tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50475437134233134972024-02-07T17:42:44.232-08:00LilReading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-24947225164911338312017-08-10T01:28:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.360-07:00Review: The Wardrobe Mistress by Natalie Meg Evans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEceWOqs-N1qNun1ZZjAVrty8gIkO7pcXB6HyExMGku0cCKy6n3FA3OScLrSVxoYjajQmVzGDzpFY9POMBCsrETi4j8jctJddhTaLUHX6cAmn8gB74jWkKgHha30lN1-rgYioolOvkHfx/s1600/wardrobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEceWOqs-N1qNun1ZZjAVrty8gIkO7pcXB6HyExMGku0cCKy6n3FA3OScLrSVxoYjajQmVzGDzpFY9POMBCsrETi4j8jctJddhTaLUHX6cAmn8gB74jWkKgHha30lN1-rgYioolOvkHfx/s400/wardrobe.jpg" width="261" /></a>*Thanks to Bookbridgr and Quercus for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review!*<br /><br /><i> London 1945. A young war widow steps aboard a train in search of a new life. Clutching the key to a mysterious inheritance, Vanessa Kingcourt can no longer resist the pull of the old Farren Theatre - an enchanted place seeped in memories of her actor father.<br /><br />Now owned by troubled former captain Alistair Redenhall, The Farren is in need of a Wardrobe Mistress and a new lease of life. With no experience and no budget for supplies, Vanessa must use her intuition to create beautiful costumes from whatever scraps of silk and thread survived the blitz. It's a seemingly impossible task, but a welcome distraction as she struggles to resist her blossoming feelings for Alistair.<br /><br />What Vanessa discovers could unravel family secrets sewn deep into the very fabric of the London theatre scene . . . but will she repeat the same terrible mistakes her father made? And can she dare to love a man who will never be hers?</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br />I love historical fiction, and I love theatre (I actually work part time in one), so I was always going to love this book. They're something so enticing and mysterious about the theatrical world, and the 1940s setting only adds to the mystique as the theatre and its staff, are tasked with the road to recovery from the Second World War. The Farren theatre is a character in itself, with its dodgy lift, creaky corridors and supposedly haunted auditorium. I always find backstage fascinating, and the details of what goes on behind the scenes and during rehearsals really brought the theatre to life. The cast and crew of a production work so closely together that they become like family, a close knit team of characters striving to pull off the performance of the decade. Some I liked, others not so much, but they all had their part to play both on and off stage. One character that certainly deserves a mention is Macduff who is just wonderful. I'll say no more so as not to spoil the surprise but he stole every scene he was in, and brought out a different side to Alistair.<br /><br />As for Commander Alistair Redenhall. What can I say? The man is honour and propriety personified. Once a respected naval commander he runs a tight ship at The Farren, and cuts a real Captain Von Trapp esque figure (minus the band of children). He's tormented by his past, and to a degree his present too. As his initial distrust of Vanessa slowly (and reluctantly) blossoms into an entirely different sentiment I became as frustrated with him as she was at his refusal to acknowledge his feelings. The two have chemistry from their very first meeting, you get the feeling that they were fated to meet, and I hoped against hope that their story would have a happy ending. <br /><br />But this is more than just a love story. At the centre of the novel lies a mystery, the secret of who Vanessa Kingcourt really is. The ornament around her neck is literally the key to unlocking her past and future, and we are kept guessing until the final chapters about just what the big secret is. I guessed one of the twists relatively early on, but that doesn't make the reveal any less dramatic.<br /><br />The Wardrobe Mistress is easily one of my favourite reads of 2017. It is an immersive story set in the shadowy world of post-war London and I didn't want it to end. I'll certainly be on the lookout for more novels by Natalie Meg Evans. <br /><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXm0162nPBX/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Happy paperback publication day to The Wardrobe Mistress by Natalie Meg Evans! 🎭 @quercusbooks ---- I loved this book. Set in the shadowy world of post war London it details the recovery of The Farren Theatre, and its staff, from the ravages of war. There's love, drama, mystery, everything you need for brilliant historical fiction! Check out my blog for a full review - the link is in my bio! ---- #bookstagram #instabooks #booksofinstagram #bookworm #booklove #bibliophile #nataliemegevans #thewardrobemistress #coverlove #theatre #historicalfiction</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2017-08-10T08:31:12+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Aug 10, 2017 at 1:31am PDT</time></div></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-53804010130704579722017-07-31T00:00:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.400-07:00Blog Tour: Jenny Sparrow Knows the Future by Melissa Pimentel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXa-KhiDlnu7-SacsHnu7rcMLkU-i34vr5Az_JRVp4bVh4b1zNi8ovCtGVnsqDC9WJWk_MMwogYig1ADZaYaDnyEEMKDPlouXdGiVYFIWTFobLqo_czXmRj2kvx_FfmYmgDe5NFizI23V/s1600/jenny+sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXa-KhiDlnu7-SacsHnu7rcMLkU-i34vr5Az_JRVp4bVh4b1zNi8ovCtGVnsqDC9WJWk_MMwogYig1ADZaYaDnyEEMKDPlouXdGiVYFIWTFobLqo_czXmRj2kvx_FfmYmgDe5NFizI23V/s400/jenny+sparrow.jpg" width="260" /></a><i>Jenny Sparrow can tell you her future:</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>1. Meet soulmate at 25 </i><br /><i>2. Move in with him</i><br /><i>3. Marry him this year . . . </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>According to the plan Jenny made at thirteen, it's time for her to get married. But when her boyfriend proposes a break instead of a wedding, a girls' weekend in Vegas is the only solution . . . until she wakes up in a stranger's bed, and discovers that this is the year she gets married - to the wrong man.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Jenny wants a quick divorce and her old boyfriend back.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>But what if her accidental husband has other ideas?</i><br /><i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br />If you're looking for a quick, fun summer read then <i>Jenny Sparrow Knows the Future </i>is the book for you. I raced through it in a single day and am already on the lookout for more Melissa Pimentel novels!<br /><br />The plot of <i>Jenny Sparrow </i>is a classic one.. girl wakes up in Vegas married to the wrong guy. Or is he the wrong guy? Jenny is an avid list maker. Obsessed by a life plan she made when she was thirteen she's one proposal away from hitting her next target - get married at thirty one. Suddenly Jenny finds herself in a situation she didn't envisage, With two men now in her life Jenny must choose between sticking to her plan or taking a chance on the unknown.<br /><br /><i>Jenny Sparrow</i> is cosy chick-lit at it's best. Give or take a few little twists you know where the story is headed, so you can curl up and enjoy the ride. The descriptions of the settings, London in particular, are really well done and bring the story to life. I'm very interested to know whether the restaurants and bars Jenny and Jackson visited actually exist!<br /><br />Christopher and Jackson are two very different men, but equally loveable, and whilst I knew who I wanted Jenny to end up with I didn't want the other guy to get hurt. Jenny's best friend Isla is a whirlwind deserving of a novel of her own. Crazy and reckless, yet talented and intelligent, she's the sort of friend everyone wishes they had in their lives.