BOOKS THAT CAME INTO MY HOUSE THIS WEEK

Just the one book this week which I received from Arcadia Books for review. I haven't been to the library this week as I already have far too many books, and I know that I just can't go to the library without borrowing at least one book, so I've avoided it!

The Black Madonna by Peter Millar

In ruins on the outskirts of Gaza, the war-torn Palestinian city that had been a metropolis since the times of the pharaohs, a plucky young female archaeologist has made a remarkable find: possibly the earliest known image of the Virgin Mary, created during her lifetime.

But before she can reveal it to the world, it is stolen from her in a brutal personal assault amidst the chaos of an Israeli airstrike. But who has stolen it and why? What dark hidden secret did it conceal? With her former lover, an Oxford professor of comparative historiography – the science of comparing alternative versions of the past – she sets out on a dangerous quest to some of the holiest sites in Christendom, from the plains of Bavaria to the mountains of central Spain and an ignored ancient temple in the heart of London.

In a tale of murder, treason, intrigue and geopolitics, they uncover a web of conspiracy, cover-ups, confused mythology and interlinked religion that dates back to the last pagan Roman emperor, and maybe even to the very origins of life on earth. Astonishingly well-researched, this is a gripping yarn that is at the same time intellectually challenging.

Published by Arcadia Books on the 30th September 2010

BOOK REVIEW: AFTER YOU BY JULIE BUXBAUM

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Published by: Bantam Books (Aug 2010)

Pages: 409 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8.5/10

AFTER YOU BY JULIE BUXBAUM

My Thoughts:

Ellie, an American, goes to London to look after her best friend Lucy's daughter, Sophie who is 8, leaving behind her husband, Phillip, in Boston. Lucy has been tragically murdered and her husband, Greg, and Sophie (who has stopped talking) are devastated.

While Ellie and Sophie grow closer, Ellie and Phillip gradually grow apart. She tells Phillip that she's staying indefinitely, she believes she's doing the right thing looking after Sophie and they both find comfort in reading Ellie's favourite childhood book 'The Secret Garden'.

Ellie tries to come to terms with her best friend's death, while discovering that Lucy had secrets that she hadn't told her, even though they talked and emailed each other all the time.

I no longer wonder what I am doing here. My mission has been clarified. Sophie needs me. Greg needs me. And, though I hate to admit it, right now, with Lucy gone, I need them too. They are the closest things I have to a purpose. They understand, they appreciate, what has been lost.

Ellie is the voice in the story and I really felt like I had got to know her by the end of the book. Not only was she living miles away from her home, she was mourning and missing her friend, she had to be a mother to Sophie, while her marriage was falling apart with Greg threatening to leave her, also her parents were getting re-married after being separated, she had all these life-changing situations to deal with. I admired her strength of character in coping with everything.

The writing was smooth, the characters were well-defined and I thought overall it was a really good summer read.

For more on the author, Julie Buxbaum, click here

My thanks to Transworld Publishers for sending me this book as part of the Transworld Dan Brown Summer Reading Challenge - details of which can be found here

This is the 2nd book in my challenge - the 1st book was If I Stay by Gayle Forman

BOOKS THAT CAME INTO MY HOUSE THIS WEEK

The postman brought me these books this week :

The Skinny On Time Management

The Skinny on Success

The Skinny on The Art of Persuasion

The Skinny on Networking

The people from the Skinny On series sent me these books for review, they contain stick figure drawings and simple stories that are quick and easy to read.

I also received this from Arcadia Books

What Will Survive by Joan Smith

It is the summer of 1997. Aisha Lincoln, supermodel-turned-charity-campaigner, sets out on her latest trip to the Middle East, with a famous photographer in tow. However, the assignment turns into tragedy when both are killed in an explosion in a remote area of Lebanon.

Aisha not only leaves behind a seemingly perfect marriage and two teenage sons, but also a secret lover, Stephen Massinger, who is a backbench MP with a reputation to protect, and a group of devoted friends and colleagues, all struggling to come to terms with the news.

As the bereaved negotiate their way through the media onslaught in the weeks after Aisha's death, her name jostling for column inches with the reports of Princess Diana's charity causes and holiday exploits, journalist Amanda Harrison travels to Lebanon to write an article about Aisha's last days.

However, as the events of August 1997 draw towards their inevitable close, Amanda discovers some disturbing facts about Aisha's death. It is only then she realises the extent of the power wielded by the media, and how, for them, there will always be some truths that are more important than others.

I also went to the library and brought this home with me :

rChart Throb is the ultimate pop quest. There are ninety five thousand hopefuls, three judges, just one winner. And that's Calvin Simms, the genius behind the show. Calvin always wins because Calvin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted 'search' for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality' television and Calvin and his fellow judges (the nation's favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves. Ben Elton, author of "Popcorn" and "Dead Famous" returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows. Chart Throb has one winner and a whole bunch of losers.

BOOK NEWS: James Patterson brings in $70m to become world's highest-earning author

James Patterson, prolific 'brand-name' author, whose many books are written by a team of collaborators, takes twice as much as Stephenie Meyer, his nearest rival


With his name emblazoned on one in every 17 novels bought in the US, James Patterson has become the highest paid author in the world.

