Book Review - All I Ever Wanted by Lucy Dillon

Nancy is four, nearly five. She talks all the time: in the car, on the way to nursery, to her brother, to her collection of bears. And then one day everything changes. Nancy's mum and dad split up, her father moves across the country, and Nancy stops talking.

Eva is forty-four, nearly forty-five. She always knew marrying a much older man meant compromises, but she was sure it was worth it – until Mickey dies suddenly, leaving Eva with only his diaries and a voice in the back of her mind telling her that perhaps she's sacrificed more than she meant to.

The family are trying to negotiate their way around the parents breaking up and having to invade on Aunty Eva for Patrick's bi-weekend visits.  Nancy has stopped talking and can only manage the odd whisper in a safe place whilst Joel is desperate for attention.

From the moment I saw the cover and read the description I knew I wanted to read this book.  I wasn't disappointed.  As soon as I started I was hooked on the characters, 10 year old Joel who can't sit still and has a penchant for musicals, chatterbox 4 year old Nancy and her parents; kooky Caitlin and up tight Patrick. Throw in Eva, Patrick's widowed sister and two adorable pugs Bumble and Bee and you have the recipe for a heart breaking but uplifting story.

The story sensitively deals with a number of issues including selective mutism, bereavement and divorce.  It gently guides the family through the situations with the reader developing a real ache to want to reach out and help.  To be honest by the end of the book I was an emotional wreck.

If you want a book to snuggle onto the sofa with whilst hibernating from the cold, then choose this one, you wont regret it.  Just don't forget to have the tissues ready!

All I Ever Wanted is released on 1st December 2016 and is published by Hodder & Stoughton 

I was kindly provided a free copy from Hodder & Stoughten via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Easy Way Out by Steven Amsterdam

Evan is a nurse, he is also an assistant.  He works for a sponsored Euthanasia project assisting the terminally ill to achieve an end they feel comfortable with.  Evan doesn't tell his friends and lovers what he does, and his Mother; who has a degenerative disease seems more than comfortable with his job and his role in her future.  As time goes by Evan finds the lines blurred and considers his situation. Who has the choice to live or die?

The main character; Evan, has few friends and this is explained by way of his upbringing with his Mother and their seemingly chaotic life.  At times he seems detached and others too involved. He has a relationship with two men which he can't fully commit to. He comes across as a man who struggles with emotions. 

Although not what I would term a page turner, it's interesting and thought provoking. This book covers a highly sensitive subject remarkably well  and I believe would help give an understanding of the thoughts and processes of both the patient and the assistant to the reader . 

Whatever your thoughts on it, Steven Amsterdam has managed to broach the subject with a beautifully careful understanding and an insight into the world of Assisted Suicide through his own work as a palliative care nurse.

This book was provided free of charge by Riverrun & Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Release date is 3rd November 2016 

Book Review. Hales Fire by Carl Harwood

A book about dragons.. or is it?

So often when people think of a sci-fi book they say "oh it's not for me". If they gave this book a go they would be pleasantly surprised.

Hale is an orphan accused of being an arsonist. He has been held in a mental institution since he was 14, days before he turns 18 he meets Valder and his whole life changes. He is asked to re-think his whole life, find out the truth about his parents death and deal with a life changing discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a real page turner, I cared about the characters, cheered them on and felt their frustrations, and happiness. The ending was perfect and there is so much more that can become of many of the characters whether it be prequel, sequel or a complete spin-off series.

For me this is on par with "The Hunger Games" trilogy.

As the first in the series I can't wait for the next installment. Don't leave it as long as George RR Martin!

Book Review - Letting You Go by Anouska Knight

Description

What if tragedy struck and you only had yourself to blame? How do you move on from the past?

Alex Foster lives a quiet life, avoiding the home she hasn’t visited in eight years. Then her sister Jaime calls. Their mother is sick, and Alex must return. Suddenly she’s plunged back into the past she’s been trying to escape.Returning to her hometown, memories of the tragic accident that has haunted her and her family are impossible to ignore. Alex still blames herself for what happened to her brother and it’s soon clear that her father holds her responsible too. As Alex struggles to cope, can she ever escape the ghosts of the past?

Review: 

I loved this book. At first I wasn't sure if Lorraine Kelly was a good enough endorsement and I started the book with a little trepidation. How wrong I was! 

From the very beginning I was hooked. Alex returns home to a fractured family, dealing with the ghosts of the past and a tangled web of lies. Soon she's caught up with the feelings of guilt she tried so hard to escape. 

I went on an emotional roller coaster reading "Letting You Go" . It was like watching TV and wanting to shout at the characters (in a good way!).  

Anouska Knight is joining my list of authors to look out for and I suggest you read this and do the same. 