<br /><br />Jenny herself is a woman who has been damaged by her past. As the story progresses we learn more about her upbringing, and discover just why it is that she's so obsessed with order and control. As she is pushed further out of her comfort zone we see a braver side of her character come out, and as a result she changes for the better.<br /><br />Full of humour and heart <i>Jenny Sparrow Knows the Future</i> a quirky, witty modern romance.<br /><br />**Thanks to Olivia Thomas at Penguin Random House for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review as part of a blog tour!**<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziz4RE6vy1ME_gdU2IV1K0nXjOcHfiTOmegVWAJ5zVm0crwDQnBRXpCirfoa_48nHdHjgCO8PEFCC1BpPSdTcLRzCAsBSVl5zh84rdfADMmZ7Dunxz324_njs3SFjun9ESlF5q-5i-zMb/s1600/DFrIAIDWsAAS3k5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziz4RE6vy1ME_gdU2IV1K0nXjOcHfiTOmegVWAJ5zVm0crwDQnBRXpCirfoa_48nHdHjgCO8PEFCC1BpPSdTcLRzCAsBSVl5zh84rdfADMmZ7Dunxz324_njs3SFjun9ESlF5q-5i-zMb/s640/DFrIAIDWsAAS3k5.jpg" width="600" /></a></div><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-12974317695924575802017-07-14T11:02:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.431-07:00Blog Tour: Summer's Lease by Carrie Elks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVMnEPHzhDXiVYO_m5buES8UbNwDqzaYT6WliP9ft6z-Hb_ySpcMEb0D78MaW7YAXn0JnO3Vn0uinCYBMTpCtr99cWMOldXEhkeJ7JZzxvQL_xFFvilIza23Uq75C0ivYzGqkL3DbG8dd/s1600/9780349415505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1018" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVMnEPHzhDXiVYO_m5buES8UbNwDqzaYT6WliP9ft6z-Hb_ySpcMEb0D78MaW7YAXn0JnO3Vn0uinCYBMTpCtr99cWMOldXEhkeJ7JZzxvQL_xFFvilIza23Uq75C0ivYzGqkL3DbG8dd/s400/9780349415505.jpg" width="253" /></a><i>Cesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom. Six years after the play she wrote bombed at the box office, she’s unable to hold down a job, keep an apartment, and worst of all her family have no idea how far she’s fallen. So when her fairy Godfather offers her the use of his friend’s Italian villa for the summer, she grudgingly agrees to try writing a new play. That’s before she finds out the house belongs to her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton. </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>When Hollywood heart-throb Sam Carlton sees his name splashed across a gossip rag, all he wants to do is hide. That’s how he finds himself travelling to Italy, deciding to spend the summer in his family’s empty villa on Lake Como. Except when he arrives it isn’t as empty as he’d hoped.Over the course of the hot Italian summer, Cesca and Sam have to come to terms with their pasts. What begins as a tentative friendship quickly grows into an intense attraction – and then a scorching fling. But they can’t hide from reality forever . . . as their different worlds collide, Sam and Cesca face a choice: is this just a summer romance, or could their love weather even the coldest winds?</i><br /><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Hate-to-love romances are definitely my weakness, and <i>Summer's Lease</i> is no exception. Down-on-her-luck Cesca is a character that I really rooted for. Despondent and disillusioned, she deserved a break, and I willed her to turn her life around. Sam, true to form as a romantic lead, has the looks, wit and charisma to melt even the coldest of hearts. He and Cesca had explosive chemistry from the off, and it was clear from relatively early on, in spite of their intense dislike for each other, just how their story was going to end. But this is so much more than just a love story. Over the course of the summer under the Italian sun Cesca rediscovers herself, and her talent for writing. She realises that a change really can do you good, and that it's never too late to chase your dreams. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">If had any criticism it would only be that I wanted to see more of Italy. The majority of the action takes place in and around the villa, and whilst Sam was essentially housebound in avoiding the paparazzi, a little exploration of the local area and culture from Cesca would have made for interesting reading. The novel also treads a very fine line between contemporary romance and erotic fiction - those steamier scenes hit me from nowhere, and whilst I'm not complaining, up until that point I was planning on letting my mum read this book after me! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">That being said, nothing can detract from what was in essence a great story. Heartwarming, escapist and fun, <i>Summer's Lease</i> is the perfect summer read, no matter where you're bound! </span><br />Be sure to follow the blog tour for more on Summer's Lease!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTXTBjCJbuBuTpWv55b4d8pGhEJINRHJ99uuTg6u26DrlhHjygPNWdi9pUJVUALJkbE2qszy4Dfl28RmYV2WWbwTB53KpbTGfedwAJEgqrVTt2Mm5ZW8lgYnMWtIVsf1IubEXYoWYVdw/s1600/Summer%2527s+Lease+blog+tour+poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTXTBjCJbuBuTpWv55b4d8pGhEJINRHJ99uuTg6u26DrlhHjygPNWdi9pUJVUALJkbE2qszy4Dfl28RmYV2WWbwTB53KpbTGfedwAJEgqrVTt2Mm5ZW8lgYnMWtIVsf1IubEXYoWYVdw/s640/Summer%2527s+Lease+blog+tour+poster.png" width="580" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-73511423236637190982017-07-06T02:29:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.458-07:00Review: The Captain's Girl by Nicola PryceI had previously read, and really enjoyed, Nicola Pryce's previous novel <i>Pengelly's Daughter</i>, so I jumped at the chance to read <i>The Captain's Girl</i>. Thanks to Readers First for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_503BolcEw0myLr1-z1qdIR1l8ABYvvXjfyPsPVcIusYPaRmt6uFSknPplMfC1zfE_YW7IBzgNY4XufZwzQ8zTISsLREwfI7lRhyPSBoBK8FD2KDwi90HThaeIU2vpT91SQNTluMGZaX1/s1600/captain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_503BolcEw0myLr1-z1qdIR1l8ABYvvXjfyPsPVcIusYPaRmt6uFSknPplMfC1zfE_YW7IBzgNY4XufZwzQ8zTISsLREwfI7lRhyPSBoBK8FD2KDwi90HThaeIU2vpT91SQNTluMGZaX1/s400/captain.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><i>Cornwall 1793 - As the French Revolution threatens the stability of England, so too is discontent brewing in the heart of Celia Cavendish. Promised to the brutal Viscount Vallenforth, she must find a way to break free from the bounds of a life stifled by convention and cruelty.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Inspired by her cousin Arbella, who just a few months earlier followed her heart and eloped with the man she loved, she vows to escape her impending marriage and take her destiny back into her own hands. She enlists her neighbours, Sir James and Lady Polcarrow, who have themselves made a dangerous enemy of Celia's father, in the hope of making a new life for herself.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>But can the Polcarrows' mysterious friend Arnaud, captain of the cutter L'Aigrette, protect Celia from a man who will let nothing stand in the way of his greed? And will Arnaud himself prove to be friend... or foe?</i><br /><i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br />I was delighted to discover that Nicola's second novel is set in the same fictional world as her first, full of familiar faces and characters that I wanted to find out more about. If I really liked <i>Pengelly's Daughter </i>then I loved <i>The Captain's Girl. </i>The drama is taken up a notch to the point where I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened, and the temptation to read ahead was overwhelming. Packed with twists and turns, I didn't know which characters, if any, I could trust - right up until the final chapter when the truth is finally revealed. Dashing sea captains, conspiracy and intrigue, forbidden love - all of the components are there for cracking historical fiction that transports you to a world that you won't want to leave.<br /><br />The setting of this novel, particularly with the backdrop of the French Revolution, tallies perfectly with the latest series of Poldark currently airing on the BBC. <i>The Captain's Girl</i> is clearly aimed at fans of the show, and is perfect for whiling away the week between episodes. From the rugged Cornish coast, to the backstreets of Bodmin, to sailing the open sea in the starlight, the settings are so well described that I could picture them vividly. Arnaud's cutter <i>L'Aigrette</i> is beautifully depicted and quickly becomes a character in herself - the fastest boat in the channel, beloved by those who have sailed her.