Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Bookish Goodies

As well as loving books do you love all things bookish  too???
If the answer is yes then check out these lovely bits I have been acumalating up this year. Also keep them in mind if you have book loving friends to buy for for birthdays or Christmas as some are only a couple of Euro and make cute gifts. 

Luna and Neville bookmarks
Harmione , Ron , Harry
All above bookmarks made at :
As I read multiple books at a time multiple bookmarks are required. I will leave links to the ahop below.
All bookmarks above made at :
Bookish clothes and candles??? Oh yes please! Pretageek Etsy.
Are you a Gilmore Girls fan ? If so , check out this Etsy shop where you can get custom made mugs:
The Best Of Me Designs:
Front of mug above .
Back of mug above.
Mug by the fabulous Miss Bohemia on Etsy.

Reading This Week

Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear. I love this series so much . If you have not read any books in the series  I recommend reading them in order . 
11.22.63 by Stephen King. I just finished Doctor Sleep and it got me excited for Stephen King yet again. 
Still reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon . I am taking my time until book two gets to me . 

A Death In The Dales by Frances Brody . Review

Do you like a cozy mystery? If the answer is yes then read on. 
After having a lot of stress recently ,part time detective Kate Shackelton takes her niece with her to the Dales to recover from an illness in the healthy fresh air of the countryside  . Of course it's not long before Kate finds herself  in the thick of another mystery that had at first seemed long since buried . When Kate is around secrets and lies have a habit or rearing their ugly heats and she is just the woman to poke around and find out more about them , and this time she has help! 
What started out as a relaxing holiday for her and her niece becomes the exact opposite  very quickly and if she does not help the locals she will never get to enjoy her stay here at all.
 In this book Kate seemed a little more world weary then previous books but she still retained that gumption and sense of adventure and justice that I admire in her character . I have a feeling it's going to rub off on her niece :0) .
The story was enjoyable , the twists and turns unexpected and the relationship between Kate and her niece was enjoyable to read about  ( think future Nancy Drew) . 

I recommend this to all fans of mysteries or especially cozy mysteries with strong female leads . 

Goodreads
Frances Brody


My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Review

I had heard mention of this book a lot before I actually got my hands on a copy . It kept coming on to my radar like it was trying to get my attention so one day I finally gave in and ordered it from my library to see what all the fuss was about. I really wish it had not taken me so long to get around to reading this,  but I am so glad that I did . 
The story primarily is about two girls and the beginning of the book is present day with the rest of the book explaining how it all began with these two very different girls. 
Elena and Lila are the two main characters and they live on the outskirts of Naples in Italy . There really could not be a more scenic setting for a story!
These two have an unlikely friendship that seems to be constantly prickly and filled with irksome problems but somehow these two girls feel bonded to each other . 
Amid warring families and concerns about their future these girls grow up in this small village where everyone knows everyone's else's buisness and time seems to go at a slower pace here.

This is a book to take your time over and it is well worth getting to know these characters well as there is more books in this series . I highly recommend . 

Goodreads :

Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly . Review

The setting of this story is Dublin and it tells the tale of two sisters who are being brought up by their grandmother after their mothers abandons them. Cassie and Coco are incredibly close to each other and to their grandmother Pearl who took such good care of them , but now they are adults there are struggling with problems in their own lives . Cassie has a shaky marriage and trouble with in law's from hell,  and Coco has a lost love she never got over . Both struggle with fear of being abandoned as adults so they push people away that they love the most . The story shows us that the fears we have as children stay with us unless we deal with them . Lovely characters and a great plot. A most read for all Cathy Kelly fans , she does not disappoint !


