This is Me Trying by Jenna Adams - #bookreview #blogtour

 

The Blurb

In this contemporary coming-of-age YA novel, a teenage girl navigates a romance with an older boy when they're cast as the leading roles in their drama group's production of Romeo and Juliet.

When Brooke and Matt are cast as romantic leads in their drama group's performance of Romeo and Juliet, they don’t mean to actually fall in love. Secrets and lies seem a small price for Brooke to pay for an older boyfriend, until they take their relationship to the next level one night in an empty auditorium. After she learns of the illegality of Matt’s actions, Brooke’s anxiety reaches breaking point and she makes a decision that changes her life forever. Years later, Matt is reunited with Brooke, desperately seeking redemption. But what sense can they make now of a love that never did run smoothly?

Exploring mental health, co-dependency, and the blurred lines of sexual consent, this captivating debut recounts a young woman’s journey to independence as she strays beyond all she has ever known to confront her traumatic past.

Previously published as Can I Stray.

My Review

This was a five-star read for me, and I enjoyed every page.

The two main characters in this book meet at a drama group when Brooke is fourteen, and Matt is eighteen. They are cast in the roles of Romeo and Juliet. Brooke already has a crush on Matt, and it is not long before her feelings are reciprocated. What follows is a complicated, messy romance, which made for fascinating reading. 

The chapters are alternated between Brooke and Matt and cover the coming few years. We can observe them mature through their individual narratives, which gave a fabulous insight into their thoughts and emotions. 

This is a very heartfelt and emotive book. There were times when I felt heartbroken at the story that they had to tell. They both had to face some very complex issues. The author did a fantastic job of portraying the range of emotion and complex needs that both Brooke and Matt have to face.

Thus, the book deals with some difficult themes, and Ms. Adams deals with them with sensitivity and compassion. The issues of consent, depression, and codependency are covered in this book with realism and honesty. My heart went out to Brooke in particular, and how her lack of self-esteem affected her and those around her. It would be impossible not to feel devastated on behalf of her mother.

This is Me Trying is being published tomorrow, and I highly recommend that you get your hands on a copy. However, I should add some trigger warnings to that recommendation. Issues of consent, mental health issues, and abandonment are all present in this book. But it is a brilliant book and well worth reading.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1917275101

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  432 (paperback)

Previously published as Can I Stray

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Blackwell's

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Jenna Adams began writing at the age of fourteen and now writes from her third-floor flat, which is full of houseplants. She has written for a variety of publications including The Book Network, Brook Charity, and The Content Wolf, and is passionate about exploring mental health, consent, and codependency in her writing.

You can also find Jenna at:

Author Website

Instagram

Tik Tok

Facebook

Why not check out some of the other fabulous bloggers on this tour.

 

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Jump 2: You Are Enough by J.G. Nolan - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Dear Diary

Am I actually still alive? Would you tell me if I wasn't?

I guess I am writing this, so I must be. Sort of. But you wouldn't say anything anyway, would you?

It's all one-way traffic with you. I tell you everything, but what do I get in return?

***

The Blurb

In the world of football, a blend of physical prowess and mental strength shapes champions.

Jamie Campbell is a talented young footballer whose sporting journey takes an unexpected twist when a family tragedy shatters her dreams and plunges her into a dark, lonely world from which she feels she will never escape.

In the depths of despair, Jamie finds solace and strength in her loyal friend, Robbie Blair.

Sent to the Lake District for a change of scene, Jamie embarks on an epic journey of self-discovery, where she must confront her fears, unlock the past and unearth her true potential.

But will she find all the answers and ultimately … is she enough?

 

My Thoughts

This was such a nice book to read and will appeal to both girls and boys alike. I think readers of upper middle grade/lower teens would enjoy this.

 Much of the story revolves around sport, and football in particular. I am not a sport fan but I enjoyed reading this. It is the second book in the Jump series and not having read the first book did not hinder my appreciation of this.

The main character is Jaime, who following the death of her mother suffers some mental health issues. This had a profound impact on her ability to play football, which had previously been of huge importance to her. In fact, I learnt a lot about OCD from reading this. It also highlights the importance of speaking out and getting help when it is needed. I enjoyed following Jaime's story of self-discovery and ultimately this is a book about hope and self-acceptance.

The book was well-written and I was very engaged by Jaime's story. I admired her enormously and found her to be likable, corouageous and realistic. I enjoyed seeing the impact that her friend, Robbie had on her and the way in which he encouraged her self-acceptance.

It has also been nicely illustrated by Carina Roberts and this really elevates the book.

Also, there are a set of questions at the back of the book which makes this perfect for the classroom. This is well worth reading. There is something for everyone included in this book and I strongly recommend it.

***

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1739208424

Publisher:  Sergar Creative

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  196 (paperback)

About the Author:

JG NOLAN was born and raised in a sleepy village in Shropshire and loved writing stories and playing football as a child.