Working with a team of collaborators, Patterson writes around eight books a year, encompassing thrillers and children's books, making his publisher around $500m (£322m) over the last two years. These figures put him firmly on top of Forbes's list of the world's 10 top-grossing authors, with $70m earnings of his own over the year to 1 June. The last time Forbes published the line-up, in 2008, Patterson was in second place behind Harry Potter author JK Rowling and her $300m.

A former copywriter, Patterson works on his novels seven days a week, starting every day at around 5.30am and writing everything in longhand. Full of short, sharp sentences and brief chapters, packed with cliffhangers, his best-known character is the African American pathologist Alex Cross, but he is also known for his Women's Murder Club series and for the Maximum Ride books for young adults, about a group of children who are able to fly after being experimented on. He signed a multi-million dollar book deal last autumn that will see him producing 17 books by the end of 2012.

"I'm certainly not a world-class stylist. But the storytelling is pretty cool, and the narrative power of the stuff is usually pretty strong," he told the Guardian two years ago. "These books are entertainments. It's a very different process than if you're trying to write Moby-Dick, or The Corrections. That's painful. That's different from very simple, plot-oriented storytelling. If I was writing serious fiction, I'd want more rest time."

Patterson earned almost double the amount of Forbes's second-placed author, Stephenie Meyer – a new entrant to the list – who made $40m over the period, selling 40m copies of her Twilight vampire series in the US and 100m worldwide. Horror author Stephen King comes in third with earnings of $34m, while blockbuster romance writer Danielle Steel, who has four new books out this year, is fourth with $32m. Output is important in this game: Steel has written more than 100 books to date; King is the author of almost 50 novels; and Patterson adds to his vast oeuvre almost monthly.

Ken Follett is the highest-ranking British author on the list, with his thrillers bringing him $20m in the year to 1 June, and it is rounded out by Dean Koontz ($18m), Janet Evanovich ($16m), John Grisham ($15m), Nicholas Sparks ($14m) and Rowling. Despite publishing no new Harry Potter novel this year, Rowling – the first author to become a billionaire – still made $10m, said Forbes. Spy author Tom Clancy, fourth-highest earner two years ago, fell out of the list – which sees the 10 authors totalling earnings of $270m over the period – this year.

The top 10 in full is:

1. James Patterson ($70m)

2. Stephenie Meyer ($40m)

3. Stephen King ($34m)

4. Danielle Steel ($32m)

5. Ken Follett ($20m)

6. Dean Koontz ($18m)

7. Janet Evanovich ($16m)

8. John Grisham ($15m)

9. Nicholas Sparks ($14m)

10. JK Rowling ($10m)

Taken from Guardian.co.uk

BOOK REVIEW: THE RED QUEEN BY PHILIPPA GREGORY

Genre: Historical

Published by: Simon & Schuster (Aug 2010)

Pages: 387 (Uncorrected Proof Paperback)

My Rating: 9/10









THE RED QUEEN BY PHILIPPA GREGORY

About the Book:

The second book in Philippa Gregory's stunning new series, The Cousins War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses.
The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England.

My Thoughts:

Margaret Beaufort's only desire in life is for her son, Henry Tudor, to become the King of England. This book is the story of how she sacrificed everything to ensure that that happened.

She believed she was special and that the Lancaster House was blessed by God, she spends hours on her kness in prayer and her heroine was Joan of Arc, in fact she often asked herself 'What would Joan do now?' when she was faced with a tough decision.

I am a highly intelligent, highly educated woman, from a royal family, called by God to great office, guided personally by the Maid, and constantly hearing the voice of God in my prayers.

It is narrated by Margaret who comes across as not very likeable, incredibly pious, very jealous of her rival, Elizabeth Woodville (The White Queen), single-minded and devious. Philippa Gregory has really brought her to life and I was gripped by the seemingly endless battles between the armies of the Lancaster and the Yorks, but Margaret never stopped hoping and plotting and scheming, even when her son had to be raised by her enemy she continued telling him that he was still a Lancaster and that one day he will be the King, and not to give up believing.

I enjoyed the first book in 'the cousins war' The White Queen but I enjoyed this even more, I thought the writing was more descriptive and flowed easier. Although I really didn't like the emotionally cold Margaret Beaufort I did admire her determination and self-belief.

My review of The White Queen can be found here

To enter a competition to win a copy of The Red Queen click here

My thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me an uncorrected proof copy for review.

PHILIPPA GREGORY TALKING ABOUT THE RED QUEEN

BOOK REVIEW: THE WAITING ROOM BY FG COTTAM

Genre: Horror/Fiction

Published by: Hodder & Stoughton (June 2010)

Pages: 294 (Hardback)

My Rating: 7/10









THE WAITING ROOM BY FG COTTAM

About the Book:

Martin Stride is a retired rock star, enjoying the quiet life with his young family on their beautiful estate. On the edge of his grounds lies a derelict Edwardian railway station waiting room once used to transport troops in The Great War. Silent for many years, lately strange occurrences in the waiting room lead Martin to seek the help of TV's favourite ghost-hunter Julian Creed. But Creed's psychic ability is a fabrication to gain viewers. He doesn't believe in the paranormal. Until he spends a night in The Waiting Room.
My Thoughts:
I picked this book up from the library as I was drawn to the cover picture of a ghostly spectre of an old soldier.
The story started really well and I was drawn in as Martin Stride's family experienced strange happenings centred on the waiting room which was about half a mile away from their house -- his son saw the soldier's apparition there, singing was heard of an old war-time song and the faint rumble of a train was heard, even though there were no tracks. All very scary.
Enter the enigmatic, laid-back, confident Julian Creed, TV ghost hunter, who's a complete fake, but who's job is "to discover what had summoned the waiting room back into baleful life and return it to rest." Not believing in ghosts he gets quite a shock when an apparition appears in front of him when he stays there for one night............
As he and his researcher try to discover more about the nearby now demolished asylum that was open in the 1920's they uncover terrible secrets from the past that could have an impact on the present and the future.
The story itself was atmospheric and chilling in parts but I felt that about three quarters of the way in it lost its way and I started feeling a little confused as to what was happening and why, and I thought there were too many questions that weren't answered satisfactorily for me. Also the dialogue was sometimes unreal and stilted.
Overall, a decent horror story but one that probably won't stay in my mind.

BOOK REVIEW: THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY BY TIFFANY BAKER

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Published by: Hodder (May 2009)

Pages: 350 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8.5/10

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY BY TIFFANY BAKER

About the Book:
Truly Plaice is born larger than life into a small-minded town. Her birth rocks the pillars of tiny Aberdeen, New York, and breaks her family into smithereens.
She spends a painful childhood in the shadow of her older sister Serena’s beauty, and is teased mercilessly for her enormous physique. But when Serena unexpectedly vanishes and leaves her son in Truly’s care, Truly must become mistress of a house she did not choose and the unwilling victim of her brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Morgan. Once her childhood tormentor, he now subjects her to brutal criticism and cruel medical experiments that test her endurance past breaking point – but Truly may have more power than he realises...

First Lines:

"The day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons. First, even though it was August, the sky overhead was as rough and cold as a January lake; and second, it was the day I started to shrink."

My Thoughts:

Have you ever finished a book, put it down, and then thought to yourself 'I'm really glad I read that book'? That's just how I felt at the end of this lovely story. It wasn't a book that I 'just couldn't put down', nor it was so gripping that I was turning the pages eagerly wanting to know what happens next, it was just a really entertaining 'feel good' story that made you feel happy to have known someone like Truly Plaice.

Her mother dies giving birth to her, her elder sister is beautiful, slim, popular - the exact opposite of the 'giant' - but Truly just seems to take everything in her stride and accepts her lot as just the way things are.

For once the heroine is not tall, slim and pretty and even Truly's own doctor says to her "But, my God, you're ugly."

As Truly grows older and larger, the small town inhabitants tease her, but she raises above it all and discovers family secrets that change not only her life but those around her.

The descriptive and detailed writing was a joy to read -

There was a half-moon up and a few moth-eaten stars hanging in the sky, as if Aberdeen had gotten the leftovers from a long-dead vaudeville show.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Tiffany Baker's website can be found here

Thanks go to Newman Communications for sending me a copy of this book.

BOOKS THAT CAME INTO MY HOUSE THIS WEEK

The postman brought me two books this week.

After You by Julie Buxbaum
Published by Bantam Books (19 Aug 2010)

I received this as part of the Transworld Dan Brown Summer Reading Challenge. This is the second book of four that I shall be reading and reviewing this summer.
The first book was If I Stay by Gayle Forman which I reviewed here.


The next book that the postie brought for me was The God of the Hive by Laurie R King. I have a Vintage Postcard blog called Pretty As A Postcard and Laurie asked me if she could use the backs of some of my postcards in her story, so of course I said yes, and she very kindly send me a copy of her new book as a thank you.

UK
cover

US
cover

I have to say that I much prefer the US cover to the UK one, it's a lot prettier I think.

I'm looking forward to reading both of these books, they are very different to each other.

BOOKS READ IN JULY 2010

July was a really good month reading-wise, I read 5 books, all of which I enjoyed, my favourite was Mari Strachan's The Earth Hums in B Flat - a lovely, quirky tale of a young girl growing up in a small Welsh village.

The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan 9/10

The Australian Womens Weekly Macaroons and Biscuits 10/10

Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante 8/10

War on the Margins by Libby Cone 9/10

The Baker Street Phantom by Fabrice Bourland 8.5/10

If I Stay by Gayle Forman 8/10

Extreme Risk: A Life Fighting the Taliban by Chris Hunter 10/10
(Read by my husband)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling (Audiobook) 8/10


AUGUST POSSIBLE READS

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker - reading now and nearly finished
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver - listening to now
The Waiting Room by FG Cottam
Jubilee by Eliza Graham
The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
From Hell & Back by Gussie McRobert
Truth by Peter Temple
California Schemin' by Gavin Bain
Googled by Ken Auletta

I'd love to read them all but I know it's just not possible, I just wish I could read faster!

SOME NEW BOOKS COMING OUT SOON

Just a small selection of the new books coming out in September 2010

Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood





Liar, Liar (Cat DeLuca Mystery) by KJ Larsen

The Danger Box by Blue Balliett






Mini-Shopaholic (Shopaholic Book 6) by Sophie Kinsella





Empire of Silver (Conqueror Book 4) by Conn Iggulden
(Dec 2010 USA)




The Charming Quirks of Others (Isabel Dalhousie Book 7) by Alexander McCall Smith
(Oct 2010 USA)





Daniel by Henning Mankell
(Nov 2010 USA)

Magical Mail by Claire Barker
(Oct 2010 USA)




Reckless by Cornelia Funke






The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn





These are just a small fraction of the hundreds of new books being published in September. There is a mix of well known names like Sophie Kinsella and Conn Iggulden and some not so well known names like Claire Barker and Kerry Greenwood that I've listed.
I love seeing what new books are coming out and adding them to my wishlist.

