Saturday, January 23, 2016

My Sunday

Hi guys ! Sorry I have not been on here much this past week , but I have the flu and it is being an unwelcome house guest at present. So I thought I would do my week in pictures . 
I have been changing my kitchen from oak to chalk paint in the shade clotted cream ...until I got sick .....but so far I am loving the cream colour . I can't wait until I can get back to it again so I can use my kitchen !
There was some awesome books in my mailbox this week for review .....
 My dogs are looking out for me ( or in other words using my extended bed rest as perfect nap time) 
If you love books about books then try this one. I have only started it but I am hooked.
My spring bulbs are starting to open . :0)
With the sad death of Alan Rickman I found myself reaching for this book. 
Comfort reads ...... Essential 
Lots of hot drinks
Comfy pj's and review book
Beautiful review books
Snuggly boots to keep my toes from turning blue. 
Sunday morning breakfast
Sunday afternoon book and bath time 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Broken Sky by L.A Weatherly . Review


This is a dystopian story and the main character is a girl called Amity. She is a pilot for the Peacefighters. She is a second generation pilot and has flown through the ranks of this dangerous job where being brave has to be second nature. Amity's world depends greatly on astrological signs and when you were born , depending on the outcome it can mean good or bad things for you and the life of your family . The world is all about peace and harmony and keeping it that way no matter what , so anyone that the government has doubts about is punished. Amity lives with her mum and brother and she has a boyfriend called Collie who she is very close to . In this world they live in where harmony is important it soon becomes clear that behind this facade their lies corruption and lies at high up levels and it becomes increasingly hard for Amity to know who to trust and run to when things become dangerous for her , when she becomes wanted. This was an interesting world created around astrological signs and how the world is grouped depending on them. It was an interesting and enjoyable plot and Amity was an inspiring female lead character . 

I received this book for review from the lovely folks over at Lovereading4kids. This book is going to be published in March 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to this on the Lovereading website:

The Way We Were by Sinéad Moriarty . Review

This is the story about a successful husband and wife and the way each one copes when they hit troubled water . 
Alice and Ben are both doctors , they have two daughters and the house and lifestyle,  so when Ben starts to get the itch for travel and new work expierences his wife rightly has issues with it and worries about his motives . The story took me on a roller coaster of emotions , dread , fear , hope were just some of the feelings you get reading this . Sinéad writes characters you will care about , so when something happens to one of them it really packs a punch and leaves you wanting more . Great story , great twists and characters you will love. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is going to be published in March 2016 and will be available fromLovereading and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to the Lovereading website :

The Forgotten Summer by Carol Drinkwater. Review

I knew from very early on that I was going to enjoy this story as the writing is simply beautiful. I think a story that includes a character you love to hate makes a story even better and this one had it in the form of a mother in law from hell called Clarisse Cambon . The main character of the story is her daughter in law Jane who is married to her son Luc . Clarisse is definetly a matriarch who loves to rule the roost on this vineyard in France and she is very quick with her acid tongue . Jane's faults are easy for Clarisse to judge but she is not a straightforward character herself and she should not be judging anyone! Flawed characters like Clarisse make great reading and when you add in some mystery and family secrets it made this a book easy to read in one sitting. I was constantly surprised while reading this as the twists were great and Clarisse is infuriating at times so I wanted to see if Jane would get some form of closure or revenge on this woman. Highly recommend! 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is going to be published in February 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then.
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website:

Monday, January 18, 2016

Accidental SuperStar by Marianne Levy . Review


The main character of the story is Katie , her family life is a bit unsettled right now  but she has a lot of talent and has a good friend which keeps her grounded until one day her talent gets recorded and uploaded on the internet making her very well known ! At first mortified by her new found fame , she then progresses to being proud of herself especially as it looks like she may have got help to make this a career ! The story was very good, I think a lot of people who use social media regularly will understand the ups and downs of putting yourself on the Internet and the author put that across very well. I loved Katie's family and best friend and how important it is to always have them watching your back when anything could happen with fame. If you love social media then this is a book for you! 

