In Between the Christmas Shopping & Gift Wrapping ... Snuggle up with a Great Read

The Diviners - Libba Bray   libbabray.com/‎

What a brilliant book this was - well worth the wait (it's been on my reading list for about 16 months) - it was a riveting combination of:

• history  it's set in America in the roaring twenties 
• spooky  it has ouija boards & undead spirits
• magical  several characters have special powers which they do not totally understand

The central character is Evie O'Neil who's a young girl who has been sent away from her home town because her parents cant handle her - her uncle has no idea how to manage her either, but in the main he treats her like an adult which suits Evie just fine.  There are parties and speak-easys which she wants to go to, her uncle is busy helping the police solve a string of crimes with a supernatural twist and  soon Evie is assisting him with his enquiries and trying to keep 1 step ahead of the trouble which seems to follow her and her colourful group of friends.  Danger is very much closer than Evie and her uncle could possibly imagine.

As it is a novel for young adults there is romance & yearning, but it doesn't get too heavy.  The tone of book is chilling rather than horror, and the story is well crafted with a vivid tapestry of interesting characters who are well developed, but the reader is left feeling that there will be more to discover as the series continues.  I could not put this book down, I took my Kindle everywhere with me and stole any moment I could to read it.

Readers who enjoyed Beautiful Creatures &  New Girl would enjoy this book I am sure!  Libba has written other novels - most recently I enjoyed A Great & Terrible Beauty which is book 1 of a trilogy.

West End Girls  Jenny Colgan    www.jennycolgan.com/

This book is chick lit at its best - real girls (unidentical twin sisters) who bicker and argue as well as larger than life 2 dimensional characters to make you laugh out loud!  One sister, Penny, has always coasted on her looks - they should be her ticket out of her life of drudgery and duff boyfriends.  The other sister, Lizzie, has always looked out for Penny (which generally gets her into trouble) and squashed her sorrows with food, she isn't looking for adventure, she is looking for a quiet life.  When life throws these sisters the opportunity to live rent free in a flat in Chelsea, how will they fare in such different surroundings?

What follows are their attempts to get jobs, get a rich boyfriend (Penny) visit the places they have only read about in magazines (Penny again!), make friends and make a new life for themselves. Some of their adventures are crazy and madcap, some of the situations are uncomfortable but you will keep turning the pages wanting to know what happens next - who finds love and who just finds out what really matters in this life.

Jenny Colgan never disappoints - and she is very clever at finding different voices for herself in the novels she writes.  If you  like this book, you will quite likely enjoy the works of Jojo Moyes, Lisa Jewell, Judy Astley & Sophie Kinsella.

I Just Had to Read it!!!!

Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pdjames/

Last winter I saw PD James being interviewed on TV about writing this book. It seems it has always been an ambition of hers to write something in the style of Jane Austen / as a tribute to her. I too am a big JA fan and I was thrilled by the idea of a book which picks up sometime after the "happily ever after" of Darcy marrying Elizabeth Bennett - and even more exciting - taking it down the route of a murder mystery!!  What's not to like??  PD James is in her 90s, but she is still so spry and quick witted and, once you read the book, there is no denying so much skill in her writing.  She has found something quite close to JA's voice,  although I felt as if she slipped out of it a little as the story wore on, but this could also be attributed to the  details of the crime scene, evidence & trial - which is so unlike the drawing room manners &  etiquette which JA's tales are usually built around.  She gives us a fascinating glimpse into the (fairly primitive) detective skills and justice system of the regency period.

I recommend this book, as I really enjoyed it, I felt torn away when I wasn't reading it and was very happy with it's revelations and conclusion, but I am not sure I liked having Darcy explain (in PDJ's book) what he meant by his words & actions in JA's book - and I think other Austen fans might get infuriated by this too. Look out for the TV adaptation of this which I believe is being screened this winter.

Alison Wonderland - Helen Smith

This was an e-book which I just had to download - the reviews for it made me so curious!!  Alison is a sleuth living in London, she has a psychic postman, she has an eccentric best friend who believes in magic, a neighbor who writes her love poems ... it is all very odd but beautifully written.  Helen paints vivid, detailed pictures and there is conspiracy and oddness all around her central character Alison, yet she carries on as if it is normal and 'goes about her day job'.

If you have read anything by Faye Weldon, you may notice a similarity of style.  This was an intriguing book, and I don't regret reading it, but I probably wouldn't pick out another of Helen's books to read, it wasn't my type of story.

Film : Sunshine on Leith

I loved loved this film!!  I went along expecting a comedy, which it delivered, but in a milder, feelgood way.  There are fabulous anthems in this film (I ... who only knew 2 Proclaimers songs loved the music), there is pathos which makes the 'happy' more heightened and the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh is awesome!  I feel sure this beautiful city will have more tourists as a result of this film.  I knew Jane Horrocks could sing, but I was really impressed (as a big fan of Misfits) with Antonia Thomas's singing.  Heartily recommend this.

Try these Books for Size!

New Girl by Paige Harbison

I make myself a promise  that there are certain classics that I will read - and Rebecca is one such book - when I read the blurb about this teen novel which is  based on the plot of this classic I was very keen to give it some time - & it was really a satisfying read.  It very successfully gets 'in the headspace' of a teenager trying to fit in at a new school.  It is hard to tell you how good the book is without spoiling the plot - but as well as the usual bitchy cliquey girl interactions, and the "omg he is so cute, does he even know I exist?" eternal question that girls ask themselves when they like a boy, there is a very strong thread of mystery going on - a pupil is missing.  Our girl has never met the missing girl - Becca, but plenty of her classmates talk about her and compare her with Becca and all associations with her have a negative impact on those left behind at the school.