I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk . 
This book is going to be published October 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:

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King . Review

I loved "The Shining" , so I put of reading Doctor Sleep for a long time because I feared that in some way it would ruin the whole experience that was "The Shining" . Let's face it that book was more then just a book, it was an experience . It's one of those books that upon hearing it's name you instantly remember the characters and the setting and how you felt and where you were when you read it.
So that being said ... going back into Danny's world I was excited and apprehensive . Now that I read it I loved it! Some of our favourite characters from the first book are back I was glad to see. Some  I was less glad to see . The book covers a lot of years in Danny's life so we get to see what a traumatic incident can do to a child who then grows to adulthood. Danny is as likeable as always , flaws and all , in fact they make him all the more endearing as it makes him more relatable . Danny's gifts stay with him into adulthood and they are still proving useful in more ways then he ever thought they would . I would say this book has two main characters , Danny and Abra - Abra is a young girl with exceptional abilities who reaches out to Danny and the story gradually become a tale of good versus evil . 
Would I recommend this ? Oh Yes, indeed I would ! :0) 


 Goodreads

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Reading This Weekend

Well guys I am late getting this post up ,but better late then never . I hope you all had a terrific week. Mine was hit and miss and I have the swollen eyes to prove it! But anyway here are the lovely books I am finishing up this weekend . I am going from one book to the next and back round again as I am loving them all. I love when that happens ! Reviews this week guys! 
Fillet Of Murder by Linda Reilly . I won this on a blog competition . Yay!
Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly published by Orion Books.
 My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Reading This Weekend

Well guys , how are you all ? Survived the week in one piece I hope ... This week some library books I requested arrived for me and there was a new book added to my basket in the bookshop too , plus some books taken out of the online library! Here are some of the lovely goodies I will be digging into this weekend and hoping to finish over the weekend and through next week.
The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon . I am about 200 pages into this one .... I am really enjoying it , Claire and Jamie... Wow !
Ebook from library
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I have seen some great reviews on this book. It's about time I found out some more....
Murder on the Íle Sordou by M.L 
longworth 
Another ebook from the library
Doll baby by Laura Lane McNeal
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I am about 30 pages in this book already and I am hooked!!!! 
Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear
Those Who Leave And Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
A Death In The Dales by France's Brody ( I love this series and can't wait to start this ) 

 

Friday, August 12, 2016

Murder On A Summer's Day by France's Brody. Review


When Maharajah Narayan goes missing with a woman off ill repute while visiting England , Kate Shakelton is called upon to assist The East India company in locating  him. Kate is a charming character who is smart and funny and the perfect person for this job as she has a keen eye for a mystery and has a reputation of always "catching her man" . The plot of this story is a very interesting one, a missing person from royal descent who suddenly vanishes on holiday amid rumours he is about to marry someone completely unsuitable, gripping reading! 
The characters here are intriguing and the story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you know what's going ... Ha!!! No you don't! 
I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the story , England and India have had a colourful past together and I think the way it was weaved into the story was terrific  . 

This is a cozy mystery to keep you guessing set in England with main character Kate Shakelton . This is book 5 in this series. If you like a strong female lead character then this is the book for you !
Below please find a link to Frances's website :

The View From The Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman . Review


Neil Gaiman could probably read a phone book and I would sit there and listen so enchanting is his voice , but this non fiction book is a true gem for all Neil Gaiman fans .
In this book Neil talks about comics , his fellow author friends , favourite books and characters , different genres ,his wife Amanda, and many other wonderful things giving us an insightful look into this wonderful authors mind. 
Neil's way of telling you anything is an intimate one, you feel like you are a dear friend sharing a cup of tea as he is telling you all about the things that interest and excite him ...there are lots.yay!
I found myself googling things as I listened to his book as he is a fountain of information . You get the feeling he has lived many lives . That's a good thing! He is quirky , wise and 100% fabulous. Go read this now!


I recommend this to all Neil Gaiman fans as well as anyone interested in the lives of authors . 

