Karen Cole
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karlou72.bsky.social
Karen Cole
@karlou72.bsky.social
1.3K followers 800 following 260 posts
UK book blogger at Hair Past A Freckle, book reviewer on Alfred FM.
Primary school ELSA/SEN TA
https://linktr.ee/HairPastAFreckle
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karlou72.bsky.social
#Booksky 💙📚Had a great time last night celebrating the @goldsborobooks.bsky.social Glass Bell Award 2025. Huge congratulations to the winner, A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike! 🍾
David Headley, MD of Goldsboro Books is wearing a great jacket with a t-shirt underneath. He is in his bookshop, standing in front of a small crowd of people and giving a speech.
October 3, 2025 at 6:24 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Thrilled to receive my gorgeous paperback copy of #TheBetrayalOfThomasTrue by @ajwestauthor.bsky.social from @orendabooks.bsky.social today. The purple new arrival looks beautiful alongside its older siblings. My Thomas and Gabriel collection includes the ebook too, of course! #AlwaysTogether 💚🦚💜
Book cover is white with the title, The Betrayal of Thomas True in purple. A picture of a man with a peacock tail behind him is above the title with a historical cityscape of London between the title and author's name Four separate copies of The Betrayal of Thomas True books are displayed 2x2 on a pinky purple and mint green ombre background. Three are black and green, the top right is white and purple.
July 3, 2025 at 8:11 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
A brilliantly entertaining discussion with @ellygriffiths.bsky.social and @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social talking to @william1shaw.bsky.social at #BeyondTheBookFestival in Brighton.
William Shaw sitting to the left of Ruth Ware and Elly Griffiths on a small stage
May 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Talking about the "Crime of the Century". @hallierubenhold.bsky.social discusses her book, Story of a Murder and tells the human story behind the Dr Crippen case. In discussions with @alexvont.bsky.social at #BeyondTheBookFestival in Brighton
Hallie Rubenhold and Alex Von Tunzelmann seated on stage at Beyond the Book Festival
May 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Digging Up The Past, telling universal stories through historical fiction with @laurasrobinson.bsky.social, @elenikwriter.bsky.social and @nikkimaywriter.bsky.social in conversation with @imogenrobertson.bsky.social at #BeyondTheBookFestival in Brighton.
Seated on stage from left to right: Imogen Robertson, Nikki May, Eleni Kyriacou and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.
May 10, 2025 at 11:03 AM
karlou72.bsky.social
Birth of a Bestseller: A fascinating panel sees @jofurniss.bsky.social in conversation with @dorothykoomson.bsky.social, her editor, Jennifer Doyle and publicist, Emma Draude. #BeyondTheBookFestival
Seated from left to right on stage - Jo Furniss, Emma Draude, Jennifer Doyle, Dorothy Koomson
May 10, 2025 at 9:35 AM
karlou72.bsky.social
It begins! Phil Viner opens #BeyondTheBookFestival in Brighton.
Phil Viner standing, mid-speech on a stage with a Goldsboro Book backdrop behind him
May 10, 2025 at 9:10 AM
karlou72.bsky.social
Stick Man, oh Stick Man, watch out for the car!

Stick Man is hurt, his vision is cloudy.
Stick Man was hit by a fast-moving Audi.
Photo shows a stick which resembles Stick Man from the Julia Donaldson book lying on the ground, as if it's been run over.
March 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
#TheMidnightKing by @tariqashkanani.bsky.social was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I've just finished reading my Netgalley copy and now I can breathe again! Devastatingly dark, gritty and twisted, this is a truly exceptional, unmissable thriller! @viperbooks.bsky.social #BookSky 💙📚
Dark, atmospheric book cover for "The Midnight King" by Tariq Ashkanani. The title is prominently displayed in large, white and bold blue lettering against a blue and black night-time scene of a rural landscape with silhouetted trees and farm buildings. The tagline "Husband. Father. Serial Killer." is positioned above the title. Quotes from Sarah Pinborough, Chris Brookmyre, and Will Dean praise the book.
February 20, 2025 at 11:52 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
All 20 of my #BookChallenge books together.

See alt text for titles and authors.

