The Telephone Box Library - Rachael Lucas

Description

The Cotswolds: the perfect retreat for a stressed-out teacher. And Lucy has found just the right cottage for a bargain rent. All she has to do is keep an eye on Bunty, her extremely feisty ninety-something neighbour . . .

With her West Highland terrier Hamish at her side, Lucy plans to relax and read up on the women of nearby Bletchley Park. But the villagers of Little Maudley have other ideas, and she finds herself caught up in the campaign to turn a dilapidated telephone box into a volunteer-run library.

Along the way, she makes friends with treehouse designer Sam, and finds herself falling for the charms of village life. And it seems Bunty has a special connection to Bletchley and the telephone box, one that she's kept secret for decades . . 

Review

I was in seventh heaven reading this book! I just can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed it. Probably aided by the fact that Lucy has a West Highland Terrier and I loved how very true to life all of its antics and mannerisms were. If I had one gripe it would be that the dog on the cover of the book is no Westie!

Lucy has taken a break from a stressful teaching post and finds herself in a Cotswold village in a lovely cottage at a low rent, in return for looking in on an elderly neighbour each day. When we first meet that neighbour called Bunty she is a force to be reckoned with. But oh how she mellows and she also used to work at Bletchley in the war. So, along with Lucy I was enthralled at what went on in the war and her memories.

I think I've met everyone in the book in real life at some point. All the characters are so well drawn and of a wide age range. Stanley the Snake was a great addition to the book and I laughed so much when we first met him, I leave you to find out why and where.

This was such a delight to read. I feel I did live a little vicariously through the book and was so sad to finish it. Definitely a feel good book if you want a little escapism.

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

The Dilemma - B A Paris

Description

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

Review

I found this book to be a very different read to previous B A Paris books which I loved so much. It wasn't a psychological thriller to my way of thinking at all. Difficult to describe without giving away the plot line.

There are twp dilemma's in the book but personally I found one of them to be unrealistic, hard to believe and not plausible.  If the dilemma had lasted a couple of hours, but it was a whole day and I found the whole thing was dragged out for far too long. I just kept asking myself "really!" who would do this? 

The ending was extremely raw, so sad and very well written. Certainly it was an emotional read, but not the book I thought it was going to be based on previous works. There is a final few pages on what happens one year later on which I am not sure was needed as it seemed to detract from the ending.  I would say if this is your first B A Paris do read the earlier works as they are truly psychological thrillers.

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

The Quality Street Girls - Penny Thorpe

Description

At sixteen years old, Irene ‘Reenie’ Calder is leaving school with little in the way of qualifications. She is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory. Reenie feels like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, but trouble seems to follow her around and it isn’t long before she falls foul of the strict rules.


Diana Moore runs the Toffee Penny line and has worked hard to secure her position. Beautiful and smart, the other girls in the factory are in awe of her, but Diana has a dark secret which if exposed, could cost her not only her job at the factory but her reputation as well.


When a terrible accident puts supply of Quality Street at risk, Reenie has a chance to prove herself. The shops are full of Quality Street lovers who have saved up all year for their must-have Christmas treat. Reenie and Diana know that everything rests on them, if they are to give everyone a Christmas to remember…

Review

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the wonderful end papers. It really reminded me of the long ago Quality Street tins and not the ones today. The writing style unfortunately didn't grab me, but once I got to know the characters I was drawn in. Especially Renee who wanted to do so much good but didn't always get it right.

It certainly captures the naivety of a different time with the girls not being very worldly and plenty of misunderstandings afoot.

The book was written by the archivist from Mackintosh. I didn't discover this until the end of the book and actually her notes were so interesting that she could have just written a book without the story. This explains the well written social aspects of the book and for those alone it was worth reading for me.

Not particularly Christmassy you could read it at any time of the year.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Description

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story – translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot – explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?

For fans of The Guest Cat and If Cats Disappeared from the World, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a touching story about second chances and how we find and lose the ones we love.

Review

I love time travel books and books set in Japan, so for me this is a match made in heaven. I must say first though, that if you are a time travel fan, this is translated from Japanese. Meaning it is written in a very different way to most books of this genre and is not a western way of looking at the subject. 

For me this approach made the book all the better and I just loved it's whimsical approach to time travel. The whole book is set in a cafe with a the same characters at different times of their lives and how if they sit in a particular seat they can travel back in time. There are rules to the time travel such as they can only stay in the seat in the cafe once they have travelled back in time and they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold. Unlike most time travel theories in this explanation you cannot alter the future.