Goodreads

Miscarriage Anniversary 13th August


Today marks the twelfth anniversary of my first miscarriage . We called the baby Ali . This baby we had tried for for a long time . When my ,then husband,  and I  found out that night that we were pregnant we could not have been more shocked or excited, even though we had been trying it was still a shock .  I had never felt a sense of peace like it , I felt so calm and certain this was what was meant to be. I was finally going to be a mum. All bad habits were instantly halted ,and healthy food , drinks , vitamins became my daily routine , every week I checked what the baby was doing in my pregnancy magazine , every night my husband cuddled me close with his hand on my belly . We were going to be parents. 
We had baby books, and each night my hubby came home I would be reading out names for him to chose from . We had gone from being shocked , to excited.
 It was very hot that summer and I was in a field with my hubby as he did work there , all the while thinking how lucky we were. 

Then it all quickly went terribly wrong. 
Friday 13th August 2004.
Without going into detail we found out that the pregnancy had ended and I was to be operated on the following morning . I was 12 weeks. None of it felt real , I was numb and dead inside . I was still trying to grasp the first lot of information they gave me as they tried to tell me what the procedure was going to be like the following morning . 
When my husband went home that evening I spent the night with curtains around my bed crying with my hand holding my stomach . Nurses talked to me on and off during the night . Each trying to reassure  me I was young enough to try again . I was 24 . My age had no relevance to the situation as far as I was concerned but I appreciated their kindness. 
My husband arrived the following morning and they started me off with tablets to start a miscarriage , within 15 minutes the most horrific pains began and they gave me pain relief injections , while assuring me I would be off to surgery soon. Emergency cases came in so the entire day and evening was spent in horrific pain and fear as I waited to be brought to theatre. 
You are not taken off a normal gyne ward when you are having a miscarriage ,so during the entire day when this was all happening they put the curtain round my bed as people visited their relatives around me or had their dinners as I was losing my baby . I tried to cry quietly as the pains never ceased for a second , all the time from early in the morning to I believe around 7 that night , lying on a incontenence pad so the nurses could check how things were progressing,  but my body was not letting go of the pregnancy . I don't know what was going through my husband's mind during that time and we never talked about it, I remember him holding my hand and trying to reassure me it would not be long until surgery , unfortunately it was . 
I came around from surgery that Saturday night wanting my baby and crying , the following day was Sunday and a priest talked to me at my bed and said prayers with me and nurses gave me a certificate etc for our baby where we could write name and dates etc. I was let home after lunch.
This became a complicated miscarriage with me later hospitalised many more times and haemorrhaging and then 3 D&C's and a laparoscopy .  I was in hospital almost a month in total . 
This time of my life still haunts me . I feel sick when I think about it. It was horrific .
I later went on to have further miscarriages on that ward . It all leaves me with a deep grief I can't properly put into words . Sometimes the loss feels so great I can't breathe , it frightens me . Each year I think it will get easier but the truth is it does not . 
Today I try and remember mental self care as it is one of the toughest days for me. If I am honest I feel relief once this date is over but I never forget the joy I felt when I was pregnant at this time. That baby was dearly wanted xxxxxxxx

Friday, August 5, 2016

Reading This Week

It's been a funny old weekend. The rainy days and cold nights make this feel more like autumn then summer ... Don't even get me started on the wind howling outside the window every night .On occasions like that I reach out for my books... Or if I am extra tired my Audio books and let someone read me back to sleep. 
I have picked only a couple of books for this week as I am finishing of some previous books you have already seen .
Check out the goodies below............
Miss Buncle's Book by De Stevenson

My library book ebook loans above and below . The Dark Army by Joseph Delaney
Doll Baby by Laura Lane McNeal

The audiobook I am listening to this week
:
 Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion . Read by Diane Keaton. 

