31.8.23

Mine



Mine
By Marlene Hauser
Genre:-Contemporary Fiction
Pages:-324
Publisher:-The Book Guild
Blurb:-The search for motherhood is different for everyone.
Inspired by her own fertility journey, Marlene Hauser's novel explores the jubliant hope and reward to be found through adoption.
 When is enough, enough?
High-powered Sophie Taylor thinks baby-making can happen on the fly. Managed alongside work, marriage, an MBA and travel, she decides to launch Project Bebe. Successful at everything, Sophie expects and always scores one hundred per cent. That is until the shocking failure of one fertility treatment after the next. As the heart-breaking reality of infertility sinks in, Sophie owns up to another almost unspeakable loss and faces difficult decisions when she's targeted as the love interest of a high-powered financier. Through a colleague, a mother of four, she learns that motherhood is not all it's cracked up to be. Just as Sophie feels satisfied with the advantages of a childfree lifestyle, a fateful meeting changes everything...
 Triumphant, joyous and full of hope, Mine is a captivating story about a less understood route to motherhood: the fertility option Sophie almost forgot.
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Instagram:-@marlenehauser_ @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth #Mine
Twitter:-@mhauser_author @BookGuild @RandomTTours @mamof9 #Mine
My Review:-I love the cover of this book, it's eye catching. Sophie Taylor agrees to marry Tucker Magi. Sophie achieve everything she sets her mind to, MBA degree, business and expects the same when it comes to babies. But with a husband that's not always at home and her biological clock ticking is it going to be as simple as she things. After the heartache of everything, Sophie starts to think that a baby it's everything. Can Sophie really see herself without a baby or is she just trying to tell herself it is? The book is set with beautiful backdrops of Estonia, that you can picture. Marlene Hauser takes us on a journey with this beautiful, as well as heart breaking story, it will touch your heart. I found this a quick and easy read.

Without Trace



Without Trace
By Leigh Russell
Genre:-Crime/Detective Series
Pages:-320
Publisher:-No Exit Press
Blurb:-Without Trace is the 20th book in the bestselling DI Geraldine Steel series. We will be celebrating the release with an enhanced marketing and publicity campaign around publication.
Summer 2023 will focus on a digital marketing campaign to recruit new readers ahead of the 20th book.
This series has sold well over ONE MILLIN COPIES worldwide.
Perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, Cara Hunter and Angela Marsons.
With a terrifying certainty, she knew she was going to die.
DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his football-buddy's girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there's no need for concern. Until she's called to a suspected murder.
 The young woman has earth and fragments of twigs in her hair. It's as if she'd been completely encased in earth. And yet she was found on the pavement, at the side of a suburban road, where she wasn't in contact with any soil or mud. Without a crime scene, the investigation focuses on her boyfriend. But the another young woman is reported missing. Unless he has an accomplice, they have an innocent man in custody. And Steel is running out of time...
 A page-turning puzzle of a case with an unexpected final twist. If you're a fan of Angela Marsons, Mel Sherratt and Karin Slaughter, you'll love Leigh Russell.
'Taut writing, tense storyline and characters that jump off the page'-Angela Marsons
'Brilliant and chilling. Leigh Russell delivers a cracker of a read!'-Martina Cole
'Unmissable'-Lee Child
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Instagram:-@leighrussell2020 @noexitpress @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth #WithoutTrace
Twitter:-@LeighRussell @noexitpress @RandomTTours @mamof9 #DIGeraldineSteel
My Review:-This is Book 20: DI Geraldine Steel. DI Steel's partner Ian has been ask if DI Steel could help find Lucy his friend Jason's girlfriend who has went missing. Even though Jason has reported Lucy missing, the fingers are still pointed at him, but DI Steel isn't as sure about it. While looking into the case DI Steel finds that there has been other girls gone missing, then a report of another girl that has got missing comes in. It's up to DI Steel and her team to find who's behind this and is there a connection with the disappearances.  Leigh Russell has kept some of the characters from previous books, along with some new ones. I did find it a bit slower at the beginning, but it soon picked up and had me wanting to know more. Keep your eyes open for the end, i wasn't expecting what was coming.

One Moment



One Moment
By Becky Hunter
Genre:-Romantic Contemporary Fiction
Pages:-352
Publisher:-Corvus
Blurb:- One moment in time can change everything...
The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still... here-wherever here is-watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.
 Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.
 If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?
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Instagram:-@beckyhunterbooks @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@Bookish_Becky @CorvusBooks @RandomTTours
My Review:-Scarlett and Evie have been best friend forever, they went to school together. Their friendship just grew stronger as they got older, holidays together, university and even moving to London and moving in with each other. Evie has MS, after giving up work and staying at home all the time was hard, but she had Scarlett, that was until she died and it was Nate that Evie blamed.  Looking down at her best friend, Scarlett can see Evie is getting more and more depressed and she's falling apart. Scarlett can also see that Nate is struggling, but he's trying to help Evie.  The story is told from Evie and Scarlett's POV. Becky Hunter takes us on a journey of life and death, through good, bad and all the emotions we have, showing that through it all you can come out the other side. Reading this story, it could happen to anyone of us. I found myself laughing and crying.

30.8.23

Cricket Gives Comfort: Exploring Epilepsy



Cricket Gives Comfort: Exploring Epilepsy (Helping Paws Academy)
Genre:-Children's
Age:8-12 years
Pages:-80
Publisher:-Mayo Clinic Press
Blurb:-Cricket Gives Comfort: Exploring Epilepsy (Helping Paws Academy)
This inviting chapter book series explores health topics through the friendly lens of therapy dogs. Follow an adorable therapy dog helping a child through a diagnosis of epilepsy with strong messages of empathy, kindness, and courage. Therapy dogs are specially trained to help kids through medical experiences-from lifting spirits, motivating movement, modelling the power of play, and more. Nonfiction back matter provides more information about medical topics introduced in the books, from acute to chronic issues, while also providing more information about therapy dog programs and the Mayo Clinic Children's Center.
Thank you #AD and #Gifted
Instagram:-@patmccawauthor @Mayoclinicpress @lovebookstours @paulalearmouth #LBTCrew
Twitter:-@MccawPat @mayoclinicpress @KellyALacey @lovebookstours @mamof9
My Review:-Have to start with the cover of this book, it's bright, colourful and really cute, which any child would love. I wish this book had been out years ago when my son was being tested and then when we were told he had epilepsy. This is a great book for all children young and old, it's not always easy to understand what is happening when you're a child and being able to read along with some pictures is a great way to help children to know what each step is for and told in away they understand. Having Cricket showing you what is next is a cute way for young children. I would recommend this to anyone that knows a children going through this