A thought provoking read covering delicate subjects such as dementia and bereavement. I loved the gentleness and calmness of the book. A perfect read for any time of year but a good one to unwind with.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars and my thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Everything is Figureoutable - Marie Forleo

Description

The New York Times #1 Bestseller

'Millions of young women look to Marie Forleo as their inspiration for empowerment and achievement' Oprah Winfrey

'This book delivers a knockout punch to whatever is holding you back' Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

Do you ever have trouble finishing what you start? Do amazing ideas come to you all the time but after the initial excitement wanes you struggle to follow through? If you're creative and ambitious, the answer is likely yes.

The problem isn't you. It's not that you're not hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven't yet installed the one key belief that will change everything: Everything is figureoutable.

Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, heal a relationship, grow a business, master your money, or just find two free hours in your day, Everything is Figureoutable will train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps.

Inside you'll learn:

- How to deal with criticism and imposter syndrome
- Why it's crucial that you strive for progress not perfection
- How to bounce back from failure
- How to overcome a lack of time and money

You'll also hear triumphant stories of everyday people using the everything is figureoutable philosophy to transform their life. Everything is figureoutable is more than just a fun phrase to say. It's a practical, actionable discipline. And it's about to make you unstoppable!

Review

Over the years I have read a lot of motivational and self help books. This one was not for me. There was a lot I already knew, but I didn't really like the style of the book. The book has a lot about how the author personally dealt with things in their own life. I have never heard of the author but gather she is very well known and certainly in the USA. Maybe if you know of her and are inspired by her as it seems many are, this is the book for you.

One of the things the author urges you to do is free up two hours a day and she's heard all of the excuses why you can't too. I have to say that when I studied I managed to fit in so many things and yet when I ended study each time that "extra" time magically disappeared. So a lot of what she said in this section did ring true for me and also the amount of time spent on social media, the internet etc. One piece of advice she gives is to leave emails for a few days before checking them. Personally if I left mine that long I would not be able to face my inbox. 

There are an awful lot of quotes in the book but there are also stories of real people that are inspirational. My take away from the book is this "Fact - use what helps, leave the rest" which is just what I am going to do. 

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Neighbours - Nicola Gill

Description

Meet Ginny, 34, and Cassie, 55. Neighbours, and (very) unlikely friends.

Some women have it all. Others are thirty-four and rent a tiny flat alone because they recently found their long-term boyfriend in bed with their boss. Ginny Taylor is certain her life can’t get any worse. But then she meets her downstairs neighbour…
 
Cassie Frost was once a beloved actress, but after a recent mishap she desperately needs a new publicist. And Ginny is a publicist who desperately needs a job – but can she be persuaded to work for the prickly woman who lives below her floorboards?
 
Ginny and Cassie are two very different women, but they have more in common than they’d care to imagine (or admit). And when their worlds collide, they realise that bad neighbours could become good friends…

Review

After a bit of a slow start to this book it turned out to be a great read.  I'm sure there will be comparisons with Bridget Jones and the narration by Ginny gives it a feel of that.  But it has a little more to it than an average chick lit book.The characters explore so many life issues within the pages, with some humour thrown in at times and great one liners.

One of the things I didn't like about the writing style was the author explaining what was happening without the preamble. It would work great visually but in a book I had to keep re reading parts, thinking I had missed something. So Ginny gets some notebooks - she's admiring them, where did they come from? Next paragraph describes her getting the notebooks from the person she was just talking to.

The book is more about Ginny and Cassie's friendship than the romances and I found this a refreshing change. There are some dark times in the book, which without spoilers is difficult to convey. Once I got to know Ginny and Cassie I found the book hard to put down and read about 3/4 of it in one sitting as I really wanted to find out what was to become of them both. 

I'm giving this book four out of five stars.

The Neighbours is released on 6 February 2020. My thanks to Netgalley

Notting Hill in the Snow - Jules Wake

Description

Escape to Notting Hill this Christmas…

From the bestselling author of Covent Garden in the Snow, this is the most romantic and charming book you’ll read this Christmas…

A Notting Hill nativity… what could go wrong?

Viola Smith plays the viola in an orchestra (yes really!) but this year she's been asked to stretch her musical talents to organising Notting Hill's local nativity.

Nate Williams isn't looking forward to Christmas but as his small daughter, Grace, has the starring role in the show, he's forced to stop being a Grinch and volunteer with Viola.

With the sparks between them hotter than the chestnuts roasting in Portobello market, Nate and Viola can't deny their feelings. And as the snow starts to fall over London, they find themselves trapped together in more ways than one…

This is a gorgeously heartwarming and uplifting Christmas romance, perfect for fans of Sue Moorcroft, Isabelle Broom or any Hugh Grant romcom… From Four Weddings and a Funeral to Notting Hill!

Review

What a dilemma I was in with this book I loved it so much I wanted to read it non stop - but I also never wanted it to end!

I had previously read Covent Garden in the Snow, which I loved too and didn't realise that this book would also include the same Opera company and some of the people from the first book. So it was great to be back there again. It is a totally standalone book though.

