really spoke to me. I have family in America and I have always had a love for the country.

That is why I love this book. It puts the power back into the hands of the people. It saves both money and lives. I commend Dr. David Wilcox for writing it. It is comprehensive and full of knowledge. I recommend this book to my American cousins. It is an essential to navigate America’s complicated, health care system.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone needs health care at some point in their lives. Understanding the risks and benefits of procedures, making sense of medical bills, and interacting with insurance companies are all lessons we have to learn on the fly — and often when we’re already shouldering the stress of battling an illness ourselves or helping a loved one.

After 28 years in the health care field, Dr. David Wilcox has seen enough to realize that proactive patient education can actually have a life or death impact.

 

“Entering the American healthcare system, one has to have a basic knowledge of it to be safe,” he said during a recent interview. “Medical errors are the third leading cause of death. Not a lot of people know that.”

 

In his new book, How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival, Dr. Wilcox offers information, facts and tips that can help patients and family members navigate through the morass.

 

“I have seen some alarming situations that nursing school never prepared me for,” Dr. Wilcox said. “Not being prepared and knowledgeable means you will have little control over the health care you receive.”

 

His goal in writing this book was to level the playing field, enabling consumers of health care to understand how to avoid getting caught in the systemic net.

 

In his own words, Dr. Wilcox’s book explores “what to do if you have to go to a hospital, how to handle an insurance company’s claim denial, how to find an alternative to high-priced prescriptions and why the current pay-for-fee system is inadequate. You will also discover the direction the healthcare system needs to move in, to holistically care for you, the patient … information that the health care entities would prefer you didn’t know.”

 

Dr. David Wilcox is an Amazon international bestselling author and health care professional who believes proactive patient education enables those accessing the healthcare system to be better partners in their health care. He also believes that everyone has the right to access the American Healthcare System safely. A Doctorate-prepared nurse who also holds a Master’s in Health Administration and is Board Certified in Nursing Informatics, Dr. Wilcox has nearly three decades of health care experience as a bedside nurse, hospital administrator and in health care information technology, which has helped him to develop his unique perspective on the American Healthcare System. For more information, please visit https://drdavidwilcox.com/.

 

How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival

Publisher: Here for You Publishing

ISBN-10: ‎ 0578878364

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0578878362

Available now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578878364

 

Top Books To Read Now

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The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

This is one of my favourite romance novels EVER now. It’s funny and sad, heartbreaking and heartwarming. A definite five-star read. 

Florence Day is a ghost-writer with one big problem. She’s supposed to be penning swoon-worthy novels for a famous romance author but, after a bad break-up, Florence no longer believes in love. And when her strict (but undeniably hot) new editor, Benji Andor, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye.

Although when tragedy strikes and Florence has to head home, the last thing she expects to see is a ghost at her front door. Not just any ghost, however, but the stern form of her still very hot – yet now unquestionably dead – new editor.

As sparks start to fly between them, Florence tells herself she can’t be falling for a ghost – even an infuriatingly sexy one. But can Benji help Florence to realise love isn’t dead, after all?

If you fell in love with Beach Read, The Love Hypothesis and The Hating Game, this laugh-out-loud romance packed with sizzling chemistry will give you all the feels!

The Serial Killer’s Daughter by Alice Hunter

A sequel to one of my favourite books of 2021, The Serial Killer’s Wife. This is just as good, twisty, compelling and full of depth. It’s impossible to put down. 

Is murder in the blood?

In a sleepy Devon village, a woman is taken from the streets. Local vet Jenny is horrified. This kind of thing doesn’t happen here.

But it’s not the first time she’s been so close to a crime scene. The daughter of a prolific serial killer, she’s spent her whole life running from who she really is.

And the crime is harrowingly similar to those her father committed all those years ago…

But she’s not her father’s daughter.

Is she?

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

A beautifully written and evocative debut. It’s original and shows that Tracey Lien is truly one to watch. 

