book

Book Review: The Forever House by Veronica Henry

Posted on by Libby Price

The Forever House

I have enjoyed Veronica Henry’s books before (although having checked – none since I started reviewing my reading habits on here) – and we have mutual friends on Facebook (practically a claim to fame I know!)  Anyway – when I saw this had come out I downloaded it – although not sure how I can shoehorn it into my 2017 Reading Challenge – maybe there’s a cat hidden on the front somewhere?!

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“Hunter’s Moon is the ultimate ‘forever’ house. Nestled by a river in the Peasebrook valley, it has been the Willoughbys’ home for over fifty years, and now estate agent Belinda Baxter is determined to find the perfect family to live there. But the sale of the house unlocks decades of family secrets – and brings Belinda face to face with her own troubled past. . . “

The book cycles between the present day, and present-ish day, and 1967. I enjoyed this aspect – and really wanted to know what was happening in both stories – which are clearly linked – and with ‘Hunter’s Moon’ as a main character in both.  The descriptions of the 60s were great – from fancy London town through to fancy pants clothes – it was all really evocative of the era.

The interactions between the different main characters was also lovely – although a little bit predictable (but lovely predictable, so totally fine!)

I was really rooting for Sally in 1967 and the present day – and Belinda too – both lovely central characters.

I absolutely loved the final chapter – set 4 years on from the bulk of the story – but still want to know what’s happened to everyone subsequently – which is always the sign of a good book.

All in all a perfect, summer, easy, escapist read.

So, to quote Jill Mansell off the front cover, ‘A delight from start to finish’!

 

 

Book Review: Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner

Posted on by Libby Price

PERSONS UNKNOWN.jpg

I read the first Manon Bradshaw book last year and really enjoyed it – so when the sequel came out I HAD to read it – even if it couldn’t slot into a specific category on my 2017 Reading Challenge #shocker (although I will try and fit it in somewhere, of course!!) .

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“Manon Bradshaw is back.
As dusk falls a young man staggers through a park, far from home, bleeding from a stab wound. He dies where he falls; cradled by a stranger, a woman’s name on his lips in his last seconds of life.
DI Manon Bradshaw can’t help taking an interest – these days she only handles cold cases, but the man died just yards from the police station where she works.
She’s horrified to discover that both victim and prime suspect are more closely linked to her than she could have imagined. And as the Cambridgeshire police force closes ranks against her, she is forced to contemplate the unthinkable.
How well does she know her loved ones, and are they capable of murder?”

I read this in about three sittings (because I’m on holiday – and I was supervising the children in the pool – AKA reading on a sunbed!!) and it was BRILLIANT!

It follows on from the previous book (although could be read standalone – but I would highly recommend reading ‘Missing Presumed’ first!)  – and Manon remains a tortured soul in many ways (but aren’t all police officers in such books?  I guess crime dramas would be dull if the cops had a normal, stable home life!!

The chapters are told from different perspectives – I think (from memory, and I can’t be bothered to go and find my Kindle!)  Manon, her colleague Davy and Birdie. Initially you don’t realise how Birdie is going to fit into it – but it all intertwines cleverly.  It mixes the domestic lives of the main characters alongside the main ‘crime’ and keeps a real pace so you’re permanently excited to see what’s going to happen next!  There are twists and turns – and overall a really enjoyable book – especially if you’re a crime drama fan. I really hope this series continues!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Party by Elizabeth Day

Posted on by Libby Price

The Party

I’ve been meaning to read an Elizabeth Day book for some time – as I really like her when I see her on TV – and also because as a 5 year old I aspired to be Elisabeth Day, as the boy I loved at school had that surname!!  (We coincidentally ended up working for the same accountancy firm after graduation, and he and his lovely family live in the next village to us now – but my marital aspirations towards him are no more!)

I have read rave reviews in Red Magazine and on social media about ‘The Party’ – and as it seemed that it would fit into my 2017 Reading Challenge in the category ‘A book set in two different time periods’ – I pre ordered it for my summer travelling reading.

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“‘As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn’t know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.’
Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn’t wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family’s estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had.
But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years.
At Ben’s 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests – the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich – Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn’t do anything to damage their friendship.
Would he?”

I started reading this on a transatlantic flight – and devoured it all in one sitting – foregoing all of British Airways’s film offerings – which I think says a lot about how much I enjoyed it!

The book cycles between Martin’s life growing up, Ben’s 40th party and the aftermath of it – told in turn by Martin and his wife Lucy.  It’s very intricate (which made me think how good the editor must have been as well as the author – I am such a geek!) and the pace builds up brilliantly.

It is very clever – and similarities with real life people I am sure are totally deliberate!  Boys from posh schools, going on to Oxbridge and then becoming MPs and Prime Minister and including their mates in their political inner circle – remind you of anyone?!

