tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46497323612033990252024-03-05T22:02:23.543+00:00The Reading CornerA place to chat about your favourite or not so favourite book's author's .Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11506499069530056293noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-29962999304516458982011-10-27T16:09:00.000+01:002011-10-27T16:09:02.508+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZRAnYkk_t_5b_A2TgWxCyXNpCM6DnbiyWsIiiNUrb8aLPCrNG_Xx0ILoIGR3npArNriRLgka28hLXr8-pbvVyKRc0QKCphX0kimaZ_IRGl_J3GRR7KR0Hn3jl3_ApEBHvfw8homUayoV/s1600/cover_fw_pb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZRAnYkk_t_5b_A2TgWxCyXNpCM6DnbiyWsIiiNUrb8aLPCrNG_Xx0ILoIGR3npArNriRLgka28hLXr8-pbvVyKRc0QKCphX0kimaZ_IRGl_J3GRR7KR0Hn3jl3_ApEBHvfw8homUayoV/s320/cover_fw_pb.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The First Wife is in part like Emily Barr's previous novels, there's an edge of suspense to it. An edge that it isn't all as it seems and there's a certain aura to the novel where you wonder when the bottom is going to drop out and it's all going to go bonkers, it's all going to implode. I thought the initial plot was excellent although it made me think of the Dorothy Koomson’s, ’The Woman He Loved Before.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was entranced by Lily Button, a young girl, whose life revolved around her grandparents until they died and she was suddenly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thrust into the world. I found Lily's naïveté charming, rather than annoying, but what I did find annoying, was how she was smitten with Harry Summers and how their relationship raced along, I wanted to say. ’Watch out he isn’t what he seems to be.’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so predictable you knew something was wrong, especially as his wife was supposed to have committed suicide in Spain when they were there for Christmas on Christmas day! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must admit, I did find the suspense lacking. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Don't get me wrong, it was there, and like I said, I was waiting for it all to drop, but it was miles more sedate than ‘The Sisterhood.’ The synopsis makes a big mention of a `shocking discovery' about Harry's wife Sarah, but the action of the novel is relegated to those final 50/75 pages. Up until then, it's a fairly pedestrian novel. Very readable, but not what I expect from an Emily Barr novel. I still enjoyed it, mind, because Lily's story and how she goes from a practical hermit to being out in the world and making her own money is indeed very interesting, but not really believable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked the house where she lodged, I thought the family was lovely, and I liked her friendship with Al, and her burgeoning relationship with the family. I also liked the story about Jack, a New Zealander fed up with his life and wanting to break free and visit Europe. It was all done very well, it just didn't make my heart race as much as some of her other novels. <br />
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I must admit, I did find the latter stages of the book to be beyond the realms of believability. Lily takes off to Barcelona and I just felt that from what we knew of her thus far, it wouldn't be in her make-up to do that. I found it hard to believe that Lily would survive the bustle of an airport and the flight to Barcelona and the enormity of being in a city where people speak a different language. It might have been necessary to the plot, but it was entirely out of characters for me and it sort of spoiled it a little bit. You don't give us a character who in all of her 21 years has only ever left Cornwall a couple of times and then have her, on a whim (suspicious, or no) head to Barcelona. Especially as she found Sarah in a place she had never been to before. Nevertheless, the ending was very fast-paced and frantic and everything all sort of spilled out in one long shocking confession. It was all rather predictable, so it was rather anti-climatic in a sense, but still dramatic in others. Overall, although I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>enjoyed The First Wife, I don't personally believe it was as good as any of her other books and was like a not very good chick lit book. Some of the speech from the characters was facile and irritated me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">What irked me even more, that having promised myself I wouldn’t buy any new books this Autumn, ( I had 16 books at home to read) I saw and bought this (as she was one of my favourite authors) and at <u>full price</u> from W. H. Smiths!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Chris </span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-1588378545148349632011-07-23T20:29:00.000+01:002011-07-23T20:29:44.419+01:00The Woman he Loved Before by Dorothy Koomson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6AzWu8T9f71eooefCg8nmRyLz_qLghT2bwNgLFBxbdtlChur1GEy85TiJMwhTCPp_v027bVjQ7zUtUHG8dsNQvvn6do7o_RbUdhoiT4TiLAMj_-zcqS1dXz-elIhe0nZnHnOqE-yGvCR/s1600/51-VJ1UVlVL__BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6AzWu8T9f71eooefCg8nmRyLz_qLghT2bwNgLFBxbdtlChur1GEy85TiJMwhTCPp_v027bVjQ7zUtUHG8dsNQvvn6do7o_RbUdhoiT4TiLAMj_-zcqS1dXz-elIhe0nZnHnOqE-yGvCR/s1600/51-VJ1UVlVL__BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As always with Dorothy Koomson, her books always have an element of drama about them. They always seem to radiate true emotion and I always finish one of her books feeling sad that I have to wait for another. <br />
This particular story seems at first glance to be a straight cut story about Jack's wife Eve who died. However, things are far from straightforward and as soon as you pick up the book and start to read you are drawn into the current life of his present wife, Libby who is struggling with things, as well as Eve's past life and the secrets she holds. <br />
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The story is told cleverly and although towards the latter part of the book I thought I had it all figured out, I was shocked to realise I was wrong. Libby is a lovely character who has her own insecurities about her husband Jack and the things he hides. Although it's clear that Jack has a troubled past you can't help but warm to him as a reader. He may not be perfect but you can't help but feel that his heart truly belongs to Libby. <br />
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Dorothy Koomson has again written a book that is not only powerful but one that is quite heart wrenching. When the past of Jack and Eve begin to come out you begin to realise that things are not quite as black and white as they seem. <br />
