BOOKSIMO

Description How much do you trust your neighbours? Jake and Kate live in London but after an altercation with a stranger who threatens Jake with a knife, they take their son and move to a house in the woods. It’s their dream home, or so they think until people in the village warn them they shouldn’t have come. Their neighbours are strange and when Kate sees a face at the window, the family realise they might be in danger. When they find a tape hidden in the loft of the house, a video recording of the previous family who once lived there, it chills them to the bone. They soon realise that the family living there before them have disappeared and they too could now be next. What is the mystery surrounding the house on Rectory Lane? Jake and Kate are about to find out… Review I'm going to start with the ending first and say "wow" just "wow" - I never saw it coming and it just blew me away. It is worth reading this book for the last line alon...

Absolutely delighted to be on the blog tour for this wonderful book today. Description The Princess of Felling describes Elaine’s childhood and adolescence growing up on Tyneside in the 1970s and 1980s. The book pays homage to her home town of Felling on Tyne and is an extended, loving letter to her late parents. This illustrated poetic memoir features a Foreword by Michael Chaplin, photographs of Felling taken in summer 2018 by Rossena Petcova and unique maps by poet and artist Steve Lancaster. The book contains reminiscences by Felling folk plus guest appearances by Nick Heyward, David Almond, Tracey Thorn, Sir Kingsley Amis, The Reverend Richard Coles, Lady Elsie Robson, U.A. Fanthorpe, Gyles Brandreth and more. The Princess of Felling by Elaine Cusack resonates with readers of all ages. As actress and Felling lass Jill Halfpenny says in the book, “Reading Elaine’s stories and poetry takes me back to my childhood in Felling and all of the smells, sounds and tastes ...

Description Grab your passport and escape to a land of dazzling skycrapers, steaming bowls of comforting noodles, and a page-turning love story that will make you swoon! For travel blogger Fiona, Japan has always been top of her bucket list so when she wins an all-expenses paid trip, it looks like her dreams are coming true. Until she arrives in vibrant, bustling Tokyo and comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart ten years ago, gorgeous photographer Gabe. Fiona can’t help but remember the heartache of their last meeting but amidst the temples and clouds of soft pink cherry blossoms, can Fiona and Gabe start to see life – and each other – differently? Review I always love these Julie Caplin books as they give you a chance to go somewhere you dream of visiting. Except this time I have been to Tokyo - so was it going to live up to the real thing? I admit to waiting a couple of times to see if there were any rooky mistakes, as Japan is unique and it would be ea...

Description Once upon a time some mad fool asked author Milly Johnson if she would consider publishing her poetical performance works. She roped in her old mate Stu Gibbins to illustrate iconic pieces such as ’The Trollop of Scunthorpe’ and ‘The Menopause’ and lo and behold, they put together a collection of verse which is by turn touching, humorous and mildly shocking if your sensitivities are easily offended. But most importantly, the reason this book exists is to raise funds for Yorkshire Cat Rescue, which will receive every single penny of the profit. Review I love Milly's books but hadn't really thought about getting this poetry book as I thought it would just be about cats. How wrong I was! Yes, there are cats but there is also a poem about Gin Goggles, one about the menopause and so much more. If you want a good laugh out loud, then this is the book to get. Plus it's for a good cause too. I bought mine as a hard copy from Yorkshire Cat Rescue and it was si...

Description It all started with one little lie . . . Jane and Marnie have been inseparable since they were eleven years old. They have a lot in common. In their early twenties they both fell in love and married handsome young men. But Jane never liked Marnie's husband. He was always so loud and obnoxious, so much larger than life. Which is rather ironic now, of course. Because if Jane had been honest - if she hadn't lied - then perhaps her best friend's husband might still be alive . . . This is Jane's opportunity to tell the truth, the question is: Do you believe her? Review This book is so cleverly written, it puts me in mind of Fleabag with the audacious dialogue, and I did have that character in my head when I read about Jane.  A very dark tale and yet because of the style and Jane's telling of the lies, it all seemed a little acceptable! You know from the blurb that Marnie's husband is dead - just how that comes to be felt a little ...