<br /><br />Captain Arnaud was every inch the gentleman, always there for Celia whether she wanted him to be or not. Celia was a woman imprisoned by her status, willing to break free from the bounds of convention and propriety and escape. She gets a whole lot more than she ever bargained for, and she and Arnaud become quite the team. Another character that I loved was Charity. Although partially sighted, she doesn't let her disability impede her in any way, and her attitude to life was inspiring.<br /><br />As I said in my review of the previous book, this world and these characters still have plenty of scope for more stories, and I hope that there is at least one more novel set in this particular corner of Cornwall!<br /><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxXyV-nuSk/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">So cows love a good Cornish saga. Who knew 😂 ---- #bookstagram #instabooks #booksofinstagram #bookworm #booklove #bibliophile #nicolapryce #thecaptainsgirl #readersfirst #summerreading</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2017-06-25T17:46:10+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 25, 2017 at 10:46am PDT</time></div></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-14619619808601092862017-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.481-07:00Review: One Summer in Tuscany by Domenica De Rosa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXibUP-iG6xnuIpywLABqCG3Vtm1XL0uylK0e2IKZ28qsGRi12nzXDGWWbCqAjXuusZAdNThVBTkuilTgwPrIjXV0XTmW_8yDulh1SEfIHQsP5Bq3i9hCo4O_2fl-_LsUL2H0V9rwKA-EK/s1600/onesummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXibUP-iG6xnuIpywLABqCG3Vtm1XL0uylK0e2IKZ28qsGRi12nzXDGWWbCqAjXuusZAdNThVBTkuilTgwPrIjXV0XTmW_8yDulh1SEfIHQsP5Bq3i9hCo4O_2fl-_LsUL2H0V9rwKA-EK/s400/onesummer.jpg" width="260" /></a><i>Love, rivalry, and writing in a Tuscan paradise . . . Welcome to the Castello de Luna</i><br /><i><br />High on a hill in the Tuscan countryside stands a castle of golden stone, home to Patricia O’Hara’s writers’ retreat – a serene hideaway where you can polish your prose by the pool, gain inspiration from your peers and eat the best melanzane in Italy, courtesy of chef Aldo. But, while the splendour of their surroundings never fails to wow the guests, huge maintenance bills and bad news from the bank threaten to close Patricia down. It’s make or break time for the Castello de Luna.<br /> </i><br /><i>This August each of her seven aspiring authors arrives with emotional baggage alongside their manuscripts. But something is different. It may be just the prosecco, but soon lifelong spinster Mary is riding on the back of Aldo’s Vespa, and smouldering odd-job man Fabio has set more than one heart racing.<br /> </i><br /><i>As temperatures rise, the writers gossip, flirt and gently polish their prose by the pool. But with some unexpected visitors to contend with, one thing’s for sure: neither the Castello, nor Patricia, has ever seen a summer like this. </i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">REVIEW </span><i><br /></i>Any book set in Italy is an instant must-read for me, so I was thrilled when I was invited to be a part of the blog tour for <i>One Summer in Tuscany</i>! From the blurb I was expecting a nice easy summer read, but what I got was so much more than that. <i> </i><br /><br />To keep the Castello afloat, Patricia O'Hara runs writers retreats, opening her doors to a select number of guests. Sightseeing, sunbathing and sampling the local cuisine are all on the agenda, as well as what the guests hope will be quality writing time.<i> </i>I was initially overwhelmed when they all arrived at the Castello, with so many names and back stories to keep track of. I suspect that this is deliberate though - like our hostess Patricia we are thrown in at the deep end quickly trying to make sense of who's who. I soon got it sussed , and really liked the fact that the story was told from the perspective of almost all of the characters at some point. We got an insight into all of their personal lives, not just through narration but through diary entries and emails too. This gave real depth to the novel, and made me empathise with even the initially unlikeable characters.<br /><br />The age range and vastly different backgrounds of all of the characters made for an interesting dynamic; they are a group of people thrown together on a writing course who almost certainly would not have been friends in the 'real world'. From course tutor Jeremy Bullen, an author still riding on the coat tails of his bestselling novel from twenty years ago, to Mary McMahon, a retired civil servant with an unpublished manuscript she's been working on for three decades, each character has much more to them than meets the eye. Aldo was my favourite character by far. He may be a stereotypical Italian chef on the surface, but he had a heart of gold - and his food sounded amazing! Through him we saw a different side to Italy, the side the tourists don't often see, which again added another dimension to the story. <br /><br />The Castello is a world away from reality, a romantic crumbling Gothic fantasy complete with its own ghost story. It is a refuge from life's problems - or at least that's what the paying guests like to think. It takes on a life of its own, becoming a character in itself. Tuscany too is depicted beautifully, from the dusty roads to the historic vineyards, and it certainly made me want to visit it for myself. The food, the landscapes, it is all so well described that I could picture it vividly. As luck would have it, I read this book during a rare UK heatwave, so I could almost pretend I was there with the guests. Almost. The heat, at times languid, at other times oppressive, builds a sense of tension that slowly intensifies as the summer wears on. I knew something was going to happen, but I had no idea what. It was this that made this novel so addictive, with short chapters that made it even easier to read. <i> </i><br /><br /><i>One Summer in Tuscany</i> is the perfect holiday read, no matter where you're heading this summer.<br /><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVdFGvYnWgB/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Such beautiful weather today that I could easily pretend I was in Tuscany reading this! ☀️🌞 ---- #bookstagram #instabooks #booksofinstagram #bookworm #booklove #bibliophile #quercus #quercusbooks #domenicaderosa #onesummerintuscany #alfrescoreading #summer #summerreading</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2017-06-17T20:38:06+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 17, 2017 at 1:38pm PDT</time></div></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><b>Follow the blog tour for more reviews of this brilliant book!</b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGFCTbNx0vwSXNh6sZPht-Q4ngKNlt1UMsyRrFNMx-mLYu7bZApNcLSEp7rK6YLNUjKTV75uSyP_a10v8kc-2vVOKbw0xWJGKBM7timO7tWxe230UkY22b0Mro6EdQs-gThqRQbcIWtTe/s1600/onesummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="1000" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGFCTbNx0vwSXNh6sZPht-Q4ngKNlt1UMsyRrFNMx-mLYu7bZApNcLSEp7rK6YLNUjKTV75uSyP_a10v8kc-2vVOKbw0xWJGKBM7timO7tWxe230UkY22b0Mro6EdQs-gThqRQbcIWtTe/s640/onesummer.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-79301293752257424602017-06-13T13:14:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.501-07:00Film Review: Wonder Woman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgs1NhCgwywUxievMsq4DWxKVBs74W6i13FmfmEknVlwh2vJ8vF4ZNqtPDZZTJgNH20rw_UD_anKs0rwpYunfZwJ_mA6zMKPMs1-WlBoT7z64GVh3sQ_cvgRYP6VltweMI983B4Xrms2T/s1600/ww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgs1NhCgwywUxievMsq4DWxKVBs74W6i13FmfmEknVlwh2vJ8vF4ZNqtPDZZTJgNH20rw_UD_anKs0rwpYunfZwJ_mA6zMKPMs1-WlBoT7z64GVh3sQ_cvgRYP6VltweMI983B4Xrms2T/s400/ww.