Back to Her Future by Cary Hansson - #bookreview

Tuesday 14th January 1986

Dear Mery,

I'm writing this letter even though I haven't got your address. Mum says she's sure we'll get one soon. I thought I'd write because otherwise I'm going to forget all the things I need to tell you. It's been twenty-four days already and I miss you.

***

Meryem has learned to look out for number one.

Abducted as a teenager from England to Turkey, where she was forced to marry a man twice her age, thirty years later she is finally free to live life on her own terms.

She is divorced and wealthy, working a lucrative job in Dubai when a whispered confession from her dying father turns her world upside down, and sets her on a path to discover the truth.

The first step is a return to London, and her childhood best friend, Alma.

But the women, once so close, struggle to reconnect as forgotten memories and shocking revelations surrounding Meryem's abduction, tear open unhealed wounds for both of them.

 Beautifully and boldly written, Cary J Hansson merges history, everyday circumstances and aching tragedy into an unforgettable narrative.

Back to Her Future is the compelling first novel in The Gen X Series of women’s contemporary fiction. If you like scarred but resilient heroines, nostalgic interludes, and transformative epiphanies, then you’ll love The Gen X Series.

***

Wow! It is rare that I begin a review with such an expression but on this occasion there is no other word which will do. This is a fantastic novel and was easily a five star read for me.

I have previously read all three books in the author's Midlife series and I am posting links to my review of each of those books below. I really enjoyed all three of them and highly recommend them. 

When I picked this book up, I was expecting it to be as good. However, my expectations were surpassed. In Back to Her Future, the first in a new series, Ms Hansson writes with depth and self assuredness and it is a delight to witness how accomplished her writing has become.

She has delved deeply into the complex lives of the three women in the book, Meryam, Alma and Sammy, who were friends as children. Life has taken them in very different directions and when they come together again as adults, it is not without problems.

The author demonstrates a depth of understanding of her characters. Each of them is complex in her own way, and I enjoyed the way in which the author brings the three of them to a point of understanding of one another, and themselves.

There are some difficult themes running throughout this book but there is nothing gratuitous and they are dealt with sensitively and compassionately. The story also looks at identity and culture and how they make us act.

However, the thing that is common to all these women is the guilt that they carry for one reason or another. Add to that themes of motherhood, friendship and forgiveness along with some excellent writing and you have a superb book.

The narrative is written through prose and a series of letters from the past and this permits the reader to understand the situation from differing perspectives.

All in all, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend. I can hardly wait for the second book in the series.

ISBN: 978 9152786017

Publisher:  Hansson Publishing

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

No. of Pages:  326 (paperback)

Links to Previous Reviews

A Midlife Holiday

A Midlife Baby

A Midlife Gamble

About the Author:

Cary’s  work has been shortlisted in national and international competitions. She writes for various publications, digital and print. She lives in Stockholm, where she enjoys a glass of wine and a cold water swim daily, but not in that order.

(book and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

The Dream Collector: Sabine and Sigmund Freud by R.W. Meek - #excerpt #blogtour #bookexcerpt #extract

 

As part of the blog tour, I am very excited to be bringing you an excerpt of this book today. It looks great and I would love to read it sometime soon.

Without further ado, here is some infomation about the book, along with an excerpt.

The Blurb

The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art and medicine were in the throes of revolution, art turning to Impressionism, medicine turning to psychology. In 1885, Julie Forette, a self-educated woman from Marseilles, finds employment at the infamous Salpêtrière, hospital and asylum to over five thousand disabled, demented and abandoned women, a walled city ruled by the famed neurologist and arrogant director, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot.

Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including “talking sessions.” Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries.

In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the “Peruvian Savage” Paul Gauguin. Julie is the eponymous ‘Dream Collector’ collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period.

The Excerpt

Sabrine Freed from the Asylum

Not wishing to endure one moment more inside the city of the misbegotten, I escorted her as quickly as possible out the gate. On the other side of Boulevard de l'Hopital, the carriage and the coachman waited, he bundled ear to toe in a ragged coat and thick scarf, the reins ready in his hands, the two roans exhaling white feathery plumes of mist.

She eagerly climbed into the back cab while I gave the driver the written address. But I instructed him to first taxi leisurely through the Bois du Boulogne. We now had time to do as we wished.

The horses fell into a rhythmic trot, our carriage car rocking us gently as Sabrine stayed intently interested in the passing scenery. She took to humming cheerfully, occasionally turning with a reassuring smile. I thought her smile expressed the happiness of being liberated, of the fact that we were once more together to share the adventure of life. No one under the sun, moon or stars would separate us again.

