Princess of Egypt - Vince Cross

It's 1490 BC and Asha, daughter of King Thutmose, lives a carefree life at the royal court in Thebes. But when a prophecy foretells that 'a young woman will prove to be the best man in the Two Kingdoms', she's caught up in a world of plots and danger....


This is a children's fiction book from the "My Story" range by Vince Cross.... but with this theme I just couldn't resist getting it when I spotted it on the shelf in the Hospice Bookshop. The children's fiction range of books has definitely improved since my childhood (Janet and John were a boring pair! LOL). Asha is Hatshepsut, so the story is based on actual historical characters.... but with a couple of liberties taken.

Quite an interesting way of presenting a little history to children without them realising they are actually learning. ;0) Whilst there isn't enough "meat on the bones" in the story to satisfy adults (not a complaint: it did give me a couple of evenings of light, enjoyable reading) it is written in a style that most kids could relate to and enjoy.

I'll be offering this to my friend Alex for her schools' library. :0)

An Angel saved my life - Jacky Newcomb

An Angel saved my life is an inspiring collection of true stories from the other side, revealing how our guardian angels intervene in our lives, often in our darkest hour of need.

• Discover the incredible truth behind:


• The 'angel airbag' that saved a man from death in a car accident


• The woman who glimpsed the afterlife and was sent back from heaven


• The family who were 'lifted' to safety when a tornado devastated their house


• The psychic power of children who talk to spirits


• The animals that came back from death to protect their owners.

The book has a little of the authors own story but is mostly a collection taken from ordinary people from around the world - a mix that, as well as having some Angel contact stories, also contains ones of loved ones or pets visiting from the Otherworld.

I found this an uplifting and comforting read that shows that little miracles can occur at any time and in any place and to ordinary people...... sometimes just for the asking....... and that those loved ones who have crossed over are still around us and don't stop caring for us. :0)

This one is going into my collection but I'll be happy to loan it to anyone who is interested. :0)

Peacocks Dancing ~ Sharon Maas

In the suburbs of Georgetown, a small willful girl is growing up; a daughter of an easygoing man of Indian descent, and a mother she barely remembers. While she is still small, she must face the motherless world, into which a new entrant comes, an alien being, a horror of a new mother, and to tell the truth, nothing is as it used to be, for the stepmother is one great catastrophee, as Rita notes in her first diary. In time the small girl learns how to avoid the meddling substitute for a mother; that is not so easy, but neither is it too hard, given that the latter is not mean, but merely has a weird set of whimsical demands that are not a bother to comply with, merely a nuisance, or are easily worked around. As years pass, the situation stabilizes, and the abandoned girl grows into a wild child who is soon to become an equally wild woman. A permanent misfit, but despite that fact she is growing and developing as any other child with a normal family. Rita is charismatic, always has been. Initially, it is the queue of children who look up to her, knowing that no day is wasted when wild Rita Maraj is going to lead them to one adventure or another, devise a prank or two, or tell them stories.

The author says ......
"When I started writing this story I did not plan to enter Bombay's notorious Red Light District. I certainly did not plan to write a book ‘about’ child prostitution. I intensely dislike political manifestos disguised as novels; fiction, for me, is character driven, and the moment a novel becomes a platform for the author to rant about this or that social issue it loses its life. And yet this darkness exists, and that's where my cast of characters found themselves, and that's where I, their creator, had to follow them. But I refuse to wallow in sorrow and darkness forever, and I'll never to let my characters do so. I believe intensely in the transformation of pain into its opposite through spiritual growth, and for this reason, and this reason alone, I allowed my Peacocks Dancing characters to walk through that dark valley."

On the back cover of this one it has a recommendation from Barbara Erskine that says she was kept captivated with this book from the start, that is the reason i picked up this one from the table in the Community Centre library, i wanted to see what type of books she likes to read. I really enjoyed this one even though it was not a subject i would normally have chosen to read about. You can read about some of her other books and Sharon herself here

The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffeneger

This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry was thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control Henry and Clare's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

Whilst I generally tend to enjoy most books I read (with the occasional exception) this one certainly stands in a class of its own. I would love to ask the author how she came up with this concept..... and how on earth she kept track of all the comings and goings!

Yes, it can take a bit of keeping up with as to "when" Henry is, and also as to how something that happens at one point in time affects how his and Clare's story unfolds, but it is so worth the effort to do so. It's the most unusual love story I've ever read and has to be one of the most fascinating concepts ever. Be warned though: have a tissue ready when the story nears its end.

Book was registered with Book Crossing and has now been posted to Lisa. :0)

Fatal Attraction- Carol Smith

When Rose sees Joe in an Oxford bar, for her it is instant infatuation. He is everything she could ever want: gifted musician, wit and high achiever. In her mind, at least, they are ideally matched and a burning desire for him takes hold. Fate, however, has other plans and Joe has no intention of settling down. All Rose will ever be to him is part of his student past. Instead he embarks on a dazzling career which takes him abroad for a number of years, leaving Rose alone with shattered dreams. She knows what true happiness can be like. Her parents have always been very well married, and the late arrival of her kid sister, Lily, helped make the family complete. But when Joe returns and falls for Lily, unaware that Rose still has feelings for him, a dangerous rivalry ensues ...one that can only lead to murder.

although this isn't my favourite book that I've read lately, i still wanted to read it to the end. The plot was a little over the place, and I found it hard to believe that Rose get's away with all the terrible things that she does, but I still might try another of Carol Smith's books as some of them have quite good reviews

If anyone would like this book, just email me

The sooner the bettter- Lynda Page

Isobel Jenkins has spent the last fifteen years caring for Lawrence Clayton’s cantankerous mother, in the knowledge that once the old lady passes away, Lawrence will be free to marry her. However, Izzie is mortified to discover that Lawrence has been deceiving her, and when he flaunts his new bride, she decides enough is enough. But how can she start afresh? Izzie could never have predicted that helping an elderly lady find her way back to her residential home would provide the answer. The owner of the home, Mrs Johnson, instantly recognises Izzie’s worth and, in need of an extra pair of hands, offers her a job. Izzie soon attracts the admiration of one of the young doctors - if only she could forget her past experience. But not everyone is what they seem and there are those in the establishment who are using the atmosphere of openness and trust to their own advantage…

Another good one from Lynda, I read this one in two days. I'm sorry if you're getting fed up of me posting these

A Mother's Sin- Lynda Page

Things have never been easy for Dee Kirby. With her looks and personality she never wants for admirers, but as soon as people discover her mother is a prostitute, Dee is treated with disgust and cruelty. And when Dee’s mother dies owing a huge amount of money to a local gang, a grieving Dee finds herself face to face with ruthless criminals…
Meanwhile, Calum Jackson, convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, has just been released from prison and is determined to get a decent job and make a new life for himself. It’s not long before Dee crosses his path and he is instantly smitten. But will he be able to protect her, and give her the happiness she deserves?

This was another page turner from Lynda Page, although it was a little more serious/darker than the others I've read, it still was a fantastic story with believable characters
I have another one of Lynda's from the library, I think I've found another author to add to my list of favourites