A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she?
In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.
Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating
My Thoughts
I put this book on my TBR list after I saw a review on MumOfThree World. That review was nearly 2 years ago so you can see how long my TBR list is seeing as it’s taken me so long to get round to reading it!
I read, I See You, a couple of weeks ago by the same author and I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her books. I think the sign of a good book for me is when you’re hit with a twist that you totally didn’t see coming and this book had two of them.
I bought I See You by Clare Mackintosh on Audible a couple of weeks ago when they were having a sale. I’m getting used to listening to books now and I enjoy being able to work on my crafts while listening to a book 🙂
I’m still reading the 3rd Game Of Thrones book. I only get to read a few pages every night but I’m happy because I’m taking my time and enjoying the experience.
When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it’s there. There’s no explanation: just a grainy image, a website address and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it’s just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.
Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make…
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this book. It’s the first I’ve read by Clare Mackintosh and it won’t be the last.
I liked the main female protagonists, Zoe, the victim and Kelly, the policewoman. We hear the story from these two and also from the ‘stalker’. There were a couple of twists, one I saw coming and one which I totally didn’t!
To enjoy this book I do think you need to take it as is and not think how it would play out in reality. It wouldn’t really make sense for someone to set up the kind of website the criminal is running for a start and the perpetrator’s reasons for adding Zoe to the website are a bit poor.
I’m really looking forward to reading I Let You Go by the same author. I’ve just downloaded it on Audible and will be starting later today 🙂
I received an email asking if I’d like to review The Word-keeper by Veronica del Valle. I read the blurb and really liked the sound of the book. It’s aimed at middle-grade children which I think is 8-12 (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong; we don’t use the term middle-grade here!) and I figured Ella, who is just shy of her 12th birthday, would enjoy it.
I had hoped we’d read it together but unfortunately, what with school, homework and family things going on, we’ve not had a chance to read it yet. I decided I’d read it, do the review then pass it on to her to take with her when she goes on holiday in a few weeks. I’ll add her thoughts on the book when she gets back 🙂
“Please was the first word to die and with it, good manners were gone and, out of the blue, everybody began to forget how to be polite. Then promise was killed and instantly people found it hard to remember the importance of commitments and pledges…”
Set in the whimsical town of Inkwell, a place with an ancient secret history, this fairytale-like adventure uncovers the key to the power hidden within words. ‘The Word-Keeper’ is the tale of a savvy bookmark named Ben that unwillingly becomes an evil imp with only one objective: destroy the words that live inside books.
Only one girl can stop him. Her name is Florence Ibbot. She is eleven years old, oddly eloquent and a quiet observer of the world. But above all, Florence is a keen logophile and is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the words.
She sets out to discover who is behind all this. The journey will take her to the origins of writing and inspiration. But she’ll also have to face the most treacherous adversary, Zyler, a ruthless sorceress whose sole mission is to ruin one of humankind’s most precious possessions: the gift of language. As the final battle approaches, Florence will have to learn how to wield words instead of the sword. Is Florence brave enough to become who she was born to be?
My Thoughts
My very first thought about this book was how lovely the cover felt. It doesn’t feel like a normal book, it has a softness to it that if I’m honest, distracted me from actually reading the text! I just wanted to keep feeling the softness until I had to make myself concentrate on the words.
I liked the fairytale aspect of the story; magic and fantasy fiction was always a favourite of mine when I was younger. I was an avid reader, like Florence, and my love of books has never died. If I could wish one thing, it would be to be 12 again while reading this book. You just don’t get the same feelings of awe and wonder when reading about magical places as an adult the way you do as a child and I miss it!
I needed something light and easy to read to help me get back on track with my Goodreads challenge and to give my brain a bit of a rest and The Canterville Ghost novella was perfect.
I’ve only managed to read about 150 pages of the third Game Of Thrones book this week as we’ve had some family illness that’s resulted in numerous hospital visits and lots for us to do that we don’t normally do. We don’t mind one bit because it’s family, which is obviously a whole lot more important than finding time to read!
This is Oscar Wilde’s tale of the American family moved into a British mansion, Canterville Chase, much to the annoyance of its tired ghost. The family — which refuses to believe in him — is in Wilde’s way a commentary on the British nobility of the day — and on the Americans, too. The tale, like many of Wilde’s, is rich with allusion, but ends as sentimental romance…
My Thoughts
I always loved watching this movie with my mum when I was younger.