Dash Can Do It: Taking on Diabetes



Dash Can Do It: Taking on Diabetes (Helping Paws Academy)
By Pat McCaw .M.D.
Illustrated By Beth Hughes
Genre:-Children's 8-12 Years
Pages:-80
Publisher:-Mayo Clinic Press
Blurb:-This inviting chapter book series explores health topics through the friendly lens of therapy dogs. Follow an adorable therapy dog helping a child through a diagnosis of diabetes, with strong messages of empathy, kindness, and courage. Therapy dogs are specially trained to help kids through medical experiences-from lifting spirits, motivating movement, modeling the power of play, and more. Nonfiction back matter provides more information about medical topics introduced in the books, from acute to chronic issues, while also providing more information about therapy dog programs and the Mayo Clinic Children's Center.
Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts. Proceeds from the sale of every book go to benefit important medical research and education at Mayo Clinic
Thank you #AD #Gifted
Instagram:-@patmccawauthor @Mayoclinicpress @lovebookstours @paulalearmouth #LBTCrew
Twitter:-@MccawPat @KellyALacey @lovebookstours @mamof9 #LBTCrew
My Review:-What can I say, this lovable pup Dash is helping again, this time with diabetes. This is one of the books that I wanted to review as my granddaughter is just starting her journey and I wanted to see if this would help us. The book begins with us meeting Dash and her handler Navya, along with Cricket and her handler, Tunde and Lumos and his handler Eun Ji. On floor two we meet Francisco, 10-years-old who has type 1 diabetes and staying in hospital until his blood sugars are within the right range. I loved how through Francisco we learn about diabetes and what it means to have it and how it can be treated. Dash meets many children that day in hospital. I love how Dash shows how injection are done, this was something my granddaughter wanted to know. The back of the book has a note from Francisco and Dash, we also meet Alicia. We found this a really helpful book and would be great for all children.

Lumos Helps with Healing: Battling Broken Bones



Lumos Helps with Healing: Battling Broken Bones (Helping Paws Academy)
Genre:-Children's
Age:8-12
Pages:-80
Publisher:-Mayo Clinic Press
Blurb:-Lumos Helps with Healing: Battling Broken Bones (Helping Paws Academy)
This inviting chapter book series explores health topics through the friendly lens of therapy dogs. Follow an adorable therapy dog helping a child who brokw her arm with strong messages of empathy, kindness, and courage. Therapy dogs are specially trained to help kids through medical experiences-from lifting spirits, motivating movement, modelling the power of play, and more. Nonfiction back matter provides more information about medical topics introduced in the books, from acute to chronic issues, while also providing more information about therapy dog programs and the Mayo Clinic Children's Center.
 Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts. Proceeds from the sale of every book go to benefit important medical research and education at Mayo Clinic
Thank you #AD and #Gifted
Instagram:-@patmccawauthor @Mayoclinicpress @lovebookstours @paulalearmouth #LBTCrew
Twitter:-@MccawPat @mayoclinicpress @KellyALacey @lovebookstours @mamof9
My Review:-How cute is Lumos, this cute dog on a bright cover will catch anyone's eye, especially a child.  In this book we meet Izzy, a 9-year-old, who as fell and is really nervous about being in hospital, but Lumos is standing by to help Izzy to understand what is going to happen and why. I love how Lumos shows Izzy that taking some purple liquid isn't as bad as you might think, when Lumos takes a syringe full of water. It's a great book to help keep children calm and show them it's going to be ok. I love how everything is explained in a way that children will understand along with cute pictures of Lumos.

Dash and the Cancer Center: Learning About Leukemia



Dash and the Cancer Center: Learning About Leukemia
Genre:-Children's
Age:-8-12 years
Pages:-80
Publisher:-Mayo Clinic Press
Blurb:-Dash and the Cancer Center: Learning About Leukemia
This inviting chapter book series explores health topics through the friendly lens of therapy dogs. Follow an adorable therapy dog helping a child through a cancer diagnosis with strong messages of empathy, kindness, and courage. Therapy dogs are specially trained to help kids through medical experiences-from lifting spirits, motivating movement, modelling the power of play, and more. Nonfiction back matter provides more information about medical topics introduced in the books, from acute to chronic issues, while also providing more information about therapy dog programs and the Mayo Clinic Children's Center.
Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts
Thank you #AD and #Gifted
Instagram:-@patmccawauthor @Mayoclinicpress @lovebookstours @paulalearmouth #LBTCrew
Twitter:-@MccawPat @mayoclnicpress @KellyALacey @lovebookstours @mamof9
My Review:-How cute is Dash, looks like she's had mud splashed on her, as my granddaughter says. Learning about Leukemia isn't easy for anyone let alone a child, so having a book with a cute dog will help you. I love how we learn about Dash and Navya, Dash's handler. We meet Ada, a 10-year-old that has just found out she has leukemia and is going to start chemotherapy. Ada is due for surgery later on in the morning but is really afraid. Dash gets to meet Ada, Dash even shows Ada how to put her gown on ready for surgery, Dash helps Ada to relax. The book takes us on Ada's journey, from getting ready for surgery, having a port fitted and chemo. There is a note from Ada and one from Dash at the back of the book, we also meet Alicia who is the facility dog at Mayo Clinic. This book would be a big help for children and even older people that are going through and learning about leukemia.