All the characters are so lovely and down to earth (well two aren't that nice!) especially Grace. I really felt for her at times and loved the scenes with her and Viola which had beautiful warmth and compassion, whilst ringing so true to life. Although the blurb talks about the romance between Viola and Nate, there is also such a lovely relationship between Grace and Viola that is really the star of the book.

I adored the writing and what I enjoyed the most is the scene setting. For instance when they go to the coffee shop we get told it has Ercol chairs, that although from different periods create a cohesive look - and boom!, I was right there. It's that kind of attention to detail that makes you feel like you are really looking through a frosty window at all that is going on inside this fabulous read.

Take some time to read this delightful book and escape for a while. I'm giving this book 5 out of  5 stars.

My thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC to review. I notice that it is only 99p for the kindle version on Amazon at the moment. 

Vampire State - Alexander Charalambides

Description

Rowena’s country is gone, squashed under a tide of tanks, bombs and Pale, immortal soldiers. But when her father returns from war as a hero, she discovers a new meaning of fear. Join and Die. >Become one of them, take on the gray skin and yellow eyes of the Pale, and live forever in Sanguinia. With the the clock ticking on her family’s decision, Rowena’s forced into close quarters with Vincenzo, the handsome son of a powerful man and trendy social revolutionary, and then ambushed by Luka, a handsome, heavily armed criminal. Both want to recruit her for their causes, and Rowena, attracted to both, fears being discarded on serving her purpose. Can Rowena hold on to her family, her individuality, and even her life in Sanguinia, the city without a sun, or will the darkness of the world’s oldest empire, and the immortal Emperor Dominus, swallow her whole?

Review

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but this one really hooked me and I'm glad it did. Having read a few of Alexander's other books I felt confident if anyone could pull this off it would be him.

At first I felt a little at sea. A new strange world, strange names, what was happening? But hey, that's just how the heroine of the book Rowena was feeling too. I stuck with it and I was rewarded pretty quickly with a great story, set in a whole new world. Written with great imagination, I could see this being a TV series. 

As with Alex's other books, this is a fast paced read and his action dialogue is really good. I felt like I was really there, and I got a little nervous a few times at what was going to happen next. I could see similarities in some of what happened with the rise and fall of organisations in our own past and also with the abolition of slavery. That facet of the book was very thought provoking for me.

If all this wasn't enough there is also a romance aspect to the book, with Rowena having to choose between two very different suitors.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author for a copy of the book for review.

If I Never Met You - Mhairi McFarlane

Description

If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?

The brand new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane

Laurie and Jamie have the perfect office romance
(They set the rules via email)

Everyone can see they’re head over heels
(They staged the photos)

This must be true love
(They’re faking it)

When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together.

So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. Revenge will be sweet…

But this fauxmance is about to get complicated. You can’t break your heart in a fake relationship – can you?

Review

I couldn't wait to get started with this the latest book from Mhairi McFarlane. I love her writing and I think this is maybe her best novel yet.

To begin with I had forgotten how fast paced the dialogue in her books can be. I think she is the only writer who can actually record what it's like to have whole conversations with your friends, whilst also recording your own thought process. It's so close to real life that I ached to be away from the book.

Yes it's a romcom. But if you've never read a book by Mhairi before, don't leave your brain behind as you pick up this book, because you are going to need it. Great use of language as always and a few words I had to look up!

Laurie is the main character in the book and she gets dumped in a "it's not you, it's me" scenario which was so very realistic. She and her former partner are both lawyers at the same law firm and so as you can imagine this gets more than a little awkward going forward. Except that another lawyer in the firm called Jamie has a great idea to make her ex jealous. They have a fauxmance, and to make it  appear legit they do what anyone would do, they put it all on Facebook and IG.

The male characters had me so incensed through most of this book. From her ex, to her Father and most of her male colleagues. I wish I could say it only happens in books, but sadly, I feel Mhairi has got it pegged down to a T. While at the same time it had some great strong female characters who I could really relate to.

I am really going to miss this book as I got to know the characters so well and looked forward to finding out what was going to happen next. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

If I Never Met You is out on 1 January 2020 My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for allowing me exclusive early access to this brilliant book.

The Flower Arranger - J J Elllis

Description

An astonishing and evocative debut from a new voice in crime fiction.

And now he knew what was wrong with the arrangement. It was the Ma… the negative space… There was only one thing beautiful enough to fill it and — finally — she was with him. Ready, if not willing, to play her role.

Holly Blain wants to cover real news. The entertainment beat — pop stars and teen trends — was not why she moved to Tokyo. When she meets Inspector Tetsu Tanaka, head of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police’s Gaikoku-jin unit, it might just be her big break.

Tanaka isn’t so sure. Always one to do things by the book, he’s hesitant about bringing this headstrong reporter into his carefully controlled investigation.