I loved the fact that story had two very separate threads, one in the past and one in the current, but the two stories would intertwine magically. I also loved the setting being mainly in Brighton as well as London. The main topics that are dealt with in the book are always the easiest for an author to deal with well but this book truly relays the situations in a great way. As ever Dorothy Koomson has produced an outstanding book that I literally couldn't (or wouldn't as my husband kindly pointed out) put down. I cannot recommend this book, or for that matter this author highly enough. I have yet to find fault with her writing or any of her books. An absolute joy to read and one I suggest that you put on your list to read.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As you may have guessed I love Dorothy Koomson books and this is the forth I have read by her, only three more to go!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Chris </span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-44472966737642958552011-04-28T06:39:00.000+01:002011-04-28T06:39:12.561+01:00One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTt32Fcb9x33_B5hVA0uNql_2KgCkUZzMFLoP3JER2DUOFzCDXxPIVnVOpWmsBkd6ApUDFfDwRE-01F7DjCM93HgiA69Khrg1tQDcZwX5tH89gu_V0e1kBYKMyWaeVcjwpr-wdeuUHzrM/s1600/51X7lh9OxmL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTt32Fcb9x33_B5hVA0uNql_2KgCkUZzMFLoP3JER2DUOFzCDXxPIVnVOpWmsBkd6ApUDFfDwRE-01F7DjCM93HgiA69Khrg1tQDcZwX5tH89gu_V0e1kBYKMyWaeVcjwpr-wdeuUHzrM/s320/51X7lh9OxmL.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The opening page of this book is the 07:44 train on the Brighton to London line.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="display: none; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hide: all;">The Brighton to London line. The 07:44 train. Carriages packed with commuters. <br />
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A woman applies her make-up. Another occupies her time observing the people around her. A husband and wife share an affectionate gesture. Further along, a woman flicks through a glossy magazine. <br />
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Then, abruptly, everything changes: a man has a heart attack, and can't be re<span style="color: blue;">...</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Carriages packed with commuters. We are given a snap shot of the occupants of one section of the train. A woman applies her make-up. Another occupies her time observing the people around her. A husband and wife share an affectionate gesture. Further along, a woman flicks through a glossy magazine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then, abruptly, everything changes: a man has a heart attack, and can't be resuscitated; the train is stopped, an ambulance called. The passengers leave the train. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For at least three passengers on the 07:44 on that particular morning, life will never be the same again. <br />
Lou witnesses the man's final moments. Anna and Lou share a cab when they realise the train is going nowhere fast. Anna is Karen's best friend. <br />
And Karen? Karen's husband is the man who dies. <br />
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Telling the story of the week following that fateful train journey, One Moment, One Morning is a stunning novel about love and loss, about family and – above all – friendship. A stark reminder that, sometimes, one moment is all it takes, it also reminds us that somehow, and despite everything, life can and does go on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A super read that held me all the way through, which I read more or less in one sitting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Chris <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="display: none; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hide: all;">The Brighton to London line. The 07:44 train. Carriages packed with commuters. <br />
<br />
A woman applies her make-up. Another occupies her time observing the people around her. A husband and wife share an affectionate gesture. Further along, a woman flicks through a glossy magazine. <br />
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Then, abruptly, everything changes: a man has a heart attack, and can't be re<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7606431-one-moment-one-morning"><span style="color: blue;">...more</span></a></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-16212923862516268412011-01-14T08:22:00.002+00:002011-01-14T08:27:17.407+00:00Revenge of A Middle Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpNQh0wv25aAjQfJMDnjzwC3RY3A9_3AJfaSMjtTxexT5QH_1JUEazYVy8rXD1fdLxz_6frFfjA9gkxKc40IVq9xTgDIP7fE0kfrPHrNTrMofIpvUlfHEYsXQCybDqAHcPI8oJSZgY4Ll/s1600/21kCPKVoI8L__SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpNQh0wv25aAjQfJMDnjzwC3RY3A9_3AJfaSMjtTxexT5QH_1JUEazYVy8rXD1fdLxz_6frFfjA9gkxKc40IVq9xTgDIP7fE0kfrPHrNTrMofIpvUlfHEYsXQCybDqAHcPI8oJSZgY4Ll/s1600/21kCPKVoI8L__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This is a deliciously entertaining book about Rose, her adulterous husband Nathan, the other woman, the diabolical Minty (a rather fragile she devil) and Rose's oddball grown up children Poppy and Sam.<br />
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The plot centre around Nathan leaving Rose for Minty who is actually Rose’s assistant at work where Rose is the editor of the Book Section of a magazine. I thought Rose was very weak as she didn’t make any sort of fuss when Nathan says he is leaving her. And then to cap it all she loses her job to the other woman Minty and then to add insult to injury Nathan says he wants the home she had made, for his new paramour Minty. But through the book Rose realises her strengths and is more resilient to the situation than she thought she could be. I liked this book and as it was my Book Group’s choice for January, it was interesting to hear what other members of the group thought, especially as one member is male who left his wife for a young woman, he admitted!! LOL<br />
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Add to this a cast of quirky characters like Rose's eccentric mother, Ianthe, an ancient cat called Parsley, Richard, the man Poppy marries suddenly in Thailand, a suicidal ex-girlfriend of Sam's and Hal the man Rose might have taken up with if she hadn't chosen Nathan and you have a novel to make you laugh and cry in the same breath.<br />
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Funny, heart rending and totally absorbing, "Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman" is a book for those people who can honestly go with the old Spanish proverb, "Living well is the best revenge..." <br />
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Chris<br />
PS. In 2010 I read 47 books and of them all I still love Emily Barr, who needs to write another book fast as I have read everything she has written and loved them all!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-71933110661949762672010-10-28T16:03:00.000+01:002010-10-28T16:03:35.333+01:00The Life you Want by Emily Barr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUZSkoLW0A9vWvSyP9_xOm6-MpGFmssZUqKn_0WvawCok7JH2Go8b1x5ZdYaelolPQZtj_Yk3K2DPvaQyPSK1RYaeJP7zNP29mIIt1S8UlCT7GBFWfyY1qngvbtOU8t7I5LFU3Jiruiyt/s1600/51eEKQftX7L__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUZSkoLW0A9vWvSyP9_xOm6-MpGFmssZUqKn_0WvawCok7JH2Go8b1x5ZdYaelolPQZtj_Yk3K2DPvaQyPSK1RYaeJP7zNP29mIIt1S8UlCT7GBFWfyY1qngvbtOU8t7I5LFU3Jiruiyt/s1600/51eEKQftX7L__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg" /></a></div>‘The Life You Want,’ is Emily Barr's eighth novel and the sequel to her first novel Backpack. We pick up with Tansy a decade after Backpack and find out she's married to Max and has two children, Toby and Joe. In her opening sentence she tells us she thinks she's having a breakdown. Not only that but she drinks a lot, forgets to pick up her children and contemplates an affair with her son's teacher. But then out of the blue she has an email from a friend, Elly. who she met while backpacking. Elly asks her to go to India to help out in an orphanage. It seems, it’s the escape Tansy needs but Elly isn't all she seemed.... <br />