If you followed my last recommendation of "Never Have I Ever" the Lying Game novel and enjoyed it, I think you will love this book too.  I had to read it all day - couldn't put it down!

I cannot say how it compares with the original story (as it is still on my 'to read' list) but even if the author has just taken the 'nuggets' of the plot and re-written it with a modern teenage slant, it worked for me (although the heroine takes things at face value and sees a lot more good in people than most of us would be prepared to!

Striker by Michelle Betham

I am not a big football fan (don’t like sports much at all tbh) so you might be surprised to find I am reading a book at present which is all about over-paid and over-sexed footballers (Yikes!) and ex-football stars turned managers / pundits a delightfully flawed female sports reporter and all the shenanigans which result! It is reminding me a lot of Jackie Collins’ style of writing, being very relationship driven, with characters who have a very high libido <wink wink!>

It is book one of a trilogy, so if you enjoy it as much as I am so far (70% of the way through) there are others to read featuring the same characters. Even better! (bargain hunter that I am) it is under £2 to download from Amazon at the time of writing!

Thursdays in the Park by Hilary Boyd

In complete contrast, another book which I read recently has as its central character a lovely lady who is nearing retirement age, but does not want to be settling down in the country or giving up her beloved health food shop. Her husband, who is older, has been retired for years, and is keen for her to join him – is he jealous that her life is still so fulfilling? Their daughter lives nearby, with her artist husband and Ellie, her grandchild. The book’s title ‘Thursdays in the Park’ stems from the pattern of Jeannie caring for her granddaughter every week.

I don’t want to spoil the plot, but once again this is a very character driven story; Jeannie has a wonderful best friend she confides in, quite a sharp colleague who works in her shop, a slightly bumpy relationship with her daughter and son-in law and she makes a new friend through her ‘park’ days with Ellie. Her life is on the cusp of a change - but what will she find out about herself and her loved ones as she decides which things she wants to take forward in her life and which she will leave behind?  [Another bargain - this is available to download from Amazon for 99p!]

Have I Got Some Recommendations for You!!

I have read some really absorbing books recently, books I could hardly put down and which kept me guessing till the last pages ...

Never Have I Ever: A Lying Game Novel by Sara Shepard 

This novel is the second in a series - I hadn't read the first: "The Lying Game" but no problem!  There are 2 central characters - twins - but one (Sutton) was murdered, so watches events from the sidelines, unable to influence the action but getting  flashbacks which enhance the story. The other twin (Emma) must pretend to be her dead sister, only her killer and Ethan - a bit of a loner - know the truth, and Emma's life is in danger if she doesn't fill her sister's shoes convincingly.

Sutton had a life of privilege, and she and her friends - frankly - abuse their positions of wealth and popularity by being 'bitches'.  They play an unpleasant game they call the 'lying game' - elaborate pranks and ritual humiliation for the town and their fellow pupils.  Emma is quite different from Sutton, having been brought up in foster homes most of her life; she studies rather than slacks and she treats people honestly and with respect - she begins to make Sutton seem a much nicer, more mature person.  Emma also seems to be falling in love - although with her sister's killer watching her every move this may not be the best idea!

Bloodstone by Nate Kenyon

This was a chilling novel which built its tension well - it was hard to tell (as a reader) who to trust.  

The setting was pivotal, a town that nobody ever seems to be able to leave, a concealed, dark watery place that has always seemed to draw bad happenings to it.

There are flashbacks to a journal written by one of the town's forefathers who embroiled himself in ancient witchcraft rituals and perhaps he even drew the bad energies to him.

No one in the town is safe from the danger when evil becomes personified, and the action is gruesome to say the least.  Nate's writing style reminded me of Dean Koontz.  Be warned - this book is a dark, disquieting read.

and I've watched some brilliant films ...

The Gangster Squad [Film]

This was a very stylish, film - there was edgy glamour with Emma Stone as the "Kingpin's" moll and there was a lot of bloodshed - brutal beatings, killings and  car chases.  Sean Penn is menacing, Ryan Gosling is the gangster with a soft heart.  The setting is LA in 1949 and the top secret police crew have their work cut out trying to stamp out vice in the city while breaking the stranglehold mob boss Sean Penn has around the citizens and their way of life.

Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters[Film]

Another bloodthirsty film, but this time it is fictional brother and sister Hansel & Gretel who show us what happened next with their lives after they escaped from the witch in the gingerbread house.  And it is not good news for witches everywhere!  They are vigilantes with weapons and tricks which have witches being beheaded and dismembered left right and centre.  A "scoop your brain out" action packed film.

About Time [Film]

A fabulous funny film - strongly british vibe which you will love if you enjoyed Four Weddings & a Funeral, Love Actually and/or Notting Hill.  

The main character is a teenage boy, intelligent but a little clumsy and awkward.  He has a wonderfully loving (eccentric) family, and the plot follows him falling in love and growing up - but he has a secret weapon, an ability to time travel so that he can 'do over' events to his own satisfaction (so much less frustrating than Groundhog Day).  You will probably laugh, you may even shed a tear, but I bet you'll be still thinking about it the day after you watch it!!

Sorry about the 'Blip' in August! I was too busy reading to write about what I'd read!!

Well the first of August saw me packing for my long awaited (it was nail biting as we hung out for a 'late' bargain) and much needed summer holiday (after 3 operations in 9 months you-betcha I needed a holiday!)

I was only away for 1 week but I was taking a big step ... no real books ... just virtual books on my Kindle.
<GASP!> So - the essentials:

• new holiday wardrobe for my e-reader, i.e. a 'jumper' of neoprene to give it protection while in my hand luggage/ beach bag) 
•  a charger and a plug adaptor <MUST have!> otherwise, no matter how many tempting books I had downloaded, I wouldn't be able to read them once the battery empty signal flashed up on screen!

