1 Nov 2015

Month in Review / October 2015

Hi!  What a fantastic reading month October was!   I'm not one for celebrating Halloween too much (which we don't generally do a lot of here in England anyway) so I decided not to just stick to spooky reads.  There were quite a lot that really interested me this month and I managed to read 9 books, which I am really happy about!  If I had to pick my favourite out of the below it would have to be the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld.  These have been on my shelf for absolutely ages and I thought it was about time I picked these up.  I am so glad that I did.  I loved them!  I know there is another book after Specials called Extras which I did attempt to read but didn't continue with.  Extras does not start where Specials left off.  It pushes us quite a way into the future with new characters and new circumstances.  To be honest I was so confused by this and a bit sad that this wasn't a continuation I deeded not to finish reading it.  I will pick it up again at another point.  I hope you all had great reading months and are getting ready for November!!




 
SWEETEST SCOUNDREL BY ELIZABETH HOYT
SHE'S TAKING CHARGE  Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled.

HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW  Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.

BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL  In spite of her lack of theatrical experience—and her fiery clashes with Asa—Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them—and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all.


A DAUGHTER'S LOVE BY CATHERINE KING
Nell Goodman is a good daughter. Her job in the local brewery is the only thing keeping her and her mother afloat. But with her mother becoming increasingly eccentric and requiring more and more attention, Nell is starting to feel the burden of her responsibilities. Nell asks George Wilmot, the brewery's owner, for help and he offers her a job as a live-in servant at Wilmot Grange. While working at the Grange, Nell begins to grow closer to Devlin, George's son, and it looks like Nell's luck is finally changing. Yet, an unwelcome discovery and an unexpected tragedy shakes everything. Devlin pulls away from Nell, her mother's behavior grows worse, and there are secrets around every corner. Somehow Nell finds herself in the heart of all the drama with no idea of the part she is supposed to play.  

THE SILVER WITCH BY PAULA BRACKSTON
A year after her husband’s sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat’s death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her – a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she’s near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.

On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.

In her own time, Tilda’s grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake’s ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each others, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren’s prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.


THE YEARS OF LOVING YOU BY ELLA HARPER
What if your first love was your only love?
When Molly is diagnosed with a life changing illness, it feels like her whole world has come crashing down. She hopes the news will make her marriage to Sam stronger. But why does Molly always call best friend Ed in a crisis?

Ed. The very same Ed that Molly fell in love with at a party when they were teenagers, underneath a star-filled sky. Then life took them in very different directions. They could only ever be friends.
Suddenly Molly starts to question every decision she’s ever made. What if they could turn back the clock? Back to the very beginning. When the only certainty they shared was each other …
     

 
TRUE POWER BY GARY MEEHAN
(description from book 1 in the season, this is book 3)  Sixteen-year-old Megan is pregnant.

As she prepares to tell her family, the unthinkable happens. Her village is razed by soldiers: her grandfather murdered, her twin sister taken.

On a desperate mission to rescue her beloved Gwyneth, Megan discovers a terrifying truth - that the destruction of her old life is inextricably linked to her unborn child. The feared witch soldiers, vanquished a generation ago, have returned to see the fulfilment of a prophecy: one that will put Megan and her new friends - Eleanor, a fiery ex-aristocrat, and Damon, a wayward charmer - at the heart of the greatest war her world has ever known.
 
 

  
SILENCE IS GOLDEN BY ANNABEL PITCHER
My name is Tess Turner - at least, that's what I've always been told.

I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in, to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied.

It never occurred to me that everyone else was lying too. But the words that really hurt weren't the lies: it was six hundred and seventeen words of truth that turned my world upside down.

Words scare me, the lies and the truth, so I decided to stop using them.

I am Pluto. Silent. Inaccessible. Billions of miles away from everything I thought I knew.

Tessie-T has never really felt she fitted in and after what she read that night on her father's blog she knows for certain that she never will. How she deals with her discovery makes an entirely riveting, heart-breaking story told through Tess's eyes as she tries to find her place in the world.

   
ALONG THE INFINITE SEA BY BEATRIZ WILLIAMS
Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler's problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she's finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.

But the car's new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle's life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.

Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William's final book about the Schuyler sisters.