29.8.23

Her, Too



Her, Too
By Bonnie Kistler
Genre:-Crime Thriller
Pages:-320
Publisher:-No Exit Press
Blurb:-Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client...a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge in this addictively readable thriller.
 Kelly McCann is a fighter. She's fought to build a successful career as a criminal defence attorney defending men accused of sex crimes. Her detractors call her a traitor to her gender, but she loves to win. Kelly's most recent victory is securing an acquittal for a world-renowned scientist accused of sexually assaulting his female employees. But the thrill of her victory is short-lived as she, too, becomes the victim of a sexual assault.
 Kelly has never backed down from a fight and she's not about to start pulling her punches now. As she joins forces with her rapist's other victims, for Kelly for the first time it's not about winning-these wronged women are out for justice and for revenge.
The author is an ex-lawyer making a name for herself with her fast paced, twisty thrillers that tap into the global news agenda
  • This is a fast paced and emotionally complex thriller: Anatomy of a Scandal meets Widows
  • Published by HarperCollins US in July 2023
  • Bonnie's previous novel The Cage has been optioned for film
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Instagram:-@bonmot101 @noexitpress @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth #HerToo
Twitter:-@BonMot101 @noexitpress @RandomTTours @mamof9 #HerToo
My Review:-Kelly McCann is a sort after defence attorney for high-profile clients looking to be acquitted of sexual charges.  After winning the case for one of her biggest clients, he asked her to have dinner as a thank you, but he had other ideas. After that night, Kelly decides that he's no getting away with it this time and gets the help from other women that he's accused. What have they in store for him?
I could tell you more but I don't want to spoil it for you. I found this a quick read, it is heavy in parts, but it will keep you reading.

28.8.23

Vanished



Vanished
By Theo Baxter
Genre:-Psychological Thriller
Pages:-356
Publisher:-Inkubator
Blurb:-Maggie knows someone wants to hurt her daughter. So why will no-one help?
 Single mother Maggie Conner struggles to raise her young daughter, Isabel, in a household ruled by her own abusive father.
 Terrified for Isabel's safety, Maggie realises that neither her cold, distant mother nor anyone else in town seem willing to help them. then Isabel starts to disappear for long periods, returning with no idea of where she has been or why. And when Maggie tries to get outside help, doctors and psychologists seem strangely reluctant to get involved in Isabel's case. Is someone threatening them so they'll stay away?
 Desperate to save her daughter, Maggie searches for answers. But the more she digs, the more she is forced to confront the secrets bured deep in her own past.
As Maggie's whole world begins to unravel, can she find the strength to fae the terrifying truth?
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Instagram:-@zooloosbooktours @inkubatorbooks @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@ZooloosBT @InkubatorBooks @mamof9
My Review:-Maggie Conner must keep her daughter Isabel safe. Someone wants to hurt Isabel, but no-one is listening or willing to help Maggie. When Isabel starts to disappear, not for long but long enough for Maggie to be worried. Where is Isabel going and who with? Maggie starts searching for answers, but that means she must face her past and secrets that have been buried for years. Will Maggie be able to face the truth, that might help Isabel or will it be to much for her. That's all I will saying, as I don't do spoilers.  Theo's has done it again with this brilliant, gripping, intriguing and twisted story.

25.8.23

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm



The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm: Guide to Monsters
By Karen Foxlee
Illustrated By Freda Chiu
Genre:-Fiction About Self-Esteem/Self-Reliance for YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages:-288
Publisher:-Pushkin Children's Books
Blurb:-There are those that hunt monsters to harm them and there are that hunt monster to help them. Which one are you?
Dressed in sparkly red shoes and carrying her strawberry-scented notebook, Mary-Kate accompanies her archaeologist mother to the quiet English countryside to investigate some unusual bones found in an old well.
 But soon she realises that the village of Woolington is not as peaceful as it seems; the ground trembles beneath them, there are mysterious noises, and the locals are obsessed with a terrifying old legend.
 Could there be any truth in the myth of the beast who lives in the ancient well? With the help of a new friend Mary-Kate starts getting to the bottom of this monstrous mystery.
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Instagram:-@karenfoxleeauthor @_fredachiu_ @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@PushkinChildren @karenfoxlee @fredachiu @mamof9 #FoylesBooksoftheMonth
My Review:-This is Book One in the new series. I'll start by saying the illustrations are perfect for the book, as you could follow the story through the map at the beginning of the book. Mary-Kate goes with her mother, an archaeologist to the village of Woolington Well for a dig. Mary-Kate finds change difficult to cope with and she has different ways to overcome them, making lists, breathing exercises, squeezing her stress ball are just a few. The village is being terrorised by a giant Wyrm, that is very old. The Wyrm Watch Society have called Mary-Kate's mother to see if she can help save the village being turned into a shopping centre. Arabella, Lord Woolington's daughter wants to save the village well, even though it's her dad doesn't.  This is a book that shows, love, courage, accept change no matter how big or small, learn to never give up and more.  I read this book along with my 9-year-old granddaughter and we both enjoyed this story from the beginning.

Stay



Stay
By Jane Bailey 
Genre:-Psychological Thriller
Pages:-358
Publisher:-Orion
Blurb:-Think THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS meets THE COUPLE AT NO. 9. Absolutely perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards and Claire Douglas.
 I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car-and into the life-of perfect strangers.
It was meant to be Caitlin's perfect summer, but betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend, she finds herself hitchhiking home alone, heartbroken, and penniless.
 When a smiling family pulls up on the roadside to help her on her way, she's relieved-they seem so friendly, safe. And when they offer her a warm bed in their isolated house for the night, she's grateful not to have to travel back alone in the dark. In any case, she's in no rush to get home, where a grave secret is lying in wait to blow her family apart.
 One night soon turns into two, and then three, the increasingly spellbinding couple wants her to stay, and why shouldn't she? Their children need a tutor, and the longer she can avoid home, the better. But then an older member of the household warns her to leave immediately. And when her phone suddenly goes missing, when she realises that this perfect family is a perfect lie, it might not be so easy for her to leave...
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Instagram:-@janebaileyauthor @orionbooks @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth #Stay
Twitter:-@JaneBailey15 @orionbooks @RandomTTours @mamof9 #Stay
My Review:-The story is told by Caitlin, who's 19-years-old. Covid-19 has just started when Caitlin leaves her boyfriend in Europe to return home with nothing but the clothes she's wearing. She's stuck in the UK with nothing, she has no money or her phone. Marcus, Mimi and their two girls take her in just as we go into lockdown, she has no where else to go, so she has to stay at the farm. Things are not what they seem, Caitlin must escape and take the girls with her. Once you start reading and listening to Caitlin telling you her story, you will soon see that there is more than just a family. I ended up staying up later than I expected, as I needed to know what happens to Caitlin and the girls.