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>As someone who has never read/seen anything <i>Wonder Woman</i> related I went into this not knowing at all <span id="goog_36651394"></span><span id="goog_36651395"></span>what to expect. The trailer instantly sold it to me, mainly I have to admit because of the prospect of Chris Pine in First World War period costume, but also because I wanted to know the back story behind who is perhaps the greatest of all female superheroes. I wasn't disappointed. In short, I loved it, so much so that I've seen it twice! I'm a sucker for films set in the past, so it's no surprise that this film is up there for me alongside the first <i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i> film as my favourite super hero movie. In fact I think it may actually surpass it! There are a lot of similarities between the two films (especially the ending but I won't talk about that here), and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was everything I wanted it to be and more. <br /><br />Gal Gadot is perfect casting for Diana. She is beyond beautiful inside and out, making her turn as Wonder Woman, a hero firmly on the side of 'good', entirely believable. The scene of her crossing No Man's Land is already well on it's way to becoming iconic (it's insanely well shot and gives me goosebumps everytime), and she even pulls off the comedy elements convincingly. I honestly don't believe any one could have done it better. Chris Pine too is spot on as Steve Trevor, and he and Gal made a perfect team. I've loved Chris right from his early acting days in <i>Princess Diaries 2, </i>and have enjoyed watching his star rise over the years. He's always been a dab hand at comedic roles, and his turn as Captain Kirk in <i>Star Trek</i> actually managed to make me interested in the franchise. In Steve Trevor he creates a character who I absolutely adored, and the way in which he let Diana take the lead was so endearing. Not that he would have had much choice had he tried to stop her! They each had their own battles to fight, yet also had each other's backs. <br /><br />Having watched<i> Batman vs. Superman</i> for the first time recently I can say with some certainty that DC have learnt from their mistakes with <i>Wonder Woman</i>. Granted I watched the extended cut of <i>BvS</i>, but it felt like it was never going to end! Weird dream sequences, endless fights and a confusing plot left me bored. <i>Wonder Woman </i>in contrast has a straightforward storyline and plenty of humour and banter between the characters, something more recent superhero films have been lacking. It is a perfect combination of the war context and camaraderie of <i>Captain America</i>, coupled with the 'fish out of water' idea explored in <i>Thor</i>, as Diana struggles to understand and adjust to her new surroundings. I only hope the inevitable second solo film can follow up on this. I'd love another historical one, 1920s or 40s maybe, but I strongly suspect it'll be back in the present day which is a shame. <br /><br />Now I'm off to spend a fortune on <i>Wonder Woman</i> merchandise. Dare I say I've been converted from Marvel to DC? I think I just might have. Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-2567586591844377342017-05-25T07:10:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.520-07:00Review: Crimson and Bone by Marina FioratoMarina Fiorato is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Her previous novel, <a href="http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.com/2015/08/review-kit-by-marina-fiorato.html">Kit</a>, is among my all time top reads, and so it was with high expectations and much excitement that I picked up Crimson and Bone. I wasn't disappointed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienKjs4bct35LOe99Tw_dH48_bmf9hyMwCv6umbEAt0WVxT6VjxfotRR8bH6Faq3s7dnHkC8tumb9P3VKIytvioQum55Yhj4B004-VEvsJKA9LbS4e6NIcot6mqSNSmsqVEgulMxmfvWid/s1600/crimson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienKjs4bct35LOe99Tw_dH48_bmf9hyMwCv6umbEAt0WVxT6VjxfotRR8bH6Faq3s7dnHkC8tumb9P3VKIytvioQum55Yhj4B004-VEvsJKA9LbS4e6NIcot6mqSNSmsqVEgulMxmfvWid/s400/crimson.jpg" width="260" /></a><br /><i>London, 1853. Annie Stride has nothing left to live for. She is a penniless prostitute, newly evicted from her home and pregnant. On the night she plans to cast herself from Waterloo Bridge into the icy waters of the Thames, her life is saved by Francis Maybrick Gill, a talented Pre-Raphaelite Painter - and her world is changed forever.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Francis takes Annie as his artist's muse, elevating her from fallen woman to society's darling. With her otherworldly beauty now the toast of London, her dark past is left far behind.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>But Annie's lavish new life is not all it seems - and there are some who won't let her forget where she came from...</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">REVIEW</span><br />I've always loved the Pre-Raphaelite era (a love cultivated by Aiden Turner's turn as Dante Gabriel Rosetti in BBC's Desperate Romantics series - if you haven't seen it check it out), and Marina captures the essence of the time effortlessly.<br /><br />Weeks after her only friend Mary Jane met a watery end Annie Stride is standing on Waterloo Bridge preparing to jump. Passing by is promising artist Francis Maybrick Gill, who steps in and saves her life. He makes Annie an offer she can't refuse, and she can't believe her luck. What starts out initially as a kind of Pygmalion retelling slowly descends into something more dark and sinister. There's a sense of tension and unease underpinning the entire novel, that slowly builds as it goes on. I had my suspicions about what had happened to Annie's friend but the details are kept vague until the dramatic final chapters when the truth is revealed in all its macabre glory.<br /><br />The final third of the novel I read in one sitting - I'd only intended reading for five minutes before bed and before I knew it two hours had passed. By the end I felt like I had taken a journey with Annie, from the lowest echelons of society to its dizzying heights. Wherever life took her her past was never far away, and I genuinely didn't know how things would turn out for her.<br /><br />The visual imagery in this novel is striking - the red and the white, the crimson and the bone. Annie's golden hair, Francis' grey eyes. It is a world of colour, as vivid as a Pre-Raphaelite painting. The settings too are wonderfully depicted. From the dark underbelly of Victorian London to the beauty of Venice Marina created a world that I looked forward to immersing myself in as often as I could. She says in her acknowledgements that she hopes there is beauty to be found amidst the darkness, and there is. It is the combination and contrast of the two that creates such an richly compelling atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you reading.<br /><br />Dark, enthralling, and opulent Crimson and Bone is a novel of love, life and obsession.<br /><br />***Thanks to Bookbridgr for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review!***Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-59708646894289609312017-05-15T10:30:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.537-07:00Review: Echo in the Wind by Regan Walker*Thanks to Regan Walker for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review*<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC0zSjK-wMWcv6UrEdszwBYka7Um27DY3eRZUZXQaOPswrWi8Slu9AN9SM_i1I5mq6jD1SJpQZrgThlkU2LWUe9DpWvcihxV9D_T-8xq3ARtF6JULrNK3jxghYUjH_1lLgUKD2jvK0Hma/s1600/echo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC0zSjK-wMWcv6UrEdszwBYka7Um27DY3eRZUZXQaOPswrWi8Slu9AN9SM_i1I5mq6jD1SJpQZrgThlkU2LWUe9DpWvcihxV9D_T-8xq3ARtF6JULrNK3jxghYUjH_1lLgUKD2jvK0Hma/s400/echo.jpg" width="266" /></a><i>England and France 1784</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Cast out by his noble father for marrying the woman he loved, Jean Donet took to the sea, becoming a smuggler, delivering French brandy and tea to the south coast of England. When his young wife died, he nearly lost his sanity. In time, he became a pirate and then a privateer, vowing to never again risk his heart.