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Even though I found Tansy an incredibly irritating character, I loved the book. It wasn't as good as The Sisterhood which was fabulous but it was a really enjoyable read. I loved the descriptions of Indian towns and what it's like to travel in India and, I admit, it sounded nothing like I expected it to sound. Like Tansy when I imagine India I think of poor people begging on the streets the whole time. Emily didn't describe it like that at all. Now I want to go to Pondicherry it sounded wonderful.<br />
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The book is written in first-person which was enjoyable because we got all of Tansy's thoughts. While I say I found her irritating, at least she admitted she was a rubbish mother and wasn't cut out to live in London forever with a steady job. It still didn't stop me thinking she was selfish though for leaving her husband and children to go off to India. She kept saying she wasn't like her alcoholic mother but she was. I alternated between liking Tansy and wanting to slap her. She was selfish to leave her kids but I liked her honesty. She's definitely an anti-heroine and is like Marmite - you'll either love her or hate her. <br />
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As well as Tansy's point-of-view we regularly read blog posts from a woman in the US called Alexia who is adopting a child from India named Sasika. We follow her on her journey, through her blog posts, all the way - even when everything goes topsy-turvy. I would have liked a few more blog posts from Alexia because it was a great part of the story and helped,also, with the main plot of the story. The ending seemed slightly rushed. Apart from that, I really enjoyed the book. I didn't find it as much of a page-turner as The Sisterhood but it was another great read from Emily and I look forward to her next. She is one of my favourite authors.<br />
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ChrisChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-80106737106391880822010-08-11T23:09:00.001+01:002010-08-11T23:10:41.968+01:00The Kite Runner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrequi20HX86ySzDhoymQM5fDsOThDORvhomYtMEgf_BXjdF75_b9knXi4H6qDmQWKUOLwkrzDYScmCXKrgteS7IviaQR_KIBlzB5ZYLHC-vbYOGurHUrNOKod6i2fOKAtODL8Nz23PqtW/s1600/31-4hvD6xFL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrequi20HX86ySzDhoymQM5fDsOThDORvhomYtMEgf_BXjdF75_b9knXi4H6qDmQWKUOLwkrzDYScmCXKrgteS7IviaQR_KIBlzB5ZYLHC-vbYOGurHUrNOKod6i2fOKAtODL8Nz23PqtW/s320/31-4hvD6xFL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>When this book first came out for some reason I didn’t fancy reading it but, as it was my reading groups choice this last month I read it and loved it and wondered why I hadn’t read it before.<br />
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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini explores the nature of friendship, of forgiveness and of redemption, set against the turbulent background of his native Afghanistan.<br />
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The son of a rich and popular merchant, Amir leads a privileged life, wanting only to please his beloved but demanding father, Baba, and to play with Hassan, the child of Ali, Baba’s lifelong servant. Both Amir and Hassan are motherless. They spend almost all their time together, playing games and sharing stories in their favourite pomegranate tree. An encounter with Assef, the local bully, in which Hassan springs to Amir’s defence has appalling consequences, destroying their friendship and driving Amir to desperate measures to rid himself of Hassan, measures which result in a puzzling reaction from his father. When Ali and Hassan decide to leave of their own accord, Amir’s relief is short lived; he knows that his cowardice has been detected.<br />
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Baba and Amir are soon in flight themselves when the Russians invade. They flee first to Pakistan, then to America where Baba’s old life of influence and power is at an end. They make a new life for themselves, embracing the San Francisco Afghan community, one of whom Amir eventually marries. But Amir remains haunted by his failure to protect Hassan, unable to enjoy his success as a novelist and his marriage to Soraya, convinced that their inability to have a child and his father’s death are punishments visited upon him.<br />
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Amir is rescued by a phone call from Baba’s old friend, Rahim Khan, who offers him the chance of redemption. Once in Peshawar, where Rahim is dying, Amir learns that he is to find Hassan’s lost son. In so doing, he must summon his courage and face not only his old enemy, but also the destruction that has been wrought upon his homeland. In return, he is rewarded with the truth about his relationship with Hassan and a greater understanding of his beloved Baba.<br />
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This is well worth a read, an excellent book, as I said I loved it!<br />
<br />
ChrisChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-13095320209157321482010-04-06T17:53:00.000+01:002010-04-06T17:53:06.388+01:00Brightness Falls From The Air - James Tiptree Jr<div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90qks-U-9MZmq_O0Z8BGbABCbUO8fbpqmSwwez41T-BdQOqt9h00qHRlErJN109nu66xzo1IsB6VDSc9uiv73eZGO0ilpm0BG50dpMDbAEtUtTZH_4hVBlZYddrwVEsf427CKXpwcVdc/s1600/51N5E7RMH2L__SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90qks-U-9MZmq_O0Z8BGbABCbUO8fbpqmSwwez41T-BdQOqt9h00qHRlErJN109nu66xzo1IsB6VDSc9uiv73eZGO0ilpm0BG50dpMDbAEtUtTZH_4hVBlZYddrwVEsf427CKXpwcVdc/s320/51N5E7RMH2L__SL160_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Awesome auroral displays and a strangely heady time-flurry were all that were generated when the two outer novas expanded and passed over the tiny remote planet of Damiem. There was little danger, in fact no more than a stunning light show whose radiance shimmered seductively and majestically, sending benign tremors through the bosies of the excited onlookers.<br />
<br />
Now the last - the core nova - was ready to burst from the very heart of the shell that had once been a star. Only from Damiem could it be seen, but none of the witnesses who had eagerly gathered to watch the spectacle would ever forget the events of that night. Because when the time came to recount what they'd seen, there would be so few left to remember....<br />
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<br />
A reasonable sci-fi read that I got through in a few days, as it kept me interested enough to want to find out how it all panned out fairly quickly. The concept, characters and world were interesting but some of the plot was a little predictable.... didn't spoil it though. :0)<br />
<br />
Registered with Book Crossing and available if anyone wants it. :0)<br />
<br />
KaranKaranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-46746396248833094632010-03-30T18:07:00.001+01:002010-04-06T17:56:24.245+01:00The Last Wife of Henry VIII - Carolly Erickson<div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJxD6HzJ5C8VOD_cnsNjCShSYuVhhWMXpmUtAsRteJJw9zQT4b0niMl2sd8gSPJqvcxiYNg1jBvTj_WadQOoaMPFaT-evvDfVbMicZWkE6ZBDx8mI2_wEzMrSBGc9KEgzThitPNA-aRw/s1600/51M8KI3nGUL__SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJxD6HzJ5C8VOD_cnsNjCShSYuVhhWMXpmUtAsRteJJw9zQT4b0niMl2sd8gSPJqvcxiYNg1jBvTj_WadQOoaMPFaT-evvDfVbMicZWkE6ZBDx8mI2_wEzMrSBGc9KEgzThitPNA-aRw/s320/51M8KI3nGUL__SL160_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In this powerful historical novel, Carolly Erickson vividly brings to life Catherine Parr, an alluring young woman and the cleverest of Henry VIII's wives. Catherine attracts the lust of the dangerous and mercurial king and finds herself thrown into the intrigue-filled snakepit of the royal court, all the while hiding her feeling for her true love, Thomas Seymour.<br />
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While all around, victim's of the king's wrath suffer torture and execution, the witty and resourceful Catherine survives. But even after Henry's death, her struggle continues when she has to fight for the affection of her beloved - a contest that will cost her dearly.<br />
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<br />
If you want a story that rigidly sticks to the known historical facts then you won't find it here.... what you get, instead, is a reasonably entertaining story built around the main historical characters that loosely follows the facts. Purists would probably be irritated by this.<br />
It was a slightly different take to the many Tudor based novels I've already read - an easy read that suited being picked up in the odd few spare minutes, then being put down again. <br />
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Registered with Book Crossing and avaialble if anyone wants it. :0)<br />
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KaranKaranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-66009555229459250232010-02-25T10:14:00.001+00:002010-02-25T10:16:40.663+00:00'Every Light in the House Burnin' by Andrea Levy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MP849Nm9iCruQ_8uCWPrEyJKvJqDJiERt3jefPYYu7IAW7Xkn-ybvrFpHXXbppPDFc39jhMyKHIOrYIy0hhUQvEJASngYWC7jcvOs0vd9vSF5LbcRPEXlrBtnWTDCsoPiYx5j61mHjQV/s1600-h/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MP849Nm9iCruQ_8uCWPrEyJKvJqDJiERt3jefPYYu7IAW7Xkn-ybvrFpHXXbppPDFc39jhMyKHIOrYIy0hhUQvEJASngYWC7jcvOs0vd9vSF5LbcRPEXlrBtnWTDCsoPiYx5j61mHjQV/s320/book.jpg" /></a></div>Every Light in the House Burnin' was Andrea Levy’s first novel, and is semi-autobiographical written in 1994. The story is of a Jamaican family living in London in the 1960s . They arrived from Jamaica in 1948 for a ‘better opportunity’ the Dad, Mr Jacob in the story’s own words and in all probability her own Dad’s words too as this mirrored her own life. <br />
Six months after her mother followed him and they set up home in a council flat in Highbury, London. The story is told by the youngest child, Angela.<br />
<br />
Twenty years and four children later Mr Jacob has become seriously ill and starts to move unsteadily through the care of the National Health Service and the chapters swing between that time and Angela’s memories of her childhood life. I loved this book and was sad when I got to the end; the innocence of the parents in a very prejudicial England, their outlook was to keep low and not make a fuss made me feel sympathetic towards their plight. When the Dad was very ill they were typical of that time that they didn’t want to trouble the Drs. It was Angela then in her early twenties, who tries to help her mother through this ordeal. Delightful little insights to girls growing up in the sixties was just as I remembered this time.. I am that old!<br />
Well worth reading, perhaps you saw her ‘Small Island’ televised in two parts on two Sunday evenings just before Christmas?<br />
<br />
Chris<br />
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<br />
<blockquote><i></i></blockquote>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-13760853429810938152009-12-06T14:36:00.004+00:002009-12-06T14:51:07.180+00:00Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7sdnsdsL0W0oQ5mrwYmnPp6OCjZDGs_syVPKc1-EUtOOl7PX2P_cjVNNUfjr8EVVG5FBE9Fl2c8Dory3UZ1MqqAOaKvmO2Poj4JjuvRR7-oZ7nqGfLfD6z-DZy_Trj5g5xQ_ISsd0Vo/s1600-h/0385600593.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 146px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412132100717637890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7sdnsdsL0W0oQ5mrwYmnPp6OCjZDGs_syVPKc1-EUtOOl7PX2P_cjVNNUfjr8EVVG5FBE9Fl2c8Dory3UZ1MqqAOaKvmO2Poj4JjuvRR7-oZ7nqGfLfD6z-DZy_Trj5g5xQ_ISsd0Vo/s320/0385600593.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Jay Mackintosh is trapped by memory in the old familiar landscape of his childhood, more enticing than the present, and to which he longs to return. A bottle of home-brewed wine left to him by a long-vanished friend seems to provide both the key to an old mystery and a doorway into another world. As the unusual properties of the strange brew takes effect, Jay escapes to a derelict farmhouse in the French village of Lansquenet, where a ghost from the past waits to confront him, and the reclusive Marise - haunted, lovely and dangerous - hides a terrible secret behind her closed shutters. Between them, a mysterious chemistry. Or could it be magic?</div><div></div><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>After enjoying her book Chocolat so very much I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one and wondered if I would end up being disappointed by it. Not at all. :0)</div><br /><div>Although based in the same area, having several characters who appear in both books and a few slightly similar aspects (young mother with young daughter with a mysterious past as outcast), the storyline is quite separate. It has likeable characters and an interesting storyline that pulls you in just the same as Chocolat. I didn't enjoy it as much as..... but it was a very close second. :0)</div><div></div><br /><div>Am registering this with Book Crossing - it's available if anyone wants it. :0) </div><div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/54/65C7FCBA1F91774093B79EBBC15215B4.png" /></a></div>Karanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-47417880836678300222009-11-22T16:37:00.002+00:002009-11-22T16:42:57.463+00:00The Book Thief, Markus Zusak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpmN-tTcgr_syvCZyGX_1UgpXYQwBffUOBZGhg0UB24RHN7FzJuHXORHRl8qrcwSNyZRkCfXYNoFIyGhqvSivWvoMFh01g47i3_dUk425Wv1O-mjQyaASRjpgM4R9oVO7DTs6f3E4eJM/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 83px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpmN-tTcgr_syvCZyGX_1UgpXYQwBffUOBZGhg0UB24RHN7FzJuHXORHRl8qrcwSNyZRkCfXYNoFIyGhqvSivWvoMFh01g47i3_dUk425Wv1O-mjQyaASRjpgM4R9oVO7DTs6f3E4eJM/s200/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406968159089078690" /></a><br /><br />The Book Thief is set in Germany before and during World War II. The story is told from the point of view of Death, who narrates the story and gives a whole new image to the "death" image we see. "Death" finds the story of the book thief, Liesel Meminger. Liesel's story begins when she and her brother are sent to a foster home by their Communist mother when she is interned in Dachau Concentration Camp. On the way to the foster home, Liesel's brother Werner dies. As the gravediggers are burying her brother, Liesel takes a book which she finds lying on the ground, The Gravedigger's Handbook, despite her inability to read. She later arrives at the home of foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, near Munich. They treat her well, although Rosa swears fiercely. Liesel then meets Rudy Steiner, a neighbour of her own age who later becomes her best friend. Rudy is well known in the neighbourhood for his romp around the Hubert Oval as Jesse Owens. Max, a 24 year old Jewish man that the Hubermann family helps to hide, composes his experiences with Liesel in a series of sketches, as well as two homemade books.