Month: January 2022

Audiobook Review: Once Upon A Tyne by Ant and Dec

Posted on by Libby Price

Due to an excessive amount of Audible credits – I decided to download some audiobooks to keep me company in the car when I’m not listening to podcasts / the local radio for the traffic reports / the kids arguing / the 16 year olds eclectic taste in music! As before I’ve stayed with my tradition of non fiction audiobooks and fiction ‘proper’ / Kindle books. I’d been interested in reading / listening to Ant and Dec’s autobiography since it came out – and so this was my first download.

Here’s the blurb:

“Ant: as the old Chinese proverb says, ‘Good things come in pairs.’
Dec: and as another Chinese proverb says, ‘If you’ve been in a double act with your best mate for 30 years, why not write a book about all your most memorable moments in three decades of showbusiness?’
Ant: less catchy that one, isn’t it?
Dec: but no less true. And after three decades together, we’ve written that book. Covering everything from a pirate radio storyline in Byker Grove through to the biggest shows on telly, this is our story.
Ant: thirty years, eh? Amazing.
Dec: absolutely. Especially when you consider we are both still 27 years old.
Ant and Dec hold a special place in the hearts of TV viewers everywhere. This is their epic story, with never-before-seen photography and the very best tales from their 30 years in TV.
From their modest beginnings in Byker Grove through to their ‘unique’ time as pop stars and an award-laden TV career, those three decades have flown by in the blink of an eye. They’ve also featured an incredible cast of supporting characters, including their first scriptwriter – (an unknown comedian called David Walliams), Saturday night fun and games with countless Hollywood A-listers and celebrities they torture – sorry, work with – every year in the jungle. Told through the lens of every TV show they’ve made, as well as everything they’ve learnt along the way, this is the riotously funny journey of two ordinary lads from Newcastle who went on to achieve extraordinary things.”

I’m a very similar age to Ant and Dec (27 it would appear!) and can’t really remember life without them in it – and for a long time have known which is which! (Although one story in the book – where they were referred to as Antanddec – as one entity – reminded me of when our next door neighbours kids called both of my children Daisyandluke as they didn’t know which was which. I should point out the neighbours kids were toddlers at this point!)

Anyway – back to the book. It follows the double act from their initial Byker Grove days – and how they ended up in the Grove in the first place, through the pop star years – and then all of their various TV adventures, of which there have been many!

The one thing I was concerned about when downloading the audiobook rather than buying a hard copy – was that I wouldn’t be able to admire any photos – but you get told the link and password to download a copy of the photos – so you don’t have to miss out on the fashion and hairstyle highlights from over the years!!

I have to say it was like reminiscing with old friends – as I’ve been on their entertainment journey with Ant and Dec! It was interesting to have the background goss too. Some of the contributors actually voice their own comments – Cat Deeley, Stephen Mulhern, David Walliams – and then there are some impressions from Ant and Dec for others – like Simon Cowell and Robbie Williams – it’s all very entertaining.

Also – the boys talk through the photos for each chapter, with some reminiscing and funny comments – and I guess that is an extra compared to reading the book – which was a nice touch (and because they voice the audiobook themselves).

I did wonder how they would deal with Ant’s very public (albeit not that it was his choice) breakdown and divorce. After leaving home and their Mams – there isn’t much talk of their private lives at all – and at the end of the book Ant does touch upon his troubles and how it affected him and Dec – and likewise Dec talks about how that – and becoming a Dad (which all happened at a similar time) affected him. They don’t name check their spouses (current – or past in Ant’s case) but it is all dealt with in a grown up and not over excitable / tabloid way.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I’m not sure there was any earth shattering revelations in it – but it was still an interesting and informative listen. I guess the trouble is nowadays, people don’t really have a ‘private’ life – because everything is shared on social media – and therefore autobiographies don’t really lift the lid on ‘secrets’ – because they would already have been shared on Instagram in the past!

Book Review: The First Day Of Spring by Nancy Tucker

Posted on by Libby Price

The ARC of ‘The First Day Of Spring’ has been sitting on my Kindle for ages, but NetGalley told me the publication date was 17 February 2022 – so I’d not been rushing to read it – but it turns out it’s already out in some formats anyway (sometimes NetGalley seems to have UK / US publication date issues, as well as only giving the date for some formats – and sometimes I think dates change, or I’m being blonde!) Anyway – if you like the sound of it, you can buy it already. Here’s the blurb:

“‘So that was all it took,’ I thought. ‘That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn’t so much after all.’
Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.
Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn’t get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.
Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried – about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.
That’s when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it’s clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago.
And it’s time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?”