24.8.23

The Haunting of Wexley Heights



The Haunting of Wexley Heights
By Caroline Bulewski
Genre:-Dark Psychological Horror
Pages:-
Publisher:-Poe Girl
Blurb:-When Meg Wyatt inherits a manor house in Cornwall from the grandmother she didn't even know she had, she seizes the opportunity to start her life afresh, embarking on a new adventure with her husband and twin daughters.
 Of her birth family, all she's ever known was that her parents died in mysterious circumstances during the Second World War, when she was just four years old-did her mother kill her father or was there more to the story?
  As soon as she arrives in the ancestral home of Wexley Heights, which has belonged to the Barrett family since Elizabethan times, Meg starts having visions and aural hallucinations, at the same time that she discovers her formerly hidden talent as a painter-just like her birth father before her, Antipsychotic medication brings things back under control, until a few years later, her four-year-ols son starts displaying signs of being possessed by the spirit of Wexley Heights. Once again, Meg feels she is losing her mind. Is Wexley Heights haunted, or is she cursed like the rest of the Barretts?
 This dark supernatural horror by author Carole Bulewski is a must read for horror and literary fans.
Instagram:-@hyggebookstours  @carolbulewski @weareprovoco @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@hyggebooktours @poegirlpub @carolbulewski @weareprovoco @mamof9

Twist

Twist
By Adele Bertei
Genre:-Memoir
Pages:-250
Publisher:-ZE Books 
Blurb:-'One of the most original, amazing stories I've ever read'-Mary Gaitskill
 From iconoclastic writer and musician Adele Bertei comes a wholly original hero's journey that wages war on the cliche of the "misery memoir." Set in a 1960s and '70s American neighbourhood rife with poverty and violence, fatherless Irish mothers and Italian mobsters, and women crucified into madness by misogyny, Bertei speaks through her electrically alive avatar Maddie Twist to flip the victim script. Through her unshakeable belief in imagination, poetry, music, and community, she transforms trauma into survival. The immediacy of Maddie's voice is a revation, providing insight into long-enduring systemic problems without the scrim of adult analysis. In an age of lies and obfuscation, Twist is a sharp yet tender arrow to the heart of naked truth.
 Bertei reveals what it's like to be a queer teen at a time when discovery could be fatal. Maddie peers deeply into the American psyche, refusing to consent to the systems of harm. Along the way we encounter an unforgettable schizophrenic mother, Catholic saints, West Side Story and Oliver!, poet killers, the abyss of rape, girl-gangsters and faux-pimps, teenage lesbian sex, racial tensions and misconceived divides, a drag family known as the Holy Maudlins, Vietnam vets in dark and light, cabaret, true family, rock and roll. And the ultimate saving grace: love.
 A compelling personal history of queer culture from a working-class view and a glimpse into worlds yet unseen, similar traumas, for teens caught in the foster care system, for the formerly incarcerated looking for hope, for writers grappling with how to tell their own stories. Most of all, it's for everyone seeking transportive experiences in art and on the page.
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Instagram:-@adelebertei @ateliercomms @zebooks_usa @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@Ref17 @mamof9
My Review:-A veteran musician recalls her rough coming-of-age experience in Cleveland in the 1960s and 70s. A story of survival and redemption through challenging obstacles. Adele narrates her journey through different circumstances of her life, poverty, mental illness, domestic violence, and more. Maddie comes across as curious, impulsive, observant and brought to life by the music she hears.
 After leaving foster-care, she forms a family of her own with her drag-queen neighbours, her boss from a thrift store. Her love for music and also writing is what gets her through life. This story is really emotional and one that will stay with you after you close the book. I read this book in one sitting as it had me captivated from the start.

Waypoints



Waypoints: My Scottish Journey
By Sam Heughan
Genre:-Memoir/Non Fiction
Pages:-304
Publisher:-Radar/Octopus Books
Blurb:-'Waypoints is a memoir with a difference! I wanted to tell the stories and share the experiences that have shaped me, but to do that I needed to challenge myself and spend some time in my own company, away from the distractions of everyday life. And for me there's no better place to reflect that in the wild Scottish Highlands.'
 In this Journey of self-discovery, Sam Heughan sets out along the West Highland Way to explore his heritage and reflect on the personal waypoints that define him. The result is a love letter to the wild Scottish landscape that means so much to Sam, and a charming, funny, wise and searching insight to the world through his eyes.
 The walk itself is the backdrop for this narrative, which tells the story of Sam's life while exploring his outlook, values and interests. Sam is a figure of fascinating contrasts, a Hollywood star with deep roots in rural Scotland, he's both outgoing and content in his own company. He has strong connections with his fans while recognising the fragility and value of anonymity, and in My Peak Challenge he has created a network that brings people together as they chase individual goals. In his new book, while charting a path through a stunning wilderness, Sam maps out the moments that shaped his views on dreams and ambition, family, friendships, love and life.
 Waypoints is a deeply personal journey that reveals as much to Sam about himself as it does to his readers
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Instagram:-@samheughan @octopus_books_ @randomthingstours @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@SamHeughan @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours @mamof9
My Review:-Sam Heughan has just finished filming 'Outlander' and looking forward in going home to relax for a week, after a few busy months. It's the day after Sam came home and Sam heads to the store for everything he will need to do Scotland's rugged 96-mile West Highland Way, and after a bit of help he has everything he needs to set off the next day, he only had 6 days to do the walk and be back home. It wasn't going to be easy as it was Scotland and winter 2021, but it was going to be something that will stick with him for along time. During this walk, Sam had set 20 miles a day, he recorded hundreds of voice notes that has allowed him to write this book. During his journey he managed to explore some historical sites, Rob Roy's Cave to Steall Waterfall (the second highest in Scotland), the landscape and descriptions make it easy to picture it.  Sam talks about other topics in the book as well, meeting his dad to body image. You need to read Sam's story to understand just how beautiful as well as challenging his journey has been.