#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
Collage of my 20 books: The Humans by Matt Haig The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway Reconciliation for the Dead by Paul E. Hardisty The 39 Steps by John Buchan The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Killed by Thomas Enger Nothing Important Happens Today by Will Carver The Silent Man by David Fennell The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk Birdsong by Sebastian Falks Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave The Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker Red Corona by Tim Glister Small Island by Andrea Levy Flight of the Shearwater by Alan Jones The Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař I, Claudius by Robert Graves The Cardinal's Man by M.G. Sinclair
December 27, 2024 at 2:06 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Books and music for Christmas – is there anything better? 💙📚🎵

#booksky #musicsky #vinyl #crimefiction #frankturner
Image shows two books – Hunted by Abir Mukherjee and Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick – and a vinyl LP record, Undefeated by Frank Turner, on a red and white Christmas tablecloth. Part of a lit Christmas tree is visible in the background.
December 27, 2024 at 12:05 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 20
The book cover for "The Cardinal's Man" by M.G. Sinclair is mostly white, overlaying a grey fleur-de-lis. The title is in red and black at the top of the cover with the author's name in gold capitals at there bottom. A prominent red wax seal with a fleur-de-lis design is central, resting on a piece of hessian-like fabric. The text also includes a quote from Carol Birch about the book, "Gritty and lively...a colourful description of 17th century France."
December 14, 2024 at 9:58 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 19
Book cover for "I Claudius" by Robert Graves.  The cover is a Roman mosaic-style image of man's (Claudius's) head and shoulders. He is wearing white with a reddish brown robe over one shoulder. The mosaic effect is made of many small, colorful tiles. The title, "I Claudius" is also in a mosaic-style font across the central portion of the cover. Below the title, smaller text states "THIS CENTURY'S CLASSIC HISTORICAL NOVEL."  Beneath that, the author's name, "ROBERT GRAVES," is similarly presented in a mosaic font.  The overall color palette is warm yellow and earth tones, with lines of dark red, yellow and black mosaic tiles between the title and tagline and again above the author's name. There is also a small Penguin Books logo in the top right corner of the cover.
December 13, 2024 at 4:47 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 18
Book cover for Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař. On the left side, the author’s name is written in uppercase letters at the top in a gradient of purple to blue, while the book title, "Spaceman of Bohemia," appears vertically in large, textured red and black uppercase letters on a white background. On the right side, the image depicts a small silhouette of an astronaut holding a helmet, standing on a red triangular surface. The background is a gradient of deep red and black, dotted with small white stars, and a faint purple nebula with a dark circular void is visible in the upper-right corner.
December 11, 2024 at 6:19 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 17
Three book covers, side-by-side, feature a stylized silhouette of a flying Shearwater against a background, the top of which is red and the bottom, black. Each cover features a different image within the bird's shape and a unique title: 'The Gathering Storm' (showing a historical photo of a Nazi rally), 'Flight of the Shearwater' (showing a sailboat at sea), and 'The Turn of the Tide' (showing a bombed-out city street). All three covers list the author as 'Alan Jones'
December 9, 2024 at 8:52 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 16
The book cover of "Small Island" by Andrea Levy features a black and white photograph of two women back-to-back on a paved street. The woman on the left is Black, she is wearing a hat, a coat, and carrying a handbag. The woman on the right is white and is also wearing a coat. St. Paul's Cathedral in London looms large in the background. The title "Small Island" is printed in bold, white letters on a red rectangle at the top of the cover, while the author's name, "Andrea Levy," is printed in white letters on another red rectangle at the bottom.
December 8, 2024 at 6:03 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 15
Book cover for "Red Corona" by Tim Glister. The cover features a red and cream background with the title in a large, stencilled font. "Red" is in red letters and "Corona" in cream. The word "Red" is stylized with a hammer and sickle symbol embedded in the "R". A blue missile is flying through the word "Corona", with the tip of the missile just touching the "O". The tagline at the top of the cover reads "THREE POWERS WILL BATTLE FOR DOMINANCE," and the tagline at the bottom reads "THREE PEOPLE WILL FIGHT TO SURVIVE...". The author's name, "TIM GLISTER", is written in black letters at the bottom of the cover, and a quote from A.J. Finn, "A PITCH-PERFECT DEBUT," is written in white letters below the author's name.