<br /><br /><em>This book was borrowed from the library after a recommendation by a friend. A nice book, but a sad story of a young girls life at that time.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/59/0EA94D93E71F467B8E0F33DA4950945B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-26174211597783978442009-11-14T22:28:00.003+00:002009-11-14T22:54:32.136+00:00The Sixth Wife - Suzannah Dunn<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeE4ZRoNzvo1-ANBKYMTLP7adIOtCgxtKpcmr_UHkdw46vxdq2GsqZsljEV28XsO66PMXISBUMQuPt_1FawqwphksY8YWE15jpKGBfUxc35eaFl9xXCn6P_VneDt4ox3ywudmU-aNnb0Y/s1600-h/n191733.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404089885560325042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeE4ZRoNzvo1-ANBKYMTLP7adIOtCgxtKpcmr_UHkdw46vxdq2GsqZsljEV28XsO66PMXISBUMQuPt_1FawqwphksY8YWE15jpKGBfUxc35eaFl9xXCn6P_VneDt4ox3ywudmU-aNnb0Y/s320/n191733.jpg" /></a> <br /><br />Clever and compassionate Katerine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, survived their four turbulent years of marriage. But when the ambitious and handsome Thomas Seymour won her heart, mere months after the old king's death, their hasty union undid a lifetime of caution.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div align="center">.............................................................................</div><br /><div align="center"> </div><br /><div align="left">Catherine, Duchess of Suffolk, her best friend, is the unwilling witness to the dowager queen's late-blossoming love. But as she harbours nagging suspicions of kate's new husband, it gradually becomes clear that she has her own dark tale to tell. For if Thomas might betray hiw wife for power, then cool, calculating Cathy might betray her for passion.<br /><br />In times when the least discretion could mean arrest and death, Katerhine Parr's tragedy plays itself out amonsgt those who loved - and deceived - her most. As events reach their inevitable climax, it becomes clear that Cathy and Kate will risk all in a world where love is a luxury even royalty cannot always afford...</div><br /><div align="left"> </div><br /><div align="left"> </div><br /><div align="left">I love reading books set in Tudor times and have read many over the years, so this one was a must read for me but I couldn't understand why I initially struggled to get into this one...... until I realised that I wasn't that keen on the main character, Catherine of Suffolk. Odd, until I read the bumpf at the back of the book and realised that the writer hadn't particularly liked her character either, and it becomes obvious: the way she felt about the character has coloured the way she has written about and presented her and you can tell. <br /><br />Despite this I still thought the whole a good read. There were enough of the known historical facts in there to keep it believable and the writer's twist to the story is different enough from the many others written about this time period to keep it interesting.</div><br /><div align="left"> </div><br />Am registering this with Book Crossing - available to anyone who wants it. :0)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/54/65C7FCBA1F91774093B79EBBC15215B4.png" /></a>Karanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-42189496417587821192009-11-06T18:16:00.004+00:002009-11-14T22:52:26.391+00:00The Lost Book of Salem - Katherine Howe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevo0apS0vEg4QfoekTRDN1WKT4W-_qK7b-JRtOngcz33kCbdver0V_o3TCAksSGGPtrk4yim1m3eF0AWWrju2GeteOQQVz61lQdCfEE1XK8LoYGTXPedyPvwSfQHW3mkJ0KzzixXFmIE/s1600-h/9780141038117H.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 208px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401056392745083122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevo0apS0vEg4QfoekTRDN1WKT4W-_qK7b-JRtOngcz33kCbdver0V_o3TCAksSGGPtrk4yim1m3eF0AWWrju2GeteOQQVz61lQdCfEE1XK8LoYGTXPedyPvwSfQHW3mkJ0KzzixXFmIE/s320/9780141038117H.jpg" /></a><br />I watched today as Giles Corey was presst to death between the stones. He had lain so for two days mute. With each stone, they told him he must plead, lest more stones be added. But he only whispered, More weight. Standing in the crowde, I found Goodwyfe Dane, who, as the last stone lower'd, went white, grippt my hand, and wept. <em>Salem Towne, 16 September, 1692</em><br /><p>While clearing out her grandmother's cottage for sale, Connie Goodwin finds a parchment inscribed with the name Deliverance Dane. And so she steps into a mystery that dates from 1692 in Salem.... and the infamous witchcraft trials.</p><p>Nothing is entirely as it seems, and when Connie unearths the existence of Deliverance's spell book, The Physick Book, the situation takes on a menacing edge as interested parties reveal their desperation to find this precious artifact at any cost.</p><p>What secret does the Physick Book contain? What magic is scrawled across its parchment pages? Connie must race to answer these questions - and reveal the truth about Salem's women - before an ancient family curse fulfils its dark and devastating prophecy.</p><p> <br /></p><p>As it was leading up to Samhain I thought this would be a good book to delve in to. LOL It gives a slightly different take on the whole Salem story as it flows between Deliverance's story (and some of her descendants) and the current day Connie. The to'ing and fro'ing was easy to follow and keep track of what happened to which character and when - always important for the flow of the whole and the enjoyment of the tale. </p><p>A few interesting twists but I was still managed to suss several important "reveals" before they were duly revealed...... though it didn't spoil things. The book did, however leave one gaping hole: was the curse broken by Connie's extreme measure towards the end.... or not? </p><p>An enjoyable and entertaining read.... you just need to suspend belief a little. :0)<br /><br />Registered with Book Crossing - available if anyone wants it. :0)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/54/65C7FCBA1F91774093B79EBBC15215B4.png" /></a>Karanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-3896066106065165442009-10-27T12:28:00.004+00:002009-10-27T12:46:10.825+00:00The Last Gospel - David Gibbins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFrI9RmXWxKl1n_VaQAMJPJ-mG-ojT0nLGr1b2vTkQ1slujuD0A-mTzLpX72LRsWS478M5vo8Y9klAq8LA6uw4dfNs3QX4ScQ0iF9hzwYOidxZswUB2A6_YSe3NtzEkahqdvo0hNxfvM/s1600-h/n253618.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397255734491721858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFrI9RmXWxKl1n_VaQAMJPJ-mG-ojT0nLGr1b2vTkQ1slujuD0A-mTzLpX72LRsWS478M5vo8Y9klAq8LA6uw4dfNs3QX4ScQ0iF9hzwYOidxZswUB2A6_YSe3NtzEkahqdvo0hNxfvM/s320/n253618.jpg" /></a> <br /><br />WHAT IF - one of the Ancient World's greatest libraries was buried in volcanic ash and the rediscovered two thousand years later?