Problem  #1 occurred on the plane - you can't read an e-book during take-off, all devices of that nature must be switched off (unfortunate, as a book is a good distraction at this nervous-making time) - inaccurate also, my brother-in-law [a pilot] explained that the way an e-reader displays a page can never be switched OFF so it is unnecessary to enforce this rule ... but that is how it stands on most airlines at the moment.

But that was my only problem!!  I had a lovely time reading my kindle wherever I was, by the pool, on my balcony, on the coach, on the plane, at night when I couldn't get to sleep (I have case with a built-in light too) and of course in bright sunlight .... even with my sunglasses on (which is a problem  if I am looking at my phone screen or a laptop).  So JOY!  Nothing but joy to report!   I did spot a fellow kindle user with their device in a clear waterproof pouch,  useful if you felt that yours might get splashed while reading i.e. you have small kids or prankster friends!

Wish Upon a Star - Olivia Goldsmith

This is the kind of book I love to read on holiday - really feel good and full of escapism.  If you are a lover of the modern fairytale - Pretty Woman, Working Girl, Sliding Doors then this book is for you!

The central character has a caterpillar to butterfly transformation, but she also has realistic difficulties and challenges along the way - not least  having no money, nowhere to live, & no visa to allow her to work!!  But she is ingenious, likeable and has inner strengths - she will do anything to hang onto this new exciting life and not go back to the invisible, grey treadmill she used to walk, where she never felt as if she fitted in.

An interesting twist is that this book shows  England through the eyes of a visitor (and it makes knitting seem groovy and hip!)  Are you tempted to try it? I shall definitely read others by Olivia Goldsmith - loved this book!! 

The Witch & the Gentleman -  J R Rain

http://jrrain.com/contact_81.html

This book throws you straight into the action - a very good start! The central character is a psychic whose powers are increasing because she feeds a vampire regularly - yes! giving her blood helps her tap into the undead's strange powers.

A caller on her Psychic Helpline needs Allison's help searching for a killer who was never caught.  We get glimpses of her 'normal' life as a personal trainer, her love affairs & friendships plus she begins to get in touch with her Wiccan side - apparently from a past life.

I was hooked by the plot and the very likeable characters in this book - my only complaint - it was over too fast - I read it in an afternoon!

Busted - Karen Slaughter (kindle edition)

A great short book!  the reader is in the middle of the action from the outset. The central character - an undercover cop - finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time - not least for the robbers who are turning over the convenience store!! It consisted of a well written tight plot. If you like the Jack Reacher books[Lee Child], or thrillers by Patricia Cornwell you'll find this grabs you in a similar way.

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

This is book 2 of the series, and I was looking forward to reading it hugely - and it did not disappoint!  I am sure it is particularly hard to write a second book when your first is such a runaway success, but Kim & Margaret wove their fabric of storytelling, young love,  old magic and family feuds into a fantastic story which had me clicking the pages as fast as I could, and crying with emotion as I read the climactic battle scene.

I still cannot get over my disappointment with how the studio transformed the first book into a film - mostly because of what they left out - but these novels are very 'cinematic' to read and I am sure this one will be getting the 'Hollywood' treatment very soon.   

                   

Not Vanilla Sex - perhaps Tutti Frutti?

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters

www.sarahwaters.com

I remember there was a lot of hype around the TV mini series - mainly because the heroine of the book is a lesbian and there are several love scenes.  O how funny and 'buttoned up' the Brit TV audience is!! True - there are corsets and cross dressing involved - well done to Auntie Beeb for tackling subject matter that is not strictly mainstream.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tippingthevelvet/

Anyhow the book did not disappoint!  The central character, Nancy grows up and blossoms before your eyes and leads a very varied life - playing many 'roles' and riding a rollercoaster between successes and hard times.

She begins as a humble girl living by the sea,working at her parents' oyster restaurant, she loves sing and go to the music halls for entertainment and this is how her big adventure begins - she becomes fascinated and befriended by a girl performer (Kitty) who impersonates a man in her musical number.  Nancy leaves home to travel to London as her dresser when Kitty gets her big break.  Soon Nancy has forgotten her family and takes to the stage herself in a double act, but when her heart gets broken she runs away from the theatre life, and she starts over again, re-inventing herself.

Nancy  is broke and living in a rough area, but she finds a way to earn money - although it is risky and unsavoury at times - and before long she finds a predatory admirer and her life takes a turn in a totally new direction and Nancy is surrounded by the ultimate luxury.... but for how long?

The description of the various layers of victorian life is fascinating and vivid, and through Nancy's eyes we see glimpses of the music hall, theatrical life, high society, prostitution & renting and the women's rights movement.   We come to learn what it was like to be a lesbian, both publicly and privately, during these sexually repressed times.  The book is often saucy, sometimes comical, frequently romantic and always warm.  Nancy is definitely a 'Moll Flanders' for our time!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moll_Flanders

My next book was purchased totally on a whim - thank you Amazon for your up-dates on bargains in the Kindle format.  I read the Prologue section about a privileged rich american boy driving fast in his Porsche and arguing with his wife about alimony and custody of their son .... this seemed a nice change of scene and pace, so I purchased it feeling intrigued about what happens next.

Strings Attached by Nick Nolan

www.nick-nolan.com/
The book has page-turning action right from the prologue!  The central character, Jeremy, has had a troubled start to his life - he is 17 and comes home to find his mother (an alcoholic) almost dead from another drink-fuelled 'bender'.  She is admitted to hospital and a re-hab programme and he is sent to stay with his dead father's sister (who he has never met). 