   
FOLLOW ME BY ANGELA CLARKE  

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE
The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.
But this is no virtual threat.
As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.
Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?
Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?
ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …












27 Oct 2015

Blog Tour & Book Review / Power Play by Tiffany Snow

THIS KIND OF BUSINESS CAN ONLY BE PERSONALSage Reese lives for her job. More precisely, she lives for her debonair boss, Parker Andersen. Sage handles everything for Parker, even as she fantasizes about the one thing that isn't in her job description: him. But when a high-stakes account crosses the line from shady to deadly, a tough cop starts giving Sage the attention she wishes Parker would . . .

Detective Dean Ryker couldn't be more different from Parker. While Parker wears expensive suits like a second skin and drives a BMW, Ryker's uniform is leather jackets and jeans . . . and his ride of choice is a Harley. While Parker's sexiness is a reserved, slow burn, Ryker is completely upfront about what-and who-he's after. And Sage tops his list.

Now, as Ryker digs deeper into the dark side of Parker's business, Sage finds herself caught between two men: the one she's always wanted-and the one who makes her feel wanted like never before . . .


Published:     20th July 2015
Publisher:  Piatkus
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Risky Business Series
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

What I loved about this book...    This was a really fun read for me.  I don't usually pick up this style of story but the description intrigued me.  What made this book good for me was the fact that it had a lot of twists and turns. I actually few right throughthis book in one sitting becauseI was so into the story and wanted to know what would happen at the end.  It helped that the pace of this story was fast; if it had been slow it probably would have taken me a lot longer to read it.    I always like books with secrets or characters with secrets and two of the main characters in this series, namely Riker and Pyker, who have a past that is obvious from the beginning but what was not so obvious was what happened between them...

What I was not so fond of with this book...  Honestly, the love triangle aspect of this story was not my favourite part.  You have Sage who is 'torn' between Ryker and Parker - one seemingly being a 'good guy' and one being a 'bad guy'.  I would loved to have seen something that was a bit more original than the typical good guy/bad guy story line.














22 Oct 2015

Book Review / Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Below is the description for book 1 in the Uglies series.  For the description of Pretties, please click on the Goodreads link below.

Tally can't wait to turn sixteen and become Pretty. Sixteen is the magic number that brings a transformation from a repellant Ugly into a stunningly attractive Pretty, and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.


But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the Pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. 


The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Published:     1st November 2007
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3, Uglies
Source:  Owned


OMG, I am just loving this series!  I can't believe it has taken me so long to read it.  Well this one was definitely a lot more action packed than the first two.  There's a lot of conflict and a lot of problems to be solved.  It was definitely a lot of fun following Tally around in this one.  Even more of this world has opened up secrets and I understand more about this world than ever before.  Just when I thought it could not get any more interesting, it does!  One thing I am intrigued about is what is going to happen in book 4.  Where it finishes in this book I am left wondering what could happen next!  Its been a while since I have been this addicted to a series I know I am going to have a massive book hangover after finishing this series... 







20 Oct 2015

Book Review / Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Below is the description for book 1 in the Uglies series.  For the description of Pretties, please click on the Goodreads link below.

Tally can't wait to turn sixteen and become Pretty. Sixteen is the magic number that brings a transformation from a repellant Ugly into a stunningly attractive Pretty, and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.


But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the Pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. 


The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Published:     1st November 2007
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, Uglies
Source:  Owned

This series just gets better and better.  I am marathoning this series and the time between finishing book 1 (Uglies) to starting this one was about a couple of hours.  I wrote my review for book 1 and then delved straight into the next one.  I just couldn't wait!  This book two has the same feel as the first book with all its fun, futuristic and action packed goodness but this book takes the story up a notch.  Obviously as this is book 2 I cannot go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil the story for those who have not read the first book in the series but let's just say that there are added complications in this story and a little more revealed about this world that made me love this story so much more!  Now I need to move on to book 3 right now, I just can't wait any longer! lol!







15 Oct 2015

Book Review / Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. 

And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world-- and it isn't very pretty. 


The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever...



Published:     8th February 2005
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Uglies
Source:  Owned Copy


This series has literally been sitting on my bookshelves for years.  I bought this series of another reviewer at the time who was getting rid of the and that must have been about four or five years ago now.  Its one of those series that I am really interested in reading but never actually get around to it. As this year I am in the process of 'reorganising' my bookshelves, getting rid of those I have read and not quite liked and reading the ones I actually have on my shelf, this is a series I decided to pick up now and I am so glad that I did.