But young women keep disappearing and Tanaka is given no choice. He and Blain must trust each other if they are to stop a tormented killer from bringing his twisted plan to its shocking conclusion.

Filled with twists and turns, this unforgettable thriller is JJ Ellis’ first novel.

Review

If I had tried to read this book before I visited Japan I'm sure I would have had to look up references, places and Japanese words. The characters names would have been unfamiliar to me. Armed with the benefit of having visited most of the places in the book and having learnt the basics of greetings etc and a possessing a smattering of appreciation of Japanese culture, I was able to fully concentrate on the book itself and appreciate it more. 

A slow start to the book, but once it got going I was hooked and had to finish it as fast as I could. The killer and his motive would only really work in Japan and that is the great hook of the novel. 

An interesting angle was the English reporter Holly who is working solely in show business reporting and the  J-pop world wants to branch out into crime reporting. She has a few things holding her back, she is female in what is still a mainly a male dominated society and a foreigner. None of this however deters her. I loved her strong character, even if at times I was on the edge of my seat willing her to maybe not be so headstrong.

This book is written by an English author and the difference I found in this book from others set in Japan and translated from Japanese, is the phrasing. Some of the words I don't think the Japanese people would use, they are rather the equivalent in English. So for me occasionally this dialogue rang less than true. However, the locations described in the book and the journeys undertaken were so accurate it took me right back to my time in Japan. It was the closest thing to being back there in person.

It appears that there will be more books featuring the Inspector and Holly and I will be eager to read those too.

I am giving the book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People - Deborah Stone #LoveBooksTours

I'm so pleased to be on the book tour for this important book today. http://www.maturethinking.co.uk/

Description

No one wants to think about getting older. It's true. At any age, when things are moving along normally day to day and everyone seems fit and well, there seems no reason to think about future problems that your friends and relatives might (and probably will) come across as they age. In fact, it might even seem a little morbid to think such thoughts, or possibly even tempting fate?

Yet there will come a time when you must raise these issues and, ideally, this should be before any problems arise. The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People is the ultimate source of information and help for families with care responsibilities. Deborah Stone draws on her extensive experience working in elder care to offer practical advice on every aspect of the field indepth.

Topics range from how to get help immediately, legal information, care funding options, a guide to useful technology and advice on the main physical and mental health issues that affect older people. Plus guidance is given on dealing with social services and ensuring you choose the right care for your situations. Crucially, the book also offers help on how to cope as a carer with practical advice on juggling family, work and your caring responsibilities while looking after yourself.

Review

What an absolute gem of a book this is. I will certainly be keeping it on hand to dip into from time to time. Written in plain English and easy to understand, the book is well laid out and has cross referencing for when a subject is repeated or crosses over into another area. It also gives links to helpful websites. I liked that the first chapter is "What to do if you need help NOW". The rest you can read later on.

This book is not only useful for caring for older people, it's useful for those who are getting a little older too. Not much fun to read about all the things that can happen to you as you age, but great to be aware and know what to do or not to do as the case may be. Much of the book resonated with me. There are reminders about keeping calm, especially for instance when an older relative can't hear you.

I found the "How to register a death section" very insightful. I have done this in the past but as it was over 20 years ago a lot has changed. For one thing you need a lot more copies of the death certificate these days. This section is a useful reference tool and helpful when you may not be at your best to think of everything that needs to be done. 

As well as covering the visible signs of aging there is a section on mental health, anxiety and depression which is important. Not all symptoms are visible and this is a good reference to read and digest.

I am giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's certainly one for the reference shelf either to help others or if you are over 55 yourself. My thanks to #LoveBooksTours for a copy to review.

You can buy your copy at  https://amzn.to/2Nf4PEk

Seven Crows - Kate Kessler

Description
An ex-con tracks down the men who have kidnapped her niece in this gritty and visceral thriller.
Killian Delaney has a skewed moral compass, a high threshold for pain, and has just been released from prison to discover that someone has taken her niece.
Killian does not hesitate. Loyalty is the most important thing in her life, and when she gets a call from her sister saying that her daughter is missing, Killian immediately begins hunting down the men responsible.
She quickly discovers her niece was involved with a notorious biker gang who are engaged in everything from drugs to human trafficking. And to make it worse, the man who sent Killian to jail, the one she nearly beat to death, is at the center of it all.
To save her niece, she'll need a plan. A smart, quick, and efficient one. Because she's going to do it right this time. She'll burn them to the ground.

Review
What a fantastic read this turned out to be. Killian Delaney is the star of the book, in more ways than one. People only have to know her name to be terrified of her, because of the way she didn't kill her victim but how she left him, still suffering. Now that guy has her niece and to get her back he wants her dead.

The book seemed pretty realistic to me, not that I have any real life experience in this world. It felt very scary at times and I was so worried about Killian and her niece Shannon. She however has enough sass and when she doesn't there was the equally wonderful Story - another fabulously strong female character who I would love to meet.

I think one of my favourite quotes is "You have a beautiful way with violence, Ms Delaney". Killian may not have always had an astute plan throughout the book, but she made up for it with guts and determination. I was behind her all the way hoping her parole officer wouldn't catch up with her.

I haven't read any of Kate's books before but I think I need to add her to my list for future reads.My thanks to Kate for an e copy of the book to review.

Ten Things My Husband Hated - Pauline Wiles

Description

Maggie Moone is happily divorced.

And with her talent for fixing things, she’s perfectly content with her mundane life in the sleepy English village of Saffron Sweeting. That is, until one humiliating March evening when she learns everyone else assumes she’d love to mend her broken marriage.

Determined to prove them wrong, Maggie and her friends concoct a list of ten ways to assert her independence and live large. But her mission to move on leads to unexpected encounters, and Maggie soon finds herself mixing business with pleasure. Is the attractive young Irishman just another item on her list, or is he something more?

Before long, unresolved issues from her past begin to clash, and Maggie is forced to wonder if antagonising her ex-husband was such a stellar idea.

No sooner does she begin to understand what’s important to her, than she stands to lose everything that truly matters.

This is the fourth in the collection of Saffron Sweeting romantic comedies, which can be read in any order. If you like gentle British humour and deliciously resilient heroines, you’ll love Ten Things My Husband Hated.

Review
This is the fourth book in the Saffron Sweeting series by Pauline that I have read and I enjoyed it immensely. It's a standalone book so you don't need to have read the previous novels.

I really liked the character of Maggie, especially for her can do attitude and taking on jobs usually reserved for the boys around the house. However, at other times she did rather exasperate me as she didn't always grasp the nettle. Of course this made for a great read and a page turner to find out what exactly she was going to get involved in next.

Pauline has created a fabulous love interest in the character of Finn, although his Grandmother is a force to be reckoned with, she did provide for some very amusing scenes. As for Colin the ex-husband, he made my blood boil all through the book!

I always think that Pauline writes a book with so many facets it's hard to place into just one genre. Chick Lit for comforting read, contemporary for the setting and story line and even a little bit of a mystery.

I feel a little bit melancholy now that I've finished the book. I really got into the life of Maggie and her exploits and couldn't wait to get back to reading the book each time.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Pauline for an advance copy to review.

Between the Stops - Sandi Toksvig

Description

This long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved celebrities - a writer, broadcaster, activist, comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years, presenter of QI and Great British Bake Off star - is an autobiography with a difference: as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it.

'Between the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London, where I was living, to where I sometimes work - at the BBC, in the heart of the capital. It's not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it's the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it's my way'.

From London facts including where to find the blue plaque for Una Marson, 'The first black woman programme maker at the BBC', to discovering the best Spanish coffee under Southwark's railway arches; from a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to memories of climbing Mount Sinai and, at the request of a fellow traveller, reading aloud the Ten Commandments; from the story behind Pissarro's painting of Dulwich Station to performing in Footlights with Emma Thompson; from painful memoires of being sent to Coventry while at a British boarding school to thinking about how Wombells Travelling Circus of 1864 haunts Peckham Rye;from anecdotes about meeting Prince Charles, Monica Lewinsky and Grayson Perry to Bake-Off antics; from stories of a real and lasting friendship with John McCarthy to the importance of family and the daunting navigation of the Zambezi River in her father's canoe, this Sandi Toksvig-style memoir is, as one would expect and hope, packed full of surprises.

A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the Number 12 route, Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, look up and to talk to each other because as Sandi says: 'some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep'.

Review

I just loved this book and I'm sorry to finish it. I will miss the chatty conversation that Sandi strikes up between the pages. I first recall Sandi in the 1980s when she did the Comedy Store and I've often thought she would be a lovely friend to have and I think this book proves that. 

Although she states it's a kind of memoir, the vehicle she uses (no pun intended) is the No 12 Bus journey. She takes us along the route of the no 12 and while we are going along with her she tells us of things that have happened along the journey, and also points out interesting facts about the places the bus passes. I really feel I learnt so much - if only I could recall it all!

What I do remember are some scenes she described which were just laugh out loud funny. I won't do any spoilers, but one concerned a guy on the London Tube and her reaction just had me laughing the moment she began the tale. I would sooner forget the awful tales of how she has been treated for "coming out" but I feel they will stay with me. People are so cruel and I had no idea she had suffered like this. 

I also hadn't realised what an extraordinarily interesting life she has led. This is not someone who is interesting merely because they became famous, her early life and that of her Father is just so absorbing.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Art of Looking Up - Catherine McCormack

Description

The Art of Looking Up surveys 40 spectacular ceilings around the globe that have been graced by the brushes of great artists including Michelangelo, Marc Chagall and Cy Twombly.

