Book Review She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

Synopsis

Laureth Peak's father is a writer. For years he's been trying, and failing, to write a novel about coincidence. His wife thinks he's obsessed, Laureth thinks he's on the verge of a breakdown. He's supposed to be doing research in Austria, so when his notebook shows up in New York, Laureth knows something is wrong.

On impulse she steals her mother's credit card and heads for the States, taking her strange little brother Benjamin with her. Reunited with the notebook, they begin to follow clues inside, trying to find their wayward father. Ahead lie challenges and threats, all of which are that much tougher for Laureth than they would be for any other 16 year old. Because Laureth Peak is blind.

My Musings

Marcus Sedgwick has set up a fascinating premise within a multi layered thriller/adventure that will have you gripped from the start. Laureth is sixteen and blind so when she sets off to find her missing father with her seven year old Benjamin and his stuffed toy raven Stan you are kept in a a state of permanent tension about their obvious vulnerability travelling half way across the world . You just want her to succeed despite some people's ignorance and lack of understanding.

What is interesting is Marcus's insight into how the world works if you are blind.  Marcus portrays this through Laureth's point of view. What does she has to think of and go through to get from A to B? The reader is made to rethink everyday situations we take for granted and how we underuse the rest of our senses. Laureth is feisty , bright and headstrong and her little brother totally endearing. You are conscious  how some young adults and children in certain situations have to mature beyond their years.

 A major plot line  also hinges on the theory of coincidences which her father was obsessed with. Trust me it sounds bizarre but it gives the story an extra dimension and a thrilling edge by setting the reader clues throughout which is really clever. Would his notebook on coincidences help them find him?  Was he even alive? Who were the men following them ?

 Marcus has an almighty imagination and never writes the same book twice. This is a stand alone novel that is unique and unusual. Don't be put off by the theory part, trust me its fascinating and just adds to the mystery. Its one of those books you can read again and discover even more. It will definitely get you thinking!!

 I really cared for the characters and felt it had many layers. A fast paced intelligent thriller that will have you hooked. It makes us look at the world from a different angles and appreciate the mindset of a girl who no longer wants to be invisible just  to fit in.

Out Now in Paperback. Orion Books.

Links

www.marcussedgwick.com/

Book Review; Summer at Tiffanys by Karen Swan

Summer At Tiffany's by Karen Swan

Synopsis

A return to the characters from the bestselling Christmas at Tiffany's. With a wedding to plan and a wedding to stop, what could go wrong?

My Musings 

So lucky to get a proof thanks to Cover to Cover Book Shop in Mumbles! Thankyou x



 This book is a welcome return to the amazing characters of Karen Swan's Christmas in Tiffanys but what lies in store for them in the sequel?

Certainly all that glitters is not gold. I was dying to know what happened to Cassie, Henry and her best friends so many of us fell in love with and Karen certainly takes her readers on a rollercoaster ride. We left Cassie and Henry in a perfect place as they just got engaged at the end of the last book. But sometimes life can be too perfect and Cassie seems to want to deliberately sabotage her own chance of happiness. Cassie will not or cannot commit to a wedding much to Henry's obvious frustration. What I like about Karen Swan books is she makes her character flawed, thereby relatable and Cassie is certainly that. You want to shake her sometimes but also recognize we all carry baggage that can influence future decisions and not always in a good way. 

This book also sends out some curve balls. When a husband of one of Cassie's friends has a heart attack it sets in motion a set of events that will change their lives and highlight unresolved issues. My heart was in my mouth for some parts and I was hoping Karen wasn't going to be too cruel to her readers!

The second part of the book is set in Cornwall which sounds divine, especially to someone who's never been. Karen's scene building of the gorgeous beach house,  interiors, the fashion is fabulous and you are transported there with the characters. Its in Cornwall things come to a head as while Henry is away an old lover of Cassie's appears. Its at this point you really want to scream at her! Surely Cassie can't be that stupid ? Well you'll have to read the book to find out as I don't do Spoilers!

Really LOVED this book. I was feeling a bit poorly when I started it and it really provided some much need escapism. I was totally smitten. The overriding message in this book is the importance of friendship, living in the moment and grabbing happiness while you can. Definately something to remember!

ENJOY!!

