Heartless by Marissa Meyer . Review

I really loved Alice In Wonderland and this book was such fun getting to know the short tempered Queen of Hearts who is known as a  character to instil fear . The book takes us to before she was the queen , just a lovely young woman who loved to bake , with dreams of having her own bakery and a love of her choosing .  Pressure from her family to marry well and abandon all her dreams puts a new spin on this Queens backstory . I really enjoyed how determined she was to love , and live how she wanted despite everything that was going on . Reading this story is a bit like reading Alice in Wonderland , there is a slight sense of everything being a little off centre , full of quirks and entertaining characters . I recommend this to all 

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

This book is being published February 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to this book on the lovereading4kids website:

 http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/13767/Heartless-by-Marissa-Meyer.html

The State Of Grace by Rachael Lucas . Review

This was an intriguing story about a teenager called Grace who has Aspergers . Not being familiar with Aspergers this was a fascinating look into the life of a teenager who had experience with this . I love that we see the story from Grace's perspective so we see how it effects her day to day life at school and hear the thoughts and fears going around in her head as she interacts with others , and how everyday pressure and stress effect her and what helped her during those times . Grace is a sweet girl with a big heart who loves her family and friends and animals but I think she struggled with her dad not being around much which felt like it made her more anxious . This was an awesome story with a delightful and inspirational main character . I would recommend this book to everyone. 

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

This book is being published April 2017

And will be available from Lovereadjng and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to Lovereading4kids.co.uk:

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781509839551/The-State-of-Grace-by-Rachael-Lucas.html

In My Mailbox

In my mailbox today from Lovereading.co.uk .

Following Ophelia by Sophia Bennett. I have already started this and it's really good! Can't wait to get more into it tonight . 

My Week

Well guys the past ten days ... give or take ... have been painful , annoying , terrifying and exhausting . I got laryngitis between Christmas and New Year then I was in and out of hospital via ambulance etc where they found infections , high temperatures , gallstones , anaemia etc . I was really nauseated , pains everywhere , vomiting , exhausted , eating hardly anything , bruises from all the needles and iv's , headaches that would just not quit and wishing for it all to bugger off . 

Home now and resting I missed my books and journaling sooo much . Journaling could have helped me feel a bit better but I was just not up to it, even going to the bathroom a nurse had to go with me . So anyway , enough about all that ... Let's talk about what I am hoping to read this week ...pg. it's a real mixed bag of genres but that's what makes it all the more fun . 

Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaui Jaswal

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

W

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Moonglow by Michael Chabon. I only have a few pages left but I thought I would include this . 

The State Od Grace by Rachael Lucas

In My Mailbox

Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito

Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor 

Reading This Week

After a truly really rubbish past week I am sorely in need of some comfort reading ... or to be more precise I will be listening to these books as I am still horribly disgustingly sick and a lovely shade of off white ... actual reading would make the room spin and tilt and my head will feel like it will explode all over my night table. So as I am too nauseated to scrape brain matter off of my night stand here is the books I will be quietly listening to this week.

Anne Of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery 

But Enough About Me by Burt Reynolds

Knitting Pearls by Ann Hood

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

In My Mailbox

Hi guys , in my mailbox today are these two beauties sent for review from the lovely folks over at Lovereading.co.uk

The People At Number 9 by Felicity Everett

Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Moonglow by Michael Chabon . Review

This is the story about a young man who interviews  his grandfather about the fascinating and astonishing life he led  . Now in old age he relives his colourful past as he tells his grandson the ups and downs and the people he met that shaped him to who he is now as he nears the end of his life  . 

I loved the idea behind this book and I think it was orchestrated very well , each chapter was a look into a certain part of his life. There was enough action from the grandfathers past to make you keep flicking the pages but not so much where it became vastly unbelievable . The story comes across more as the grandfather telling you it rather then  the grandson , either way it was a fine story about a life lived to the fullest and it left me with plenty to think of long after finishing it. If you enjoy a story  about a lifetime of one mans experiences in life , love, and hope  then this is the book for you . 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk. This book is being published January 2017 and will be available from Lovereadjng and all other good bookstores then . Below please find a link for this book on the Lovereading  website . https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/16842/Moonglow-by-Michael-Chabon.html

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde . Review

I have been a fan of Katie Fforde since her first book so I was thrilled when I got the chance to read this one for review . This was just the book I needed to put me in the mood for spring ! 