It is instantly rags to riches for Jeremy, but he finds that there is baggage attached as his Aunt is devoted to the memory of his father, who he is too young to remember, and she wants to shape him in his father's image: Clean cut swimming hero with great grades and a bright future.  Much as Jeremy wants to comply, he wants to be his own person too and this involves him understanding his own sexuality - for Jeremy has never been attracted to girls, and he has noticed that men are drawn to him. He finds some good friends - Carlos who is gay and very 'out'  about it, Reed and also Arthur, his Aunt's butler, who becomes quite a 'father figure': teaching Jeremy to drive and providing advice as he adjusts to the challenges of his new life.

The novel has a vivid teenage feel, as it dabbles in the exploration of teenage friendships evolving into relationships, worries about appearance, peer pressure and even some frank sexual experimentation.  The pace is fast, you want to keep reading as Jeremy looks under every stone to explain his past; as he learns the truth about his parents and their relationship, he is in increasing danger from jealous and powerful people around him and it is not always clear who he can trust.

I had not intended to choose a book which so completely showed the other end of the sexual scale to Tipping the Velvet - but if that had been my plan I certainly ticked the box with Strings Attached! I was reminded of Jackie Collins' books as I read this - Jeremy & his adventures could easily have fallen from the pages of one of her 'bonk-busters'!  Great beach reading!

Summer Reading Habits

OK!  It's important to get comfortable ....

You will need your sunglasses with wrap around sides -otherwise the light gets in and makes your eyes water, and if you have any make-up or sunscreen on that's painful!  You need a comfy seat / sunbed / rug & pillow  on the grass ... maybe you're going all Hollywood and floating on a lilo in a turqouise pool as you read ... if so, I suspect you are in the minority!!  Anyhoo summer is THE best time to read, you can chill almost anywhere with a book, take it in your bag & read on your lunch break, MOST CERTAINLY read on the bus or train [but never try to read when you are driving your car!] 

Girl Friday by Jane Green  http://www.janegreen.com/index.php/category/books/

This is probably the most typical, girly 'holiday read' of all those I've devoured in the last 3 weeks.  It is set in America, small town Conneticut.  It revolves around a central character who has recently got divorced and downsized her life, becoming a single mom and looking for work.  Her friends are:

• a mother who lives a high octane life with a financier husband, children at private school, a nanny and start-up business of her own,  
• a newcomer to the area who seems to be on the 'californian' trail to enlightenment, running a centre for alternative therapies and yoga/fitness regimes 
• and a lovely elderly neighbour,sharp as a tack, who gets our heroine her job as girl friday to a very famous, successful thriller writer who is a known recluse.

Throw into the mix a mystery surrounding the death of the writer's wife back in the 70s,  an abusive ex-husband in one lady's past, a long-lost relative in another's and  a financial crash and there's your plot:  a hot pot of tricky situations which the characters must deal with.  Having been reading thrillers recently, I did feel that some of the tension was only hinted at before a solution was found, but perhaps that is the 'escapism' secret to a good holiday read.

My Mad Fat Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/my_mad_fat_diary/interview/rae_earl/

What a great book!!  The sharp-eyed amongst you may remember me raving about the E4 series made from this book in a previous blog, but I really found another layer of interest in the novel.  Rae has obviously edited the diaries she wrote when she was a 17 year old  obsessed with boys and body issues, back in the 80s.  She wanted to make them a fun read, she did not want to fall out with or upset the people who were in her life then (and some still are) but this does not mean she hasn't dealt with difficult issues.  Her relationship with her mother is terrible - but for lots of teenage girls that's a fact of life.  She has a friend who seems to use Rae as her side-kick, to make herself look prettier, thinner, more fun (bet lots of us have experienced that) and though boys seem to like Rae, it's as a friend rather than girlfriend material.  

Poor Rae - but she has her love of music, her poetry and of course her diary to let off steam and to try to make sense of the dramas in her life.  She suffers mental health issues, and these have not been addressed successfully by the health authorities, as Rae is masking them quite successfully.  Also - a lot like Adrian Mole in his famous diaries - you have to read between the lines of Rae's narration to see what the picture really is.  It is nice to see that Rae now (a forty-something mother living in Tasmania) has made a success of her life and feels that her diaries not only helped her along that process, but will help others with similar issues.

This book contains a young person's voice which needs to be heard - Rae does for plus sized girls and teens with mental health issues what Tracey Beaker did for unhappy children and those in care homes - she shines a light in the dark corners.  Read it for yourself and see another viewpoint.

The Returned : Channel 4 (French with sub-titles)

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-returned

This is a complex, spooky, classy, perplexing take on a mystery with zombie undertones.  An alpine village in the shadow of a huge reservoir and dam starts to be visited by people who have died years before - a steady trickle of them, but not all from the same disaster.  A 14 year old is back from the tragic school trip when her coach crashed - just as the bereaved parents of all the children have agreed on a fitting memorial.  A young musician returns to find that his bride to be (who got news of his suicide on her wedding day) is about to marry the local police officer and that his child (unborn at the time of his death) now attends primary school. And the most poignant of them all - Victor - a silent child who has latched onto the local doctor, seems to have been orphaned by violent burglars before being shot where he hid in the closet.

We do not yet know why the dead are returning, why they are so hungry all the time or why they make the lights flicker and the water level in the reservoir drop.  Perhaps it has something to do with the village which was flooded to make way for the hydro-electric plant or perhaps, as the local religious leader seems to think, the dead have returned to their family as prophets - but we do know HE is not as squeaky clean as he likes to pretend!

BUT ...

