Finding Phoebe

Finding Phoebe

By Gavin Extence

Genre:-YA

Reading Age:-13-17 years

Pages:-312

Publisher:-Andersen Press

Blurb:-'Totally enchanting, warm and funny' Ciara Smyth, author of 'Not My Problem'

'Neurodiversity has a voice, and it's witty and uplifting and enlightening all at once' Jasper Fforde, author of 'The Eyre Affair'

'A lovely book' Graeme Simsion, author of 'The Rosie Project'

Phoebe is autistic. She prefers to stay in her comfort zone: walking her dog, writing fantasy fiction, surviving school with as few incidents as possible.

 When her best (and only) friend rebels and gets a secret boyfriend, Phoebe reluctantly agrees to cover for her. Before long, Phoebe's dealing with all sorts of things she'd rather not, like deception, fashionable jackets, and the bewildering politics of the school chess club. Breaking the rules has never been Phoebe's thing, but as events take a seriously unexpected turn, she realises there's more to her than she ever imagined,,,

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My Review:- Phoebe is 15-year-old, living on Holy Island with her dad, after the death of her mam 6 years ago. Bethany is Phoebe's best friend (only friend), daughter of the local vicar and his wife. Phoebe and Bethany both go to school on the mainland, sometimes having to stay over, depending on the tide crossing (in case you don't know the only way to Holy Island in crossing when the tide goes out and it's safe to cross, if not you are stuck on either side, or even stuck in the middle and have to climb the look out safe tower, where you will be rescued from. Which is something that happens a lot more than you would expect). Phoebe is autistic, so routine is very important for her. A new boy, Will starts at the girls school and not long after becomes Bethany's secret boyfriend and Phoebe is asked to keep it a secret from everyone, which Phoebe isn't sure of or has done before. Bethany takes time to try and explain things to Phoebe which isn't always easy, but she does as best as she can and is patient with her. Growing up for Phoebe isn't as black and white as it is for others, there are a lot of things need to be taken into account, but it's also not easy for her family. 

I love that the author has wrote the book for his daughter, to help her through childhood into adulthood, which isn't easy even if your not autistic. I've worked with children and young adults with different special needs and I think this book would be a great help to a lot of people. I found this a really lovely story to read

Love Deleted

Love Deleted

By Paul Indigo

Audio Time:-

Genre:-Women's Fiction/Romance/Second Chance Romance/General Fiction

Blurb: ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO ERASE YOUR LOVE?

This is an impossible love story...

 Cooper came home unexpectedly early that day. The day her world collapsed. The day she heard things she shouldn't have. Saw things she shouldn't have.

 Now Cooper is running away. Driving recklessly. Blindly. A broken heart spiralling out of control after witnessing an earth-shattering scene.

 Then Cooper discovers the website. Speaks to the doctors. Can they help her? Can they give her the treatment she desperately wants? Yes they can. They can do something mind-blowing.

 They can surgically erase her love for her husband Jethro.

Only what appears to be the perfect solution sets off a devastating chain of events not only for Jethro and herself. But one also involving their teenage son Daniel in ways she can't imagine.

 A life-shattering moment. A rash decision. An easy solution. This isn't just a love story. Not when a heart isn't just broken, it is irreversibly silenced.

 This is an impossible love story.

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My Review:-The cover is what I noticed first before I even read the blurb. I found this an interesting read/listen to, it did make me think, if you could delete love, would you? Don't get me wrong there are ones I think needed deleted, but I think this is how we learn by our own mistakes, and learn how to deal with our emotions. First of all, I have to say the transcripts of podcasts I enjoyed, I thought it was different. I did like the characters, especially Cooper. There are many twist and turns throughout this book/audio. I did find it hard to get into at first but once I got into it, I found it just flowed well.

The Prosecco Pact

The Prosecco Pact

By Kiltie Jackson

Genre:-Romantic Comedy

Pages:-287

Publisher:-WickedKilt Publishing

Blurb:-Lydia Beaumont married the boy of her dreams but he has since become the man of her nightmares. She needs to find a new life.

Grace Mitchell has dedicated her life to her career, losing friends along the way to her ambition, She needs to get a life.

Debbie Stanford has been engaged for a year but is no closer to setting her wedding date, She just wants to start married life.

 On a cold, blustery January night, they each promise to change their lives and seal the deal over their glasses of Prosecco.

 However, the best made pacts of mice and women have been known to go awry...

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My Review:-Lydia Beaumont is a hairdresser with her own business, which was once her grandmothers, she married the boy of her dreams and they have a son, but they don't see or want what she wants in life..

Grace Mitchell lives and loves her job as a solicitor and has no time to socialise.

Debbie Stanford is running her own vintage clothing business and got engaged a year ago to Dale, but that's it.

These three ladies meet every week for Pie and Prosecco, their lives are all different. Feed up with the way their lives are they decided to make a pact, that their lives will be different within the year. Read how these ladies take steps to made their lives they way they want it. We share the highs and lows as well as the good and bad. You will laugh and cry with these ladies.

Love In War

Love In War

By Michael Farthing

Genre:-Literary Fiction/Historical/Romance

Pages:-464

Publisher:-Affable Media

Blurb:-Love in War is a love story of its time. Joanna and Johnnie were born in South London in the shadow of the Great War and were still growing up when the narrative begins in 1936 during Hitler's rise in Nazi Germany. It ends ten years later in 1946, when Johnnie is demobilised.

 Despite the committed intensity of the five -year relationship, they spent only forty-nine days together. Thus, Love in War is more about managing life apart than being together. The story moves between London and Berlin (where Joanna visits in 1938 and her dear schoolfriend,  Ursula lives out the war) and the horrific theatres of war in North Africa and Southern Italy, which have disastrous effects on Johnnie and render him almost unrecognisable on his return to England after the war.

