Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness

Blog Tour:

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour for several reasons:

1) I love nature and animals and birds of all kinds

2) I am passionate about the belief that nature can aid recovery for both physical and mental health issues

3) It brings another spotlight to mental health issues which we need to continue to talk about

 

About Bird Therapy:

When Joe Harkness suffered a breakdown in 2013, he tried all the things his doctor recommended: medication helped, counselling was enlightening, and mindfulness grounded him. But nothing came close to nature, particularly birds. How had he never noticed such beauty before? Soon, every avian encounter took him one step closer to accepting who he is.

The positive change in Joe’s wellbeing was so profound that he started a blog to record his experience. Three years later he has become a spokesperson for the benefits of birdwatching, spreading the word everywhere from Radio 4 to Downing Street.

In this groundbreaking book filled with practical advice, Joe explains the impact that birdwatching had on his life, and invites the reader to discover these extraordinary effects for themselves.

 

The Book:

Bird Therapy has a forward by Chris Packham, who also shares some of his story (which I was unaware of) and this sets up the book for what is to come. This book resonated with me in so many places and the fact that it is written in an engaging way that reassures is very comforting. He talks to us about birds, how to watch and listen, but more importantly the impact they have on developing mindfulness (sounds, behaviours, mannerisms, relationships) – it forces you to slow down, to block everything else out, to become calm.

In Bird Therapy, Joe Harkness shares his personal story of living with OCD, anxiety, and depression, and how he manages it through nature and birdwatching. Of course, he talks about his illness but this is ultimately an uplifting book with practical advice at the end of each chapter. Also in each chapter, which always starts with a lovely drawing of a bird and a quote, he shares a different glimpse of his birdwatching journey, from setting up his first bird feeders to his experiences of rare bird sightings.

Reading this book was a reminder of how much we still need to push the topic of mental health further up the agenda, and also how far we have come in just the last few years which is certainly very encouraging.

 

Verdict:

A book for everyone. Important, timely and accessible.

I moved house a year ago and I am now lucky to live in a garden with many trees (silver birch, oak, pine, cherry) and all day long I am treated to birds and squirrels. On a morning, I open my bedroom window and lean out and just listen. Is there a more lovely way to start the day? I think not.

This book is for anyone and well worth a read. Highly recommended.

Please take a look at the other blogs on the tour too:

 

 

Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer

What I Thought:

As soon as I heard about Rough Magic I knew I wanted to read it. It is written by Lara Prior-Palmer who won the Mongolian Derby in 2013, aged 19 – the youngest ever winner of this 1000km horseback race across the Steppe. My favourite book of all time is Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong, also set in Mongolia, which won the first Man Asian Prize in 2003 and I have never met a SINGLE OTHER PERSON who has read it!

Lara’s style is lyrical and quirky and I had the impression of her in my head as being slightly eccentric. In fact, she does admit that she has been called “away with the fairies” and even “space cadet” by people who have known her.  After reading the book I watched some YouTube video’s with her in it, including a fantastic TED Talk she did, and I found her engaging, funny and delightfully, Englishly eccentric which I found so endearing.

The book charts Lara’s journey (from her rash decision to take part) through to her nonchalant and slightly unprepared start and on to her determination to beat the Texan Devan Horn who Lara decided she had to overtake purely because she didn’t want Devan to win.

A lot of what Lara feels resonates with me: her desire to not be tied down, to be wild and free, much like a Mongolian pony. I have the same restless spirit but mine is tied down by middle-age, a mortgage and a corporate job, only managing to come out occasionally when I take off on a solo 120-mile hike or wonder off the beaten track in a Chinese village. Other than that, I like to live vicariously through books like this that take me to another place and on an adventure.

 

Verdict:

A great read, and one which I read in a greedy gulp after I was kindly sent a copy by Ebury Press for my honest review. Highly recommended for people who like real-life, adventure, off-the-beaten-track reads.

The Mongolian Derby 2013

Lara in Mongolia

Book Review: Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton

The Blurb:

When Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk-weaver, rescues Sara Kemp from a brothel she thinks she is doing God’s will. Sara is not convinced being a maid is better than being a whore, but the chance to escape her grasping ‘madam’ is too good to refuse.

Inside the Thorels’ tall house in Spitalfields, where the strange cadence of the looms fills the attic, the two women forge an uneasy relationship. The physical intimacies of washing and dressing belie the reality: Sara despises her mistress’s blindness to the hypocrisy of her household, while Esther is too wrapped up in her own secrets to see Sara as anything more than another charitable cause.

It is silk that has Esther so distracted. For years she has painted her own designs, dreaming that one day her husband will weave them into reality. When he laughs at her ambition, she strikes up a relationship with one of the journeyman weavers in her attic who teaches her to weave and unwittingly sets in motion events that will change the fate of the whole Thorel household.

 

What I Thought:

Firstly, how gorgeous is the title and the cover of this book? It’s so sumptuous I just had to get myself a copy. I’d just read another historical book and was in the mood for more, and this one is a lovely read.

Narrated by two women in turn, Sara and Esther, Blackberry and Wild Rose is set in Spitalfields Market, London in 1768. Sara, newly arrived in London, finds herself forced into prostitution and is eventually rescued by Esther, a pious wife of master silk trader. A slow burner, the book gets into its stride once Sara arrives at Esther’s house to work as a maid. From there on there is secret love and betrayal on both sides.

While there is much to like and admire about this novel, I did find the characters and the plot a little underdeveloped. While I initially liked Sara for her ability to stand up for herself and not be a victim, she quickly plummeted in my estimation as I couldn’t fathom some of the reasons for doing what she did (several times). I never really got to know and understand her motivations so I had nothing I could empathise with. I believe that the book would have been better focused more on Esther and her struggles as a woman to have her art and creativity taken seriously. That alone could have made a great book, but as it was Esther also appeared to have few redeeming qualities.

 

Verdict:

I enjoyed this book (and believe, me I am not shy of abandoning books at any stage if I get bored) and I’m glad I read it. Being completely honest, it needed more spit and polish for my tastes but as a debut author, Sonia Velton is one to watch and I will certainly read more of her books in the future.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Book Review: “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” – Hallie Rubenhold

The Blurb

“Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers.

What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888.

Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become far more famous than any of these five women.

Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally sets the record straight and gives these women back their stories.”

What I thought:

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book! Finally a voice for the women who became the victims of Jack The Ripper. While Jack has become the hero of this story over the century and a half since the Whitechapel murders, Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Kate and Mary Jane can now tell their own stories, and they are ones that will make you weep with pity and frustration.

Mothers, wives, daughters, friends, all these women had, at some point, a family that loved them, some were educated, all suffered at the hands of an unjust and cruel society that failed them over and over again. What Hallie Rubenhold has done with this book, is not only tell a fascinating tale of women’s lives in Victorian times, but she has bestowed some dignity upon them, finally.

Verdict:

Read this! I implore you! Never sentimental, always empathetic, this is a non-fiction book that is as gripping and page-turning as any fiction novel. It’s important and timely but also just a damn good read. Cannot recommend highly enough! I suffered from a huge book hangover after reading The Five and I am still thinking about them now.

 

Her Majesty Saffy approved heartily!

 

 

Review: The Two Houses by Fran Cooper

What I Thought:

What a great premise: an old house in a bleak and windswept dale, with the middle taken out because it’s haunted! On the back of the fantastic These Dividing Walls comes another blinder from new author Fran Cooper.

Once again this is a character-driven book rather than plot-driven, and by character, I include the weather, the dales, Yorkshire itself. Londoners Jay and Simon decide to buy an old and rundown house in the middle of nowhere to get away from the rat-race. While at once enamoured with the rugged beauty and solitude of their new home, what they hadn’t banked on was the hostility of the locals, all of whom seem to have secrets of their own.

