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.