Book Review: IF I STAY BY GAYLE FORMAN

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Published by: Black Swan (May 2010)

Pages: 271 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8/10

IF I STAY BY GAYLE FORMAN

One minute 17 year old Mia is riding in the car with her mum, dad and little brother enjoying a day out to visit family - the next minute she is standing next to a car that has been eviscerated, even though she can still hear the music of Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 3 playing on the radio. Her parents are lying dead and she can see someone's hand sticking out which she thinks is her brother's, until she realises that it's hers.........

This all happens very early in the story and, as Mia watches the paramedics work on her and take her to the hospital, she wonders if she's dead or alive as she can't feel anything. We move on to the hospital ward and Mia, who is narrating the story, alternates between watching the nurses, doctors, friends and family visiting her and looking back over her life.

"If I stay. If I live. It's up to me."

My Thoughts:

This was a thought-provoking book and it certainly made me think about life and death and what I would do in Mia's position.

The story went back and forth in time and I liked the way the author handled this, with just the right amount of time being devoted to each timeline without getting bored.

Mia was a lovely person, and I did like her but I thought she should have grieved more for her parents, they were an important part of her life, but it just seemed unreal to me that she hardly mentioned them at all.

An interesting look at the choices we make in our lives.

Finally, at the end of the book Gayle Forman has given us an insight into 'the story behind the story' which is fascinating. And there's also a nice interview with her in a question and answer session for further reference.

The website for Gayle Forman can be found here

I read this book as part of the Transworld Dan Brown Summer Reading Challenge.

Beauty Care Product Reviews: Lovea Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Body Lotion AND A'kin Jojoba & Lavender Conditioner

Lovea Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Body Milk

Lovea Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Body Lotion has been formulated for normal skin types.

I have been using this for the past few weeks every morning after my shower. It is very easy to rub in, and probably being a body milk instead of a cream it is quickly absorbed as well. It wasn't sticky at all and felt really soft on my skin.
I didn't have to wait long for it to soak in before I put my clothes on, unlike my normal body lotion which takes ages.
It has a lovely smell, I would describe it as 'summery' as it reminds me very much of suntan lotion.
Overall, another good quality product from the Lovea Hair and Body Care range.

It is available from mypure.co.uk in a 200ml pump action dispenser for £6.99

This is the second Lovea product that I have received and reviewed for mypure - my review of the Lovea Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo is here


My next product review is

A'kin Jojoba & Lavender Conditioner

This is another product that I've been using regularly for the past few weeks.

Even though the A'Kin Jojoba and Lavender Conditioner is mainly for normal and oily hair and my hair can be dry I didn't have any problem with it.

I used my normal shampoo and then put this on afterwards, it has a nice, not too overpowering smell and a good thick consistency. My hair can get quite tangled after washing and while I was combing the conditioner through my hair I could feel the tangles disappearing, which felt really good.

You don't need to leave this on for it to work, as soon as you've smoothed it through your hair you can just rinse it out, which I thought was wonderful, I hate having to stand in the shower and wait for two minutes while it's working!

My hair felt wonderful after, it was so soft and looked very full and thick and was so easy to manage. I was really pleased with the results. Each time I've used it since the results have been the same.

This is available in a 225ml bottle from mypure.co.uk and costs £7.49

It is also the second time I've used an A'kin product - my review of the A'kin Pure Rose Hydrating Mist can be found here

Book Review: THE BAKER STREET PHANTOM BY FABRICE BOURLAND

Genre: Supernatural Detective Fiction

Published by: Gallic Books (2nd August 2010)

Pages: 183 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8.5/10

THE BAKER STREET PHANTOM BY FABRICE BOURLAND

About the Book:

Two intrepid heroes.
A world of seances and ghosts.
Mysterious events at the home of Sherlock Holmes.

My Thoughts:

The year is 1932 and Andrew Singleton and James Trelawney decide to move from Boston, USA to London, England to set up their detective agency.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's widow is their first client and when she starts telling them of strange ghostly disturbances at 221 Baker Street and of how she fears a premonition of something terrible about to occur they are not in agreement as to what to do next. Singleton, the narrator, who doesn't believe in ghosts, says to his colleague (after the widow had left) 'If someone had told me that I would travel from Boston to London to hear such nonsense!' ......... and from Lady Conan Doyle no less!'

Trelawney states 'The way I see it .................. is that we finally have a case to get our teeth into. That's good enough for me!'

Of course, they decide to take the case and are then plunged into the world of the supernatural while attending a seance and summoning up the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. At the same time many grisly murders are being committed on the streets of London and which seem to be recreations of murders from classic Victorian novels.

Can this be a co-incidence, is there a copycat killer/s or are the killers 'not of this world'? Could Sherlock Holmes really help them? This is what our intrepid heroes attempt to find out.

I really enjoyed this book, I especially liked the friendly interaction between the two detectives who were both very likeable characters. The story had just the right amount of pace as the suspense built up.