The story itself is centered around two women , Lorna and her pal Philly , and those closest to them in family and work . They  both work at a very grand house in the country and both of them have been unlucky in love in the past , this beautiful workplace could be just the thing they need to put a little spark back in their lives . My favourite character was Seamus , a loveable rogue from Ireland with a gift of the gab and a heart of gold . The parts of the story with him, and him and Anthea were some of my favourites .

 I recommend this to fans of "The Secret Garden" by France's Hodgson Burnett , this is a cosy ,feel good read centered around a special garden with likeable characters that will leave you wanting more. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published February 2017 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website :

 https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781780890876/isbn/noredirect

In My Mailbox

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Waking In Time by Angie Stanton 

Both books I received for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk

When The Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea. Review

The story is set on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1940 after the German Army invade it. 

The island quickly becomes divided , with neighbour ratting out neighbour to gain favour from the German soldiers in the hope to gain little extras from them . 

Danger and fear are constant companions  as people try and go about their lives while following the new rules implemented by their grim new residents on the island . My favourite character was Edith , she was a remarkable character who was full of gumption , very wise,  plenty of sarcastic wit when it was called for and liked by almost all , she was also a herbalist who was very much needed at this time of unease . Seeing everyone's struggle with this new way of life was interesting , everyone coped with it differently and Edith seemed to be at the centre of them all . This is a thought provoking book, trying to imagine how people actually did cope when something like that happened made me feel slightly sick but the resilience these characters showed was inspiring . 

I recommend this to all fans of war time books. These characters are wonderful! 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published in February 2017 and will be available from Lovereading.co.uk and all other good bookstores then . Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website :

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781925240740/isbn/noredirect

In My Mailbox

Review book , When The Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea. 

The Edge Of Everything by Jeff Giles

The story is set in Montana and it is basically about good versus evil . The story begins on a stormy day when a teenage girl called Zoe is left at home to take care of her brother as her mum goes to town. Danger and adventure quickly combine as Zoe goes in search of her brother who seems to have wondered off . 

We meet X in the story , a bounty hunter sent from the lowlands to retrieve bad people , he is a hero and a likeable one who is risking everything spending longer in the human world then he should . 

Mixing the real world with other magical worlds , and humans with lords of an underworld hell called the Lowlands is a dangerous and fun combination . I especially loved the discription of the woods as Zoe searched through them , they almost felt like another character they were so alive . The story is well told and I loved the idea that bounty hunters came to earth briefly to rid it off evil people , there was something so satisfying about that. I recommend this to anybody who loves the idea of alternate worlds that lie next to our own . 

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

This book is being published February 2017 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good book stores then. 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website:

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781408869079/isbn/noredirect

Reading This Weekend

These are the gorgeous books I hope to finish this weekend . I have started all of these except the first book . I think I have a fun reading weekend ahead of me . Now.... .... where did I put the tea......

Scandinavian Comfort Good by Trine Hahnemann

The State Of Grace by Rachael Lucas

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde

Baby Loss Anniversary

Today was the second anniversary of the loss of Grace . ( I go more into what happened then in my January blog posts in 2015). Today was a funny old day . I woke early and remembered as soon as I was conscious but before I opened my eyes. My dog snoring beside me gave me comfort as I relived in my head that time two years ago when more baby dreams were taken from me. As you may know if you have followed my blog for a while it was my fourth pregnancy , we had heard the heartbeat weeks before and got pictures at each scan of which there was many . Having miscarriages in my past I always got scanned early so seeing the baby and hearing it's little heart was especially special as every milestone is a blessing with my pregnancy history. 

This past Christmas felt lonely ...the little ornaments in the shops with " baby's first Christmas " made me smile but I hurt a little inside too . Looking back over the Christmas photos from two years ago I could see my hopes and fears on my face . I am glad I never knew what was ahead of me and for the small amount of time it was me and my baby both healthy with hearts beating along together as I did by best to keep my little one safe.