He has been a teacher for many years, working mainly with children who have had difficult beginnings in life. He strongly believes in positive thinking and feels most things are achievable if you put your mind to it.

When his football-mad son Robbie was much younger, he kept breaking bones and was told by the doctors that he would never play football again. It was during one of JG Nolan’s many lengthy stays visiting his son in the local children’s hospital that the idea for his first book, Jump!, drifted into his mind.

Following on from the success of Jump! JG Nolan was keen to explore the story of Robbie Blair’s footballing friend Jamie, and this led him to delve into another journey of adversity, determination and recovery.

The first two books in the Jump! series reflect JG Nolan’s deep-rooted interest in sporting prowess, mental strength and history.

When he’s not busy battering away at his old computer, conjuring up new tales, JG Nolan can either be found playing squash or strumming his guitar. For many years he tried to “make it” in his indie rock band, The Poet Dogs.

He still writes songs now. When he has the time.

Connect with JG Nolan on TikTok and Instagram @JGNolan3

Why Not Check Out Some of the Other Bloggers on the Tour:

Claire's Book Obsession

Pause the Frame

Books Happy Thoughts

(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

(buy links unaffiliated)

All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison - #bookreview

 

Last night I lay awake again, remembering the day the Hunt ran me down in Hulver Wood when I was just a girl.  It was December, as it is now, and I had ventured out into the icy afternoon to cut come green boughs for the house...

***

The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful Edie Mather can remember, though the Great War still casts a shadow over the cornfields of her beloved home, Wych Farm.

When charismatic, outspoken Constance FitzAllen arrives from London to write about fading rural traditions, she takes an interest in fourteen-year-old Edie, showing her a kindness she has never known before. But the older woman isn't quite what she seems.

As harvest time approaches and pressures mount on the whole community, Edie must find a way to trust her instincts and save herself from disaster.

***

This is a heartbreaking book that was worth every moment that I dedicated to reading it. It was suggested by one of the members of my Book Club. I must confess that until then I had not come across this book or the author.

In many ways it is an unsettling story. We witness the unravelling of the mind of the main character. Edith is a fourteen year old girl who is befriended by an older woman, Constance, who is a visitor from London and is not quite what she seems. As the reader, I suspected that she had an agenda of her own, but it is not until the end of the book that her motivations become apparent.

What we observe in this book is also the unravelling of a way of life. The book is written with a gentleness that reflects the way of life in a rural community. On one hand, it depicts the beauty of the countryside, and it's slow pace of life, but on the other, it demonstrates the harsh realities that farmers were facing during the period in which the book is set. 

The environment in which this book is set is all-consuming. The way of life is not described in sentimental terms, and it does not depict a romantically idyllic version of country life. What it does do is to demonstrate the hardships afforded such families as they faced the change of farming with mechanisation, coupled with poverty and debt.

The book is perfectly paced for its subject matter. I enjoyed the slow rhythm of the writing, coupled with the slow-moving pace of life it depicted.

This is a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend wholeheartedly. 

ISBN: 978 1408897973

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Publishing

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  352 (paperback)

About the Author:

Melissa Harrison is the author of the novels Clay and At Hawthorn Time, which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and longlisted for the Bailey's Women's Prize, and one work of non-fiction, Rain, which was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize. She is a nature writer, critic and columnist for The Times, the Financial Times and the Guardian, among others. Her new novel All Among the Barley was published in August, 2018.

(author media courtesy of Good Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Reading Roundup for May 2024

I took the photo above when we had a few days away this month. We stayed in the village of Upper Clatford in Hampshire. The village was gorgeous; full of thatched cottages, a pretty church and a lake. They also had a telephone box which had been converted to hold books for the villagers to take. Such a lovely idea.

As we say goodbye to May and look forward to welcoming June, it is time for me to look back at the books I have read this month.

Books I Have Read

Sleepers and Ties by Gail Kirkpatrick - Set in Canada, this book is a beautiful story about loyalty and self-discovery. You can read my review by clicking here.

Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman - This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I liked it very much. You can read my review by clicking here.

How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney - This was the book chosen by my book group and I did not enjoy it very much.

The Quality of Love: Twin Sisters at the Heart of the Century by Ariane Bankes -  This book provides an interesting and engaging insight into the lives of identical twins Celia and Mamaine Paget. If you would like to read my review you can find it here.

The Bravest Word by Kate Foster - This was my favourite book this month. A wonderful story about a boy and a dog.  If you would like to read my review you will find it here.

Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft - A lovely book which I really enjoyed. You can find my review here.

The Little Books of the Little Brontes by Sara O'Leary and Briony May Smith - A delightful picture book that parents will enjoy sharing. You can find my review here.

The Only Way Out is Death by Varun Gwalani - I first read this book at the end of last year but have only just published the review which can be found here.

And Now There's Zelda by Carolyn Clarke - A wonderful read about being part of the sandwich generation. You can find the review here.

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman - This was a reread for me and I enjoyed reading it again.

