Told As It Was

I was keen to read this as will be visiting Chartwell in 2017.

My question would be what if there had been no first world war or second world war, would Churchill and his wife have been remembered. The other question would be if we had had a different prime minister at the helm during the second world war - would the outcome have been different? we will never know.

The lady herself I felt was born in the wrong time as today she would have gone to university and may have gone into politics herself. I was left thinking she was extremely selfish with her children, wanted to go on long holidays or take her self off to bed to the detriment of her children. Both sadly had been damaged from bad childhoods and that may account for this and it was a different time. 

There had not been a role/job description for the prime ministers wife which she made this her own and changed the way things were run.

Clementine came into her own in the first world war as did a great many women running canteens across London.

During the second world war she did a great deal for the ordinary people, but allowed her female relatives to sleep with the American for the country. 

I found at the end of the war extreme selfishness when they actually had to deal with rationing. I naively thought they were in it with the nation not so.

Interesting and never able to live within their means going from one financial crisis to another. 

Good historical references and well written by the author she told the story warts and all.

Living the dream with a few obstacles

I was asked to review this by the author. As a fan of the Olive series by Carol Drinkwater and had recently read and Chickens Eat Pasta, I was interested in life in Italy.

The story is about a couple ( Stef and Nico) from Holland and their dog, going to live in Italy and live the dream.

How these two actually persevered was a wonder and a joy to read, the bureaucracy - you can never imagine until you read this fascinating book. I read this on my winter hoiliday so with the warm sunshine and palm waving- I settled into reading this. Throughout the turmoils comes humour and friendship along the way with extremely irritating read tape and bungling builders. 

The book is split into short stories /chapters which were easy to read and the reader wants to keep going to see if they do survive and live the dream with their Bed and Breakfast villa- Villa I Due Padroni. 

At the end I truly wanted to thank them for staying the course and of course this is real and so is the villa so you never know may be one day I may live the dream and stay there - a lovely thought as i get back to life at home in freezing temperatures.

Thank you for letting me review - a joy.

Interesting Alternative

Description: 

Woman who can embrace child birth through HynoBirthing gives the parents control and interact with the child in the womb.

This book explores how the woman’s body in birthing works, an interesting exploration into why medical labour can be more painful.

Highlights: 

This is an informative and easy to read book for the mother and birthing partner. The author gives the woman the permission to look elsewhere to the alternative. The author explores positive thinking and gives a whole outlook on well being. HypnoBirthing claims to help shorten birthing and the time to recover after. The reader is unaware if the author was a midwife but she does describe thirty or so years ago when she began “delivering babies”. So the author appears to have had a wealth of experience and claims to have given birth to her four children using this method.

List strengths and weaknesses:

The book is informative and gives as different slant on how mum is with her approach to child birth and with all aspects of life less stress and positively goes a long way. This is a practical approach which has a place, but alongside medical care and to be aware if compilations occur that a medical delivery team will take over. The author acknowledges healthy women with healthy babies can give birth out side of the emergency setting and birthing units within a hospital are best placed.

I found no weaknesses, this was well researched and the author has a wealth of knowledge including being the founder of the HypnoBirthing programme

 This book is written for women living in the States but is equally as apt for women in the UK.

Potential Readers: All Midwives and Obstetricians. Midwives working in the community helping mum and birthing partner with their birthing plan and birthing centre staff.

Something needs to be done

Description: 

Dr Hotez launched Baylor’s National School of Tropical Medicine. What he has uncovered in poor areas of Texas (USA is one of the richest countries) diseases which you would expect in third world countries. He explores diseases such as TB, hookworm, lymphatic filarasis and Chagas disease to name a few which occur with extreme poverty. There are impoverished people living in rich countries and actually account for most of the world worst poverty related diseases. This for the reader is both surprising and shocking.

Personally going on holiday to India and Mexico I was shocked but not surprised to see very ill people and in India Polio still rife. I grew up in Scotland in the late 60s where polio and other diseases were still familiar.

Highlights: 

We have spokes people like Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall who take on business giants and highlight the issues in the UK. We know there are too many homeless on the streets but we do have an NHS that treats all and at present we do not have to pay high insurance costs.

The author in this instance has uncovered a horrify problem on the USA door step let alone what is happening in other affluent countries. The author has highlighted diseases we thought we would not see in affluent countries. This is shocking and there is no comfort blanket this is facts which stack up.

The author explores different countries and gives statistics as well as interesting narrative to the background to the people, economy and diseases found there.

The author highlights socioeconomic issues and the north south divide is everywhere. He urges that public health needs to be tackled now and solutions need to be shared.

Strengths and weaknesses:

This is a well researched book which takes you to countries of the world describing diseases and giving solid data. There is a whole chapter listing literature cited, in which the author is sited on numerous occasions highlighting just how much personal research he has carried out himself rather than just quoting other experts.

It is shocking and makes the reader aware something has to be done- what is happening to people now suffering in what we in Britain would think was Dickensian.  

it makes the reader wonder just what the consequences could be for health when the UK voted no to the EU on the 23^rd June 2016, what impact could that have for Britain and health. It is concerning that the NHS is overgrown and cannot cope with capacity and finance and what the future hold we do not know as each government tries to paste over the cracks.