I’ve never thought about reading the book, though, until I saw it came as a free audiobook from Loyal Books 🙂
It’s only a novella with just over 100 pages but it was totally what I needed while I carried on with a craft project I’m working on. I’m getting used to audiobooks now and I’ve decided I’m not going to rush to finish the Game Of Thrones book I’m reading because I want to enjoy reading it, but to help keep up with my Goodreads challenge, I’m going to listen to audiobooks while I’m working and read my GoT book at night when I’m in bed and whenever I get chance to grab a quite half hour 🙂
I thought I was going to be able to finish River Road in a couple of days because it’s not very long and was easy to read. Somehow the week got away from me and I ended up finishing it yesterday which has put me behind schedule on my Goodreads challenge. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get ahead on my challenge when the Summer holidays arrive.
Nan Lewis—a creative writing professor at a state university in upstate New York—is driving home from a faculty holiday party after finding out she’s been denied tenure. On her way, she hits a deer, but when she gets out of her car to look for it, the deer is nowhere to be found. Eager to get home and out of the oncoming snowstorm, Nan is forced to leave her car at the bottom of her snowy driveway to wait out the longest night of the year—and the lowest point of her life…
The next morning, Nan is woken up by a police officer at her door with terrible news—one of her students, Leia Dawson, was killed in a hit-and-run on River Road the night before. And because of the damage to her car, Nan is a suspect. In the days following the accident, Nan finds herself shunned by the same community that rallied around her when her own daughter was killed in an eerily similar accident six years prior. When Nan begins finding disturbing tokens that recall the death of Nan’s own daughter, Nan suspects that the two accidents are connected.
As she begins to dig further, she discovers that everyone around her, including Leia, is hiding secrets. But can she uncover them, clear her name, and figure out who really killed Leia before her reputation is destroyed for good?
My Thoughts
It started off well, keeping me intrigued enough to find out the truth about Leia but then it seemed to slow down towards the middle. By the end, I was satisfied with the outcome but I did find myself checking how many pages were left because it felt like there shouldn’t have been much more to say, yet it still carried on.
I thought The Time Of My Life was one of the last Cecelia Ahern books I needed to read but after checking on Goodreads it seems there are quite a few still to go. This makes me happy!
Lucy Silchester has an appointment with her life – and she’s going to have to keep it.
Lying on Lucy Silchester’s carpet one day when she returns from work is a gold envelope. Inside is an invitation – to a meeting with Life. Her life. It turns out she’s been ignoring it and it needs to meet with her face to face.
It sounds peculiar, but Lucy’s read about this in a magazine. Anyway, she can’t make the date: she’s much too busy despising her job, skipping out on her friends and avoiding her family.
But Lucy’s life isn’t what it seems. Some of the choices she’s made – and stories she’s told – aren’t what they seem either. From the moment she meets the man who introduces himself as her life, her stubborn half-truths are going to be revealed in all their glory – unless Lucy learns to tell the truth about what really matters to her.
My Thoughts
Cecelia Ahern’s books are always easy to read and enjoyable and this one was no different.
It was a bit weird trying to get my head around the fact that Lucy’s life was an actual person, a man, in fact, called Cosmo Brown. It really did make me wonder how Cecelia Ahern’s mind works!
I liked the way Cosmo Brown started off looking and dressing terribly then improved his appearance and dress sense as Lucy started to put things right in her life, like the way Nanny McPhee’s appearance changes as the children get better behaved!
It’s amusing in places, sad in others but it all worked well together.
The second book in the Game of Thrones series, A Clash of Kings felt a little overwhelming when I first looked at it due to the sheer size!
I knew I wasn’t going to find the time to read this huge book in one week and still get everything work and family related done so I decided to try Audible free for 3 months. It meant I could listen to the book while doing all the jobs I needed to do that didn’t take any concentration.
It was still a close shave! I finished the last chapter last night and I have to admit that it took me a while to get used to listening to a book rather than reading it. I did feel a little guilty at times because it felt like I was cheating.
I actually asked Google if listening to an audible book was cheating and I’m happy to say that the links I read said it wasn’t so I felt a bit better!