The book follows the story of Chrissie, an 8 year old child who commits a terrible crime – and 15 years later, single Mum Julia and her 5 year old daughter Molly.

With the historic storyline, you know that the crime has been committed from the start – so it’s not really a mystery – you’re just working through how everything happened and Chrissie’s actions were discovered.

This is not an easy read, and at the start I did wonder if I would persevere. Chrissie has such an awful upbringing and her circumstances are so very sad with her witnessing and being subjected to neglect and violence. Whilst it doesn’t forgive what she does – it does go some way to explain it. Her life is just horrible. It’s written in a way that just accepts that is the norm – it doesn’t glamourise or play down the situation – it’s just taken as that is Chrissie’s lot in life. Sadly I expect this is the case for lots of children around the country, it’s just many of us are protected from seeing that on a day to day basis.

To be honest, Julie and Molly’s life isn’t much better – and is equally harrowing at times. There is limited light and shade in this book, it is all pretty dark, although there are glimmers of hope towards the end. You really hope that the chain has finally been broken.

Despite the distressing content, I did want to keep reading to find out how the stories intertwined and played out. Overall I’m glad I persevered, it did really make me think, and was quite ‘different’ in a good way. I’m not sure you could say you ‘enjoyed’ it given the storylines.

The very final chapter is written from a third perspective – which was a clever touch – and particularly how a tooth falling out is dealt with compared to earlier in the story. A real ‘book club discussion point’ I would suggest.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC – even if it would appear I wasn’t very advanced in reading it!

Book Review: One Night On The Island by Josie Silver

Posted on by Libby Price

Having enjoyed previous books by Josie Silver, when the publisher asked if I’d like an ARC of her new book out in February, I said yes please! Here’s the blurb:

“One cottage. Two strangers.
Every great love story starts somewhere…
Cleo writes about love stories every day. She just isn’t living one of her own.
When the editor of her dating column asks her to marry herself on a remote Irish island – a sensational piece to mark Cleo’s thirtieth birthday – Cleo agrees. She’s alone but not lonely, right? She can handle a solo adventure.
Cleo arrives at her luxury cabin to find a tall, dark, stubborn American who insists it’s actually his. Mack refuses to leave, and Cleo won’t budge either. With a storm fast approaching, they reluctantly hunker down together. It’s just one night, after all . . .
But what if one night on the island is just the beginning?“

I LOVED this book! Someone else has described it on NetGalley as like a hug – and I completely agree. A wonderful, escapist read.

The book is mostly set on the tiny island of Salvation off the Irish coast. The descriptions of the setting are fabulous and really evocative – and lots of typically Irish weather! I now want to go there on holiday (although would struggle with limited phone reception and internet access!!) Otter Lodge sounds just beautiful.

I did find the whole concept of why Cleo was going to the island in the first place a bit weird – but then I’m a 47 year old mother of 4, not a single almost-30 year old, so I just decided I should go with it! And actually – it was all very beautifully written.

The mish mash of people on Salvation were amazing – a real collection of characters, all well written and you wanted to learn more about them. I can totally picture knitting club, the shop, the pub – and the boulder – perfectly.

I enjoyed the fact that the book was about friendships, wider relationships and self worth – not just ‘boy meets girl’ – although that element was great as well.

Each night Cleo and Mack tell each other 3 things each whilst lying in the dark – which is very spooky, as my 10 year old and I do that every night when she’s going to bed (it was a tactic to make sure she told me if anything was worrying her after a day at school – but also to ensure it was finite so she didn’t procrastinate bedtime for ages!) The 3 things for Cleo and Mack really mean they get to know random facts about each other.

It felt like the book had concluded at about 70% – and I wondered how the rest of the story was going to evolve – but it did brilliantly, and I really enjoyed the final chunk too. It would make a really lovely Sunday night drama for TV.

One Night On The Island is out in February 2022, another fabulous Josie Silver read. A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Book Review: The Herd by Emily Edwards

Posted on by Libby Price

The Herd is on many a ‘books to look out for in 2022’ list. Whilst it was written before the pandemic – it is even more relevant now as it’s about whether or not to vaccinate your children. In the book the vaccine in question is MMR – but could equally be the Covid vaccine. Some of the reviews, included that quoted on the cover by the brilliant Clare Mackintosh, says that it will bring about debate – which seems to be already true as some of the reviews already on NetGalley are totally contradictory! Some implying it’s totally pro vaccination – and others that it is totally anti vaccination. I therefore suspect it possibly depends on your own beliefs and thoughts on vaccinations as to what you interpret from the FICTIONAL book.

Here’s the blurb:

“You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.
Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.
But what if their choice could harm your own child?
Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .”