Adventure About To Begin



Adventures About To Begin
By Allen Therisa
Genre:-Romance/Family
Pages:-352
Publisher:-Book Guild
Blurb:-After the death of his grandfather, Noah's life is thrown into chaos as he faces a repressed past which threatens everything he believes to be true. In the course of trying to come to terms with his loss, Noah must also navigate a difficult relationship with his sister, Kelly, as they reflect on their turbulent childhood-when they were taken from London to live in the Kent countryside following the breakdown of their parents' marriage.
 Set between the 1970s and the more recent past, Adventures About To Begin chronicles a collapsing marriage as experienced by its children and reflects on how memory shapes our decisions at crucial junctures during our lives. It is both funny and touching, as well as a sensitive insight into British family life during a period of great social and cultural change.
Thank you #Ad #Gifted
Instagram:-@troubador_publishing @ZooloosBookTours @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@AllenTherisa @BookGuild @ZooloosBT @mamof9
My Review:-This story is told in different timelines, as well as different POV,  Noah, Kelly and Daniel. which I found interesting. After the death of their Grandad, Noah decides he wants to know more about  his life growing up in South East London in the 70s.  Growing up wasn't an easy life for any of them, their father's job caused problems and after a while things got worse and their parents ended up getting  divorced. This was something they all found hard at the time, as everything was left for their mother to do with the help from each of them. The found it a fast read and enjoyable. The story has tragedy, loss, drama, humour and finding out things you don't expect.

22.8.23

The Last Girls Standing



The Last Girls Standing
By Jennifer Dugan
Genre:-YA
Pages:-320
Publisher:-G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'
Blurb:-In this queer YA psychological thriller from the author of Some Girls Do and Hot Dog Girl, the sole surviving counsellors of a summer camp massacre search to uncover the truth of what happened that fateful night, but what they find out might just get them killed.
 Sloan and Cherry. Cherry and Sloan. They met only a few days before masked men with machetes attacked the summer camp where they worked, a massacre that left the rest of their fellow counsellors dead. Now, months later, the two are inseparable, their traumatic experience bonding them in ways no one else can understand.
 But as new evidence comes to light and Sloan learns more about the motives behind the ritual killing that brought them together, she begins to suspect that her girlfriend may be more than just a survivor-she may actually have been a part of it. Cherry tries to reassure her, but Sloan only becomes more distraught. Is this gaslighting or reality? Is Cherry a victim or a perpetrator? Is Sloan confused, or is she seeing things clearly for the very first time? Against all odds, Sloan survived that hot summer night. But will she survive what comes next?
Thank you #Ad #Gifted
Instagram:-@jl_dugan @kaleidoscopictours @paulalearmouth
Twitter:-@KaleidoscopicBT @mamof9
My Review:-Cherry and Sloan head to Camp Money Springs to be counsellors after their senior year. After a few days of meeting, a massacre happens and they are the only ones to survive. After they escape, Sloan can't remember anything. After a while Sloan starts to wonder if Cherry is telling her the truth about everything, can Sloan trust Cherry or does she know more than she's letting on. Could this have something to do with Sloan and her adoption 14 years ago. 
This is a YA queer thriller with some unexpected twists along the way, with an ending that might just shock you.

18.8.23

Becoming Liz Taylor



Becoming Liz Taylor
By Elizabeth Delo
Genre:-Literary Contemporary Psychological Fiction
Pages:-287
Publisher:-Allen and Unwin
Blurb:-'Val looked around. The baby appeared to be all on its own. There was no sign of a mother. No sign of anyone.
Val didn't think about it. She didn't even break her stride. She kicked the brake off the pram and pushed it as if she did is every day.'
 Val, a widow living in Weston-super-Mare, spends lonely evenings dressing up as the movie star Elizabeth Taylor. It seems to be a way of coping with the loss and sadness she has experienced in her life. One day, when Val sees a pram left unattended on the seafront, on a whim she kicks off the brake and walks away with it...
 Set in the present and the 1970s, Becoming Liz Taylor is a vivid and touching depiction of love, loss and bereavement-thought-provoking, moving fiction for fans of Rachel Joyce, Emma Healey and Ruth Hogan
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My Review:-Val lives in Western-super-Mare, her only escape to being happy is dressing up and 'Becoming Liz Taylor', black hair, make-up and clothes. Val has never be able to get over the death of her baby boy, Duncan and her husband. She never sees her other son Rafe, who's living in Brighton after splitting with his long-ter
m partner Jim. Val goes on the run after taking a baby, that she seen in a pram at the funfair, but it's not going to be that simple, when you're dressed as Liz Taylor. What is she going to do now with the baby?
This is an emotional story, that I could relate to in parts. We have love, loss, grief, loneliness, This will make you both laugh and cry.

17.8.23

The Lonely Lands



The Lonely Lands
By Ramsey Campbell
Genre:-Horror
Pages:-256
Publisher:-Flame Tree Press
Blurb:-The latest bestseller from the ultimate craftsman of the dark fantastic, Ramsey Campbell.
 Joe Hunter has begun to adjust to the loss of his wife when he hears her calling from beyond, "Where am I?" 
His urge to help leads him into her afterlife, which is made up of their memories.
 Even the best of those is no refuge from the restless dead, and Joe can only lure them away from her. Soon they begin to invade his everyday life, and every journey he makes to find her leaves him less able to return. 
When her refuges turn nightmarish he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep her safe...
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My Review:-If you think enough about someone who's died you can communicate with them, this is what Joe Hunter's grandfather had told him growing up. So when Joe's wife Olivia dies he decided to try and see if this really works. Hearing his wife and seeing her in his dream, starts him thinking deeper. Lost souls start to fill his mind day and night. Was this making it dangerous for Olivia?
 I have to say the writing style did confuse me at times as it jumps around timelines. but once I got further into the book it, I began to understand it more.