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

The Cursed Child by J. K Rowling , John Tiffany, Jack Thorne


I have loved every Harry Potter book that has been published . They are one of those "go to " comfort reads that does not let you down , that you read and listen to time and time again .
This book/ screen play was  not what I had hoped it would be  . It started okay and it was promising ....we get to meet Harry and his family now that he is an adult but without the detail I knew and loved from J.K Rowlings previous books , this left me wanting more. When the story really got going there was too much happening without enough detail . It felt like it was all happening in fast forward. 
I understand that this is a Script and not a book but I think it had huge possibilities as a book that then could have been  made into a play. 
After finishing the script I thought back to Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and for me I think this will remain the last book in the series. This script will always feel like fan fiction . As a Harry Potter fan since the beginning if J.K wrote these books for the rest of her life I would continue to read them and get excited by them but this came no where near an enjoyable read for me. 
On the plus side seeing some of the characters relationship with each other now as adults is sweet and sometimes funny. This script had the potential to be the best Harry Potter book yet if only written as a book with all the detail of a book. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Reading This Week

This gorgeous book called Miss Bungle's book arrived this morning. It's so darn pretty ! This book was published by Persephone Books I will leave a link below. 
Murder On A Summer's Day by Frances Brody. I am half way through this book and I am in love with this as much as Frances's previous books in the series
. Kate is one smart cookie and gutsy! You gotta love a strong female character in a book and drinking a very smart car too! 
The cover of this book interested me even though I know practically nothing about it. I hope to have a review up within a week... Give or take .... :0)
I love Diana's memoirs . This is the most recent book. Diana Athill Alive, Alive Oh!
Suspendered Sentence by Laura Bradford. I adore a cozy mystery and this is a lovely series . 
I have been listening to this audiobook until I get my hands on the new Harry Potter book. Listening to this again brings back how magical the Harry Potter world is and how talented J.K Rowling is . What an inspiring female! 

Until next time friends xxxx

A Story To Kill by Lynn Cahoon . Review

The story is set in the scenic Aspen Hills,  Colorado . The main character of the story is Cat Latimer an Author who has now come back home and opened a writers retreat in this small college town thanks to a surprising inheritance left to her by her ex husband .
Cat did not come back alone , she brought her friend Shauna with her to help with cooking , and their scenes together are really sweet , they are great friends . I loved the characters in this story , especially that of Cat's Uncle Pete the local police chief  and Cat's love interest Seth , the hunky handy man . There is a mix of personalities staying at Cat's for the writers retreat , some of them seem to have come for more then inspiration for a book and it could prove deadly! This was such a fun mystery! Great setting, interesting characters , love , and plot twists . I liked how there was more then one mystery going on and how they both kept me guessing until the very  end . I will definitely be reading more by this author! 

I received this book through Netgalley.
This book is being published August 30th by Kensington Books ,and will be available from all good bookshops then. 
Below please find a link to this authors website where you can also find links to her books. 


The Graces by Laure Eve . Review

The Grace family are made up of mother Esther Father Gwydion , twins Thalia and Fenrin , and younger daughter Summer. They are well known in their community for the rumours that they are a magic family and that their is a curse surrounding them. They are the family everyone likes and wants to be friends with, to be in their social group is what every member of the community wants the mosts but the Graces are selective about who they choose and disgard.
When River moves to a new town she quickly observes the power this family has at school , not a thing they do goes unnoticed so she is even more surprised when the youngest Grace family member Summer chosses her to be her friend. 
I really enjoyed this story , River comes from a shaky family home and the Grace family are everything she would dream family life to be like but with there is a flip side to all this and this facade can't all stay beautiful and shiny forever. This book was full of surprises and just as you think you know what way it's going to go it changes leaving a very surprising ending!  Fans of "The Craft" movie should enjoy this teenage magical tale. 

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

The Loving Husband by Christobel Kent . Review


As soon as I received this book I was interested , the cover is very enticing!
The story is about a family , a wife called Fran , husband Nathan and two children Ben and Emmie. One night something grizzly happens at their house in the countryside and it  blows open Nathan's past and it becomes clear that Fran never knew her husband at all. This book did not give up its secrets in one go so if you like a slow burner mystery then this is the book for you. The author really sets the scene, it's eerie and uncomfortable and there is a sense of danger from the very beginning . I was never certain how reliable a character Fran was as her actions were often very questionable and they left me suspicious of her and her motives. The book literally takes you to the last pages before it will give you a full picture of what happened there and why. If you like a mystery or thriller then add this to your TBR list. Loved it!

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