LindyLouMac's Book Reviews

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

2012-01-30T18:13:00.001+01:00

Paperback: 326 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Penguin 2011

Source: Passed on to us by a UK friend.

First Sentence : ‘There were years after it happened, after I’d returned from the town and come back here to the busy blank of the city, when some comment would be tossed off about the Second World War and how it had gone – some idiotic remark about clarity and purpose-and I’d resist the urge to stub out my cigarette and bring the dinner party to a satisfying halt .’

A Favourite Quote: “It is the story that lies around the edges of the photographs, or at the end of newspaper account. It's about the lies we tell others to protect them, and about the lies we tell ourselves in order not to acknowledge what we can't bear: that we are alive, for instance, and eating lunch, while bombs are falling, and refugees are crammed into camps, and the news comes toward us every hour of the day. And what, in the end, do we do?”

Review Quote : A beautifully written, thought provoking novel that I’m telling everyone I know to read.” — Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help

My Opinion: Heart wrenching story of three young women.

While reading this book I was at first, thanks to the title expecting there to be much more about The Postmistress. It didn’t matter in the end as it turned out that the story was actually three stories, linked together by The Postmistress herself. A heart wrenching story of three young women, that at first was confusing, as it took me awhile to understand how the protagonists tales were all going to weave together.

Iris James is the postmistress in Cape Cod, Emma Fitch is the Cape Cod doctor’s wife and Frankie Bard is a radio journalist. The story follows the young women as WWII touches the lives of them all, but in very different ways until their paths cross thanks to fate. Initially Iris and Emma listen to Frankie’s radio broadcasts from a London under siege from nightly bombings. A war that is far from home and difficult to comprehend even after Emma’s husband goes there to work helping the war effort with his much needed skills.

It is certainly a tantalizing mix of stories with a huge cast of peripheral characters that are all important to the overall understanding of this emotional novel. Without exception I thought every single one of the characters in this novel felt like ordinary human beings, real people living through traumatic episodes, horribly realistic. What more can I say really without spoiling it except to urge you to read this.

Author photo and biographical information courtesy of authors Goodreads Profile and her official website.

Born in New York city, Sarah taught high school and college English for many years in Colorado and New York. She has taught fiction workshops at the Fine Arts Works Centre in Provincetown, MA, The Writer’s Centre, in Bethesda MD, The University of Maryland, and The George Washington University. She lives in Washington DC with her husband, the poet Joshua Weiner, and their two sons.

I found this book trailer an excellent introduction to The Postmistress.

Uploaded by PenguinDigital on Jan 24, 2011

If you are interested in learning more about the novel, I found an interesting interview Kathryn Stockett interviews Sarah Blake on Goodreads

Sarah Blake - Goodreads Author Profile

Sarah Blake - Official Website

Blogging Break

2011-12-20T18:18:00.001+01:00

I am going to be spending time with family and friends over Christmas, New Year and most of January so will not be posting any more Book Reviews for a few weeks. If you have called by looking for ideas for your next read I am hoping that with the over 60 books I have read and reviewed this year that I have left you with plenty of ideas.

Please have a browse around now you are here and hopefully you will find something of interest amongst this lot. Do let me know as it always fun to discuss the books we read with others isn’t it.

I look forward to continuing to share my reading with you during 2012 and also reading your reviews as well if you are a fellow book blogger.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Perhaps Tomorrow by Jean Fullerton

2011-12-17T14:03:00.001+01:00

Paperback: 277 pages

Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction

Publisher: Orion 2011

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : ‘Mattie Maguire, owner of Maguire and Son’s coal yard, woke to the light tap of the knocker-upper’s cane on the window and Brian, her three-year-old son, chattering to his wooden soldiers in his cot at the foot of her bed.’

Review Quote : ‘A real page-turner with larger- than-life characters and convincing period detail’ – Daily Express.

My Opinion: A relaxing read that transported me back to an era that I am glad I was not born in!

It is thanks to the enthusiasm of many authors today that use the internet to publicise their work that I have started reading more widely than ever. I have always had eclectic tastes but until recently historical fiction was a genre that I had not been reading much. If you look back over my recent book reviews you will notice that many of them are books I have read thanks to the generosity of the authors. I very much appreciate that they are willing to let me read and review their work. It is also thanks to some of these authors that I am now reading and enjoying more historical fiction.

Jean Fullerton is one of the authors whose enthusiasm for her writing goes far beyond the book and the story. Since reading Perhaps Tomorrow while researching autobiographical information about her, I discovered that on her website, she has copious information and photos of locations used in the novel. Wonderful it really brings it alive and makes you realise how comprehensive this author’s research is.

Storyline

The female heroine is young widow Mattie Maguire who is a tough young lady. Struggling for three years since her husband died, to keep the family coal business afloat she has a hard time. Not only is she a woman in a mans world, but she has a young son and a disturbed mother in law to look after as well. At first she has no idea that her livelihood is under threat by the proposals of corrupt local business man, Amos Stebbins. Mattie believes that she will never fall in love again, until into her life comes Nathaniel Tate. Nathaniel has escaped wrongful imprisonment and returned to London to make the man who has ruined his life pay for his past crimes. Of course the man is Amos Stebbins and tracking him down to the coal yard is how he and Mattie meet when she offers him work. It is thanks to Nathaniel that Mattie manages to cope with the dastardly deeds that Amos tries to bring her business to collapse. The pair grow ever closer only to be torn apart again when the police catch up with him. It is a challenge for him to prove his innocence, expose Amos and get back with the woman he loves.

A relaxing read that transported me back to an era that I am glad I was not born in! If you think you would enjoy a love story set in the late 1840’s then you will not go far wrong with this one.

Author information

Jean Fullerton was born into a large, East End family and grew up in the overcrowded streets clustered around the Tower of London. She still lives in East London, just five miles from where she was born. She feels that it is her background that gives her stories their distinctive authenticity. Jean is particularly fascinated by the 18th and 19th centuries and her books are set in this period. she is also passionate about the historical accuracy, so enjoys researching the details almost as much as writing the novels.

These links will take you to further information about her earlier novels.

A Glimpse at Happiness

No Cure for Love

Information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites.

Author's Official Website

Goodreads Profile

Amazon Profile

The Blue Demon by David Hewson

2011-12-13T19:36:00.001+01:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 391 pages

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

Publisher: February 5th 2010 by Macmillan

Source: Obtained in a Charity bookshop in the UK especially for the Italy in Books Challenge

First Sentence : The garden of the Quirinale felt like a suntrap as the man in the silver armour strode down the shingle path.

My Opinion: The fact that it was set in places I am familiar with added to the interest considerably.

The December post for the list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. December Reviews

This is my last entry as the challenge reaches a successful conclusion for me, I have read and reviewed a book for every month of the year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Brighton Blogger of Book After Book for hosting what has been a fun challenge to participate in.

I doubt I would ever have considered reading this title had it not been for the Italy in Books Reading Challenge for 2011. Thrillers and mysteries are a genre I do not read a great deal of although I have a few authors of this genre I enjoy. In fact I usually only read this genre if it is one my husband has read and recommends to me. This was the case with this one and also to be honest I was hunting around our bookshelves for something set in Italy for the final book of the challenge. So although this title would maybe not be my first choice I did find it a good read and the fact that it was set in places I am familiar with added to the interest considerably.

With mainly Italian characters, lots of references to Italian history, art and culture, use of Italian and familiar places how could I fail to enjoy this novel. Having visited some of the Etruscan tombs in this region it was fascinating to read a novel weaved around the legacy of the lost race of the Etruscans. The storyline is complex with many twists and turns and will keep you guessing right to the very end.

The story commences with the kidnapping of a government minister and his driver murdered, just days before an important conference with leaders of the G8 in Rome. When a ritual murder takes place, performed it seems by someone dressed as The Blue Demon from Etruscan history. It is then that Detective Nic Costa suspects that a twenty year old case where a mysterious group committed a series of crimes in the style of the infamous Blue Demon of Etruscan history was never really solved. The group has reformed and are planning attacks on Rome with devastating consequences. Old Etruscan myths, conspiracy and murders old and new are all part of the investigation.

Well worth reading if you are not only a lover of all things Italian but enjoy a good mystery.

For those of you interested in learning more about the historical background, I have included a couple of links to get you started.

The Tomb of The Blue Demons The Blue Demons in the Etruscan Underworld.

Author Profile

DAVID HEWSON was born in Yorkshire in 1953 and left school at the age of seventeen to work as a cub reporter on one of the smallest evening newspapers in the country in Scarborough. Eight years later I was a staff reporter on The Times in London, covering news, business and latterly working as arts correspondent. I worked on the launch of the Independent and was a weekly columnist for the Sunday Times for a decade before giving up journalism entirely in 2005 to focus on writing fiction.

He has written sixteen novels, as well as several travel books. Until 2005 he was a weekly columnist for the Sunday Times until becoming a full-time author. David lives in Kent but visits Italy frequently. All 11 of his Italian books are now in development as TV movies.

Sources of information used in this post :-

Goodreads Author Profile Author's Official Website David Hewson - Blog

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog.
News From Italy

2.18 by Aglaya Moroz

2011-12-12T17:34:00.001+01:00

Ebook: 321KB in the Kindle Edition

Genre: Fantasy Adventure Fiction

Publisher: Aglaya Moroz; Original Edition edition (29 Aug 2011)

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : The valley was generously and unhesitatingly painted with green, red, yellow and purple.

My Opinion: I did not enjoy this at all, I did warn the author though that I find fantasy difficult and this was just too much for me, but may well appeal to fans of the genre.

The story started well enough as we learn that the heroine Tessa and her boyfriend Orson are leading a normal life in Denver. Until one day Tessa finds herself transported through a time portal to Geodar a parallel world to Earth with two supernatural beings called Camille and Val. These two strangers that appeared that night in her bedroom introduced themselves to her as her guardians. Camille was a representative of light and Val one of darkness. This is indeed a very strange fantasy adventure story involving this trio hunting down a crazy Russian scientist called Roman, who actually turns the tables on them by kidnapping Tessa.

Unfortunately the further I got into the book the more confused I became and also more irritated. Maybe I do not have the imagination I think I have but I was really unable to get my head round the higher powers that were supposedly running this parallel world!

I read on despite not understanding what was going on! Tess is thrown out of the realm of Geodar for performing magic during a minstrels tournament, only to find herself in Ergo meeting a Goddess called Ayouso.

Will she be stuck in these different realms for the rest of eternity or will she be returned to Earth the same day she left? If you want to find out you will have to read the book yourself.

I was also disappointed that I came across so many grammatical and spelling errors, this does seem to be a recurring problem where eBooks are concerned. Not in all cases but certainly I feel more than is acceptable. Is it lack of editing I wonder, do some authors just not get their books proof read or edited before publishing.

Not for me then but many of you fantasy fiction fans out there will probably enjoy this, especially if the author gets the editing sorted before the print publication.

For the sake of those of you that may enjoy this genre and not find my preview of the story very clear I am reproducing here the book description from Goodreads

An ordinary, 23-year-old, MarCom manager in Denver finds herself falling in love with her seemingly ever-present Guardian... Demon. “Seemingly” is the key word here, because by a bureaucratic mistake, at the time of Tessa’s birth, she was not assigned a Guardian Angel or a Guardian Demon, until just today.
And the reason Camille and Val appear in the middle of a hot summer night in her bedroom is a simple one. By another mistake made by somebody in the Archives of the Powers, she wasn’t given a purpose in life.
Tessa Vetrov is offered a new mission -- to hunt down an insane Russian scientist in Geodar, a neighbouring realm of Earth, under the supervision of her newly-appointed Guardians. She reluctantly accepts the offer, which is guaranteed to take only one minute of her life here on Earth, and the successful completion of which will bring her a hefty reward.
Unfortunately, it turns out that Tessa is just a pawn in a high-stake game of the Higher Powers, and not all of their promises will be kept..."

Sorry Aglaya but I know this review will disappoint you. You obviously write a good story, just not to my taste. In my opinion this does need some editing before it appears in paperback next summer. I guess or hope that this is already in the hands of your publishers and they will have said the same as me. Thanks for asking me to review for you and I wish you all the best with your writing.

Author Profile.

All I can say about Aglaya Moroz is that she describes herself on her Blogger Profile as a Storyteller. Explorer. Dreamer and Doer.

I did ask the author for some biographical details and a photo but unfortunately she did not provide me with any, so this photo is the one she uses on her Goodreads Profile which does not tell us anything about her either. Maybe she is a shy young lady, she does have a blog though My Belfry and a Facebook Page.

A– Z Book Challenge 2012 Master List

2011-12-09T19:26:00.001+01:00

I was determined that I was not going to join any challenges for 2012, but low and behold I have already succumbed!

Why was I determined not to join any then? Well believe it or not we still have shelves full of books waiting To Be Read so I had decided that my own personal challenge for 2012 was to be to read as many books as possible from our TBR mountain.

Why have I succumbed? I decided that not only does this sound like a fun challenge but hopefully it will also help me decide on titles to read from the many interesting ones sitting on the shelves.

The A-Z challenge is very simple: find 26 books that have titles that start with each letter of the alphabet (for X you can choose a title that has the letter anywhere in it).

There are two options A is to list your choices here now, or B Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list.

For further clarification eBooks and audio books also count plus just the first word of the title counts unless it is a, an, or the.

This is the option I have chosen as I just do not have the time or inclination to plan in advance, so every time I add to the list, it will be with a link to my review, not absolutely sure how this will work yet. So for now here is a blank list. I know not very interesting yet but it will be in time! Maybe some of you will think about joining in.

Do let me know if you decide to join or have any questions, You do not need to have a book blog or even be a blogger to join us.

Click on the badge at the top of the post to be taken to the page for joining the challenge.

Legacy by Danielle Steel

2011-12-05T18:00:00.001+01:00

Paperback: 415 pages

Genre: Romantic fiction

Publisher:Corgi 2011 – Part of Transworld Publishers

Source: Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge

First Sentence : ’There was a heavy snowfall that had started the night before as Brigitte Nicholson sat at her desk in the admissions office of Boston University, meticulously going over applications.’

Description From Amazon : One woman's quest to find her family...and herself.

My Opinion: Enjoyable, quick read.

Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge

This is my second and final read for the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge as somehow the other two titles I had picked for some reason or other never reached me! I do not think it was the post, as many other books have reached me. Having picked four titles my first choice was the excellent and evocative The Sandalwood Tree. missing out choices two and three we move on to my fourth and final choice reviewed here today.

It is only because of the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge that I find myself reading Danielle Steel again as just over two years ago I read and reviewed Sisters claiming that ‘Although I have been reading the novels of Danielle Steel as light relief for over thirty years I am now seriously wondering why I continue to do so. She may be a prolific and popular author but I think the time has come to remove her novels from my wishlist and spend more time reading other authors that I enjoy more’. If I was so disappointed why did I indeed pick one of her titles for the challenge, well I am glad I did as this was so much better. An enjoyable read which I devoured in a couple of days, but I do prefer a book to have more substance to it these days than this provided. Danielle Steel is certainly a very prolific and popular writer with millions of fans and if her books come my way I may well read them from time to time for light entertainment, but they will still not be appearing on my wishlist.

Two female protagonists dominate this story, separated by hundreds of years but sharing family genes. We first meet Brigitte Nicholson the modern day female, actually a somewhat boring character, living a safe and academic lifestyle, that I wanted to shake very early on in the book. Her life is turned upside down unexpectedly and struggling to come to terms with what has happened to her, she agrees to help her mother with a genealogy project, just for something to do initially. Fortunately for the reader the story is not just about Brigitte, she is just the tool the author has used to introduce us to the other female protagonist Wachiwi; whom we first meet in Chapter Six when we are transported from modern day to 1784 and are introduced to this daring young Sioux Indian girl. Her story is one of courage in the face of the unknown and for the rest of the novel it swaps between present and past as we learn Wachiwi’s story both in real time and through the research Brigitte is carrying out in the present day. Brigitte discovers that her family has connections to the French aristocracy and she cannot wait to learn how and why a Sioux Indian should end up in France married to a member of her family. Her boring life at last seems to be changing as she finds herself taking opportunities she would never have thought of considering before embarking on the family research. Her ancestor Wachiwi certainly seems to shake up Brigitte’s life for the better and the story provides the reader with a few hours romantic entertainment.

Legacy by Danielle Steel

Uploaded by rhpubgroup on Sep 20, 2010

Author profile courtesy of Goodreads

Danielle Steel was born on August 14, 1947 in New York, New York, The United States. She is one the world’s most popular and highly acclaimed authors, with eighty international bestselling novels in print and 600 million copies sold. Nowadays she divides her time between California and Paris. She has nine children that despite her many interests always remain her first priority. From an education in New York and Europe to a professional background in public relations and advertising, and teaching, Danielle moved on quickly to her literary career, she wrote her first book at nineteen. Often, she works on five books at a time — researching one storyline, writing another, and editing the third. Still, she often spends two to three years researching and developing a single project. In the heat of a first draft, it is not uncommon for her to spend eighteen to twenty hours a day glued to her 1946 Olympia manual typewriter.
Family, children, and young people are the central focus of her life, and her passion, which frequently shows in her writing. She deals with the themes that touch on the most pressing issues of real life, which makes her books universal, and touch so many people. She is fascinated by the pressing life situations that affect us all, how people handle them and are often transformed as a result. And her novels have explored subjects such as kidnapping, incest, mental illness, suicide, death, divorce, adoption, marriage, loss, cancer, war, among others. She also frequently writes about historical themes, shedding new light on familiar historical events with meticulously accurate research.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Goodreads Author Profile Facebook Profile

Danielle Steel writes a blog Minnie Mouse where you can learn a lot more about Danielle the person. For Danielle the author visit her Official Author Website

Passeggiata–Strolling Through Italy by G.G. Husak

2011-11-30T13:07:00.001+01:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 355 pages

Genre: Travel memoir

Publisher: Booksurge Publishing 2008

Source: Sent to me by another blogger Maggie of Normandy Life via Bookmooch

First Sentence : Prologue ‘for almost fifteen years, March has signified not only the coming of spring, but my husband Al’s and my pilgrimage to Italy.’