After a pleasant ride through the park, I signaled the driver, tapping the little window, and he steered the horses toward Montmartre. The moment seemed appropriate to hand her the present I had saved for weeks. “A diary to write down your thoughts, and...” I so hoped, “your poems, but only if you wish.” My sister did not disappoint me. When we reached our destination, her new home, she showed me the poem she had composed.

you are vellum to me

crisp at the edges

i want to slow-turn

your slim-paged ivory self

and peruse you voraciously!

We fell into an embrace. So much was waiting to make our lives whole again.

ISBN: 978 1962465144

Publisher:  Historium Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  556 (paperback)

About the Author:

R.W. Meek has a Master’s degree in Art History from the American University in Washington, D.C., his areas of expertise are Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, with a particular interest in Vincent van Gogh. He has interned and conducted tours at the National

Museum of American and the National Gallery of Art. In 2022 and 2023 five of his chapter excerpts from his soon to be published novel “The Dream Collector” were either finalists or published in various literary journals.

The author has also won the Palm Beach Book Festival Competition for “Best Writer in Palm Beach’ his manuscript judged by a panel of NYT Best Selling authors. “The Dream Collector” also received gold and silver medals in the Historical Fiction Company literary contest and earned runner-up for the “Best Historical Fiction Novel’ of 2022.

The author was born in Baltimore, adventured in Europe for many years, and recently moved from Delray Beach, Florida to Santa Clarita, California. His wife is a psychologist, sculptress, playwright and stand-up story teller. His daughter Nora is a story board artist in the animation world and resides in Hollywood, California. His favorite writers are Dostoevsky, John Fowles, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

(all media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson - #bookreview #blogtour

 

The last sound I ever heard wasn't what I expected.

If I'd been on one of those stupid game shows risking a million pounds on the final question, I'd probably have guessed it would be the cry of gulls.

Those monsters haunted the skies above the island like pale ghosts, swooping down to steal fish from the trawlers coming home to the harbour before the teams could unload. Dive-bombing in unison, they tore at the nets bulging with fresh-caught herring, snatching the silver fish and swallowing them whole as they wheeled back into the sky for the next attack...

***

AN ADVENTUROUS ECO-THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VICTORIA WILLIAMSON

On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.

With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…

***

When I was offered the chance to read this book for a blog tour, I jumped at the chance. I have read a few of Victoria Williamson's books before. They have all been excellent (I will provide links to those reviews at the bottom of the page) and I was very excited to read this.

This book was no exception to the high standard I have come to expect from this author. I was hooked by the story from the very first page and I remained enthralled to the very last.

The main character is fourteen year old Max who loses his hearing in an accident on his father's fishing boat. He has much to deal with in adjusting to life as a non-hearing person. His friends seem to shun him, and he is allocated to the group at school who have learning difficulties. He is full of anger by the way people treat him, particularly with his father who seems to refuse to try to communicate with him.

Not only was Max a great character but the secondary characters were also excellent. His 'new' friends Erin, Beanie and David, all with their individual special needs, are well drawn and highly likeable. Although Max kicks back at having to become part of their group, the reader soon ascertains that they will become close friends.

There is also an element of mystery concerning the wind turbines which have recently been installed close to the Scottish Island where the book is set. It was enjoyable to observe how Max and his friends put the pieces together and attempt to foil the plot.

In many ways, I think the main theme of the book is communication. Not only the different ways in which we can convey meaning to one another through speech, lip reading, sign language and so on but this is also about the way in which the villagers were communicated with via the wind turbines.

It is a powerful book aimed at young adults. I think anyone of secondary school age or above would enjoy this very much.

ISBN: 978 1911107507

Publisher: Neem Tree Press

Formats:  e-book, paperback and audio

No. of Pages:  250 (paperback)

Links to Previous Reviews

The Haunting Scent of Poppies

The Whistlers in the Dark

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams

Norah's Ark

About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

(book and all media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Maisy's Big Book of Kindness by Lucy Cousins - #bookreview

 

Maisy is very kind.

There are lots of ways to be kind ...

***

Discover how kindness makes Maisy's world go round!

Join Maisy and her friends as they explore all sorts of wonderful ways to be kind, such as sharing, caring, giving, helping the planet and more! This beautiful, bright and joyful celebration of kindness will be an inspiring addition to the bookshelves of little ones and their parents, carers and teachers.

***

Maisy's Big Book of Kindness is a lovely book for pre-schoolers and those who are learning to read.

As in the title, it is aimed at highlighting the ways in which we can show kindness. The book demonstrates ways in which Maisy shows kindness through sharing, giving, caring, helping and playing together. Each short section demonstrates ways in which Maisy is showing kindness towards her friends. It also touches on the issue of forgiveness.