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>As Donet’s wealth grew, so grew his fame as a daring ship’s captain, the terror of the English Channel in the American War. When his father and older brother die in a carriage accident in France, Jean becomes the comte de Saintonge, a title he never wanted. </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Lady Joanna West cares little for London Society, which considers her its darling. Marriage in the ton is either dull or disastrous. She wants no part of it. To help the poor in Sussex, she joins in their smuggling. Now she is the master of the beach, risking her reputation and her life. One night off the coast of Bognor, Joanna encounters the menacing captain of a smuggling ship, never realizing he is the mysterious comte de Saintonge.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Can Donet resist the English vixen who entices him as no other woman? Will Lady Joanna risk all for an uncertain chance at love in the arms of the dashing Jean Donet?</i><br /><i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;">REVIEW</span><br />Regan Walker has to be one of my favourite authors in the historical fiction genre. Her writing takes you to another time and place, with beautiful settings and characters that capture the imagination.<br /><br />From fearsome Medieval warriors with hearts of gold to dashing Georgian pirates, Regan excels in creating memorable fictional heroes. Jean Donet may well be her best yet - or at least my personal favourite. Part sea captain part nobleman, he's the perfect gentleman with an intense and dangerous streak. Ruthless with those who cross him he has a reputation across the continent, yet he has a passionate soul and would protect those he loves with his life.<br /><br />Then of course there are the unconventional female characters. Always feisty and independent, Regan's women are a force to be reckoned with. On the first page of <i>Echo in the Wind</i> we are introduced to Lady Joanna West, a high born lady moonlighting as a male smuggler! Unbeknownst to her, the dark and mysterious captain providing the goods is none other than Jean Donet, who sees right through her disguise.<br /><br />Joanna is reluctant to marry into the ton, fearing a life of boredom and an unfaithful husband. She is perfectly content to remain a spinster smuggler, until Donet turns her world upside down. The two characters were wonderfully matched - they had chemistry from their very first meeting and I loved how the story was told from both of their perspectives. As in Regan's other works, even the secondary characters in this story are well-defined, making the fictional world they inhabit all the more three dimensional. I particularly liked Jean's quartermaster Emile and would love to find out more about him.<br /><br />The historical details in this novel have been impeccably researched. It was a time of uncertainty, and with the chapters set in Paris you can almost feel the undercurrent of the impending French revolution. Regan says in her author's notes that she hopes readers will feel as if they have travelled back in time while reading <i>Echo in the Wind, </i>and I most certainly did. From the rugged English coast to the opulence of Versailles I was transported utterly into Jean and Joanna's world, and I didn't want to leave. I was very pleased to read therefore, that there will be another novel in the Donet series - the story of Jean's ward Zoe. I can only hope and assume that Joanna and Jean will make an appearance, as there is certainly more to come from them!<br /><br />Full of passion, danger and adventure <i>Echo in the Wind</i> is a novel of seizing life, and love, and following your heart.<br /><br /><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-78774427455495909292017-04-30T02:51:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.561-07:00Review: How to Stop Time by Matt HaigBenedict Cumberbatch owns the films rights to this, and it hasn't even been published yet. Are you sold? Due to hype alone I'm expecting How to Stop Time to be HUGE this summer, and thanks to NetGalley and Canongate Books, I'm one of the lucky few to read it before everyone else! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1m0yIOuqzbT1WnFRAR5nt0_x3H-_msqP-6R802PqJc8foKMpLsoSxj8V3RyZkbLamSWU-FfFzbP0pHeWCadfCBkfCbKNdKKWA5L8IF96Uh7D53f7BRyXdNUUr3AGsHo0INwJDpxh3kx0/s1600/HTST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1m0yIOuqzbT1WnFRAR5nt0_x3H-_msqP-6R802PqJc8foKMpLsoSxj8V3RyZkbLamSWU-FfFzbP0pHeWCadfCBkfCbKNdKKWA5L8IF96Uh7D53f7BRyXdNUUr3AGsHo0INwJDpxh3kx0/s400/HTST.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><i>'I am old. That is the first thing to tell you. The thing you are least likely to believe. If you saw me you would probably think I was about forty, but you would be very wrong.'<br /><br />Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he's been alive for centuries. From Elizabethan England to Jazz Age Paris, from New York to the South Seas, Tom has seen a lot, and now craves an ordinary life.<br /><br />Always changing his identity to stay alive, Tom has the perfect cover - working as a history teacher at a London comprehensive. Here he can teach the kids about wars and witch hunts as if he'd never witnessed them first-hand. He can try and tame the past that is fast catching up with him. The only thing Tom mustn't do is fall in love.<br /><br />How to Stop Time is a wild and bittersweet story about losing and finding yourself, about the certainty of change and about the lifetimes it can take to really learn how to live.</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">REVIEW</span><br />This book wasn't what I was expecting, but then I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting. The narrative flits between Tom's present life as a London schoolteacher and his past, his lifetime of memories working for William Shakespeare, sailing with Captain Cook and drinking with F. Scott Fitzgerald. But Tom has suffered more than his fair share of tragedy and trauma as a result of his condition, and piece by piece and time by time we discover the events, and people who have shaped his life. It almost feels as if this book was written for the big screen - sci fi storyline, famous historical figures, a star-crossed love story, a vindictive villain, need I go on!? - and I'm not surprised at all by how quickly the rights were snapped up. I'm only assuming and hoping that Mr Cumberbatch has himself in mind to play the leading man. <br /><br />I had visions of Tom's schoolteacher persona straying into <i>'Carpe Diem' Dead Poet's Society</i> territory - not that that would have been a bad thing - and while the message is similar, it is conveyed in an entirely different fashion. Matt Haig is an incredibly talented writer, and one who understands and taps into the human psyche. The only other book of his that I have read so far is his autobiographical <i>Reasons to Stay Alive </i>detailing his battle with anxiety and depression<i>, </i>and it is a work that still resonates with me. <i>How to Stop Time</i>, although fictional, has a similar effect. It makes you consider your own life and mortality, what you have achieved and want to achieve - what <i>you </i>want, not what society dictates you should want - and how you want to live your life. Science fiction aside, the idea at the heart of this book is the importance of seizing every moment you get, of living your life in the present. Us mere mortals, the 'mayflies', have but a fleeting time on this earth and we should make the most of it. Dwelling in the past or worrying about the future will do us no good in the long run. Enjoy the now, do what you want to do, and be happy doing it. <i> </i>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-42764569809702308372017-04-18T13:18:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.579-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things that Will Instantly Make Me Want to Read A BookIt's been too long since I participated in Top Ten Tuesday! Apologies for not being more active on here, time is in short supply at the moment. I am however a lot more present over on Instagram! If you have an account over there, my username is @readinginwellies. Expect to see lots of pictures of books with the occasional insight into country living.