This is an excellent translated version of Fabrice Bourland's novel which was very readable, the words flowed quickly and easily. It was interesting to read the author's blurb on the back of the book which read "My writing is a combination of detective and fantasy fiction. I am reviving a subgenre of crime fiction that was very popular in the past, that of detectives of 'the strange' or 'the occult'. I think his words sum up this book very nicely. This is his first book in the 'Singleton and Trelawney' series and I shall be watching out for his others.

I read this book as part of the Bookdagger Real Readers Programme. This was an uncorrected proof copy.
If interested in becoming a part of the programme click here for more information.

Book Review: WAR ON THE MARGINS BY LIBBY CONE

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published by: Duckworth (July 2009)

Pages: 249 (Hardback)

My Rating: 9/10

WAR ON THE MARGINS BY LIBBY CONE

About the book:

Drawn from authentic World War II documents, broadcasts and private letters, War on the Margins tells the unforgettable story of the deepening horror of the Nazi regime in Jersey and the extraordinary bravery of those who sought to subvert it.
My Thoughts:

This book was a real eye-opener for me, while I knew that the Germans had occupied the Channel Islands during WWII, I had no idea that life was so difficult for the inhabitants, especially the Jews who lived there. They had to register as a Jew - were not allowed to move house - they had to shop only between the hours of 3-4pm - had to wear the Jewish star - not allowed to visit public places - had to relinquish their businesses. Many depended on the kindness of friends and neighbours for food to survive.

Libby Cone has taken documents, BBC broadcasts and private letters and woven them into a fascinating and very moving story of what life was like during that time. We see how hard life was through the eyes of several people:

Marlene, a young clerk from the Aliens Office who has two Jewish grandparents, but doesn't consider herself Jewish, is hidden in the house of two French stepsisters who become Resistance Fighters and spread propaganda urging the German soldiers to mutiny, risking imprisonment if found. They also had an illegal wireless which enabled them to keep up to date with the happenings of the war via the BBC.

Peter, a Pole who fought in the Spanish Civil War against Franco but was on the losing side and now finds himself deported to the internment camp at Jersey and used as slave labour to help dig the underground hospital. He escapes from the cruel beatings and starvation meted out and is also hidden by brave Islanders.

Everyone was getting thinner; milk and butter were usually only available on the black market. It was more lucrative for the farmers and shopkeepers to sell to the Germans than to their fellow islanders. Some people stole things back from the Germans. There was a brisk traffic of goods from Occupied France to the Islands. Islanders who were caught stealing or selling on the black market took the return route ....... to France, destined for prison at Caen or Lille.

Some people, wanting to settle old scores, sent letters to the authorities grassing on their neighbours, some of the allegations were true, some not.

Some Islanders left food out on their doorsteps for the prisoners from the camp. All were affected by the occupation in some way.

Libby Cone has a simple writing style and says that some of the people in her story were real and some are composites. It left me feeling very moved and wanting to know more about the people and their lives. Marlene was an interesting character, at first she seemed very indecisive and shy but, as the war went on, we saw another more independent side to her as she helped the Resistance Movement by writing 'V' for Victory in chalk around the towns, among other dangerous activities.

On a personal note: I visited Jersey several years ago when I was 19, not really interested in the War at that young age, I was just on holiday to enjoy the beautiful beaches and have a good time. But one thing that sticks out in my mind is visiting the amazing Underground Hospital that the slave labourers dug with just picks and shovels. Now that I'm older and, possibly, wiser this book really brought home to me just what suffering they must have gone through.

There is a wonderful interview with Libby Cone by Rob over at robaroundbooks that I would urge you to read, it's contains some interesting background information and facts.

Also, see here for a biography of Libby Cone and her works.

Special Thanks to Libby Cone for sending me a copy of her book to review.

Also, check out Jules over at Jule's Book Reviews for a fab review of this excellent book.

Another book about the German occupation of the Channel Islands that may be of interest is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer.

Book Review: SILENT SCREAM BY LYNDA LA PLANTE

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published by: Simon & Schuster (June 2010)

Pages: 515 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8/10

SILENT SCREAM BY LYNDA LA PLANTE

The Victim: Beautiful, young, up and coming English actress Amanda Delany

The Crime: Brutally murdered

The Place: In her London mews house, where she had recently moved into

My Thoughts:

This is a good, solid, no frills crime thriller and is the 5th book which features DI Anna Travis. I hadn't read any of the previous books, in fact this is the first time I've read anything by Lynda La Plante, but I've watched her books being made into successful TV Series such as 'Widows' and 'Prime Suspect' so I knew some of what to expect.

DI Anna Travis's back story was carefully woven into the story which made me feel as if I'd known her for some time, and didn't think I was missing some vital information.

Amanda Delany's character was very flawed and sad and seemed very real as Travis delved deeper and deeper into her personal life and the murky world she inhabited, whilst I felt sorry for her I also disliked her very much, she treated people cruelly and made quite a few enemies.

It was a wonder to Anna.......how such a delicate, confused and tortured creature could not only be phenomenally successful but very rich and......very much in charge of her finances. It felt as if she was investigating two women, instead of just one girl. With so many physical ailments, Anna wondered how on earth Amanda Delany had got herself out of bed each day to work on the film set.