The university period is exactly when I was at uni – albeit not Cambridge (my Head of Sixth Form never did forgive me for not going to my Newnham interview!) – so I enjoyed the reminiscing!

Despite the clear personality defects of all of the main characters at different times, I was always rooting for Martin and Lucy – in different ways.  Lucy was initially cast as the dowdy wife – but her quick thinking smart comebacks to some of the other characters were just perfect.

I don’t want to give too much away – I hate reviews that ruin the story for others – but would definitely recommend you read this book!  And I will definitely be reading more by Ms Day – clever, sharp, well written and very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Posted on by Libby Price

Iron Duke

My 2017 Reading Challenge was all about reading books out of my comfort zone – and ‘A Steampunk novel’ was a particular challenge as I hadn’t got a clue what it meant!

A bit of Googling, and good old Wikipedia revealed this:

“Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world wherein steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.”

Given I don’t like science fiction or historical novels this was always going to be a challenge!  I had a search on Amazon for something with good reviews – but also the beginning of a series in case I loved it…

I went for The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook.  Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power – and fear – of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.
Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him.
But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans – and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.”

Well…………………..

It was all really complicated setting the scene – and I wasn’t sure how much I was struggling because I’ve never read this genre before – and how much because the author explains everything in minute and complicated detail.  And how much because I just didn’t care about any of it!

I tried – I considered giving up at 10% and 20% – but by the time I got to 30% I just could not be bothered to carry on any more.

I thought this would be a genre I would dislike – and I was not wrong!

Life is too short to finish books you’re not enjoying #apartfromTheGoldfinch…..

 

 

 

 

Book Review: One Endless Summer by Laurie Ellingham

Posted on by Libby Price

One Endless Summer

A friend said she’s really enjoyed this book and on her recommendation, and the fact it slotted into a category in my 2017 Reading Challenge (A book with one of the four seasons in the title), I downloaded it immediately without reading the blurb – but here it is for you.

“Three best friends.
Three continents.
Three months to live.
How long can you keep a secret?
Three best friends are embarking on an all-expenses paid trip of their dreams. The only catch? Every moment will be documented on film.
Lizzie’s battle with cancer is coming to an end, and now she’s ready to embrace adventure for the very first time. There are only three months, but it is Lizzie’s time to finally start living!
Jaddi is known for her stunning looks, flirtatious attitude and many conquests. But Jaddi has a secret and on this last trip together she needs to decide whether her best friends will ever know the real her.
Samantha has always been the ‘grown up’ of the group, the one with a five year plan. What Lizzie and Jaddi don’t know is that Sam is trapped, and her perfect life isn’t quite what it seems…
As they trek across the globe Lizzie, Jaddi and Samantha must come to terms with loss, love and trusting one another. But will it all be too late…”

When I started the first chapter it was evident that not only was this a book about cancer, but about brain tumours in particular.  Now far too many people close to me have been affected by this horrific disease over recent years, and I wasn’t sure I could face reading a book with this as a key theme.  But, I’d already paid to download it – so I decided to start reading and then stop if I found it too distressing.  (Giving myself permission to stop reading a book is rare – hey, I persevered through The Goldfinch – but these were extenuating circumstances.)

Well, I can tell you now – I didn’t have to give up.  Whilst Lizzie’s brain tumour was fundamental to the storyline – and some of the things she talked about were all too familiar – it was always there in the back ground rather than being totally in your face throughout the whole book.  And a bit like the current Macmillan adverts – it showed that just because you have cancer / a brain tumour doesn’t mean you’re not still a friend / daughter / sister / lover too.

The 3 best friends are all very different – and whilst initially you think Lizzie is the one fighting a personal battle with the brain tumour – actually, all 3 of the friends have different battles in their own lives.  Each chapter is told from a different friend’s point of view – and I don’t think there’s a rigid pattern to the chapters – but they link together really well.

The descriptions of the different places the girls visit were great – helped by the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to visit many of them!

The story twists and turns dramatically – some of it more guessable than others (I sussed Jaddi’s secret fairly early on) – but all makes for a very enjoyable summer read.

I don’t want to give too much away though – read it for yourself and see what you think! I will definitely be looking out for more books by Laurie Ellingham.

 

** It would be remiss of me at this point not to mention the fact that brain tumours are a massively underfunded area for research – and if the book has moved you to want to donate to further research  – then we are heavily involved in fundraising for Brain Tumour Research in memory of our family friend Finlay Church who died in 2015 aged just 11.  You can donate in his memory here.  Thank you. xx **

 

 

Book Review: The Postcard by Fern Britton

Posted on by Libby Price

The Postcard

 

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this by Netgalley to review – and then asked to be part of Fern’s blog tour – which was very very exciting!!