I received this book from the lovely people over at lovereading4kids. This book is being published January 2016 and will be available for purchase from lovereading4kids and  all good bookstores then. Below please find a link to this book:


Tuesday, January 12, 2016

In My Mailbox


Super Star by Marianne Levy
The Way We Were by Sinéad Moriarty

All books sent in by the lovely folks at Lovereading.co.uk

Monday, January 11, 2016

My December

It's a new year , but before I get too far into the year I must share with you a look back on my December . December is my birthday month as well as my favourite time of year . Something always seems magical about December..........

Blowing out my birthday candles with my niece and twin nephews.
Christmas Parties
Shopping with my Christmas / Birthday money 
Hot chocolate
My new forest lamp
My dog asleep on the blanket I made her.
I started collecting book mugs. I only have three but this one was given to me by a dear friend this year for my birthday 
New adult colouring book
My sister in law made me the yummiest chocolate cake I have ever eaten!

My second birthday cake from my hubby

Cosy nights in with handmade crochet blanketI made , my dog and great books
Yum! Costa Black Forest hot chocolate
New Audio Books
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
The Body Book , Cameron Diaz
My tree. 

The Perfect Gift by Emma Hannigan . Review


I really loved this story about a young woman called Roísín who owns her own business and is doing great in her professional life but her love life needs work. Roísín is adopted , and there has always been a mystery around her adoption as she knew very few details , but each year her birthday comes around and she receives something in the mail from her birth mother , this might not seem strange but her birth mother is dead. 
What I loved about the book was how real the characters felt and the situations they found themselves in , more then once I found myself holding back tears or bursting out laughing unexpectantly. This is also a bit of a mystery story as we are left with a lot of questions until the end when the entire story comes together perfectly in a very satisfactory way. This book was sheer joy the entire way through. 
If you love Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes books then I think you will really love this touching and funny story .

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is being published in February 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website:

Sunday, January 10, 2016

All The Rage by Courtney Summers . Review


The story is about one drunken night that the main character Romy can remember little of. The story is told in past /present tense so we get an overall look at the aftermath then we start to get an idea of  what really happened. This was at times hard to read as the bullying had me enraged . Romy is a deeply troubled character who is trying to put her past behind her , the trouble is she can't remember it all and it has left her with a lot of questions and some of them very serious. There is also a missing friend too making this  a tense story with plenty of mystery and at times it felt like I was reading it through very hazy memories that flashed in and out of the main narrators consiousness. If you enjoyed books like " We Were Liars " then I think you will enjoy this. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids. 
This book is going to be published January 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then.
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website.

Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. Review


This is a beautiful and thought provoking story set in war time in England and some other countries that the army is stationed at. The story has 4 main characters . Mary, Tom , Zack , and Alistair. Mary is a young woman who throws away her well organised ladylike life the day war is declared so she can help with the war in anyway she can. Zack is a young black boy who she comes across who needs her help. The interaction with these two characters is very touching and at times made me emotional . 
Alistair and Tom are Mary's love interests in the story and we see the ups and downs of their individual lives ( army and education ) as well as their relationship with Mary. Mary is a wilful , good human who likes to make things good for everyone that she has any kind of relationship with making her a likeable character who you would want to be friends with . The story , like most war stories can be sad at times yet beautiful as you see how important enjoying every
minute was as you just never knew when a bomb would hit. If you enjoy books about ordinary people during war time then this book will be perfect for you. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is going to be published in April 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then.
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading Website:

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Flawed by Ceceila Ahern . Review


I loved this dystopian story told through the eyes of the main character Celestine. Her world developed after the banking crisis and recession hit and a new form of control was created called Flawed , where those who did wrong would be marked / flawed and would never again be able to have the same rights as regular members of the community. Their crimes would be branded on them for all to see. Celestine is going out with the son of the head of the flawed department Judge Creven , a power mad man with a thirst for blood . To be flawed is the worst thing you can be for the rest of your life so when one day Celestine's world crumbles unexpectantly beneath her nobody could foresee the collateral damage it would do. This was a pure adrenaline ride of a story that I had to start and finish in one sitting . Celestine is a brave character who stands up for her principles and what she knows is right and so is a very likeable character but those are the very traits that will do her the most harm. I can't wait to read book two as this was truly awesome ! 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk. This book is going to be published in March 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids.co.uk and all other good bookstores then.
Below please find a link to the Lovereading4kids.co.uk website:

