Fresh off the back of being recommended by @robinince.bsky.social, today’s #BookQW is taken from the short story anthology Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social, and is a prime example of her ability to combine the absurd and the existential to masterful effect.

Congratulations to @robinince.bsky.social for his thoroughly deserved award. And thank you ever so much for once again recommending the hilarious Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social. We would love to see it in more independent bookshops.

It is great to see The Portrait Girl and Nicole Swengley included in the Success Stories on the Cornerstones website. She is certainly one of ours, with The Portrait Girl described as “a thoroughly engaging mystery” by the FT! #Mystery #Thriller #HistoricalFiction #HistFic #LiteraryFiction #LitFic

🎉🎉🎉 Huge congratulations to @brethertonwords.bsky.social for being recognised by the Chanticleer Global Thriller Awards and for winning the Medical Thriller category in the NYC Big Book Awards! Needless to say we are… thrilled! 🥳🍾 #NYCBigBookAward #GabbyBookAwards #AwardWinningPublisher #SmallPress

A massive thank you to @karlou72.bsky.social for this thorough, thoughtful, and absolutely stunning review for The Fire In Their Eyes by @brethertonwords.bsky.social.

Yes, we know we may not be flashy, but we will keep on keeping on because we believe in what we’re doing and that authors deserve to be at the centre of the industry not at the bottom of the pile…

Breakthrough Books is the only publisher to arise from the Unbound ashes that’s author-centred and author-led. A “happy ending” growing organically not flashily. Maybe a good news story of trailblazing authors just isn’t headline worthy? @observeruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/busines...

For today’s #FirstLineFriday we’re going back to the beginning with a quote from our very first short story anthology, #TakingLiberties. Quote from On The Brushes by @sueclarkauthor.bsky.social.

As ex-unbounders turned author-publishers we applaud initiatives helping those affected by the fiasco, as we’ve been doing for 2 1/2 years, and are happy for anyone on this new lifeboat. (1/2)

Whether or not you have read Bone Lines and/or The Fire In Their Eyes, you may enjoy this carefully curated and oddly eclectic playlist inspired by the books - and I’d love to know if you resonate with any of this or recognise the characters… open.spotify.com/playlist/3yG...

All at Breakthrough wish to express our thoughts and sympathies for everyone affected so badly by the terrible Unbound / Boundless / Neem Tree fiasco. (Continued)

For this week’s #FirstLineFriday, not only do we have the first line of the bestselling Bone Lines, but also the first line of The Children Of Sarah series. A perfect read for anyone who enjoyed BBC’s #Humans. Available FOR FREE* from our website. For details, see the link below.

For a limited period on the Breakthrough web shop, you get a free Bone Lines e-book with any purchase of The Fire In Their Eyes and a free The Boy Who Stole Time e-book with any purchase of The Dream-Pedlars’ Parade. (*for this offer paperbacks can be sent only in the UK)

Who doesn’t adore seeing their books in the wild, and in such esteemed company! #booksky #bookshops #bookshelves

So, the lines between popular non-fiction and truth have sadly been blurred again recently. Why not read some fiction inspired by some deeply felt real-life experiences? In Truth, Madness by war correspondent Imran Khan feels…

A big thank you to @valeriavescina.bsky.social for this wonderful five star #review for The Fire In Their Eyes by @brethertonwords.bsky.social.

Inspired by a recent review, we thought we’d look at some comparisons that might inspire you to pick up The Fire In Their Eyes - or start the series with Bone Lines! These are rather unusual and “brave” books, so it’s not surprising this is an eclectic list… but here goes… #books #booksworthreading

Great to see this and the University of Ghent research behind it. And how wonderful, as I've just finished reading @brethertonwords.bsky.social's powerful and gripping "The Fire In Their Eyes", which brings to life a wise and resourceful prehistoric woman! @breakthroughbook.bsky.social

“More from Zena please.” Another wonderful review for @zenabarrie.bsky.social’s Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias from the lovely people at Bookmunch. Look below for all the places you can get your hands on this soon-to-be-cult book! bookmunch.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/m...

More wonderful reviews for Breakthrough Books, this time for The Fire In Their Eyes by @brethertonwords.bsky.social.

#ICYMI this week, Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias received such a gorgeous and incisive review from Northern Soul that it is a joy to read for its own stake. A review worthy of @zenabarrie.bsky.social’s unique voice. www.northernsoul.me.uk/zena-barrie-...

Today is #BookQuoteWednesday and the word of the day is CLIMB. Presenting Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social. Illustration by Claire Robinson. #BookQW

I had a hand in bringing this fantastically funny short book by the marvellous @zenabarrie.bsky.social to print for @breakthroughbook.bsky.social. Lovely review here. www.northernsoul.me.uk/zena-barrie-...