The small cast of characters all add something to the tale and the narrative is so immersive and emotive that I found it easy to empathise with all of them in some way, even the not-so-savoury characters. Despite living in Yorkshire myself (although not a tiny village in the back end of nowhere like this one) I had never really appreciated how someone who has grown up in a place like this and hasn’t been able to get out could view incomers from down south who chose to live there with suspicion and contempt.

Although there are some apparently spooky goings-on, it’s more of an atmospheric tale than a ghost story. I found the prose so impressive and beautiful at times that I wanted to read slowly to savour each sentence.

Verdict:

The perfect book to curl up with on an autumn/winter evening, by fire and candlelight. The Two Houses has turned out to be one of my favourite books of the year. Highly recommended!

 

The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson

What I thought:

Once in a while a book comes along that etches into your heart. This is one of those books. I’m not sure there is anything that I can say that will do justice to this piece of gorgeousness but I’ll give it a damn good go.

Firstly, that cover! *imagine a million heart-eye emojis* Whoever says not to judge a book by its cover is wrong. I frequently pick books up because I love the cover (and often overlook those I don’t like). I love the colours and how it perfectly captures the two different worlds inhabited by the characters of The Sealwoman’s Gift.

This book was a joy from beginning to end. I found it to be a really moving tale of love, heartbreak, loss and endurance.

Iceland in 1627 and the inhabitants of a small island just off the main coast live a simple but harsh life, but a life that is nonetheless filled with family and friendships and the telling of folktales. One day, their little island is raided by Barbary pirates and hundreds of men, women and children are ripped from their homes and forced aboard a ship to be taken to a strange and hot land where they are kept as slaves. Farfetched, you may be forgiven for thinking, but this is actually based on a true story. The island Pastor, Olafur Egilsson, and his wife and children actually existed and much of the story is based on a diary that was found to have been written during the time of these events.

I love books based on true stories, especially little known historical ones. Sally Magnusson has clearly done a huge amount of research for this book and her passion for the stories of the people involved and in bringing them back to life was clear to see on every page. What I particularly love is that, despite the diaries that were found being written by the Pastor, it is Asta, his wife who is given a voice in this book. Litte is known of what happened to most of those who were taken once they reached North Africa, however some stories have survived, as remarkably a small number made it back to Iceland many years later. Women have largely been ignored or forgotten about through the passage of time, but Asta is brought back to life by Magnusson who has created a fully-fleshed character who is both feisty and humorous.

The descriptions of the land, the people, the folk tales were all so well crafted, whether it was a bleak and windswept Iceland or a vibrant and chaotic Algiers. It was quite often a surprise when I looked up from the book and realsied I was still in my own front room.

Verdict:

Beautiful, tender, shocking. This book really is all the feels. I absolutely loved it.

Ten seconds of fame:

I was contacted by the production team to review The Sealwoman’s Gift for Zoe Ball’s Book Club so of course, I jumped at the chance to gush about my favourite book of the year so far.

Just in case you missed it, here it is again 🙂

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Blog Tour – An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

That title! That cover! As a lover of crime and psychological thrillers, could anything possibly scream “READ ME!” any louder? So when I was invited to take part in the blog tour for this book, I jumped at the chance.

What I thought:

An exclusive hotel in a picturesque and secluded part of the Catskills in the middle of winter in the snow. A small group of guests, who have never met each other before, arrive for a weekend of luxury, forgoing mobile networks and WiFi in order to relax and recharge their batteries. What could be more perfect they think. Until an ice storm hits and the electricity goes down, that is, and the body of one of the guests is found at the bottom of the grand staircase…

I love a good locked-room mystery, and the blurb for this book sounded very Christie-esque which gave huge appeal  (indeed there is even a nod to the author herself, as one guest finds a Christie novel on her bedside table). The remote and cut off location, the group of strangers, many of whom seem to have something to hide, the undercurrent of mistrust and the body count mounting up… what could be more perfect?

If I was to have a slight gripe, it would be that there wasn’t quite enough tension for me. Guests are dropping like flies and there is no way out, yet I never really got a sense of pure fear (which I expect I would have felt had I been there in the hotel). Well written though it was, the middle part of the book didn’t entirely live up to the promise of the first part, I felt. The ending though… now that I enjoyed. I love it when I’m blindsided by a reveal and this one did just that. It actually left me with a big smile of satisfaction on my face.

Verdict:

Gripping, page-turning, moreish. This is a pacy thrilled, despite the desolate setting and small cast. A read-in-one-sitting type of book. Enjoy!

 

Why not head over to the other blogs in this tour and see what they have to say about it too.

A Lazy Bloggers Mini Reviews – Part 2

Snap by Belinda Bauer

Summary:

SNAP DECISIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS . . .

On a stifling summer’s day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack’s in charge, she’d said. I won’t be long.

But she doesn’t come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed forever.

Three years later, Jack is still in charge – of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they’re alone in the house, and – quite suddenly – of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother. . .

My Verdict:

A tense and gripping crime thriller that is a blessed relief from a lot of the “samey” thrillers out there at the moment. Characters you care about, humour, fabulously grumpy Detective with a mystery to be solved all of which cumulate into a real page-turner.

Highly recommended!

 

Bitter by Francesca Jakobi

Summary:

It’s 1969, and while the summer of love lingers in London, Gilda is consumed by the mistakes of her past. She walked out on her beloved son Reuben when he was just a boy and fears he’ll never forgive her.

When Reuben marries a petite blonde gentile, Gilda takes it as the ultimate rejection. Her cold, distant son seems transformed by love – a love she’s craved his entire adult life. What does his new wife have that she doesn’t? And how far will she go to find out? It’s an obsession that will bring shocking truths about the past to light . . .

Bitter is a beautiful and devastating novel about the decisions that define our lives, the fragility of love and the bond between mother and son.

My Verdict:

I absolutely loved this book! A protagonist who, despite her many flaws and stalkerish tendencies, you can’t help but root for,

Funny, heartbreaking and moving, Bitter is a story of obsession, love and lies. A breath of fresh air in this genre. Highly recommended!

 

Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan

Summary:

When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that split second will change her life. But after Emily watches a car plough into the young mother – killing her instantly – she finds herself unable to move on.

And then she makes a decision she can never take back.

Because Rose had everything Emily had ever dreamed of. A beautiful, loving family, a great job and a stunning home. And now Rose’s husband misses his wife, and their son needs a mother. Why couldn’t Emily fill that space?

But as Emily is about to discover, no one’s life is perfect … and not everything is as it seems.

My Verdict:

While I enjoyed reading this book, I really wasn’t bowled over by it. I didn’t feel enough for Emily to care much about what happened to her, and her stalker tendencies bordered on contrived for me – something to fit the plot rather than plausible as she made one stupid decision after another. I never really got the character of Cian (the grieving widow) either: he was so psychopathic is was almost pantomime.

An easy read, and fairly enjoyable but not one I would heartily recommend I’m afraid.

Blog Tour – The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of the blog tour for author Riley Sager’s new book The Last Time I Lied as I had read Final Girls a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it!

As with Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied is also partly set in a summer camp, which was one of the things that I loved about the first book. Confession: I didn’t realise it was my turn on the tour today so I haven’t written up my review yet so that will follow shortly. However, in the meantime, Riley has kindly answered some questions about favourite summer camp movies for this blog tour.

 

My 5 Favourite Summer Camp Movies by Riley Sager 

Hollywood loves a good summer camp movie. All those dense woods and mist-covered lakes make great backdrops for stories both sweet and scary.

