So, I got through 11 books in May, which is the same as I managed in April. It was a bit naughty of me to acquire 17 new books in May though, as I'm meant to be trying to acquire less books than I read each month, otherwise I'll never get on top of my to be read pile.

My main achievement in May was finally reading some paperbacks. I've only read one other paperback this year (back in February), but managed to squeeze 3 paperbacks in over the last month. I've learnt how to turn physical pages and use a bookmark all over again, yay!

Those of you who follow my monthly updates regularly will know that I normally have a Book of the Month, but having read so many 5 star books this month, I have found it impossible to choose just one, as I loved all six of my 5 star rating books for different reasons.

5 Star Ratings

Dear Thing

Dear Thing is a beautiful, emotional and intense read. At one point I couldn’t read the words through my own tears.

This book was almost impossible to put down. I was about half way through, when I decided to continue it first thing the following morning, with the intention of reading a few pages while I drunk my cup of tea in bed. My intended quick morning read, turned into me crawling out of bed two hours later, having finished the entire book.

Relatively Strange

After reading the first few words of this story, I knew I was going to love it.

“I was five when I discovered I could fly, sixteen when I killed a man. Both events were unsettling in their own way.”

Relatively Strange is a fascinating story about growing up when you’re somewhat different to most of those around you. Enriched with some wonderfully quirky characters, this story made me think of Mary Poppins as a child and The Worst Witch.

Although there is action and excitement in the story, for me personally I think the strength of this book is the focus on human nature. The differences between individuals. That it is okay to be different. The value of knowing the difference between right and wrong. Choosing to do good with the personal strengths we each have. I think every reader could benefit from being reminded of the power and influence we each hold as individuals, and the importance of making the right choices.

I highly recommend this to fans of both adult and young adult fiction, those who like their books to be a little unusual, and those who are driven by great characters.

Girls on Fire

This completely sucked me in from the very beginning, made me feel nostalgic about my own adolescence, messed around with my memories, distorting them, then spat me out the other end wondering which my real memories were, and which I’d just allowed to be shaped to fit along with the storyline.

If you’re like me, and grew up in the 1990s, loved rock music and lived in Doc Martens then this may be the story for you. I saved up for my first pair of Docs in 1991 when I was just 13 years old (my dad paid half) and I lived in that pair until I was 17, having to buy a new pair as I had worn the previous pair out.

Be warned, this is a dark, gritty and twisted story filled with all the complex challenges of being a teenager. If you’re willing to read about alcohol, drugs, sexual experimentation, bullying, insecurities, death, Satanism, and general pushing of boundaries, then I highly recommend this book.

I See You

I found this book really hard to put down, especially the second half, which I lived and breathed until the very last page. I’m sure this thriller made my heart stop beating, not once, but twice, having to briefly stop reading in order to catch my breath. I can feel my heart racing just thinking of a couple of specific moments within the book.

The short chapters written in italics throughout the story were rather creepy and gave me the heebie-jeebies.

It would be misleading of me to say this is in any way the same as a TV mini-series I absolutely loved back in the late 1990s called Killer Net, but a couple of things about it really reminded me of it, so made it all that more exciting for me. If you love the idea behind this book, you may wish to watch Killer Net, as I suspect you’ll enjoy it too.

Crikey, what an ending to a great thriller... and breathe!

This is a psychological crime thriller, and for someone like me, who loves psychological thrillers but isn’t a huge fan of crime and police procedural, I think this had the perfect balance.

Another Love

Wow, this was a surprisingly emotional read which even brought tears to my eyes.

Another Love is about a woman and her relationship with alcohol. I went into this thinking I probably wouldn’t get very emotionally involved, but I could not have been more wrong.

Firstly, reading a character being described as a “bookish ginger-haired, spectacle-wearing girl” (I’m sure I know one of those) helped to get me onside.

With regards to the alcoholism, it was the gradual increase that helped me connect. In fact, I very much saw myself in Romilly, as I’m sure many others will.

I have felt frustrated by characters in books before, but it has been a while since I’ve been this frustrated. Romilly’s uncontrollable drinking and self-destructive side drove me crazy at times. I wanted to shake sense into her and throw away the bottle of booze she got her hands on. This book really did fill me with an overwhelming frustration, and I even had to rant about Romilly to my husband, as if she was a real person I was trying to help.

The Insignificance of You

The Insignificance of You is a coming of age story filled with emotion and a lot of firsts. First loss, first kiss, first love…

I’m not a big reader of Young Adult fiction, but when I heard that Tammy Robinson had written a YA story, I just had to try it.