I found no weaknesses.

Potential Readers:

This book is for all clinicians dealing with caring for people with poverty related diseases. This book should be on the student nurse essential reading list as this is shocking and something needs to be done. We cannot go around blinkered.

A must practical book for Women with Breast Cancer

Description: 

A book that provides all the information a woman will need when making life and body changes when faced with breast cancer. This is an extremely practical and user friendly read.

Highlights: 

The book is easy to follow. It is good as the reader is under any illusions as breast reconstruction is not for all women but with practical advice the woman can make informed decisions and choices with the aid of this book.

The author reassures the woman by advising her to be patient, will feel feminine again but again gives the reader the choice as she explores is it worth it?

The photographs are of real women who have had breast cancer so the reader can associate herself in differing situations.

The real life accounts and stories of real women make this a powerful book for women.

Different cultures are explored as well as practicalities around money, as this book is written in the states it does explore insurance but people faced with cancer in the UK can claim under some of the cancer charities.

One of the aspects personally I would be concerned about would be clothes and how to wear them – this I found valuable.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Although this is written in the states it applies equally to women in the UK. Well written, easy to read. The author is a medical writer so has experience and has been honoured for her work.

Every time I went to a chapter the subject was there that I wanted to explore. There are notes with good references at the end and a glossary for women who may not have medical knowledge and could be confused with jargon.

I found no weaknesses.

Potential Readers:

All nursing and medical staff caring for women with breast cancer must read this book. They are the people that must ensure these women know about this book and are steered in the right direction to make the informed decisions. 

End of a great series

I was asked to review by inspired by Kathy

The last in the series -I  had been privileged to read the other books in this remarkable series.A great read and a sad day when this has come to an end.

Love this book the writing was great and fast paced great plot.

Beautiful

I was asked to review this by Inspired by Kathy 

I felt I needed to know more after the book finished - a sequel is needed 

I loved this book having lived in Yorkshire - such a special place.

The plot was great the writing was good - a story of love before the second world war and a second love with her true love away at war.

Just such an addictive book I could not put down - an author to look out for.

Not your usual Paris story but well recommended

I was asked to review by Librarything.com

Loved this the descriptions of Paris accurate the author has either done their homework or been there. The character Amy has an obsession with diets and Paris know the two very well.

Lovely book - we all have had experiences of dramatic weight loss for me when my world was ripped apart.
Well written book, fast paced - and so very different but hey that is what I loved about it.

A great read for the sunbed

Fast paced a great thriller

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com

What a great read loved this from page one. A bit of fantasy, elements of great Egyptian mysteries. it is a tale of a race against time with intrigue, mystery, death and will Alex get to the truth in time.

A well written novel which is fast paced with the reader reading on to the very end to find out what happened - recommended 

Just great for kids this Christmas

I was asked to review by Librarything.com

Just great for kids, Christmas a great story. Education for the child in numeracy, words and much more 

Cute and a must this Christmas. 

A Great read

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com


I was so glad I did what a book. I loved his debut novel -The Prediction and knew this would be promising so was so glad when i was able to enjoy and review.

i devoured this from the streets of Curacao to Amsterdam fast paced - crime, terrorism and more all thrown into this great melting pot.

The ending well- I did not expect that 

Will be up there in the top  ten this December cannot wait for the next book the author will write. 

Adorable

I was asked to review by Librarything.com

Adorable - 35  and cute Kawaii designs. I loved colouring books as a child and this would be so apt for adult or child. 

Just something to take the adult away from the stresses of real life and this took me back to the late 60s early seventies.

As it is nearing Christmas a great stocking filler. 

Good for the creative writer

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com.

Essentially this is the experiences of  the author on an Open University  course in creative writing. This was part of his blog.
This aids would be writers in creative writing ( not easy I went on a course a few years back).

I was not sure about this at first but found this inspiring and informative all in the one bag. there are short stories and poems with handy hints on writing.

Recommended read.

Oh my goodness

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com

Interesting book. Thought provoking just what would you do?

Four winners of the town raffle are offered an additional prize by the weird new raffle draw . The extra prize, if the winner chooses not to use it, can be given to someone else they know who might be in more need. The three winners decided to take the bonus prize. The other one gave it to their best friend. The bonus prize gives each winner a chance to go back to any day in the past they wanted to change.

This book really makes you think about regrets, longing, things you may have done wrong - oh my goodness a moralistic roller coaster.

Wow gosh this made me think and I expect readers too will go through so many emotions and what ifs. Made me think life is short and you get one stab at life.

Remarkable.

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com 

This is a biography of Alexandre Vachon [1885-1953], cleric and scientist, Francophone leader and who became Archbishop of Ottawa. he was born in Canada with descendants from Ireland  in 1832. The youngest of thirteen children  he graduated from the Quebec Minor Seminary and Laval University be. It is a fascinating portrait of  spiritual pastor who advocated for the advancement and elevation of his charges through the study of the sciences.

A fascinating book