 

The Parent Trap (1961)

This Walt Disney classic stars Hayley Mills and … Hayley Mills as long-lost twin sisters who meet at summer camp. First, they fight. Then they bond. Then they hatch a plan to switch identities and reunite their parents. It’s all insane, which might be why I love it so much. A 1998 remake starred Lindsay Lohan and … Lindsay Lohan, which is why I prefer the original.

 

Friday the 13th (1980)

Erm, no thanks!

Let’s be honest—as soon as you hear the words summer camp, you think Camp Crystal Lake, home of that hockey-masked monster Jason Voorhees. With good reason. The original Friday the 13th changed the way the world things of summer camps. After that, it was no longer safe to venture into the woods alone.

 

Addams Family Values (1993)

While the adult members of the Addams clan are dealing with psychotic bride Debbie Jellinksy (a deliciously bonkers Joan Cusack), Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Camp Chippewa. While there, a group of mean girls target Wednesday. Big mistake, mean girls. Big mistake.

 

Camp (2003)

What’s better than nature? Nature and show tunes, of course. Plus a bunch of drama kids bringing all their issues and confusion to the great outdoors. An added bonus: Seeing a young Anna Kendrick belting out Stephen Sondheim’s “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

 

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Have you ever loved a movie so much you want to live there? That’s how I feel about this Wes Anderson charmer about the adolescent romance between a scout camp runaway and the bookish girl who strikes his fancy. Come for the production design, stay for the surprisingly sweet story.

 

Thank you so much to Riley for taking the time to write this post. I’ve even added a few of those films to my own watch list now. And thank you to Ebury Publishing for my copy of the book and to Anne Cater for arranging the tour.

A Lazy Bloggers Mini Reviews – Part 1

I’ve been a little lazy of late when it comes to reviewing books *hangs head in shame*. The real shame is that some of them have been absolute corkers!

To make up for it (but more importantly so I don’t have to spend the next 3 weeks writing up full-length reviews around my actual job) I have decided to do a blast of lots of mini-reviews. Bite-sized reviews; amuse-bouches, if you will.

I will provide a synopsis by way of the publishers’ blurb and then a verdict on what I thought 🙂

So, in no particular order:

If I Die Before I Wake by Emily by Emily Koch

Summary:

“Everyone believes Alex is in a coma, unlikely to ever wake up. As his family debate withdrawing life support, and his friends talk about how his girlfriend Bea needs to move on, he can only listen.

But Alex soon begins to suspect that the accident that put him here wasn’t really an accident. Even worse, the perpetrator is still out there and Alex is not the only one in danger.

As he goes over a series of clues from his past, Alex must use his remaining senses to solve the mystery of who tried to kill him, and try to protect those he loves, before they decide to let him go.”

Verdict:

A great device for a book – the narrator is trapped in a body that is paralysed but with a mind that is still very much awake, only he can’t tell anyone this. We, the reader, watch Alex try to piece together the days and hours before his accident and we also watch it dawn on him that perhaps it was more than an unfortunate accident that put him in hospital. Chilling and at times edge-of-your-seat, this is a great thriller. If you like your books dramatic and fast-paced, this may not be for you, however, as it is quite a slow burner. An author to watch out for.

 

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

Summary:

“The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They’re both wrong.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…”

Verdict:

If you like your books twisty and turny then Clare Mackintosh will be right up your street. There were a few “gotcha’s”, one of which I guessed and the others which I didn’t. I bloody love it when I get it wrong as so many of these types of books are easy to predict these days. Fabulous book!

 

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Summary:

“SOMEONE IS LIVING A LIE… BUT WHO?

Is it Lisa?
Haunted by a tragic past, all Lisa wants is a quiet life with her daughter, Ava. And when she meets a new man, things seem to be falling into place. But Lisa is hiding a secret so momentous it could shatter her entire world…

Is it Ava?
When sixteen-year-old Ava saves a young boy’s life, she becomes a local hero. But never in a million years could she have anticipated the fallout of her actions…

Is it Marilyn?
Marilyn has the perfect life. Her husband, her job, her house—she seems to have it all. But she could never admit to her best friend Lisa the lies she tells herself to get through the day…

One moment will change these three women’s lives forever. And the secrets they’ve been keeping could destroy them all.”

Verdict:

I was a huge fan of Behind Her Eyes, out last year, so it is no exaggeration to say that I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on this book. I was not disappointed, in fact, I loved it! Sarah Pinborough really knows how to keep you guessing, and how to take you to the place you won’t suspect. Highly recommended for fans of the psychological thriller.

More soon… 🙂 

Blog Tour & Review: The Lido by Libby Page

What I Thought:

What a joy of a book this is. A book with many themes and all so impactful that after only a few chapters I was already googling outdoor swimming in my area, so keen was I to feel that first icy bite.

Kate is 26 and living a life of loneliness in Brixton, having moved there for work and knowing nobody. She exists on ready meals and spends her evenings alone in her bedroom. Also in Brixton, is 86 year old Rosemary who has lived there all her life. Rosemary has lead a wonderful life, married to the love of her life, George, for over 60 years until his recent passing. Her time is spent swimming in the Lido and occasional tea and cake with friends. That is until the Lido is threatened with closure and Kate and Rosemary find their paths crossing, leading to a friendship that neither of them saw coming.

Kate and Rosemary are both fantastically well-fleshed out characters. Loneliness is a big theme in The Lido as both women are lonely in their own ways and this feeling was palpable through the pages. There was a lot about this book that resonated with me: It is certainly true that you can feel lonely in a crowd. I, like Kate, have moved to new areas, only in my case many times. Starting fresh in a new town or city for work is both exciting and daunting and despite making friends easily at work, I found myself on occasion lonely for company and it can be incredibly debilitating. Libby Page manages to create very relatable characters who are easy to empathise with and easy to invest in emotionally.

Verdict:

The Lido is an uplifting, gem of a novel. With an abundance of character who fizz off the pages and a plight and a goal to root for, I enjoyed every second of this book. Be prepared to laugh and to cry (i.e. big, fat, noisy tears) but to come away feeling uplifted.

My Rosemary:

I was asked to talk about my own Rosemary for this book tour and while there were a few contenders, I chose my late Grandmother, Lily,  whose story and courage I have always admired. Born in 1908, my Grandma left home at 17, to become a Nurse, all against the wishes of her parents who owned shops and later a farm and wanted her to continue in the family business. She wanted to become a Nurse so badly that she lied about her age, telling the college she was 18. Over the years, she rose through the ranks, becoming both a midwife and a District Nurse. She met my Grandad, Harry, in her early 20’s but didn’t marry him until years later as in those days, women had to give up their careers when they got married. Despite being written out of her parents’ will, she stuck to her guns and pursued the career she wanted. I used to love hearing these stories when I was little – she was such an independent woman way ahead of her time and stuck to her principles despite being disinherited (actually, that’s not quite true – her parents left her a tea-towel in their will!). My Grandmother went on to have three children (two in her late 20’s when she finally married my Grandad) and then my Mum when she was almost 40 (very late in those days). She also drove a moped (which she crashed and was in a coma for a while and then got back on again when she was back on her feet). Lily passed away in 1996 but we still talk about her a lot – she was feisty and said what she thought but she was also loving and kind. I’m really proud of telling this story as I think she was truly inspirational. And she would have been straight down to that Lido, waving banners and holding placards!!

NB/ I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review by Orion and I was delighted to be asked to take part in the blog tour for this wonderful book. Please do also check out the other reviews that have already been posted and the ones scheduled for the next few days.