• why has no-one caught the serial killer who attacks young women and makes vicious slashes into their stomachs
• why do women in this area still walk home alone at night, knowing the killer is at large?
• why, if they are flesh eating zombies, is nobody noticing missing pets?

I will patiently watch 2 more stylish episodes to find out.  If you haven't been watching this, you would do well to visit 4OD & try to catch up.

Things I Loved in June!

FILM: The Great Gatsby:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092
I was so looking forward to seeing this film (for a year!  I'm not kidding!)  I finished the awesome book by F Scott Fitzgerald last summer and have been on the edge of my seat to see it ever since!
It did not disappoint, although I am still in love with the original version starring Robert Redford.  The latest was mindblowing in a different way - the costumes, the set, the music and the choreography!!  Wow Wow Wow!

BOOK: One Day in May: Catherine Alliott
www.catherinealliott.com/onedayinmay

This book was such a lovely escape, it was the perfect combination of frothy chick lit (which makes me feel all summery, even if I'm not reading it by a hotel pool!) and real life issues - war torn countries, growing old (& up) gracefully, public image and even politicians!  I myself have dabbled - and still do - in interior design & decor, so I loved getting into the heroine's 'shoes' and walking about in them  ... risk free!

T.V. DRAMA: The Fall:  BBC Drama starring Gillian Anderson
This was not for the faint hearted!  I read some gory books (as you know), but seeing it instead of imagining it from written words on a page brought a whole new level of chilling-ness to it.  As did the Gillian's portrayal of a cold emotionless DSI,counterbalanced by the serial killer (played by Jamie Dornan) who saw nothing wrong in giving his little daughter jewellery he had taken as a memento from one of his murder victims.
True it was disappointing that he was not caught or identified by the end of the series, but it is quite clear that he is on borrowed time - too many loose ends have been left untied and the sharp mind of DSI Stella Gibson is fleshing out the bare bones of the profile he has left behind and from their chilling phone conversation - where he totally lost the upper hand - he knows it.
If you loved this drama, I suggest you would enjoy the Kay Scarpetta series of books by Patricia Cornwell.

E BOOK : The Werewolf Society Box Set by Lisa Renee Jones http://www.lisareneejones.com/werewolf-society-boxed-set/
This trilogy is lots of fun!  The action is fast paced, the characters are feisty women (who are also werewolves or witches) and smouldering hot men (also werewolves ... obviously!)  There are red hot and racy bedroom scenes and plenty of kick ass fights and dramatic tension. It is slightly 'light weight' as reading matter goes, but that is what I have come to expect from e-publishing, and it was just what I needed when I was laid up, resting after an operation, with concentration levels not at warp speed!  Download it dare you, I think you (and your beloved) will be pleasantly surprised! <wink>

& Saving the Very Best til Last ...

BOOK : The Killing Dance (#6 in the series Anita Blake Vampire Hunter) By LK Hamilton

www.laurellkhamilton.org/‎

This book was by turns gripping, erotic, soul searching, tense with drama and back to erotic love triangles.  I must confess to always having a bias towards the cold danger of a vampire when pitted against the claws and ferocity of werewolves, so I knew who I wanted Anita to choose ... but she has her own agenda and her own demons. Yet I think her final decision may have surprised even her! 

I really lose myself in these books, so cannot recommend them highly enough.  Very addictive, I am glad Ms Hamilton has written so many! 5 Stars!

Vampires & Casters .... walking amongst us!

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter - exciting and page turning as ever!!!  I read this book in just over a day - could NOT put it down!

Bloody Bones :  Laurel K Hamilton http://www.anitablake.co.uk/the_books.html

As soon as Anita arrives to sort out a dispute over land ownership by raising the dead in a graveyard, she realises that her clients have not been totally honest with her - the dead are 200+ years old  and their graves have been disturbed.  Before she can get to the bottom of that mystery she is called out to a police investigation of a murder of 3 children in nearby woods - killed by a blade so sharp she has never seen its like before - and apparently they knew their killer or were entranced, because not one had tried to run away or dodge the attack.

But Anita and her preternatural expertise is not made welcome by the local police department, in fact she is shut out of the case, and when another teen is murdered (drained of blood in her own bed) Anita is the one to identify a connection, and leads a vampire hunt out in the woods - at night, with an untrained team - hmm that wont go well.

Anita is still in a love triangle with a vampire sheriff and a werewolf pack leader, (hello - Sooky Stackhouse - been there, done that!) and now she finds herself pulled into a power struggle with the vampires and faeries in this region who fight dirty and have evolved in ways she did not know vampires could.  Several times Anita's life, and the lives of those on her 'team', are in grave danger.  Anita pulls on strengths that she hardly knows the origins of but will it be enough....?

Beautiful Creatures : Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl  http://beautifulcreaturesnovels.com/

I felt a bit reluctant to try this book initially, because the film had so obviously been pitched at the Twihard market - now cut adrift with no new Twilight material to watch or read, but I was blown away by the book!!  It is romantic - sure, but the central magical character does not really know what she is, what her powers will develop into:  her fate is to be determined on her 16th birthday (not far away by the time she moves to this tiny Southern town) and on that night she may be claimed by the dark side!

The story is told from the view-point of Ethan - a very lonely boy (his mother has recently died which has caused his father to become a recluse) - who is desperate to leave Gatlin (a town where your business is everybody's business and nothing ever changes.)  In befriending new girl Lena, he ostracises himself from everyone except his best friend & basketball team-mate Link and his housekeeper Amma, and even she is fairly disapproving.  He has always been surrounded by tarot/and voodo, civil war re-enactements and the local library is like his second home.  But since Lena came into his consciousness it seems as if nothing and nobody is as it was before ....  Gripping and fast paced, this tight story had me chained to the armchair right to its conclusion  (which luckily  is not the end, just the end of book 1!)  