16.8.23

Operation Nassau



Operation Nassau
By Dorothy Dunnett
Genre:-Classic Crime/Women Sleuths/Humour
Pages:-304
Publisher:-Farrago
Blurb:-Doctor B. McRannoch is in the Bahamas with her father who has moved there from Scotland because of asthma. She is a savvy and tough young woman who shows much independence of mind and spirit.
 However, when Sir Bart Edgecome, a British agent who has been poisoned with arsenic falls ill on his way back from New York, she becomes involved in a series of events beyond her wildest imagination.
 Drawn into an espionage plot with multiple suspects, it is only the presence of enigmatic portrait painter Johnson Johnson on his yacht, Dolly, that saves the day. But nothing is quite as straightforward as it at first seems.
 **PRAISE FOR THE DOLLY SERIES***
The Dolly novels are...delicious, funny, ingenious, glamorous, clever. 'Listener
'Dunnett tempts her fans with buried clues and red herrings that keep them reading and rereading the books.' New York Times
'(Dunnett's) women are among her strongest characters.' Guardian
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My Review:-This is Book Four in 'A Dolly Mystery' and I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first three books in the series. In this book we head to Bahamas and Nassau the capital. Dr B. McRannoch is from Scotland, but moved to Bahamas to look after her dad. Dr McRannoch is working now at the main hospital. Dr McRannoch saves a man's life, but it's not just any man, he's a member of Her Majesty's Secret Service, and that's when everything changes. At the same time Johnson Johnson is also in town investigating an attempted murder on Dolly, Johnson's Yacht. This is how Dr McRannoch help's Johnson keep Sir Bart Edgecombe from being killed. We also get to meet a few other characters, an army sergeant major, famous painter, a ballet dancer, a golfer, a builder. Could one of these be a killer or maybe something else!
 If you haven't read any of 'A Dolly Mystery' you need to. This Book can be read as a standalone and has everything you want in a good book.

Dead Ends


Dead Ends
By Marc E Fitch
Genre:-Horror Thriller
Pages:-336
Publisher:-Flame Tree Press
Blurb:-Dead Ends is a powerful, character-driven novel of escalating tension and violence driven by isolation, politics and technology and set against the backdrop of a country in the throws of upheaval.
 No one is safe. The residents of a small, forgotten neighbourhood are being watched, stalked and harassed by someone or something, and it seems they are powerless to stop it, sending them down an all-too-real path of self-destruction and insanity, As the fear, desperation and death toll mounts, these seemingly average, normal people are twisted into doing the unthinkable.
 FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime/mystery/thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
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My Review:-The book starts with John Ballard making a patio when he hears the noise of breaking glass and loud bangs, when he goes to look, the Windner House is on fire. Because of the fire we get to meet some of the characters in the books as they come to see what's happening and end up on John's front lawn. John's life isn't a good one, two DUIs and he feels stuck, which you will find out through the story. Jessica his wife has had enough of John, she does everything. John changes for the worse after the newspaper arrives the day after the fire and he's not mentioned in it. John's drinking gets worse, along with his temper. I did feel bad for Amber Locke, who lived 3 doors up for John and Jessica. She has a husband and two son that never does anything. One of her son's hangs around with Lucas Lovett and gets into trouble because of it. Keep your eye out for Lucas, that's all I will say about him. At the beginning of the book, we meet some of the character in the chapters that follow on from the fire. I wasn't expecting the ending, but looking back I can see it come now. There a few twists that I didn't see coming. I will be looking out for more books by Marc.

15.8.23

Pigcasso



Pigcasso
By Joanne Lefson
Genre:-Non Fiction
Pages:-304
Publisher:-Octopus Books
Blurb:-Heart-warming pet narrative that parodies the artworld and makes you smile.
When Joanne Lefson took on a piglet at her animal shelter, the young sow proceeded to eat everything in her stable but a paint brush. In a flash of inspiration, Joanne attempted to introduce the pig to the art of painting-and thus Pigcasso was born.
 Starting out with a humble canvas on the sanctuary wall, Pigcasso's paintings are now owned by the likes of George Clooney, she has a Swatch watch design partnership, a wine label, and has eclipsed the previous world record holder for animal art. She's been commissioned by Nissan and has had exhibitions in Cape Town, Munich and Amsterdam. More than that, Pigcasso's art funds the food and veterinary services for all the animals at the sanctuary.
 Pigcasso is the story of this unique pig and of the circumstances that brought her and Joanne together to take the art world by storm and form a unique and unbreakable bond.
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My Review:-What a cover, you can't say it didn't catch your eye, with such a cute pig on the front.
The book begins with the author Joanne Lefson and all the great work she has done for animals and give us an insight of what some animals go through, without her work a lot wouldn't be here now. Joanne has a special bond with Pigcasso, she takes us on the journey they go though together. It's amazing what animals can do, especially Pigcasso. Even thou there are some emotional parts in the book, you will still have a good laugh when you read it. You never know you might end up having a painting done by Pigcassso  hanging on your wall one day.

14.8.23

Seeing Other People



Seeing Other People
By Diana Reid
Genre:-Contemporary Fiction/Literary Fiction/Humour
Pages:-301
Publisher:-Ultimo Press
Blurb:-Charlie's skin was stinging. Not with heat or sweat, but with that intense, body-defining self-consciousness-that sense of being watched. She lowered her eyes from Eleanor's loving gaze. Her throat taut with tears, she swallowed. 'You're a good sister, Eleanor.'
'Don't say that.'
 After two years of lockdowns, there's change in the air. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend, Charlie's career as an actress is starting up again. They're finally ready to pursue their dreams-relationships, career, family-if only they can work out what it is they really want.
 When principles and desires clash, Eleanor and Charlie are forced to ask: where is the line between self-love and selfishness? In all their confusion, mistakes will be made and lies will be told as they reckon with the limits of their own self-awareness.
 Seeing Other People is the darkly funny story of two very different sisters, and the summer that stretches their relationship almost to breaking point.
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My Review:-Just want to say I love this bright and eye catching cover. This book is about two sisters, Charlie, 21-years-old and Eleanor, her slightly older sister. Eleanor and Mark have just broken up, Mark wants to tell Eleanor why but she doesn't want to hear it. Charlie has just went back to acting after two years of the pandemic. Charlie begins a relationship with Helen, who is the director of the play she's doing. Charlie has fell for Helen from the off, but Helen doesn't see it that way. Eleanor is in a high-paying city job, but she isn't happy, her manager wants her to work harder and longer, which Eleanor doesn't want that. There is relationships, sisterhood, humour and more all wrapped  up in the pages of this book.