Review: Dear Mrs. Bird by A J Pearce

What I Thought:

It’s 1940 and Emmeline Lake’s dream is to become a Lady War Correspondent. After going for an interview with a newspaper, being offered the job, telling everyone she knows, Emmeline arrives for her first day only to realise that there has been a huge mistake. Instead of pounding the rubble of Blitz-ridden London she has actually been employed to work with their Agony Aunt, the formidable Mrs. Bird,  and will spend her days sifting through letters for her column “Henrietta Helps”. She soon learns, however, that not all (in fact, most) letters don’t ever make it to the paper as they are  (deemed “unpleasant” (any containing intimacy, unhappiness or divorce among other topics are a definite no-no). Emmy, bored and frustrated by all the poor people she can’t help, decides to secretly answer some of the letters, and not realsing the impending chaos that will ensue.

Dear Mrs. Bird is a quirky, fun read. It’s filled with likable (and some not so likable) characters who manage to navigate their way through the war and still find things to be cheerful about. Yes, it’s a light and breezy book but there are some difficult to read parts that I thought the author managed incredibly well and with great tenderness.

Verdict:

A charming book that should appeal to many. A lovely read with a lightness of touch which I thoroughly enjoyed.

NB/ I received a copy of this book from Picador to read in return for my honest review. Dear Mrs. Bird will be available to purchase in the UK on 05/04/18. 

Review: Lullaby by Leila Slimani

What I Thought:

“The baby is dead. It only took a few seconds.” That is the first line of this book. I was horrified and hooked. We know right from the start that there is no happy ending and we also know who is guilty. What we want to know is why.

Lullaby is shocking because it’s the nanny who has harmed the children. Louise is the perfect nanny: quiet, conscientious, and always going above and beyond what’s required of her role. She makes herself invaluable to a mother who is desperate to get back to work and find the person she once was. In fact, Louise is so perfect that the parents find themselves prepared to overlook certain things that become increasingly odd, all for the sake of peace and keeping her in the role so they can fulfill their own needs outside o the children. Lullaby explores the dynamics within a family unit and also those of gender, race and class.

This is no ordinary domestic noir: the book is short in length, has short chapters and has prose that is precise, clipped and even blunt, but not a word is wasted. However, from what was such a promising start that lured me straight in it gradually went downhill for me, with an ending that was particularly frustrating.

Verdict:

Despite there being lots to like about this book, I became more confused towards the end as to what drove Louise to do what she did. In fact the more we learned about Louise’s past the more confused I became as to why the hell she did what she did. Well written and I liked the style but I got no closure from this book and it left me with a sense of being duped.

Review: The Fear by C.L. Taylor

What I Thought:

This is one of those read-in-on-sitting type books: short chapters, alternating viewpoints, past and present narratives. All the ingredients of a gripping page-turner.

Lou Wandsworth had an affair with her Karate teacher, Mike, when she was fourteen, which ended when they were arrested in France. Eighteen years later, Lou has been unable to move on properly with her life; with short-lived relationships having become her staple and a past that even her best friend doesn’t know anything about. But it’s not about to stay like that for much longer. After her Father’s death, Lou has to move back to her childhood home which exposes not only long-buried feelings but also the revelation that Mike may be up to his old tricks with 13-year-old Chloe Meadows.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse as Lou attempts to bring Mik to justice after all these years, but what neither of them reckons on is there being someone else in the mix who is just as out for revenge.

Verdict:

A gripping, fast-paced read that will have you questioning what is really going on and a race to the end to see if just desserts are served after all.

 

NB/ I received a copy of this book from Avon Books in return for an honest review. The book is launched in the UK on 22/03/18.

 

Review – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

What I Thought:

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a book with over 500 pages about humankind over the last several million years may be dry and inaccessible. Not so with this book. It is a feast for the brain! Harari has made a very complicated subject easy to understand because of his way of writing, which is engaging and clear.

Sapiens really challenges you and makes you think. For example, Harari provides some intriguing arguments about how we were all duped by the Agricultural Revolution which turned us into farmers when we evolved essentially to be hunter-foragers. We tend to assume that the agricultural revolution was a great leap forward – when actually, according to this book, it was more akin to a great disaster.

Likewise, he analyses the Cognitive Revolution which allowed mankind to develop a consciousness about life and to believe in “phenomena” such as religion and culture. The role of empires and capitalism are thoroughly discussed, and Harari gives some interesting ideas on why it was that a then-comparatively backward Europe came to dominate the globe. This I found fascinating, as we learn that while Europeans were out exploring and conquering, China and India and other great nations sat complacently back, only to find themselves at the bottom of the new pecking order.

Sapiens themselves won out over other varieties of early human (Neanderthals, Denisovans etc)  and evolved into a supreme species by first wreaking havoc on other large species as they spread across the globe and then outthinking others, engaging in shared fictions (religions, limited liability companies etc). This may make us feel powerful or triumphant but, believe me, it makes you ashamed too.

I could not put this book down. It was a refreshing respite from the majority fiction that I usually read and gave my brain a damn good work out too. Trust me when I say you will view yourself and those around you very differently once you’ve finished.

Verdict:

A fascinating, gripping, sometimes jaw-dropping read. It’s accessible without being patronising. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Review: The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr

What I Thought:

Seventeen-year-old Ella Black has a stable and relatively happy life. Most of the time. When she’s not painting or hanging with her friends, she is trying to hide the ‘bad’ side of her personality, Bella, as Bella makes her do and say things that Ella never would. All good until one day, out of the blue, her parents pull her suddenly out of school and whisk her away to Rio de Janeiro with some flimsy excuse that Ella doesn’t believe for a minute. Determined to find out what’s really going on, Ella searches through their things and discovers that her entire life has been a lie. Hurt and confused, Ella runs away, but it appears she can’t outrun the truth.

My issues with this book are many but mainly centred around Ella herself: the fact that she behaved younger than her apparent years, was bratty and spoiled and fell head-over-heels in love with someone she had never even spoken to are just some of those. The bit I had been keen to read more about was her alter-ego Bella, but even she disappeared once they arrived in Rio. Rio? The fact that Ella’s parents whisk her off there was never really explained either, it was just all very odd. As was the fact that she managed to land on her feet and get out of scrapes with remarkable speed and ease.

I read to the end was to find out what happened but unfortunately, it was a big let-down. The cover is misleading for a start, and I still couldn’t understand Ella’s actions enough to get any kind of closure. I’m left feeling a bit cheated.

Verdict:

I am a fan of Emily Barr’s books but I really can’t recommend this one I’m afraid. I know I’m not the target audience but I still know a good book when I read one and I hate to say it but this ain’t one of ’em.

 

NB/ With thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Review: Home by Amanda Berriman

What I Thought:

I have thought about what I might write for this review, and have finally come to the conclusion that whatever I write will come nowhere close to doing this book justice. It was one of those books where I started to dread finishing because I didn’t want to leave them behind. It melted my heart but it also broke it.

The funny thing is, I was almost put off reading Home upon realising it was narrated by a four-year-old as I’m not a massive fan of child narrators (except the utterly brilliant Room and Only Child). However, buying Home has turned out to be one of the best bookish decisions I have ever made! Within two pages, I had warmed to Jesika so completely that I wanted to scoop her up in a big fat hug.

Jesika lives with her Mum Tina and baby brother Toby in a high-rise flat with a corrupt Landlord and unsavoury neighbours. This is a story of poverty and struggle and yet it is also a story of bravery and triumph. Some of the themes of the book are not easy to read but seeing it through the eyes of a child adds some distance allowing the book not to take a depressing or gratuitous turn. Every character in this book is so wonderfully drawn that I took pretty much all of them to heart.

There’s not much more I can say about the plot without ruining it and whatever more I do say will never truly capture the beauty and brilliance of this book. The only thing I can say with any certainty is READ IT!

Verdict:

Warning: Jesika will steal your heart. You will not want to leave her behind and you still think about her long after you have set this book down to rest. I cannot recommend highly enough!