As always, this author has allowed me to get to know even more wonderful characters. I loved both of the main characters, Tai and Skye. I liked being able to read a YA book that wasn’t overly melodramatic. Although they are teenagers, they had a level of maturity and depth that I could relate to. I also liked Skye’s mum and grandma (she was called Bubbles. I want a grandma called Bubbles), and I enjoyed witnessing the relationship between the three generations of women, what life threw at each of them and how they each dealt with it.

I loved the lighthouse setting, and the description of the stars in the sky. When I moved to Cornwall a few years ago, I too was amazed by how incredibly beautiful a clear sky at night looks without lots of light pollution. I live in a little hamlet that doesn’t have street lamps, and I’ve been known the wrap up warm in winter and sit outside in the garden late at night looking at the stunning star filled sky until my neck hurts and my nose has gone numb. Truly magical.

4 Star Ratings

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding is about the devastation of war and the impact it had on one particular family, after an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

I loved the style this book was written in and the way the story gradually came together. In places this was rather an emotional read, but overall a compelling story that felt very real.

When She Was Bad

When She Was Bad is another great psychological thriller by Tammy Cohen.

This author is so good at creating well developed and believable characters. It’s probably the thing I love most about her books, and throughout this story, I struggled to know who to trust.

The Good Kind of Bad

Initially I had mixed feelings about this thriller. I found the first half of the book to be a little slow. I didn’t warm to any of the characters, and found a couple of them infuriatingly annoying, and wanted to shake sense into them. The second half of the book was much faster paced and very hard to put down.

Moral of the story for me, is don’t marry someone after only three weeks of knowing them. If you’re living a boring, predictable life, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Careful what you wish for, as Mrs Petrozzi got a little more than she bargained for!

3 Star Ratings

A Drop in the Ocean

Imagine having the opportunity to move into a little cabin on a remote tropical island with seabirds, turtles and hardly any other people. Well, that’s what happened to Anna Fergusson. This story was set in a great location with an interesting mix of characters.

Although I didn’t completely fall in love with the story, I did enjoy it, and found it to be an interesting and thought provoking read, covering the subjects of Huntington’s disease and the conservation of turtles, both of which are expanded upon in the facts section after the novel, which I thought was an interesting and important addition.

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

This was an interesting read, but I didn’t fall in love with it.

I connected more with Allison than I did the main character, Sophie Stark, so although I was really getting into it at the beginning, my connection abruptly ended when the story shifted from Allison to a variety of other characters connected to Sophie. I did read it to the end, and also enjoyed the focus on Daniel, but never really got back into it the way I did at the very beginning, which is a shame.

I got through 11 books in April, which isn't too bad. I enjoyed a huge mix of genres too, including women's fiction, cultural, young adult, dystopian, crime, thriller, erotic, romance, family saga and non-fiction. I certainly like to mix it up a bit.

5 Star Ratings

Book of the Month

A Mother's Secret: A beautiful, heartbreaking novel of love, loss and hidden tragedy

A Mother’s Secret is a rich tapestry of life’s stories, telling the heart-breaking tale of love, loss and loneliness. Despite all the pain, regret and anger, the author still manages to fill the reader with the feeling of hope, and dreams of second chances and new beginnings. Read every beautiful word, watch as each intricate stitch brings this remarkable tapestry together, enabling you to cherish it for years to come.

My heart still aches for this book. For the sensational world I have been a part of for the last few days. For the wonderful strong women who became my companions. I shed a tear for those women, not only for the hardships they went through, but for what I went through with them. They are all a part of me now, having shared their grief, pain, anger, love, secrets and ambitions.

I’m a sensitive soul, at one with nature. I don’t just see things. I need to touch and smell them. Sometimes these senses can be lost in a book, but Renita D’Silva has a magical way of bringing everything to life. I don’t just see the words she has written. I feel them, smell them, and taste them. At one point in the book, I even sneezed, due to sniffing too many spices. I love using as many senses to experience things. That's why I find this descriptive writing style so wonderfully beautiful.

Reading a book by Renita D’Silva is a whole physical experience. I hope that anyone who chooses to read this will take their time and make the most of the colourful world that is truly brought to life within these pages. Take in your surroundings and allow yourself to be wholeheartedly absorbed by this beautiful book.

