My top three travel bucket list destinations - in three novels!

Something a little bit different on my blog today.

Transun are running a competition to win a trip to see the northern lights. To enter the competition you have to write a blog post about your top three travel bucket list destinations. Well it just so happens that my three top destinations are also featured in three of my favourite book titles.

Budapest - The Grant Budapest Hotel
I have wanted to go to Budapest for a long time. I'm intrigued by a city that was once Buda and Pest and became one. I have seen so many times the beautiful pictures of the wonderful architecture from the river Danube, particularly that of the Hungarian Parliament, that I can't wait to see it in person.

Venice - A Night on the Orient Express
I really want to travel on the Orient Express - experience that old world luxury and service that is so rare today. Relive what it would have been like to travel on the Orient Express in the 1880s when it first began. To arrive in Venice and explore all the little streets and alleys, cross over hidden bridges and of course ride in a gondola. (You can also take the Orient Express to Budapest!)

Iceland -Northern Lights
I nearly got to Iceland but there was the volcanic ash episode - but I really do want to go still. I'm fascinated by The Hallgrimskirkja (Hallgrim's church) such an amazing piece of architecture and also by geysers - I would so love to see one in real life. The whale watching would also be fabulous and of course The Northern Lights.

Finding Audrey - Sophie Kinsella

A laugh-out-loud romance from the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series.

Meet Audrey: an ordinary teenage girl with not so ordinary problems.

Aside from her completely crazy and chaotic family, she suffers from an anxiety disorder which makes talking to her brother's hot new best friend a bit of a challenge.

But Audrey has a plan to help her face her fears and take on the world again. First stop: Starbucks.

This book is by one of my favourite authors which is why I requested a copy to review, although it's aimed at a teenage audience. I am far, far from a teenager! But I loved this book. Some of what Audrey is going through happens to adults too and through her eyes she explains excellently what her life has become, but she's planning on changing it and Starbucks features in that plan (who knew!).

Hearing what her parents are saying through Audrey is very comical, you can imagine yourself saying these things as an adult everyday - but when analysed it really is funny. Audrey also has a brother who wants to be a professional gamer and again seeing this through Audrey's eyes and those of her parents was very entertaining.

I thought this would be a light hearted book - like the shopoholic series, with not much substances, especially as it is for teenagers, and whilst it is very funny it also tackles a very serious problem of mental health. What ever age you are I would recommend you read this book, if nothing else you will gain a glimpse into another world that is difficult to describe, but Sophie has done it brilliantly.

My thanks to netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children’s for allowing me to review the book. It will be published on 4 June 2015.

win a copy of Broken Sigil by William Meikle

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Look what I found in Sainsburys

Sainsbury's have got lots of books with this stickered offer - £3 to spend on ebooks at Sainsburys. This book also came with the short story Stolen weekend all for £3.99. So basically you are only paying 99p for a book.

The Doris Day Vintage Film Club - Fiona Harper

Claire Bixby grew up watching Doris Day films at her grandmother’s house and yearned to live in a world like the one on the screen – sunny, colourful and where happy endings with chiselled leading men were guaranteed. But recently Claire’s opportunities for a little ‘pillow talk’ have been thin on the ground. Until she meets mysterious Dominic. Nic is full of secrets but their connection is instant. Could he help Claire finding the Hollywood ending she’s been searching for?Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

I love reading books that lead to other books or films. Trouble is I then get sidetracked and have even more things I want to read and see.
This is the case with the latest book from Fiona Harper out on 23 April 2015. I never really knew that much about Doris Day and so this book fed me a few interesting nuggets and now I want to know more!

This is such a feel good book - a real curl up and indulge book. It's girly, delightful and quirky.
There are many references to the plot becoming like the Doris Day film Pillow Talk, well it's a long time since I saw that film, but what it did remind me of is my favourite film "You've got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The author then referenced the film (although not by title) towards the end of the book and I felt a little more complete! (of course that film is based on another film "The shop around the corner" with James Stewart - but that is another diversion I've been on).

That's not to say that the book is unrealistic - it's not all day dreamy and wishing she was in a Hollywood film. Claire has her own business and there is also a more serious sub plot involving her father. However, it did have some of the songs from the films going around in my head for some time LOL.