11.8.23

The Invisible Women's Club



The Invisible Women's Club
By Helen Paris
Genre:-Women's Contemporary Fiction/Friendships
Pages:-336
Publisher:-Doubleday
Blurb:-A joyous and refreshing read about the power of unlikely friendships, women's voices, and a reminder that it's never too late to find joy and meaning later in life.
 One woman's journey from invisibility to being seen once more, as she strives to save her beloved community allotment. perfect for fans of The Lido and Keeper of Stories.
 Ignored. Overlooked. But they're about to prove everyone wrong...
Janet Pimm is used to being invisible. 70 something, with her beloved allotment for company, she simply doesn't need anyone else.
 But when the local council threaten to close the allotments, Janet will do anything she can to try to save them-even enlisting the help of her irritatingly upbeat and interfering neighbour, Bev. As the two women set off on a journey together, Janet begins to realise that perhaps she isn't so happy to blend into the  background after all. And that maybe there's more to Bev that she first thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save the place Janet loves most, both women find their voice again and no one can silence them now...
A story of friendship, female lives post-menopause, community spirit and the importance of connection and finding your voice.
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My Review:-If you ever wanted to know anything about medicinal plants and herbs, Janet Pimm is the one to ask. Janet spends many hours a day at her allotment, that is until the council condemns the allotment as they have discovered knotweed. Janet is convinced that the council have something to do with the knotweed being there. Janet along with the other allotment owners, especially Bev decide to take on the council. With the help from social media and the news making a story of it, they start to find things that have been hidden. Will they find what they need to keep the allotments?
 I really enjoyed this book as I could relate with it. Having an allotment myself and finding knotweed isn't good and we had to fight our local council about it. so it made it more real.

10.8.23

Dear Lottie


Dear Lottie
By Mel Higgins
Genre:-romance
Pages:-314
Publisher:-
Blurb:-Three Decades,
Two Hearts,
One wish...to be together.
Lottie used to be a dreamer, but never did she see herself as a housewife to a controlling husband.
 When Lottie's Nan unexpectedly passed away in the late 50s, her dreams died alongside her. Blinded by grief, her actions changed the course of her life and that of Henry Hollister, her first love.
 With Henry haunting her dreams and a burden of regrets, Lottie and Henry wish for nothing more than to turn back the clock to a time of innocence. A time when no one was in the way to stop their plans.
 Is it ever too late to follow your dreams?
 Is it ever too late to be with the one you truly love?
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My Review:-We follow Lottie through her diary entries. We have the dates, but they don't all follow day by day, sometimes there are big jumps months or years. Lottie started her journey when she was a teen to when she's a grown woman with children. Lottie's life hasn't been easy but I did think at times she didn't help herself and made things worse. I found Lottie someone I disliked but also liked and did feel sorry for her, with some of the thing she had went through. I don't want to sat to much and spoil it for anyone. you'll understand more once you read it.

The Misper


The Misper
By Kate London
Genre:-Police Procedural/Crime Thriller
Pages:-400
Publisher:-Corvus
Blurb:-The latest gripping police procedural from the acclaimed author of major ITV drama The Tower.
There's more than one way to go missing...
When Ryan Kennedy is imprisoned after killing a police officer, he knows what he has to do. Keep his mouth shut about who he was working for, keep his head down, and rely on his youth to keep his sentence short. When he get out, he'll be looked after.
 Following the death in the line of duty of a fellow detective, DI Sarah Collins has left the capital for a quieter life in the countryside. But when a missing teenager turns up on her patch, she finds herself drawn into a much bigger investigation-one that leads her right back to London, back to the Met, and back to Ryan Kennedy, the kid who killed a cop.
 This powerful novel from a former Met detective explores the devastation that organized drug-running gangs can wreak on young lives. It asks who deserves to be saved-and whether saving them is even possible...
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My Review:-Ryan Kennedy was 15-years-old when he was sent to prison after killing a police officer. Ryan knows all he's got to do is keep himself to himself, stay quiet and keep out of trouble. after all when he got out he'll still be young and be well looked after. DI Sarah Collins moved to the countryside for a quiet life after the killing of a fellow police officer. When a missing teenager is found in DI Collins area, she knows things are about to change. What is the link between a missing a teenager, Ryan Kennedy and murdered police officer?
I haven't read any the other books in the series. but I found this book could be read as a standalone. This is a quick read with short chapters. There was a few twists along the way for you to watch out for.

9.8.23

Free Fall



Free Fall
By Sherry Hostler
Genre:-Crime Thriller
Pages:-279
Publisher:-Wagging Woo
Blurb:-Ellie is feeling alone and unhappy in her marriage. Her husband no longer shows any interest in her and is constantly travelling for work. So, when Saul, a handsome stranger, offers her everything she's been missing, what starts as a harmless flirtation quickly grows into something deeper.
 Before it can go too far, however, Ellie comes to her senses and ends the burgeoning relationship. It's over-or is it?
 A series of unexplained and sometimes threatening events soon lead Ellie to believe that maybe Saul isn't as out of her life as she'd thought.
 The latest book from the author of the best selling 'Hypnotic' once again keeps readers guessing until the very end.
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My Review:- Ellie Thompson is in her late thirties, living with her husband Alex in Buckinghamshire. Even though she's married, she's not happy anymore. Alex is never home, since he had a career change after his accident. When Ellie meets Saul she's craving for some attention. Saul is handsome, friendly and funny. Everything changes when Ellie decides to stop the burgeoning relationship with Saul. 
 This could be for real, not just in a book, which shows just how good a writer Sherry is. You are pulled along by the characters and become invested in the relationship between them. Just when you think that's it, Sherry throws something else at you. The end wasn't what I expected and that's what I loved about the book, nothing is what you expect.