Also, I have felt guilty when sitting reading a book for a few hours if there was work or housework to do so being able to listen while doing the cleaning got rid of that guilt 🙂
‘Tears: the woman’s weapon, my lady mother used to call them. The man’s weapon is a sword. And that tells us all you need to know…’
The second volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. Now a major Sky Atlantic TV series from HBO, featuring a stellar cast. Throughout Westeros, the cold winds are rising. From the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding lands of Winterfell, chaos reigns as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war. As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky – a comet the colour of blood and flame – five factions struggle for control of a divided land. Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Against a backdrop of incest, fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory is measured in blood.
My Thoughts
I wish I’d have started this series a couple of years ago when I first got them. I was put off by the size, but when a book is this good, it’s great that it lasts so long!
My favourite character so far has to be Tyrion. I was really upset when he got injured in battle and annoyed that he wasn’t going to get the glory he deserved for the Lannister family winning the battle.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book but I’m going to read a Cecelia Ahern book next, just because I need something a bit lighter and easier to read!
In the West Country village of Summerstoke, the family at Marsh Farm are too preoccupied with living their lives to notice the farm sliding into ruin.
Charlie Tucker, dreaming of victory in a motocross race and flirting with the local barmaid, is unaware of the danger the farm is in; while little sister Alison, busy with her A levels, is determined to dispense with her virginity before the end of the summer.
Their brother Stephen is hopelessly in love with the star of the local Am-Dram society, while mother Jenny dreams of escaping into the arms of the local vet.
Fed up with watching her family squander their birthright, septuagenarian grandmother Elsie—the only Tucker with a lover—issues an ultimatum: either her grandsons find brides by the end of the year, or they lose their share of the farm. And that’s only half the problem.
Up on the hill in Summerstoke House, the land-grabbing, unscrupulous, Hugh and Veronica (call-me-Vee) Lester watch the demise of Marsh Farm with undisguised pleasure. If they can get the Tuckers turfed off the land, their dreams of owning a bigger stud farm will become a reality; and if they can help hasten the demise of Marsh Farm with a few schemes of their own.
And at Summerstoke Manor, in the heart of the village, live the three elderly Miss Merfields and their ancient nanny with nothing better to do than pull strings and watch.
My Thoughts
I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. It was an ok read, but as I said, it seemed to go on forever. I don’t think it needed to be as long as it was.
The Tucker family were likeable and I liked that it was set in a country village. I think there’s another book after this one, however, I’m not really that bothered about reading it so whilst I did like most of the characters, they didn’t make that much of an impression on me.
In 1983, four self-described “knuckleheads” burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neo-punk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, against all odds, have become one of the most successful bands in the world. Though the band has gone through many incarnations, Anthony Kiedis, the group’s lyricist and dynamic lead singer, has been there for the whole roller-coaster ride. Whether he’s recollecting the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses, or retracing a journey that has included appearances as diverse as a performance before half a million people at Woodstock or an audience of one at the humble compound of the exiled Dalai Lama, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess.
Scar Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption–a story that could only have come out of the world of rock
My Thoughts
I don’t usually read the reviews before reading a book because I don’t want them to put me off. I should have stuck to that rule!
The first few reviews were by people who hadn’t finished the book because they didn’t like it. I was really looking forward to reading it before I read the reviews so I decided to forget them and dive in.
I really enjoyed it, probably because he lives in a world totally alien to me and it kind of validated my early teenage choices about drug use. I’ve never tried any drugs because I was always afraid of losing control. I’d heard stories from friends who had dabbled with drugs and far from making me want to experience the things they were telling me about, I was thinking, how can they do that to themselves?
Reading the book made me want to listen to their music again. I rarely have time to just sit and enjoy music anymore as I used to and I loved putting YouTube on the TV and having their music on while I was working.
I was actually quite sad when I came to the end of the book!
Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She’s stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn’t mind a lasting one. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk.
Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her.
Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has.
My Thoughts
I don’t know why, but I kept thinking there was going to be a twist and when I got to the end of the book and there wasn’t a twist, I was a bit disappointed!
However, it was an enjoyable read. I found myself liking all the characters, even the stalker, Saskia. I felt sorry for her losing her family so abruptly and can see how someone can be driven to those types of behaviour.
I think I have another 3 books to read by Liane Moriarty and I’m looking forward to them 🙂
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