Quote From Amazon.com : Ms. Husak’s memoir of travels to Italy with her husband will appeal to those who love travel in general and Italy in particular.

My Opinion: Suited especially to the first time visitor or virtual traveller to Italy.

The November post for the list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. November Reviews

Although I enjoyed this memoir about this couples travels in Italy, I did not really find it excited me. I hope that does not mean I have been living here too long for a travel memoir of Italy to inspire me. Personally I feel this is more suited to the first time visitor or virtual traveller to Italy and better read in small doses as it did tend to be repetitive in parts. The repetitiveness was a shame as I felt it was due to poor editing as were some of the mistakes I found. Mistakes I hasten to add that those that do not live here or speak any Italian I doubt will even notice, so I am not going to be pedantic and will not even mention them in detail.

The Cinque Terre is one of the couples favourite places and it also saddened me somewhat to be reading this so soon after the recent disasters caused by flooding in the area. That withstanding they covered many of the major tourist centres on their annual holidays, including Roma, Florence, Venice, Milan, Orveito, Siena, Naples, Sorrento and Positano. A wide selection indeed. Some of the things that they had to say about various places and the way things work here in Italy did niggle me a bit at times. Again this was probably a case of knowing both the places and the vagaries of life in Italy, a little better in some aspects, not others) than this intrepid pair of adventurers. Also one must remember that this was the early nineties they were writing about for their first trips and times have changed a lot since then.

There is no doubt in my mind that Italy has got under this couples skin and really enriched their lives, otherwise why would they still be coming here, as we are led to believe they still do. I would be very interested in a sequel as I think they may have learnt a lot more about Italy since those early days. Although even on those early trips they soon learnt to relax and go with the flow, it is the only way to happily exist in Italy.

‘Passegiata strolling through Italy’ certainly has a lot to recommend it to lovers of all things Italian, who wish to immerse themselves in the personal details of the Husak’s adventures.

Since 1993, Glen Grymes Husak has made an annual pilgrimage to Italy. Glen brings her background and insight as an English teacher and museum docent to the history and art of Italy.

Glen Grymes Husak has travelled with her husband Al to Italy since 1993. Their adventures in Italian cities and villages and growing love for the Italian experience provide the inspiration for her writing. She brings the background and insight of an English teacher and museum art docent to historical sights and art of Italy. She tells her friends that she enjoys writing about Italy almost as much as being there.
In more recent years, Glen and Al have added other Mediterranean destinations to their travels but always end up in Italy. They have not found a place that they like better. The author is I believe currently based in Houston, Texas.

Other sources of information used in this post :-

Author's Goodreads Profile

G.G. Husak's Official Website

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog.
News From Italy

The Golden Sky by E.C. Stilson

2011-11-21T10:33:00.001+01:00

Advance Proof Paperback: 284 pages

Genre: Personal Memoir

Publisher: Wayman Publications 2011

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Paragraph : Entry#1 Being pregnant isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread. On the days I don’t feel like I have Alzheimer’s, I’m like Hercules journeying from hell. Here I am at the age of nineteen, with a seven month old girl and another kid on the way.

My Opinion: This true story about the death of a baby hit me in a way I did not quite expect it to, it was emotionally draining.

I defy you not to be moved by this memoir written by a young woman who at times seems so innocent and others so wise. It might not be a great literary work but it is truth and real and something that happens to far too many people. When Elisa was just nineteen her second born child, a son died, she and her husband Cade became a sad statistic, which sadly many thousands of others can relate to. We have all experienced grief and loss but the acute pain of losing a child was just so hard to imagine, until I read this.

One day Elisa Stilton aged 26 found the strength to reread the journal she wrote at the time of his death, when she was hurting more than most of us can ever imagine! It was painful and difficult to read her journal again but it helped Elisa at last find peace with Zeke’s death. Grateful that she had written down her experience at the time this brave young lady decided to share her families pain with the world. Published on November 18th 2011, the anniversary of Zeke’s birth she hopes that by doing so she can help others that have experienced the loss of a child.

The memoir is written in a very honest and personal way and Elisa bares her soul to the world in this diary, leaving nothing out. There are a lot of personal details about her relationships, her pregnancies, her thoughts when they discover the baby may be handicapped, the trauma of his birth, personal letters from her family on his birth and how her marriage nearly falls apart because of all the trauma. However Elisha is one amazing young lady who never gives up, seems to remain cheerful through it all and is determined to find a way of keeping her husband and daughter Ruby together as a family. She is willing to work hard to do so and her fighting spirit and humour will draw you to like this young woman. In Elisa’s own words I echo that publishing this memoir In honour of Zeke, was a wonderful thing to do, ‘because after every storm, there is a golden sky’.

I was hoping to share a video trailer with you but have been unable to get the embedding to work, so I am just including the link The Golden Sky Trailer - You Tube. It is just 1min 24 sec, do pop over and take a look.

Author Profile – Elisa Stilson

The autobiographical information and photo published here was kindly provided for me by the author herself.

Elisa Hirsch has her degree through the University of Phoenix. Her particular degree has a counselling emphasis and she finds it very useful when leading grief counselling groups for parents who have lost children.
For the last six years she owned and operated EC Boutique. Her company received various awards including, Best of Show at the Utah State Fair, Top Ten Award from Boutique Customs Mini Mall and last year on e-bay it was even rated as the fifth largest custom handmade kids' clothing store in the world. Elisa designed and created outfits for children, but has since decided to close her business and work on her writing career.
Elisa plays six instruments; the violin, piano, drums, alto sax, tenor sax and the clarinet. Her husband is also a musician. They love to play at weddings, funerals, coffee shops and restaurants.
She also enjoys speaking publicly and meeting new people. She has spoken at M.O.P.S., been Juliet in the local play and made it to the final three for the Salt Lake Story Tellers contest in 2001. She hopes to continue being asked to speak at functions and counsel people who need help overcoming grief.
Her husband and four beautiful children are a blessing. She is so proud to have them in her life especially since one of her little boys passed away eight years ago. He was born with birth defects and he changed her life. Since his death, writing has become an even stronger passion of Elisa's. She always wrote, even finishing a ninety page manuscript at the age of ten, but now writing is one of her best driving forces. She tries to write for at least two hours each morning and is in a writing critic group as well as the Writers League of Utah.

Elisa has also put together a selection of the private family photos of her son’s birth, Zeke Jackson

Elisa and her husband Cade are also musical, listen to some by visiting Our Music

A young writer to watch take a look at her blog The Crazy Life of a Writing Mum.

A talented couple who went through so much so young, I wish them a successful and happy future together, also thankyou Elisa for asking me to review The Golden Sky, it was a privilege to do so.

Rebellion by Rachel Cotterill

2011-11-11T17:27:00.001+01:00

Ebook: 371 pages

Genre: Fantasy Adventure Fiction

Publisher: Rachel Cotterill (10 Oct 2010)

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Two Paragraphs : Prologue: His attention was caught by the snapping of a twig down in the valley. He held himself still, forcing even his breathing to silence, and turned his eyes to follow the sound. The disturbance came not a moment too soon; he'd been starting to doubt the quality of his informants.

It was a few moments before the girl emerged from the dense cover of the trees. She walked barefoot up the slope, a purposeful look on her face, and though she looked up she didn't seem to see him hidden between the branches. She was a thin child, short for her thirteen years, with stunning red hair which flowed down her back. She looked so like her mother.

My Opinion: This is a well written novel and despite it being fantasy a genre that does not normally appeal, it proved to be a better read than expected. Thanks Rachel for encouraging me to read your novel.

Although Fantasy is not a genre I am fond of I was impressed with the writing and the way that Rachel has created a whole fantasy world in this first novel in the trilogy the Chronicles of Charanthe. It is a strange world but through the protagonist Eleanor you will be able to step into this world where children are taken away from their parents at birth to be educated. Upon graduation the students are awarded lifetime job assignments, but Eleanor’s posting is not the dream job she had always hoped for. The job offered to her is one she feels far below her abilities so she decides to reject the offer. This is where her problems begin as suddenly free for the first time in her life, she recalls the legends which tell of a secret society of elite assassins, who live outside the laws of the Empire and who may or may not truly exist. As she seeks out the truth she has many adventures, of which if you are not a fan of this genre may seem incredibly far fetched, as she cheats, steals and kills her way to succeed. I coped as I liked the way the author portrayed her characters and it was a fast paced read. I did however find the descriptions of weaponry, fighting and even torture a little too much at times, but this was a personal issue and other readers probably love all this fast paced action.

If you are a fan of this genre or someone that likes to stretch their comfort reading zone from time to time than I recommend you try the work of this talented young author. I will also admit that I am looking forward to reading Revolution, which is published today 11.11.11, to see how the story progresses and the characters develop.

Author Profile – Rachel Cotterill

Born on January 06, 1983 in The United Kingdom Rachel now lives with her husband in the Cotswolds. When she's not writing, she's studying for a PhD in computational linguistics. On her website she describes herself as a writer, photographer, computational linguistics PhD student, and someone who collects skills the way other people collect stamps - so far including dry-stone walling, taekwondo, sugarcraft, EFL teaching, rope-splicing, skiing & snowboarding, knitting & crochet, cooking, juggling, and coppicing, an enterprising young lady indeed, she also enjoys learning a little of the languages of the countries she visits, so that she can ask for directions when she gets lost.

If you are unsure if her novel Rebellion is going to appeal to you, the first few chapters are available to read online here

You can find out more about Rachel her writing and her photography on her website Rachel Cotterill, her Goodreads Author Profile or her Flickr Profile.

Chronicles of Charanthe Website Rebellion is the first Chronicles of Charanthe novel. Revolution, the second, will be published in November 2011, and the final book of the series, Reformation, is due in 2012.

Revolution - Chronicles of Charanthe 2 is published today 11.11.11

Zlata’s Diary – A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic

2011-11-07T17:41:00.001+01:00

Audiotape: 2 tapes Abridged 3hrs listening
Genre : Biography/Autobiography
Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks
Source: From a selection I have languishing on shelves.
Read By : Dorota Puzio

Reviewing an Audiobook here is a recent departure for me, as this is just the second time I have done so. I recently discovered a collection of approximately twenty audio books that we have moved from house to house for years. It is time that most of them were moved on as tapes are rather out dated, although I might keep the classics. My first audio book review was back in April and I was planning to review about one a month. So much for good intentions, somehow the plan never materialised until the other day when I came across this copy that I had originally purchased for our younger daughter in 1995. Never a great fan of reading, unless we read to her, we did manage to get her into the habit of listening to tapes. Thankfully it worked and although she might not have read them herself, she has a reasonable knowledge of many children’s classics either from us reading to her, or listening to tapes.

She was eleven years old herself, the same age as Zlata, when Zlata’s Diary was originally published and it was an excellent way to introduce to her the effects of war on children.

At the beginning of 1992 Zlata Filipovic was living in Sarajevo, the normal everyday life of a young girl, school, holidays and time with friends were uppermost in her thoughts. She did mention the war in her diary but at first it was just a distant threat. Until suddenly that April war broke out in Sarajevo and her main concern became survival! It was dangerous living in the city as snipers were active there. Inevitably the war meant hardships for her family and they had to adapt to living without the things we all take for granted especially food and not being able to move around outside safely! There was always the constant fear of death in the air never knowing if family and friends would survive the atrocities. In writing this diary I felt that Zlata shows amazing fortitude for one so young and learning about the war through her perspective is a moving experience. As she does not fully understand the politics behind this war she tends to have more to say about how the war affects her life, rather than about the culture clash which is at the root of the troubles.

The diary does end rather abruptly which I felt was a shame when Zlata and her family are moved to safety in France, because of the publicity her diary attracted!

An insightful read for adults and children alike.

Author photograph.

Zlata Filipovic was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1980. At the age of ten, she started keeping a diary, which, when conflict began in the former Yugoslavia, became a record of the war and survival in her city. Zlata’s Diary was published first in France in 1993 and was an instant international bestseller. It has since been translated into thirty-six languages and is required reading in many schools around the world.

She holds a B.A. in Human Sciences from Oxford University and an MPhil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin. She has spoken extensively at schools and universities around the world and has worked on many occasions with organizations such as the Anne Frank House, the United Nations, and UNICEF. She is also a three-time member of the UNESCO Jury for Children’s and Young People’s Literature Prize for Tolerance.

Her written work includes contributions to several books, radio programs and newspapers, including a foreword for The Freedom Writers Diary(Doubleday, 1997) and the English translation of Milosevic: The People’s Tyrant (I.B. Tauris, 2004), for which she has also written a foreword. More recently, she co-edited Stolen Voices: Young People’s War Diaries from WWI to Iraq (Penguin, 2006).

She recently worked within the UN Children and Armed Conflict Division in New York under Olara Otunnu and is collaborating with Amnesty International USA on developing human rights education material based around her most recent book, Stolen Voices.

Zlata now serves on the executive committee of Amnesty International Ireland and is currently making documentary films.

For a visual insight into the atrocities in Sarajevo please take a five minutes to watch this video.

Uploaded by Freeweezy6290 on Mar 8, 2011

For more background I also recommend reading an excellent interview with Zlata Filipovic published in April 2011 Starting A New Life in Ireland – on the globalcitydublin blog.

Author biography and photography is taken from The Penguin Speakers Bureau

Other sources of information used in this post were:-

Zlata Filipovic - Wikipedia

Wikipedia - Zlata's Diary

Zlata Filipovic - YouTube

Guernica by Dave Boling

2011-11-02T18:53:00.001+01:00

Paperback: 368 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Picador 2009

Source: My sister-in-law.

First Sentence : Prologue (Guernica 1939)Justo Ansotegui returns to the market now to hear the language and to buy soap.

Review Quote : 'Where Picasso's painting so vividly captured the hellfire of the town's destruction, this book fills in the humanity. The characters, the culture and the landscape are all lovingly described.'
--New Statesman

My Opinion: One of my favourite reads this year.

Until I read this novel my only knowledge of ‘Guernica’ was as a place in the Basque region of Spain that had come under attack during the Spanish Civil War. I had also heard of Picasso’s painting of the same name, but had never looked at it closely. Although I have now done so online, it would be a moving experience to see it in reality, especially now I know more about the events behind the creation. I understand when reading historical fiction that fact and fiction are sometimes difficult to separate. So I enjoy the fact that reading a novel like this one, besides being a pleasure to read has also taught me something along the way.

The novel concentrates on the story of two Basque families related by marriage the Ansotegui’s and the Navarro’s. An extraordinary fictional tale of their family life from 1893 – 1940 with appearances by some real people from history. The story is woven around the characters Miguel Navarro and Miren Ansotegui, when the two of them meet they believe they have a love that nothing can destroy.

While reading this I felt thoroughly immersed in the surroundings and so connected with the characters that I felt their grief and happiness as if I knew them personally. This is truly a wonderful love story not just between individuals but a love of family, traditions and place, definitely one of my favourite reads this year.

Author photo

Dave Boling was born in Chicago, USA and has been a journalist in the Pacific Northwest since 1980. Prior to that, he worked as a logger, iron-worker, boat-builder, bartender, bouncer, short-order cook, painter and college football coach. He lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. Guernica, his first novel, was voted Richard and Judy's best 'Summer Read' for 2009.

The interview with Dave Boling is less than six minutes but split into three parts, in the first part he discusses the novel, no spoilers. I have also included the links to the next two parts in which he discusses why he became an author and the reasons behind why he wrote Guernica.

Uploaded by picadorbooks on Jul 15, 2009

Dave Boling Interview Part 2

Dave Boling Interview Part Three

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Amazon - Author Profile

Guernica - The Painting – Wikipedia

Author's Official Website

YouTube

Gone Travelling

2011-10-09T18:07:00.001+02:00

I am away for the rest of October and will not be posting any more Book Reviews until after my return. However I have left you with plenty of ideas over the last week, having finally caught up on writing and posting Book Reviews.

Hopefully you will find something of interest amongst this lot, do let me know.

Links to all of my October Book Reviews.

Reversing Over Liberace by Jane Lovering

Follies by Rosie Thomas

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

Ex-Pat Women Confessions by Andrea Martin

Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

Economics of Ego Surplus by Paul Mcdonnold

Recipe For Life by Nicky Pellegrino

Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay

Happy Reading

Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay

2011-10-08T18:39:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 363 pages

Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction

Publisher: Penguin 2005

Source: Obtained via Bookmooch

First Sentences : ‘You have the devil’s own luck, Kinross, but it can’t last. Just one more throw of the dice and you’ll see I’m right.’

Review Quote:Courtenay has created a well-researched background for the romance ... And as the weather starts to turn here, it's a good book to snuggle up inside with. News of the World, October 3, 2010.

Awards: Short-listed for The Romantic Novelists' Association's Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction 2011.

My Opinion: It is novels like this one that are encouraging me to read more historical fiction than I used to.

I have only recently been introduced to the writing of Christina Courtenay and that is because while I was reading other book blogs I came across a Prize Draw for The Scarlet Kimono another book of hers, it appealed to me, so I entered. What a lovely surprise it was when I won. Deciding to track down and read her earlier work first I obtained this copy of Trade Winds via Bookmooch.

Just the sort of fiction I recommend reading if you are in the mood to be transported back not only in time but also to a far away place. It is novels like this one that are encouraging me to read more historical fiction than I used to.