If you like this you will love
Christmas At Tiffany's by Karen Swan. (You don't have to read this first but I would)
The Summer Without You by Karen Swan

If you want to follow Karen Swan find her on
Twitter @KarenSwan1
Facebook Karen Swan

Cornwall

Film Review Furious 7 ( Fast and Furious Series)

Film Review: Furious 7

Synopsis

Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.

My Musings

 Furious 7. Where to begin. I am a big fan of the series surprisingly! And a bigger fan of Paul Walker. So it was bittersweet going to see his last film before his untimely death. The hype has been HUGE and I really hoped it was not exaggerated. Honestly, it didn't start well with a random car race but past that we then really get into the story line. Jason Stratham is coming for the whole crew to avenge his baby brother from Fast and Furious 6. What follows is a mind blowing roller coaster ride of action adventure. This film gives you a white knuckle ride that blows all competition this year out of the water. There is so much in this film to comment on its mind boggling.

The cast is AMAZING. The original cast has great chemistry and the baddies are suitably kick ass. The driving stunts, well is should go without saying, are AWESOME. Paul Walker's stunts and nearly going of a cliff was classic edge of your seat stuff. Also Shout out for Tony Jaa, who's martial arts stunts are extraordinarly wild. There is also a great fun fight sequence between Michelle Rodriguez and Ronda Rousey in evening dress no less. Love seeing femail actresses been given feisty roles and Michelle really gives it her all. Stratham does his growly thing and is an excellent foil to Vin Diesal even more gravelly voice. Must mention The Rock and Kurt Russell who played smaller roles but both relished the screen time by hamming it up with a straight face. (I have to say I giggled throughout at the sheer outrageousness of it all.Just loved all the humour and insane lines!)  What is so clever and on the money is that it is so tongue in cheek they get away with it. Also must mention, I have never seen so many cars fly before!! Out of planes, from building to building. You have to see it to believe it! Its all totally bonkers and over the top and I loved every minute of it. If you want escapism this it the film for you.

On a poignant note I liked it gave each of the main cast a chance to shine with some great repartee and quieter emotive scenes which add really pathos when they are with Paul Walker. I was astonished that the team managed to put Paul Walker throughout the film which was absolutely necessary.  The wonders of technology is scarily good although James Wan, the director did say he had to use every trick in the book. James Wan handles this film with a light but firm touch while giving the film a great message about the importance of sticking by family and friends.

 Full credit to the commitment of cast and crew, especially Vin Diesel who is the lynch pin of the film, for finishing a wonderfully entertaining film under horrendous circumstances of not only losing a main character but also a friend. They have given Paul Walker a truly fitting send off. The last scenes are extremely poignant and sensitively handled. Not mawkish or treacly. Seeing Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in the last scenes reminiscent of how their great partnership had started 7 films ago left a a tear, Ok more than one : ( , in my eye for the loss of a truly beautiful and talented actor.

Book Review Gorsky by Vesna Goldsworthy

Synopsis

**Book at Bedtime on Radio 4**

'Written with such narrative elegance that you're led irrestistibly on, as with some exquisite dish, from one perfect melting mouthful to the next' Michael Frayn 

London dances to the tune of Gorsky’s billions. The most enigmatic of oligarchs, Gorsky has been led to the city by his love for Natalia, whom he first knew in Russia. That she is now married to an Englishman is an inconvenient detail. 

Gorsky desires and gets the best of everything. His mansion by the Thames is set to make Buckingham Palace look like an ungainly box by a roundabout. At its heart will be a grand library, denoting taste and breeding. Now he just needs the books. 

When Gorsky’s armour-plated car halts in front of a down-at-heel bookshop, the startled young man behind the till receives the commission of a lifetime. The bookseller suddenly gains privileged access to the wealthy and the beautiful; a world filled with delectable books but fraught with danger...

My Musings

All that glitters is not gold.
I found this a deeply frustrating book. The author Goldsworthy has a beautiful, descriptive lyrical style which I found myself totally absorbed in. It was her skill that kept me going and surpassed my irritation with certain aspects of it.

This really is an ode to London, the super rich and the melting pot of colourful people who flock there. Goldsworthy has used The Great Gatsby as , I thought in the beginning,  a template for her story. Fine so far. The similarities are clearly referenced. I loved the premise of this enigmatic billionaire swooping into a quirky bookshop and ordering the young bookseller to put together a rare library, no expense spared. The description of Gorsky weaves a mythological person in the readers mind. Then Natalia ( who's daughter is Daisy) is introduced and I suddenly realised that Gatsby wasn't being used to inspire it actually was being retold but in a different time frame.