What I liked about this the most was that it was not complicated.  What you saw (or read in this case)  is what you got.  I loved it.  You have this world that is divided up into uglies (those who have not had the 'pretty' operation yet which they get when they are 16) and pretties.  There are other characters but I won't go into them here as that would spoil the story...  We follow the story of Tally who is an ugly.  Her best friend is older than her and has already crossed over to the pretty side.  We see Tally make a new friend who leads her astray and from then on its like one thing after another with a few twists and turns along the way.  I loved this story for what it is - fun, futuristic and action packet.  I can't wait to start the next one - which I am going to do right now lol!


14 Oct 2015

Blog Tour / Secrets of The Royal Wedding Chapel


Immersed in the world of weddings and romance, Lily Lavender grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. A direct descendent of the British royals, it seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own.
Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.
THE AUTHOR

KATHLEEN IRENE PATERKA is an Amazon bestselling author of numerous women’s fiction novels. 

Her popular James Bay series includes Fatty Patty, Home Fires, Lotto Lucy, and For I Have Sinned, while her recent women’s fiction novel The Other Wife is set in Chicago. Secrets of the Royal Wedding Chapel, a Las Vegas tale of romance and royalty, will be released by Booktrope Publishing in October 2015. 

Kathleen lives in Northern Michigan with her husband Steve, where she is busy working on her next James Bay novel.















13 Oct 2015

Book Review / These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. 

With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.


Josephine Montfort is from one of New York's oldest, most respected, and wealthiest families. Like most well-off girls of the Gilded Age, her future looks set - after a finishing school education, she will be favourably married off to a handsome gentleman, after which she'll want for nothing. 


But Jo has other dreams and desires that make her long for a very different kind of future. She wants a more meaningful and exciting life: she wants to be an investigative journalist like her heroine Nellie Bly. But when Jo's father is found dead in his study after an alleged accident, her life becomes far more exciting than even Jo would wish. Unable to accept that her father could have been so careless, she begins to investigate his death with the help of a young reporter, Eddie Gallagher. It quickly becomes clear he was murdered, and in their race against time to discover the culprit and his motive, Jo and Eddie find themselves not only battling dark characters on the violent and gritty streets of New York, but also their growing feelings for each other.

Published:     27th October 2015
Publisher:  Random House
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
What I liked about this book...  Jennifer Donnelly is one of those authors who  I have been meaning to pick up one of her books for a while now and hadn't.  I am so glad that I started with this one.  I loved it.  This story is so rich with description that reading it made me feel like I was right there in that story and in that time period.  Although this was one of those ones where I guessed what was happening before it happened, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.  My favourite character has to be the main character, Jo.   She is one of those characters who is suposed to act a certain way, as ladies do in that time period (seen but not heard) but goes completely against that and does what she thinks is right.  What's even better is that she stays true to that believe all throughout the book even if it puts her in danger. You have got a great combination of good and bad characters in this book along with the added mystery of what happened to her father and a couple of other mysteries too along the way. 

What I was not fond of with this book...  I would have loved for there to have been a few more surprises, twists or turns in the story.  A lot of the story I pretty much guessed what was going to happen next (but that didn't make me like the story any less) so I would have liked to have a couple of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. 






 

8 Oct 2015

Book Review / The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

A year after her husband’s sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat’s death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her – a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she’s near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.

On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.

In her own time, Tilda’s grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake’s ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each others, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren’s prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.


Published:      21st April 2015
Publisher:  Thomas Dunne Books
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here 

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher


I really enjoyed this story but have to be honest and say that it wasn't the first time I tried to read it.   About two or three weeks ago I started to read this and just wasn't feeling that connection.  The story and the character just weren't connecting with me and I just couldn't get into the story.  So, I put it down but I knew that I really liked the sound of the story.  The reason I put it down the first time I put it down to just the mood I was in on that particular day; I probably just wasn't in the mood to read that type of story.  I did read a good 50 or 60 pages before I put it down.  So, knowing that I really liked the idea of the story I decided to give it another try.  I never like to give up on a book that I am interested in unless I have a really bad reaction to it.  I am so glad that I gave this another try.  I really enjoyed following Tilda.  She is such a headstrong person just forced into a world that I thought she was not ready for.  The ending for me was the best part.  Although I pretty much guessed what was going to happen I still enjoyed taking that journey (the second time around that is!).

What I liked the most was the 'oldy worldy' feel of the world.  The writing was so well done that I could just imagine myself in that world and at that time.  Although I am not sure of the era this is set but I got the impression that its more old world like mixed with a bit of magic.





(From Goodreads)  Paula Brackston (aka PJ Brackston)is the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch(2014).

Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.

Paula lives in Wales with her partner and their two children.