Books I Am Partway Through

Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carter

Belly Woman by Benjamin Black

The Hound from Hanoi by Moire O'Sullivan

All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison

The Warden by Anthony Trollope

The Bravest Word by Kate Foster - #bookreview #blogtour

 

I can't do this. I can't do this.

But it's happening. I am doing this.

I'm following my teammates onto the pitch. I'm watching my orange boots, brand new for the brand new season, take step after step across the short grass. I wish I could stop, spin around and run home...

***

A rescue story of love and trust between a boy and a dog from the talented author of Paws.

Matt is a football superstar. He can handle anything. Except lately his chest feels empty and his head is screaming. He can’t concentrate in school or enjoy football anymore, and he is so, so tired. When Matt stumbles across an abandoned dog, there’s no doubt in his mind that he has to save him. But maybe the dog isn’t the only one who needs help.

***

Who does not like a story about a boy, a dog and how they save and support one another through love? I had known I was going to enjoy this book before I even turned the first page, and I was not disappointed.

There is something rather extraordinary about this book. It has a lovely story but it also highlights mental health issues and how it is okay to talk about how we feel. I liked the way that Matt was able to recognize that he has depression through learning to care about his dog.

The author has created great characters in Matt and Cliff, the dog. She also brings the secondary characters to life extremely well. I would even go as far as to say I am a little in love with Matt's dad, who demonstrates such kindness and understanding to Matt when he really needs it.

The book is aimed at middle grade/lower secondary aged readers and every school library should have a copy of this wonderful book. It has been one of the best children's books I have read this year.

I could have cried when I read how Matt finally learned to open up and admit that he is struggling with his mental health (not a spoiler as it's obvious that the book is heading that way.) It was a very emotive part of the book, and I genuinely think it will facilitate young readers into understanding their own feelings and that it is okay to talk about them.

It is a heartwarming book which I will be thinking about for quite some time. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Undoubtedly a five star read.

***

ISBN: 978 1529514216

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  224 (paperback)

About the Author: 

Kate Foster is an award-winning children's author of middle grade fiction originally from a small town in the southeast of England and now living on the stunning Gold Coast in Australia with her family and second-hand dogs. She is passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via a positive approach and representation in both her books as well as her presentations and talks.

(book and media courtesy of Love Book Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

Top 10 Ten Books of 2023

 

Happy New Year

I can hardly believe that another year is behind us. The New Year for me is always a time of reflection on the joys and sorrows that 2023 brought with it. It is also a time to reflect on my reading for the year and to try to whittle down the 157 books that I have read to a mere ten - not an easy task as I am sure you can imagine.

So, in no particular order, here are my top ten (click on the book title to go straight to my review.)

The Wolf Hunt by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen - I was already a fan of this author, having read her book, Waking Lions a few years ago. The Wolf Hunt was every bit as good and is well worthy of a place in my top ten book.

Don't Look Away by Rachel Abbott - Set in Cornwall, this is a suspenseful book that I enjoyed very much.

Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds - This was a very powerful book which I cannot recommend highly enough.

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths - This is the final book in the Ruth Galloway series. I have loved all of these books and this one was no exception.

Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch - This is a wonderful feminist retelling of the character of Morgana from the tales of King Arthur. Well worth reading.

The Best Minds A Story of Friendship, Madness and Good Intensions by Jonathan Rosen - The author writes of his childhood friendship with Michael, and his diagnoses of scizophrenia.

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed - Based on a true story and set in Cardiff's, Tiger Bay. This is a compelling story of injustice.

Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde - The story of a young boy and his friendship with an elderly neighbour.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - This book was a little out of my reading comfort zone but I thoroughly enjoyed it's time travel element which moves between modern day America and the Antebellum South.

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Suzy K. Quinn - This self published novel is well worthy of a place in my top ten books. It is both poignant and humourous and I highly recommend it.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2024

Annie x

Lyrics for the Loved Ones by Anne Goodwin - #BookReview

Matty would have have stayed snug in her room with her precious belongings around her, but she hates to disappoint Oh My Darling. Whereas some maids are brassy, Oh My Darling was born to serve. Matty panders to her whims, no matter how outlandish, rewarding her docility as the Lord bestows His blessing on the meek.

As the maid hooks her arm to lift her from the chair, Matty hears coughing in the corridor. "Is this a fire drill?" That would account for Oh My Darling's haste.

Oh My Darling cocks her head in that charming manner of hers "Can't smell no smoke. Can't hear no alarm. Can you?

Matty cannot...

***

After half a century confined in a psychiatric hospital, Matty has moved to a care home on the Cumbrian coast. Next year, she’ll be a hundred, and she intends to celebrate in style. Yet, before she can make the arrangements, her ‘maid’ goes missing.

Irene, a care assistant, aims to surprise Matty with a birthday visit from the child she gave up for adoption as a young woman. But, when lockdown shuts the care-home doors, all plans are put on hold.