There are surely more secrets to be revealed in Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption.

House of Night Novels - a school for Vampyres

• Do you like the idea that vampyres might exist?  

• Does the idea of a schools to nurture vampyre skills appeal? (a bit like Hogwarts for wizards)

• Do you like a bit of dating drama (I guess I am talking to the girls amongst you now!)

• Are you interested in the myths and magic of the Cherokee Indians?

• Then get hold of the books in this series  ... 

• Start with Marked - where Zoey Redbird is marked as a fledgeling vampyre and has to begin a new way of life away from her family and friends ....
• Move onto Betrayed - where Zoey realises that she has a direct connection with the goddess Nyx but that her mentor may be san enemy not an ally ....
• Continue with Chosen to see how Zoey deals with the challenge of her best friend being 'undead'

http://www.houseofnightseries.co.uk/


I have just finished reading book 4 Untamed  - it was very action-packed and exciting.  Zoey has a trusted, tight group of friends who all 'bring something different to the party' - but there is  much danger and drama in Zoey's life - everyone seems to want her - all the hot guys: teen and adult, human and vamp, and now a fallen angel!  Zoey's lovely grandma - a wise woman of the Cherokee heritage - tries to guide and protect her and in doing so puts herself in terrible danger.  I got to the end of this book and had to go straight to the next ...

Hunted -  where Zoey has run away from the safety and security of her school The House of Night with only a tiny ramshackle group of 'creatures' who have not turned their back on the Goddess Nyx.  Everything they know is turned on its head - but is Zoey ready to be a priestess of this spin-off group? or must she return to the school and the new regime which now rules and the underlying evil which has the upper hand?  Zoey has many new challenges to face - one friend is new kind of vampyre another has become human again, and she is still beseiged by guys who want to be her consort or her mate.  I cant wait to find out how she handles it all!


I am still loving Nashville - Thursday nights on More4

US drama about a power struggle between two female singers in the cut-throat world of country music:

• Juliette - the spoilt bitch, riding high one moment and picking her reputation out of the gutter the next, bitter and scarred by her history with an alcoholic mother
• Rayna - the queen of the Country music scene with a long history of hits behind her but starting to loose her edge of coolness - her marriage is rocky and she has been yearning after her guitar player for years
• Deacon - Rayna's one-time lover, all-time song writing partner and a man fighting his drinking demons
• Gunnar - Chiselled guitarist and song writer, in love with Scarlett and haunted by a mistake from his past
• Scarlett - beautiful but boyfriend Avery has damaged her confidence, not only in her feminine charms but her singing & songwriting skills .....

I could go on and describe them all, they are a fantastic mess - a tangle of troubles and secrets and the music that runs right through the series is fantastic.  I am tuning in every week, or watching it on 4oD - can't bear to miss an episode, may even be tempted to buy the CD of the music - who knew I'd get into country music??

FILM : PITCH PERFECT  -  Just watch this, it is hilarious and the music is great.  If you enjoy Glee or Smash this will be right up your street!!

Angels and ... Releasing your Inner Devil!

Branded (Fall of Angels) : Keary Taylor

With my enjoyment of all things other worldly, I was very pleased to download Branded onto my Kindle.  I think this story is aimed at a teen audience as it is strongly orientated towards first love and associated intense emotions without straying into more adult-themes.

The central character - Jessica is a lonely girl, who has elected to keep herself separate from family and to forge as few relationships as possible because she is haunted by terrifying dreams.  In fact her dreams are so traumatic, and leave her so mentally and physically scarred, that she tries to sleep as little as possible.

Enter (stage left) Alex, a gorgeous guy she cannot get away from because he owns the house she lives in!  Alex is clearly interested in her from minute 1 – it is obvious to the reader, but not to Jessica who has no confidence in herself – so he has to work hard to break down her barriers & form a relationship with her.

Unfortunately Jessica also attracts the attention and lust of a very dangerous character bent on gaining power over her and getting her under his control.  She is soon torn between the desire to protect those she loves and the very real need to escape from this evil creature – what transpires concludes the book neatly, yet leaves room for book 2 and book 3 to follow.

This was a fast paced read, and very enjoyable, but Jessica’s naievety was hard to believe at times, and the writing style was fairly lightweight.

Dare : Tracey Cox

To ring the changes a little I have also been reading Dare – the strapline for this book intrigued me “what happens when fantasies come true”.  Tracey has compiled this book from real women’s fantasies, and it is set out cleverly, each entry has:  part 1 where the pure fantasy is described, part 2 where the execution is described – the practicalities of making the fantasy happen - and part 3 where the real scenario and its outcome is described. 

Tracey has applied her editing and writing talents to fantasies which people have submitted to her, but they've all  beenapproved by their authors, so whilst part 1 of each is often fun and titillating, part 2 and 3 can bring the participants and reader down with a bump!  Unexpected difficulties, emotions and participants’ reactions tend to tip the balance - things do not always go to plan! 

We all know that sex and adult encounters can have embarrassing, awkward moments – and it is the embracing of this which makes Tracey’s book a refreshing change.  It stands out from the literature which has mushroomed on the bookshelves since ‘Fifty’ took the reading world by storm!

The Rocky Horror Show

To celebrate its 40th year the Rocky Horror Show has gone on tour round the UK!  Hard to believe this was written and performed so long ago, when times were surely more prudish, but it is still fresh and funny and CAMP!  