 I have a love hate relationship with the original. I love the character of Gatsby but am always irritated at his one woman blindness that leads to his downfall. It always felt such a waste. Then there is the shallowness of this world, the superficiality. People with too much money allowed to be self indulgent and nasty. This world is absolutely mirrored in this book and maybe this is why I found difficulty with it. This world is presented as attractive and something to aspire to but the people are so ghastly you find yourself not caring.

Goldsworthy seems so enamored with this world it becomes off putting. You start to see it for what is its even if she doesn't Maybe that was her aim? When I realised I was actually reading Gatsby in a different time frame I did wonder what was the point. I already know the ending. There is no surprise. I know they do this with films a lot. The equivalent of this would be the remake of Great Expectations with Gwyneth Paltrow, which was brilliant. Did I like this because I like the story better?

I truelly feel Goldsworthy missed an amazing opportunity here to put her own spin on it. Maybe she could have told the story of Daisy(the daughter) grown up. She could have still had echoes of Gatsby but given us an original take. She could have given it more depth. I just found it a waste of talent. Would I have enjoyed it more if I loved The Great Gatsby? I don't think so because there were no surprises. She has written it scene by scene the same as the original. Sometimes it works for films but I don't get this at all. I hope this isn't going to become fashionable. I know Jane Austens novels are being rewritten by authors such as McCall Smith so who knows maybe its just me. Maybe if someone really loves a novel they get to read it again but from a different angle. I thought, this would be from a different perspective but there is no originality of thought here regarding plot. I don't know if this was a commission  or Miss Goldsworthy is in love with this book but I truely urge her to take some of these characters and trust herself to imagine her own plot.

I think her next book should be what happens to Natalia's Daisy? I would read it.

You should try this book if you like glamour, London, mysterious characters, doomed love I would love to know what others have to say about this book. Am still in two minds which is why my review is so mixed.

If you like this you may like
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Film Review: The Second Exotic Marigold Hotel

Synopsis

As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel

My Musings

Poignant feel good movie with a twist of lemon. Romance has no barriers when it comes to age.

A stella cast just managed to pull this sequel off to bring us another hit. We return to The Exotic Marigold Hotel where Sonny wishes to expand his hotel with the help of Maggie Smith. Dev Patel and Maggie Smith have a genuine chemistry going with Maggie having to curb his youthful inexperience and impetuous with her wisdom and experience. Her sharp withering comments are never far away. I had hoped that the writers would still make it as cuttingly witty as it was before and non PC and even though it is not as dramatic or as shocking as the first it is still there very much evident.

 We return to the ongoing storylines in the first. Judi and Bill Nighy are still dithering over their relationship. When Judy says to a friend about Bill, " I just want him to give me time". Her friend asks but how much time do you have? This is a film that says to us all what ever age Carpe Diem. Seize The Day.What I really like is that it is not patronising to older people at all. They are all living full lives with jobs, social and romance. It does have a strong message for us all. Especially to the other film reviewers of this film who's ageist and insulting remarks i have found absolutely shocking.

Getting back to the rest of the cast Celia Imrie flits between two suitors but one of her last scenes is especially poignant and subtle and rescues her from a silly storyline. Ronald Pickup had the silliest storyline where he thought he had unintentionally put out a hit on his girlfriend. I just wish this hadn't been given so much time although necessary for laughs. Two new residents included Richard Gere and Tamsin Grieg who I felt both were miscast. Gere was clearly put in to attract the american audience but looked like  he felt he shouldn't be there and slept walked through the film.

 I must put a shout out for the magnificent Penelope Wilton who made a fleeting visit but seriously made the most of it. Talking of fleeting visits David Strathairn plays the hotel investor very briefly. At the end he and Maggie have one scene together which positively crackles. I fervently wish they had given them both more time together.

 The overlaying storyline which linked everyone was Sonny's upcoming wedding. It all concluded after a few hiccups to a wonderful Indian wedding scene with a healthy dose of brilliant Bollywood dancing thrown in. It was truelly uplifting but as in the last tempered with a dose of reality. I won't give any spoilers but Maggie Smith closed the film with a speech which will melt your heart. One of our finest actresses she was truelly spellbinding and you felt privileged to watch her.