Review: Bring Me Back by B A Paris

What I Thought:

Last year I read TheBreakdown and absolutely loved it so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this. I’m sorry to say that I was left disappointed… There are a handful of reviews already out there all raving about this Bring Me Back, so much so that I had to question whether I had even read the same book as everyone else. It’s not a bad book, that much I will say, but I found myself bored by the repetition and, what I felt was, unnecessary padding.

The prologue lulled me into a sense of intrigue and high hopes that ultimately failed to deliver. Finn and Layla are driving home through France on their way back from a skiing trip, when a stop to use the bathroom at a rest area on the motorway results in the disappearance of Layla. Originally suspected of murder and then released, Finn continues on with his life only to meet and fall in love with Layla’s sister Ellen. Twelve years after her disappearance, and shortly after Finn’s proposal to Ellen, Finn starts receiving messages of sightings and is the recipient of strange goings-on that would only mean something to the three of them – Finn, Ellen and Layla. Is Layla alive after all? And if so, where has she been all these years?

Maybe I read too many of these types of books but the red herrings weren’t fishy enough for me and the outcome became obvious to me very early on so it almost became a let-down to be proved right as I love a good shock ending. The plus points are that there are unreliable narrators and despite (in my view) a middle that sagged between a good start and a good ending, I still turned the pages fairly quickly.

Verdict:

Lots to like and will no doubt be a roaring success like her previous books, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

NB/ Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for my copy of this book which I chose to read in return for an honest review.

This book will be available to buy on 8th March 2018.

Review: The Temptation of Gracie by Santa Montefiore

What I Thought:

Let me start by saying that I am such a huge fan of Santa Montefiore’s books. I discovered them several years ago when I found myself swept away to Italy and Devon in The House by The Sea  which still remains one of my favourites. Since then I have read many more, but I still have plenty more on my shelf (what I call my rainy day shelf – when I need a pick-me-up and know beyond doubt that a book by a certain author will be just the tonic I need).

The Temptation of Gracie is a standalone book, centered around Gracie herself, her daughter Carina and granddaughter Anastasia. It is again set in Italy and Devon and also over dual time-frames. Elderly Gracie Burton lives in Devon, where she spends her time walking her two dogs along the cliffs and helping to organise various events in the village. According to herself, and to the knowledge of her friends and even her own family, Gracie has led an unremarkable life, so when Grace suddenly announces that she is going to Tuscany to stay in a castle for a week-long Italian cookery course, it not only sets tongues wagging but has just about everyone she knows aghast at the idea. As Gracie sets off to sunnier climes, reluctant daughter and granddaughter in tow, the memories stirred up by the trip for Gracie that will have long-lasting implications for all of them.

To say any more about the plot would be to spoil the unfolding story of what happens when they arrive in Tuscany, but true to form there are secrets, revelations and romance. As with all Montefiore’s books, it is best to know little and allow yourself to be swept up in what ensues. One of the reasons I love her books is that so often when reading them, when I eventually look up, I am surprised to still find myself in my own front room. Every page is a feast of colours, smells and sensations. Everything feels so vibrant and sumptuous; from the flowers to the food to the views from the castle. I admit I am no chef, but when reading this book I immediately wanted to book myself onto an Italian cookery course in a Tuscan castle. Now that is great storytelling!

One final shout out about this book and that is the characters: they were all wonderful. However, my particular favourite was Flappy Scott-Booth – the bossy, snobby, interfering head of Badley Compton Ladies’ Book Club. She was an absolute delight to read about and added several (unintentional on her part) comedy moments. I’m desperately hoping she appears in more books in the future.

Verdict:

An absolute joy. Pure escapism at its best.

Review: Tangerine by Christine Mangan

What I Thought:

This book had me at “If Donna Tartt, Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith & Daphne Du Maurier collaborated”. Sold!

It’s 1956 and Alice Shipley has moved with her new husband, John, to the sweltering, claustrophobic heat of Tangier in Morocco for John’s work. Once sociable, Alice becomes almost a recluse as she hides herself away from the crowds in her little apartment. Isolated and friendless, Alice’s self-made little cocoon is about to be blown wide open by the appearance of Lucy Mason, her ex-college roommate from Vermont. It is immediately apparent that all is not well between Alice and Lucy: what starts out as uncomfortable and strained, escalates into something far more toxic.

Narrated alternately by both Alice and Lucy, we begin to learn more about their pasts, their friendship and the incident that drove them apart a year ago. With a definite nod to Single White Female, what ensues is a tale of obsession, manipulation and deception. While not a book that hurtles along, it is certainly still a page-turner with plenty of forward momentum as the desire to discover both what happened on a stormy night in Vermont and what the outcome will be for all as Lucy tightens her net around her prey.

Verdict:

Deliciously twisty and chilling and although some just desserts were served, not everything worked out as I had expected which pleased me as it wasn’t all tied up in a neat, predictable little bow.

This is a remarkable debut: so much so that I would have guessed at a much more seasoned writer had I not known. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.

 

NB/ I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review. It is released in the UK by Little, Brown on 22nd March 2018.

Blog Tour: Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

What I Thought:

Many years ago I read a book called Room by Emma Donaghue and fell in love with a small boy. A few weeks ago I read Only Child and fell in love with a different little boy. There was a time when I couldn’t read books narrated by children, as I would find myself cringing at anything that didn’t feel authentic. Room changed that, and now I have a new hero that goes by the name of Zach.

The book opens with Zach and some of his classmates hiding in a cupboard with their teacher as a gunman runs rampage through their school. Zach continues with his story in the aftermath of the massacre as he, his family and the community try to make some sort of sense of the events of that day. Zach is a wonderful character: perceptive, sensitive and very engaging. Despite narrating the chaos and confusion felt by himself and those around him, it was a pleasure to be in his company as he navigated his own unfamiliar emotions and witnessed the alien ones of those closest to him. Being narrated by a child gives the story the wide-eyed, innocent view of the world that only a child could which adds to the heartbreak in a way that a cynical or jaded adult wouldn’t be able to.

This is such an incredibly powerful book and not just because of the subject matter. I am stunned that this is the author’s debut novel as it is written with the assuredness and keen eye of someone who has many more books under her belt. Only Child wrecked me. Several times. My heart broke for the characters in this book. And despite the subject matter, nothing felt gratuitous or shoe-horned in for dramatic effect which is why I’m sure it had such the impact that it did.

Verdict:

This book is a triumph. It crushes you and lifts you back up, it breaks your heart but leaves you optimistic, it holds a mirror up to society and forces you to look beneath the surface at what’s really going on. It will be a long time before I forget Zach and his family. Zach is a special boy and this is a special book – one which I cannot recommend highly enough.

NB/ Thank you to Jess for inviting me to be part of the blog tour. I read the book voluntarily and opinions are my own. For other reviews of this book, please head over to these other fantastic blogs:

 

 

Review: The Chalk Man by C J Tudor

What I Thought:

A group of school friends in the 80’s makes a gruesome discovery while following strategically placed chalk men through the woods. Now in their 40’s, the gang are reunited by the very thing that they had left firmly behind in their past.

Eddie, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo and Nicky are such wonderfully depicted, fully fleshed out characters that could have been hand-picked straight from my childhood playground. Being of a similar age to the main characters, this book was a glorious trip down memory lane from wham bars to BMX’s, although I loved the fact that it was subtle (I read a book last year that was set in the 80’s and got so fed up of having shoulder pads and ra-ra skirts and the like rammed down my throat in every sentence that I ended up abandoning it).