They claim they saw nothing. She knows they’re lying.

1996 – Cabramatta, Sydney

‘Just let him go.’

Those are words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation with friends. That night, Denny – optimistic, guileless Denny – is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, and an indifferent police force.

Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by her brother’s case. Even though several people were present at Denny’s murder, each bystander claims to have seen nothing, and they are all staying silent.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ky tracks down and questions the witnesses herself. But what she learns goes beyond what happened that fateful night. The silence has always been there, threaded through the generations, and Ky begins to expose the complex traumas weighing on those present the night Denny died. As she peels back the layers of the place that shaped her, she must confront more than the reasons her brother is dead. And once those truths have finally been spoken, how can any of them move on?

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Written with fierce brilliance, this is a story you won’t forget.

The Marriage Portrait is a dazzling evocation of the Italian Renaissance in all its beauty and brutality.

Winter, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is taken on an unexpected visit to a country villa by her husband, Alfonso. As they sit down to dinner it occurs to Lucrezia that Alfonso has a sinister purpose in bringing her here. He intends to kill her.

Lucrezia is sixteen years old, and has led a sheltered life locked away inside Florence’s grandest palazzo. Here, in this remote villa, she is entirely at the mercy of her increasingly erratic husband.

What is Lucrezia to do with this sudden knowledge? What chance does she have against Alfonso, ruler of a province, and a trained soldier? How can she ensure her survival.

The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

Another outstanding novel from Sophie Cousens, who is turning into the romance writer of our generation. She can’t put a foot wrong and this is another stunner. A must read. 

What would you do if the one that got away turned up the night before your wedding?

Audrey is marrying Josh; steady, dependable Josh, the love of her life. They share a flat and a bank account, and it’s the only relationship that Audrey’s ever had that feels like something she can put her trust in. But romance should be full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey’s found herself wondering if Josh really is ‘the one’.

So, when Josh’s sister Miranda arrives at their rehearsal dinner with Fred – Audrey’s ‘What If?’ guy, the man she met six years ago and had one amazing day with but never saw again – Audrey can’t help but see it as a sign.

Surely Fred’s appearance the night before Audrey is due to get married can’t be a coincidence. And when everything that could go wrong with the wedding starts to go wrong, Audrey has to wonder: could fate be trying to stop her from making a huge mistake?

The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell

Beautiful and full of wonder. 

Welcome to the Winter Garden. Open only at 13 o’clock.

You are invited to enter an unusual competition.

I am looking for the most magical, spectacular, remarkable pleasure garden this world has to offer.

On the night her mother dies, 8-year-old Beatrice receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, filled with all manner of strange and spectacular flora and fauna, the garden is her solace every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice is left to wonder if it were truly real.

Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens – with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden’s magic – she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined.

Now all she has to do is win.

Coming in November…

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

Everyone knows I am a huge fan of Michael Connelly. I have never been disappointed in one of his books and I love his Bosch series. And…this one is my favourite Bosch book ever. He just keeps getting better and better. The prose, the story, the brilliant characters. Can Michael just give me an ounce of his talent please? He has plenty to spare. Utter perfection. Preorder now. 

SOME CRIMES YOU CAN’T FORGET.
Detective Renée Ballard is given the chance of a lifetime: revive the LAPD’s cold case unit and find justice for the families of the forgotten.
The only catch is they must first crack the unsolved murder of the sister of the city councilman who is sponsoring the department – or lose everything…

OTHERS YOU CAN’T FORGIVE.
Harry Bosch is top of the list of investigators Ballard wants to recruit. The former homicide detective is a living legend – but for how long?
Because Bosch has his own agenda: a crime that has haunted him for years – the murder of a whole family, buried out in the desert – which he vowed to close.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW WHO DID IT?
With the killer still out there and evidence elusive – Bosch is on a collision course with a choice he hoped never to make…

 

What are you reading?