Reading the Authors notes at the beginning of the novel it appears that Christina Courtenay has done her research well for this novel basing it on the Swedish East India Company’s first journey to China in 1732. The protagonists of the story Jess van Sandt, Killian Kinross and their family and friends are all fictitious. However Colin Campbell and other crew members named in the novel were real people, whose lives she researched to enable her to write this realistic portrayal of a daring journey to the Far East.

The novel opens with Killian Ross a handsome Scot and professional gambler having a win that allows him to make dramatic changes to his life. Already disinherited by his grandfather Killian decides to leave his past behind in Scotland and try a to build a new life for himself in Sweden. It is in Gothenburg that he meets up with feisty Jess van Sendt, who on meeting Killian decides he might be just the man to help her prove that her stepfather is trying to do her out of her rightful inheritance. Killian is learning the art of trading in her family business and makes plans to join an expedition to the Far East. At first Jess finds Killian immensely irritating and he seems to find her just as infuriating. Intrigued with each other, Jess comes up with a plan for Killian to help her get possession of what is rightly hers. However I do not intend to spoil the story by telling you any more other than it does not quite work out the way Jess plans.

This is a delightful story with two well developed main characters that come to life, as you get to know them. It is a good read with plenty of love and adventure that will take you away to times past for a few satisfying hours.

About ”Trade Winds” – Reproduced Courtesy of Author's Official Website

“Trade Winds” is a historical romance set in Sweden and China. It is loosely based on the Swedish East India Company’s first journey to the Far East in 1732, but when I first started writing it, I had no idea this was going to be the case.

Ideas for stories can come to an author in many ways – they might be triggered by seeing a picture, hearing a snatch of conversation, noticing a scent or reading something that catches your interest. Usually, for me, one particular thing will make a scene form in my mind, but with this novel I was inspired in two very different ways.

First of all, in May 2007 the Swedish ship “Götheborg” anchored in London for a couple of weeks, which was exciting to me (a) because I’m half Swedish and (b) because it’s not often you get to see huge sailing ships these days. The “Götheborg” is an exact replica of one of the ships used by the Swedish East India Company to sail to China in the eighteenth century. It had been on a journey to Canton and was on its way home. Members of the public were allowed to go on board and have a look around, so I took the opportunity to do so. It was fascinating and I couldn’t believe how cramped conditions must have been for the poor sailors in the 18th century. They were truly brave men! (For more information and some photos, please click here) Out of curiosity, I began to read more about the Swedish East India Company, and the idea for my story took root.

The second thing that inspired me was a music video – “Call Me When You’re Sober” by the American band Evanescence. The video for this song is based on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, but the wolf in this instance is a handsome young man who looks wicked and mischievous. He happened to be dressed in old-fashioned clothing, which fits in with my historical writing, and this fired my imagination. The beautiful singer of the band, Amy Lee, was of course Little Red Riding Hood and although she appears timid and naive at the beginning of the video, she starts to assert herself and ultimately triumphs over the wolf/young man because he is enthralled by her. I decided my heroine had to be just as feisty. (If you want to watch the video of “Call Me When You’re Sober” you can find it on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=izYIO9VtjUs)

The wolf guy became Killian Kinross, a Scotsman who travels to Gothenburg in the hope of making his fortune. Once there, he meets Jessamijn van Sandt, a girl who is being swindled out of her inheritance by her step-father. They join forces for their mutual benefit and eventually end up together on the ship Friedericus Rex Sueciae bound for Canton. This turns out to be an eventful journey in many ways, not least emotionally, and they have to overcome numerous obstacles before all ends well.

If you would like to read an extract, please click here.

Photo and Biography – Amazon

Christina Courtenay lives in London and is married with two children. Although born in England, she is half Swedish and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan and she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East and other parts of the world.

Christina is a committee member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She has won two of their prizes - the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy for a historical short story in 2001 and the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2006. She has had several Regency novellas published by DC Thomson's 'My Weekly Pocket Novel' series, two of which have also been sold to large print.

Her hobbies include genealogy, archaeology (the armchair variety), listening to loud rock music and collecting things.

Christina Courtenay’s Novels

The Scarlet Kimono is already on my bookshelves courtesy of me winning a signed copy in a Prize Draw, but I wanted to track down and read a copy of Trade Winds first. I prefer to read an author’s work in order or writing/publication if possible. I am planning to read The Scarlet Kimono very soon as on November 1st her new book Highland Storms will be published. I have of course added the title to My Wishlist already.

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Official Website - Christina Courtenay

Amazon Author Profile

Facebook - Christina Courtenay

Recipe For Life by Nicky Pellegrino

2011-10-07T14:09:00.001+02:00

I have decided to post this today instead of on my return from our travels, as a tribute to Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011 as by coincidence he is quoted in the book as you will see if you read on. An amazing and erudite man that will be sorely missed but leaves us a lot to remember him by.

Steve Jobs.

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 340 pages

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Orion Books 2010

Source: Sent to me by another blogger Maggie of Normandy Life

First Sentence : ‘At Villa Rosa there was an old dog barking in the garden, running between the straggle of artichokes, chasing a bird as though he was still a puppy.’

Quote that Starts Part One: “Your time is limited so don’t waste it leading someone else’s life” Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple Inc.

Review Quote : ‘Set against a backdrop of love, life and friendship, the description of Italian food will make your mouth water.’ Cosmopolitan.

My Opinion: A pleasure to lose myself in for a few hours.

The October post for the list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. October Reviews

A blogging friend of mine Maggie from Normandy Life joined this challenge after reading about it on my blog. I enjoyed her review of Recipe For Life which you can read here and in response she kindly sent her copy to me.

This is the first title by this author that I have read and I doubt it will be the last as I believe they are all set in Italy. Although I am already here living the dream it was a pleasure to lose myself in the setting for this delightful novel for a few hours. A very relaxing read and the sights and smells felt almost real, it is obvious that the author knows those sights and smells for herself and is passionate about Italy.

The story is told by the two main female characters, Alice and Babetta in alternating chapters. Alice a young British girl has had a traumatic incident in her life which has caused her to drop out of university and for her whole life to change direction. She wants to make the most of her life but seems somewhat confused as to how to go about this. The other protagonist is Babetta the typical Italian mama figure who has spent her life tending to her family’s needs. Babetta is feeling lost as her husband seems to have lost his zest for life. leaving her feeling useless. One summer these vastly different women are brought together, thanks to the beautiful Villa Rosa. Despite not being able to communicate easily, cooking and growing fresh food enables these two women to build a special relationship.

If you are passionate about Italy then there is no doubt you will enjoy this story. There is a lot of romance but there is also so much more as our protagonist discovers that life’s lessons are certainly not learnt easily.

Image credit: New Zealand Woman's Weekly.

Biographical Information

Nicky Pellegrino was born in Liverpool on January 01 1964 but spent childhood summers staying with her family in southern Italy. A shy, tall, gingery child she never really fitted in with her exuberant Italian cousins and had a tendency to stay quiet and observe things.

When Nicky started writing fiction it was her memories of those summers in Italy that came flooding back and flavoured her stories: the passions, the feuds but most of all the food.

Nicky now lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband Carne (and yes she does find it slightly odd being married to a man whose name means “meat” in Italian), her large poodles and her even larger chestnut horse.

She works as a freelance journalist, has weekly columns in the Herald on Sunday newspaper and the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly and her novels are distributed in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and have been translated into 12 languages.

She loves cooking for friends, drinking red wine, walking on New Zealand’s amazing beaches, riding her horse through the forest and lying in bed reading other people’s novels.

The TV advert played in New Zealand to promote ‘Recipe for Life’

Uploaded by AlisonHachette on May 4, 2010

Nicky Pellegrino discusses her novel ‘Recipe for Life.’

Uploaded by orionbooks on Mar 18, 2010

Information, photo and video used in this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Nicky Pellegrino - Official Author Website

Goodreads Profile

YouTube - Nicky Pellegrino

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog
News From Italy

Economics of Ego Surplus by Paul McDonnold

2011-10-06T19:16:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 233 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Starving Analyst Press 2010

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : ‘ Chaotic and shimmering, the waters of the Arabian gulf danced in the twelve foot tall pane of glass that served as the conference room’s western wall.

Review Quote : ‘For those readers who already think most economics is fiction, perhaps this is the way to go.’ The Sunday Times.

My Opinion: I read over 200 pages before I came across anything I considered to be exciting action!

When the author approached me to see if I would review this title for him I have to say I was apprehensive as checking out the following summary from Goodreads I was not sure if it was going to be to my taste.

‘Part action novel, part literary novel, part guidebook to economics, The Economics of Ego Surplus is the story of college instructor Kyle Linwood. Anticipating a relaxing summer with his girlfriend and his PhD dissertation, he gets recruited by the FBI to help with an obscure case of terrorist internet "chatter," which explodes into a shocking, mysterious assault on U.S. financial markets. As the economy melts down and a nation panics, Kyle follows a trail of clues from Dallas to New York City to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In his quest to discover the truth, he will be forced to confront the assumptions underlying his education as well as his life. But will it be enough to save America from the most brilliant terrorist plot ever conceived?’

When I received my copy my interest was piqued when the back cover stated that this was ‘A Suspenseful and literate thriller that weaves heart stopping action with thoughtful discussion of economic ideas and a global financial catastrophe that is so scary because it is so plausible’. After an initially promising start I soon found it was dragging and I read over 200 pages before I came across anything I considered to be exciting action!

The protagonist is Kyle Linwood a college lecturer who gets recruited by the FBI to help with an investigation into a possible attack on the American financial markets, aka economic terrorism. he gets caught up in the investigation that takes him from Dallas and New York to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Will his discoveries be enough to save America from this deadly plot? Whilst it was an ok read and I learnt a little about economics I would have liked to have seen the adventure plot developed much earlier in the novel.

The idea of of an economic sabotage of the economy is I think a horrifyingly plausible possibility but for my personal enjoyment there was too much of the ‘guidebook to economics’ spoiling what could have been a great suspense thriller. So I think if you are a fan of suspense thrillers you may find this a little disappointing.

Paul McDonnald

Press Release from the Publisher:-

How a Homework Assignment Turned Into a Novel

DALLAS, TX – November 10, 2010 – People are fascinated by the economy – just look at the stories that fill the typical news cycle. Unfortunately the subject’s complexity creates a sizable gap between fascination and understanding. A new novel published by the Starving Analyst Press, The Economics of Ego Surplus, aims to entertain readers while bridging this gap.

The author, Paul McDonnold, is a former college economics instructor who now earns his living as a freelance writer. Well published in nonfiction markets and the co author of a traditional economics textbook, his passion for the novel comes through when he speaks of its genesis. “It’s never easy to get students interested in economics. Several years ago I gave my class a homework assignment in the form of a fictional story. A terrorist attack was being planned against the U.S. economy and the assignment required figuring out the plot and using economic policy to foil it. The reaction I got from the students was so positive I decided to take the concept further. That’s when work on the novel began.” He goes on to say that the novel is not intended to be a systematic treatment of economics, but does incorporate a simplified overview of a number of the topics one would see in a typical economics-101-type course. “I decided early on that this would be a novel first. I wanted to write something that anyone would enjoy reading, not just economics students. So I let the action of the story drive everything, including any economic concepts that were explained.”

More information and a free download of the first 54 pages of the novel can be found at http://www.starvinganalyst.com

You can also find out more about the author on his Official Website

Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

2011-10-06T19:02:00.001+02:00

Ebook: 188 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Katalina Playroom May 2011

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : ‘I went jogging on the morning that I died.’

Review Quote : ‘If there was a prize for enthusiasm, then Nadine would win hands down.’ Yvonne "Fiction Books @ Amazon.

My Opinion: . In my humble opinion she could do so much better.

This is not a plot driven novel, but a series of narratives from the surviving seven friends of a close knit college group, trying to come to terms with the death of the eighth member of the group. Sadly it did not really work for me and was not at all what I expected. I always try not to judge a book by it’s cover but this one gave me quite the wrong impression! The title also threw me off course with my expectations as Little Angels is a coffee shop owned by one of the characters and time is spent there, but it really isn't the focal point of the book. I was expecting something centred around this group of friends that made me feel sad but good about their friendships. Instead I got a thoroughly confused jumble of first person perspectives from the remaining seven about their relationships with each other, which jumped about so often I never fully understood what was going on. This led to constant checking back to remind me who was who, not so easy either when you are reading an eBook!

Set in South Africa, the eight protagonists all grew up together in a small town and have all gone their separate ways after leaving school. When one of their group is killed they all return ‘home’ for the funeral. In the few days they are all together again we hear from them individually about the lives, emotions and interactions amongst the eight. There were certainly a lot of complicated and unresolved issues. They have come home to mourn their friend, but bring secrets from the past with them and are forced to deal with because of this unexpected death. The feelings they have at this time are painfully realistic.

Sadly though the book has left no lasting impression on me, which is a shame as I feel overall it had the potential to be so much more. The idea of a group of friends reuniting for the funeral was a good one but I feel the potential was wasted. I hope the author will not be too dispirited by my comments as I feel she has done well to achieve as much as she has and that she will take on board the good and the bad criticisms about her writing, with an eye to the future. In my humble opinion she could do so much better.

Nadine Rose Larter was born in a small South African town called Molteno. She is currently living in Port Elizabeth South Africa. When she is not writing or thinking about writing, she is a mother, wife and messy housekeeper. Her favourite things include blogging, coffee, cupcakes and the occasional brush with sarcasm. Coffee at Little Angels is her first novel. The information about the author is copied from the eBook.

You can find out more about Nadine on her website The Katalina Playroom or on her Goodreads Profile.

Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad by Andrea Martins and Victoria Hepworth

2011-10-05T20:37:00.001+02:00

eBook: 274 pages

Genre: Non fiction Factual

Publisher: Expat Women Enterprises Pty Ltd

Source: Provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Review Quote : "A must for anyone who is, has been or will be an expat!"Peggy Love, GMS, CERP, President, FIGT (Families in Global Transition)

My Opinion: Valuable resource for Ex-pats

I am sure this book is a valuable resource of information for Ex Pat Women in general, just not for me. I do not really fit into any of the categories, except as an ‘Empty Nester’. Whilst it was not of use to me I still found it made for an interesting insight into the problems that others may face. Although I visit the Expat Women Website I am not familiar with the Confessions column which is I believe where the majority of the material in this book first appeared.

Moving to a new country although an exciting experience can be hard, inspiration and guidance with various problems can be found if you read the stories of the women, whose real life questions are used as the basis for the book. The subjects covered are very varied and include subjects such as the language barrier, raising children, death, divorce and so on; including advice on the different sorts of documentation that may be required.

If you are about to become an ex-pat for the first time or you are already living abroad but having problems settling in, then this book is probably of interest to you. If nothing else you will realise that you are not alone and that your queries and problems have already been experienced by thousands of women before you! There is certainly plenty of practical, sensible and helpful advice to be found within this, for want of a better description, little manual of advice for Ex Pat Women.

Andrea Martins

Andrea Martins is an Australian who has lived in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, and at the beach on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Her experience as an expatriate comes from three years in Jakarta, Indonesia, four years in Mexico City, Mexico, and now nearly two years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her French-born, Portuguese-Australian husband and two children.
Since Expat Women was started in 2006, Andrea has dedicated her work life to building the site into the treasure chest of information and inspiration that it is today.

Victoria Hepworth

Victoria is originally from New Zealand and has been living the expatriate life since 1996. So far she has lived in Miyazaki, Japan; Shanghai, China; St Petersburg, Russia; Gothenburg, Sweden; Mumbai, India and is currently located in Dubai with her English husband and two young daughters. She has always been an active member in the various expatriate communities she has lived in. setting up support groups (LifeLine Shanghai), business networks (Professional Women's Group Gothenburg) and working online with various global expatriate support initiatives.

Biographical information and author photos are with courtesy of the Authors profile pages on Amazon.com where you will find fuller profiles.

More can be also be learnt about the organisation by visiting the website Expat Women

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell

2011-10-04T19:29:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 245 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Headline 2006

Source: A surprise from another Bookcrosser

First Sentence : ‘Let us begin with two girls at a dance.’

A Favourite Quote: "We are all, Esme decides, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents".

Review Quote : The novel is brilliant in every way . Maggie O'Farrell has written a taut, fragile mystery of relationships and deception. --Literary Review

My Opinion: Enjoyable but disturbing.

Very short and therefore for me anyway a quick read. Although it was an enjoyable read it is also disturbing. I know it is fiction but it left me wondering how families were able to treat members that did not conform to the norms of society in such a way. How an earth did they justify their actions.

Esme Lennox had a troubled childhood and had she been born in our modern day era she would certainly never have been treated in such an appalling way. She is sent to an asylum in the 1930’s by her parents who have found her somewhat eccentric behaviour impossible to deal with any longer! Some sixty years later it was decided to close such asylums and residents were released into the community, with the guidance of relations if possible. Enter the other protagonist Iris Lockhart who did not even know of the existence of her great aunt Esme until she is contacted as the next of kin. Her initial reaction is not surprisingly to steer clear of any involvement with a person she has never met. Curiosity however makes Iris decide to meet Esme and inevitably she finds that she does care about what is going to happen to her. After all she is her great aunt and she does not seem to be a lunatic. As they get to know each other Iris discovers that Esme is able to tell her things about her family that she had absolutely no idea about. for instance Iris had no idea that her own mother Kit, the third narrator in the story, even had a sister. Iris’s complicated modern life shows just how much times have changed for single young women since the thirties. Iris has the freedom to live her life as she wishes with behaviour that would have been frowned upon in the era when Esme was sent away for less.