<br /><br />Anywho, back to Top Ten Tuesday!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBgHHD8rHC_IQfU0S2_ZDo4PgLeW9JeopjiMtZMR6IZ4vCChqdg2zNtZGOHloiLpRm0nJptQUB7bI8A6h6QTXG5F-QgsRzLEJxT4COMxb8IMfJCHtXI862xQlLJJlHgnUfU4b-tsaHpTC/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBgHHD8rHC_IQfU0S2_ZDo4PgLeW9JeopjiMtZMR6IZ4vCChqdg2zNtZGOHloiLpRm0nJptQUB7bI8A6h6QTXG5F-QgsRzLEJxT4COMxb8IMfJCHtXI862xQlLJJlHgnUfU4b-tsaHpTC/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!</div><br /><br />Today's theme is ten things that will make me want to read a book. I like to think that I'm quite open minded when it comes to books, but at the same time I know what I like and am consequently drawn to what fits the bill. If a book has one, or preferably several, of the following then it is a must-read for me:<br /><br /><b>1) Pretty covers. </b>We all know the saying 'never judge a book by it's cover', but who are we trying to kid? Of course we judge by the cover! Or at least I do. The more eye-catching a book is, the more likely I am to pick it up. Simples.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-BYT18SWjNENm9oKSdCe9FeMY1wOrs4Otqt4ZJQg_lNYU5pan0j3Sy7bFl-HdVeIRgimevC6WVEc5pqEuxVAxYPawsK53XjkN1-Jm8GhsMAMEfwrnpr-IlyAvMTRN5USLMNqx4Uy0Svt/s1600/trigger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-BYT18SWjNENm9oKSdCe9FeMY1wOrs4Otqt4ZJQg_lNYU5pan0j3Sy7bFl-HdVeIRgimevC6WVEc5pqEuxVAxYPawsK53XjkN1-Jm8GhsMAMEfwrnpr-IlyAvMTRN5USLMNqx4Uy0Svt/s320/trigger2.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><b>2) Set in the past</b>. Medieval? Plantagenet? Tudor? Victorian? Doesn't matter. If it's historical fiction I'm interested. Reading is escapism for me, and historical fiction is perhaps the closest we'll ever get to a time machine!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-gfTtT9H0h8nJC-iHzR8AahKPbwdR3aKDP9xVGmF2f7HX8cpmr2YmFPnGukWLe7w0DrTfRPgAvQhuPYhS2s9a5nKpXP6E89N36bNwKS0HNqjJnFOVqhbcvSdZqjGQe8LT4ZXXyizF7eq/s1600/The+Champion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-gfTtT9H0h8nJC-iHzR8AahKPbwdR3aKDP9xVGmF2f7HX8cpmr2YmFPnGukWLe7w0DrTfRPgAvQhuPYhS2s9a5nKpXP6E89N36bNwKS0HNqjJnFOVqhbcvSdZqjGQe8LT4ZXXyizF7eq/s320/The+Champion.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br /><b>3) Strong female characters.</b> I'm not a feminist per se, but no one wants to read about a spineless heroine. This may be why I'm not all that keen on Austen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWNpi-RSU1fVZFM7hw8hZGfS0-ShKG8cf_b6DSTe6KE8kEjA4MAoS_3HEeSaHsCQ7t2KxehY2fX1PUxhqXLZ75XPRw9GG7emBCQuj7aIfjOJRnufr09cKxYFO2qbuVpGazJTRGbtKuIGJ/s1600/kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWNpi-RSU1fVZFM7hw8hZGfS0-ShKG8cf_b6DSTe6KE8kEjA4MAoS_3HEeSaHsCQ7t2KxehY2fX1PUxhqXLZ75XPRw9GG7emBCQuj7aIfjOJRnufr09cKxYFO2qbuVpGazJTRGbtKuIGJ/s320/kit.jpg" width="209" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnUtVv-tPvPDsSKspinhYLQi9lexhgS5k5P1u7ZzqgjdKaCnfU8l2NSAcJc6UuHgyqOu7YVFYeWEapmt7D_joiCd8GQ59UlCgUoEjehfzelUnzuaVIoyVpr0ro6naiUUssGwOSPr0rHoN/s1600/florrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnUtVv-tPvPDsSKspinhYLQi9lexhgS5k5P1u7ZzqgjdKaCnfU8l2NSAcJc6UuHgyqOu7YVFYeWEapmt7D_joiCd8GQ59UlCgUoEjehfzelUnzuaVIoyVpr0ro6naiUUssGwOSPr0rHoN/s320/florrie.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><b>4) Strong male characters.</b> Who doesn't love an alpha. Preferably in period costume. Sorry not sorry.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bC03qRCFZAEuiENIqzQye3X1UQPkYpVMcX-ulmkQEEckBrbgkT85nCg2MPE2LGG6z8aR8jlu4SbSdq2-zeK1F2R1YI6fsRfzeADTEOU8a7vJe3q9FO7mdKWv8jWNdnDsNH9jCdPG6v-o/s1600/Outlander-blue-cover-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bC03qRCFZAEuiENIqzQye3X1UQPkYpVMcX-ulmkQEEckBrbgkT85nCg2MPE2LGG6z8aR8jlu4SbSdq2-zeK1F2R1YI6fsRfzeADTEOU8a7vJe3q9FO7mdKWv8jWNdnDsNH9jCdPG6v-o/s320/Outlander-blue-cover-198x300.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><b>5) Hate-to-Love Romance.</b> It may be cliché but you can't beat it. From <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> to <i>The Hating Game</i> hate-to-love is a age-old romance trope that I just can't resist.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3ssZ6ERyN1GQdry6xHG1xT7FS8K9TJuKyiq3qeEN8-ygHkQ5krC-_Rrp6wN37kF8Z9Nfwuu94F6jt_S-zbL2RKiyAOMfrbHT11YdBuVnie66CHuXZuWb1dUUeyVncJgiuYngdaPOBUTD/s1600/hating+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3ssZ6ERyN1GQdry6xHG1xT7FS8K9TJuKyiq3qeEN8-ygHkQ5krC-_Rrp6wN37kF8Z9Nfwuu94F6jt_S-zbL2RKiyAOMfrbHT11YdBuVnie66CHuXZuWb1dUUeyVncJgiuYngdaPOBUTD/s320/hating+game.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><b>6) Road trips.</b> Two people stuck with each other on an epic journey? Especially if they hate each other. Yes please.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BjJc3rU1bOgWj07_eoKvSidktKojmpf9pej3Q9DqBJaYiIcXYCorW2UHyJSFspwmVN1FrQ9zArcQGxn6dpiWqxerr-doR1J7sOwMRIK7BU546qFUN5k8EXOkb3sb3Uf3dc-itwf0NrUU/s1600/never.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BjJc3rU1bOgWj07_eoKvSidktKojmpf9pej3Q9DqBJaYiIcXYCorW2UHyJSFspwmVN1FrQ9zArcQGxn6dpiWqxerr-doR1J7sOwMRIK7BU546qFUN5k8EXOkb3sb3Uf3dc-itwf0NrUU/s320/never.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><b>7) Pirates, Highwaymen, Musketeers, Knights, Outlaws etc.</b> Yes please.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC4Z41Fbktw7TqwvutT6oCVaKOJtwhDVOgJcL7_qkpQgxSIFvVIXSuqFirWGWMOA-H854zr1tyOr41lO3adsHkg4XzBdbB6tVozpAE6BXLCeVuSbl51hseUVkz462tYlgQtpfz0c1XwzF/s1600/silvered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC4Z41Fbktw7TqwvutT6oCVaKOJtwhDVOgJcL7_qkpQgxSIFvVIXSuqFirWGWMOA-H854zr1tyOr41lO3adsHkg4XzBdbB6tVozpAE6BXLCeVuSbl51hseUVkz462tYlgQtpfz0c1XwzF/s320/silvered.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><b>8) Anything to do with Peter Pan,</b> Retellings, new editons, non-fiction. I'm well aware that I have a Peter Pan complex. I refuse to grow up, and while everyone else is awaiting their letter from Hogwarts, I'm still waiting for Peter Pan to show up at my window and spirit me away to Neverland.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mqtv-v-adZw0Mbdt_xYLjOaTjb6x0JIn6BtdfA5jeosQ-bq1n-9hLycdB6s-wvK3VqGDsgd52Qecx1NRZKsjTZ9574oeVDcqhyE9DTnbitsauTKkLD5lCYsZLY3_Fay2Dy9NWjWb-HOE/s1600/peterpan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mqtv-v-adZw0Mbdt_xYLjOaTjb6x0JIn6BtdfA5jeosQ-bq1n-9hLycdB6s-wvK3VqGDsgd52Qecx1NRZKsjTZ9574oeVDcqhyE9DTnbitsauTKkLD5lCYsZLY3_Fay2Dy9NWjWb-HOE/s320/peterpan.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><b><br /></b><b> 9) Royalty.</b> From ancient Kings and Queens to 21st century playboy Princes. I love it all and will read it all.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd53e1huRaXQ91DrRn91pZdbNpITkjhlVPbcHqFPcaER4Xd39BxSNM2JHjRdl7XZbYNf8kdimxKi_sili_ElCCxHuCM-VH0pbfAaSDaXdwoH1YUS0GytMpu22DzkUqHKgc5DWtN-Vdsms/s1600/victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd53e1huRaXQ91DrRn91pZdbNpITkjhlVPbcHqFPcaER4Xd39BxSNM2JHjRdl7XZbYNf8kdimxKi_sili_ElCCxHuCM-VH0pbfAaSDaXdwoH1YUS0GytMpu22DzkUqHKgc5DWtN-Vdsms/s320/victoria.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiYoavIVvgJIBDajRxJu6j4CPEiH0QS-WJveqAJuQeV3WyPTnva56VhzEMNhcogcAIDJxJBbFm5XFmId80HCg-9JcjjrdbCwwUEyOGXtnE7Oq17HnpCpppEiY8WkxEYKzBvxT9if8RNo-/s1600/pp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiYoavIVvgJIBDajRxJu6j4CPEiH0QS-WJveqAJuQeV3WyPTnva56VhzEMNhcogcAIDJxJBbFm5XFmId80HCg-9JcjjrdbCwwUEyOGXtnE7Oq17HnpCpppEiY8WkxEYKzBvxT9if8RNo-/s320/pp1.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><b>10) Author.</b> Obvious answer is obvious. My favourites include Elizabeth Chadwick, Anthony Horowitz, Marina Fiorato and Tracy Rees, amongst many, many others, and I'm counting down the days until their next releases.