The story flips between 1986 and 2016 as old memories are stirred and the chalk men drawings they thought they had left behind thirty years ago reappear to taunt and cajole them. This is a chilling and creepy book but yet it has such warmth and humour. I really felt that the author had a great understanding of and affection for her characters which gave them the vibrancy and dimension that I always long for in a book (I don’t need to like a character, but make me feel something about them).

Since reading this book I have seen a few reviews likening it to (or even claiming that it is a direct copy of) Stephen King’s books IT and The Body (or Stand By Me for film buffs). Having read neither, I didn’t get this while reading so I can’t comment on the similarities if indeed there are any. I have also read other reviews that claim this is “horror” but I’m afraid I can’t agree. It certainly isn’t scary – maybe creepy, but not what I would class as horror. To me, it felt like a right of passage tale of a group of friends with a chilling edge. There is a mystery to be solved (both in the past and present day) and a few unexpected revelations which kept me invested and guessing to the very end.

Verdict:

I absolutely loved this book! I raced through it not only because I wanted to know what had really happened back in 1986, but also because I wanted to be in the company of such a fabulous cast of character. It also had one of the best laugh out loud lines I’ve read for ages: “Whip me, Mildred!”

Massive thumbs up!

Review: The Power by Naomi Alderman

What I Thought:

I love books like this: books that force us to question the world around us, to question how we would react if normal was no longer normal. The premise for The Power is certainly an attention-grabbing one: “All over the world women are discovering they have the power. With a flick of the fingers they can inflict terrible pain – even death. Suddenly, every man on the planet finds they’ve lost control. The Day of the Girls has arrived.” Winner of the 2017 Bailey’s Women’s prize for fiction, this book has had its share of attention, and deservedly so. 

The Power has been touted as The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games (two books that are firm favourties of mine) but I’m afraid I can’t agree. The book didn’t feel cohesive enough to me although I do recognise that that may well have been the point, being set in a society that is both crumbling and back-lashing simultaneously. I liked so many aspects of this page-turner, but I also admit I did find myself becoming somewhat confused at various point throughout. Again, maybe this was the point.

The book begins and ends very cleverly, with letters between Naomi and a man called Neil who has written a novel based on his historical research. These letters are set in the “present” although this present is actually 5,000 years in the future where things are not as we know them – this is a world where women have the upper hand and have the same sense of entitlement that men do today. Neil has written a story about The Cataclysm, which is what the beginning of the shift is known as, and he has written it as fiction (based on fact) rather than some dry textbook. That novel is The Power.

Centering around a few key players in this dystopian (or utopian depending on your viewpoint) tale included Roxy, daughter of a criminal gang leader and Allie, runaway teenager who had been passed from abusive foster home to abusive foster home. While both great characters for a book of this ilk, I did find that I couldn’t empathise with most of the main characters. It would have been good to have some “ordinary” people in there too  – and by ordinary I mean girls who had an average upbringing, who went to school, had friends, did their homework and then suddenly found themselves in possession of the power. How did this new found power affect them? How did their parents, teachers, boyfriends etc. suddenly deal with these girls? What happened to their lives as society began to shift. These were questions that were never really answered for me and personally would have liked to have seen explored more.

The book takes us around the world, from Saudi Arabia, India, the UK to the USA and also a newly created country where women take over. It doesn’t shy away from religion, terrorism, uprising or even rape. It doesn’t portray the changing world as better for women having the power. It’s gritty, it’s raw and it’s frightening.

Verdict:

Despite some misgivings, I still heartily recommend this book. It will challenge your thoughts, preconceptions and give your brain a damn good workout. It’s clever, shocking and will hopefully make you question things you had never even thought to question. And the last sentence of the book is a corker!

Review: Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

What I Thought:

Aside from having a cover depicting cake (sold!) I had high hopes for this book anyway, having read (and loved) The Trouble with Goats and Sheep just a year earlier. In the same way that its predecessor did, Three Things About Elsie gently invited me in by way of a character whose story I immediately wanted to know more about, and whose side I walked by until the final page.

Florence, narrator for most of the book, is 84 years old and living in Cherry Tree home for the elderly with her best friend from childhood, Elsie. Flo is losing her memory and finds it hard to remember the simplest things sometimes,  and being part-narrated by two members of staff from Cherry Tree this also helps us to see how overlooked the elderly become, almost to the point of dehumanisation. There are times in the book when I had to pause and think. One example of this is when Flo is asked about another resident, Mrs. Honeyman, and whether she has lost someone: “only who she used to be” replies Flo.

What I didn’t realise this book would also be, was a mystery. A new resident moves into Cherry Tree; someone whom Flo recognises from her past and someone who causes her distress. Having Flo as our protagonist adds a whole extra level to solving the mystery, as she is an unintentionally unreliable narrator. As Flo picks away at the threads of her memory, supported by Elsie and another resident, Jack, we are able to put together pieces of the puzzle, but only at the same time as Flo, meaning that there are questions, doubts and hold-ups along the way.

Verdict:

Poignant, tender, delightful. A book about friendship, hope and about how our lives can touch others in such a small way but ultimately have the biggest impact. A wonderful read.

Review: Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

What I Thought:

When I read this book back in the summer, it was both shocking and unsurprising (that is, the content is shocking but unfortunately I wasn’t so surprised). What I didn’t realise, however, was how closely life would mirror art (or is it the other way round?) so soon after reading it. Seldom does a book I read become so topical so suddenly and in such a huge way.

James Whitehouse, a junior minister in the British Home Office, seems to have it all. Educated at Oxford, James is privileged, handsome, well-off and a close friend of the prime minister. Married to Sophie, whom he met at Uni, and father to Emily and Toby, he appears to have the perfect life from the outside. However, one night he finds himself having to confess to Sophie that he had an affair with his assistant, Olivia. The affair is finished, he says, but he had to confess as the tabloids have got hold of the story and are about to announce it to the world. Shocked and upset, just as Sophie is coming round to this revelation,  James is arrested. Olivia has filed a charge of rape against him.

The book is narrated in turn by James, Sophie and Kate, who is prosecuting James and seems to have an agenda of her own. James claims he’s innocent, Kate is determined to bring him down and Sophie wants to believe James and stand by her husband, preferring to believe his version that Olivia consented. We, in effect, are the jury as we try to piece it all together and work out who is telling the truth.

But that’s not all: there’s another story unfolding as well. This one is set in the early 90’s when James, Sophie and Tom (the current prime minister) were at Oxford. This is integral to the plot as it helps us to gain insight and also adds a layer of mystery to the plot.

Verdict:

Topical and shocking. I predict big things for this book in 2018. Would make a great read/debate for book groups too.

Review: How To Be Happy by Eva Woods

What I Thought:

Reading this book over the new year period felt kind of poignant as this is the time of year when a lot of people make resolutions to try to better themselves. Fortunately, this wasn’t some eat clean, train dirty, find-your-inner-zen-in-order-to-better-yourself claptrap. In fact, much to my joy, eating cake for the hell of it features often among the pages. No, it’s more about trying to find even the smallest bit of happiness in the most mundane of things: eating breakfast off a nice plate, lighting an expensive candle rather than saving it for some undefined moment, getting away from your desk at lunchtime, getting off the bus a stop early to notice what’s around you or to go to a nicer coffee shop. Things that take minimum effort but that may just make your own (or someone else’s) day.

How To Be Happy is inspired by the Facebook challenge that did the rounds a year or so ago – #100HappyDays. The book begins with Annie, alone and desperately unhappy, visiting her mother in hospital when she is knocked off her feet by a kaleidoscopic whirlwind by the name of Polly, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and has 3 months left to live, and who also insists on infiltrating Annie’s miserable life in the most irritating manner. After several unsuccessful attempts to avoid Polly, is Annie finally ready to let a little colour back in to her life?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each chapter is one of the 100 days and during those days, secrets are shared and obstacles overcome, there is joy and there is sorrow and much heartache but despite that this is such a heartwarming book. The developing friendship between Polly and Annie is touching and real (nothing is sugar-coated) and I love the fact that the challenge was about doing and celebrating the little things and not about bucket lists or trying to make yourself into something that you’re not.