A very sad story of familial deception with an ending that left me wondering about its abruptness, but I think this is probably what the author intended

Author photo

Maggie O’Farrell was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland in 1972, and grew up in Wales and Scotland. She now lives in London with her family. An author of contemporary fiction, who features in Waterstones' 25 Authors for the Future. It is possible to identify several common themes in her novels - the relationship between sisters is one, another is loss and the psychological impact of those losses on the lives of her characters.

Maggie O'Farrell - Official Website

Goodreads Profile - Maggie O'Farrell Where the author photo and biographical information is from.

This is the fourth novel I have read by Maggie O’Farrell and the most interesting, here is the link to my earlier review of The Distance Between Us.

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison

2011-10-03T17:07:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 306 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Alma Books ltd 2009

Source: A surprise from another Bookcrosser

First Sentence : ‘Prologue May 1964, My dearest, Of all the many people we met in a lifetime, it is strange that so many of us find ourselves in thrall to one particular person.’

Review Quote : “Without question one of the best debuts I have read in recent years” John Boyne, author.

My Opinion: Impressive first novel.

If you decide to read this be prepared for an emotional read in this impressive first novel which tackles in a very atmospheric way the coming of age story of a young girl evacuated during WWII. Anna is constantly searching for love and acceptance, whilst surrounded by others that fail to communicate with each other. I found myself at times urging the characters to talk to each other.

Anna Sands is eight years old in August 1939 when with England on the brink of war she is evacuated from London to a large Yorkshire estate. The home of Elizabeth and Thomas Ashton is turned into both home and school for the evacuees that this childless couple welcome into their lives. Drawn into their unhappy relationship Anna finds herself coping not only with her own feelings of loss and survival, but also those of Thomas who becomes a mentor of sorts to her.

The characters will certainly be with me for awhile and the title is certainly very apt. I looked up the words of the song of the same title "The very thought of you, and I forget to do those little ordinary things that everyone ought to do....".

Love can be so cruel is to me the haunting memory that reading this moving novel reminds me. Not just a love story, but a story about love. As one of my favourite books this year I certainly recommend this one.

Author photo

Rosie Alison was born in 1964, grew up in Yorkshire, and read English at Keble College, Oxford. She spent ten years directing television documentaries before becoming a film producer at Heyday Films. She is married with two daughters and lives in London. Her debut novel THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (2009), which made it onto the Amazon Rising Stars shortlist and was longlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year and the Prince Maurice Prize 2010, was shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction.

Author photo and biographical information courtesy of authors Goodreads Profile

If you are interested in learning more about Rosie Alison, I found an interesting interview. Almabooks Author Interview - Rosie Alison

Follies by Rosie Thomas

2011-10-02T18:35:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 424 pages

Genre: Womens Fiction

Publisher: January 1st 2004 by Arrow Books Ltd (first published 1983)

Source: Bookmooch

First Sentence : ‘In a moment she would see it.’

Review Quote : ‘A special talent’ The Times

My Opinion: A long standing favourite author.

I am a long time fan of the writing of this author. In fact I have been reading her novels for nearly thirty years,gulp can it really be that long! A writer whose style of writing is now appealing to a new generation of young women.

‘Follies’ was originally published in 1983 but for some reason I never got around to reading it then. It was republished in 2004 and I was delighted to track a copy down on Bookmooch a few months ago. It is three years since I last read one of her novels and although this one might be considered a little dated it reminded me of how much I enjoy her writing. I must catch up on the rest of her back titles that remain unread as soon as I can. Her writing makes you feel you are living in the setting of the book with the characters as friends, ‘Follies’ was no exception.

The story set in the 1980’s is about three modern young women, students at Oxford University. Reading this you need to remember that at the time this was written the protagonists Helen, Chloe and Pansy were typical of the era, although their behaviour might seem dated to younger readers, it does ring true. Young women then did seem to be dominated much more so by the men in their lives than they would be nowadays.

Together for one unforgettable year, the girls share a time of mixed emotions and friendships.

Whilst it might not be a particularly memorable read, for me it was perfect transportation to a city I like and an era I recall well, perfect reading for a summer afternoon, well written womens fiction.

Author photo

Rosie Thomas is a writer, currently living in London. Her numerous novels, several of them top ten bestsellers, deal with the common themes of love and loss.
Rosie Thomas is the author of a number of celebrated novels, including the bestsellers Sun at Midnight, Iris and Ruby and Constance. Once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She lives in London.

Author photograph and biographical information courtesy of her Goodreads Profile

Reversing Over Liberace by Jane Lovering

2011-10-01T17:40:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 295 pages

Genre : Romantic Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd 2008

Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : ‘My Grandfather’s left me his nose. It’s in a matchbox.’

Review Quote : ‘ A laugh out loud story about Willow Cayton searching for the right man while trying to work out the meaning of her grandfather's inheritance: a nose in a matchbox. It's a light and entertaining tale that's full of surprises and wonderful characters.’ by reviewer Molasses Jones for Amazon.com.

My Opinion: I doubt I would have chosen this myself, as the title did not attract me at all. I am therefore pleased that the author took the time to introduce me to her writing as she is very humorous and I look forward to reading more of her work.

A heroine who is literally sick if she finds a man attractive and a nose as a legacy, really does this sound like my sort of book? Well when I first started out I did not think so either, but this comedy of errors grew on me. It is not a great literary masterpiece but I do not think that was what the author intended anyway. She has written a very funny story though at times I found it a little farcical for my personal taste. The title I also find far from appealing and would never have picked it to read.

It is the sort of comedy that I can imagine would translate well to television sit com status, no real memorable action but lots of laughs. The protagonist is Willow, the sibling whose family depend on her, although she seems to be incredibly naive. A lot of the time making me feel I wanted to shake her, I mean are there really people that are physically sick from nerves all over people they fancy!! Quirky characters, awkward situations and laugh out loud lines kept me reading. The reader realises a long time before Willow that she is being taken for a fool and I needed to know if she got her revenge in the end.

An easy read for a summer afternoon that will appeal to those looking for (to quote the back cover) ‘a funny touching story of a woman in search of revenge and getting what she needs, rather than what she thinks she wants.

I am grateful to Jane Lovering for encouraging me to read and review her work by kindly sending me three of her published titles. I am certainly looking forward to reading the next two and I have added Star Struck to My Wishlist.

Star Struck 1 Sept 2011

Please Don't Stop The Music 31 Jan 2011

Slightly Foxed 5 Aug 2008

Reversing Over Liberace 17 July 2007

Author Photo from Facebook

Text From Jane Lovering Author Profile at Amazon

Jane was, presumably, born, although everyone concerned denies all knowledge. However there is evidence that her early years were spent in Devon (she can still talk like a pirate under the right conditions) and of her subsequent removal to Yorkshire under a sack and sedation.

She now lives in North Yorkshire, where she writes romantic comedies and labours under the tragic misapprehension that Johnny Depp is coming for her any day now. She is prevented from running away to join either Johnny or a circus by her five children, four cats and two dogs, and her husband.

Jane's likes include marshmallows, the smell of cucumbers, words beginning with B, the smell of the understairs cupboard, and Doctor Who. She writes with her laptop balanced on her knees whilst lying on her bed, and her children have been brought up to believe that real food has a high carbon content. And a kind of amorphous shape.

Not unlike Jane herself, come to think of it.

You can find out more about Jane ( should you wish to, of course) from her blog and website at http://www.janelovering.co.uk

The following link will take you to her Blogger Profile also amusing reading.

Information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites.

Facebook Page - Jane Lovering

Jane Lovering - From Behind The Keyboard

Amazon Author Profile Page

Jane Lovering a Choc Lit Author

The Summer House by Christobel Kent

2011-09-28T19:50:00.001+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 373 pages

Genre: Mystery Fiction

Publisher: Penguin 2005

Source: Purchased Oxfam Bookshop in UK

First Sentence : ‘Genova sprawls on the northern Mediterranean between two mountainous spurs that dip into the sea, a snarl of industrial steel, bridges, tunnels and peeling tower-blocks.’

Review Quote: ‘Well drawn, Kent manipulates her transplanted inglesi and loquacious locali with unfussy authority’

My Opinion : Realistic Italian background.

The September post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. September Reviews.

Another thriller with a realistic Italian background for this months choice, a different author though, but one I have read for this challenge before back in February. A Party in San Niccolo

The story centres around Rose Fell a divorcee who left a secure job in journalism and family in London to move to a beautiful but isolated village in Italy near Genoa. After a year there she is still finding it a struggle to integrate, however when she is asked by a colleague from the UK if she can write an article about another local her life changes. At about the same time a young girl is found dead on a local beach and another young local woman disappears. Rose finds herself embroiled in this local mystery. Ania, the young woman that is missing was until the time of her disappearance working for the once famous model and film star Elvira Vitale that Rose is due to interview. Elvira and her younger British husband whom she no longer seems able to trust spend every summer in Italy and winters in the UK, hence the British press interest in the couple. The danger that is lurking closer than either of them realise throws these women together.

To repeat what I said about the last novel I read by this author, there is enough suspense skilfully built into the story that kept me turning the pages to make this a very quick and entertaining read.

Christobel Kent was born in London in 1962 and now lives in Cambridge with her husband and four children; in between she lived in Florence. She worked in publishing for several years, most recently as Publicity Director at Andre Deutsch. Her debut novel A Party in San Niccolo, was published in 2003. The about the author section in the book I have just read states they have five children. I have not been able to confirm which information is correct.

This list of titles by her may well be of interest to those of you taking part in the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Goodreads - Christobel Kent

Amazon Author Page

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog.

News From Italy

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

2011-09-23T12:12:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 509 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Transworld Publishers 2011

Source: Transworld Book Challenge

First Sentences : ‘Our train hurtled past a gold-spangled woman in a mango sari, regal even as she sat in the dirt, patting cow dung into disks for cooking fuel.’

Favourite Quote: ‘Death steals everything but our stories’

Review Quote: A powerful tale of romance and mystery. News of the World.

My Opinion : Engaging and evocative.

I am delighted to say that it is thanks to the Transworld Book Challenge that I got to read this engaging and evocative novel. It was my first choice of four titles for this excellent scheme, whereby they send me a book to read and review, once my review is posted they will send me my next choice. This is a great idea that works for authors, publishers, readers and reviewers. I do hope they will do this again as this is a title I may well have missed out on had I not signed up for the challenge.

It is thought that ‘Partition’ may well be the worst thing that ever happened to India. This statement was backed up for me when I read the author’s notes at the end of this book, where she tells of a man talking to her about ‘ Partition’ I quote “When you create a border based on ideology, you create something to fight over. When you live side by side, you create a reason to get along”

The story unfolds slowly but it needs to as you are reading the stories of two different sets of characters in different times as the novel alternates between the India of 1947 and that of 1857. Two love stories ninety years apart but linked by the main protagonist of the story Evie.

Evie, her husband Martin and their young son have travelled to India as Martin has been awarded a Fellowship to study the end of British rule in India. The marriage is under strain due to Martin’s war time experiences and finding herself stranded in a colonial bungalow in the Himalaya’s Evie struggles to heal the rift between her and her husband. It is in this bungalow that Evie finds a hidden cache of letters which relate a compelling story of two Victorian women. Felicity and Adela, were unconventional young ladies that had lived in the same bungalow, hiding their story for others, they hoped to find one day. Evie becomes drawn to their story and embarks on piecing this mysterious love story together.

The detail of the sights, sounds and smells of India are portrayed so well by the author that I felt transported there. I recommend the book highly, however there is one small thing that I noticed that I have not been able to answer from the text. In the 1940’s section of the novel Evie is relating the story to us in the first person, but somehow the date does not seem right, was she relating this years later? Why do I query this, let me quote from page 64, second paragraph.

‘In 1945 they called it combat fatigue, but in the First World war they had called it shell shock, which is more accurate. Martin wasn’t simply tired of combat, he was shocked by the barbarism skulking in men’s souls. After Vietnam, they started calling it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Stress? Please. The names for this mental illness become more sanitized with every war.’

Did any one else who has already read this notice this, if so what did you make of it? Did you find any reference in the novel as to when Evie was telling us this story, that it was maybe not in the 1940’s, apart from this paragraph? I would love to know.

To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed this perfectly entwined novel that manages to swap easily from one time frame to the other, without confusing the reader.

Facebook Fan Page Photo

Elle Newmark lived in the hills north of San Diego, California. Her sensational debut was The Book of Unholy Mischief. This was her second novel, sadly there will be no more as she died recently after a long illness. If you would like to learn more about Elle, including read her last tear jerking blog post visit her Official Website or her Obituary.

She has left a wonderful legacy in both this and her previous novel The Book of Unholy Mischief. As she wrote herself in this novel ‘ Death steals everything but our stories.’

Still not sure if this is for you, then watch this short video, no spoilers just a very evocative introduction to the novel. I will quote the YouTube introduction. ‘A sweeping tale of two love stories, ninety years apart, set against the rich backdrop of war-torn India. An American woman, Evie, discovers a hidden packet of old letters and becomes consumed by a need to piece together the story behind them. Evie chases her Victorian ghosts, leading us through bazaars and temples as well as the dying society of the British Raj.’

Uploaded by cosproductions on Apr 5, 2011

Information, photo and video used in this post is with thanks to the following websites.

YouTube - The Sandalwood Tree

Facebook Fan Page

Author's Official Website.

Elle Newmark - Obituary

Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines by Carol Wyer

2011-09-15T13:18:00.001+02:00

EBook: 408 pages

Genre : Humorous Fiction

Publisher: Smashwords 2011

Source: eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Sample From Chapter One : The protagonist describes herself: ABOUT ME My name is Amanda Wilson. I like chick flicks, wine, romantic novels, wine, 1970’s and 80’s music, chocolate and wine. I am a very desperate housewife. I live in a village in rural Staffordshire, populated almost entirely by elderly people. Even the local window cleaner is in his seventies. I used to have a life and a job. Nowadays, I seem to spend most of my time acting as a referee between my husband, Phil - who since he retired - has become the grumpiest of grumpy old men, and my son. We waved him off with a fanfare to university a couple of years ago but he returned to the nest almost immediately, having turned into a complete drop out. Life is a tad on the dull side at the moment. However, there are changes afoot, very significant changes and that is why I am writing this blog. By the way did I mention I like wine?

My Opinion: I agree with the author that there is something of Amanda in all of us.

Reading this novel is not about great literature, it is about reading the debut of a novelist who knows how to make you laugh and take you away from the cares of the world for a few hours. Well maybe not exactly away from all your cares as if you are a woman of a certain age you may well recognise some of your own thoughts.

If I ever met such a whiney moaning couple I would want to shake them out of it. Being depressed and miserable is not the right way to approach 50, and anyway it is not that bad, age is just a number! However reading about the trials and tribulations this couple face in their day to day life will certainly bring a smile to your face.

Thanks to Amanda deciding to set herself up with an online blog she does manage to shake up her own life. As I got to know the characters I became more sympathetic to Amanda's anxieties about facing 50. Like the commenters on her blog I found myself encouraging her to make certain decisions as she dealt with situations such as shopping trips with her husband, her lazy son, eccentric mother and her own plans to get fit.

A very funny book and I feel an excellent debut from an author whose writing we can expect to see get even better as she grows in confidence. She has a tremendous sense of humour and has the ability to see the funny side of life in every day events. Keep writing Carol as I think there are many of us women of a certain age that will keep reading.

Author photo.

Born into a military family, Carol’s childhood was mostly spent abroad where she developed a love of reading, travel and languages.

It was therefore natural that she should later become a linguist, translator and teacher who enjoyed a career in various countries, finally settling in the UK when she met her husband.

Carol then ran her own language company for several years until she managed to tip her offspring out of the nest and indulge in her passion for writing.

Facing a major birthday last year and determined to enjoy her fifties she immediately set about writing her humorous blog Facing 50 with Humour which encourages others to laugh at life and age-related difficulties. It rapidly gained in world-wide popularity and it was this that led her to write her debut novel Mini Skirts and laughter Lines which was completed earlier this year.

I am including the following press release that will tell you more about the book, in Carol’s own words, that she kindly sent me.

Approaching any big birthday can be daunting, but Carol Wyer's delightful new book Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines will take the sting out of getting older. Written in the form of a blog or diary, this debut novel is hilarious from start to finish.

Her main character, Amanda Wilson, is a desperate, wine loving, housewife whose dull existence is transformed by logging on to the Internet where she finds, escapism, friendship and someone she didn't bargain on meeting again.

Amanda refuses to acknowledge she has reached her sell by date in spite of evidence to the contrary. Her mission is simple; to turn back the clock, regain control of her body, her oafish son and her aged party-loving mother who is attempting to age as disgracefully as possible.

The novel is a serious of blog entries which track her life, efforts to turn herself into a sexy vixen and her hopeless and highly comic attempts to interest her newly retired husband who seems to have lost his joie de vivre -from wild parties with the octogenarian neighbours - to art classes with jaw dropping results.

It isn't long before a semi-defeated Amanda, frustrated by all around her, embarks upon a steamy online relationship which gives her much more to concentrate upon than being fab at fifty.

The perfect companion on holiday, this fun, light-hearted novel should be enjoyed while on the beach, or relaxing by the pool. Beneath the chuckles and chortles though lie many truths and anxieties that are easily recognised and can be related to by any person facing middle age.

Carol has already begun the sequel to Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines.

Uploaded by facing50 on Jul 2, 2011

Tomorrow just happens to be the official publication date for Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines and Carol Wyer is holding a big online launch party to celebrate.

Maybe now you have read this review and watched the video you are interested in popping over to join in the fun, so here is your invitation from Carol.

The World-Wide Laughter Lines Party

I would be utterly delighted and honoured if you could participate in what I hope will be the worlds biggest, fun-filled all day, book launch party for my debut novel Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines. Please help to make it the most successful launch -ever.