While the police were investigating Amanda's murder, Travis's soon-to-be-retired boss put her up for promotion but it was felt by some of her colleagues that she didn't share enough of her information with them and they thought this made them look incompetent and there were a few conflicts with her peers which all added to the story, and made her look human, and a fascinating character.

Even thought it was over 500 pages long it didn't feel like it, La Plante's fast paced descriptive writing was easy to read featuring mostly well-defined characters and believable situations.

Lynda La Plante talking about Silent Scream

Book Review: THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY MACAROONS & BISCUITS

Genre: Cookery Book

Published by: ACP Publishing Pty Ltd (April 2010)

Pages: 120 (Paperback)

My Rating: 10/10

THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY MACAROONS & BISCUITS

About the Book:

This is a compendium of all your favourite biscuits. It's the sort of book you'll refer to again and again, you'll teach your children how to make biscuits from it and they'll teach their children. T

here are recipes for plain biscuits, biscuits with creamy fillings, iced biscuits, slices and macaroons. Everything you expect to find is here: shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, melting moments, caramel slice, coconut slice, macaroons. As well there are features on especially easy-to-make biscuits such as no-bake biscuits and one-bowl biscuits. Each recipe is explained simply so even a beginner will have immediate success.

I have lots of different cookery books but this is definitely going to be a big favourite in my house! The pages are wonderfully glossy and every single recipe has a lovely colourful picture of the finished article.

Contents:

Introduction - Which contains tips to help you bake perfect batches every time, from the equipment you need to how to store them.

Plain Biscuits - These include Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mini Florentines - Mocha Vanilla Twists - Banana, Caramel and Date Cookies - Basic Shortbread Dough to enable you to make (amongst others) Choc-Mint Shortbread and Latte Shortbread Dippers - Gingerbread and many others.

There are 27 different kinds of Plain Biscuit recipes in this section, all with professional pictures.

Filled Biscuits - Delicious Melting Moments - Lime and Ginger Kisses - Caramel Peanut Hearts - Wagonettes - Lemon Meringue Kisses - 18 recipes in total.

Macaroons - 12 different recipes including Coconut, Cranberry and White Chocolate Macaroons - Caramel Pecan Macaroons - Raspberry Macaroon Dreams.

Biscotti - Lovely Almond Bread - Jaffa Biscotti - Coffee and Walnut Biscotti - Lemon, Honey and Pistachio Biscotti - 10 varied recipes.

Slices - From Chocolate Caramel Slice to Rhubarb Custard Slice and another 29 delicious Slices in between.

With a Glossary, Conversion Chart and Index at the back of the book.

All the mouthwatering recipes are clear and easy to understand with the ingredient measures in ounces, cups and grams.

This delicious book is highly recommended by me and my family - especially the Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Book Review: THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT BY MARI STRACHAN

Genre: Fiction

Published by: Canongate Books (May 2010)

Pages: 327 (Paperback)

My Rating: 9/10

THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT BY MARI STRACHAN

About the Book:

Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town. Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she can fly in her sleep and loves playing detective. So when a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems to be asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigation. She records everything she sees and hears: but are her deductions correct? What is the real truth? And what will be the consequences of finding out, for Gwenni, her family and her community?

My Thoughts:

First Lines:

I fly in my sleep every night. When I was little I could fly without being asleep; now I can't, even though I practise and practise.

Seen through the eyes of 12 year old Gwenni who lives with her mum, dad and older sister Bethan, in a small Welsh village in the 1950's, this is a lovely, quirky story, featuring characters such as Jones the Butcher, Edwards the Bank and Mrs Owen the Milk, a village where everyone knows everyone else's business and is full of secrets.

Gwenni wants to be a detective like her fictional hero, Albert Campion, and when one of her neighbours, Mr Evans, goes missing she decides that she will try and find him by looking at the clues and talking to Mr Sergeant Jones the policeman............but she finds more than she bargained for while learning a lot about her own family secrets and growing up.

This is a delightfully told and very descriptive story full of vivid and rich characters and sometimes I felt as if I was eavesdropping on private conversations, as if I was actually there in the room.

Gwenni was so sweet and innocent and serious and I very quickly warmed to her, she was always observing other people and is obsessed with being watched by inanimate objects such as her poster of Buddy Holly on her bedroom wall and the toby jugs on the living-room shelf

.........the mantelpiece's clock's tick-tock is loud. I look up at the clock and see the Toby jugs almost falling off their shelf as they strain to watch and listen. They're straining so hard their faces are crimson.

It's a wonderful, funny, easy read and I loved it!

This is Mari Strachan's debut novel and her website can be found here

I thought it was quite similar in some ways to What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn.

BOOKS READ IN JUNE 2010

Due to illness, for a week or so I didn't feel like reading very much so my total this month is only a paltry three books, one of which was an audiobook.

One Day by David Nicholls 7/10

The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid (Audiobook) 7/10

Clan by David P Elliot 8.5/10

My list for July

Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh

Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Baker Street Phantom by Fabrice Bourland

The Waiting Room by FG Cottam

Jubilee by Eliza Graham

The Japanese Lover by Rani Manicka


I'm hoping to read most, if not all, of them.