Verdict:

Funny, sad and very real. A tonic without being schmaltzy. I loved it.

Review: Faking Friends by Jane Fallon

What I thought:

I am like a child at Christmas when a new Jane Fallon book comes out: wide-eyed and giddy with excitement. Just so with Faking Friends: it’s chock full of laughs, romance and revenge…

You know when you’re reading a book and your mouth does this – O. That happened. Lots. I love that! Getting so lost in a plot and the in the company of the characters that something sideswipes you without you seeing it coming is one of my favourtie plot devices.

Amy is a budding actress, working on a series in New York. She has a great new job, a gorgeous fiance, Jack, at home in London and a best friend, Mel, who she’s known since they were children. She’s on the up and she’s happy and who better to share in her excitement than her best friend and fiance? On a surprise trip back to London, Amy finds out that the one person she thought she could trust more than anyone has been making herself at home. In her flat. With her boyfriend. Amy has two choices: she can walk out and move on, or she can have a little fun of her own…

I love a good revenge plot, but I love it even more when the author throws in a few surprises to keep us on our toes.

Verdict:

Gipping, unpredictable, a hoot.

Warning: Keep your friends close and your best friends damn close!

 

Review: Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister

What I thought:

This book started off great guns: I started the book one night before bed “just to see how it is…” and found myself flipping the pages furiously and unwilling to put it down. It was less than halfway through that I then noticed my interest waning and by three quarters I could happily have abandoned it and moved on… but I still liked the idea of the plot and really wanted to see how it would all resolve itself.

Set in a sliding-doors fashion, the first chapter follows Joanna on her night out with friend Laura, from her selfie with a stranger through to unwanted attention from a man that leads to them leaving the club early. Walking back along the canal side, and still upset from her earlier ordeal, Joanna hears quickening footsteps behind her and a split second decision makes her do something that will have long-term consequences for so many. The following chapters are then alternate between reveal (she confesses) and conceal (she runs away).

Such a great idea for a book and one I was looking forward to enormously to see how the consequences of our actions can affect us so utterly. It should have been great. But I got bored: bored of Joanna, whom I found it was difficult to empathise with, bored of the plot which didn’t seem to go anywhere for a huge chunk of the book and bored of waiting to find out how it would all pull together. If in fact, if it had pulled nicely together at the end (by way of a twist or something jaw-dropping) it would quite possibly have redeemed itself but I found the ending to not only be convenient in an attempt to wrap it all up but a bit of a damp squib.

I feel my main issue is that I couldn’t connect with Joanna or any other members of the cast, at all. It wasn’t simply that I didn’t like her; I couldn’t “get” her in either the reveal or conceal stories. That made it difficult to invest in the book overall as I was not engaged.

Verdict:

Not a bad book, just not a great one. I haven’t read Everything But The Truth (McAllister’s first book) yet but I do have a copy and I have heard great things so I wouldn’t be put off reading this at all.

Great concept, not so great execution.

Review: Force of Nature by Jane Harper

What I thought:

Earlier this year I read Jane Harper’s debut novel, The Dry, and loved it! A fresh new voice in an overcrowded genre: I loved the setting, the protagonist and the plot. I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on her second book, Force of Nature, and was thrilled that it started in a way that drew me straight back in. Unfortunately, this book didn’t continue down that same route for me: the one that pulls me along with it. For a whole section in the middle, I actually grew bored. I don’t need a crime book to be high octane all the time, but I actually found myself losing interest in both the characters and plot for a large chunk.

Aaron Falk, our Detective from The Dry, is back which pleased me, as did the setting which was remote and away from the more usual urban backdrop. Falk is drawn into the mystery of a missing woman, Alice, who is on a corporate team-building hike in the bush. Four of the five women in the group return late, battered, bruised and frightened as not only did they lose their way in the bush, they also lost one of their group along the way. As a search party sets out to find Alice, the book alternates between the present time and going back a few days to allow the reader into the women’s trek and what really happened.

I think my main issue was that I never really got a feeling of how frightened or exhausted the women must have been. They were lost in the wilderness with dwindling supplies and it was raining and cold. I would have been terrified. I have done a solo hike of 120 miles in the UK and at one point I got lost on a foggy moor for an hour or so and the feeling of frustration and weariness just in that short timeframe was so hard to deal with, never mind wandering around with no food for days on end. There wasn’t enough plot to grab me in the middle section and with no real sense of terror or impending doom, I lost interest to the point that I almost gave up altogether.

I am glad I stayed with the book, however, as it did pick up again in the last quarter but even so I wasn’t blown away by the book.

Verdict:

Somewhat disappointing after having loved The Dry so much, but I will definitely read more of this series with Aaron Falk. I am still a fan of Jane Harper despite not being so enamored with Force of Nature.

 

Have you read either book? What did you think?

Throwback Thursday: Halloween Special

With it being Halloween shortly, I have decided to do a special spooky edition of Throwback Thursday … OOoOoOOoooOOOOoooooo Throwback Thursday is a meme created by Renée at It’s Book Talk to share old favourite books rather than just the new shiny ones. This is a great idea to bring back to life some much-loved books. Please feel free to join in.

Here is a selection of books I have read over the years and their spooky ratings

 

Halloween Party by Agatha Christie 

I have read this book so many times and I never fail to enjoy it. It was one of the first Agatha Christie’s I read as a teenager when I went through a phase of devouring everything I could get my hands on. Even though I have read it so many times now, it has never lost its appeal to me. Spooky? No, not at all. Fun? Yes, absolutely!

The story starts with a famous author, Ariadne   Oliver, who is attending a children’s Halloween party in a pretty little English village. She is recognised by some of the children who start to quiz her about her books and complain that there isn’t enough murder in them. One of the group, a rather unpopular 13-year-old called Joyce, then pipes up “I saw a murder once” before being shouted down and laughed at by those around her. Trying to explain herself she then adds “but I didn’t realise that it was a murder at the time.” The party gets into full swing but before the night is out, Joyce has been found murdered face down in a bucket of bobbing apples…

Ariadne sets off to see her old friend Hercule Poirot for help as she has become convinced that someone who overheard Joyce’s claim to have seen a murder had wanted to shut her up. Poirot then sets about busy-bodying his way around the village, in true Poirot style, asking questions to anyone and everyone about what Joyce may have seen. And as in true Christie style, expect the unexpected!

I’m so glad I read this book again – picking up an Agatha Christie is like meeting up with an old friend; it’s a real tonic.

Spooky rating:

A great mystery book set at Halloween. Will it scare you? Not a chance. Will you love it? Absolutely!

 

Dark Matter: A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver 

This book is written in the form of a journal by Jack Miller, a London misfit with a dead-end job and no friends who joins an expedition to the Arctic Circle in 1937. Jack is desperate to go and has looked forward to this adventure for six months before setting off so his spirits are high as soon as he steps onto the boat to take them to the bay of Gruhuken in northern Norway.

However, Jack’s joy soon takes a downward turn as one by one, members of the expedition drop like flies and he is left alone, with just a pack of huskies and a self-built hut in one of the remotest parts of the world. Not only that, but Jack begins to see and hear things that aren’t really there. Or are they?

I found this book incredibly well written and what I found was that the way the isolation and deprivation were played out over the pages was far more spooky than the ghost that was inhabiting the bay with Jack. The sense of fear as Jack slowly began to lose his mind imagining things that had moved or appeared was palpable and made for very chilly reading.