5 Oct 2015

Book Review / Sky Lantern by Matt MIkalatos

Matt Mikalatos offers a poignant and compassionate look at a father’s relationship with his children, the healing power of a small act of kindness, and the certainty that even death can’t stop love in a deeply moving memoir inspired by a sky lantern with a scribbled note and the journey to find the child who wrote it.

Love you, Daddy. Miss you so much. Steph.

Steph scribbled those words on a sky lantern before sending it off to her father in heaven who had passed away from cancer. Halfway across the country, Steph’s lantern landed in Matt Mikalatos’s yard.

As a father of three daughters, Matt could not let Steph’s note go unanswered, so he posted an open letter to her on his blog. Matt never could have expected the viral response to his letter that led him on a journey to find Steph—and to bring healing to thousands of others in desperate need of the loving words of a father.

Filled with paternal wisdom and reflections on the relationship between a father­ and their child, Sky Lantern shows how the miraculous events that followed Matt finding the sky lantern in his yard—and the widespread and lasting impact his letter had—prove that the bond between a parent and their child is everlasting.


Published:     17th November 2015
Publisher:  Howard Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher


What I loved about this book...
The fact that this is a memoir rather than a story made this book so much better than if it had been a novel.  It brought an obvious realness to the story that made what happen so much more special.  I am very much a believer in fate.  Everything happens for a reason.  That sky lantern was meant to fall where it did and be found by Matt.  For me the best part of this was the letters near the end of the story that Matt writes.  They are truly emotional and very moving.  This story definitely reaffirms family relationships and in particular the relationship between a father and a daughter.  I have kept this review intentionally short as I didn't want to go too in depth with this story as the lesser known the better.  I didn't even read the description when I started reading to be honest and I think that helped my reading experience. 




1 Oct 2015

Book Review / Has to be Love by Jolene Perry

Years ago, Clara survived a vicious bear attack. She's used to getting sympathetic looks around town, but meeting strangers is a different story. 

Yet her dreams go far beyond Knik, Alaska, and now she's got a secret that's both thrilling and terrifying--an acceptance letter from Columbia University. But it turns out her scars aren't as fixable as she hoped, and when her boyfriend begins to press for a forever commitment, she has second thoughts about New York. 

Then Rhodes, a student teacher in her English class, forces her to acknowledge her writing talent, and everything becomes even more confusing--especially with the feelings she's starting to have about him. 

Now all Clara wants to do is hide from the tough choices she has to make. When her world comes crashing down around her, Clara has to confront her problems and find her way to a decision. 

Will she choose the life of her dreams or the life that someone she loves has chosen? Which choice is scarier?

Published:     1st September 2015
Publisher:  AW Teen
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher



What I liked about this story...    The story of Clara was what made me want to read this book.  You have a character that has been hurt (bothy physically by the bear attack and mentally from the aftermath) and I was very interested to follow her story, rooting for her to get better and start her life.  After she got the university acceptance it was interesting to see her reaction to that. 

What I didn't like with this story...    I am afraid to say that for me this book was one of those that I was intrigued enough by the story and the characters to want to finish but there were many moments where I nearly did not finish this at all.  I found Clara to be very weak and although that was expected at the beginning I had hoped that she would become a lot stronger as the story went on but the story really concentrated on a love triangle between Clara, Rhodes and her boyfriend and I just couldn't form any attachments to the characters which I wished I could have done.







 

30 Sept 2015

Book Review / The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne

Stunningly original and wildly inventive, The Girl in the Road melds the influences of Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, and Erin Morgenstern for a dazzling debut.

Meena, a young woman living in a futuristic Mumbai, wakes up with five snake bites on her chest. She doesn't know how or why, but she must flee India and return to Ethiopia, the place of her birth. Having long heard about The Trail -- an energy-harvesting bridge that spans the Arabian Sea -- she embarks on foot on this forbidden bridge, with its own subculture and rules. What awaits her in Ethiopia is unclear; she's hoping the journey will illuminate it for her.

Mariama, a girl from a different time, is on a quest of her own. After witnessing her mother's rape, she joins up with a caravan of strangers heading across Saharan Africa. She meets Yemaya, a beautiful and enigmatic woman who becomes her protector and confidante. Yemaya tells Mariama of Ethiopia, where revolution is brewing and life will be better. Mariama hopes against hope that it offers much more than Yemaya ever promised.

As one heads east and the other west, Meena and Mariama's fates will entwine in ways that are profoundly moving and shocking to the core. Vividly imagined and artfully told, written with stunning clarity and deep emotion, The Girl in the Road is a true tour de force.