I haven’t said a lot about the plot of this story, as I want you to experience it in the way I did, not knowing how the story was going to progress, wishing for some things, surprised by others. I felt love for many of the characters. I also felt frustration and sadness at the blame, bitterness and self-destruction of the characters. This story really did take me through all possible emotions. I hope your journey through this book is as intense and memorable as mine.

Below are a few of my favourite quotes that give you an idea of Renita D’Silva’s beautiful and imaginative writing style:

“Durga blinks, seeing a cluster of cottages mushrooming from pebble-peppered earth, flanked by velvet fields, and, glowering from the top of the only hill, an old ruin.”

“We taste the darkness, inky and flavoured with shadows, spiced with intrigue.”

“The crows scatter in a demonic cackle, a constellation of black-winged foreboding, upsetting the grazing cows, setting the dogs howling.”

“I open my mouth to the heavens, sampling the fruit-scented, hope flavoured drops and laugh, for the first time since that day when my world shattered.”

Finally, before reading this book, I never thought I’d have a visual image for “bible-wielding shadows”, but I now do. It made me smile.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy emotionally heart-breaking, yet also heart-warming tales of the struggles life puts the human soul through, and full of characters that are so well developed and believable they come to life before you.

Shocking Non-fiction

The Real Book Thief (How To Steal Another Author's Work And Nearly Get Away With It)

This book tells of how author duo, Ingrid Black came to discover that popular author, Joanne Clancy had plagiarised not just one, but it appears a series of their books.

The Real Book Thief is an interesting read, and is a stark warning that people aren’t always what they seem. It is a shame myself and others have been made to feel like this, as the author/reader/reviewer community is one of the closest I’ve ever been a part of and I’ve made some friends I hope will be friends for life. It saddens me that some of my reviewer friends have spent many hours reading and reviewing Joanne Clancy’s books, often prioritising her books, only to be betrayed and let down in this way.

Reading this book has left me with such mixed emotions. A part of me is sad for the readers and reviewers who have been betrayed by her lies, another part of me is angry that she stole someone else’s hard work and cashed in on it. Authors work exceptionally hard to create a novel, and I feel Joanne’s actions have devalued this difficult process. Then there is the other part of me that always tries to see the good in people. Did something make her so desperate that it drove her to do this? Was she desperate for more money in order to pay bills that were piling up, or was she just seeking attention and wanted to be a famous author with less of the effort? What do her family think of this? Were they in on it all along, or were they proud of their daughter/sister, the talented and successful author?

The most natural part of me feels sympathy for her if this has resulted in her life falling apart around her and her family being ashamed of her. Perhaps she has learnt from her mistakes and is doing something with her life to right the wrongs she has done. If that is the case, then good luck to her. However, the still shocked and betrayed part of me has become suspicious of what is now real. Is Joanne Clancy even her real name, or has she got various author names that are still making her money to this day? My mind is in a spin! Perhaps we will never know the truth.

I feel shocked and saddened by this at the moment, but my reviewer friends and I will get over this, and continue loving and supporting authors as we have done for many years. This book is a huge eye-opener, but please don’t let it ruin your love of books and support for genuine authors that still need your help.

4 Star Ratings

Flawed (Flawed #1)

Flawed is about the idea of a perfectly controlled society, and of morals, fear and rebellion. The fight for justice and fairness.

One thing that makes this a Cecelia Ahern book, regardless of it being different to her usual genre, is the focus on human feelings. Something she is very good at. I found this both tense and emotional in places, even bringing tears to my eyes at one point.

The Silent Twin (Detective Jennifer Knight #3)

The Silent Twin was another enjoyable and sometimes rather tense crime thriller in the Detective Jennifer Knight series.

There were some interesting characters, and it had me guessing who was responsible, and changing my mind throughout. It even gave me the heebie jeebies the first night I read it, as I was home alone all night, so kept hearing things go bump in the night once I turned the lights out. I slept a little better last night, but only after staying up into the early hours to finish this, as I needed to know the outcome.

The Scottish Diamond: A Romantic Suspense Novella

The Scottish Diamond is a romance with an element of suspense and skulduggery.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very likeable and I found the overall romance, mystery, suspense storyline fun and easy to follow.

I also loved the references to Macbeth, and this in fact made me feel more uneasy throughout the story, as I studied Macbeth for GCSE, and it nearly sent me crazy, watching the play on TV repeatedly, and having to read parts of the book over and over again. I had so many dreams and nightmares about it at the time.