<br /><br />WHAT IF - what was found there was a document that could shatter the very foundations of the western world?<br /><br />WHAT IF - you were the one who discovered this secret? And were then forced to confront terrifying enemies determined to destroy you to ensure it goes no further?<br /><br />David Gibbins' electrifying new novel is the story of one last gospel, left behind in the age of the New Testament, and of its extraordinary secret, one that has lain concealed for years. Follow Jack Howard, man of action and the greatest archaeologist of his day, as he unearths the mystery - and must prevent others from doing the same...<br /><br />After reading his first book (Atlantis) I was glad to get my hands on what has turned out to be the third novel in his series of books about Jack Howard. I thought I'd be OK to read them out of sequence - wrong! These need to be read in order, as there are vital plot themes that unfold in one book that lead on to subsequent details in the next book....... so I urgently need to read Crusader Gold to grasp some of the references in this book. <br /><br />Otherwise it was an interesting action read that's based on some historical facts and characters. Definitely gets you thinking along that WHAT IF line. Though I couldn't help being slightly disappointed - this one didn't grab me and keep me as totally interested as his first book........ nevertheless, I'd still go out of my way to read the next one. <br /><br />Registering this with Book Crossing and it's up for grabs if anyone wants it...... along with Atlantis too. :0)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/54/65C7FCBA1F91774093B79EBBC15215B4.png" /></a>Karanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14043864033854373523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-28064678784376055072009-10-12T01:31:00.003+01:002009-10-12T01:44:36.357+01:00Marshmallows for breakfast-Dorothy Koomson<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ5JGWUq7I/AAAAAAAACWc/fQARR_Pzkac/s1600-h/51RCOUjllGL__SS500_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ5JGWUq7I/AAAAAAAACWc/fQARR_Pzkac/s320/51RCOUjllGL__SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391504901145930674" /></a><br /><em><br />When Kendra Tamale returns to England from Australia she rents a room from Kyle, a divorced father of two, and begins a new job. She's looking forward to a fresh start and simple life. <br />Kyle's five-year-old twins, Summer and Jaxon, have other ideas and quickly adopt Kendra as their new mother - mainly because she lets them eat marshmallows for breakfast. Kendra eventually becomes a part of their lives, even though she's hiding a painful secret that makes her keep everyone - especially children - at arm's length. <br />Then Kendra bumps into the man who shares her awful secret, and things fall apart: she can't sleep, she can't eat, she's suspended from work, and the kids are taken away by their mother. The only way to fix things is to confess to the terrible mistake she made all those years ago. But that's something she swore never to do . . . <br />Marshmallows For Breakfast is a tale of redemption, hope and finding love in unexpected places. </em><br /><br />Another good storyline, takes you on an other emotional journey , you find yourself drawn to the twins and want the best for them, as with all chick-lits there's a happy endingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-74150028086687413642009-10-12T01:18:00.003+01:002009-10-12T01:31:31.311+01:00My Best Friend's Girl- Dorothy Koomson<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ4rqHRZQI/AAAAAAAACWU/RMnorhsyCK0/s1600-h/51ETRM4BTYL__SS500_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ4rqHRZQI/AAAAAAAACWU/RMnorhsyCK0/s320/51ETRM4BTYL__SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391504395350402306" /></a><br /><br /><em>What would you do for the friend who broke your heart? Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five year old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself. </em><br /><br />Okay first and foremost this is a chick-lit book, but don't let it put you of reading it. It also deals with sadness, betrayal, love, racism and friendships, an easy read but one with am emotional rideAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-15940530646199136032009-10-12T01:08:00.003+01:002009-10-12T01:16:31.018+01:00I heard that song before- Mary Higgins Clark<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ1R-SWRXI/AAAAAAAACWM/hbg0eYanQDI/s1600-h/n204745.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/StJ1R-SWRXI/AAAAAAAACWM/hbg0eYanQDI/s320/n204745.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391500655554086258" /></a><br /><br /><em>When Kay Lansing marries wealthy widower Peter Carrington, she is well aware of the rumours surrounding the mysterious death of Peter's first wife Grace, who was found floating in the family pool ten years ago, pregnant at the time. Kay also discovers that Peter is a chronic sleepwalker who suffers from periodic nightmares. When the police arrive at her doorstep with a warrant for Peter's arrest in connection with another murder - that of a woman Peter had escorted to a high school senior prom twenty-two years ago - Kay begins to fear that she has married a sleepwalking murderer, and she resolves to find out the truth behind the puzzling deaths. But are the two deaths linked? And why does a melody that Kay cannot identify keep playing in her head every time she approaches the family chapel? </em><br /><br />Another good one from MHC, kept me wondering who the murderer was right until it was revealed at the end!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-69774230052863811402009-10-11T20:15:00.000+01:002009-10-11T20:17:47.542+01:00The Little House ~ Philippa Gregory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1BtGdjT0CpVcVHj1PbUmO-S454mKvku_jRc1KwGKDmqDT-d3iMfuwOP9KOulbBEI3xqU1UJj5A_fXrdg4Qy85R8diaq4xAej6_Zdic6EMHKjtp7KmJqpIfFlhF8M6uJA3sOrW_KhGdM/s1600-h/n68147.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1BtGdjT0CpVcVHj1PbUmO-S454mKvku_jRc1KwGKDmqDT-d3iMfuwOP9KOulbBEI3xqU1UJj5A_fXrdg4Qy85R8diaq4xAej6_Zdic6EMHKjtp7KmJqpIfFlhF8M6uJA3sOrW_KhGdM/s200/n68147.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391420749295858338" /></a><br /><em>It was easy for Elizabeth. She married the man she loved. It was harder for Ruth. She married Elizabeth's son and then found that, somehow, she could never quite measure up. This thriller examines what women want and what they fear, as Ruth confronts the shifting borders of her own sanity. </em><br /><br />Even though i enjoyed this book, sometimes it made me feel very disappointed/angry with the main character. (Rachael you wont like this one, its another of those female weak characters LOL) Her MIL was very domineering and controlling and you wanted to shout at the book and tell her to grow a backbone!