Published:    2015
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

OK so let's just take a minute to check out the cover of this book.  It is so gorgeous!  Honestly speaking, along with the description of this story the cover was one of the things that drew me into wanting to read this!   In the spirit of branching out and trying new things, I wanted to give this story a go.  Honestly speaking this is probably one of those stories that I would normally avoid in a book shop just becasue of the 'futuristic Mumbai' description.

I was so glad I gave this a go.  Although it did take me a while to get into the story, I was glad that I stuck with it.  There are a lot of twists and turns in this story which at some parts made me confused and the other part the twists were surprising to me I just had to find out what happened next!  I think maybe if the story was a little less complicated I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Definately worth a try if the blurb intrgues you to want to pick it up.  As I mentioned above it is not something that I would normally pick up but I am glad that I did.  I will flag that this story does contain issues that some people may be senstive to.







29 Sept 2015

Author Interview / Brock Lance Richardson

Discover the spiritual warrior in you! Based on the belief that every soul has a spiritual warrior within, author Brock Lance Richardson interviews ten men he met through BYU football. 

Each reveals what it takes to become physically and spiritually strong, while their wives describe what it means to be a “warrior” for young women. 

Perfect for youth and young adults, this entertaining and spiritually uplifting read will teach you how to build spiritual stamina and to use your inner warrior for good.

To find out more about Latter-day Warriors, or to pre-order, please visit brocklancerichardson.com.  Release date into bookstores is December 8.


1.       If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?
I actually believe that I DO get to work with the one author I would most want to work with.  My father, Lance Richardson, wrote a book about a near-death experience he had (“The Message” by Lance Richardson).  He has since passed, but I do believe that he works with me, and that we have actually written this book (Latter-day Warriors) together!  I’m so proud to say that I do believe my father has worked with me on this book!

2. What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?
I am a Seminary teacher living in Springville, Utah, and I used to teach up in South Jordan, Utah.  The train was the cheapest mode of transportation, and I wrote the majority of this book during that time, for an hour on the way up to work, and an hour on the way home from work.  This was a special time for me, because I did indeed feel the presence of my father with me quite often on that train.

3. What is the hardest part of the writing for you?
This book is my first, and it involved interviews with ten men who I consider some of my greatest spiritual heroes.  Truly, the hardest part of writing was making sure I was doing justice to each of their unique and amazing stories.  So many times, I read a draft of a chapter and knew I hadn’t given an adequate amount of the Spirit to the relative person’s story.  I knew that I would have to pray like crazy, ask for the Spirit, and revise!

4. When and why did you first start writing?
My uncle, Matt Davis, was very close with my father during my father’s lifetime.  One day he approached me and said, “Your father wants you to write a book.”  This shocked me at first, but he shared spiritual experiences with me that helped me know that my father was still with me, and wanted me to carry on his “legacy” of writing.

5. How did you come up with the idea for the book?
As a Seminary teacher, I’ve noticed so many youth who’s countenances communicate their own greatness within.  This has been apparent for both youth who are active in the Gospel, and youth who are rebellious; I believe we can sense the “warrior spirit” within both types of youth.  I thought of what I could write in order to connect with Latter-day youth and their inner “warrior souls.”  It was then that I thought of Bronco Mendenhall, who was one of the greatest “spiritual warriors” I’ve ever known, and with him, we made a list of some of the spiritual leaders from the BYU football team.  This book consists of interviews with these men, their wives, and the resulting stories.  While I believe that my former teammates’ stories will really connect with the young men, I also believe that their wives’ stories about their high-school experiences will connect with the “inner warrior” in young women.

6. Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?
I love to read with my wife.  We sometimes cuddle and read together when the kids are asleep.  The most recent book we read parts of together was Cleon Skousen’s “Days of the Living Christ.”

7. Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?
Pray, pray, pray J.  The Spirit not only helps with spiritual things, but also with temporal, in my experience J.

28 Sept 2015

Book Review / Ape House by Sara Gruen

Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language.

Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets - especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans... until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what’s really going on inside.

When an explosion rocks the lab, severely injuring Isabel and “liberating” the apes, John’s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime, one he’ll risk his career and his marriage to follow. Then a reality TV show featuring the missing apes debuts under mysterious circumstances, and it immediately becomes the biggest - and unlikeliest - phenomenon in the history of modern media. Millions of fans are glued to their screens watching the apes order greasy take-out, have generous amounts of sex, and sign for Isabel to come get them. Now, to save her family of apes from this parody of human life, Isabel must connect with her own kind, including John; a green-haired vegan; and a retired porn star with her own agenda.