Denied (The Monster Trilogy Book 2)

This is a dark and erotic romance filled with crime and danger, and continues the story we encounter in part one, Defaced, which had a strong Beauty and the Beast feel to it.

Denied carries on where Defaced left off, and we are taken on another tense and action packed ride that is likely to have you loving and hating Monster in equal measure.

Oh my, that ending! I need more now!

The Curious Charms Of Arthur Pepper

This is about an old man’s journey of not only finding out about his late wife’s somewhat secret past, but a journey of self-discovery for Arthur too. Watch as Arthur’s mission to find out about his wife, due to a charm bracelet he discovered amongst his wife’s belongings, takes him on an unexpected and almost magical adventure of travel, meeting of great characters and some fun, once in a lifetime experiences.

This story is sweet, endearing and heart-warming. Some parts of the story were very touching and emotional, while others were funny.

I loved that Arthur called his fern plant, Frederica. We have a coffee plant that we named Kofi Annan. He looks a bit dishevelled at the moment, bless him, but we hope he’ll recover one day with enough sun and water.

Web of Deceit: A DI Sally Parker novella.

I really enjoyed Web of Deceit. This story was surprisingly creepy at the beginning. I even jumped at my own shadow while I was in the middle of reading this. It was fast paced, sometimes rather tense, and there were a couple of moments I was gritting my teeth together and holding my breath. There was an interesting mix of characters too.

This is ideal if you fancy a quick read between full length books, and it certainly makes you think about some of those people you have met online but don’t actually know in person. Expect to feel a little more suspicious of online folk after reading this.

After the Lie

After the Lie is a great family saga full of secrets and suspense. This story involves lies, jealousy, regret, and perhaps a little forgiveness along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a steady pace and the plot was well written. I loved how the story progressed throughout. It was hard to put down and sometimes had me feeling on edge.

There was a great mix of characters. I loved getting to know them all, and found it interesting how my views of the characters would keep changing throughout the story, leaving me with a feeling of not being completely sure who I sided with or how I wanted things to turn out for everyone.

3 Star Ratings

The Second Chance Shoe Shop

The Second Chance Shoe Shop was an enjoyable read.

There was an interesting mix of characters, and I loved the whole focus on Twitter (even though I still can’t fully work out how to use Twitter myself). Although I’ve not entered the competition, I did find it fun that there is currently a real life shoe related competition happening on Twitter in connection with this book. #shoelove

This story was perhaps a little too light for me, although some of that may just be because of the emotional book I read before this, which was always going to be a hard act to follow.

Different Class

Unfortunately, this particular book didn’t quite grip me in the way many of her other books have. I much preferred Blueeyedboy and Gentlemen and Players. I found Different Class a little slow and it failed to surprise me in the way some of her other books have. Having said that, it was still well written and had a collection of intriguing characters.

It has been another slow month for reading, due to a combination of work, decorating, travelling up north for a few days again, and sheer exhaustion. I managed to get through 9 books, which is the same number of books I acquired in March, so at least I managed to break even. I still dream of the day when I manage to read more books than I acquire, so I can actually reduce the length of my to be read list.

5 Star Ratings

Book of the Month

The Dreams of the Black Butterfly

When I first finished this book (and to be honest, sometimes during reading it) I was left with the feeling of “Did I just read that?” “What just happened to my mind for the hours and days it took to read this?”

This is probably going to be hard to review, as I’m not sure I’ve fully got my head around this fascinating and creative novel. It’s not often I say this, but I honestly feel the desire to read it again. To make better sense of some of it. To make sure I understood it correctly. Probably the last time I felt like this was when I studied philosophy as part of my university degree in the 1990s. I loved philosophy, but couldn’t always make full sense of it. This novel is a little like that. Not in a bad way, but some parts are so surreal, it challenges a mind that has learnt to see things in a certain way.

Each chapter appears almost as a separate short story, but each story connects with the others in some way, creating a somewhat unusual, visually descriptive and very intriguing plot.

This is in no way a book that can be rushed. As a reader, you need to enter this book with an open mind. Absorb each story. Fully experience it for what it is. Allow yourself to become a part of the often dark and sometimes brutal world created within these pages.

The Dreams of the Black Butterfly is not only thought provoking, but a work of art that touched my soul. Filling my heart with emotion and my mind with so many thoughts and questions, I didn’t know what to do with them all.

I’m not sure what genre to place this book under, as it covers so many, such as literary fiction, historical, science fiction, fantasy, spiritual, thriller, and romance. It would seem that this story has as many different aspects to it, as the Black Butterfly has stories on its wings!