Absolutely Recommended. This second helping is definitely worth the wait. A few hiccups in the middle but the stella performances from most of the cast, especially Maggie Smith and Judi Dench with their ageless coquettishness is worth the ticket alone.

Book Review Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Synopsis

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series

My Musings

I started to hear about this series on the grapevine but thought their titles were so silly I ignored them until a friend insisted I read them. She was addicted. Reading the blurb on the back with the glamour, the cities and the art certainly appealed so I thought why not?

The characters are very appealing and have a chemistry I don't think I remember this strong since Twilight. Its stirs personal memories or dreams of that elusive bad boy you never got but of course this is a book and has a Happily Ever After.

Isla is in a private school in Paris on the periphery of the cool set. Best friends with a high functioning autistic boy who she subconsciously uses as an emotional crutch while pining after the bad boy boy artist Josh.

After an hilarious first meeting which appeals to anyone who has had a cringing experience whilst desperately trying to impress they waft in and out of each others lives until they finally connect.

Sparks fly and the chemistry crackles. Perkins really knows how to capture the moment of the first kiss, the first spark of passion. You are transported to an idyllic moment that we all wish we'd had. A Secret balcony looking out over Paris. A gorgeous boy secretly drawing you. The heart break of trying to keep someone or let them go. The universal question of who we are and what do we want to do with our lives is also touched on. A mix of questions and dreams we have all had.

This is a very romantic, clever and potent read dripping in glamour with a dollop of angst to keep things spicy. You want to be there and you want to experience their love . I started with this book which is the last of a trilogy so now I will have to take the inevitable 'I told you so' from my friend and persuade her to lend me the first one!

If you like this you might like
Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April G. Tucholke

The Carnegie Long List for Childrens Books

The Carnegie Medal Long List for Childrens Books

The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children.

It was established by in 1936, in memory of the great Scottish-born philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). Carnegie was a self-made industrialist who made his fortune in steel in the USA. His experience of using a library as a child led him to resolve that "if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries."

Carnegie set up more than 2800 libraries across the English speaking world and, by the time of his death, over half the library authorities in Great Britain had Carnegie libraries.

First awarded to Arthur Ransome for ‘Pigeon Post’, the winner receives a golden medal and £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice.

The medal is awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

I always look forward to seeing the Carnegie Long List. However over the past couple of years the list seemed to lean towards books of dark subject matter so I was really glad to see this year a more eclectic mix suitable for all kinds of readers.

I have put the ones I have read so far on the top with links to my reviews with the rest below.

Carnegie Long List Books Reviewed.

Christopher, Lucy. The Killing Woods
Publisher: Chicken House. ISBN: 9781906427726

Gemin, Giancarlo. Cowgirl
Publisher: Nosy Crow. ISBN: 9780857632814

Sales, Leila. This Song Will Save Your Life
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447252832

Lockhart, E. We Were Liars
Publisher: Hot Key Books. ISBN: 9781471403989


And The Rest......

Angus, Sam. Captain
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447263029

Avery, Tom. My Brother's Shadow

Publisher: Andersen Press. ISBN: 9781849397827

Baldacci, David. The Finisher

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447263005

Barraclough, Lindsey. The Mark of Cain
Publisher: Bodley Head Children's Books. ISBN: 9781782300199

Bedford, Martyn. Never Ending
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406329926

Bergin, Virginia. The Rain
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447266068

Black, Holly. The Coldest Girl In Coldtown
Publisher: Indigo. ISBN: 9781780621302

Blaxill, Gina. Saving Silence
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447208846

Booth, Anne. Girl With A White Dog
Publisher: Catnip Publishing. ISBN: 9781846471810

Bowler, Tim. Night Runner
Publisher: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192794147

Boyne, John. Stay Where You Are And Then Leave
Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books. ISBN: 9780857532930

Breslin, Theresa. Ghost Soldier
Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books. ISBN: 9780857533050

Brooks, Kevin. The Ultimate Truth: Travis Delaney Investigates
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447238966

Butler, Heather. Us Minus Mum
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers. ISBN: 9780349124070