Anniversarys are hard . You remember your loss , relive the time they died, mourn empty arms and part of you does die with each baby and you don't get that part of yourself back . It is replaced by something else , a little more cautious ....more wary... and fearful . 

So my hopes for this year are the same as I had when I lost my baby that January . To be kinder on myself  and stop beating myself up for what might have been. 

In My Mailbox

Hi guys it was a thrilling day for review books today . Below are the goodies I received . It's a real mixed bag of YA , fiction and curiosities . Love it! 

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

The Marvels by Brian Selznick . Review

I was thrilled when this book I had on order came in for me at the library. I have read a few books by the author in the past and loved all of them . Brian Selznick is the only author who is capable of making me get a lump in my throat from illustrations alone. The first half of the book is purely illustrations created by Brian , and they are breathtaking . I spent days ( yes days! ) looking at this awesome book. 

About one third of the book is an actual book with words and it carries on where the pictures stopped . A picture can tell you a lot , and these pictures really do as you are fully up to date with the plot by the time you get to the words. It's a genius way of putting a book together! Those of  you who may have read books by the author in the past will not be disappointed by this incredible book. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into making this beautiful book . 

Below is a link to this book on Goodreads :

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23566909-the-marvels

Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff. Review

This is a story about a man called Jonathan , he is a very likeable man who is taking care of his brothers two dogs for six months . It becomes clear early on that there is  more going on with him then first meets the eye. Jonathan is deeply troubled and it seems like he may not even realise the full extent , but it makes fascinating reading seeing him figure things out . These dogs came into his life at the right time , they provide comfort,  and in a way introduce him to other people. Jonathan is a very caring person who wants what's best for these animals , at one point I wanted to wrap him in cotton wool , he was putting these dogs needs above his own, when he should have been taking equally as much care of himself . It's a very touching book , I had a lump in my throat reading parts of this , it's they type of book that if you read in public you may have to wipe away the odd tear and other times there may be the odd outburst of laughter . This book had it all,  relationships , love , and finding your way in life .  I recommend this to anyone struggling with any of these issues. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is going to be published February 2017 and will be available Enron Lovereding and all other good bookstores then . 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website :

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15493/Jonathan-Unleashed-by-Meg-Rosoff.html

The Children Of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston

I received this lovely book from my good friend Ivan for Christmas . I had remembered him mentioning it to me a few times so when I opened up my parcel to find this I was thrilled . As you know I am fond of children's books and YA books , so , if it's good for children it's good enough for me . 

I love a story about kids with grandparents and plenty of adventure , surely what could be more fun! This was no exception . The story is about a boy called Tolly who comes to live with his Great -grandmother called Oldknow at Green Knowe . Green Knowe is an extremely old house that has seen many people live and die here and not all of them have left as Tolly soon finds out . 

This was an exceptional story, Tolly is a curious and brave boy with a good dose of empathy and kindness . He is a likeable character and the parts of the story with his great - grandmother and him are some of my favourites . The setting of the story in a big old rambling house filled with ghosts of the past makes it a very memorable one . I recommend this to adults who are still young at heart or anyone who just enjoys a darn good story. 

Link to this book on Goodreads below:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/377889.The_Children_of_Green_Knowe

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda . Review

This is the story about two crimes , many years apart that are linked . The story is told from the perspective of Nicolette Farrell , she was still living around the area when the first girl went missing and now another girl has gone missing . There is red herrings in here and for the longest time I was following the wrong herring ( so to speak) . The plot is good , very good! It takes us backwards to the truth ... It gradually becomes clear then what happened . I really enjoyed the mystery but also the sense of menace in the story , the woods out back , the sense of danger of Nic alone in the house  , a possible killer on the hunt . There is a lot to like about this plot . The entire way through the story I kept wondering what Nic was not telling the reader , it felt like she was holding out on me and that her father held a lot of secrets . 

I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Gone Girl for the sense of urgency and mystery. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is going to be published February 2017 by Atlantic Books and will be available from Lovereading and all other good book stores then . 

Below please find a link .