This isn’t a book for everyone. Some, I imagine, will be completely baffled by it, while others will soak up the pages with eagerness, as I did. You will question the way you treat the planet you inhabit, as well as the plants, animals and people you live alongside, and the impact that may have on your future. If you like a novel that challenges the way you think, has a philosophical, ethical and spiritual element to it, then this is definitely a book you do not want to miss!

Clever Psychological Thriller

Between You and Me

My best advice to anyone considering reading this book, is DO NOT read reviews about this book before reading it yourself (except this one, ha ha).

I know a few of you will be used to my essay length reviews, but I have deliberately made this review as vague as possible, as I feel I knew a little too much about this before reading it, due to other reviews and comments I had seen. It is better to throw yourself into this without the knowledge of those who have read it.

What I will say, is it is very hard to believe this is a debut novel, as it is exceptionally well written!

If you enjoy psychological thrillers that are very hard to put down, then I highly recommend reading this.

Sorry that I cannot give you more details, but I hope my 5 star rating is enough to convince you to give this a go.

4 Star Ratings

The Finding of Martha Lost

Before reading this book, I never would have thought it possible for a train station to feel so homely and magical. This story is filled with friendship, love, family, secrets, hope, magic and self-discovery. Who would have thought so much could happen in a train station.

I think this will mostly appeal to fans of magical realism and young adult fiction.

Kitty's Countryside Dream

Kitty’s Countryside Dream is a lovely story of friendship, love, hidden pasts and new beginnings.

In the Shadows

In the Shadows (apart from reminding me of one of my all-time favourite songs, In the Shadows, by The Rasmus) is a great psychological crime thriller featuring a ruthless serial killer. Pick up this book when you have plenty of time to read, as you won’t want to put this one down.

Last Kiss Goodnight

Having read two books by this author now, I’m discovering that Teresa Driscoll has a way of creating authentic characters that are genuinely lovable. It is impossible not to get emotionally involved in the story. This novel has a good mix of happy and sad moments, and I had tears in my eyes while reading the epilogue. I also loved the friendships between some of the characters, and the feel of the close-knit community.

Hellbeast, (The ARC Chronicles, #3)

Hellbeast is yet another well written, fast paced, action packed thriller with more demons than anyone would care to encounter in real life, or in their nightmares, come to think of it. You know that saying about facing your demons. Well, you wouldn’t want to be facing the ones in this series, that’s for sure!

Time Travelling with a Hamster

I’m not sure I’m any less baffled by time travel after reading this, but what a fun adventure of a story.

Time Travelling with a Hamster is packed full of mischief, adventure, family, friendship, grief, love, time travel, random facts, and of course, not forgetting the pet hamster.

3 Star Ratings

Sleep Sister

Just writing this review, and remembering details of the book is making me feel more depressed. It feels like this book weighed too heavily on my heart. I’m sure many authors spend a lifetime trying to achieve that intensity of emotion in their readers, so that is a job well done.

If you enjoy slow burning family sagas and don’t mind them being quite dark and depressing, then I would recommend this book.

Due to travelling up north for a few days, and therefore being busy while up there, and exhausted upon my return, it's been a bit of a slow month for reading. I only got through 8 books in February, but half of them are 5 stars, so that's great. Hoping to catch up on more reading in March, fingers crossed.

5 Star Ratings

Book of the Month

How to be Brave

Beautifully written, emotional story that will stay with me for a long time!

This was a stunning read, and I don’t just mean in the shocking sense because I’m terrified of sharks. Before starting How to be Brave, little did I know how brave I was going to have to be. I’m so glad I didn’t know about the sharks beforehand, otherwise I might not have dared to read this beautiful book, which would have been a great shame, as it is easily one of the best books I have read this year so far.

How to be Brave is about the relationship between a mother, Natalie, and her nine year old daughter, Rose, shortly after Rose is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This diagnosis takes them on an emotional journey of fear, frustration and love, as the two of them try to adapt to their new lives, and the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter is challenged.

Alongside this contemporary storyline is the truly emotional and sometimes harrowing historical tale of Rose’s great grandad while he was lost at sea near the end of the Second World War. This is a mixture of fact and fiction, and I have to say it was so emotional to read, experiencing the fear of the men fighting to survive thirst, starvation, heat, fear and boredom. This is a story of true human strength that gives us that will to survive no matter what life throws at us.