Bella Talk travelled to Cambridge dressed like a burlesque performer, accompanied by apprehensive husband  kitted out to do the Time Warp!!  We got slightly odd looks as we walked into the heart of town in our OTT outfits but we had a whale of a time at the performance.  The cast were very talented and we were particularly impressed with Frank N. Furter - such a fantastic athletic physique and he owned the role no less than Tim Curry does in the film version.  

The other stand out character for us was the narrator - his quips were very current and he dealt with the Rocky Horror Hecklers with aplomb. I was disappointed that I wasn't allowed to throw my toast, but it made a great snack for the journey home!

Did you think I had stopped Blogging??

Dont worry my faithful few ... I have not abandoned you!  I was just so 'into' my reading that I hadn't put time aside to talk about the books I have been enjoying!

Finding Violet Park : Jenny Valentine

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Authors/7187/
This book blew me away!!  I am not quite sure what I expected (it is a book for young adults) but this book was completely absorbing, I did nothing all day until I had finished the book (having started the night before) and even when it was finished, I sat there thinking about what I had read.  Wow! The central character is a teenage boy, with a chaotic family and a missing father.  Lucas searches for the story behind a woman named Violet Park  because he comes across her ashes in an urn, but in trying to piece it together, he finds a lot of the missing pieces of his own life story.  I can't say more without giving too much away, but I am so glad my teenage daughter handed the book to me and said - "Here read this Mum, I have a feeling you'll like it."
People who liked Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time are likely to enjoy this book.



The Girl You Left Behind : Jojo Moyes

http://jojomoyes.com/
I was in 2 minds before I read this book:

• Very keen to begin it because I loved The Peacock Emporium, Silver Bay & Me Before You.
• Daunted to begin because Me Before You made me cry SO MUCH!!

Thank goodness I wan't a wuss!!  I read it and loved it!!  It is a book with 2 voices, and 2 timeframes:

• The first part is set in occupied France during WorldWar I 
• The second part is in modern day London, although it does flit back to WWI France to fit in a few final pieces of the jigsaw. 

Prepare to feel the awful gnawing hunger, cold and constant fear felt by Sophie, her sister and  the children they are bringing up while their husbands have gone to war.  They have to run their inn with the germans as customers and the Kommandant becomes fixated with Sophie ... or is it the image of her in the painting of her done by her husband, which she has rebelliously hung in the bar?

When the scene changes to urban London, the discomfort you feel for Liv is different but just as disturbing - she is a lonely widow, crippled by debt and unwilling to move on from the loss of her young husband for fear of being hurt again,  so she keeps herself as isolated as possible from friends and family.  Her only comfort has been the enigmatic face of Sophie in the painting from almost a century ago which hangs in her sterile minimalist home.

The journey these 2 women take, making sacrifices, making choices, fighting to preserve their values and to protect those they love, is difficult and challengeing - pushing each of them to almost lose themselves in the battle.  I was guessing to the final pages how it would end, would it somehow 'come out right' - would reputations be saved or ruined?  Would love triumph?  How many secrets had been buried around this 1 enigmatic painting?

Read it for yourself - if you have enjoyed any of Jojo's other books or novels by: Lisa Jewell,  Dorothy Koomson, Jenny Colgan or Trisha Ashley.


The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Film

Fantastic!  Wonderfully entertaining and absorbing - not in the least predictable.  Wonderful fragile personalities sharply drawn and acted - they heal each other, support each other, sometimes they make things worse for each other but in this coming of age film they are all growing and learning to face the world and cope.   A 'Breakfast Club' or 'Pretty in Pink' for today's teenagers ... and a pretty good book too I hear!

So Much to Read! So Little Time!!

I am an avid reader - always have been - and luckily my family and friends understand this need in me & don't moan and groan if I am squirrelled away in a comfy spot somewhere, trying to read my current book!  BUT over the years I have learnt the following:

1. I don't always have to finish every book that I start (especially if I don't like any of the characters!)
2. I don't have to stick to grown-up books - I  also love books aimed at teenagers
3. Just because a book gets raved about by 'everybody' doesn't make me wrong if I don't find it to my taste (50 Shades of Grey and Wuthering Heights are 2 diverse examples!)
4. Sometimes I might have to take a break from reading a high-brow book, read something a bit more fast-paced /trashy and come back to the original book later.
5. Reading should never feel a chore or duty.
6. There is always time to read  - I steal a bit if time from another activity (e.g. reading while eating , reading while cleaning my teeth (tricky!) last 10 minutes before I go to sleep (favourite!)
7. If I cant 'get into' a book is it because I haven't taken enough of a 'run' at it?  This can happen if I've only been able to 'steal' time to read it.  Still not grabbed by it after a 45 minute read or more?  this book may not be for me [1 or 4].
8. There is no shame in audio books - I am still absorbing the concept/ words the author wrote.  Good for long journeys or when I'm doing a tedious job that doesn't require concentration. [If you listen to books on your headphones, beware of falling asleep as the reader keeps reading - then when you wake up you might have a 'plot stealer' moment because the story's moved on!]

It seemed a timely moment to share this wisdom with you as I am currently reading Life of Pi  by Yann Martel http://www.powells.com/fromtheauthor/martel.html and I have got a bit stuck.  The language is beautiful, the central character is a dear good hearted boy who loves his family, loves the animals from the Zoo - which is his home - and loves god (he cant decide which god - he has his finger in the pie of at least 3 religions).  Then he sets sail for Canada and there is a terrible shipwreck. 

I am currently adrift at sea with Pi who shares a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger and a couple of other animals who have not survived the ordeal.  He has food and water supplies but there are sharks circling, not to mention the dangerous tiger on board, and who knows if anyone in authority is aware that the ship has sunk?  And I got bored! I am so sorry because the language is alluring, and the book has been translated into so many languages, not to mention that now it has been made into a blockbuster of a 3D film, but I was not gripped enough by the plot!