Published:     1st September 2011
Publisher:  Two Roads
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Owned Copy


What I loved about this story...
I can't believe that this has been on my shelf for so long and equally I can't believe that it has taken me so long to read it!  I loved how even though the story is called Ape House, it wasn't all about the Apes.  Certainly a lot of the story is about the bonobos.  It starts off seeing them at a very well kept facility where they have been taught (and also picked up alot of other things along the way) sign language communication.  After the explosion happens there is a chunk of story that focuses on other characters such as Isobel who worked at the facility looking after bononos and was there when the explosion happened.  She is trying to find a way to save the apes from where ended up being.  The story also focus's on John who is a reporter who initially visited the facility to interview Isobel and meet the apes.  John is still a reporter, although for a different company for one reason or another and is still adamant to stick to his ape story.  I am glad that this story concentrated on more than the apes as although it was well written and the apes were very interesting to read about but wouldn't stretch to a whole story all about them.

What I didn't like about this story...


There wasn't anything in particular that I thought yes I don't like that but the story was pretty slow for me so it was harder and harder to pick this up again.  I started reading this when I was on holiday at the beginning of August when I went to the beach and manged to read about half of it by the time it was time to come home.  I have actually read one or two books in between finishing this one so it has taken me just over two months to read it but not because it wasn't good it was just a slow story.



(From Goodreads)  Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, APE HOUSE, RIDING LESSONS, and FLYING CHANGES. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.

27 Sept 2015

Month in Review / September 2015

September has been such an interesting reading month.  I read six books this month which I am really happy with.  Since starting this year with the view of taking a more relaxed approach with reading.  That has made a very big change from how I have read in the past.  Although I am now reading less than I used to (I used to read 10ish books) I am enjoying my reading a lot more.  Looking at the books that I have read if I had to choose a favourite it would have to be a tie between The Moment of Letting Go and Ransom Canyon.  I have been on a real romance kick lately and those two books hit the right spot.













Tremarnock by Emma Burstall
Tremarnock is a classic Cornish seaside village. Houses cluster around the fishing harbour. It has a pub and a sought-after little restaurant. It is here that Liz has found sanctuary for herself and her young daughter, Rosie - far away from Rosie's cheating father.

Liz works all the hours God sends. First thing in the morning she's out, cleaning offices. At night she is waitressing in the village restaurant, while friends and neighbours rally round and mind Rosie. But trouble is waiting just round the corner.

As with all villages, there are tensions, secrets - and ambitions. Emma Burstall's wonderfully engaging first novel about Tremarnock is the story of what happens when one shocking turn of events sweeps a small community.


Yours Tonight by Joya Ryan

For fans of J Lynn, Jodi Ellen Malpas and Sylvia Day comes the Reign trilogy, an all-consuming, raw and powerful love story...
He will give her everything she's ever wanted . . .
 
Jack Powell's confidence is matched only by his intensity. The darkness in him comes from years of secrets and memories he'd rather forget. Lana has an exotic innocence that draws him in and Jack wants a taste of her. She's a light in the darkness of his world - and she needs help, which he agrees to give her.

The only rule? He makes the rules.
Lana gives up her control, letting Jack take her body however he needs, while she works her way into his heart. But Jack's past catches up to them and Lana finds herself wrapped up in a scheme that will expose every secret she's worked so hard to keep. She clung to Jack once when her world was crashing down, but this time, she loves him. She'll continue to reach for him - her only fear is if he'll reach back, or go on his way, taking her soul with him . . .

Power Play by Tiffany Snow
THIS KIND OF BUSINESS CAN ONLY BE PERSONAL

Sage Reese lives for her job. More precisely, she lives for her debonair boss, Parker Andersen. Sage handles everything for Parker, even as she fantasizes about the one thing that isn't in her job description: him. But when a high-stakes account crosses the line from shady to deadly, a tough cop starts giving Sage the attention she wishes Parker would . . .

Detective Dean Ryker couldn't be more different from Parker. While Parker wears expensive suits like a second skin and drives a BMW, Ryker's uniform is leather jackets and jeans . . . and his ride of choice is a Harley. While Parker's sexiness is a reserved, slow burn, Ryker is completely upfront about what-and who-he's after. And Sage tops his list.

Now, as Ryker digs deeper into the dark side of Parker's business, Sage finds herself caught between two men: the one she's always wanted-and the one who makes her feel wanted like never before . . .