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pN0lF2zw2ZqvLuKkS4Q-ZfgQCfkA5_liR4fOLMNQhdTwDsAmP6OzzBWuM7a97NJHsm0g8NihiHCi4cyyp4x_Yo33iqgVHl3WHa3zXweRi5W_3ZobAgH9OFOVWhS9OlNghooM25hZHtC3/s1600/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pN0lF2zw2ZqvLuKkS4Q-ZfgQCfkA5_liR4fOLMNQhdTwDsAmP6OzzBWuM7a97NJHsm0g8NihiHCi4cyyp4x_Yo33iqgVHl3WHa3zXweRi5W_3ZobAgH9OFOVWhS9OlNghooM25hZHtC3/s320/summer.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-84490053896148264582017-04-13T05:36:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.612-07:00Review: This Love by Dani Atkins<i>**</i>Thanks to Jessica Barratt and Books and the City<i> </i>for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review!**<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61UWfErr_71EWaei_MPOUsO9dreN45JU6lYtrHCSl7wo_Y1tqEXs4sPdNcrpL9nuO-_j665bQZrkanwdL0FvCtfsm0kGgHIf6jJtpVu1fLB41Gh-8JuEMqz0IdyJF7QvKL5gSmv8C0ex2/s1600/this+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61UWfErr_71EWaei_MPOUsO9dreN45JU6lYtrHCSl7wo_Y1tqEXs4sPdNcrpL9nuO-_j665bQZrkanwdL0FvCtfsm0kGgHIf6jJtpVu1fLB41Gh-8JuEMqz0IdyJF7QvKL5gSmv8C0ex2/s400/this+love.jpg" width="262" /></a><i> </i><br /><i>Sophie Winter lives in a self-imposed cocoon - she's a single, thirty-one year old translator who works from home in her one bedroom flat. This isn’t really the life she dreamed of, but then Sophie stopped believing in happy endings a very long time ago, when she was fifteen years old and tragedy struck her family. Her grief has left her scared of commitment and completely risk averse, so she plays it safe and keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sophie understands she has a problem, but recognising it and knowing how to fix it are two entirely different things.</i><br /><br /><i>One night a serious fire breaks out in the flat below hers. Sophie is trapped in the burning building until a random passer-by, Ben, luckily happens to spot and rescue her. Suddenly her cocoon is shattered - what will be the consequences of this second life-changing event?</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span> <br />Spoilers aside, had I known the subject matter of this book I would have passed on it. But I am so glad that I went into it with an open mind, because I really, really loved it. It's good, cathartic even, to indulge your emotions occasionally, and this novel has emotion in spades.<br /><br />Scarred by a family tragedy of her youth, Sophie Winter shuts herself away from the world, blocking out emotion and refusing to let people get close to her. Until one night, and one more brush with tragedy, changes everything. Now Ben Stevens is part of her life, and he has no intention of leaving.<br /><br />This is my first novel by Dani Atkins but it certainly won't be my last. <i>This Love</i> is beautifully written and I was captivated from the very start. I have to admit that I fell in love with Ben almost as soon as we met him. A literal hero and the perfect gentleman, what's not to love?<br /><br />There's so much I want to say about this book, but daren't for fear of giving anything away. I soon picked up on the hints as to where the plot was heading, and knew that this was no straightforward love story. The message of this book is clear - that life is there to be embraced. You can't shut yourself off from the world, and this is something that, thanks to Ben and his friends, Sophie slowly begins to accept.<br /><br />It's a story that certainly packs an emotional punch, yet it is surprisingly uplifting in its poignancy. The final chapter is one of the most beautiful that I think I have ever read, and one that will stay with me for a very long time.<br /><br />Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, <i>This Love</i> is a novel about facing your fears and falling in love.<br /><br /><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-26711110455734394952017-03-18T08:49:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.630-07:00Film Review: Beauty and the Beast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP64kickC0UxbSx17VN4_KxIGufGlgbLTblfhv69R8rZlVIkNtzjBQh7tlOH0H2sFMppq0FbTFnLV3G-2oxnJhTYjMrBHWSS2huGDaUdjJeN1oNYyCpJ3Fzok4Q4bIQXvaTsxRTQkMWsg4/s1600/Beauty-Beast-2017-Movie-Posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP64kickC0UxbSx17VN4_KxIGufGlgbLTblfhv69R8rZlVIkNtzjBQh7tlOH0H2sFMppq0FbTFnLV3G-2oxnJhTYjMrBHWSS2huGDaUdjJeN1oNYyCpJ3Fzok4Q4bIQXvaTsxRTQkMWsg4/s400/Beauty-Beast-2017-Movie-Posters.jpg" width="267" /></a>I have been looking forward to this film for so long. No surprise then that I booked tickets for the very first screening at my local cinema yesterday morning. I wasn't disappointed, if anything it was actually better than I was expecting! It's been a long while since I saw the original cartoon of Beauty and the Beast, so I can't do a direct comparison, but in my mind this live action adaptation surpasses it. When you want to watch a film again immediately after the credits have rolled you know it's a good one.<br /><br />Let me just start out by praising the musical god that is Alan Menken. At least 50% of my musical soundtrack Spotify playlist is accredited to him, and if he could score every movie for the rest of my life I would be a very happy girl. He scored the original Beauty and the Beast, so it would have been rude, and foolish, not to invite him back for the remake. This time acround the soundtrack is even more breathtakingly beautiful and enchanting, and together with the original lyricist Tim Rice, Alan has even added new songs into the mix. These new songs, <i>Evermore</i> in particular (I'm currently obsessed with that song), fit seamlessly into the film, and feel as if they've always been a part of the story.<br /><br /><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A33HfyhjC8aUiot9YBuzdGR" width="300"></iframe> <br /><br />Emma Watson pleasantly surprised me as Belle - the trailers really don't do her justice! Almost instantly I forgot I was watching Hermione Grainger, and her singing voice isn't half bad either. Dan Stevens is a great choice for the Beast too, in the transformation scene I don't think there's any other actor who looks as like the cartoon prince as he does. There's a really interesting article <a href="http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/17/how-dan-stevens-transformed-for-his-beauty-and-the-beast-role/">here</a> on how they made Dan into the Beast - including motion picture and CGI of course, but also stilts and a muscle suit. Yes he learnt to waltz on stilts. Give that man an award right now.<br /><br />Much as I adore Emma Thompson (and I really do), she did fall a little short as Mrs Potts for me. I think this is largely down to the fact that Angela Lansbury's rendition of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> during the ballroom scene is so iconic that no one could ever come close. I wasn't at all keen on the new design of the character in teapot form either. But I did love Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen as Lumiere and Cogsworth. Ewan doesn't sing enough in films for my liking (I fell in love with his voice in <i>Moulin Rouge</i>), and dodgy French accent aside he did a great job on <i>Be Our Guest</i>.<br /><br />If there's one man who was born to play his role though, it's Luke Evans as Gaston. He is FANTASTIC. His West End experience shines through as he absolutely owns every scene he is in, and his singing voice really packs a punch. He made Gaston a villain that I really loved to hate, and loved to love a bit too.<br /><br />The settings are stunning and almost characters in themselves, from the quaint country village to the freezing forest teeming with danger. Then there's the castle. It's a full on crumbling Gothic fantasy, a romantic's dream. Don't even get me started on that incredible library. I felt Belle's squeals of delight when the Beast gifted it to her, I'd be exactly the same!