Talk about synchronicity… The expertise of Kennis & Kennis Reconstructions was also referenced in book 1 of The Children of Sarah, Bone Lines. “I think we really do have to trust the Dutch team on this one, those guys are the best when it comes to anthropology and anatomy.“ #History #Science #DNA

A strong first line, and strong writing throughout. I've just read this novel by @brethertonwords.bsky.social and can highly recommend it! #FirstLineFriday #newbooks #Books #BooksWorthReading #amreading

For today’s #FirstLineFriday we bring you this atmospheric quote from The Fire In Their Eyes by @brethertonwords.bsky.social, book two of the Children Of Sarah series and sequel to the bestselling Bone Lines. #Books #Booktok #Bookstagram #BooksWorthReading #Thriller #EcoThriller #CliFi #Matriarchy

Our children’s author Antonia Blackmore has been visiting schools with her beautiful book, Figgles & Flo. The children of one Devon primary school loved its likeable characters and wondered what adventures they might get up to next… #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #charity #CharityBook

#HappyFathersDay ! We have a few books that may or may not feel appropriate… 📖 Order & Chaos, a short story anthology from the Breakthrough Books collective. #books #bookstagram #booksworthreading

Art has always been about unsung truths and the stories taking place out of sight of society. So for this #carersweek, we stand in solidarity with #carers everywhere for all they do. This includes our own Jamie Chipperfield whose words are taken from his short story, Magnolia Walls. #carersweek2025

During #PrideMonth, we are proud to celebrate talented Irish author Eamon Somers, a core member of the breakthrough book collective, whose distinctive voice and perspective is integral to our trilogy of eclectic short story anthologies. P.S. happy birthday Eamon! #Pride #Pride2025 #PrideMonth2025

Our book launch is coming up very soon, can you make it? If you want to buy a copy in advance you can get one here. www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Similar-...

Zena @zenabarrie.bsky.social visited AllFM on Saturday to talk to Chris Northen about her new book Two similar looking men with umbilical hernias. You can listen back to the chat here. tinyurl.com/26cf69vx Thanks @allfm.bsky.social

This is the kind of review all authors hope for, and a much deserved one for The Fire In Their Eyes it is too!

Here’s some weekend reading for the business minded out there, from the author of our recently released Optimal Leadership. The ideal gift for Father’s Day? Amazon seems to think so…. www.management-issues.com/opinion/7708... #books #businessbooks #managementbooks #businesschools #howtobeaCEO

What a wonderful evening celebrating the #booklaunch of Optimal Leadership by highly experienced CEO - and all around lovely guy - Wilf Blackburn! A fantastic addition to our growing non-fiction list, Optimal Leadership is destined to become required reading in all good business schools. #books

Happy #PublicationDay to @brethertonwords.bsky.social and The Fire In Their Eyes, book two in the Children Of Sarah series and the gripping sequel to the bestselling Bone Lines. Available to order from wherever books are sold, including our own webshop. #Books #BooksWorthReading #Matriarchy

Happy Publication Day to Wilf Blackburn and Optimal Leadership! Optimal Leadership is an essential and accessible guide to sustaining a healthy, psychologically safe and high-performance culture – and how resilience is as important as innovation. #businessbooks #businesschools #howtobeaCEO

Catch up with The Children Of Sarah series before the release of the hotly-anticipated The Fire In Their Eyes on the 4th of June! Find out where it all began in the bestselling Bone Lines which is available for only 99p for a limited time! See below for more details. #Books #Thriller #Matriarchy

#ICYMI, pre-orders for book 2 in the Children Of Sarah series went live earlier this week, but you can get book 1, Bone Lines, for just 99p for a limited time 👉 shorturl.at/498f7 #matriarchy #thriller #kindledeals

Today is #BookQuoteWednesday and the word of the day is DEEP. Presenting The Fire In Their Eyes by @brethertonwords.bsky.social, which is currently available for pre-order at shorturl.at/ZL74D #BookQW

A little something I was invited to write for a women’s writers and books platform, the editor had loved Bone Lines and was excited about my new book. I came up with this, but it turns out the first line of advice I give is proving particularly effective! www.facebook.com/share/p/199G...

An ancient cave newly unearthed in Yemen. A scientific research facility in the Norwegian Arctic. A fertile valley, home to an isolated tribe in prehistoric Kenya. The hotly anticipated and highly praised sequel to the bestselling Bone Lines now on pre-order. Link in comments. #BooksWorthReading

Woo hoo… e-book Pre-order live! First step in getting this baby, which has had a very long gestation, out into the world! #booksky

An ancient cave newly unearthed in Yemen. A scientific research facility in the Norwegian Arctic. A fertile valley, home to an isolated tribe in prehistoric Kenya. The hotly anticipated and highly praised sequel to the bestselling Bone Lines now on pre-order. Link in comments. #BooksWorthReading

Folks, I’ll be on the radio talking books & stuff tonight - BBC Radio Gloucestershire & BBC Radio Wiltshire from 6pm & from 7pm on BBC Radio Bristol & BBC Radio Somerset!

Thanks so much Robin! You can order a copy of the book here. www.breakthroughbookcollective.com/product/two-...

I love this book by @zenabarrie.bsky.social - marvellous, funny ,strange - support indie authors

Publication day! Two similar looking men with umbilical hernias Written by @zenabarrie.bsky.social with illustrations by Claire Robinson. Order your copy here from our online bookshop www.breakthroughbookcollective.com/product/two-...

Robin is not wrong. This book is hilarious.

I love the work of my pal @zenabarrie.bsky.social - she has a new book out - what a title linktr.ee/ZenaBarrie