Date: September 16^th 2011- an all day event in every time zone

Where: www.carolwyer.com and also at

www.facing50withhumour.blogspot.com

RSVP: cewyer@hotmail.co.uk

Thank you so much for participating.

Carol E. Wyer.

If you are still not convinced that you would enjoy this book, please watch this interview with Carol Wyer as she explains how she came to write Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines. As Carol says Amanda Wilson is not a fictional character she is all of us women over a certain age.

Uploaded by TheLitChickShow on Sep 1, 2011

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and the author herself.

Websites: www.carolwyer.com

www.facing50withhumour.blogspot.com

http://fortifyingyourfifties.blogspot.com

Facebook Profile - Carol Wyer

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

2011-09-13T10:38:00.001+02:00

EBook: 231 pages

Genre : Chick Lit Humour

Publisher: Prospera 2011

Source: eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First Sentence : ‘Please not the Kumquat marmalade again’ Willow Watts whispered as an elderly lady beckoned with a spoonful of jelly.

Author’s Website Quote: One country girl is about to discover that fame can cost a fortune

A Favourite Quote: If there was one thing she’d learnt from this Marilyn fiasco, it was that if something was important, you had to fight for it.

My Opinion : Sparkly lively modern novel that will appeal to many.

Well the date has arrived; tomorrow September 14th is the official launch day of Talli Roland’s much awaited second novel. Talli is one of the new generation of writers that understands the importance of an online presence for an author. She certainly went to town with the launch of her debut novel The Hating Game clicking on the title will take you directly to the review I wrote last year. I said it in my last review but will say it again, Talli Roland is a very enterprising young woman that totally understands the importance of publicity. She made a successful job of promoting her last novel and I think that she will do so again this time. Readers who enjoyed her debut are in for a treat as within its genre she has written another sparkly lively modern novel that will appeal to many. For fans of light humoured and easily readable modern women's fiction, love stories with a happy ending than Talli Roland is a name to watch out for.

Once again this young author has come up with an original story line, this time about a Marilyn Monroe look a like, who discovers by playing Marilyn that one of the most important things we learn in this life, is to be true to ourselves.

Our heroine gives her name to the novel and it starts as Willow leaves behind her successful London career as a florist to return to Belcherton, England’s ugliest village, to care for her recently-widowed father. Her life has become rather mundane helping her father in his struggling antiques business. At the local village fete her best friend gets her to dress up as Marilyn Monroe, just for a bit of fun. Before they know it someone has posted a video on You Tube and everything escalates out of control in double quick time as Marilyn mania takes over village life. Surrounded by a fascinating cast of characters including the ghastly Jay who becomes her agent, Willow totally embraces the character of Marilyn. To find out how this all works out for our heroine you will have to read the book for yourself.

Having lived for many years in an English country village, some of the descriptions of the events and characters had me giggling at how well she has captured the essence. Talli obviously has a tremendous sense of humour which has shown through in both of her novels so far. For her humour alone I recommend her writing to you, but even more so if you are a fan of chick lit style romantic fiction.

Party Invite RSVP

To launch Watching Willow Watts Talli is holding an online party. Here is an invitation from her to join in the fun tomorrow.

'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' ! The idea is to come 'dressed' as that one person you've always admired, longed to impersonate, or just plain envied. Now is your chance to make your superhero, film-star, or Rock God fantasies come true! Why the dress up? In my novel, Willow's one-off Marilyn Monroe impression goes viral on YouTube, making her a star overnight.
If you have a blog and you'd like to take part, all you need to do is post a photo of your chosen one (dead or alive) along with an explanation why you've picked that person.
If you're on Twitter or Facebook, just post 'If I could be anyone, I'd be X' as your status, along with the hast-tag #watchingwillowwatts on Twitter (or tag me on FB so I know you've taken part). You'll be entered in a draw to win an Amazon gift certificate, Marilyn paraphernalia, or a copy of 'Watching Willow Watts'.

Pop over here if you'd like to sign up and have your blog be visited by other participants, or just join in on the day: http://talliroland.blogspot.com/p/watchi...

Uploaded by TalliRoland on Sep 12, 2011

Marilyn Monroe

Talli as Marilyn.

Talli as herself.

About Talli

Talli Roland has three loves in her life: chick lit, coffee and wine. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. Her first novel, The Hating Game, was an Amazon UK best-seller, remaining in the top 100 for over two months.

Talli Roland has an online presence in all the following places.

Web – Link to her Official Website

Follow her on Twitter – Talli Roland

Read her blog – Talli Roland

Find her on Facebook and Goodreads

You can read my review of her debut novel here and also watch two short videos starring Talli about The Hating Game and her writing on her Official Website.

Her third novel entitled Build A Man is due out in December.

With thanks to Talli Roland personally and her websites for the information used in this post. Wishing her all the best with the official launch of Watching Willow Watts.

Ebook available now paperback November 30 2011.

Treasure Me by Christine Nolfi

2011-09-10T21:04:00.001+02:00

EBook: 415 pages
Genre : Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Kindle 2011
Source: eBook provided by the author as a result of me winning a give away draw organised by The Eclectic Reader
My Opinion: After a slow start I was glad I continued.

I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to reading and if an author approaches me I am usually happy to take them up on any offers to receive a copy of their novel in return for an honest and unbiased review. It is no surprise to me that recently more and more of the requests I have been receiving are with regards to ebooks. This is fine with me unless there turns out to be a problem with formatting, as happened to me with this title. I am not at all technical so have to rely on the author knowing what he or she is doing, if I just tell them which devices we have available!

I had liked the sound of Christine Nolfi’s debut novel and did in fact enjoy it in the end after this very frustrating start. It was not only proving difficult to get into the story as the characters were introduced but due to some initial formatting problems chunks were missing from the end of the first few chapters! Thanks to the patience of the author with my technical inabilities, as neither of us were really sure what was happening, she certainly had no problems prior to mine, it was sorted. Frustrations behind me I found my self settling into the story which is very readable. Do not expect a great literary work but an easy read that will hold your attention if you let yourself get beyond the first fifty pages.

The two main characters are Birdie and Hugh whose paths cross in the town of Liberty, Ohio Birdie is a small time thief in search of family history in the form of an heirloom which she hopes will be valuable enough to enable her to give up her life of crime and settle down. Hugh a failing journalist is in town to write an expose about a local family. There is immediate sexual tension between the two of them and despite the fact they both claim to be looking for no more than a casual fling it is soon obvious they are are starting to care for one another.

Without giving any more away I can say that by the end of the story, I felt I was beginning to know quite well the little town of Liberty and its inhabitants. I would have preferred I think though to have had the story related just by the two protagonists. Although I do understand why the author probably felt some things needed explaining from a different point of view at times. The ending is predictably a little clichéd but to be expected with this style of contemporary fiction.

If this sounds like your style then it is worth reading. I would not have chosen to read this myself had the author not approached me to do so, but I am glad she did.

Christine owned a small public relations firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Her articles and press releases have appeared regionally in The Plain Dealer, The Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Magazine and other media outlets. Her short story, Night Hour, appeared in Working Mother magazine. Christine closed the firm fifteen years ago after she travelled to the Philippines and adopted a sibling group of four children. She has been writing novels fulltime since 2004.

“Treasure Me” is the first book of the Liberty, Ohio series. “Second Chance Grill” was due to be released in June 2011, although I have not been able to verify if this in fact happened.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Author photo courtesy of Goodreads

Goodreads Author Profile - Christine Nolfi

Christine Nolfi Blog

The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore

2011-09-05T19:06:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 407 pages

Genre: Romantic Fiction

Publisher: Touchstone Edition, Simon and Schuster 2009

Source: Purchased Oxfam Bookshop in UK

First Sentences : ‘It was nearly dusk when she reached the cottage, a cardboard box held tightly against her chest. The sun hung low in the sky, turning the clouds pink like tufts of cotton candy.’

Review Quote: ‘Romantic…utterly irresistible’ Daily Mail.

My Opinion : A story that truly captures the struggle to balance love and duty.

It is only two months since I last read and reviewed a book by this author but this one from the blurb on the back cover sounded just perfect for spending a few lazy summer afternoons reading. It was perfect so Santa Montefiore gets to feature here again. These are the words that jumped out at me from the back cover ‘A neglected garden. A cottage that holds a secret. A mysterious Frenchman, (handsome naturally). A family in need of some love. These elements are entwined in this heart warming novel that reviewers consistently compare to Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher.’

I have in fact made this very same comparison myself, here in my review of The Swallow and the Hummingbird, when I recommended her writing to all lovers of romantic fiction, especially fans of Rosamunde Pilcher.

The French Gardener is a very romantic story, but not in a sickly sweet way, that found me with tears in my eyes a few times. Maybe I have been feeling a little too sentimental recently but I really enjoyed the way this story was told. The book is divided into the four seasons and within each section there are told the stories of the two families, linked past and present by The French Gardener himself. In modern times we have David and Miranda Claybourne moving out of London and buying Hartington House a country estate. It is not the idyllic lifestyle that Miranda may have imagined partly because her husband is hardly ever there, finds she is lonely. I found her husband to be arrogant and intensely annoying actually for most of the novel! The gardens have been neglected so when a Jean Paul a Frenchman turns up offering to help restore the place to its former beauty Miranda jumps to accept his offer. Little does she know when she takes him on that he has a connection with the garden and the previous residents Phillip and Ava Lightly from nearly thirty years ago. Both stories centre around Hartington House, its garden and the village it is part of. Anyone who has experienced village life for themselves and or loves gardening will appreciate how well Santa Montefiore has captured the essence of the characters and their surroundings. A story that truly captures the struggle to balance love and duty.

Personally I am really looking forward to reading more of her novels and am disappointed that at the moment there are no more sitting on our bookshelves waiting for me.

I have reproduced here Santa Montefiore’s own words from the Simon and Schuster Website about how her ideas for this novel came about as they help to understand the story.

I was lazing on the lawn in the summer, thinking about my next book, when I saw my parents' gardener, Simon, mowing the grass on the tractor (my parents live on a farm in Hampshire, UK, and have an enormous garden!) on the back and sides were my two children aged 5 and 7 and their four small cousins. Simon was blithely mowing with these little monkeys laughing and squeaking around him, probably making it harder for him to work, but he didn't seem to mind. I then thought of how much fun they all have in the countryside, planting vegetables and trees, picking apples and blackberries in the autumn, finding small creatures to nurture, rescuing the odd bird fallen out of his nest, building camps and running around in freedom. They rarely watch tv and certainly don't have time for computer games when there's so much to do in the garden! My parents are busy people. My father is either on a tractor or playing tennis, rackets, squash, golf! I noticed too that the garden brought them together. Simon is a recent addition to the farm. My parents didn't hire a new gardener when Peter, the old gardener they'd had for 20 years retired and then died, preferring to save pennies and do the gardening themselves, an enormous task as the grounds are so big. They mowed over the vegetable garden and cut things back to make it more manageable. Then, by chance, or fate, Simon appeared wanting to rent a cottage. When he said he was a gardener my parents took him on a few days a week. They began planting vegetables again, sweet peas, created new borders - it's a hive of activity now, and has brought them closer together as they spend time doing what they love, together. This, combined with my children's love for the countryside, being essentially London children, gave me the idea for the French Gardener. I then wove Jean-Paul and Ava out of my imagination, but the gardens are based on Prince Charles's gardens at Highgrove.

An audio link to listen to the beginning of the novel can be found by clicking here. I also included a video interview in my last post about this author’s work which I refer you back to if you are interested.

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Wikipedia - Santa Montefiore

Goodreads - Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore Official Website

Simon and Schuster Website

Author's Official Website

Santa Montefiore – Facebook

For another viewpoint on The French Gardener please call by to visit Laura a blogging friend of mine who has also very recently read this and reviewed on her blog Ciao Amalfi

Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky

2011-08-29T18:53:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 403 pages
Genre : Fiction
Publisher: Vintage 2007
Source: My Daughter
First Sentences : ‘Hot,thought the Parisians. The warm air of spring, It was night, they were at war and there was an air raid.
Review Quote :’ An irresistible work. Suite Française clutches the heart’ The Times
My Opinion: For me this story was all the more poignant because of the way the author died.

I read this as it was a recommendation from my daughter and she kindly passed this copy onto me once she had finished with it. I am so glad that she did so because it is such a moving account of the experiences of the everyday lives of French citizens during the Second World War and particularly during the German occupation.

For me this story is particularly poignant because although the author started to write this novel in 1941 she never wrote beyond the first two sections as she died whilst a prisoner of war at Auschwitz. Some sixty five years later the manuscript was rediscovered by Irene Nemirovsky’s daughter and published to receive critical acclaim. Her daughter had always thought it was her mother’s diary that she kept as a memento and it was not until she decided to read the manuscript that she realised it was actually a novel.

The intention had been to write a five part epic saga, however it still works in its incomplete form with just the two sections ‘Storm in June’ and ‘Sweet’.

It is set during the year that France fell to the Germans, the ‘Storm in June set in Paris as the inhabitants flee the city. As transport and distribution collapse while the Germans bomb Paris, the narrative follows several groups of characters as they try to escape the chaos. The second part, ‘Sweet’ takes us to rural France where the inhabitants of a small village are endeavouring to learn to live with the new regime, that has taken over everything they know and love. Both parts have an eclectic cast of characters that despite the disarray all around them manage to find hope and love in the most unexpected places. The novel ends after a scene in which the Germans are celebrating the first anniversary of the occupation of Paris. A bittersweet celebration, the title of ‘ Dolce’ ‘Sweet’ is an ironic but truthful title as bitter emotions bubble away under the surface of this part of the novel. It is interesting that part three, for which notes were written was to be a far more traumatic sequel.

It is a tragedy that Irene Nemirovsky never got to finish this emotional novel of humanity under stress, which I found a compelling read.

The author at twenty five.

Irène Némirovsky was born in Kiev, Russia on February 11, 1903. Along with the rest of her family she fled Russia in 1917 at the start of the Russian Revolution. Eventually settling in Paris she attended the Sorbonne, married and became widely recognised as a major French novelist. Unfortunately she was never accepted as a French citizen and despite her conversion to the Roman Catholic faith, she was sent to Auschwitz as a Jew under the racial laws and died there on August 17th 1942.

I recommend that any of you have not yet read this novel but think you might be interested in doing so, to watch this fascinating video first.

Irène Némirovsky: "Suite Française"

Uploaded by ProgressiveBookClub on Jul 30, 2009

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Suite Française - Irene Nemirovsky – Wikipedia

Irene Nemirovsky - YouTube

Author Profile - Wikipedia

The Believers by Zoe Heller

2011-08-24T20:47:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 306 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Penguin Books 2009

Source: Charity Bookshop in UK.

First Sentence : ‘At a party in a bedsit just off Gower Street, a young woman stood alone at the window, her elbows pinned to her sides in an attempt to hide the dark flowers of perspiration blossoming at the armholes of her dress.

Review Quote : ‘Funny moving and very very true. a brilliant, brilliant book’ – Daily Mail.

My Opinion: A compelling read.

This is the first novel by this author that I have reviewed here as the previous one I read was Notes on a Scandal (2003) in 2004 before I started this Book Review Blog. I was surprised that this novel is very different in style to the last one, a trait I always admire in authors that are brave enough not to just reproduce a winning style in their writing. I think The Believers is just as good if not better than Notes on a Scandal and I do not hesitate to recommend both of them.

The novel is set in 2002, over a period of about eight months, but to set the scene when the novel opens it is forty years previously and the protagonist Audrey Howard meets Joel Litvinoff, the man who will become her husband at a party. A whirlwind romance with Joel, fourteen years her senior leads her to follow him from London where they met to New York in order to become his wife. Fast forward forty years and Audrey and her three grown up children are forced to revaluate their lives when Joel a radical successful lawyer suffers a stroke. Over four decades their family life developed in line with Joel’s ambitions to fight social injustices and they appear to live a very liberal lifestyle. After his stroke though the enormous cracks in this lifestyle come to the surface as Audrey, her daughters Rosa and Karla and their adopted brother Lenny all have to face their own demons. As they struggled to decide what they each personally believed in I found that although I did not really like any of them, I still became involved in their relationships. For me it was a compelling read that was both funny and poignantly sad.

Zoë Kate Hinde Heller was born in north London on 7 July 1965, she is an English journalist and novelist.

She studied English at St Anne's College, Oxford, and then went on to Columbia University, New York where she received an MA in 1988. Zoe Heller began her career in journalism, as a feature writer for the Independent on Sunday in the UK. She later returned to New York to write for Vanity Fair and then the New Yorker. She also wrote a weekly column for the Sunday Times magazine in the UK. She currently lives in New York with her two daughters. Her three published novels are

Everything You Know (1999), Notes on a Scandal (2003), which was one of six books shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003 and made into a film in 2006, and The Believers ( 2008).

Zoe Heller talking about her writing and ‘The Believers’ which I found very interesting as she mentions writing about unlikeable characters!

Uploaded by Harper1817 on Feb 2, 2009

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Wikipedia - Zoe Heller

You Tube - Zoe Heller

Goodreads - Zoe Heller

A Death in Tuscany by Michele Giuttari

2011-08-22T14:31:00.001+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 381 pages

Genre: Crime Mystery

Publisher: This edition Abacus 2009

Source: Charity Bookshop in the UK

First Sentence : The girl, little more than a child, was found on the road above Scandicci, scantily dressed, without papers and dying of an overdose, at dawn on Sunday 29 July and was taken to the Ospedale Nuovo.

Review Quote : ‘The leading Italian crime writer’ The Times

My Opinion: Atmospheric of Italy with a sadly feasible plot.