<br /><br />If you would like this one, please let me know<br /><br />Julie xUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-67272771695317166302009-10-04T22:05:00.001+01:002009-10-04T22:07:24.497+01:00Stonehenge - Bernard Cornwell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1su2qZhTmMJnDTCw3tg98Dvfj-14bNLasCBRFHoKyCw6aLJvtHIf-xQFt5XARaHECT6a8buPfWh_vhmwXA2V_rza3CA8uaoQoCCe0U2BsWjlA3M9PphP4B2XjvtvTen8rqxB6yrZswM/s1600-h/stonehenge2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 75px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1su2qZhTmMJnDTCw3tg98Dvfj-14bNLasCBRFHoKyCw6aLJvtHIf-xQFt5XARaHECT6a8buPfWh_vhmwXA2V_rza3CA8uaoQoCCe0U2BsWjlA3M9PphP4B2XjvtvTen8rqxB6yrZswM/s200/stonehenge2.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388854045400001330" /></a><br /><br /><br />What is it? So many people visit Stonehenge and come away asking just that question. Was it built by the ancient Greeks? By little green men visiting Wiltshire in UFO's? Was it a Druid temple? (No, no and no). But it was a temple, and it was built by the folk who lived on what is now Salisbury Plain four or five thousand years ago. Very often history can't give us the answers to our questions - we simply do not know who built Stonehenge, or why, or what religion was practised there. We will probably never know because there were no written records, so we can only make what we hope are intelligent guesses, and historical novelists are as well placed to do that as historians. So this book is Bernard Cornwells guess, and a story of love, rivalry, treachery and a great mysterious temple.<br /><br />A good read, made the brain think!<br /><br />This ones has found a new home.<br /><br />Julie xUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-77768505914518387442009-09-12T12:45:00.003+01:002009-09-12T14:09:09.102+01:00Twilight Series By Stephenie Meyer<strong>Twilight</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw1P1yeCJLhdHz5YOBGGF8Ud4OGSQSz9RzNB2bSdLJJ0_7NL-YayhFxlf6bzltk19HF_OrxU-ddh5C0vJ1-0JQkOCjMOh222_xEGYdcY-uZNQzs516_GC54_JjsWWUfJ9xCobfdDSwIQ/s1600-h/Twilight_XS__V219507087_.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380566214585354242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw1P1yeCJLhdHz5YOBGGF8Ud4OGSQSz9RzNB2bSdLJJ0_7NL-YayhFxlf6bzltk19HF_OrxU-ddh5C0vJ1-0JQkOCjMOh222_xEGYdcY-uZNQzs516_GC54_JjsWWUfJ9xCobfdDSwIQ/s320/Twilight_XS__V219507087_.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><blockquote>Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>New Moon</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VWf_k0769_IMgNjZpqVO5zjila0NQ-hgzVDfTRmUTGWonqyGm8OEvsavJgvL-KrmkdzJ77fuQROhEisdNr7AGVjUNEz5rSIdtrW3N9iGbJXvMwzOr2qZE9IfS3Au5DD4HrN6AT5FJLA/s1600-h/New_Moon_PB_old_XS__V219871183_.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380566224691893666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VWf_k0769_IMgNjZpqVO5zjila0NQ-hgzVDfTRmUTGWonqyGm8OEvsavJgvL-KrmkdzJ77fuQROhEisdNr7AGVjUNEz5rSIdtrW3N9iGbJXvMwzOr2qZE9IfS3Au5DD4HrN6AT5FJLA/s320/New_Moon_PB_old_XS__V219871183_.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><blockquote>Bella celebrates her birthday with her boyfriend Edward and his family, a unique clan of vampires that has sworn off human blood. But the celebration abruptly ends when the teen accidentally cuts her arm on broken glass. The sight and smell of her blood trickling away forces the Cullen family to retreat lest they be tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave. Mourning his departure, she slips into a downward spiral of depression that penetrates and lingers over her every step. Vampire fans will appreciate the subsequently dour mood that permeates the novel, and it's not until Bella befriends Jacob, a sophomore from her school with a penchant for motorcycles, that both the pace and her disposition begin to take off. Their adventures are wild, dare-devilish, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward pervade Bella's emotions, and soon their fun quickly morphs into danger, especially when she uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><strong>Eclipse </strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68rrK8D_TrCaZjpI7bdWiysKr59PYiqqC7Gdx9etETqgBCo1wUYn2v61nKaERjwfKDBHdbNCjl2nYarR5vk3qPDzc4bCV9FYevqBSxJdI_1dROuYxiIeRcKZOPRTzFIt3lJx14yL2a9I/s1600-h/Eclipse_XS__V219507570_.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380566220002935570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68rrK8D_TrCaZjpI7bdWiysKr59PYiqqC7Gdx9etETqgBCo1wUYn2v61nKaERjwfKDBHdbNCjl2nYarR5vk3qPDzc4bCV9FYevqBSxJdI_1dROuYxiIeRcKZOPRTzFIt3lJx14yL2a9I/s320/Eclipse_XS__V219507570_.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><blockquote>Jake, the werewolf met in New Moon, pursues Bella with renewed vigilance. However, when repercussions from an episode in Twilight place Bella in the mortal danger that series fans have come to expect, Jake and Edward forge an uneasy alliance. The plot patterns have begun to show here, but Meyer's other strengths remain intact. The supernatural elements accentuate the ordinary human dramas of growing up. Jake and Edward's competition for Bella feels particularly authentic, especially in their apparent desire to best each other as much as to win Bella.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>Breaking Dawn</strong><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><br /><br /><p>In Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the series, Bella’s story plays out in some unexpected ways. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling--a human girl in love with a vampire, a werewolf in love with a human girl, the generations-long feud between werewolves and vampires--resolve pretty quickly, apparently so that Meyer could focus on Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward. How close she comes to actually making that sacrifice is questionable, which is a big shift from the earlier books. Even though you knew Bella would make it through somehow, the threats to her life, and to her relationship with Edward, had previously always felt real. It’s as if Meyer was afraid of hurting her characters too much, which is unfortunate, because the pain Bella suffered at losing Edward in New Moon, and the pain Jacob suffered at losing Bella again and again, are the fire and the heart that drive the whole series. </p><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><div>I have read these four books over the last week or so and I have been totally drawn into these books and the nice warm feeling I get when reading them, strange considering they are about Vampires and Werewolves! These books are aimed at young adults, maybe I just never grew up. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>I totally recommend them! There is another book the fifth, in the making called Midnight Sun, the first chapter can be read <a href="http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/">here</a>. It mirrors Twilight from Edward Cullen's point of view!</div></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-37349030020539008122009-09-05T08:57:00.001+01:002009-09-05T09:00:02.781+01:00Eleven Hours by Paulina Simons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14C-X6QmxxvGH6DTAxT1Ispbk5fJd7ZZf_L7tRhBwDiie0mvMKY9aWzTmbbNuEVTM-xQ5K2TRsZlUbrvgJTztn_6s3R0RJe-YXmvWkSwpDbnr6DbpCKpT0x4mxJS0DHJDC8ZqQ1j2OhNu/s1600-h/51Ao6Iy6WYL__SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14C-X6QmxxvGH6DTAxT1Ispbk5fJd7ZZf_L7tRhBwDiie0mvMKY9aWzTmbbNuEVTM-xQ5K2TRsZlUbrvgJTztn_6s3R0RJe-YXmvWkSwpDbnr6DbpCKpT0x4mxJS0DHJDC8ZqQ1j2OhNu/s400/51Ao6Iy6WYL__SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377889546185912898" /></a><br />This book had me afraid for the Didi the main character and reading it before the story really unfolded had me feeling uneasy! I knew the worse was to come.