Book Review: EXTREME RISK: A LIFE FIGHTING THE BOMBMAKERS BY CHRIS HUNTER

Genre: Biography, War & Espionage

Published by: Bantam Press (April 2010)

Pages: 368 (Hardcover)

Rating: 10/10

EXTREME RISK: A LIFE FIGHTING THE BOMBMAKERS BY MAJOR CHRIS HUNTER

* THIS BOOK HAS BEEN READ AND REVIEWED BY MY HUSBAND *

About the Book:

In this edgy, fast-paced and incredibly moving account, Chris Hunter chronicles the remarkable journey of a teenager with few hopes and limited prospects who went on to become one of the most successful counter-terrorism operators in Britain.

Hunter depicts his gruelling officer training at Sandhurst, and afterwards as a young troop commander in Bosnia. He describes how, as a bomb disposal operator in Northern Ireland and Iraq, he witnessed horrendous acts of terrorism and recounts the methods he employed to outsmart the terrorists who repeatedly tried to target him.

This is the portrait of a man prepared to sacrifice everything for his country, but to concede nothing to the terrorists.

My Husband's Thoughts:

This is one of those books that falls into the cliché of a book that you can’t put down, a page turner.

A really good read.

To start each chapter the author gives you a quotation or verse from some very noble people, which have the thread running through the chapter. I found this very uplifting and relevant.

The author lays bare his life and soul without any self deprecation and without any self irony. He lets us into the hurt and desolation that surrounds him, with the problems he faced with his personal life, and yet he tells us of his immense pleasure he finds in his military life, living with his buddies.

I read this book in the surreal situation of being on holiday in a beautiful place with all the pleasures of sun, drink, and good food, and yet I was drawn into the really desperate and dangerous situations that the author was experiencing. It left me wanting to read more and more.

What the ATO’s do is nothing short of unbelievable. This book takes you into the heart of the subject. It also takes you into the heart of the author. The account of the ops the author undertook takes you right into the meat of the situations. You are left both cold and sweating at each and every outcome. That the experiences are real, make this book even more riveting.

The author takes you from his officer training at Sandhurst, to his postings in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Columbia, the SAS, the Middle East and then his freelance work back in Afghanistan. He has lead an unbelievable life already. That he can then write all of this is wonderful.

I look forward to reading his first book: Eight Lives Down

Special Thanks to Transworld Publishers for sending me this book to review.

Book Review: CLAN BY DAVID P ELLIOT

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Published by: Moorhen LLP (Dec 2008)

Pages: 251 (Paperback)

My Rating: 8.5/10

CLAN BY DAVID P ELLIOT

About the Book:

David Elliot (the author and the central character share the same name) is 57, frustrated, out of work and has three failed marriages behind him. He goes to the borders of Scotland hoping that his ancestry will help him find some validation of his life.

Accompanied by his daughter, son-in-law and his beloved grandson, Thomas, Elliot finds that his bloodline leads his family into terrifying danger. 700 years of history threaten those he holds dearest as myth and reality of the “The Bloodiest Valley in Britain” combine.

The corruption of the rich and powerful meets legend as Good and Evil clash over the lust for the ancient Throne of Scotland and power in the modern world.

William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Border Reivers, creatures of supernatural horror and past heroes of the Elliot Clan are all involved as the evil Lord William de Soulis actions his plan to assume power over an unsuspecting world.

All that stands against him is a family fighting desperately to protect a child.

Their only weapon is their love of family… the power of their Clan.

My Thoughts:

This is David Elliot's debut novel and what an exciting, gory, suspenseful story it is!

Set in the present time, the story goes back and forth over 700 years of bloody history of the border clans.

David Elliot is an unhappy man, he is terrified of dying having achieved nothing he felt was worthwhile in his life. He decides to learn more about his family history and he and his daughter, son-in-law and grandson travel from Oxford to the England/Scotland border and stay in a local cottage.

At the same time a dark evil spirit, William de Soulis, has, over the centuries, been slowly gaining power and money with the help of a murderer, Andrea Dettori, and some evil dwarfs called 'Red Caps'. He has been trapped in the nearby haunted and brooding Hermitage Castle -- in the hope of coming back to earth to live again as a human and rule, he would sacrifice anything or anyone for the power and standing he thinks he is entitled to...........including the innocent Elliot family whose destiny is somehow wrapped up with Soulis's.

Hermitage Castle sat brooding on the edge of what was once the 'Debatable Lands', a three mile wide and twelve mile long strip of rough moorland, a few miles to the north of Carlisle, which marked the disputed border area between Scotland and England. So politically sensitive was this area, that the mere building of this powerful defensive icon in the 13th century, gave Henry III an excuse to invade Scotland, claiming it had been built too close to the border.

This is the age-old battle of good versus evil with a few twists and turns thrown in, and some of the writing is a little gory, especially the battle scenes.

The stories of the clan families warring with each other down the years I found interesting and I presumed there really is an Elliot Clan Chief as she has a quote on the back of the book, all of which I knew nothing about.

The chapter where we are introduced to the business partners of Andrea Dettori and of how they obtained their wealth went over my head and I found it quite boring, and I'm not sure if it added too much to the story.

However, I thought the overall storyline was very good, with just enough happening to keep me wanting to read on. I liked the Elliot family and I really got involved in their torment, and as a mother myself I could certainly identify with Kate's protection of her young son, which was quite moving.

David P Elliot's website can be found here and I must thank the author for sending me this book to review.