The August post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. August Reviews

Whilst the title for this book is not very imaginative, it is the reason I was drawn to pick this up for the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011. This is not a genre I read a great deal of and the author is not familiar to me so I do not feel I can compare him with others that write books set in Italy in this genre of which there are quite a few.

Michele Giuattari is a former Florence Police Chief so he does have an insiders advantage on the understanding of how the police and legal system work within Italy. This I think is certainly the sort of case that is sadly based on current issues in the real world, so fiction that has fact behind it.

The story is about the investigation into the death of a young girl hardly more than a child, whom it is assumed died of a drug overdose. The case is taken on by Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara and he quickly realises that this is far more than a simple overdose death. He believes that the girl was murdered and as he investigates becomes convinced it is part of a much wider conspiracy. It even turns out that there is a sinister connection between this case and the disappearance of a close friend of his!

The speech appears stilted at times but I think this is just because English is not the original language. There are many characters and I did not find any of them particularly memorable, but the plot line was strong enough to hold my attention in what was a quick light read. What was of interest is the setting of Florence and the surrounding countryside, appealing if you know the area and maybe tempting you to visit if you do not. An average read then for those of us interested in Italy and or the crime novel. I doubt if I would have picked this up if it were not for the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011 though.

Author profile photo from Facebook.

Michele Giuttari was born in Messina, Italy in 1950. in 1975 he graduated with a law degree and three years later joined the Police Force., where fro 1995 until 2003 he held the position of Police Chief. In 1997 he began working as a writer of detective novels, soon becoming known both nationally and internationally. His books are translated into major languages and published in over 100 countries.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Facebook Profile Author's Official Website

Michele Giuttari - Goodreads Author

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog
News From Italy

Home by Marilynne Robinson

2011-08-19T15:11:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 339 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Virago Press 2009

Source: Another Bookcrosser

First Sentence : ”Home to stay, Glory! Yes!” her father said and her heart sank.

Review Quote :’One of the saddest books I have ever loved’ Sarah Churchwell, The Guardian.

My Opinion: A novel where the words and thoughts of the characters are its strength.

Favourite Quote: She said “The girls in this family got named for theological abstractions and the boys got named for human beings.”

Awards: Winner of the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction.

When I added this title to My Wishlist although I had heard of this contemporary American novelist I had not read any of her novels. I was delighted when thanks to another Bookcrosser this book arrived in the post as a surprise. This is one of the great things about Bookcrossing the generosity of those people willing to share books with others around the world.

The central theme of the novel is the parable from the Bible of The Prodigal Son. Jack Boughton is the prodigal son, returning home after twenty years and attempting to rebuild his relationship with his father and siblings. He left with a drink problem and emotional problems which have got worse not better during his long absence. The female protagonist of the three main characters is Glory, also running away from her life, using the excuse of returning home to care for her dying Father. Glory is the youngest of the Reverend’s eight children and the only one free to nurse him. She also has secrets that burden her as her life has not been a conventional one for small town America in the fifties. The Reverend Robert Boughton is an old man for whom Christianity is a way of life. Although he knows he is dying, finds it impossible to give Jack the opportunity to talk to him about his problems, despite the fact he has always been his favourite child.

A very moving book about families, love, death and faith, where as there is not much action the words and thoughts of the characters are the strength.

The author accepting the Orange Prize for Fiction.

Marilynne Summers Robinson was born on November 26th 1943 and grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho, is an American novelist and essayist. Her first novel, Housekeeping (1980) , received the PEN/Hemingway award for best first novel as well as being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her second novel, Gilead (2004) , won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and her third, Home (2008), won the Orange Prize for Fiction.

Marilynne Robinson reads from her novel "Home"

Uploaded by msarvas on Oct 23, 2008

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Amazon - Author's Page - Marilynne Robinson

Wikipedia - Marilynne Robinson

YouTube

What We're Reading

Do pay a visit to this linky to find out what others around the world are reading.

Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge

2011-08-15T12:17:00.001+02:00

I’m part of the Transworld Book Group!

The Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge is running from August to October. It’s very easy – you get to pick four titles from a list of 15 and they send you the first book, you read it and review it and then they send your second and so on.

This is the list of titles that we are able to select our choice of four from to read and review.

1. The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark
2. Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
3. The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas
4. Teacher, Teacher! by Jack Sheffield
5. Death Sentence by Mikkel Birkegaard
6. Crippen by John Boyne
7. Caligula by Douglas Jackson
8. Twelve by Jasper Kent
9. The Obscure Logic of the Heart by Priya Basil
10. Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson
11. The Colour of Death by Michael Cordy
12. Odin’s Mission by James Holland
13. Legacy by Danielle Steel
14. The Water Room by Christopher Fowler
15. The Bomber by Liza Marklund

The titles I have chosen are these. I am looking forward to the first book arriving in the post.

You can review the books on your blog, or if you do not have one on Amazon so why not sign up and join the book group?

Mr Rosenblum’s List by Natasha Solomons

2011-08-08T12:38:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 311 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Sceptre an imprint of Hodder and Stoughton 2010

Source: Gift from a friend to my husband.

Review Quote: ‘Utterly charming and very funny’ Paul Torday. Having just recently reviewed one of his books, seeing this quote on the cover piqued my interest.

My Opinion: I agree it is charming and very funny but personally I also found it sad.

My husband was given this copy as a Birthday present this time last year, he read it straight away pronouncing it brilliant and that I should definitely be reading it. I usually avoid books for at least awhile if they have a lot of hype surrounding them and this one seemed to pop up everywhere. According to its front cover the film was already on the way by the time the paperback was published! I would of course like to see the film at some stage so thought it was about time I read the book, as I always do so if possible. Seeing the film first absolutely ruins a book for me, as there is no point in using my visual imagination while reading. A charming and funny story but I also found it sad.

At the heart of this novel is a little, literally as only 5ft 3”, German immigrant Jack Rosenblum. Arriving in England in 1937 along with his wife Sadie and one year old daughter Elizabeth, wanting to blend in and become a member of the English middle classes. With the help of the pamphlet the refugees were presented with on arrival he intends to study and use all the information listed to become a perfect English Gentleman. He realises that this leaflet just skims the surface when it comes to fitting in so he starts to add his own addendums the most important of which he feels is that ‘An Englishman must be a member of a Golf Club’. Poor Jack despite his careful copying of everything British there is no Golf Club to be found that will accept his membership. The rest of the novel is taken up with his attempts to build his own golf course in the heart of the Dorset countryside and shows how by doing so he succeeds in alienating himself from both the locals and his roots. His wife Sadie is confused by his attitude as she does not want to forget the family and country they left behind.

I felt this novel provided not just a picture of the problems of one set of immigrants to Great Britain before the Second World War but a description of the dilemmas facing all immigrants even nowadays.

As the actual original leaflet states ‘Be loyal to England your host’

Natasha Solomons

Natasha Solomons was born in 1980. Her first job, aged nine, was as a shepherdess, minding the flock on Bulbarrow hill. Since then, she has worked as a screenwriter with her husband, she is also researching a PhD in eighteenth-century poetry. She lives in Dorset.

Books in focus: Natasha Solomons discusses her book Mr Rosenblum's List – No spoiler.

Uploaded by Jnews2008 on May 24, 2010

Author Alan Gold interviews British Jewish author Natasha Solomons on her first novel, Mr Rosenblum's list

Information, photo and video used in this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Mr Rosenblum's List on The Author's Official Website

Natasha Solomons Official Website

Facebook - Natasha Solomons

YouTube and Hodder Author Profile

Her latest novel The Novel in the Viola was published in May 2011 and I have already added it to my Wishlist.

Beyond The Pasta by Mark Leslie

2011-07-28T17:54:00.002+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011




The July post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. July Reviews
Beyond The Pasta is so much more than just another Italian cookery book as besides providing great recipes Mark writes a diary about his trip to Italy to learn authentic Italian cooking. The added wow factor for me was not just that it is set in Italy but in our region of Viterbo. I loved all the local recipes, some of which I had heard of but others were new ones. I shall definitely be getting my husband to try these out for us, as he is the chef in our household. Mark’s diary of his time here in Viterbo was absolutely fascinating, particularly as we know and love the places he visited. It was interesting to read his take on places that we are very familiar with. As for instance his impression of Marta, as a place with a long line of hotels lining the lakefront. Sorry Mark, but first impressions were deceptive, there is only one hotel along the stretch he wrote about. In fact at the time of writing there was only one hotel in the whole of Marta and that was ‘Otello’s’, attached to the restaurant he visited, one of our favourites. He was right about the restaurants though as there are three in a row just in that stretch of lake frontage. I guess it must have just looked impressive.

Besides being an account of the everyday experiences of his month in Viterbo immersed in Italian culture,both language and cuisine, it is also as I already mentioned a cookery book, a record of Nonna’s amazing sounding recipes. I have no intention of sharing any of them here with you as I have yet to discover my favourites. You can discover some of them by visiting the links below.
It is with thanks to Michelle at Bleeding Espresso and her review that I learnt of the existence of this book. It was her review that convinced me I had to have a copy of my own. Maybe my review will tempt some of you to also buy a copy! Having said that it will be no surprise that I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Italy and all things Italian.
I hope one day that Mark will be back in Marta so that he can autograph his book for me!
Mark Leslie
Do spare a few minutes to watch this video.

Uploaded by 334mdl on Jul 23, 2010

Here is Nonna~ the grandmother of the family Mark Leslie lived with in Viterbo, Italy. She is the central character in his book "Beyond the Pasta: Recipes, Language & Life with an Italian Family" which was released on September 1, 2010, by Gemelli Press. Please visit http://mark-leslie.net for more details. In this clip, Nonna is telling a story about her mother--you can truly see her sense of humour as she tells the story. She made him laugh every day while he was there...and she will make you laugh in the book, too!
Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.
YouTube - Mark Leslie – Where you will find a selection of great videos from Mark publicising his book.
Beyond The Pasta - Mark Leslie's Official Website
Beyond The Pasta - Facebook Page

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog
News From Italy

What Goes Around Comes Around by Naveen BC

2011-07-25T17:58:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 237 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Frogbooks an imprint of Leadstart Publishing , India 2010
Source: Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Review Quote: ‘The humour is very pleasant, emotions are well scripted & the language is simple.’ A reader on http://www.simplybooks.in/book-review-what-goes-around-comes-938
My Opinion: I doubt I would have chosen to read this if left to my own devices and I am sorry to say it was a disappointment.

I just do not think this is going to appeal to the European reader. It is true that it is not a story that is linked to any particular country but a novel about family, friendship and faith, but I found the style of writing awkward. I suspect this will be a disappointment to the author who kindly sent me ta copy for review. For me it was far removed from what it claims to be on the cover. The language is far from crisp as it feels stilted, maybe this is caused by translation or the fact that the author is writing in a foreign language. There were many times I felt uncomfortable with both the choice of words and the grammar. The simple language used for me was not soft and subtle but hard and grating. Yes it is a saga of love family friendship and faith but I did not find it at all captivating and for the reasons given already I struggled to get through this novel Apparently it is interspersed with gems of wisdom that I am apparently sure to treasure for life and a story I will remember for a long time to come. Well I am sorry but I have forgotten it already and can therefore hardly recommend it to others.

I do not like having to write such a disappointing review as I know how hard it is for an author to write a novel and I would never put down or criticise their abilities. I think Naveen has the skills but needs to hone them considerably if he wants to break into the world market place.

I have taken the liberty of copying the blurb from the back of the book into this post as it is the best way to show you what we are led to expect from this novel!

Back cover blurb:

A captivating saga about love, family, friendship, and faith - a tender love story of lifelong love between husband and wife, eternal family ties between father and son and inseparable true friendship between young friends that continues through the twilight years. Naveen BC's debut novel is a gospel of faith in true human values. The moving story that spans generations will make you cry and laugh and rebuild your faith and trust in the human species that ancient and modern prophets of doom have often times condemned to damnation.

The crisp and simple language in the novel helps in keeping the tone of the narrative soft and subtle. Naveen steers clear of the pitfall of melodrama, even while describing tragedy like death, which he handles with tenderness and gentleness. Interspersed in the novel are some gems of wisdom - that you are sure to treasure for life. This is one story that you will remember for a long, long time to come.

The story of Peter Wilkins spans generations of the same family, starting with his death as his wealth is left to his his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. The grandson inherits something special - a book written by Peter Wilkins, "One Star 2 Many" which is presented to us the reader as a book within a book. In fact an autobiography of his grandfather’s life as an athlete, nothing outstanding in this to remember I am afraid to say, apart of course from his gold medal.

I think a lot more could have been made of this novel within it’s basic framework. I have no idea if the author wrote this in English or if it is a translation, but if he wants to appeal to the reader outside India I think it needs improving on. Too late this time Naveen but keep writing.

Naveen BC, Photo sent to me by the author.

Naveen is a graduate in Commerce from Bangalore University he has taken a sabbatical from business as he wanted to complete this book when he was 29 so that he could be called " an author in his 20s", but that wasn't to be. At 30 he feels wise enough to realise that you are known by your work and not by your age. He chose to write this book to express his creativity and hopes that that this indeed becomes his full- time profession.

Facebook Author Profile

Goodreads Author Profile

I have registered my copy of this book at Bookcrossing and am now hopeful it will travel the world, let me know if you are interested.

Rough Music by Patrick Gale

2011-07-20T19:39:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 374 pages
Genre : Fiction
Publisher: This edition Fourth Estate an impression of Harper Collins 2009. Originally published 2000 by Flamingo.
Source: Another Bookcrosser
First Sentence : ‘She walked across the sand carrying a shoe in either hand, drawn forward as much by the great blue moon up ahead as by the sound of the breaking waves.’
Review Quote :’A painfully acute but never reproachful examination of a past that will not vanish’ Daily Telegraph.
My Opinion: An author I enjoy and will try to read all his books if I can obtain copies.

Patrick Gale is a prolific author but I was only introduced to his writing two years ago by my sister when she recommended Notes from An Exhibition(2007) and lent me a copy of The Whole Day Through(2009), the latter which I never reviewed for some reason, although I do remember liking it. Instantly hooked his entire back catalogue has now been added to my Wishlist. The only other title I have read so far is Friendly Fire (2005).

I find that Patrick Gale is a particularly sensitive writer for a man but I think this may stem from the fact that he is gay. I hope this is the politically correct term to use, but I am not sure. However he is quite open about the fact and in the question and answer section at the end of this novel talks about his husband who is a farmer. The fact he obviously draws on personal experiences in life and location, they live on a farm in Cornwall are I am sure part of his success as a novelist. I am really looking forward to locating more of his books to read.

Straight away I was drawn into this thought provoking and touching novel, set in alternate chapters of past and present. Patrick Gale has a love of the west of England and the sea and his evocative writing is very absorbing bringing the setting and the characters to life for me whilst I am reading.

Julian, who changes his name to Will as an adult because of a nickname he was given at school is the main character and most of the story is built around a family holiday that did not go quite as planned when he was a small boy. As a man Will seems at ease with his sexuality but it is on another holiday that the traumatic effects of that long ago summer come back to question his happiness. Were his parents quite as happy and as normal as he always thought they were? The relationship between them in the present part of the novel where the mother is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's is very moving.

I do not want to reveal the plot so cannot say too much here but it will keep you guessing with plenty of hints but exactly what happened is not revealed until the final chapters.

Patrick was born on 31 January 1962 on the Isle of Wight, where his father was prison governor at Camp Hill, as his grandfather had been at nearby Parkhurst. He was the youngest of four – one sister, two brothers, spread over ten years. The family moved to London, where his father ran Wandsworth Prison, then to Winchester. At eight Patrick began boarding as a Winchester College Quirister at the cathedral choir school, Pilgrim’s. At thirteen he went on to Winchester College. He finished his formal education with an English degree from New College, Oxford in 1983.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer’s secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopaedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land’s End with his lover, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick's current ambition is to perfect the art of reversing a tractor and trailer around a corner.

Biographical info is taken from Patrick Gale - Official Website

Learn more about the man and his writing on his Official Website

Introduction to Rough Music on Patrick Gale’s Official Website

What We're Reading

Do pay a visit to this linky to find out what others around the world are reading.

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday

2011-07-14T14:45:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 329 pages – Unabridged
Genre : Fiction
Publisher: Phoenix an imprint of Orion 2007
Source: My bookshelves.
First Sentence : Book is written mainly as a series of letters emails and other documents, starting with one entitled ‘The Origins of the Yemen Salmon Project’.
Review Quote: ‘An entertaining and successful debut…warmly recommended to anyone searching for feelgood comedy with surprising bite’ Sunday Telegraph.
My Opinion: A satirical novel weaved around bureaucracy that will make you laugh.

This title has been languishing on our TBR bookshelves for far too long as despite the fact my husband and others via reviews have been encouraging me to read this debut novel, I somehow never did. I think maybe I was unsure it was going to be to my taste. Well I was pleasantly surprised with this diverting and original satirical novel weaved around bureaucracy that picks fun at every facet of the British lifestyle.

The protagonist is Dr Alfred Jones, known as Fred a boring lower ranking civil servant, a fisheries specialist in fact for the National Centre For Fisheries Excellence. He reluctantly thanks to higher officialdom forcing him to do so becomes part of a project to introduce the sport of salmon fishing to the Yemen. The course of British Politics and his own life are changed forever as gradually Fred becomes fascinated with the project. As he studies the feasibilities for the Sheikh whose idea this all is, he also grows emotionally and is no longer the underdog husband or lowly civil servant whose high points in life include publishing an article in a fishing magazine on fly larvae or acquiring a new electric toothbrush!

Overall I recommend this as it is a refreshingly different book that is an easy read. A warning though if you do not enjoy satire, give it a miss.