From the floating women and lotus flowers of the Senso-ji Temple in Japan, to the religious iconography that adorns places of worship from Vienna to Istanbul, all the way to bold displays like the Chihuly glass flora suspended from the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas: this book takes you on a tour of the extraordinary artworks that demand an alternative viewpoint.
 
History of art expert Catherine McCormack guides you through the stories behind the artworks – their conception, execution, and the artists that visualised them. In many cases, these artworks also make bold but controlled political, religious or cultural statements, revealing much about the society and times in which they were created. Divided by these social themes into four sections – Religion, Culture, Power and Politics – and pictured from various viewpoints in glorious colour photography, tour the astounding ceilings of these and more remarkable locations: Vatican Palace, Rome, ItalyBlenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UKLouvre Museum, Paris, FranceDali Theatre-Museum, Figueres, CataloniaMuseum of the Revolution, Havana, CubaCapitol Building, Washington, DC, USAFour eight-page foldout sections showcase some of the world's most spectacular ceilings in exquisite detail.

First and foremost, this is a visual feast, but also a desirable art book that challenges you to seek out fine art in more unusual places and question the statements they may be making.

Review

What a brilliant idea for a book. 40 spectacular ceilings from around the world and you don't have to get neck ache to see them. Obviously it is better to see things in real life - or is it? The photographs in the book get you so close to the art work, nearer than you could see in real life. The sumptuous photographs are just beautiful.

I think this is a book to have on the coffee table and if you feel a little blue or the weather isn't nice, just take a peek inside, you will be feeling so much better immediately. I really can't emphasis enough how wonderful the photographs are.

Some are from buildings I have only seen from outside and so the glimpse inside is amazing. One is of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona which one day I would love to see, but this must be the next best thing or better. Such a close up of the details and a wonderful explanation of it too. For this is not just a book of photographs, descriptions and background are provided too in great detail.

I'm truly inspired by this book, both creatively and also to visit these amazing places, of which most I knew nothing of previously.

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

Eat Yourself Healthy - Dr Megan Rossi (edited review)

Description

'Learn to love your gut with this jam-packed book from Dr Megan' - Jamie Oliver

'I've learnt so much from Megan, looking after my gut is now a priority and I feel so good for it. She's a huge inspiration to us' - Ella Mills, author and founder of Deliciously Ella

The go-to lifestyle guide for a happy gut that will transform your health and wellbeing.

Drawing from the latest research and a decade of experience as a dietitian and consultant at The Gut Health Clinic, Dr Megan Rossi explains how to feed your gut for a happier, healthier you using simple, delicious and gut-boosting recipes.

Eat Yourself Healthy is packed with over 50 delicious, easy-to-make meal ideas from delicious breakfast options such as banana, fig and courgette breakfast loaf and chickpea crepes, to crowd-pleasing dinner recipes including creamy pistachio and spinach pesto pasta and mouth-watering satay tofu skewers.

Alongside Dr Rossi's gut-friendly recipes, Eat Yourself Healthy also includes expert advice on how to deal with common complaints such as IBS and bloating, diagnose food intolerances, and manage good gut health with sleep and exercise routines.

Supercharge your digestive health and transform your overall wellbeing with this ultimate guide that promises to make you happier and healthier from the inside out.

Review edited 28.10.19

I was given an ARC of a sample of this book to review. I can only base my thoughts on the part of the book I was able to read.

I have an interest in maintaining a healthy gut as I have some issues from time to time. Most of what I read in this book was new to me.

My take aways from this book are:- the advice to ask yourself these questions "How will I feel if I continue versus if I stop?" and What will my life look like in one year if I continue versus if I stop". I felt these two pieces of advice could be applicable to any change in your life and worth remembering. The other one is to eat misshapen fruit as apparently it contains more polyphenols.

There are also some good recipes in the book including one for Prebiotic chocolate bark and my favourite Banana, fig and courgette breakfast loaf which I hope to make.

There is a website which when you have a full copy of the book you can access certain things such as a stress assessment. As I haven't seen these extras I can only comment that it seems a useful addition to the book, however, how detailed they are I am unsure of.

Edited: to say that I have now received a copy of the full book. I've been able to access the assessments and they really do add an extra dimension to the book and I was pleasantly surprised by my results. The book is set out really well, with lots of clear text for dipping into and some lovely colour photography. A book you will want to refer to again and again.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to netgalley for the sample to review and Penguinlife for a copy of the full book.

The Final Trail - A A Abbott - Book Cover Reveal with #LoveBooksTours

THE LAST EDITION OF TENSE CRIME THRILLER

SERIES SET IN BIRMINGHAM

RECEIVES CITY CENTRE LAUNCH

Birmingham has well and truly been put on the crime thriller map with the success of the TV series Peaky Blinders but for bookworms amongst us the popular Trail Series has long brought readers into the modern day 21^st century with its tense storylines, murder and intrigue set in and around the city.