Buxton, Jamie. Temple Boys
Publisher: Egmont Books. ISBN: 9781405268004

Cain, Cate. The Jade Boy
Publisher: Templar. ISBN: 9781848772298

Camden, Steven. Tape
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN: 9780007511204

Cantor, Jillian. Searching For Sky
Publisher: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781408846643

Carroll. Emma. The Girl Who Walked On Air
Publisher: Faber Children's Books. ISBN: 9780571297160

Cassidy, Anne. Finding Jennifer Jones
Publisher: Hot Key Books. ISBN: 9781471402289

Chan, Crystal. Bird
Publisher: Tamarind Books. ISBN: 9781848531239

Conaghan, Brian. When Mr. Dog Bites
Publisher: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781408842539

Cotterill, Jo. Looking At The Stars
Publisher: Bodley Head Children's Books. ISBN: 9781782300182

Creech, Sharon. The Boy On The Porch
Publisher: Andersen Press. ISBN: 9781849397728

Crossan, Sarah. Apple and Rain
Publisher: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781408853061

Crow, Matthew. In Bloom
Publisher: Much-In-Little Books. ISBN: 9781472105516

Crowe, Sara. Bone Jack
Publisher: Andersen Press. ISBN: 9781783440054

David, Keren. Salvage
Publisher: ATOM Books. ISBN: 9780349001371

Dawson, James. Say Her Name
Publisher: Hot Key Books. ISBN: 9781471402449

Day, Susie. Pea's Book of Holidays
Publisher: Red Fox. ISBN: 9781782952602

Dickinson, Matt. The Everest Files
Publisher: Vertebrate Publishing. ISBN: 9781906148928

Doherty, Berlie. The Company of Ghosts
Publisher: Andersen Press. ISBN: 9781849397292

Don, Lari. Mind Blind
Publisher: Kelpies. ISBN: 9781782500537

Doyle, Roddy. Brilliant
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447248804

Earle, Phil. The Bubble Wrap Boy
Publisher: Penguin Books. ISBN: 9780141346298

Easton, T.S. Boys Don't Knit
Publisher: Hot Key Books. ISBN: 9781471401473

Elson, Jane. A Room Full Of Chocolate
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books. ISBN: 9781444916751

Furniss, Clare. The Year of the Rat
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books ISBN: 9781471120275

Gaiman, Neil (author) Riddell, Chris (illustrator). Fortunately, The Milk...
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408841761

Gardner, Sally (author) Roberts, David ( illustrator) Tinder
Publisher: Orion Children's Books. ISBN: 9781780621494

Gavin, Jamila(author) Collingridge, Richard (illustrator) Blackberry Blue: And Other Fairy Tales
Publisher: Tamarind Books. ISBN: 9781848531062

Gibbons, Alan. Hate
Publisher: Indigo. ISBN: 9781780621760

Gilman, David. Monkey and Me
Publisher: Templar. ISBN: 9781848773356

Gleitzman, Morris. Loyal Creatures
Publisher: Puffin Books. ISBN: 9780141355009

Green, Sally. Half Bad
Publisher: Penguin Books. ISBN: 9780141354309

Haig, Matt. Echo Boy
Publisher: Bodley Head Children's Books. ISBN: 9781782300069

Hall, Tim. Shadow of the Wolf
Publisher: David Fickling Books. ISBN: 9781910200001

Hardinge, Frances. Cuckoo Song
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN 9780330519731

Haughton, Emma. Now You See Me
Publisher: Usborne Books. ISBN: 9781409563693

Hearn, Julie. Dance Of The Dark Heart
Publisher: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192729309

Helsby, Genevieve (author) Eklund, Karin(illustrator). My First Orchestra Book
Publisher: Naxos Books. ISBN: 9781843797708

Howes, M.J. Feed
Publisher: Chicken House. ISBN: 9781908435965

Ho-Yen, Polly. Boy In The Tower
Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books. ISBN: 9780857533036

Inglis, Lucy. City of Halves
Publisher: Chicken House. ISBN: 9781909489097

Johnson, Catherine. Sawbones
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406340570

Laird, Elizabeth. The Fastest Boy In The World
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447267164

Landman, Tanya. Buffalo Soldier
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406314595

Lewis, Gill. Scarlet Ibis
Publisher: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192793553