But Matty won’t be beaten. At least not until the Black Lives Matter protests burst her bubble and buried secrets come to light.

Will she survive to a hundred? Will she see her ‘maid’ again? Will she meet her long-lost child?

Rooted in injustice, balanced with humour, this is a bittersweet story of reckoning with hidden histories in cloistered times.

***

This book is a sequel to Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. It is a fantastic book which I can't recommend highly enough. Although Lyrics for the Loved Ones works perfectly well as a standalone novel you will enjoy it all the more if you familiarise yourself with the main character, Matty, before doing so. If you would like to read my review of Matilda Windsor is Coming Home you can do so by clicking here.

Ms. Goodwin has also written a prequel. Stolen Summers was an equally great read and you can read my review by clicking here.

Lyrics for the Loved Ones provided me with the wonderful opportunity to spend more time in Matty's company. She is a wonderful character, who has been misunderstood all of her life, been incarcerated in a mental institution for having a baby out of wedlock and we now find her living in Cumbria in a care home. I have read many, many books over the years and Matty remains one of my favourite characters.

As ever, the author writes with intelligence, understanding and sensitivity. Her prose is beautiful to read, and she has carefully placed every single word. There is no waffle, not a word is wasted. It is a delight to read.

This particular book is set during the covid pandemic and it follows Matty and those connected with her. It is written with poignancy as well as moments of humour amidst such challenging circumstances.

I have read almost all of the books which Anne Goodwin has written and with each one I have observed her writing become more accomplished. She has become one of my favourite authors, and I wholeheartedly recommend them.

ISBN: 978 1739145026

Publisher:  Anecdotal Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 345 (paperback)

About the Author:

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.

Anne writes about the darkness that haunts her and is wary of artificial light. She makes stuff up to tell the truth about adversity, creating characters to care about and stories to make you think. She explores identity, mental health and social justice with compassion, humour and hope.

An award-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, (my review can be found here) was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Lyrics for the Loved Ones is her fourth novel.

Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

Available to purchase from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Books to Read

Reading Roundup for April 2023

 April has definitely begun to feel more like spring. There has been a good mixture of sunshine and rain. It is making everything in the garden grow like crazy and we have even had a few days when the weather has been kind enough to enable us to get out and tackle the weeds which are making themselves known.

The highlight of my month was going to the theatre in Eastbourne to see author, Tracy Borman, in her roadshow, How to Be a Good Monarch. It was a fantastic show and if it is showing anywhere near you then I highly reccomend it.

Have you done anything exciting or interesting this month?

Have you read any good books? I have read a mixture of the great, the good and the average this month.

Books I Have Read

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart - This was a re-read for me and it was every bit as brilliant as the first time I read it.

Ascension by Oliver Harris - This was the choice of my book group this month. The majority of the group really liked it. It was a good book, well written for it's genre but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin - I read this as part of the book tour and enjoyed it very much. You can read my review by clicking here.

Night Wherever We Go by Tracy Rose Peyton - This was an excellent book, set in Texas in 1852. Well worth reading and you can read my review by clicking here.

The Wonderland Murders by Millie Ravensworth - This cosy crime mystery was an easy read and part of another book tour. You can access my review by clicking here.

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James - A lovely bit of escapist reading and you can access my review by clicking here.

The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen - This non-fiction title was really interesting. It's difficult to describe in a few words so please read the full review by clicking here.

Ada's Realm by Sharon Dodua Otoo - This was a complex novel which took a little working at. It was extremely good though and you can read my review by clicking here.

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed - This was my favourite book this month and I cannot say enough good things about it. Please read my full review by clicking here.

Foxash by Kate Worsley - I only finished reading this yesterday but I plan to get my review written today ready for uploading tomorrow.

Caring Conservationists by Kate Peridot - Another book I finished only yesterday and my review will be up by the end of the week.

Books I Am Partway Through

Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir

Through Three Rooms by Sven Elvestad

James I: The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman

The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen - #bookreview

 

I am going back fifty years. Before the lurid headlines, the Hollywood deal, the publishing contract and The New York Times profile of the role model genius who finished Yale Law School against all odds. Before delusions mistaken for stories, and stories mistaken for life. Before the fancy clothes you bought for management consulting and wore into the hospital, the halfway house, and the Gatsby House you guarded with a baseball bat against enemies disguised as friends and family, guarded in turn by beloved neighbors.

I am going back to the time before you graduated from Yale... Before high school, where you ran while I was beaten and the horror twenty years later when it was my turn to run.

***

When the Rosens moved to New Rochelle, New York in 1973, Jonathan Rosen and Michael Laudor became inseparable. Both children of professors, the boys were best friends and fierce rivals who soon followed each other to Yale University.