A Summer At Sea by Katie Fforde . Review



The story is set around the life of a midwife called Emily who finds herself disillusioned with her work so decides to take a break and help her friend who is in desperate need of help on her Puffer Boat . While there she meets Alexander , her best friends brother in law , and they take a liking to each other. This was such an enjoyable read to sit down with a cup of tea, I loved seeing Emily's character develop , she loved her job and focussed solely on that , so when she started to think about her future it was fun to watch develop.  The plot is interesting and the characters are relatable but even better is the setting of the story ,on the Puffer Boat. What I really enjoyed was how relatable Emily was , she is a woman in her thirties feeling the pressure of needing to have children soon made all the more ironic as she is a midwife. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is being published in February 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website:


Sunday, January 3, 2016

Exposure by Helen Dunmore . Review



The story is based around one family during the Cold War in the 1960's in London. One of the main characters who is called Lily is shocked when her husband Simon is arrested for horrible crimes against his country and taken away from her . Having to take care of their children and home she is struggling to cope . During a time when spy's were everywhere Lily believes her husband has been set up but can't understand why or how,  making this story very intriguing . If you like books about elicit love and lies during war time then this book would be an excellent choice. Lily made a terrific narrator for most of the book and her strength and bravery were commendable  against everything that was thrown at her. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is going to be published January 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website.

1 Year Anniversary Baby Loss

A year ago today I lost my fourth baby . I had been sent home from hospital to come back in a week for operation. Not 24 hours later it all started at home with my mum and Kevin taking it in turns to sit with me as pains came and went and I had baby at home. On and off all that day, then the evening of the following day where pain continued then got worse and I was rushed to hospital then an operation first thing that Monday morning. I look back at that time and shudder. The sadness and hopelessness and fear and physical pain still haunts me . Today I remember this little one and the sound of their heartbeat I heard in that scan room. You were wanted so much that I can't even describe it. Xxxxxxxx 

Lots of love
Mum and Dad
Xxxxx

Waiting For Callback by Perdita & Honor Cargill. Review


This was such a fun uplifting book about the ups and downs of one young teen called Elektra who dreams of being on the stage and screen. With talent and big dreams she is also a very likeable , funny , down to earth character who does not take herself too seriously or anyone around her. With a supportive family,  and great friends around her she will go far and she is so nice you want her to do well. There is also a little love interest too which all adds to this fun read. While juggling school , friendship and her part time acting job it's all a great learning expierence that gets more and more exciting as she seems to have a real talent for this type of lifestyle . 

I received this book for review from the lovely folks over at Lovereading4kids.
This book is going to be published January 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then. 
Below please find a link to this book below:


Saturday, January 2, 2016

Movers by Meaghan Mcisaac . Review

This is a dystopian story  with science fiction and time travel where movers and shadows exist and where people are given didferent number levels depending on how dangerous they are . The main character is called Pat, his family are seen as a threat to the system they live in because of what they can do . They can move shadows . Shadows are people that once lived here and movers can transport them in time making this story awesome ! Danger is following Pat now after a particularly dangerous incident,  and now he needs all the help he can get if he is to survive and help others . If you like Dr Who then you might really enjoy this !

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids . 

This book is being published February 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all good bookstores then . 
Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website:

The Expatriates by Janice Y .K . Lee


This was a unique and surprising story based primarily around three women living in Hong Kong called Mercy , Margaret and Hillary . Each woman has her own problems but they are linked to each other in more ways then one. The story was touching and relatable but the one part of the story that touched me the most was the empathy one woman showed the other when I know for certain that almost no one else would react the same way given the situation they found themselves in. Intriguing and very enjoyable , this is a book to add to your TBR list ! 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk
This book is being published in January 2016 and available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores.
Below please find a link to this book: