One day in December - Josie Silver

Description

Two people.

Ten chances.

One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist. After all, life isn't a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Laurie thinks she'll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.

Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?

Following Laurie, Sarah and Jack through ten years of love, heartbreak and friendship, One Day in December is a joyous, heart-warming and immensely moving love story that you'll want to escape into forever, for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond and Nicholas Sparks. 

Review

Laurie is sitting on a bus when she first sees a man who she decides is "the one" but the bus moves on, the guy doesn't get on the bus and that's it - except she can't stop thinking about him. For one year she tries to track him down without success, until she meets him again. Only this time he's now the boyfriend of her best friend and he's called Jack.

She doesn't let on that he is "the one" she has been raving about for a year to her best friend and so begins a journey 10 years of being Jack's friend.  With the story being told through both the eyes of Laurie and Jack so we get what's running through both of their thoughts as we progress through the story.

To begin with I felt this book was a little slow - I didn't connect with the characters and also couldn't see that Laurie and Jack were that connected either. I'm not a big one for romance per se - I do like there to be some sort of a back story and eventually that is what happened in the book. There was a story other than just Laurie and Jack and slowly I began to care about the characters in this book and felt a bond with them. Each new chapter brought changes in their lives and how the bond between Jack and Laurie evolved and grew with some very poignant scenes between them - still friends. 

I devoured this book over a couple of days because once it took hold of me I had to know what was going to happen to everyone.There were also some great supporting characters in her best friend Sarah, Oscar and the MIL aka HRH Lucille. Great writing that was so easy to read.

The end of the book has to be up there with some all time great love scenes - I did shed a few tears and it was a corker of an ending. This has got to be made into a film, I think I would watch it again and again and of course my impatience for the story to get going would be easily resolved!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane - Carmel Harrington

Description

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

Review

I haven't read any of the author's books before and was settling in for rather more of a cosy read than some of the dark stuff that the pages contained. To begin with I really wanted to read something else as it was a little too realistic in places to enjoy.

There are three stories told  - Rea, Stella and Skye. I wasn't sure where the story of Skye fitted in and kept trying to second guess it. I think on balance I enjoyed this part of the book the most, although again it had a gritty true to life side to it I thought it was very well written and truly conveyed the horror of the situation that developed.

Towards the end the stories all come together in a surprising way - one I thought I had partly guessed. After lots of outloud "oh no's" from me and cheering on the supporting characters, I was pleased with the ending, which was delayed slightly from where I would have thought it might have been. 

Such realistic writing, which at times I found hard to read so I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

I feel bad about my neck - Nora Ephron

Description

Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Heartburn, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail) turns her sharp wit on to her own life.
* Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from
*If the shoe doesn't fit in the shoe store, it's never going to fit
*When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you
*Anything you think is wrong with your body at the age of thirty-five you will be nostalgic for by the age of forty-five
*The empty nest is underrated
*If only one third of your clothes are mistakes, you're ahead of the game

Review

I love Nora Ephron films and thought that I should read this book - it's been on my tbr list for so many years. I guess I was putting it off in case it wasn't as good as the films - sometimes writers just aren't as funny. I'm pleased to say it did not disappoint me, I really liked this collection of essays and the subject matter. I would say that don't read it unless you are at least over 50, you just won't get it.

There were lots of ah ha, moments for me and her droll sense of humour was wonderful. However also as I was reading it I felt sad - as she talks about her legacies and what they might be especially that now Nora is no longer with us.

Near the end is a chapter "What I wish I'd known" with some great bits of advice. My favourite has got to be "you can order more than on dessert" - who knew!

Believe Me - J P Delaney

Description

Claire Wright likes to play other people. 

A British drama student, in New York without a green card, Claire takes the only job she can get: working for a firm of divorce lawyers, posing as an easy pick-up in hotel bars to entrap straying husbands.

When one of her targets becomes the subject of a murder investigation, the police ask Claire to use her acting skills to help lure their suspect into a confession. But right from the start, she has doubts about the part she's being asked to play. Is Patrick Fogler really a killer . . . Or the only decent husband she's ever met? And is there more to this set-up than she's being told?

And that's when Claire realises she's playing the deadliest role of her life . . .

Review

I was attracted to reading this book as I loved the previous novel by J P Delaney, The Girl Before. It turns out that this book was actually his first book. However, he totally rewrote it, keeping just the overall premise of the book before republishing after the success of The Girl Before. 

Claire is playing a dangerous game - not only does she not have a green card to work in the USA she's staring in her own show over and over again to entrap straying husbands. For the first few chapters of the book I felt a little sick, scared for Claire of what could happen to her in what I felt was a dangerous game.

That was only the beginning though. Suddenly Claire is part of a murder investigation, is she a suspect? Maybe if she plays a part again she can clear her name. By this point in the novel I had to distance myself from Claire otherwise I would not have been able to read the book, scared of the danger she has placed herself into.

Once I had settled myself into Claire's new role things began to settle down and then the tables turned, everything I had read was put into doubt. Several more twists and turns abound until really I couldn't take anymore and just wanted to know what was real and what was acting

Really I should have known that Claire is always the actress......

Be prepared for a roller coaster of a ride to rethink what you think you know and what the author wants you to know!

I'm giving this book 4 out of five stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Driven - Dane Cobain

Description

Meet private detective James Leipfold, computer whizzkid Maile O'Hara and good-natured cop Jack Cholmondeley in the first book of the Leipfold series.

A car strikes in the middle of the night and a young actress lies dead in the road. The police force thinks it's an accident, but Maile and Leipfold aren't so sure.

Putting their differences aside, and brought together by a shared love of crosswords and busting bad guys, Maile and Leipfold investigate. But not all is as it seems, as they soon find out to their peril.

Review

I've followed Dane Cobain through social media for some time and so when he quit his day job to become a full time writer I was intrigued what his books would be like. I've had this book on my personal tbr list for some time and am so glad I finally got around to reading it.

It really was a cracking read. I loved the characters, especially Maile with her bang up to date internet sleuthing skills. In fact the book was full of great tech references even down to the killer car. Once I started to read I really couldn't put it down, I just loved the writing it flowed beautifully from the page. It reminded me a little of Galbraith's duo in that we have a PI down on his luck who lives mainly in his office and an assistant willing to work for little or nothing. The writing was just as good as Galbraith too.

Kept me guessing to the end as to who did what and why - a great twisting and turning plot. I would love to give the book five stars but I am going with four. Much as I love Agatha Christie I wasn't such a fan when Dane decided to use one of her literary vehicles in his book! Just didn't hit the spot with me. I won't say more as I don't do spoilers, maybe he meant it as a homage?

How to live Japanese - Yutaka Yazawa

Description

With nearly 60 per cent of us living in cities, the mega-city of Tokyo, through centuries of raze and rebuild, is surely the guiding light for how we can live together amicably in an ever-urbanising world.
 
Not only is Japan the mother of all metropolis’ but with two thirds of the country covered in forest, there is still much respect and celebration of the natural world, with people perfectly placed to make the most of the green space around them. From the art of making tea, to going for a hike, or celebrating imperfections, there are ceremonies the Japanese have been honing for centuries that thrive alongside modern traditions and practices of well-being.
 
From Miyazaki to mountains, sake to sparking joy, find your Zen and make time to learn about how to live Japanese. Whether it’s the cutting edge of film-making, revolutionizing the whisky market or competing with parents on lunchboxes, you’ll be all the better for some time spent with How to Live Japanese.
 
From Japanese writer, Yutaka Yazawa, this is the ultimate insider’s guide to the country of Japan, full of inspiration and insight to help you experience the very best of Japanese design, cookery, philosophy, and culture. So get outdoors, be gracious to your neighbour and start harmonizing your all too busy life.

Review

This is an absolutely beautiful book with many wonderful illustrations and photographs. Unfortunately there is no key to photographs - if you have been to Tokyo many of them you will recognise, but to the uninitiated it may have been nice to give details of the locations. It is also not a complete guide to the regions - I would have loved to have read about the Hokuriku region which is where I visited, but it is not covered.

This is not a book in the style of Marie Kondo with the advice on how to actually live in the Japanese style. Rather it is an observation by a Japanese person who very cleverly interprets for the western mind the culture and essence of Japan. You will not buy this book and begin to live like a Japanese person, you will however have some understanding of why certain things are done they way they are in Japan.

Different areas of Japan are highlighted and a little history about that area. Every aspect of life is covered from birth, naming babies to funerals. Things I have never read in a book about Japan before. Festivals by month are given There is also a small glossary of Japanese phrases that have no literal translation - again not something I have seen written down before.

As someone who has visited Japan I found this book fascinating and a memento of my time there. If you are yet to visit or just intrigued this is a good book to become acquainted with Japan.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the book.

If Cats Disappeared From The World - Genki Kawamura

Description

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . . Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink. Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life. This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles will also surely love If Cats Disappeared from the World.

Review

I'm not particularly a big lover of cats but I did love this book. If you are a cat owner you will really identify with the book. My reason for reading it was that it is by a Japanese author. From the description you might imagine this to be a sombre book dealing as it does with someone who has been told they are going to die very soon. It's actually far from that and in places it is very amusing, especially when a cat begins to speak and sounds like someone from Downton Abbey!

As the narrator strikes his deal with the devil who incidentally is wearing an Hawaiian shirt - things begin to disappear. What is life like when they are gone? There are so many life messages in this beautifully written book. It is really a novella and one I will probably read again just to let the lovely writing flow through my mind. Such a soothing book to read too.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this title. It is out on 20 September 2018.