The Trail series features a vodka business, a cancer cure and obsessive killers. Every book is a good read in its own right – each is a great crime story with terrific twists to keep the tension mounting - but together, they follow the same characters over several years.

The Trail series author AA Abbott also known as Helen Blenkinsop, has been compared with the likes of Ruth Rendell, John Grisham and Jeffrey Archer.  She lived and studied in Birmingham for nearly 20 years and her passion and love for the city became the inspiration for the Trail series.

Now, after four successful editions the last storyline will be revealed in the publication of THE FINAL TRAIL which will be launched in Birmingham on 28th October.

In the last book ..."Glamorous Kat White has built a successful craft vodka brand in Birmingham, but she has an uneasy relationship with her business partner, Marty Bridges. Her mother had previously supplied with poisonous vodka. Marty doesn't trust Kat, resents having to depend on her for commercial success, and isn't thrilled that his eldest son wants to marry her. That's not his biggest problem, though. He's trying to develop a cancer drug with Kat's brother, Erik, and it's draining money he doesn't have. Just as he finds an investor with pockets deep enough to fund their research, Erik is lured to the former Soviet Union and thrown into jail. Meanwhile, Ben Halloran, who killed his father to save Kat's life, is faced with the twin risks of a murder charge and his brother's deep-seated desire for revenge. Can Ben escape with his life and liberty? And can Marty save both Erik and his business - and learn to trust Kat?"

Helen said “I’ve been writing about these amazing characters for over 5 years, so you can imagine, they have become a part of my life. It’s been a great journey and they have come through so many storylines that it feels right for them to achieve their dreams at last.”

Most of the action in THE FINAL TRAIL takes place across the city and features the famous Rose Villa Tavern and 1,000 Trades in the Jewellery Quarter; The Mailbox, home to the BBC in Birmingham, Holloway Head by the famous Pagoda Island and locations in Harborne and Edgbaston.

Helen added “It’s going to be very sad to launch the last book as the stories and characters have built up such a following but it will give me the opportunity to weave new and exciting tales - I have so many ideas buzzing in my head.”

THE FINALTRAIL is a perfect read for those who like a fast-paced crime thriller combined with suspense, humour and plot twists.  It’s ideal to take away on holiday and provides a great read during the autumn/winter nights.

THE FINALTRAIL will be available to order from Amazon in e-book, paperback and  dyslexia-friendly format from Monday 28^th October 2019.

Website:  https://aaabbott.co.uk/   Twitter:  @AAAbbottstories

Blurb

Family feuds just got bloodier… A gripping thriller, and a great story of death, revenge and vodka.

To save glamorous Kat White’s life, Ben Halloran killed his gangster father. Now his brother wants to even the score.

The gripping Trail series of British crime thrillers reaches its dramatic conclusion in this compelling page turner.  

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2BJmoHg

The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker - Joanna Nell

Description

A poignant ode to love and the memories that make a well-lived life, from the author of THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA RETIREMENT VILLAGE

As the wife of retired ship's doctor Dr Henry Parker, Evelyn is living out her twilight years aboard the Golden Sunset. Every night she dresses for dinner - gown, tiara, runners - and regales her fellow passengers with stories of a glamorous life travelling the world in luxury, as well as showing off her superior knowledge of everything from ships' customs to biographical details of her heroine, Florence Nightingale. The crew treat her with deference. And forbearance.

But when Henry goes missing, Evelyn sets off to search every part of the grand ocean liner to find him, casino, nightclub and off-limits areas included.

Misadventures are had, new friends are made, scandalous behaviour noted - all news to Evelyn. If only she could remember the events of the night before as clearly as she can recall the first time she met Henry on a passage from England to Australia in 1953 and fell in love, abandoning her dreams to become a midwife to be a wife instead - and the long-ago painful events that left Evelyn all at sea.

Why is it so hard to forget some things and so hard to remember others? And where is Henry?

Review

I really enjoyed the first book by this author, so I was looking forward to reading this one and it didn't disappoint. The only thing I would say is that at times I did find it incredibly sad.

Mrs Henry Parker as she likes to be known hails from the days when women always used their husbands name and not their own. She lives on a cruise ship with her husband who is Doctor for the ship, except she just can't seem to find him anywhere on board, no matter where she looks. 

Very early on we realise that Evelyn has dementia and it was so realistic that I wasn't sure I wanted to carry on reading. Having met all too many real life Evelyn's, her words and actions were very familiar to me and it was just sad. Yet again as with her previous book, the author's GP background makes the narrative spot on and true to life.

I did stick with the book, and I was rewarded with Evelyn's tales of her life, beginning with when she was just 21 years old. These parts of the book I absolutely loved, only to be brought back to the present day and Evelyn's confused mind. All through the book Evelyn continues to look for her husband, crossing off on the map of the ship everywhere she has looked for him.