The Paris Model



The Paris Model
By Alexandra Joel
Genre:-Historical Fiction/Espionage Thriller
Pages:-400
Publisher:-Harper360UK
Blurb:-A lush debut novel in the vein of Kathleen Tessaro's international bestseller, Elegance, about a beautiful woman working as a model for Christian Dior in post war Paris, who discovers astonishing secrets about herself and the fabulous people around her.
 Raised on a vast Australian sheep farm, the beautiful Grace Woods is compelled to travel to tumultuous, post war Paris in order to start a new life. While working as a glamorous model for Christian Dior, the world's newly acclaimed emperor of fashion, Grace mixes with counts and princesses, authors and artists, diplomats and politicians. Amongst those she befriends are Pablo Picasso, Julia Child, and the future Jackie Kennedy.
 But when Grace falls in love with the handsome Phillippe Boyer, she doesn't know that he is leading a double life, nor that his past might hold secrets and lies that will turn her life upside down.
 Based on a true story, The Paris Model by debut fiction author Alexandra Joel. is an unforgettable tale of glamour, family secrets and heartbreak.
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My Review:-Grace Woods is a young Australian woman, who goes for what she wants in post war Paris. After her marriage to Jack fails, Grace leaves her sheep station home in Australia for Paris. Grace gets a job as a mannequin fashion model for extraordinaire Christian Dior, which is the best job she could ever what. Grace starts to mix with the models on the catwalk, meeting film stars, the royals, and even politicians. Walking the catwalks of Paris she so meets the handsome Phillippe Boyer, and falls for him. But Grace discovers a secret that he is keeping and it's not a safe place for her. The author has set the scene really well with the details he has added throughout the story, so that you can picture it as you read it, 















7.8.23

Dig Two Graves



Dig Two Graves (Book Five in DCI Greg Geldard series
By Heather Peck
Genre:-Crime Fiction
Pages:-282
Blurb:-5th in the Greg Geldard Norfolk Mystery series.
Greg stumbles upon the gruesome murder of a police informant and realizes his colleague has gone missing, presumed kidnapped.
 As he seeks Sarah in a desperate race against time, he uncovers a sinister Country Lines operation, entangled with money laundering and a labyrinthine network of organised crime. The pursuit is intensifying when the man at the centre of the web directs his malevolence towards Greg, targeting not only his home and his cat, but also his beloved partner, Chris.
 This gripping narrative unfolds in the captivating world of the Norfolk Broads, involving a number of contemporary issues from knife crime to the profound impact of revenge on perpetrator and victim.
'a really brilliant series of books...gripping, thrilling and very intense'
'Heather Peck has created a winning character in Geldard...(she) is also a brilliant creator of plots'
 If you like the books of Elly Griffiths and L J Ross, you'll love this series.
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My Review:-This is Book 5 in the 'DCI Geldard' series: If seeking revenge, Dig Two Graves-is one for yourself (DCI Greg Geldard.
 This is the first book in the series that I have read. Madame Trieste, also known as Adrianne Laurientiu, a nail-bar owner has been brutally murdered. Whoever has done this this has cut her throat and made her swallow her own eyeballs. DI Sarah Laurence has been taken by the murderers. With them taken one of their own, finding DI Sarah Laurence is high, if that means up setting a few people in the process, so be it. But is it really going to be that simple or is there more to this. I liked how the author has added a character list, so we know who is who and also a glossary of police terms. I read this in one sitting as it kept me wanting to turn the pages. I will be going back and reading the other books in the series.

The God of No Good



The God of No Good
By Sita Walker
Genre:-Biography
Pages:-320
Publisher:-Ultimo Press
Blurb:-Traversing decades and continents-from Iran to India, Sri Lanka to the Czech Republic, Adelaide to the Torres Strait-The God of No Good is a beautifully lyrical and funny intergenerational memoir about six women and how their lives intertwine. Filled with wit and wisdom, it is a story that only Sita Walker could tell, but it will resonate with readers everywhere. It's Wild Swans meets Nora Ephron.
 This is not a book about divorce. It's not a book about God, either. You might think it is a book about goodness and what it means to be a good person, but it isn't. Like everything else, this is about love.
 Sita Walker was raised by five strong matriarchs who taught her to believe in God and to be good. Her grandmother, mother and three aunts believed in their unshakeable Bahá'í faith, in the power of prayer, in sacrifice, in magic, in the healing of turmeric and tea, and the wisdom of dreams.
But as hard as she tries to be good, Sita always suspects that deep down, she isn't very good at all.
 At thirty-five, she hasn't prayed in years, her dream of true love has died, and along with it, her faith-not that she's telling her another, or her aunts. Now, the only way she can fulfill her destiny is to seek out the wisdom of the ones who came before, and truly understand the women who raised her. But will they understand her? Either way, the matriarchy will never be the same again.
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My Review:-I wasn't sure at first if I was going to be able to understand as we jump from characters and various places throughout the book, but I stuck with it and started to get to know the different characters. The author Sita Walker has took us on a journey with her grandparents and parents, as she learns more and tries to understand the Bahά'l' religion. Some of her memories are told through dreams she has. Sita tells us that they've been poured through several sieves-fading memories, second-hand accounts and my own poetic imagination. It was an easy read once I got into it. It's seeing things through the eyes of a child growing up.

Gods Galore



Gods Galore
By Rupert Stanbury
Genre:-Fantasy, Myths and Legends, Humour
Pages:-360
Publisher:-
Blurb:-The Olympian Gods have made it to the 21st century Ad. We may not have heard much about them in the last two thousand years, but they're still controlling what we humans are up to-or at least they think they are.
 The reality is that the Gods are like us-they've got problems!
Zeus is still Top God on Mount Olympus, but he's got issues with many of the younger gods. His brothers, Hades and Poseidon, have issues with themselves-they're getting too set in their ways ruling the Underworld and the Seas; they probably need a job change.
But help is at hand from an unexpected source-we humans.
It's surprising what a dose of good common sense can do for even the most powerful of the gods, especially when it comes from a couple of teenagers!
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My Review:-I haven't read anything by Rupert Stanbury, but after reading this light-hearted book, I will be looking at more of his books. I have to say that it was the cover that made me decide to read it. I think it would appeal to a lot of YAs. We have Greek gods and goddesses in the twenty-first century, we have Zeus with his many lovers and dangly bits, Hades in charge of the Underworld and Poseidon in his watery kingdom. We also meet Hebe and her children, Cerberus, to name but a few. I found in an enjoyable, easy read, with plenty to laugh about with an added bit of fantasy. If you love your gods and goddesses you have to give this book a read.