As the two stories entwine throughout this book, there is a magical feel to it, which brought shivers down my spine. It reminded me of one of my all-time favourites, The Neverending Story. Not for all the strange creatures, although Scarface had pretty much the same response from me, as that terrifying wolf-like creature, Gmork, did all those years ago. It was the aspect of reading and through that, communicating beyond boundaries that seem possible, that made me think of The Neverending Story. Truly magical and mesmerising!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary, historical and emotional reads about human struggle.

Very funny British humour

Missing Gretyl - You Only Love Twice

Missing Gretyl is a well written, fun British comedy that had me giggling away to myself at times. I couldn’t help picturing Gretyl as a warped version of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced bouquet, of course) from Keeping Up Appearances, being dropped into an episode of Only Fools and Horses.

This is truly funny escapism, with laugh out loud moments. I’m still giggling about dodgy wigs, and will probably think about this book every time I see one in the future. However, there is another more serious side to this story, one of friendship and grief, which at times was emotional.

Gretyl is a somewhat unpleasant character, but she’s one of those quirky characters you love to hate, and possibly eventually hate yourself for loving. I’m still a little undecided what I think of Gretyl, but I thank her for entertaining me with her larger than life character.

Dark and atmospheric historical fiction

The Ballroom

The Ballroom is set in 1911 and tells the emotional story of a few characters and their lives inside an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors. The men and woman are kept apart, except for one night a week (if they’re lucky), when they all get together in the ballroom for a dance.

I found this to be a sometimes dark, but overall touching story of love and human struggle. Most of the characters were very likeable, and I did find myself becoming emotionally involved with this story. Having only a few characters to focus on, made the story easy to follow, and allowed me to truly bond with those characters.

It was very atmospheric and the whole time I was reading this book, I was very much within the walls of the asylum, experiencing the thoughts and emotions of the characters. This book left me with mixed feelings of sadness and hope.

Fast paced thriller

Tuesday Falling

An impossible to put down thriller of a read about victims and revenge, and what happens when the tables are turned, making it so incredibly satisfying to read.

Absolutely brilliant!

Fast paced and easy to follow, so has a bit of a feel of Young Adult fiction to it, but not being a huge fan of YA, I still loved this, and would say it can be enjoyed by those who love adult thrillers too.

4 Star Ratings

The Reaper

The Reaper gets a very good 4 stars from me and I highly recommend it to fans of crime and police procedural novels. You don’t want to miss out on this series!

Angel Bob

This story takes you on a journey of friendship and discovery.

Great story for children, as well as adults who still carry a little bit of child around with them and like to set it free from time to time.

Viral

Viral is a very modern day story with a great plot, is fast paced, sometimes tense, and often thought provoking.

3 Star Ratings

The Girl In The Ice (DCI Erika Foster #1)

Well written, has a good pace, and I really liked the character of DCI Erika Foster.

I've decided to start doing a monthly blog post of all the books I've read in that month. So, here is my first post. I got through 10 books this month, and 3 of them scored 5 stars.

5 Star Ratings

Book of the Month

The Girls from See Saw Lane: A novel of friendship, love and tragedy in 1960s Brighton (Brighton Girls Trilogy Book #1)

This touching story covers the trials and tribulations of adolescence, first love, mistakes, regrets, jealousy, betrayal, and the harrowing impact it can have on one’s own life as well friends and family.

This was an emotional story. I laughed, I gasped with surprise, I fell in love for the first time all over again, I felt angry, and I had tears in my eyes.

Book with the Best Character (I loved Edward)

600 Hours of Edward (Edward #1)

Edward has Asperger’s Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and has to be one of my all-time favourite book characters, which is rather impressive, considering how many books I’ve actually read. This story is endearing, touching, emotional, sad and funny throughout.

Pohutukawa Highway

Although Pohutukawa Highway does have a sad theme running throughout the story, which did bring tears to my eyes at one point, I did find it to be an uplifting and sometimes funny story overall. It covers loss, grief, love, memories of the past, and family dynamics, within the scenic surroundings of a campsite in New Zealand.

4 Star Ratings

THE THESEUS PARADOX: What if London's 7/7 bombings were the greatest criminal deception of our time?

Nevada Mind The Bollix Part Two: A Rockline Novel

Pretty Little Creatures (The Challenged World #2)

The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells

Breaking the Marine

Alchemy: turning Silver to Gold: - an historical psychological mystery thriller

3 Star Ratings

Nevada Mind The Bollix - Part One: A Rockline Novel