Paul Torday

Paul Torday was born in 1946 and read English Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford. He is married with two sons by a previous marriage and has two stepsons. He has spent most of his life in industry, specifically engineering, which took him all over the world including the Middle East. He has travelled extensively in Oman exploring the desert and back country with his wife. For the last fifteen years he has also been a keen salmon fisherman, and as he lives close to the River North Tyne, he has been able to indulge in this enthusiasm.

I am certainly now looking forward to reading the rest of Paul Torday’s novels as listed in this short video.

Uploaded by Waterstonescom on Apr 19, 2011

A film has also been made of ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’ starring Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, Ewan McGregor as Fred Jones and Kristin Scott Thomas as Bridget Maxwell and is now in post production to be released in 2012.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Official Website - Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

Internet Movie Database

YouTube

House of Silence by Linda Gillard

2011-07-08T19:23:00.001+02:00

EBook: 227 pages
Genre : Mystery/Fiction
Publisher: Kindle 2011
Source: eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence : ‘I used to wonder if Alfie chose me because I was an orphan and an only child.’
My Opinion: Cannot understand why this author had to publish her own fourth novel as an ebook! What is the matter with publishers?

Linda Gillard is one of my favourite writers of recent years and I thoroughly enjoyed her first three books. For this her fourth novel you are at present only able to read it if you have access to an eReader, or have downloaded an application enabling you to read books on your computer. Despite publishers liking her writing, for some ridiculous reason they still reject her work. What makes this even more strange is that her last novel Stargazing' won the Romantic Novelists Association Award for being the Best Love Story Of The Last 50 Years 1960 – 2010

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all three of her previous novels, reading them in the order of publication and for me her writing has just kept getting better. Unlike many authors she still seems able to produce something different with each new novel, no standard structure to her novels as there seems to be with many writers these days. They find a successful pattern and churn out every book following that framework. It is not so with this author’s writing as she surprises me every time I read her work. There is one subject that has appeared in her earlier work and is a strong and interesting presence again this time and that is the author’s obvious love of Quilting. She certainly writes stories that appeal to many tastes and this latest offering is no exception.

In ‘House of Silence’ the house ‘Creak Hall’ itself is a major presence as mysterious tragedies are discovered as the family history reveals itself slowly with plenty of intrigue. The characters are all memorable and strong, especially the protagonists Alfie the prodigal son, a struggling actor and his wardrobe mistress girlfriend Gwen who visit the family for the Christmas festivities. The supporting characters are also well portrayed and my particular favourites were Marek the mysterious gardener and Hattie the disturbed younger daughter.

The early chapters introduce us to Gwen and Alfie and set the scene for the main part of the action which all takes place over the course of just a few days at the Tudor Manor House in Norfolk, Creake Hall which is Alfie’s family home. Gwen was alone in life with no family so was excited at the prospect of a proper family Christmas, where apart from the gardener she was the only non family member present. Gwen soon discovers that she is staying in a houseful of strange and flawed characters, who all seem to be hiding secrets from her, especially her own boyfriend. His mother is a famous author of children’s books although no longer able to distinguish between reality and fiction and it is around her that the secrets of the past appear to hinge.

There are certainly plenty of family secrets to be revealed that will keep you turning the pages of this superbly plotted novel. I really do recommend you sample Linda Gillard’s writing if you have not already done so.

Linda Gillard

If you are interested in finding out more about This author and her writing please visit some of the links I have listed below.

I read Linda Gillard’s previous novels before I started writing LindyLouMac’s Book Reviews but you may be interested in reading my Journal entries at Bookcrossing- LindyLouMac- Home Page

Emotional Geology – Journal Entries (read in 2007)

A Lifetime Burning – Journal Entries (I read this one in 2007 as well)

Stargazing – Links to my review reproduced on this blog for the RNA Award post. (I read this in 2008)

Official Website for Linda Gillard Please visit her website as lots of interesting information, also if you are a Facebook Fan she has a page there.

Facebook Fan Page

I am now hoping that one day Linda Gillard will get the recognition she deserves and hopefully we will soon see her novels being published in hard copy again. Until then you need to find yourself an eReader if you are not familiar with her writing.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-07-04T21:00:00.001+02:00

Cover illustration from 1911

Paperback: 151 pages – Unabridged
Genre : Victorian Classic Fiction
Publisher: Original Edition 1883– My edition published by Dover 1993, cover not as illustrated above.
Source: My bookshelves.
First Sentence : Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17-, and go back to the time when my father kept the "Admiral Benbow" inn, and the brown old seaman, with the sabre cut, first took up his lodging under our roof.
My Opinion: Still has something to offer the 21C reader.

The Victorian Literature Challenge

I have read this novel before but as I found this copy sitting on our bookshelves decided that it would make a suitable read for The Victorian Literature Challenge

Treasure Island is an adventure story of pirates and buried gold and has tremendous action told with plenty of atmosphere. When I read it as a child it left a great impression on me as I went on to use the idea of a Treasure Island in a school essay writing competition calling mine simply ‘The Island’. I won a prize!

Pirates still hold a fascination with children and adults today, just look at the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean series of films.

Set in the 18C Treasure Island is a potent tale of piracy, an incomprehensible treasure map and a cast of villainous characters with the most appalling intentions. The story of the expedition and mutiny led by long John Silver is told through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy on the ‘Hispania’ as it sails to exotic waters to hunt for buried treasure.

The underlying theme of the novel is that it deals with the moral growth of our protagonist Jim Hawkins from adolescent to adult. Truth versus lies, drunkards versus abstainers, frugalness versus extravagance and religion versus agnostics all subjects of which Jim has to deal with in the course of his adventures.

Treasure Island will continue to captivate readers of all ages for many more generations, even if it is on their E–Readers.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born on the 13th of November 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland and died just 44 years later in Samoa on the
3rd of December 1894. For the last twenty years of his life he suffered from a severe respiratory illness which after much travelling led him to settle in Samoa. He began his writing career as an essayist and travel writer, but the success of Treasure Island (1883) and Kidnapped (1886) established his reputation for tales of adventure and action.

There have been over 50 movie and TV versions made of Treasure island and numerous radio adaptations.and now the latest version is in video book format. Here is the first chapter for you if you are still undecided about reading or wish to renew your acquaintance with this novel.

Uploaded by CCProse on Jun 9, 2011

Chapter 01: The Old Sea-Dog At The Admiral Benbow. Classic Literature Video Book with synchronized text, interactive transcript, and closed captions in multiple languages. Audio courtesy of Librivox. Read by Adrian Praetzellis

Biographical and other background information is with thanks to the following websites.

Wikipedia Amazon.co.uk You Tube

A full plot summary and background information can be found on Wikipedia - Treasure Island if you are interested in learning more about the novel.

Ask Me If I’m Happy by Kimberly Menozzi

2011-06-29T18:50:00.001+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 492 pages
Genre: Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services 2010 and Good to go Press 2011
Source: eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Review Quote: "A wonderful debut novel by a talented writer. Nell Dixon, author of "Animal Instincts"
A Favourite Quote: “The role that ancient mythology has in modern fiction is little appreciated, but nonetheless undeniable. All modern themes are merely re-workings of ancient tales and have been told around the fire since time immemorial…”
My Opinion: I doubt I would have chosen to read this if left to my own devices. However I am so glad I had the opportunity to do so.

The June post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. June Reviews

Ask Me If I’m Happy is a strong romantic novel strengthened by the setting and the use of the Italian language, which make this novel a perfect read, not only for fans of romantic novels but those who love all things Italian. The Italian presence is very evident and the author shares her flaws not just her beauty.

The two protagonists are Emily Miller and Davide Magnani they fall in love at first sight! I am not sure I believe in this actually being love when there is an instant chemistry between two people. I think love and true friendship is something that grows from those first attractions. It is not a simple relationship though as these feelings strike on the day Emily is leaving Italy to return to her native America, she thinks for ever after having had her heart broken by another Italian male. We all know that the path of true love is never simple and these two certainly have a rollercoaster of a relationship with coincidences, lies and hidden truths all getting in the way before Davide is able to convince Emily that Italy is where she should be.

Kimberley's writing is very realistic and her characters all feel very believable while her descriptions will make you feel you are in Italy. As I am not a great fan of too good to be true romance I was at times a little frustrated with their behaviour but I got caught up in the dream. I was a little surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. I think it was because of the talent of this young lady in her portrayal of a modern love affair.

A very enjoyable choice for my Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011 this month.

Kimberly Menozzi – Facebook Photo.

An aspiring writer from the age of eight, American born Kimberly Menozzi began writing her first stories instead of paying attention in school. In 2003, she met, fell in love and married a year later an Italian accountant named Alessandro. She has lived in Italy ever since and in 2007, inspired by her love/hate relationship with Italy the novel Ask Me If I'm Happy was completed in 2009.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Amazon - Kimberly Menozzi

Authors Official Website

Facebook - Kimberly Menozzi

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog

News From Italy

What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn

2011-06-28T13:18:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 242 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Tindal Street Press 2007, this edition 2008

Review Quote: ‘Part ghost story and part mystery, What Was Lost is an enthralling tale of a little girl lost, wrapped in a portrait of a changing community over two decades’ The Observer.

My Opinion: Gripping and mysterious.

Awards: Costa First Novel 2007, Galaxy British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year 2008, Long listed for Man Booker Prize 2007.

A double narrative that moves back and forth between the present and the past whilst revealing to us what became of the protagonist Kate. The action is centred around an enormous shopping mall which when the story opens in 1984 is where ten year old Kate spends much of her time. A bright girl but a loner, the mall has become her sanctuary from an unhappy home life. Her time is spent at playing detective,with the help of a stuffed monkey as an assistant. Her dream to have her own investigative agency when she is grown up. A neighbours adult son Adrian is her only real confidante, so it is no surprise that when Kate mysteriously disappears, blame is directed at him.

The present is some twenty years later and a realistic study of how modern urban life can centre round a shopping mall. Scary thought and made me dislike such places even more than I already do, they are devoid of personality in my opinion. The mystery deepens as Adrian's much younger sister is now a young woman working in a record store in the mall. Through her friendship with a security guard in the centre she learns of the ghostly glimpses of a little girl, with a soft toy in her hand, that appear on the centres CCTV systems. The past and the mystery behind what really happened to Kate is eventually solved.

A gripping and mysterious read that will make you laugh, yet also has the ability to feel strangely haunting.

The video I have included is worth watching as Catherine O’Flynn explains where she got her ideas for this novel from without any spoilers.

costabookawards

Catherine O’Flynn courtesy of Google Images.

Catherine O’Flynn is British, born in 1970 and now lives and works in Birmingham, England.

‘What Was Lost’, was very nearly not published, receiving rejection slips from major publishers before she sent it to Tindal Street Press, a small publisher based in Birmingham. Since publication it has had great reviews, won awards and been translated into 25 languages. ‘What Was Lost’ was her debut novel, her second ‘The News Where You Are’ was published in July 2010.

Information used in this post is with thanks to the following websites.

YouTube - Catherine O'Flynn

Wikipedia - Catherine O'Flynn

Tindal Street Press - Catherine O'Flynn

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

2011-06-16T20:04:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 352 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Vintage Books 2010

Source: Gift from another Bookcrosser

Review Quote: ‘A vicious satire on modern life’. Daily Telegraph

My Opinion: Very different from his previous books.

This is the eighth and most recent novel that Sebastian Faulks has had published and differs from his normal style as it is the first one set totally in the present day. It is therefore impossible I feel to praise or criticise in comparison to his other novels. It stands alone as a contemporary novel from this diverse author of literary fiction and is a very interesting study on modern day life. Themes we have all been affected by in recent years terrorism, banking and greed.

Set in London,over a period of just the seven days in the week before Christmas, following the lives of seven protagonists. What a motley collection of characters they are a hedge fund manager, a Polish professional footballer, a young lawyer, a student, a journalist book-reviewer, a schoolboy and a Tube train driver. The latter whose Circle Line train joins these characters lives together. The novel is a complex study of modern urban life and the reader is able to see the effects of society on these characters long before they can.
In the end though they are all forced to accept the reality of the world we live in.

A Week In December is both a humorous and frighteningly realistic portrayal of the modern day world.

Photo from Wikipedia.

Sebastian Faulks CBE (born 20 April 1953) is a British journalist and novelist.

There is a very interesting article on A Week In December to be found on the authors official website here

Links to other posts I have written about Sebastian Faulks and his novels

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Engleby by Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks

LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Sebastian Faulks – Wikipedia

Sebastian Faulks - Official Website

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

2011-06-11T12:32:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 177 pages

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins Edition 1999

Source: Gift from another Bookcrosser

Review Quote: ‘Coelho’s writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts..He gives me hope and puts a smile on my face’ The Express.

A Favourite Quote: "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

My Opinion: This fable reinforces my philosophy that in this life one should try to overcome difficulties to follow your dreams.

A modern classic which was first published in 1988 in Portuguese, which has since been translated into seventy–one languages, making it the most translated book by a living author. It has sold more than sixty-five million copies in more than one hundred and fifty countries, making it one of the best selling books in history.

The Alchemist is not a complicated story, just a fable with a message about overcoming difficulties to enable you to follow your dreams. It is the story of Santiago a young shepherd from Andalusia who dreams of travelling the world in search of treasures. In his travels to Tangiers and Egypt he meets people with wisdom to impart, including an Englishman from whose books Santiago first learns about alchemists. Later he actually meets an alchemist who teaches him that the reason we remain unfulfilled in our lives is caused by the fear of failure.

This novel appeals to so many people as its outlook is so optimistic, telling us everything is possible if we really want it to happen. Everyone wants to think that the things we aspire to in this life, but never thought attainable may just be so after all. Therein I think lies the secret of the success of this best selling novel.

This video I found on YouTube is an excellent introduction to the book without any spoilers.

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

paulabraconnot

Paul Coelho

Photo from Facebook

Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 24th 1947 more information about his life can be found either on Wikipedia or his Official Website Paul Coelho.

What an interesting man this author is, while researching him I discovered some facts about him that made me realise what a well admired personality he is.

1. He is a Peace Messenger for the UN

2. He has over 5 million Facebook fans.

3. He has 1,678,557 followers on Twitter and follows just 90 people, including Lady Gaga.

4. The Paulo Coelho Institute gives help to the underprivileged and ostracized members of Brazilian society, mainly children and the elderly.

Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

Wikipedia - Paul Coelho

Wikipedia - The Alchemist

Paul Coelho - Official Website

Paul Coelho – Blog

Paul Coelho - Facebook Page

Poison in the Blood, The Memoirs of Lucrezia Borgia by M.G. Scarsbrook.

2011-05-28T17:06:00.001+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 267 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services 2011
Source: eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Review Quote: "Anyone who enjoys Medieval Italy, love, betrayal and a strong, resourceful heroine on a knife edge, will enjoy this well researched and well written book." Historical Novel Review

The May post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. May Reviews

Until fairly recently the only historical novels I read on any sort of regular basis were those of Philippa Gregory but thanks to LindyLouMac's Book Reviews and the opportunity to review some other historical writers my horizons have been expanded. I have always considered my tastes very eclectic but am nowadays more likely to consider reading this genre, than I have been for years. With the themes of the stories based on real life characters it can be an interesting way to learn a little history. I admit to knowing very little about the historical background surrounding Lucrezia Borgia before reading this novel, so this easy and quick read was a pleasurable way to learn a little more about her.

Set in Renaissance Rome in 1497 it also was a good choice for my May entry for the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011 The daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia Borgia leads a sheltered life amongst the glamour of the Vatican City. Yet after a brutal killing shocks the city, she learns that all is not as it seems and that her father’s court holds dark secrets. She discovers that her own brother, Cesare and father are willing to commit murder to protect their own lifestyle and love of power.

Written as a memoir narrated by Lucrezia in the first person the blend of fiction and historical fact makes her come alive on the pages as she relates to us the intrigue and tragedy of her fathers court. There is no doubt in my mind that Pope Alexander VI was a nasty and brutal man, I disliked his character immensely. Even I knew of the historical connections of the Borgia family to poison, plus the title of the book so it was no surprise that the poison aspect brings the suspense to a story which I recommend to fans of historical novels looking for a quick read.

M.G. Scarsbrook

The biographical information and photograph included here are courtesy of the authors Goodreads profile

Matthew Scarsbrook was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1981 to British parents and he has spent most of his life in England although he has studied in the USA and Canada as well as Great Britain. He is now living in Southern California. For the adaptation of his book The Marlowe Conspiracy into a script he recently won Writers On The Storm Screenwriting Contest, out of 1000 entries.

He is author of the historical suspense novels The Marlowe Conspiracy and Poison In The Blood: The Memoirs of Lucrezia Borgia.
He is also the editor of several nonfiction collections:
The Life & Legend Of Lucrezia Borgia
The Life & Complete Works Of Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

M.G. Scarsbrook's Blog

I found this interesting article written by the author that he invites us to share and enjoy, taking him at his word I am reproducing the post here as it makes for an interesting background introduction to the novel

Lucrezia Borgia: The Most Evil Woman In History… Or The Most Wronged?
By M. G. Scarsbrook

Once described as the ‘greatest whore there ever was in Rome’, the legend of Lucrezia Borgia has long captivated people for centuries with wild accounts of her crimes. Some have called her a poisoner, an evil seductress, a femme fatale, and many artists have portrayed her negatively in books, plays, and operas.

But who was Lucrezia exactly? Did she really deserve her poor reputation?

In 1492, when Lucrezia Borgia was still a young noblewoman, her father became Pope Alexander VI and raised her family into one of the most powerful forces in Renaissance Italy. Known for his ruthless ambition, Alexander VI immediately started to eliminate all political enemies in his path, while also elevating his children – including the cruel and clever Cesare Borgia – to prestigious positions within the church and state.