I could very much imagine this book being shared with children in the nursery classroom. Equally, it would make a wonderful discussion point between younger children and their parents/carers.

The illustrations are bold and colourful and will catch the eye of little ones. I can absolutely see myself sharing this with my almost two year old grandson and I am certain he will love it.

There are many other Maisy books and this is a wonderful addition to the previous publications. 

There is also a Maisy website with resources for children, parents and teachers https://www.maisyfun.com/forchildren/

ISBN: 978 1406381795

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats: hardback

No. of Pages:  48

About the Author:

Lucy Cousins was born in 1964, attending a school in Kent. After doing a foundation course at Canterbury College, Lucy did a BA Honours in Graphic Design, followed by a postgraduate degree at the Royal College of Art.

Maisy, the famous mouse, “drew herself” one day, when Lucy was doodling various animals on a piece of paper, looking for inspiration, and the first Maisy book was published soon after Lucy left college. Maisy, who also stars in her own television show, has become one of the best-loved characters in children’s books, and is recognized the world over. Lucy won the Bologna Ragazzi Non-fiction Prize 1997 for Maisy’s House and has been Highly Commended for the National Art Illustration Award 1997 for Za Za’s Baby Brother, images from which were also used in a publicity campaign by Tommy’s, the baby’s charity. Jazzy in the Jungle won the Smarties Book Prize in 2002. Hooray for Fish!, published in 2005, is a celebration of life under the sea. Lucy lives in Hampshire with her husband and has four children.

Lucy finds that illustration comes more easily to her than writing, which tends to work around the drawings. “I draw by heart,” she says. “I think about what children would like by going back to my own childlike instincts.” And what instincts they are! Lucy now has sold more than 31 million books in worldwide, including picture books, sticker books, cloth books, colouring books, board books, pull-the-tab and lift-the-flap books, three-dimensional play sets, a clock book… Where does the prolific Lucy – a mother of four children – find the energy? “I’m quite disciplined,” she says of her productivity. “If I’m having an ‘ideas’ day, I just sit at my desk and draw and write until I feel something is happening – though I admit that this is usually helped by a cup of tea, some lively music, and an abundance of sunshine.” As for outside inspiration, she says she’s sometimes influenced by the work of other artists, as long as those artists are children. Says the author-illustrator, “I get more pleasure and inspiration from walking around a primary school than from any art gallery.”

(book and author media courtesy of Walker Books)

(all opinions are my own)

Libby and the Parisian Puzzle by Jo Clarke - #GuestReviewer #bookreview

 

The first title in a new series, The Travelling School Mysteries, and popular children's book blogger BookloverJo's debut novel!

Mystery-lover Libby is excited but nervous when she's sent to live with her aunt while her mother is working abroad. Aunt Agatha is the headmistress of an extraordinary travelling school that moves from country to country...

Libby joins the school in Paris, where she is just starting to find her feet when Agatha is arrested, accused of a daring jewel robbery! Can Libby and her new best friend Connie find the real thief and save her aunt?

This is a middle-grade detective series, set in a travelling school - a mix of adventure, friendship, and mystery, perfect for readers of the Adventures on Trains series. Becka Moor's gloriously fun illustrations will feature throughout.

***

Since I began this blog, just over ten years ago, I have written each and every review. However, today I have a guest reviewer, and it is someone rather special to me.

My granddaughter, Abigail, is nine years old and she wrote this review in order to apply for a Blue Peter badge. I'll add a little about this process at the bottom of the page. She is a keen reader and if all of her reviews are as good as this, she will be putting me out of a job soon!😊 

In the meantime, I shall let Abigail tell you about it, along with her review of the book.

***

To apply for the Blue Peter Book Badge I had to send in a review of a book and draw a picture from the book. I chose 'Libby and the Parisian Puzzle' by Jo Clarke and I drew my favourite characters from the book. I really love this badge because I love reading and the badge is designed by Quentin Blake.

The genre of this book is adventure and mystery. The setting is in Paris, France which is where I want to go when I am a grown up.

This book is ideal for 8 year olds because there are some French words in it which younger children wouldn't know how to read.

I would recommend it if you like mystery books with a twist at the end.

I liked the book because my favourite genre is mystery and the pictures were very detailed.

My favourite bit was when the main characters did detective work because you don't know what is going to happen.

The ending has a really big twist. I won't say what it is!

The main characters are Libby and Connie. Libby is adventurous and inquisitive. Connie is cautious. Even though Connie comes from a wealthy family she doesn't act elegant.

Libby and Connie become friends and roommates. In Paris they go to the Louvre, the museum and of course go and get some macarons.

This book is the first book in the Travelling School Mysteries series. I have already read the second and the third is coming out in January 2024. I can't wait to read it!

