A beutiful story of being old and young

I was asked to review this by Lovereading.com

I had not come across this author but so glad I was asked to review.

A remarkable story- thought provoking and emotional too - It’s about getting old, being young and what we do with our lives.

Florence is lying on the floor in her sheltered accommodation she muses over her life- a new resident has arrived is this someone she thought had died over 60 years ago. Her friend Elsie then helps her to remember the past and a secret Florence has kept to herself.

The author writes beautifully and the reader will be drawn to the characters who are real and interesting.

I often wonder when I am older what I will muse over - I have to admit to a few tears a long the way.

Beautiful and I could not put this down totally devoured to the end.

Good for kids and good message

I was asked to review this by Librarything.com

This is a cute book and the author writes about birds that cannot fly- this is about being different and this is a great message for children and adults. We do not all conform to what is expected or the "norm" we need to be accepted for what we are.

This book highlights how the birds help each other- this is a simple message which children will understand it does not need anything other than this message. The illustrations are good.

Don't give up.

Recommended for 6 year olds and upward.

A nostalgic read

I was asked to review this book by Nudge Reviewers.

I was glad to receive this in the Christmas holidays. I trained as a nurse in the 1980s and watch tv programmes set in the 50s such as Call the Midwife but always interested in other types of nurses and Aileen works in a paeds (children) at this time. Nurses at this time were looked upon as angels and staff respected each other- perhaps more so then.

The author now an MP also trained as nurse so is pulling on her knowledge and training. 

The story is set in Liverpool in the 50s and the reader gets a sense of the dockyards, community life emerging from the war. Although this is book four in the Lovely Lane series readers can read this as a stand alone book , but why not read the others in the series too. The book as expected is emotional, we forget the hardships people went through and the dawn of the National Health Service. This was a calling and people devoted their lives to the sick. Sister Tapps is a good example overworked but the hospital is her family.

Will the neglected baby boy survive? - death was common in children still in the 50s and the author tackles these issues in a humane way.

A great old fashioned festive read - recommended.

Happy Christmas and look forward to 2018

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

My pledge for 2018 is to read more books and write more reviews

See more of my reviews in 2018

Jane Brown

Thought provoking and a heathy easy guide

I was asked to review by Librarything.com.

This book  is a cookbook and reference book. The author discusses possible causes of cancer some the reader will be familiar (smoking, diet, poor lifestyle) with and some not.

Diet today for some people is dreadful, people do not know how to cook and rely on processed foods laden with salts and sugars.

The author states there are three ingredients that may reduce the risk of cancer- Ginger, garlic and turmeric staples in the far east and India.

The book is well researched and has a good resource guide at the back for further reading. What is also interesting is the author discusses dementia and Alzheimer's also and again diet plays a part.

It is focused on the states with worrying statistics but is equally apt for readers in the UK.

The recipes are easy to cook and flavoursome also- salmon and green mango lush and kale chips yummy.

This book is apt for all people wanting to look at their diet a good reference guide to start 2018 off.

entertaining

I was asked to review this book by Librarything.com

The author has sent me other books which I will read and spend 2018 reviewing.

This is satire and good satire it is thought provoking and makes the reader think why we sometimes do things is it because society and our peers expects this or do we do certain things as personal choice.

The book is set around basically just that a chap who wants to do what he wants - his plants. Life is never what we expect - although I plan something just turns your world the other way.

It was funny and sad , but it does put life into perspective - again personally getting tied up in knots worrying does no good.

For the main character just deciding to sit when the American national anthem is played he gets more than he bargained for- the media whips this to a frenzy and he is forced to go on the run. Has he done something wrong? what would you do? can the media get things out of perspective?

Really entertaining - Thank you Jacob for letting me review this and giving me a batch of books for 2018.

A cute autumnal romance

I was asked to review this book by Librarything.com

Delightful autumnal read, fast paced cute read but there was a good storyline. This was funny with great chemistry between the characters. The characters were likable and real.

The author writes well and I am now seeking out this author to see what else has been written

This was a quick read for me but well recommended pumpkins and the autumn a great time of the year

Hope and joy at Christmas

I was asked to review this book by Librarything.com

This is a cute festive read ideal for the upcoming holidays when you want to take yourself off drink some gingerbread latte and snuggle up with the festive pjs.

This is a story of hope and a new start.

Joy Holliday takes her five year old daughter, Piper, to stay in Glacier Creek  with her late husbands parents  She's travelled there after reading Piper's letter to Father Christmas one of her wishes is to see snow.

Christmas will not be easy for them, but Joy is a wonderful mother Piper is cute.

They meet a friend of her late husband Cole - he has problems of his own and Christmas is not a great time for him either as he was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a child! Sounds a little too much - readers it is a beautiful story of hope, new happenings and light at the end of a horrid dark tunnel.

Will this be a good ending - read it and see.

Fun and quirky

I am always glad when this author emails me with - do you want to review this book. The answer is always Yes Please.

This is fun and quirky. Ambrosine Dubreauil comes home to New Orleans to run her late grandmother's shop with the wacky name of "Who Do Voodoo"! She is able to perform spells. Then in comes the gorgeous  Remy LaCroix, who owns an alligator farm yes seriously. He needs a form of potion to keep the poachers at bay.

It is an unlikely story but snuggle up and enjoy as the romance blossoms.

A cute and quirky short fun read.

Dark, secrets and a wonderful read.

I read this in November on my winter holiday, I had this on my kindle and knew very little about it. It had a feel of the Girl with the Pearl Earing it has an air of mystery. Set in 1686 in Amsterdam newly wed Petronella arrives to take up residence with her husband and his family.

This has a Du Maurier feel of the second Mrs De Winter arriving at Mannerly. The reader feels for Petronella and what seems like a really dysfunctional family and husband who appears as though she does not exist.

The reader gets pulled into this house, secrets people who are not as they appear to be.

Her husband gifts her a replica cabinet house and enlists a miniaturist to create miniature objects and people - all too soon the house is becoming strangely familiar and she is living her life through this.

The characters are strange but real, the author writes well and enables the reader imagine Amsterdam at this time with frozen canals.

This is a different age with different values, prejudices, betrayal and identity.

Wonderfully written and this is the authors debut novel what a start to her writing career.

Another great from Brown

I read this on my winter holiday, although I did not feel this was the best novel Dan Brown has written none the less- it was a great read.

Religion and science is always a big debate in the world and it was interesting how Dan Brown presented this.

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going ? Gauguin.

The format is the same, Weird man on a mission, beautiful woman expert in her field, mystery murder Langdon and the woman go off to solve the mystery all is not as it seems. Brown drip feeds the reader with just enough information to keep them gripped to the end. History and art are thrown into the mix.

Dan Brown researches his subject meticulously, despite some reviews he writes well and keeps the reader wanting for more.

Interesting characters, the reader can imagine the cities visited, and a great read.

Recommended and sure this will be developed into a blockbuster film.