Jack’s relationship with one of the dogs, Isaak, was the only warming part of this icy tale but it was a welcome relief in such a desolate text.

Although I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it as a great read, I am disappointed to report that it didn’t scare me in the least (and I am a complete wimp when it comes to scary things).

Spooky rating:

Definitely eerie and atmospheric and a great ending to the book, but alas it did not actually scare me.

Those of a nervous disposition may want to avoid or read with the light on though.

 

Comes The Blind Fury by John Saul 

I first read this book as a young teenager (so just a few years ago then…). I remember one half-term shutting myself away in my bedroom with a stack of John Saul novels and scaring myself silly. I had completely forgotten all about John Saul until I stumbled across this book many years later and decided to see if I still felt the same.

Fast forward a few (!) years, it didn’t have the same impact on me as it did as a teenager in terms of reading it from behind a cushion, but I still loved it and remembered just why I was such as fan of Sauls books back then.

The book starts with the death of a twelve-year-old blind girl, Amanda, in 1886. She is a kind and gentle girl who has been routinely teased and tormented by her classmates, and one day that they go too far and put an object in her way on the cliff path, sending her free-falling into the sea. Amanda may be dead but she is not done yet…

One hundred years later, twelve-year-old Michelle moves with her family from Boston to Paradise Point to live in a big old Victorian house on the edge of the cliffs. When she picks her room, she finds an ancient doll at the back of the closet and names her Amanda.

Michelle quickly makes friends at school, and enjoys her new life, until one day at a picnic on the beach, things take an ugly turn when one of the group begins teasing her and Michelle runs off and tumbles down the side of the cliff. From then on she must use a cane to walk with the teasing becomes worse…until the fog comes out of nowhere and Michelle meets the ghost of Amanda who vows to help her get revenge…

This is a great book to keep you on the edge of your seat. I had forgotten just how great John Saul is able to do that. While not actually scary, it certainly had an eerie feel to it and it kept me on my toes.

Spooky rating:

A great Halloween read. Eerie and creepy. Read on a dark, cold night…but watch out for the fog drawing in….

 

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters 

This story is narrated by Dr. Faraday, a local village Doctor, in 1940′s rural England. He is called to Hundreds Hall, a huge mansion with acres of land where his Mother was a nursery nurse when he was a boy and he remembers, fondly, the extravagant tea parties and fetes that the Ayres family used to throw for the village. When Dr. Farady arrives at the house after not having seen it for decades he is shocked at the crumbling and dilapidated state that it’s in. The owners of the property are now Mrs. Ayres and her two children, Caroline and Roderick (both in their twenties); her eldest child, Susan, died 30 years ago aged nine. Faraday has been called to see the maid, Betty, who is complaining of stomach problems and saying that she wants to go home, but when Faraday delves deeper he finds out that it is because she is hearing strange things in the house and she is scared. Farady is invited to have tea with the family and this is the start of a friendship with the family just at a time when things start going bump in the night……

Despite casualties of the spooky goings on a-plenty, Faraday managed to find an explanation for everything: the fires, the writing on the walls, the tapping etc. What frustrated me was that while this was going on I was expecting things to start falling into place and make sense, but it never did. I am no more clued up now that I was when I started it. What I think Waters has done is left readers to make up their own minds about what was going on in the house. Where there really ghosts or was the family in melt-down as well as the house? The book is set in post WWII England, on the eve of the NHS, when class is becoming less important and the upstanding members of the community aren’t necessarily only those with wealth anymore: Mrs. Ayres still likes Betty the maid to dress in full black and white and courtesy etc which is even starting to be amusing to members of her own circle. With the going’s on in the house, we are left to wonder whether there really is the pitter-patter of little ghosty feet or whether the demise of the house is mirroring the demise of its occupants?

I would definitely recommend this book as a really good read. I was reading late one night and put the book down just after an episode of tapping on the walls and was drifting to sleep when I swear I was woken up by tapping on my bedroom window! It could have been a dream, but hey……..you never know!

Spooky Rating:

Although this book wasn’t actually scary per se, the ghostly goings on in the middle gave me the chills while I was up reading late one night.

Good spooky parts but the book won’t turn your hair grey with fright.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger 

Throw a huge cemetery, a cold & wintery London, bizarre mirror twins, a feral kitten and a recently dead Aunt into a pot together and the result is a wonderfully quirky, melancholy, spooky book.

The story is set around Highgate Cemetery in London where a recently dead Elspeth has left her apartment to her twenty-year-old American nieces, Julia and Valentina, who are mirror twins. When the twins arrive in their new home they soon learn that they are not alone as it appears their Aunt Elspeth has never left. While it’s sometimes difficult to know who to root for in this book, there is a wonderful cast of both primary and secondary characters that kept me glued to the story and there is a sense of such powerful emotions that they almost feel tangible: The twins new neighbour, Robert, was their Aunt’s lover and his feelings of loss for Elspeth are painful to read at times. I felt completely absorbed in this book and I have to admit that I never saw what happened in the last 50 pages coming at all!

It is ultimately a book about love, loss and betrayal with a gothic backdrop of ghosts, cemeteries and enough twists and turns that you never feel completely comfortable. With the Cemetery itself a character and echoes of Henry James and Charles Dickens, “Her Fearful Symmetry” is a delicious and deadly twenty-first-century ghost story.

Spooky rating:

Mild spookiness. Unless you have a particularly weak heart, you should be OK with this one.

 

Naomi’s Room by Jonathan Aycliffe 

The really weird thing about this book is that I picked it up for a few pence in a second-hand bookshop a few years ago; I had no desire to read any horror books at the time and when I got home I remember wondering what had possessed me to get it as I thought I might find it too scary to read. On a whim a while later, I took it off my shelf and dusted it down – and I swear I kept getting déjà vu while I read it (just little snippets that would make me shiver and convinced I’d read it before but I really don’t think I have). Spooooooky!

The book is a ghost story that starts off with the abduction of a four-year-old girl, Naomi, from a busy toy shop in London on Christmas Eve in 1970. Her father, Charles Hillenbrand gets separated from her in the shop and she is never seen again. By the afternoon of Christmas Day Naomi’s body has been found – she has been murdered.

While trying to cope with their grief and come to terms without their little girl, back in Cambridge, Charles and Laura find themselves on the receiving end of some very strange events. They are woken one night by a piercing scream coming from Naomi’s room, and they hear footsteps in the attic above their bedroom. The mystery and nightmare only deepen when a photographer who has been camped outside their house waiting for glimpses of the grieving parents has his role of film developed and finds strange faces that appear at the attic window and two little girls dressed in Victorian clothing in the garden where he was sure there was nobody there. Together, Charles and the journalist, David Lewis, try to work out what’s going on……but nobody could predict what more was to come!

This is a really spooky tale of things that go bump in the night, ghosts who have had a particularly gruesome end to their earthly lives and are trying to communicate, and the ending is pretty shocking – and totally unexpected!

This book was out of print for some time but it appears to be back on Amazon (yay!), along with Aycliffe’s other books which I now fully intend to check out.

Spooky Rating:

A good spooky yarn – scary and shocking.

In the middle of reading this book I was taking a shower (not with the actual book, obviously!) and I swear I saw something brown flash across my mirror just outside the shower door on the bathroom wall – it was only there for a fleeting second – but then I realised it was probably just my arm or something so I started waving my arms around to prove my own point. I couldn’t see them in the mirror – the angle was wrong!……

Recommended for sitting in a dark room with just your reading lamp on and a cup of hot chocolate.

 

Happy Halloween!

So there we have it: a little selection of spooky-themed books for the run-up to Halloween. Have you read any of these? Which other books do you recommend for this time of year?