A copy of this book was given to me from the publisher Harlequin UK via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: I Don't Want To Talk About It - by Jane Lovering

Winter Gregory has written a surprise best seller, about dead people. About their graves, their lives, how they may have lived and what their life could have been like. Her twin Daisy lives in Australia but they still talk all the time. Now Winter's left London and gone to North Yorkshire to write the follow up book.  All is going well until Dan, Winter's ex boyfriend and publisher arrives in Yorkshire causing confusion and anger for Winter. She finds herself embroiled in the life of the Hill family. Gorgeous Alex who has a trauma induced stutter and pony mad Scarlet, his eight year old niece.

As with the other Jane Lovering books I've read, I really enjoyed this story. (This is book 5 of the Yorkshire Romances).  Jane writes with such easy style and you are drawn into the world of her characters with ease. You can tell she cares for them and in turn it makes you care.

Without wanting to give anything away, there are many plot twists, enough to keep you going and plenty of drama. You'll feel like a wrung out rag by the time you've finished laughing and crying alongside Winter.

A great choice as a summer read on the beach or curled up indoors. Just make sure you have those tissues handy.

Book Review: The Bones Of You by Debbie Howells

Rosie is dead. She knows she is dead.  What we don't know is who killed and her and why.

Kate is the Mother of one of Rosie's "acquaintances". Rosie doesn't have friends.  Rosie would spend time quietly at Kate's yard helping with her horses. She had a natural affinity to the animals who can read your innermost thoughts and feelings.

The investigation into Rosie's murder is slow.  Kate becomes friendly with Jo, Rosie's bereaved Mum and needs to know for herself what happened to the quiet, shy girl.  Who caused the change in their idyllic village.

Dinners were burnt and my children went to bed late when I was reading this book. I just couldn't put it down.  Whilst firmly away from the traditional  crime thriller; you are lead through what happened.
At first I was reminded of "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold with the way Rosie tells her story. She starts with flashbacks to her childhood and builds the picture of her life but chapters are also included by Kate and Rosie's younger sister Delphine.  The story is heart wrenching. You can physically feel the pain in their lives and that's a testament to how well written it is.

I thoroughly recommend this book and would encourage you all to get out there and support this budding author.

You can find out more about Debbie Howells on her website www.debbiehowells.co.uk

Book Review: Born In A Burial Gown by Mike Craven.

DI Avison Fluke runs a team of "oddballs" in the FMIT department. His team are the best and follow his lead. But he's lied to them and implicated someone in a crime they don't even know about. When a body is found dumped with a bullet in the back of their head, it's up to Avison and his team to find out who she was and what happened. But will his crime catch up with him first?

For a first novel this was gripping. I originally found out about Mike Craven through twitter. I downloaded "Assume Nothing, Believe Nobody, Challenge Everything" which introduced us to DI Avison Fluke and his team with a series of short independent stories. A perfect taster of what was to come in his full novel. He was shortlisted for the 2013 Crime Writer's Association Dagger Award.

The story was engrossing. It made me invest in the characters without boring me with minutiae. The plot turns were timed perfectly urging me to stay up late and turn the page for "just one more" before bed. It was an exhilarating read and I can't wait for book two.

The highest honour I can bestow on this book was that I told my husband to read it. He only reads books on holiday and only reads crime stories. He's hard to please. This is perfect for him.

Born In A Burial Gown is available on Amazon on both Kindle and paperback here

It's also available from Waterstones and probably many other book shops!

Books My Kids Love and Some I Don't.

I have never liked The Hungry Caterpillar. 

I don't mind the story, it's the artwork I'm not keen on.  Something about it seems odd and I wish it was updated. Sadly it makes me not want to read it to my children.  Another one is The Tiger Who Came To Tea. It's not the artwork for this one and I quite like there's a 72 bus in there which I used to get as a child to go visit my Grandma.  I don't know why I don't enjoy this "classic".
I'm also sure I can't be the only one to think Roald Dahl was incredibly odd.  I've read most of his children's books and reading them as an adult, they are just downright weird!

I far more prefer rhyming stories, especially the Julia Donaldson ones.  The Snail and The Whale being one of my favourites along with The Giraffe Who Got In A Knot by John Bush.  The illustrations are superb and mention must be given to Axel Scheffler and Paul Geraghty for these two.  But what about our children and what do they like to read?

My 5yo is learning to read and she is very taken with the Biff, Chip & Kipper books from the Oxford Reading Tree.  We've bought a box set and are working our way through them. But there aren't any books she particularly returns to time and time again. We have Kipper stories, Wibbly Pig, Thomas The Tank Engine's, The Gruffalo, Princess stories, The Usborne Farm collection, Aliens in Underpants and many many more.

The 9yo sadly has no love of reading.  I've always read to both my children, bedtime stories are part of our routine and he will happily sit and listen to me read to him. We've worked our way through a Roald Dahl box set, currently on Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets and have a whole Michael Morpurgo box set to work through.  

What books do your children enjoy and what would you recommend?