Quick Fix!!  Read something that is all action to get rid of my 'fidgets' and the perfect antidote was:

The Perfect Game by J Sterling (only available as an e-book but I have my kindle!) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783307-the-perfect-game

This is a love story - full on, the really strong first love teenage kind.  He's a bad boy and a baseball player - so a local celebrity.  She is a street-smart girl who has had to work hard for anything she's ever got - her trust issues make her spiky on the outside and she has a room-mate who really 'has her back'.  In the well worn path to a burning hot love affair Cassie hates Jack at first and he has to really work to win her, but it is a tale of passion and angst and opportunities almost slipping through their fingers.  A roller coaster book that begs you not to put it down.

Now hopefully I can get back to Life of Pi before the sharks attack!

Girl With a One Track Mind - Abby Lee

What can I say?  It does what it says on the tin!! Abby really does think about sex all the time - she sizes men up as she moves about town, just as I imagine a horny bloke does!  She meets guys in bars and at parties just as a many single girls do, but this is a girl who is in touch with her own sexuality and if she wants to turn the meeting into a one night stand, she does.  She also has plenty of 'friends with benefits' - guys who will contact her, or respond to her calls, to meet up for sexual encounters.

Abby keeps an on-line diary (yes readers! it started as a blog http://girlwithaonetrackmind.blogspot.co.uk/) about what she gets up to - be it guy on girl, lesbian encounters, BDSM or  even an episode at a swingers club.  She is frank and honest about her sexual activity and, what is most endearing about her, she weighs up her thoughts and feelings, investigating her ideas and attitudes to love and loyalty and relationships in general.  Confession - I am totally on Abby's wavelength regarding pretty and/or sexy underwear - it's always worth it!

At times Abby's escapades are shocking, other times funny and sometimes painfully sad - but always honest and never dull!  If you enjoyed - and were not shocked by - The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle de Jour (which also began as a blog I believe) or the Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl by Tracy Quan then you will love this book, and its sequel too!

My Mad Fat Diary - E4  I am loving this!  This is such a cool series!

The New Normal - E4  Hilarious!!  Quite a serious issue is being dealt with using incredible humour - addictive viewing.

 Mr Selfridge - ITV1  The glossy shine is starting to wear off some of the key characters, but the rich tapestry of people, class issues, ambition and success makes for a fascinating drama with fantastic costumes.

And of course 2 of my favourite series are definitely continuing not to disappoint:  Revenge  & Suits  !!

When it Snows ... Stay in to Read or Watch TV!

The Gift - Cecelia Ahern

What an interesting, thought-provoking concept this book operates on!  It keeps the reader guessing as it moves from the 'now' - a teenager being held in custody by the police on Christmas morning to the past - in the form of a story the duty sergeant tells him.  It moves from the streets - a homeless man grateful for small change and a cup of coffee from a stranger - to high flying business and a man who works constantly, juggling his family and work commitments yet always short-changing everyone, including himself, a fact about which he is unconcerned and unaware at the start of the tale.

A small, out of character, act of kindness makes everything in their world shift out of kilter, and Lou - the businessman - finds himself swinging from a feeling of power, where he is the  captain of his 'ship' to a position where he is suspicious of his colleagues' motives and struggling to present himself in a good light.  His wife is already distrustful of him and he hardly know his own children - something has to change ... and then quite dramatically it does.  I found myself reminded of It's a Wonderful Life and the timing of the tale around Christmas does nothing to distract from that parallel.   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/

Having read & enjoyed Thanks for the Memories - another book by Cecelia Ahern -and having cried buckets each time I watch PS I Love You I was totally prepared to suspend reality and shed a few tears - The Gift did not disappoint me!  http://uk.cecelia-ahern.com/books/Books/The-Gift/

Recent TV Recommendations:

Suits [Dave] They have re-run all of Series 1 on consecutive nights so that viewers are ready for Series 2 which starts this week.  It is an american legal drama - it's fast paced and witty - the 2 main characters are like chalk and cheese, yet somehow they are yin an yang to each other.  Harvey is rich and successful, well respected but his boss is worried that he has not got enough heart or conscience to be really good for the legal practice.  Harvey takes a winger and hires Mike as his up-and-coming assistant - Mike has not even been to Harvard (a closely guarded secret which could topple his career) but he has a wonderful gift:  he only has to read something to remember it and he has an intense eye for detail.  Mike is also full of empathy and heart and - although it often looks like his achilles heel - it proves the tipping point time and again to winning their cases.  (Strangely enough I could 'see' Harvey and Mike as Lou and Gabe respectively when I was reading the Gift!)

The New Normal [E4]  Really liking this - it is funny and the wit is cutting - it airs out-moded prejudices and renders them ridiculous (if you watched Glee you will see that Grandma is cut from the same cloth as Sue!)  It is just a short show but it really brightens up my week.

My Mad Fat Diary E4 pushed this very hard over Christmas - the trailers were on all the time - so having seen a lot of clips I thought I knew what to expect, and yet it surprised me. The subject matter - a 16 year old girl with a weight problem and mental health issues - was dealt with sensitively and yet with humour.  The viewer is privvy to Rae's thoughts and counselling sessions, Rae is brutally honest about her sexuality - horny thoughts bombarding 24/7 - and her uncomfortable relationship with her mother "She's a Nightmare!"  It is set at the height of Cool Brittania and Rae - who loves music - is getting out there and trying to make new friends and feel more comfortable with herself and her size.  Anyone who has read the fantastic Swallowing Grandma by Kate Long might see some similarities, but I think its likely the plots will veer off in different directions.

www.katelong.co.uk/index.htm