 As the story closes, it is evident that there are no winners, just losers. Perhaps it is love that emerges as the only victor. The future is uncertain for all concerned. They have almost nothing to show for the last five years; just time lost. There remains a rather modest ray of hope-as Johnnie says at the end, 'but we are alive.'

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My Review:-This is a lovely love story of Johnnie and Joanna. Johnnie had watched Joanna, knowing if it wasn't her it'll be someone like her, but it was her. Church brought them together, he would watch her from where she sat with her family as he sat at the other end. Johnnie was five years old than Joanna. They started as friends and ended as a married couple, but it wasn't as easy as that, war broke out and Johnnie was enlisted. The love grow through letters that started when they were young, whenever either was away from each other they would write and this carried on through the war. the author has also added pages from Johnnie's notebook and Joanna's journal, which was I love touch but also told you how they feel with war going on around then. There is so much more to this story you have to read it. 

Catharsis

Catharsis: Landscapes of Love

By Philip Tyler

Genre:-

Blurb:-Catharsis opens this trilogy about the entwined love lives of three characters. Charlotte, Daniel and Anne-Marie. 

 Charlie lives on the large family estate in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales. Since university, where she was physically abused by a wealthy American fellow student, she has had no interest in developing relationships and ha thrown herself into managing the estate and enjoying her successful business as a landscape photographer.

 Daniel is an independent mercenary who works for the governments and wealthy organisations around the world. He uses the financial rewards to run conservation programmes for white rhinos in Kenya and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. When his wife is killed, he uses his business skills to track down those responsible in the whole 'white gold' supply chain across the world and destroy them.

 Anne-Marie is a very intelligent and extremely beautiful Afro-American who helps Daniel with his dangerous work. Anne-Marie develops a passionate love for Charlie. 

 Three volumes of Landscapes of Love delve into the complex relationships of these three lead characters and how their lives evolve together.

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My Review:-Catharsis is Book One in 'Landscapes of Love.' We have three main characters, Charlotte (Charlie), Daniel and Anne-Marie. Charlie lives on the large family estate in the Yorkshire Dales and a landscape photographer. While taking photos in the Yorkshire Dales, Charlie comes across Daniel.

Daniel is a conservationist and mercenary, who will do anything to stop poachers and wealthy businessmen killing white rhinos in Kenya and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Daniel helps Charlie out when she is attacked in another country, and their start a passionate love affair.

Anne-Marie is Afro-America who helps Daniel with his work and knows how dangerous it is. Anne-Marie will do anything to keep the people closest to her safe. These three characters travel from one place to another to safe the animals that are in danger. I love the writing style of Philip,  he has took the time to research as much as he could so he could added it to this book and made it realistic.

Enlightenment of Rogue Emperor

Enlightenment of Rogue Emperor (Rogue, Arcane and Desolate; Book 1)

By Jana Klánová

Genre:-fantasy, Action Adventure, Young Adult/New Adult 15+

Blurb:-Eugenie is a certified, double-vetted, regular, ordinary high-school girl living her best life someone more competent planned for her, in a perfectly normal world, where strange things don't happen because that is simply impossible.

 Or so she thought.

Right the second she graduates, the rug under her feet gets pulled and she, alongside a young, mysterious scoundrel, takes a wild tumble down a mountain of myths and hoaxes that her country has been built upon into a whirl of unknown, scary...but oh, so exciting.

 Enlightenment of the Rogue Emperor is a lighthearted, fun, action-packed fantasy with a dash of romance and it is intended to entertain young readers above the age of 15. Contains crude language. If some characters from this book asked you to pull their finger, you better not. Reader's discretion is advised.

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My Review:-This is Book One of 'Rogue, Arcane and Desolate.' I do like the cover as I think it draws you in. This is a story of fantasy, romance, sea monsters, action packed and is also funny. It's a story for young adults, but even older people that love fantasy will love this. We have to young people, Eugenie and AJ, total opposites, are brought together in this book. Eugenie has the best life ever, but the second she graduates everything changes. AJ is an Emperor. Eugenie and a young mysterious scoundrel, take a wild tumble down a mountain of myths and hoaxes and the story begins. I did find it hard to get into this book, but that's not to say you will have the same problem. I did find I was drawn more to Eugenie than AJ. 

Virginia's Sisters

Virginia's Sisters

By 20+ Multiple authors: Virginia Woolf, Zelda Fitzgerald, Katherine Mansfield, Edith Wharton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Radclyffe Hall et al

Selected and Introduced by:-Gabi Reigh Ed. Cheryl Robson

Genre:-Poetry and Prose

Publisher:-Aurora Metro

Blurb:-A fascinating anthology of poetry and prose by leading feminist writes of the 20th century on the topic of women's freedom and the idea of the 'New Woman'. This international collection offers over 20 literary gems by favourite and newly rediscovered women writers.

 Selected and introduced by Gabi Reigh who gives context to the selected contributions from women writers who were expressing their hopes for freedom and autonomy during the early part of the twentieth century.

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My Review:-I haven't read to many Anthologies, but the ones I have read, I've enjoyed. Here we have a selection that have been translated into English for the first time, from all over the world. We have women from Ukraine, Sardinia, China, Chile, Egypt and far afield.  We also have some from well known American and English authors...Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Katherine Mansfield, Zelda Fitzgerald...The book has something for everyone, short stories, poems and essays. At the back of the book you can read a little bit about each author, they is also a section About the Translators. I loved how you can pick up, read a few pages and put back down. I did like 'Coming Home' by Maria Messina and 'Broken' by Nataliya Kobrynska.