In some was this was a bit of a car crash drama, and by that I mean I couldn't bear it at times as the wires got crossed and confusion reigned. I don't do spoilers, so I will leave it there, but I rushed the end of the book because I just had to know what was going to happen. Was I disappointed? You'll have to read it to find out...........

My thanks go to Mills & Boon and Netgalley for an advance copy of  The Doris Day Vintage Film Club out 23 April 2015.

If We Lived Here - Lindsey J Palmer

Razor-sharp and thought-provoking, Lindsey J. Palmer’s incisive new novel both celebrates and skewers modern relationships and their milestones, offering a witty and wise look at what it takes to commit—to love, to a home, and to the life that’s right for you.

After three years of dating and trading nights at their respective New York City apartments, Emma Feit and Nick O’Hare are moving in together. Or they will be, as soon as they find the right place. For two happily-in-love professionals—Nick’s a teacher, Emma tutors college-bound teens—with good credit and stellar references, how hard can it be? As it turns out, very—in ways that are completely unexpected.

Suddenly Emma is filled with questions about cohabiting, about giving up her freedom—not to mention about who’s going to clean the toilet. And while her best friend plans a dream wedding to her wealthy fiancé, and her older brother settles into suburban bliss, Emma must figure out what home means to her—and how on earth to get there.

I've really enjoyed this book; it’s a real life slice of American life. Sometimes I find American authors have Anglicised a book to appeal to those of us across the pond – however this book felt very American (in a good way). In fact some of the references you may not get it you don’t know a lot about American life. But don’t let that distract from what makes it a “true to life” read.

The hunt for an apartment was very insightful and I real felt for Emma and Nick as they encountered problem after problem, some housing related others personal. I felt the author really got to the underside of living in New York – rather than a “Friends” plasticised view of life.

We also got to see life in the NY suburbs and what happens when the lights literally go out.

I’ve been to New York, but this book made me feel like I’d lived there it was so realistic in the writing. There are so many different strands to this book, which were all brought together seamlessly by the author, making for an enjoyable and intelligent read. This is sooo much more than chick lit!

My thanks go to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for allowing me to read an advance kindle copy of the book.

Saving Saffron Sweeting - Pauline Wiles

Grace Palmer’s British friends all think she’s living the American Dream. But her design business is floundering and when she discovers her husband is cheating with her best client, she panics and flees home to England. The tranquil village of Saffron Sweeting appears to be a good place for Grace to lick her wounds, but the community is battling its own changes. Reluctantly, Grace finds herself helping her new neighbours as they struggle to adjust and save their businesses. However, not everyone has the same opinion on what’s good for the village. The charismatic new man in her life may have one speculative eye on Grace, but the other is firmly on profit. How will she navigate the tricky path between her home and her happiness? With gentle humour and generous helpings of British tea and cake, Saving Saffron Sweeting explores one woman’s need to define herself through her career and community, before she can figure out who should be by her side.

My last review was for Pauline Wiles latest book "Secrets in the Sky" and I ended it my saying her other book "Saving Saffron Sweeting" was now on my to read list. Well - I really wanted to get back to Saffron Sweeting - so I bumped it all the way to the top of that list and here's my review.

This is such an amusing book, I laughed out loud a few times (bit embarrassing on public transport though!) making it a pleasure to read. It prefaces with the quote "Two nations divided by a common language" and if you have ever read any Bill Bryon books you will know all about that. I have American friends and so a lot of the "misunderstandings" in the book rang totally true. It's like the time I explained to an American girl on the train that whilst she was looking for the "coach" class on her ticket - we call all the trains that in England - it's not a class of travel as it is in America. So I really got into all those little nuances in the book.

The idea of Grace landing in Saffron Sweeting and in effect becoming a consultant on how to "appeal to Americans" was a great concept and so well executed. I could really visualise it all in my minds eye and I was eager to get back to the book to find out what would happen next and I wasn't disappointed.

I don't do spoilers - so without giving anything away - Grace has love interests, there is a will she won't she and "how could she be so stupid" moments which help to immerse you in the book. There's transatlantic travel - which having done that journey just exhausted me to read it. But most of all there is Pauline's talent in writing about people and their traits that brings them to life so well.