Michael blazed through Yale in three years, graduating summa cum laude and landing a top-flight consulting job. Then one day, Jonathan received a devastating call: Michael had suffered a psychotic break and was in the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Michael was still in hospital when he learned he'd been accepted to Yale Law School, and living in a halfway house when he decided, against all odds, to enroll. Still battling delusions, he managed to graduate, and after his triumphant story was featured in The New York Times, sold a memoir for a vast sum. Ron Howard bought film rights, completing the dream for Michael and his tirelessly supportive girlfriend Carrie, and Brad Pitt was set to star. But then Michael, in the grip of psychosis, committed a horrific act that made him a front-page story of an entirely different sort.

The Best Minds is Jonathan Rosen's powerful account of an American tragedy, set in the final decades of the American century, an era that coincided with the emptying out of state mental hospitals. It is a story about the bonds of friendship, the price of delusion and the mystery of identity. Tender, funny, and harrowing by turns, The Best Minds is both a beautifully rendered coming of age story and an indictment of the profound neglect of mental illness in our society.

***

Usually, I write my review of a book as soon as I have finished it. However, with this book I have had to leave it a few days in order to process the impact it has had on me.

It is extraordinarily powerful and was well worth reading through it's 500 plus pages. It wasn't an easy read. In fact, there were times I found it devastatingly sad and heartbreaking. That said, I am extremely glad that I read it.

Mr. Rosen writes of his childhood friends diagnosis of schizophrenia and his psychotic downward spiral was devastating and it's impact on those around him tragic. He presents an unflinchingly straight forward and compassionate observation of the mental health system in the US with honesty and candour.

He portrays the fine line between genius and madness; not un unfamiliar trope in novels. However, this is not a novel - it is a factual account and an outstandingly written one. There are few books which I would describe as unforgettable but this is one such book. It will stay with me for a long time.

This is not my usual style of review. There is no place here for commenting on characterization, setting or plot. That only leaves me with encouraging you to read this exceptional book for yourselves.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

ISBN: 978 0241647448

Publisher: Allen Lane

Formats: e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  576 (hardback)

Purchase from Bookshop.org* 

About the Author:

Jonathan Rosen is the author of two novels: Eve's Apple and Joy Comes in the Morning, and two non-fiction books: The Talmud and the Internet

and The Life of the Skies. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic and numerous anthologies. He lives with his family in New York City.

(ARC and author bio info courtesy of the publisher)

(author photo courtesy of The Guardian)

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

Reading Roundup for October 2022

 

Autumn is well and truly here in the UK. As I write, the leaves are swirling through the air with the grace of a ballerina. It is pretty to watch from the warmth and cosiness of my office.

I was excited to complete my Good Reads annual challenge this week. I have read 94 books this year and I still have time to fit in a few more before the end of the year. Are you taking part in the Good Reads challenge? I would love to hear how you are getting along.

I have read some great books this month and with no further ado here they are.

Books I Have Read

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - This was my book group choice for this month. It met with varied opinions but I loved it and it was my favourite book this month. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Maids of Biddenden by G. D. Harper - I have read this as part of an upcoming blog tour which will take place in a couple of weeks so keep your eyes open for my review.

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz - The second in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. Very enjoyable and I have already obtained a copy of the next in the series.

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths - The latest in the Ruth Galloway series. I adore this series and I am eagerly anticipating the next one to be published.

A Midlife Baby by Cary J. Hansson - The second part of a trilogy and my review will be up very soon.

Stolen Summers by Anne Goodwin - This missed being my favourite book of the month by a whisker and you can read my review by clicking here. It is a prequel to the author's previous book, Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. It is a beautiful book and if you would like to read my review of it then please click here.

The Unexpected Return of Josephine Cox by Claire Graddige - The first in a very enjoyable series and I am planning on reading the second one soon.

Mr. Peacock's Possession's by Lydia Syson - I enjoyed this very much. My review will be up soon.

The Reaper's Quota by Sarah McKnight - I liked this amusing take on the Grim Reaper. Worth reading.

Books I Did Not Finish

Journey to the End of the Millennium by A. B. Yehoshua - I read about a third of this book and was enjoying it but I had other books which had reading deadlines so had to prioritise those. When I went back to this book I realised I needed to start from the beginning again which I will do at some point.

Books I am Partway Through

Oil and Dust by Jamie Fairleigh

People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn

(header photo courtesy of Urak Demir/Unsplash)

Stolen Summers by Anne Goodwin - #BookReview

 

Not all the nuns were cruel. Some of the younger ones would address the girls kindly if Mother Superior were out of earshot. So Matilda counted her blessings when Sister Bernadette slipped onto the seat beside her in the taxicab, while a sombre man with a box-shaped head took the passenger seat at the front. He resembled a tradesman in his white cotton coat worn over an ordinary jacket and trousers; Matilda assumed the nuns had offered him a lift out of charity. She wasn't introduced.

Although still sore down below, she held herself erect with her hands folded in her lap. She had dressed for hopefulness that morning in the polka-dot dress her brother favoured; her wool coat with the missing button lay with her suitcase in the boot.

***

Stolen Summers: A heartbreaking tale of betrayal, confinement and dreams of escape.