I hadn’t read the blurb before I read the book (based on the fact I’ve enjoyed all of Fern’s previous books) – but here is it is for you:

“The new witty and warm novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author and TV presenter, Fern Britton.

Secrets. Sisters. The summer that changed everything . . .

Life in the Cornish village of Pendruggan isn’t always picture perfect. Penny Leighton has never told anyone why she’s estranged from her mother and sister. For years she’s kept her family secrets locked away in her heart, but they’ve been quietly eating away at her. When an unwelcome visitor blows in, Penny is brought face to face with the past. And a postcard, tucked away in a long-hidden case, holds the truth that could change everything.

Young Ella has come back to the place where she spent a happy childhood with her grandmother. Now she’s here to search for everything missing in her life. Taken under Penny’s broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn’t lie in the past at all.”

I was DELIGHTED when I started reading to find out it was set in Pendruggan again – and revisiting characters we’d met before.  It felt like meeting up with old friends.  The previous books set in this village of Cornwall have always left me wanting to know more – and I was about to find out more – hoorah!

This time it centres, initially, on Penny. She’s a new Mum, vicar’s wife and TV exec – not necessarily always in that order.  The story follows her current and historic relationships with her family and the impact each has on the other. It also looks at quite serious issues of postnatal depression and the fact that women are expected to want to ‘have it all’ – and just how tough that can be for families.

Ella is then introduced – firstly in London and then moving down to Cornwall.  Her story interweaves with Penny’s – and it is interesting to see their relationship develop, along with Ella’s relationships with other villagers.

I really enjoyed this easy, escapist read and the gentles  twists and turns of the story.  It really evokes the feeling of being in Cornwall – and the village fete was very reminiscent of our own – albeit ours is in Worcestershire!

I don’t want to give too much of the story away (I hate it when I read a review that gives away something fundamental) but you really are rooting for Penny and Ella in different ways.

My only very slight criticism is that the ending seems a bit rushed. After a perfectly paced majority of the book, the loose ends for Penny are all tied up super quickly in the final chapter.   However, that’s not the case for Ella – and there is practically an Eastenders – duff, duff, duff at the end of the epilogue for her!  I can only hope that means we’ll be revisiting Pendruggan with its characters again soon!

I need to slot this into my 2017 Reading Challenge – and I’m going for the category ‘A book you bought on a trip’ as I downloaded it whilst we were at Centerparcs.  I realise that is slightly tenuous – but I can’t possibly read something and not tick a category off!!  We’re almost half way through the year and I’ve only managed 14 of the 40 categories – good job the summer holidays are coming up.  #readingheaven

 

 

 

 

A blog tour!!

Posted on by Libby Price

I am VERY excited to have been chosen to be one of the stops on Fern Britton’s blog tour to mark the release of her book ‘The Postcard’ as a paperback.

The Postcard blog tour banner

I’ve blogged before about my love of Fern (in a slightly fangirling kind of way!) so I was really chuffed about this.  For those of you who don’t know who Fern is (where have you been??) then here’s some info on her:

“Fern Britton is the highly acclaimed author of five Sunday Times bestselling novels: A Seaside Affair, The Holiday Home, Hidden Treasures, New Beginnings and A Good Catch. Her books are cherished for their warmth, wit and wisdom, and have won Fern legions of loyal readers. Fern is likely best known for her years co-presenting ITV’s flagship daytime show This Morning with Philip Schofield. An iconic presenter, she is also hugely popular for her earlier hits like Ready Steady Cook, and All Star Mr and Mrs, as well as being a much-loved contestant in 2012’s Strictly Come Dancing. She recently presented The Big Allotment Challenge for BBC2 in 2014 and again for its second series in 2015, as well as For What It’s Worth, an antiques-based quiz show on BBC1.

Fern lives with her husband, Phil Vickery, and her four children in Buckinghamshire and Cornwall.   To find out more, connect with her @Fern Britton and facebook.com/officialfernbritton.”

 

The book has been read and reviewed – but all is embargoed until my day on the tour!

But to whet your appetite – here’s the blurb about it:

“The POSTCARD: Penny Leighton has never told anyone why she’s estranged from her mother and sister. For years she’s kept her family secrets locked away in her heart, but they’ve been quietly eating away at her. When an unwelcome visitor blows in, Penny is brought face to face with the past. And a postcard, tucked away in a long-hidden case, holds the truth that could change everything.

Young Ella has come back to the place where she spent a happy childhood with her grandmother. Now she’s here to search for everything missing in her life. Taken under Penny’s broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn’t lie in the past at all.”

 

See you back here on July 6th for my review……..

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce

Posted on by Libby Price

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

One of the categories in my Reading Challenge 2017 is ‘A book with a title that’s a character’s name’ and a friend suggested ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ – but when I said I’d already ready it, she suggested the follow up.  It’s not really a sequel as it’s happening concurrently – but told from the point of view of Queenie not Harold.  (When I’d actually finished the book I noted that the author had described it as a ‘companion’ to her previous book.)