Mason, Simon. Running Girl
Publisher: David Fickling Books. ISBN: 9780857560582

Massey, David. Taken
Publisher: Chicken House. ISBN: 9781908435736

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Middle Of Nowhere
Publisher: Usborne Books. ISBN: 9781409522003    

McGovern, Cammie. Amy and Matthew
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447239000    

McGowan, Anthony. Hello Darkness
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406337846

McKenzie, Sophie. Every Second Counts
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books. ISBN: 9781471116049    

Mitton, Tony. Wayland
Publisher: David Fickling Books. ISBN: 9780857560148

Moorhouse, Tom. The River Singers
Publisher: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192734808    

Ness, Patrick. More Than This
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406331158

Nicholls, Sally. Close Your Pretty Eyes
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books. ISBN: 9781407124322

Pass, Emma. The Fearless
Publisher: Corgi Children's Books. ISBN: 9780552566155

Pratt, Non. Trouble
Publisher: Walker Books. ISBN: 9781406347692

Rai, Bali. Web of Darkness
Publisher: Corgi Children's Books. ISBN: 9780552562126

Reeve, Phillip (author) McIntyre, Sarah( illustrator). Oliver and the Seawigs
Publisher: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192734556    

Riddell, Chris. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9780230759800    

Rix, Megan. A Soldier's Friend
Publisher: Puffin Books. ISBN: 9780141351902

Robinson, Hilary (author) Impey, Martin (illustrator) Where the Poppies Now Grow
Publisher: Strauss House Productions. ISBN: 9780957124585

Rosoff, Meg. Picture Me Gone
Publisher: Penguin Books. ISBN: 9780141344034    

Sedgwick, Marcus. She Is Not Invisible
Publisher: Orion Children's Books. ISBN: 9781780621098

Sharpe, Tess. Far From You
Publisher: Indigo. ISBN: 9781780621654    

Slater, Kim. Smart: A Mysterious Crime, A Different Detective
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books. ISBN: 9781447254096

Smith, Alex. Devilskein and Dearlove
Publisher: Arachne Press. ISBN: 9781909208155

Smith, Andrew. Grasshopper Jungle
Publisher: Electric Monkey. ISBN: 9781405273411

Stevens, Robin. Murder Most Unladylike: A Wells and Wong Mystery
Publisher: Corgi Children's Books. ISBN: 9780552570725

Sutcliffe, William (author) Tazzyman, David (Illustrator) Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books. ISBN: 9781471122552

Suzuma, Tabitha. Hurt
Publisher: Bodley Head Children's Books. ISBN: 9781782300205

Symon, Andrew. Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi
Publisher: Black & White Publishing. ISBN: 9781845027063

Walter, Jon. Close To The Wind
Publisher: David Fickling Books. ISBN: 9781910200056

Westcott, Rebecca. Dandelion Clocks
Publisher: Puffin Books. ISBN: 9780141348995

My Top Fifteen Most Visually Beautiful Films

My Top Fifteen Visually Beautiful Films

These are films which are a visual feast for the eyes. They are captivating, enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful. The film maker becomes an artist, his camera becomes his paintbrush.

This list is in no particular order and are films which have inspired and entranced me.

What beautiful film has inspired you?

The Black Stallion

Room With A View

The Big Blue 

The Red Shoes

Girl With A Pearl Earring

The English Patient

Out of Africa

American in Paris

Breakfast at Tiffanys

Memoirs of a Geisha

Moulin Rouge

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Gone with the Wind

Night of The Hunter

The Great Gatsby

Book Review Cover Your Eyes by Adele Geras

Synopsis

Eva was once a legendary fashion designer until, mysteriously, she retired. Now widowed, she lives with her family in Salix House, the home she's owned and loved for forty years. When the family announces it's time to sell, Eva is deeply reluctant. The house contains memories and secrets that are part of her, although she never shares them. Megan is a fashion journalist working in London who interviewed Eva for a magazine. Torn apart by the brutal end of a love affair, Megan is drawn back to Salix House and Eva. Decades apart in age, the two women share a bond. Both are hiding something, but perhaps together they can confront their fears, their past pain and their uncertain futures - and discover the truth of Salix House's secrets

My Musings

A story of two women at different times in their lives, a young writer Megan is having an affair and Eve,  an 80 year old former fashion designer  is about to be forced to leave her home. Their lives entwine and secrets are uncovered. 