December 7, 2024 at 9:52 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 14
Book cover for 'The Winter of Enchantment' by Victoria Walker. The cover features stylized artwork depicting a girl in a red coat walking away from the viewer, followed by a smaller boy. They are walking through a fantastical landscape with large mushrooms and glowing plants against a purple twilight sky with a crescent moon. The title 'The Winter of Enchantment' is prominently displayed in elegant lettering. A quote from Garth Nix praising the book as "One of my all-time favourite children's fantasy novels" is visible at the top.
December 6, 2024 at 7:06 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 13
Book cover for Chris Cleave's 'Everyone Brave Is Forgiven'. The cover features a black and white photograph of a woman in a dress and hat walking past a Blitz damaged building towards a postbox. The rubble of destroyed buildings is visible in the foreground and background. The woman appears to be posting a letter. The title, 'EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN,' is prominently displayed in bold, vintage-style lettering on a red background below the photo. The author's name, 'CHRIS CLEAVE,' is also visible above the title, along with the smaller text 'AUTHOR OF THE OTHER HAND'.
December 4, 2024 at 7:06 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 12
Book cover for Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong. The cover features a stark black silhouette of a World War I soldier standing before a simple wooden cross against a white background. The title 'BIRDSONG' is prominently displayed with the author's name 'SEBASTIAN FAULKS' above it. A quote from the Sunday Times praising the book as 'Magnificent - deeply moving' is included.
December 3, 2024 at 8:36 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 11
The book cover for "THE SECOND SIGHT OF ZACHARY CLOUDESLEY," by Sean Lusk is richly detailed and uses a vibrant color palette of deep blues, golds, and teal accents. Centrally positioned is the title, arranged in a stylish font. The author's name is written in a smaller, yet still elegant font, positioned below the main title. A significant portion of the cover is dedicated to illustrative elements. Dominating the upper half is a detailed depiction of a grand mosque (the Hagia Sophia), depicted in shades of blue and white, with intricate domes and minarets. Surrounding the mosque are smaller buildings of a Turkish cityscape surrounded by flames. The lower half of the cover needs to be turned upside down to view properly. A manor house in front of three conservatory domes is central with smaller images of clocks and gears on one side and two people on horseback in the woods on the other. Images of parrots in flight can be seen around the domes. Blue and gold circles suggestive of an eye are at the centre of the top and bottom of the cover. The border of the cover features a repeating intricate frame in gold outlining the whole design.
December 1, 2024 at 6:40 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 10
Book cover for 'The Silent Man' by David Fennell. The cover features two theatrical masks, one a tragic white mask stained with blood and tears, the other a sinister smiling mask. They are positioned against a dark green, textured background.The title 'The Silent Man' is prominently displayed in large white, blood-spattered lettering. The tag line 'Whatever you do, Don't make a sound...' and David Fennell's name are in orange.
November 30, 2024 at 10:33 AM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 9
The book cover for "Nothing Important Happened Today" by Will Carver features a grey, background which looks like strips of seemingly torn paper against a silhouette of a noose. The title is in large, bold black letters, with the author's name in red at the top. At the bottom, a tagline reads, "Nine suicides. One cult. No leader."
November 28, 2024 at 8:41 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 8
Book cover for "Killed," a Henning Juul novel by Thomas Enger. The cover features a dramatic black and white image of two figures in a canoe on a misty lake, set against a dark, atmospheric background. The title "KILLED" is prominently displayed in distressed white lettering at the bottom of the cover. Thomas Enger's name is displayed in distressed orange in the same bold font as the title at the top of the cover.
November 26, 2024 at 10:46 PM
karlou72.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge

Day 7
Book cover for 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The titktis prominently displayed at the top. The artwork features a stylized Art Deco-esque female face, with large eyes and red lips, superimposed over a depiction of a glittering city at night, suggesting the novel's themes of wealth, glamour, and the Jazz Age. The overall color scheme is dark blue with accents of red and gold.
November 25, 2024 at 10:57 PM