To see what other people are saying about Clan see Goodreads

Another book I would recommend in the same horror genre is Dark Worlds: Book 1: Project 31 by Zack Daggy.

BOOK CHALLENGE: ‘I’m taking part in the Transworld Dan Brown Summer Reading Challenge!’

I've never taken part in a book reading challenge before, but when I saw Transworld's Summer Reading Challenge of reading 4 books I thought I'd give it a go. All I have to do is pick 4 books - read them before the end of Summer and post my reviews on here.

The books I have chosen are:-

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

E Squared by Matt Beaumont

61 Hours by Lee Child

After You by Julie Buxbaum

BOOKS THAT I'M TAKING ON MY HOLIDAYS...........

As I'm off on my holidays tomorrow I thought I'd let you know what I'll be reading while I'm away.

I've been reading Clan by David P Elliot for the past couple of weeks and I really wanted to finish this and put a review on before I went away. But, due to illness I haven't really felt like reading recently so I'll probably finish it while I'm on holiday.

When I've read Clan my next book is The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan.









For the last few years while I've been away I've listened to a different Harry Potter on my ipod. This year it's the turn of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that I'll be listening to while relaxing on my sunbed!









And as if all that wasn't enough, I'll be taking my Sony eReader as well and hope to finish The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. I started it a few months ago, but, for some reason, I haven't been able to get into it.


A nice mix of different genres that I'm looking forward to reading and I'll review them (if I finish them!) when I get back.

BOOK NEWS: Literary Life - Publicity Schemes for Books

Publicity schemes, in praise of booksellers, a libidinous chimp... Mark Sanderson surveys the literary world

By Mark Sanderson
Published: 5:50AM BST 13 Jun 2010

With publishers’ marketing departments suffering cut-backs like everyone else writers are increasingly having to rely on their own promotional skills to get their books noticed. Take Jennifer Belle, for example, author of The Seven Year Bitch. The New Yorker recently auditioned 100 actresses before choosing 40 of them to read her novel ostentatiously in such public places as Times Square and burst out laughing at frequent intervals. 'Publishing is no laughing matter these days’, said Ms Belle. The actresses – who were paid just $8 an hour – would no doubt agree.

One way publishers attempt to gain publicity is by means of bribes – well, freebies. This week some Swedish biscuits called 'Singoalla’ and a packet of ground coffee arrived to promote Camilla Ceder’s Scandinavian bestseller Frozen Moment, which will be published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in August. Perhaps the novel should be re-titled Frozen Brain: the only thing missing from the parcel was the book.

Shakespeare & Company, the English-language bookshop in Paris that first published James Joyce’s Ulysses, will be holding its biannual literary festival next weekend. To mark the occasion it is launching a literary prize worth 10,000 Euros for the best novella (comprising 20,000 to 30,000 words) by an unpublished author. Full details will be available at www.shakespeare andcompany.com from 20 June. Meanwhile, the Paris Magazine, which was founded in the shop in 1967, will be published for only the fourth time.

Tomorrow sees the start of Independent Booksellers Week which aims to highlight the range and quality of personal service to be found in privately owned bookshops. A huge variety of events will be taking place across the UK. Some shops will be providing food for the stomach as well as the brain. The Book Hive in Norwich will be serving sake and sushi while Silverdell Books in Kirkham, Lancashire, which has its own ice-cream parlour, will be creating specific flavours for its visiting authors (previous favourites include Cox’s Special, created for Josephine Cox, and Tasty Terry, whipped up for Terry Wogan). Check out www.independentbooksellersweek.org.uk for local details.

For the full article see telegraph.co.uk

Beauty Care Product Review: Kosmea Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum

This week's beauty product review is the Kosmea Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum.


About Kosmea Skin Care Brands --- Kosmea took Australia by storm in 1993 when they launched the first 100% pure certified organic rosehip oil. Since then Kosmea have gone from strength to strength with a complete range of skin care based around organic rosehip oil.

Kosmea is different to most other skin care brands in that they mostly do not make products for particular skin types. Instead by layering different products you get a perfect result for every skin type. Another benefit of this layering approach means you can customise your skin care needs on a daily basis and there's no need to switch creams as the seasons change. Just choose the cleanser for your skin type then use the product layering approach for your own skin's requirement.

Kosmea was one of the first natural skin care brands to use patented anti-wrinkle technology in their Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum. This serum features in all Kosmea skin care regimes.

My Thoughts:

It comes in a pump dispenser and just one push was enough for my face and neck. The serum is an unusual consistency, the only way I can describe it is gloopy! It spread easily and absorbed quickly with no sticky residue.

I then used my usual moisturiser on top which blended in okay with no problem, my skin can be quite greasy and I found that, at the end of the day, it wasn't as greasy as normal.

I used it night and morning - in the night I just used the serum with no extra moisturiser as Kosmea say "At night-time no extra moisturiser is needed for skin that feels wonderful the very next day."

Having used it regularly now for about two weeks I can see a slight difference in my skin tone, it looks quite healthy and does feel very soft. At first I did get a few spots, particularly around my jawline and chin but these quickly disappeared after a few days. I shall keep using it for the foreseeable future and see if it keeps the wrinkles away!

A 20ml bottle costs £25.00 - the 50ml bottle is £49.99 - available from www.mypure.co.uk.