Megan, ends up becoming a nanny and companion for Eve and her grandchildren after being dumped by her married lover and leaving her job. Intermingled is Eve's story of her loves and career. Geras is a wonderful children's writer but this is the first adult fiction book of hers I have read. The premise of two strong women is interesting but the fragile balance between the two are, I found, too fragmented, which meant I became irritated about where the story was going. That said I was  tempted enough to carry on reading. 

I also had an issue with both protagonists. They are both selfish in their own way and you feel little sympathy for them, especially in the beginning. However the story reveals how they battle with their own demons past and present which keeps you hooked. It was this that will keep you reading even though Eva's story especially is a little far fetched. Would the trauma of a four year old really crystalise into having a cold relationship with her daughter. There is also a ghostly presence that I never quite got.

This dual plot formula seems to be very much of the moment but it could have been handled better , especially by such an experienced author. I felt it was rushed out to the orders of her publisher. It was unbalanced and even though the ending was very neatly tidied up I felt it was too neat for the extreme events that had preceded. Eva exposes her secret to her daughter and they go on to play happy families? And why has it been kept secret? Megan falls for a property developer and suddenly he has a crisis of conscience? 

I really felt that this could have been great but needed more editing and sharpening up. Its a good holiday read but instantly forgettable. Disappointing from such a gifted writer. 

One's to read by Adele Geras
Troy- Great retelling of a Greek Myth from the servants point of view. Suitable from 11+

For Dual plot 
Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Book Review The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Laneis told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark

My Musings

This is my first Neil Gaiman book and it captured my imagination immediately. A man returns to his childhood haunts and therein his memories, good and bad. These little fragments about his birthday party, his kitten, his parents are really quite haunting and pull at your heart strings.  I also  love his wonderful visual imagery in the book. However the problems for me came with the fantasy element. These were random sections that I felt were alien to the rest of the story.   I kept feeling I would 'get it' later on. That there would be symbolism in these elements that would connect to his life, or they were life lessons but unfortunately nothing transpired.I also felt that the reactions of him as  a young child to devastating events where not childlike. I felt upset for the child in these situations and was frustrated that there was no emotion from his regarding key events. I was left a bemused and unsatisfied which is very unfortunate as I was really looking forward to this book. I know this was expanded from a short story and it really tells. I am a bit perplexed that so many reviewers have given this such top marks. 

Book Review The Summer Without You by Karen Swan

Synopsis

Rowena Tipton isn't looking for a new life, just a new adventure; something to while away the months as her long-term boyfriend presses pause on their relationship before they become engaged. But when a chance encounter at a New York wedding leads to an audition for a coveted house-share in the Hamptons - the beach scene for Manhattan's elite - suddenly a new life is exactly what she's got.

Stretching before her is a summer with three eclectic housemates, long days on white-sand beaches and parties on gilded tennis courts. But high rewards bring high stakes and Rowena soon finds herself caught in the crossfire of a vicious intimidation campaign. Alone for the first time in her adult life, she has no one to turn to but a stranger who is everything she doesn't want - but possibly everything she needs.

My Musings
Romance in the Hamptons, a perfect Summer read but as usual Karen Swan blends a richer story of friendship, loss, intrigue and murder set against an idyllic setting.

Ro is left in the lurch when her long term boyfriend decides to go off for 6 months with 2 days notice. By chance she ends up sharing a cottage in The Hamptons, play pad for the rich and famous, with Hump, Greg and Bobbi who's own stories interweave and evolve throughout.
Does Ro stop moping after her boyfriend, she she learn to be more independent and will she ever stop wearing his clothes? At first you feel sorry for Ro left in the lurch  then irritated she can be a big clingy and wet. You want to give her a kick at times.

Enter her gorgeous neighbor, Longstory who commissions Ro to put together a film of his family from old footage. This part of the book is the most poignant and heartrending as the description of the footage comes in diary form and you feel like your spying on their life as does Ro. She also warms to him through these snippets of his life as does the reader. This growing relationship between them is really endearing and a little tinged with sadness but the chemistry between Ro and Longstory is there for all to see.

Drop in some environmental issues, treachery and murder and you have the makings for a sparkling summer read that ticks all the boxes.

If you like this you will enjoy
Christmas at Claridges by Karen Swan +Review
Prima Donna by Karen Swan