All she has left is her sanity. Will the asylum take that from her too?

In 1939, Matilda is admitted to Ghyllside hospital, cut off from family and friends. Not quite twenty, and forced to give up her baby for adoption, she feels battered by the cruel regime. Yet she finds a surprising ally in rough-edged Doris, who risks harsh punishments to help her reach out to the brother she left behind.

Twenty-five years later, the rules have relaxed, and the women are free to leave. How will they cope in a world transformed in their absence? Do greater dangers await them outside?

The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home is a tragic yet tender story of a woman robbed of her future who summons the strength to survive.

***

This novella is a prequel to the novel, Matilda Windsor is Coming Home, which I read at the end of last year. Indeed, it was amongst my top ten reads for 2021 and it is one of those books which has stayed with me. The main character, Matty, is not one to be easily forgotten and so I was delighted when the author asked me if I would like to read the recently released prequel.

I am sure you can imagine I positively jumped at the opportunity and I have very much enjoyed spending more time with Matty and becoming acquainted more closely with her back story.

It is beautifully written, and the author demonstrates skill in the portrayal of her characters. Matty, and those around her, leap off the page and are utterly believable.

In so many ways it is a heartbreaking story and sadly, not an unusual one for the time in which it was set. However, it is not a depressing book to read but one which allows the reader a glimpse into the system as it was in 1939 when Matty was first institutionalised. It demonstrates the trauma of being committed to a mental asylum, and the treatment that she received there, and how it led an ordinary and sane girl to mentally unravel.

I highly recommend this book and if you have not already read Matilda Windsor is Coming Home then I strongly urge you to do so. If you would like to read my review you can do so by clicking here.

ISBN: 978 1739145002 

Publisher: Annectodal Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 151 (paperback)

About the Author:

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.

Anne writes about the darkness that haunts her and is wary of artificial light. She makes stuff up to tell the truth about adversity, creating characters to care about and stories to make you think. She explores identity, mental health and social justice with compassion, humour and hope. 

An award-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. 

Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

(all bio info, photos and ARC of the book courtesy of the author.)

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin - #BookReveiw

 

When you find me, you will want to hear my story. Or the part of my story that tells of you. Until then, I turn it around in my mind to prevent it fading. When we meet, it will sing...

The cushion sighs, squashed by a body sinking into the seat beside her. Matty scrunches her already-closed eyes. She does not care for distractions when she has a recital to prepare.

In the dying days of the old asylums, three paths intersect.

Henry was only a boy when he waved goodbye to his glamorous grown-up sister; approaching sixty, his life is still on hold as he awaits her return.

As a high-society hostess renowned for her recitals, Matty’s burden weighs heavily upon her, but she bears it with fortitude and grace.

Janice, a young social worker, wants to set the world to rights, but she needs to tackle challenges closer to home.

A brother and sister separated by decades of deceit. Will truth prevail over bigotry, or will the buried secret keep family apart?

In this, her third novel, Anne Goodwin has drawn on the language and landscapes of her native Cumbria and on the culture of long-stay psychiatric hospitals where she began her clinical psychology career. 

***

As I sit to write this review, my mind is awhirl as I attempt to find the right words to express how much I adored this very special book.

So, I have taken a deep breath, sipped my tea, stroked the dog and now I am ready to say that this is a completely fabulous book which I enjoyed from start to finish.

I fell totally in love with the three characters who feature in this novel. There is Matty, who has spent her adult life in a mental institution. Henry, her long lost brother who has spent his life searching for her, and Janice, a social worker, tasked with assessing the patients suitability for care in the community. All three of these characters have been expertly portrayed.

The book deals with some difficult themes, particularly through Matty's flashbacks. However, the main theme is the difficulties which arise within mental health institutions which are being run with a 'one size fits all' mentality. However, through Janice and her colleagues, it becomes a story of hope as we see them treat their patients as individuals. It is a poignant story told with both sensitivity and humour.

This is the second book which I have read from the talented Ms. Goodwin and you can read my review of Sugar and Snails by clicking here.. I enjoyed it very much but in Matilda Windsor is Coming Home, the author has written a much more accomplished and mature novel.

Matty is an endearing character, and I did not want the book to end. Consequently, I am delighted that the author is already working on a sequel as I am not ready to leave Matty behind just yet. She is a character who will remain with me.

I highly recommend this book and would love to hear your thoughts.

ISBN: 978 1913117054

Publisher: Inspired Quill

About the Author:

Anne Goodwin writes entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice.

She is the author of three novels and a short story collection published by small independent press, Inspired Quill.

Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her new novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, is inspired by her previous incarnation as a clinical psychologist in a long-stay psychiatric hospital.

Book, photo and biog information from the authors own website.

Reading Roundup - October 2021

 

Here in the UK the clocks go back on Sunday. And as much as I don't want to mention the 'Christmas' word just yet, it's really not that far away. I can't believe how fast 2021 has flown by.