Why I wondered did they continue to let her stay on the ship? When she is obviously becoming more and more confused. I really thought at this point that I knew what was going to happen. The ending when it came was surprising with a hint melancholy yet also so satisfying. 

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

XYZ - William Knight #LoveBooksTours

I'm so pleased to be on the #LoveBooksTours for this book today.

Blurb

From a former Guardian and BBC writer, and author of The Donated, comes a hilarious story of mid-life crisis, family, technology, and coping with the modern workplace.

Jack Cooper is a depressed, analogue throwback; a cynical, alcoholic Gen-Xer whose glory days are behind him. He's unemployed, his marriage has broken down, he's addicted to internet hook-ups, and is deeply ashamed of his son Geronimo, who lives life dressed as a bear.

When Jack's daughter engineers a job for him at totally-lit tech firm Sweet, he's confronted by a Millennial and Zoomer culture he can't relate to. He loathes every detail - every IM, gif and emoji - apart from Freya, twenty years his junior and addicted to broadcasting her life on social media.

Can Jack evolve to fit in at Sweet, or will he remain a dinosaur stuck in the 1980s? And will he halt his slide into loneliness and repair his family relationships?

Review  

Move over Victor Meldrew there's a new guy in town called Jack Cooper. If you don't know who VM is then maybe this isn't the book for you. Probably best enjoyed by those over 40, but everyone could learn something from this book.

Jack Cooper is a Gen-Xer born 1964 and this book is his take on the modern world, particularly Milennials and Zoomers. He's in IT but really anyone of a similar age who has worked in an office can certainly relate to the world he's found himself in. A world where no one gets up and talks to the person across the room. Instead they IM (instant message) and he's a Manager who doesn't manage, instead he's a Squad Master. Upsetting his staff by daring to ask them what they are working on - doesn't he trust them.

I found this laugh out loud funny and so true to life. Jack himself is a bit of a sad character at times. Bringing some of his misfortunes upon himself, especially with his inability to stay sober and get out of bed in a morning. Yet, he does seem to recover a few of them without effort, and maybe some of his dinosaur thinking is still relevant.....

His hook up with a Millennial sees him in a "relationship" on social media after only one night! He's a little bewildered as he doesn't really know her yet, he might not even like her! While he seems able to form a relationship with a Millennial and go along with their ideals in the office his own son is more of a trial for him. Why should that be though?

I found this book hilarious and yet thought provoking at the same time. I loved the ending - just brilliant. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to #LoveBooksTours for the ARC to review.

Author Info

William Knight has written for the Guardian, the Financial Times and the BBC, among many other publishers. He is a journalist and technologist currently living and working in Wellington, New Zealand.


A graduate engineer, he's chased a varying career starting in acting, progressing to music, enjoyed a brief flirtation with handbag design, and was eventually wired into technology in 1989.


By 2003 his non-fiction was being regularly published in Computing newspaper in the UK, and he has since written about the many successes and failings of high-technology


The Donated (formerly, Generation), his first novel, was conceived from a New Scientist article in 2001 and was ten years in development. Subsequent novels, XYZ, Foretold, The Fractured, will be available, he says, "Sometime in the future. Hopefully not as long as ten years."



Buy Link
https://amzn.to/2ZWuO7O


Twitter
@_William_Knight

Meet me in Monaco - Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Description

Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and glamourous wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb take the reader on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate, and second-chances.

Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique, fending off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.

James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.

Review

I chose the audio version of this book. Unfortunately a few things irritated me about the book, the first was the narrators voices. When the male voice is narrating he gives James a middle English accent with almost a cockney twang at times, but when the female voice is narrating the voice of James becomes that of some sort of a cad with a demeaning tinge to it. I felt it all very odd and naturally it affected my vision of James. who one minute was this kind hearted soul. and the next some leering man. The voice of the child Sophie had a very spooky and unchildlike voice!

The book is written by two authors and a few times inconsistencies arose which glaringly highlighted this fact. One instance is when James takes a business card from Sophie and gives it later to Grace Kelly. Yet when he returns to London he takes the business card out of his jacket.

Many references appear to have been written with the 21st century in mind rather than the 1950s. There is a is a reference to someone in a newspaper office in his jeans - I'm not sure that this would have been a dress standard in the 1950s even for a newspaper office. A final point on this is that Grace Kelly married in 1956 and died in 1982, so how the two women could have a friendship that stretches across 30 years is beyond me. I doubt younger readers would notice many of these things, but for me it ditracted from the story.

Putting aside all of that - although it took some doing, I did enjoy the book. I couldn't resist checking some "facts" such as the name of Grace Kelly's dog and breed and they were indeed correct. If you are looking for a gentle romantic read then this is a great book.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.