Description His life was destroyed by a lie. Her life will be ruined by the truth. Joely tells other people’s secrets for a living. As a ghost writer, she’s used to scandal – but this just might be her strangest assignment yet. Freda has never told her story to anyone before. But now she’s ready to set the record straight and to right a wrong that’s haunted her for forty years. Freda’s memoir begins with a 15-year-old girl falling madly in love with her teacher. It ends in a way Joely could never possibly have imagined. As the story unravels, Joely is spun deeper into a world of secrets and lies. Delving further into Freda’s past, Joely’s sure she can uncover the truth… But does she want to? Review The book begins with a flashback to a 15 year old girl at school, who along with all the girls at her school, has a crush on the music teacher. The next part of the book introduces Joely who is a ghostwriter. She has just found out her husband is leaving her for her best frien...

So pleased to be on the blog tour today for this fabulous book today. Description   Meet Greta. She’s funny. She’s flawed. She’s hiding so much behind her big smile she’s forgotten who she is. But Greta is about to discover that the key to being happy is…being  you . Greta Gale has played the part of the funny fat one her entire life, hiding her insecurities behind a big smile. But size doesn’t matter when you can laugh at yourself, right? Until Greta realises she’s the only one  not  laughing. And deep down, she’s not sure if she’ll ever laugh again. But with her world feeling like it’s falling down around her, Greta is about to discover she’s stronger than she feels. And that sometimes the best moments in life come when it’s all gone a bit pear-shaped… Review I was expecting a light hearted read but I got so much more. Having read one of the author's books before I should have known there would be a lot more to the book than the strap...

Delighted to be on the blog tour for this book today. Description You are dying. Who do you kill? Set in a near-future America, an America that has borne two terms of Trump Presidency and is now in the first term of Donald’s daughter as president, Frank Brill, a retired small-town newspaper editor, lives in a world where the populist policies Trump is currently so keen to pursue have been a reality for some years and are getting even more extreme – an erosion of abortion rights, less and less gun control, xenophobic immigration policies. Frank, a good man, has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Rather than compile a bucket list of all the things he’s ever wanted to do in his life, he instead has at the ready his ‘fuck-it list’. Because Frank has had to endure more than his fair share of personal misfortune. And he has the names of those who are to blame for the tragedies that have befallen him. But eventually, as he becomes more accustomed to dishing o...

Thrilled to be on the blog tour for this book today. Description At last, the life you want . . . post 50. We’re living longer, in better health, with higher expectations than any generation in human history. With an extra adult chapter to look forward to, what will you do? Who else could you be? How will you evolve the best plan for your life between 50 and 80? Judy and Adrian Reith have decades of experience in helping people see hidden possibilities, clarify their goals and achieve life-changing results.   In  Act 3  they suggest practical steps to make your life more fulfilling as you age. From the ground up this book will help you identify and strengthen the four roots you’ll need for a happy and successful third act. It illustrates how your attitude, purpose, relationships and values are keystones to a life without regret. Act 3  gives tools and tips to help you focus on what matters, with chapters on Work, Home, Money, Health, Play, the Wor...

Self-Confident Sandy by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino  Sandy was full of self-confidence. Where did it come from? She could do anything, but why? Ah, she had a special mantra that she used to explain herself. “” You may ask me why I can do anything I try… and the only answer can be: all these things are inside me!’ Yes, I can do most anything. Once I set my mind and heart to it, I find that there is nothing to it. Still, I keep my mantra handy,” explained Self-Confident Sandy! Buy Link https://amzn.to/2USHPPd Author/Illustrator Sally Huss creates children’s books to uplift the lives of children. She does this by giving them tools to overcome obstacles; by helping them value themselves and others; and by inspiring them to be the best that they can be. Her catalog of books now exceeds 100. "Bright and happy," "light and whimsical" have been the catch phrases attached to the writings and art of Sally Huss for over 30 years. Sweet images danc...

Description In 1949 Helene Hanff, a “poor writer with an antiquarian taste in books”, wrote to Marks & Co Booksellers of 84 Charing Cross Rd, in search of the rare editions she was unable to find in New York. Her books were dispatched with polite but brisk efficiency. But, seeking further treasures, Helene soon found herself in regular correspondence with bookseller Frank Doel, laying siege to his English reserve with her warmth and wit. And as letters, books and quips crossed the ocean, a friendship flourished that would endure for twenty years   Review I've read this book before, many years ago, but this is the first time I have had an edition which includes the sequel book The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. I also hadn't realised how much the film changes the story (as usual!). The first book consists purely of letters between Helene Hanff (yes, this really happened) and the staff at Marks & Co - in the main Frank Doel. Helene has that smart mouth New York...