Actually, I am a little ahead of the game and have already bought a couple of festive gifts. I know that many people will have already been doing this for a while now, but usually I resist doing so until November.

October has been a great month for reading. As most of you already know, I usually read somewhere between seven and ten books in a month. In an average month I consider myself lucky if I read one outstanding book. Lots of books are good but not that many can be counted as amazing.

However, amongst my reading this month there are two absolute gems which I can't recommend enough; The Girl With the Louding Voice and Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. Details are below.

 How about you? Have you read anything amazing this month?

Books I Have Read During October

The Last Witches of England: A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition by John Callow - This is an amazingly well researched book about the Bideford Witches. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick by Sharon Wright - a biographical account of the oft overlooked mother of the famous Bronte sisters. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier - I was unsure about what to expect from this collection of short stories but I enjoyed them very much. Disquieting rather than scary.

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin - This is a fabulously heart-rending book and my review will be up very soon.

Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler - an enjoyable novel which is the first in the Heart of Carolina series.

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - An outstanding achievement of a book. Well done Ms Dare. You can read my review by clicking here.

Books I Am Partway Through

Tales from the Italian South by Angelina Brasacchio

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Rags of Time by Michael Ward

Found by Erin Kinsley - #BookReview

"There are so many ifs, and so many if onlys. If only rugby practice hadn't over-run. If only Evan hadn't gone and lost a boot. If only he'd decided to bypass the newsagent's and had caught the earlier bus, the one he missed by just twenty seconds."

When 11 year old Evan vanishes without trace, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare.

Especially as the police, under massive pressure, have no answers. But months later Evan is unexpectedly found, frightened and refusing to speak. His loving family realise life will never be the same again.

DI Naylor knows that unless those who took Evan are caught, other children are in danger. And with Evan silent, she must race against time to find those responsible...

                                                                           ***

This is such a gripping read. In fact, I started it one day and finished it the next as I really could not put it down.

This book is largely about relationships and how they sometimes have to change. We speak alot at the moment about the 'new normal' and this book demonstrates how a 'new normal' had to be adapted to for this particular family to move forward because nothing was exactly the same as it had been prior to Evan's abduction. There were times when I could have cried for them all and there are some very moving moments in the novel.

The author has taken a difficult topic and treated it sensitively. There are no graphic scenes of what happened to Evan during his abduction and I appreciated that she treated her characters with respect. The way in which she developed her characters shows real skill and they were each easy to engage with. I also enjoyed the generational relationships in this book as Evan's grandparents feature every bit as much as his parents.

An outstanding debut novel and if Ms Kinsley continues to write as well as this she is definitely one to watch. Her next book, Innocent, is due for release in the UK in August 2020. I can not wait to read it.

ISBN: 978 1472260772

Publisher: Headline

About the Author:

Erin Kinsley is a full-time writer. She grew up in Yorkshire and currently lives in East Anglia.

Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins - #BookReview

"They are waiting for an answer. What do they want me to say? Perhaps they think I am a stalker, targeting the president of an Oxford College on his early morning jog. I have an urge to laugh which is inappropriate. There is nothing funny about this, nothing whatsoever. Felicity is missing. The whole country is looking for her."

When the eight year old daughter of an Oxford College Master vanishes in the middle of the night, police turn to the Scottish nanny, Dee, for answers.

As Dee looks back over her time in the Master's Lodging - an eerie and ancient house - a picture of a high achieving but dysfunctional family emerges: Nick, the fiercely intelligent and powerful father; his beautiful Danish wife Mariah, pregnant with their child; and the lost little girl, Felicity, almost mute, seeing ghosts, grieving her dead mother.

But is Dee telling the whole story? Is her growing friendship with the eccentric house historian, Linklater, any cause for concern? And most of all, why was Felicity silent?

Roaming through Oxford's secret passages and hidden graveyards, Magpie Lane, explores the true meaning of family - and what it is to be denied one.

This fabulous book ended up being a quick read for me as I could not put it down and sprinted through it to get to the books conclusion. Mostly told retrospectively during a police interview, the narrative goes back and forth with the recollections of the main character, Dee, coupled with the immediacy of the interview.

The characters were excellently portrayed.  Nick and Mariah were difficult to like and this opinion did not change throughout the book. Equally, both Felicity and Dee were engaging characters and I suspect most readers will love Felicity for her innocence and vulnerability. The main character, Dee, had a combination of strength and weakness and as the book progressed I did come to wonder how reliable she was as a narrator.

The house itself felt as though it was a character as the Masters Lodging is a focal point of the novel and much of the story is linked to the house. The author did a brilliant job of making the house come alive as she did with Oxford itself. Highly atmospheric I felt completely immersed in the setting of this novel.

It is a sensitive, eerie and excellently written novel and I can hardly wait to read another book by Ms. Atkins. Have you read any of her other books? I would love to hear about them. 