You know early on that there is a Court Case – and so something bad is going to happen – but the chapters about the court case – written by many different characters who you don’t fully meet (which was very clever) are interspersed with events from earlier in the Summer.

Some elements of the story are told from Elizabeth’s point of view – and some from Bryony’s – as it builds up to the court case itself. I don’t want to ruin too much of the story line – as I think you need to watch it unfold yourself. There are some red herrings (or pink flamingos!) along the way – so you’re never quite sure how everything is going to pan out.

I have to say I saw elements of myself in Elizabeth (it must go with the name!) being a control freak in general – but also being concerned for the health of a child with underlying issues (when our youngest was first diagnosed with a chronic health condition, I did myself worry about her mixing with unvaccinated children).

As well as Elizabeth and Bry, there is a supporting cast of family, friends and neighbours – all of whom add to the community feel of the book and the street where the two families live. It’s interesting to see the various allegiances – and how these change over the course of events.

One thing I would say, is that I’m not sure it would be a good book for a book club – but purely because vaccines are such an emotive subject, I fear that any discussions on the book would descend into a debate on vaccines in general and people often hold very strong and intransigent views on these – and I suspect this would over shadow talking about the book itself (which I think is written and edited brilliantly).

A massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC. The Herd is out in February 2022 and can be pre ordered now.

Book Review: Breaking Point by Edel Coffey

Posted on by Libby Price

“An innocent mistake. A lifetime of guilt.
Susannah has two beautiful daughters, a high-flying medical career, a successful husband and an enviable life. Her hair is glossy, her clothes are expensive; she truly has it all.
But when – on the hottest day of the year – her strict morning routine is disrupted, Susannah finds herself running on autopilot. It is hours before she realises she has made a devastating mistake. Her baby, Louise, is still in the backseat of the car and it is too late to save her.
As the press close in around her, Susannah is put on trial for negligence. It is plain to see that this is not a trial, it’s a witch hunt. But what will the court say?”

I thought this sounded interesting when the publisher asked if I’d like an ARC on NetGalley and so said yes please.

The book is told from 2 perspectives – the first is Susannah – or Dr Sue as she’s known to millions. She’s a successful paediatrician at a New York hospital, an author of parenting books, and a regular on TV, with a handsome husband and two small daughters. One day – due to stepping up to help her husband by dropping him at work – her usual rigid routine is changed, and consequently she forgets to drop her 6 month old baby to nursery. She’s rushing to get on with a busy list of patients – and because baby Louise is sound asleep – doesn’t realise she’s still in the car seat when she parks at the hospital. Dr Sue hears the alarm going off – when Louise must have woken up – but just assumes it’s a dodgy car alarm and turns it off and asks her secretary to book the car in to the garage. It’s lunchtime before she realises that Louise is still in the car – but by then it’s too late.

The other perspective is Adelaide Gold, a TV news reporter who is assigned the story to cover by her boss. However Adelaide has history with the hospital and Dr Sue herself – as 10 years previously Adelaide’s baby also died, and Dr Sue was the paediatrician at the time. Adelaide’s side of the story covers both now – and what happened a decade ago – and it flicks between the two time periods well, explaining what happened back then and how that has shaped Adelaide’s life.

In the aftermath of Louise’s death – Susannah returns to work and finds solace in her work which has always been a really important part of her life – but this is then used against her when the police decide to prosecute her for manslaughter.

The case is really interesting – and flags up lots of things about working mothers / guilt – and you do wonder how much of it would have happened if it had been Susannah’s husband John who’d left Louise in the car? It’s as if Dr Sue is being used as a scape goat for professional women who don’t want to stay at home and bake cookies.

It also brought to my mind the parallels with the real life events for Madeleine McCann’s mother, Kate McCann, who was heavily criticised for not showing emotion when Madeleine went missing in Portugal 14 years ago – whilst others said it was her professional medic training kicking in. Admittedly Kate didn’t wear designer clothes / handbags / shoes – but some of the digs were very similar.

The court proceedings themselves are written well – and you can imagine it being a TV drama – with the prosecutor playing up to the court room like an entertainer rather than necessarily telling the truth. I guess I was supporting Dr Sue in a ‘there but for the grace of God’ type way as a busy working Mum – whereas the prosecutor’s took great pleasure and pride in the fact this wife stayed at home and was a ‘proper’ mother. I found it really difficult to second guess what the result of the trial by jury would be – and didn’t get it right.

I also enjoyed seeing how Adelaide developed – finally facing feelings that she’d essentially squashed down by keeping busy with work for a decade.

Finally I enjoyed the final chapter – 2 years after the end of the court case – and seeing what had happened to Susannah, Adelaide and their family and friends in that time.

Overall a really good read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.