This is the Amazon blurb:

“When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?
A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, ‘Even though you’ve done your travelling, you’re starting a new journey too.’
Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.
Told in simple, emotionally-honest prose, with a mischievous bite, this is a novel about the journey we all must take to learn who we are; it is about loving and letting go. And most of all it is about finding joy in unexpected places and at times we least expect.”

Firstly – I should probably disclaim that this is the book I’ve been reading recently when I’ve had a lull in reading speed – it’s  taken me a month to get through it.  It’s not that I’ve not enjoyed it – it’s a really lovely book – but it hasn’t made me forego everything else to read it.  If I was to equate it with an ITV drama, it would definitely be Grantchester as opposed to Broadchurch – I love them both, but Granchester would sit on the SKY+ planner for a few days whereas Broadchurch would be watched in real time!!

But back to the book.

It is the story of Queenie – the lady who Harold Fry is walking to visit in his aforementioned pilgrimage.  She is now in a hospice and the book is a mixture of her current life in the hospice, her life when she worked with Harold and then the time in between.

It is absolutely beautifully written – and really evokes all of the various settings, from Kingsbridge in Devon (where my father in law currently lives – so I know a little) to the North East of England (which I imagine to be like ‘Vera’ – I’m totally referencing ITV dramas in this post!!)

I liked Queenie – although felt at times she was a bit of a doormat – but the explorations of her different relationships was done well.  The characters in the hospice were also excellently depicted – and a real mixed bunch.

It is funny, clever, sad, poignant, frustrating, happy and all in all a really nice book.  It just didn’t really excite me – and I feel a bit bad about that.  I also wish I’d read it sooner after I’d read the Harold version – as I couldn’t remember the whole story – and I am sure it was very clever with its interweaving – and I didn’t appreciate that as much as I probably should have!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A turn of events….

Posted on by Libby Price

Normally my blog is filled with book reviews (even though both of my sisters say they are the posts they don’t read (how rude!) so if it’s a relevant book review to them I actually have to tag them in it!) – but I haven’t done a book review for the whole month of May.  What a turn of events and what a poor show – particularly when I’ve still got LOADS of categories to cover for my 2017 Reading Challenge…….

stack-of-books1

I find that sometimes I can read loads – but at other times real life gets in the way.

But is that because the book I’m reading doesn’t particularly grab me?

Would I make time to read if it was an amazing book?

I almost want to read ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine‘ again (which I completely adored) to see if I prove my point – but would I love it as much second time around?

Anyway – I promise to try harder – as hopefully my book review posts don’t bore everyone else as much as my sisters!!!

 

 

Book Review: Scummy Mummies by Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson

Posted on by Libby Price

I have been ill for the last fortnight.  There have not been many silver linings to this but I can think of two:

  1. I have powered through a load of books for my Reading Challenge 2017, and
  2. My lovely Auntie sent me a Don’t Buy Her Flowers package.  I’ve sent these to LOADS of people before, but it was really nice to receive one of my own (we can’t count the Mother’s Day one last year as I emailed the link to my husband directly!!)

DBHF

You can tailor the contents of the package for the recipient – and I am very impressed with Auntie Heather’s choices (although I’ve been so ill I can’t face the prosecco yet #shocker)

I’ve already read a couple of the book options – so Scummy Mummies was an excellent choice (although I hope it wasn’t because my Auntie thinks I’m a Scummy Mummy all the time?!?)

Scummy Mummies

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“A celebration of parenting failures, hilarious confessions, fish fingers and wine!

This is a book for anyone who’s ever dealt with a poo in the pool, cleaned up a sick in the supermarket, or gone to an important meeting without realising there’s weetabix stuck to their bum.

Because let’s be honest no matter how much we love our kids, or how good we are at parenting, everyone’s a Scummy Mummy sometimes.”

This book is hilarious!  Proper laugh out loud funny at times.  In fact I had to stop reading in bed last night as I was concerned my shaking with mirth was going to wake the sleeping husband up and he’d think his luck was in!

As it says up front – this is not a parenting manual at all – but it is a ‘we’re all in this together’ type read.  I also liked the fact that as their children are older it deals with playground politics as well as NCT ones.  The hipster Dads and ‘experts’ sections are very amusing – as are the quotes from parents that the Scummy Mummies have collected on their social media, podcast and stand up travels.

There is quite a lot of swearing – which is bloody fine by me, but could put some people off (but if you’re not good with swearing, I suspect some of the rest of the content would have you reaching for your smelling salts too!)

So that’s ‘A Book With Multiple Authors’ ticked off the list.  Although I did toy with ‘A Book With Career Advice’ purely for the section about not getting dressed for work until after you’ve fed the children breakfast………