As you can all imagine, I am a very proud nana today. Thank you Abigail for being my guest reviewer today. You are welcome back on the blog any time.

If anyone would like some more information on how to apply for a Blue Peter Badge please click on the link here.

Jo Clarke's latest book, Libby and the Manhattan Mystery, has just been released and is available in all good bookshops.

Cover the Bones by Chris Hammer - #bookreview

 

The irrigation canal stretches into the distance, perfect for waterskiing: two kilometres long, ten metres wide, ruler-straight, almost as large as Yuwonderie's main canal. There's a gentle breeze wafting in from the north, enough to ripple the surface. Eggs splashes water onto his face, then eases himself into the canal, feeling its sun-warmed embrace. It's Sunday, and his supervisor at the Wholesalers has let him off early. The others were already here waiting, preparing...

***

NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE.

A small town.

A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades.

And blood in the water.

A body has washed up in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback.

Stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, there is no doubt that detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are dealing with a vicious homicide.

The victim is Athol Hasluck, member of one of the seven dynasties who have controlled every slice of bountiful land in this modern-day Eden for generations.

But this is not an isolated incident. Someone is targeting the landed aristocracy of this quiet paradise in the desert. Secrets stretching back decades are rising to the surface at last - but the question remains, who stands to gain most from their demise?

Can Ivan and Nell track down a killer before the guilt at the heart of these seven families takes the entire town down with it?

***

I was very excited about reading this book as I had previously read and enjoyed Dead Man's Creek (you can read my review by clicking here). This book is part of the Ivan Lucic and Nell Bucanan series. The previous book focused on Nell but this book focuses more on Ivan.

Initially, I found it difficult to get into, and I cannot really blame the book for that. I had a houseful of guests over the festive period, and this just was not the right book to start at that time. It is a book that deserves to be read in decent sized chunks rather than trying to grab a quick few pages at bedtime before I fell asleep from the exhaustion of entertaining.

Once I got into it though (and life had quieted down) it made for a gripping read. It had three timelines running throughout the book; a series of letters initially written in 1913, along with narratives of 1993 and the present day. Each of these is interspersed throughout the book, and the author skillfully merges them altogether at the conclusion of the book.

The book deals with themes such as environmental issues, wealth, greed, power, and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their own power.

Mr Hammer describes the environment in which the book is set excellently. His depiction of small town  Australia enabled me to get a real sense of place. I found it thought provoking to consider how much the fear of drought had on the lives of the town's residents. Sitting here in rainy old England, drought is something which we rarely have to think about and the book made me grateful for that.

It is an excellent story with plenty of twists and turns, and an ending which I did not see coming. All in all it is a superb book which I highly recommend.

ISBN:  978 1472295712

Publisher:  Wildfire

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages:  512 (hardback)

About the Author:

Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, author of the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: Scrublands, Silver and Trust.

Now Chris has started a new series, beginning with Treasure & Dirt (Australia & New Zealand) / Opal Country (UK & international) and followed in 2022/23 by The Tilt/Dead Man’s Creek.

Scrublands was an instant bestseller upon publication in 2018, topping the Australian fiction charts.

It was shortlisted for major writing awards in Australia, the UK and the United States. In the UK it was named the Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year 2019 and won the prestigious UK Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.

Scrublands, Silver and Trust all feature troubled journalist Martin Scarsden and his partner Mandalay Blonde, while Treasure & Dirt follows homicide detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan.

All of Chris’s books have atmospheric Australian settings, a range of colourful characters, intricate plots, descriptive language and emotional depth.

Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years. He reported from more than 30 countries on six continents for SBS TV. In Canberra, roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, senior writer for The Age and Online Political Editor for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Chris has written two non-fiction books The River (2010) – winner of the ACT Book of the Year – and The Coast (2012), published by Melbourne University Press.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master’s degree in International Relations from the Australian National University. He lives in Canberra, Australia with his wife, Dr Tomoko Akami. The couple have two children.

His latest novel, Cover the Bones is also published under the title, The Seven.

(author photo and bio info courtesy of the author's own website)

(ARC courtesy of the publisher)

 

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in January 2024

 

Brrr..... it's cold, and it is time to snuggle down with a blanket and a hot beverage of your choice.

We have a whole new year of reading ahead of us. Did you get any book shaped gifts for Christmas?

 Here are just ten books which I hope to read this month to kick off the year.

Back to Her Future by Cary J. Hansson

One Day With You by Shari Low

The Widow's Choice by Nancy Revell

The Giver of Stars by Jo Jo Moyes

The Pierogi Peril by Geri Krotow

Strange Ways to Die in History by Ben Gazur

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths

Miss Graham's War by Celia Rees

How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry

Cover the Bones by Chris Hammer