<br /><br />She is nine months pregnant and goes off in the noonday heat of Dallas to do some last minute shopping. She is approached while in the cool of the shopping mall by a pleasant young man, who asked could he help her with her bags; although he looks quite innocuous, she has a feeling of unease about him and says no. But because she thinks he is following her she phones her husband to meet early for lunch, of course like all hubbys when you need them their phones are on message.<br />Back out in the scorching heat of the day in the parking lot, she hears a voice behind her and the nightmare begins.<br /><br />The book is written with each alternate chapter about Didi and her abductor and then her husband Rich and the FBI man who informs Rich in situations like this only 20% of victims are found alive.<br />This is a real page-turner and I stayed up till the early hours to finish it!<br />I am certainly going to look out the other two books written by this author in my library, in fact I am off this morning as we are away next week.<br />A thrilling frightening read!!<br /><br />ChrisChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332613086771922320noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-24832376154523096982009-09-04T22:34:00.002+01:002009-09-04T22:51:59.042+01:00<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VJR4SQS9L._SL160_AA115_.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VJR4SQS9L._SL160_AA115_.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">Coastliners by Joanne Harris</div><div align="center"> </div><br /><br /><div align="left">On the tiny Breton island of Le Devin, life has remained almost unchanged for over a hundred years. For generations, two rival communities, the wealthy La Houssiniere and the impoverished village of Les Salants, have fought for control of the island's only beach. </div><div align="left"> </div><br /><div align="left">When Mado, a spirited local girl, returns to Les Salants after a ten-year absence, she finds her home threatened, both by the tides and a machinations of a local entrepreneur. Worse, the sommunity is suffering from an incurable loss of hope.</div><div align="left"> </div><br /><div align="left">Mado is not so easily discouraged. Dogged by prejudice from superstitious villagers, she is forced to enlist the help of Flynn, an attractive drifter. But Mado's attempts to transform the dying community have unforseen consequences. As Les Salants returns slowly to life, so do past tragedies, including thew terrible secret that still haunts Mado's father. And is Flynn really who he says he is?</div><br /><div align="left">I loved this book, but then Joanne is my favourite author (she wrote Chocolat). I could not put the book down and I felt like I'd lost something when I'd finished.I need to read Five Quarters of an Orange next,then I have read all her books.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-15616264684307085232009-08-20T21:15:00.003+01:002009-08-20T21:21:15.306+01:00Lesley Pearse - Trust Me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fRYnlbbo3xo8_GWFoAsOtKJbYto7NaTLzxSm8urnjnN3gv3cZkjc8qoIyPwGGmxuNWWbnIA-vx0VgBWqxoqGgLee0ATQvg0dDaXHZHmuJoXSnMdcyKEj9jnmUeCrWAziDmRF5rOsIWg/s1600-h/9780140293357L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 105px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fRYnlbbo3xo8_GWFoAsOtKJbYto7NaTLzxSm8urnjnN3gv3cZkjc8qoIyPwGGmxuNWWbnIA-vx0VgBWqxoqGgLee0ATQvg0dDaXHZHmuJoXSnMdcyKEj9jnmUeCrWAziDmRF5rOsIWg/s200/9780140293357L.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372142689498079730" /></a><br /><br />'Trust me!' she spat. 'As soon as someone says trust me, you can be sure they're going to let you down or hurt you.'<br /><br />All her life, people have told little Dulcie Taylor they'll look after her. And every time, she and her sister May have been hurt. Their parents. Their teacher. The convent. Then the two girls are offered the chance of a fresh start in Australia.<br /><br />But the new life that they hope for in an exciting, vibrant country goes horribly wrong. Will Dulcie break away from her sad past and build a bright new future for herself?<br /><br /><em>This book was based on facts about the orphans that were sent over to Australia and how the nuns/brothers mistreated them and consequences that happened in their lives. You probably remember the stories that were in the news a while back and this was no exception, very sad in some parts but a very interesting read.<br /><br />Barb sent this so me, so its now looking for a new home, if anyone would like it, please let me know.<br /><br />Julie x</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-17106208384895448802009-08-12T20:30:00.003+01:002009-08-12T20:47:31.231+01:00Husbands and Lies-Susy McPhee<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/SoMY2_sHy7I/AAAAAAAACTc/amK7052xtwg/s1600-h/51ls5EXorSL._SL500_AA240_%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/SoMY2_sHy7I/AAAAAAAACTc/amK7052xtwg/s320/51ls5EXorSL._SL500_AA240_%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369162513844259762" /></a><br /><br />there are some people you would do anything for... For Fran that list would include her Daughter, her Husband and her best friend, Alison. Only Alison is now desperately ill and she needs Fran's help. She wants to find her husband a new wife, and leave her young child with a new mother. Fran finds the whole idea deeply uncomfortable, but it's hard to refuse your closest friend at the best of times, let alone ignore her dying wishes..<br /><br />So Fran reluctantly logs on to an internet dating site, where she stumbles across an all to familiar profile. 'Footloose' describes himself as divorced, but his photo looks exactly like Fran's husband Max. What's a wife to do when she suspects her husband's cheating, and can't bear to confront him outright? <br />Posing as 'Sassy' Fran sends a reply to 'footloose' and sets out to date her own husband. But this increasingly crazy plan leads Max to start to have doubts of his own.<br />Torn between suspicion and love, life for Fran just got very complicated- can her marriage survive?<br /><br />I really enjoyed this book, it takes you through several emotions. Although a really easy read, it's perfect for bedtime reading. I liked Susy's style of writing<br />I think i'll look out for Susy's next book due out in Sept.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649732361203399025.post-43006840805640619962009-08-06T19:07:00.004+01:002009-08-12T20:30:03.161+01:00Nineteen minutes-Jodi Picoult<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/Snsc7uUH6JI/AAAAAAAACTU/MPgvis8w6k8/s1600-h/418FgofnZGL__SS500_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hK7tT_aezlE/Snsc7uUH6JI/AAAAAAAACTU/MPgvis8w6k8/s320/418FgofnZGL__SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366915193312372882" /></a><br />In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. <br /><br />In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.<br /><br />Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.<br /><br />Nineteen Minutes is New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?<br /><br />Really enjoyed this one, and I never guessed the twist at the end.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1