The reign of the Borgias swiftly became the most scandalous era in papal history, marked by constant wars, assassinations, murder, unbridled extravagance, debauchery and allegations of incest. Many political rivals to the Borgias were stabbed, strangled, or poisoned, including cardinals, ambassadors, and the barons of prominent roman families. It was claimed the Borgias dispatched many of their enemies with a custom-made poison called ‘Cantarella’. Lucrezia herself was said to possess a ring with a tiny poison capsule which she used to secretly empty venom into drinks at banquets.

An interesting legend… but is it true?

Probably not. Almost no one in her own time accused Lucrezia of the plots and killings attributed to her family. Nor is there any historical evidence to suggest Lucrezia ever participated in the crimes of Cesare and Alexander. Her contemporaries in Rome merely felt her reputation was tarnished by tales of incest and promiscuity – unlikely allegations made by enemies of the Borgias.

In reality, during her tumultuous life, Lucrezia managed to repair her damaged reputation. After her father died in 1503, and her brother was soon imprisoned, Lucrezia was no longer used as a pawn to increase the power of the House of Borgia. Instead, she left Rome and married a Duke in the distant lands of Ferrara, quickly settling into her new role as a Duchess. Over time, she reinvented herself as a generous patron of the arts, a loving mother of seven children, and a kind benefactor of many charities. By her death in 1519, many people mourned her loss and she was buried with great honor in the highest church in Ferrara, the disgraceful allegations from her past now long forgotten.

This is the story I explore in my latest novel, Poison In The Blood: The Memoirs of Lucrezia Borgia. Set in Renaissance Rome, during the height of Borgia power, my novel follows Lucrezia’s struggle to escape her dangerous family before they destroy her life forever. After discovering that her new husband is next to die, Lucrezia must help him flee the city before the assassins strike. But as tragedy looms ever closer, and her plans gradually, fail, she finds herself confronting an enemy far more sinister than she ever imagined…

Thanks for taking the time to read this today! To learn more about my novels or me, please visit:

Website: http://www.mgscarsbrook.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormgscarsbrook
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4447495.M_G_Scarsbrook

Share and Enjoy Original post link The Hot Author Report

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog

News From Italy

Perfection by Julie Metz

2011-05-24T19:43:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 342 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Voice 2009
Source: Purchased Oxfam Bookshop in UK
Review Quote: ‘A visual standout, Metz brings refreshing candour to a startling painful tale.’

I have absolutely no idea why this book has so many good reviews, mind you it does seem to have lots of bad ones as well. Maybe if I had read them first I would not have bothered with this tedious, dull read.

I knew it was going to be a memoir about a young woman trying to put her life back together when her husband unexpectedly dies of a heart attack. I also knew that she was going to discover that he had been unfaithful to her, fair enough and very sad, but she carries out a campaign to contact all the women he has been unfaithful with. I just found it difficult to understand why anyone would want to cause themselves such pain, let alone share it with the rest of the world by publishing this memoir!

Perfection is the story of Julie Metz’s personal journey through the chaos of her husbands death and infidelities. She recounts coming to terms with the painful truths, building a life for herself and her young daughter after widowhood and betrayal. Happiness seems to have been found by her if not ‘Perfection’

Maybe she found it cathartic to write this but I certainly did not enjoy reading about the sham of her marriage as she bravely exposes herself to the full glare of the public. You might have done, do let me know.

Is a writer, graphic designer, and artist. In addition to Perfection she has written essays and commentary for publications including The New York Times and Glamour She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Biographical Information is courtesy of the following websites

Julie Metz - Perfection

Julie Metz - Facebook

Perfection by Julie Metz

voicevoices

You may also be interested in this conversation with Julie Metz.

A Conversation with Julie Metz

voicevoices

Inside The Whale by Jennie Rooney

2011-05-17T19:34:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 261 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Chatto and Windus 2008
Source: Gift from another Bookcrosser
Review Quote: "Fresh, funny and wise, balancing emotional turmoil with a vivid turn of phrase. Hugely enjoyable’

‘Inside the Whale’ is Jennie Rooney’s first novel and although I read it in just three sessions it was more because it was quick to read with large print and not very long rather than particularly riveting. In fact it took me a little while to decide if I was actually enjoying it as at first it was confusing trying to keep track of the story. When it did all click into place, which it did all rather too conveniently, I had already worked out what was going to happen. So unlikely but as I have often said before fiction is entertainment and the story provides that even if it is rather simplistic.

Narrated in the first person alternately by the two main protagonists Stevie Stanford and Michael the man she met in 1937. In the summer of 1939 her lover joins the Royal Signals and is sent to fight in WWII in Africa. Set in modern times they are now both elderly and telling their stories of London and Africa during the second world war to the reader, completely unaware of each others existence. Stevie is recently widowed, staying with her daughter and granddaughter, whilst she struggles to mourn for her husband. Michael is dying of cancer in hospital and having already lost the power of speech is trying to convey his life story by writing it down for a caring nursing assistant. The ending is moving and well written even if unlikely, although maybe not, one never knows!

A romantic novel written with humour and poignancy about a wartime love affair and the long term effects of such a relationship.

Jennie Rooney

Jennie Rooney was born in 1980 and grew up in Liverpool, Zambia and Bromley. She attended Newstead Wood School in Orpington, before reading History at Cambridge University. She taught English for a while in a primary school in France before training as a solicitor in London and Paris. Her first novel, Inside the Whale, was written during this time and was published by Chatto & Windus in 2008, and was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, the Waterstones New Writer of the Year Award, and was a Richard and Judy Debut Book Club choice. Her second novel, The Opposite of Falling, is also published by Chatto & Windus.
She now lives in West London, where she writes and teaches History and English. She is also a regular creative writing tutor for Skyros Writers' Lab and is a patron of the National Academy of Writing. She is currently working on her third novel and a screenplay.

Biographical Information and author photo is courtesy of Jennie Rooney - Official Website.

Jennie Rooney’s second novel was published last year.

The Opposite of Falling

The Swallow and The Hummingbird by Santa Montefiore.

2011-05-08T12:39:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 474 pages
Genre: Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 2004 – This edition Hodder Paperback 2007.
Source: Purchased Oxfam Bookshop in UK
Review Quote: ‘Santa is the new Rosamunde Pilcher’ Victoria Mather, Daily Mail.
My Opinion : The above quote is spot on I think especially as Rosamunde Pilcher retired from writing in 2000.

I first took an interest in this author’s writing in 2001 when her first novel Meet Me Under The Umbo Tree was published. I went on to read the next two as they were released The Butterfly Box and The Forget Me Not Sonata. It was another five years before any more of her books came my way when in 2008 I read two more of her novels Last Voyage of the Valentina and The Gypsy Madonna. With this latest one it seems I am still only half way through her novels. I have two more on my TBR bookshelf and do not think it will be long before I read them as they are the perfect type of novels for summer afternoons reading in the shade.

The setting is England and the Argentine, starting just after the end of WWII when George Bolton returns home to Frognal Point a quiet seaside village in Devon. The sweetheart he left behind before the war, Rita Fairweather has waited patiently for his return, expecting their relationship to continue from where it left off. George though is no longer the boy who went off to war and became a Spitfire pilot, he finds himself unable to settle back into his previous way of life. He decides that he needs to get away for awhile to get over his wartime experiences and departs again to spend a year with relations in Argentina. Rita although disappointed resolves to wait for him in Devon as she feels unable to go with him if they are not yet married. Would you wait for ever for the love of your life? This is what happens to Rita as she keeps her promise to George, he however finds a different life that he enjoys and it is ten years before he returns to England again.

The Swallow and The Hummingbird was Santa’s fourth novel to be published back in 2005, the year after we left the UK to live in Italy so I somehow missed obtaining a copy until I found one at the end of last year. It is three years since I have read one of her novels but this was just as I expected it to be a richly woven tale with a large cast of characters and lots of vivid detail. Recommended for all lovers of romantic fiction, especially fans of Rosamunde Pilcher.

Santa Montefiore was a guest at The Royal Wedding last week so for an author photo I decided to share this one of her on the left and in the blue her sister Tara Palmer Tomkinson.

Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer Tomkinson on February 2nd 1970. After studying Spanish and Italian at Exeter University, she went to Argentina, where she spent much of the nineties. She now lives in London with her husband, writer and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and two daughters. Her family have been close friends of The Prince of Wales for over three decades.

The following extract is taken from her own Official Website as she describes perfectly the sort of books she writes.

‘With my novels, I hope to carry you away to sunnier shores, while at the same time remind you of all that is wonderful about England. Above all, they are love stories, because love is more important to me than anything else. I hope you laugh and cry in equal measure, but most vitally, escape for a while’.

She has eleven published novels to date, the first one published in 2002 and the most recent will be published in July of this year.

Meet Me Under The Ombu Tree(2001)
The Butterfly Box (2002)
The Forget-me-not Sonata (2003)
The Swallow and the Hummingbird (2004)
The Last Voyage of the Valentina (2005)
The Gypsy Madonna (2006)
Sea of Lost Love (2007)
The French Gardener (2008)
The Italian Matchmaker (2009)
The Affair (2010)
The Mermaid Garden(American title) The House By The Sea. (2011)

Biographical Information is courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Wikipedia - Santa Montefiore

Goodreads - Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore Official Website

This is a short interesting video of Santa Montefiore talking about herself and her writing do watch if you have 3 minutes to spare.

Meet Author Santa Montefiore Thanks to 5Min.com

I have linked this post to the May Reading Linky Party here

The Villa in Italy by Elizabeth Edmondson

2011-04-28T12:48:00.001+02:00

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

Paperback: 426 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins 2006
Source: Purchased Oxfam Bookshop in UK
Review Quote: "Deeply satisfying! rich and compelling." -Oxford Times
A Favourite Quote:‘the Italian winter is Italy’s best kept secret’.

The April post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. April Reviews

Prior to picking up this book in an Oxfam Bookshop in the UK I had not even heard of this author. I was attracted to the title because of the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011 that I had heard about early in December for which it seemed a perfect candidate.

It certainly was and I thoroughly enjoyed this easy to read and very atmospheric novel set in a grand but neglected villa on the northern Italian coastline of Liguria in the nineteen fifties.

The protagonists are four complete strangers all named in the will of the now deceased Beatrice Malaspina, owner of the Villa Dante where they are summoned to accept their unknown inheritance in a mysterious fashion. The interaction between them as they slowly learn why they are at the villa makes for I thought an interesting read, not your normal mystery story, but certainly still very mysterious.

George an atomic scientist at Cambridge University, who hates the monster his skills have created. Delia an opera singer who is having problems with her voice. Marjorie a poor and struggling detective novelist with writer’s block and finally Lucius an American banker whose life appears perfect but is in fact in chaos make for an odd group of benefactors. While they wait to learn why they have all been named in their unknown benefactresses will the villa with its overgrown garden, mediaeval tower and faded frescoes starts to have a calming affect on them all. All four of them have family secrets and sadness's to hide but somehow they start to slowly heal and learn to love again as they unravel the mysteries they find themselves presented with.

If you enjoy novels with family secrets, family history and lots of evocative description you will I think enjoy this, even more so if you love Italy.

Elizabeth Edmondson

Elizabeth Edmondson was born in Chile, educated in Calcutta and London before going to Oxford University. Married to an art historian and with two children she now divides her time between Oxford and the countryside north of Rome.

Biographical Information is courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Fantastic Fiction - Elizabeth Edmondson

Harper Collins Author Profile

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog

News From Italy

Just One More Day by Susan Lewis

2011-04-27T19:24:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 340 pages
Genre : Memoir
Publisher: Arrow Books 2006
Source: Unknown – On my TBR bookshelf
Review Quote ‘Susan Lewis fans know she can write compelling fiction, but not until now, that she can write even more engrossing fact. We use the phrase honest truth too lightly: it should be reserved for books – deeply moving books – like this’ Alan Coren

I have no idea how this title came to be on my bookshelf as I have only ever read one novel by this author, although I have two others by her on the TBR shelf. I need to get down to some serious reading if I am ever to catch up!

‘Just One More Day’ is the moving memoir of Susan Lewis growing up in 1960’s Bristol in a household that was facing tragedy, whilst pretending it was not happening. As Susan was only seven years old at the time I did have my doubts that she remembered so much so clearly, maybe her mother left a diary. I have not been able to find out if this was in fact the case. Susan spends her young childhood being brave about a situation she does not fully understand, while her toddler brother is oblivious to the pain within the family. Eddress and Eddie married when she was only twenty one and it as still a young woman she is faces cancer, without admitting her fears. It was just not done to show your feelings back in the sixties, so Eddress tries to deny to herself what is happening to her.

Susan struggled in this world of adult secrets but explains it well in this heart breaking true story of a young woman who dies at the tender age of thirty three leaving her husband a widower at thirty seven with children of nine and five. A scenario that really tugged at my heart strings and was a very emotional read.

There is a biography of Susan Lewis on her Website here which is an interesting read. Having now learnt so much about her I am now keen to read some more of her novels as so far I have only read one and that was back in 2007!

Taking Chances

Susan Lewis

My research was done using the following sites.

Author's Official Website and her Facebook Fan Page

The Arrival by Nicole Macdonald

2011-04-26T17:52:00.001+02:00

Paperback: 206 pages
Genre : Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: Kindle 22nd December 2010
Source: Sent to me by the author in eBook format in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I do not normally read much paranormal or fantasy fiction and was seriously wondering if I should be reviewing this book at all. Was it going to be fair to the author when I was prejudiced against the genre without even reading a word. I like my fiction based in reality and this novel is about as far removed from reality as you can possible get.

As I started to read about the heroines Cat, Kassie, Sian and Loi my doubts continued because it was confusing with the continual switching between the different characters and their viewpoints. It took awhile for the structure of the story to settle down but the author seems to get into the flow of her writing and the interaction between the characters improves.

It really is a far fetched and ridiculous story but once I got over my initial prejudices and the jerky start it did turn out to be an entertaining read and I am sure fans of this genre will be particularly enthralled with the girls adventures.

The four protagonists are friends living in New Zealand in the 21C and being fed up with the lack of decent men in their lives, decide for fun to cast a love spell to try and find their soul mates. In casting this spell they get somewhat more than they bargained for finding themselves transported to another world, which is full of weird and wonderful creatures. I do not want to include any spoilers but the girls find they have amazing magical powers which they have to use as the momentum and tension grows.

The ending is certainly a cliff hanger and if you enjoy the book will certainly leave you waiting for more adventures that will transport you to another world.

Nicole is so personally involved with the characters in The Arrival that if you visit her blog Damsel in a Dirty Dress you will find posts about some of them, read what she has to say about the character of Cat here . I thought it was really interesting how she has got right inside their personalities, in this way, even suggesting actors to play the parts. Well you never know do you!

This is one young lady with a tremendous passion for her writing and I wish her all the best with this debut novel.

The biographical information below is quoted from the authors blog profile.

Damsel in a Dirty Dress – Nicole’s Blog

Nicole MacDonald – Says
: ”I am a 28yr old New Zealander who’s really only recently discovered an utter passion for writing. For years it was reading and as a child I dreamed of been locked in our local bookstore overnight so I could read to my hearts content. Then one day I decided to have a shot at writing. I figured no one would ever read it and I’d get to be the heroine and have one heck of an adventure… Well I wasn’t wrong! Nearly two years later and I have the first in the Birth Right Trilogy published and am currently working like mad on the draft for book two. What started as a whim really has become an all consuming passion. I can’t believe I didn’t start earlier!”

White by Rosie Thomas

2011-04-25T14:32:00.001+02:00

Audiotape: 2 tapes Abridged 3hrs listening
Genre : Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks 2000
Source: From a selection I have languishing on shelves.
Read By : Juliet Stevenson

I have been reading and enjoying the novels of Rosie Thomas for many years now although it is a few years since I last read one. I must rectify this as I have at least four of her most recent novels waiting to be read. It is the usual excuse, so many books so little time, but listening to White has revived my interest. I had read this previously but decided to listen to the tapes before making them available on Bookmooch. Rosie Thomas is not only an author but a keen traveller and mountaineer which comes over in her writing, especially so in ‘White’ as it is about an expedition to climb Everest.

Her obvious knowledge of climbing adds to the reality of the story which set against the mountain backdrop, makes this novel much more than a complicated love story between the three protagonists. Sam McGrath whose chance encounter on a plane means he ends up in Nepal. Al Hood an experienced climber who has promised his daughter that this climb will be his last and Sam Finch who has signed up as an expedition doctor. Demons and dreams are played out against the dramatic backdrop of Everest.

I actually read this back in October 2007 before I started this blog, but I was already posting reviews on Amazon, my review was entitled Passion and Drama.

This is what I had to say then “This title was actually published in 2000 and it has been sitting on my bookshelf for awhile as I was not sure I wanted to read it! However I have now got around to it and enjoyed much more than expected.
I actually know very little about mountaineering so found the detail fascinating. I do find it difficult to understand why people want to push their body to its limits and beyond though. The experiences of the climbers struggling to climb Everest in this story are horrendous.
I was particularly interested to read about Namche and the trek to Everest Base Camp, as I have a niece who as part of her travels is due to go there.
If you like a good romance with some drama thrown in, you cannot fail to enjoy this”.

Rosie Thomas was born and grew up in North Wales, although she now lives in London. She read English at Oxford, and after a spell in journalism and publishing began writing fiction after the birth of her first child. She has written a large number of novels, including the top ten bestsellers White, The Potter's House, Sun At Midnight, Iris and Ruby and Constance. Once she was established as a writer and her children were grown –up, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, and spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica.

Biographical info courtesy of : -

Lovereading Wikipedia Fantastic Fiction and Goodreads