Keep safe and well through these difficult days my friends. Thank goodness we have our books to keep us company while we are isolated and socially distanced. 

ISBN: 978 1786485571

Publisher: Quercus

About the Author:

Lucy Atkins is an award winning author, feature journalist and Sunday Times book critic. She has written for newspapers including The #Guardian, The Times, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph as well as many UK magazines. She teaches on the Masters in Creative Writing at Oxford University and lives in Oxford.

Some of her other books are, The Missing Ones, The Night Visitor and The Other Child.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - Book Review

"A woman has to be tough as steel up here. You can't count on anyone to save you and your children. You have to be willing to save yourselves. And you have to learn fast. In Alaska you can make one mistake. One. The second one will kill you."

Alaska, 1974. Untamed. Unpredictable. A story of a family in crisis struggling to survive at the edge of the world. It is also a story of young and enduring love.

Cora Allbright and her husband, Ernt - a recently returned Vietnam veteran scarred by the war - uproot their thirteen-year-old daughter, Leni, to start a new life in Alaska. Utterly unprepared for the weather and the isolation, but welcomed by the close-knit community, they fight to build a home in this harsh, beautiful wilderness.

At once an epic story of human survival and love, and an intimate portrait of a family tested beyond endurance, The Great Alone offers a glimpse into a vanishing way of life in America. With her trademark combination of elegant prose and deeply drawn characters, Kristin Hannah has delivered an enormously powerful story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the remarkable and enduring strength of women. It is the finest example of Hannah's ability to weave together the deeply personal with the universal.

This novel is about the setting as much as plot or character. The cold and hardships of living in Alaska are excellently portrayed in this book. The author has brought the environment completely alive, from the long dark winters to the long days of spring and summer. Despite my reading this during a heatwave here in England (very rare) there were times I reached for my wrap such was her ability to draw the reader into the book. Her research has come from her own experience of her fathers love for adventure and their own residence in the location in which the book is set.

The characters are carefully drawn and easy to become involved with. There are some truly wonderful characters in this book. I found myself rooting for Leni, Cora and Matthew throughout and I would challenge anyone not to love Large Marge. Ms. Hannah is extremely skilled at developing her characters and bringing them vividly to life.

Combined with a plot which is advanced in an easy to read narrative, these three factors all come together to form a totally gripping novel.

My only small criticism was that some of the story was a little too sugary and ultimately predictable for my taste, but that is entirely personal. I continue to love this author's writing and I have read and reviewed The Nightingale (in fact I have read this twice and was one of my top ten favourite books of 2016) and Night Road - you can read my reviews by clicking on the title. One thing that makes me very happy is that the author has a long back list which I am looking forward to reading in the future.

Do you have a favourite book written by Kristin Hannah? I would love to hear about it.

ISBN: 978 1250193773

Publisher: Macmillan USA

About the Author:

Kristin Hannah is a New York Times bestselling author. She is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle and Hawaii. Her first novel published in the UK, Night Road, was one of eight books selected for the 2011 TV Book Club Summer Read and The Nightingale was a New York Times number one bestseller, selling almost three million copies worldwide.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - #BookReview

When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel painter pursuing fame in the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity.

Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented lawyer yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by a degree of trauma that he fears he will not only be unable to overcome - but that will define his life forever.

In a novel of extraordinary intelligence and heart, Yanagihara has fashioned a masterful depiction of heartbreak, and a dark and haunting examination of the tyranny of experience and memory.

Some people are put off reading long books. Personally, I quite like them as I see it as a book that I can really get my teeth into. That said, by the time I am drawing towards the denouement I am usually looking forward to getting on with something new. Which is why I was surprised that when I came to the end of this totally engrossing book I was sad that it had come to an end. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that I feel slightly bereft that this cast of characters are now out of my life.

Within the unassuming cover of this book lies a novel of exquisite intensity. Bearing in mind that I finished reading this a couple of weeks ago and that I have read a couple of other books since, the fact that I am still mulling this book over in my mind speaks volumes concerning what a fantastic novel it actually is.

Each of the characters are flawed but are written with such absolute honesty that they are very easy to engage with. Although this book is about the four college classmates it focuses on Jude, whose previous life is a mystery to his friends and everyone that he knows. His life is gradually explained to the reader and the author presents us with some extremely difficult themes. However, she deals with Jude with such sensitivity and compassion that, as readers, we are able to bear these revelations.

This is an intelligent character driven novel which looks at the true meaning of love and friendship. Written with tenderness, care and compassion, the author has ensured that this a book I will never forget reading.

As always, there are not any spoilers within this review. What I will say, is that I cannot decide whether I think that the conclusion of this book was the perfect one or whether I really hated it. Have you read this? What are your thoughts?

ISBN:  978 1447294832

Publisher: Picador

About the Author:

A Little Life is Hanya Yanagihara's second book and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015 and was a finalist for the National Book Award in the same year.

She is an American novelist, editor and travel writer. She grew up in Hawaii and now lives in New York.