<br /><br />If you're planning on seeing Beauty and the Beast in the cinema, which I highly recommend that you do, I would suggest bringing food supplies, and maybe even a blanket. At over two hours long it is a film you can truly immerse yourself in, but at the same time it feels overlong. The flashbacks to the Beast's youth for example, and he and Belle's excursion to Paris feel entirely unnecessary and cast a bit of a sombre shadow over the story.<br /><br />That aside I loved every minute of this film. Even though I knew exactly what was going to happen I was still laughing at the Beast's gruff manners and jokes, crying when the last petal fell, and on the edge of my seat during the final fight with Gaston. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about it - Josh Gad does a brilliant turn as an openly gay Le Fou but even this is subtle. Critics will no doubt go to town on how traditional it has remained, but I'm completely fine with this. All I wanted was to be enchanted by the film, to enjoy it for what it is, and in this regard it is absolutely a success.<br /><br />Whether reliving your childhood or experiencing Beauty and the Beast for the first time, either way you're in for a treat.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OvW_L8sTu5E" width="560"></iframe> <br />Check out my other film reviews, including the live action remake of Cinderella, <a href="http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/film%20review">here</a>! Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-31245774263844745232017-03-16T03:59:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.649-07:00Review: The Last Piece of my Heart by Paige Toon***Firstly, massive thanks to Simon and Schuster and Books and the City for surprising me with a proof of this novel - and for the adorable jigsaw that accompanied it!***<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwrWm_tuseuMnuAG4NXcLrCGPc2Y8MKaGnRB7zA0NfiGoPE5hBrc7lw-3TS0ldWknGpqHw0zIhlRNAFXiyBp-4lKzMnRnkqnTySALSbCJt2ve6WUxXutPReEKRQKh9HxFV_UT0ix8YzcX/s1600/paigetoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwrWm_tuseuMnuAG4NXcLrCGPc2Y8MKaGnRB7zA0NfiGoPE5hBrc7lw-3TS0ldWknGpqHw0zIhlRNAFXiyBp-4lKzMnRnkqnTySALSbCJt2ve6WUxXutPReEKRQKh9HxFV_UT0ix8YzcX/s400/paigetoon.jpg" width="262" /></a><i>Meet Bridget, a successful travel journalist with ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog into a novel. But, after numerous rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition: Nicole Dupre died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel, and the family need someone to finish it. Bridget is just thankful to have her foot in the publishing door. But as she gets to know Nicole’s grieving family, and the woman behind the writing, Bridget’s priorities begin to change …</i><br /><br />As a rule, I don't like chick-lit and I don't much like children. Imagine my surprise then when I really loved this book! Maybe my tastes are changing now that I've hit my mid-twenties...<br /><br />The premise is simple - if every person you've ever loved has taken a piece of your heart, can you ever love someone wholeheartedly? Travel writer Bridget aims to find out. She's visiting her exes one by one and compiling a popular blog from her experiences. As a result of her success, she is drafted in to ghostwrite the sequel to <i>The Secret Life of Us</i>, a bestselling novel written by Nicole 'Nicki' Dupre, an author who died tragically young. Six weeks living in a caravan in Cornwall whilst working from Nicki's home is no mean feat, especially when you take into account the grieving family Nicki left behind - her widow, Charlie, and their baby daughter April. <br /><br />I was so, SO in love with Charlie by the end of this book. Not only was he gorgeous both inside and out, but he was also the most adorable dad. The pain he was going through was clear to see, and it broke my heart in places. Bridget herself was a lovely character too. She wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, to chase her dreams and risk her heart in the process. It has to be said that April stole the show though. She was so sweet and such an integral part of the story. <br /><br />The plot is fairly predictable, but this is by no means a bad thing - knowing vaguely what's going to happen takes the stress out of reading so you can just sit back and enjoy. The settings are beautiful and make you long for a holiday yourself; Cornwall and Thailand are like characters in themselves. I'm so grateful that we got an epilogue too - so many writers forgo them and I hate unfinished business - and the last few sentences in particular were just the perfect way to end it all.<br /><br />Another thing I loved about this book was Paige's use of music. I love novels that have a soundtrack to them, and Bridget's eclectic taste in songs and artists is great! Including a tracklist at the end of the novel was a brilliant touch; I had actually intended to flip back through the pages to make a note of some of the unfamiliar songs anyway so I'll definitely be checking them out! <br /><br />My one criticism would be that the cover really doesn't do this novel justice! I almost certainly would have passed this by in a library or bookshop - even though I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.<br /><br />This is my first book by Paige Toon, but it certainly won't be my last. The Last Piece of My Heart is a heartwarming novel of love and loss that will leave you with a big smile on your face.<br /><br /><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-69963317018260189052017-02-13T13:14:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.666-07:00Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtonvOQxv2fAD1fdWDkxlnWAEnrF7k62fAelrqlfaoiPErrdoNvx_Rpse9Kx9avreTbZMkPkO1hk9zW99f_G9BFt3mvRbVRH9XA-aN9uSxh5Dw3hFIgk3OM4rbwo__MBa26zXkZ2gsINMq/s1600/hating+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtonvOQxv2fAD1fdWDkxlnWAEnrF7k62fAelrqlfaoiPErrdoNvx_Rpse9Kx9avreTbZMkPkO1hk9zW99f_G9BFt3mvRbVRH9XA-aN9uSxh5Dw3hFIgk3OM4rbwo__MBa26zXkZ2gsINMq/s400/hating+game.jpg" width="265" /></a><i>Nemesis (n.)</i><br /><i>1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;</i><br /><i>2) A person’s undoing;</i><br /><i>3) Joshua Templeman. <br /><br />Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.<br /><br />Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review </span><i><br /></i><br />Contemporary romance isn't a genre that I delve into that often, but once in a while something catches my attention. I have seen a LOT of hype for this book on Instagram and Goodreads, so I decided to give it a go. From the cover I wasn't expecting to be that taken with it, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Two very late nights later and I'm besotted!<br /><br />That Hating Game made me laugh out loud, smile a lot, hug my e-reader and cry actual happy tears, something which never, ever happens to me! It's funny, cute, and jam packed with brilliant banter and crackling chemistry between the two lead characters. It's romantic without being cheesy, sexy without being explicit, chick-lit without the cringe. In short, it's perfect.<br /><br />On the face of it it's a light read, but it is very much dialogue driven which I think is why I fell for the characters so much. Lucy reminded me a little of myself, although she is a lot more feisty. And as as for Josh.. where do I find myself a Joshua Templeman?? The guy is all kinds of perfect, and as I've already said he's one of the few fictional men with the ability to make me cry. I adored every second of Josh and Lucy's story and would have loved a few more chapters at the end to find out what happened next.<br /><br />I need a physical copy of this book urgently so I can highlight all my favourite bits and keep it forever. Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-81369661006603450692017-01-26T05:14:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.684-07:00Review: Paper Princess / Broken Prince / Twisted Palace by Erin WattThis review is for all three books in The Royals series - because I binge read them this week and they're now all one big crazy mess in my head.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla5BwjCYF4AVmmh2nS9VLoZ2rLfiF39aQ1vUMNb3Nx-mRCgNmwFZ8N3w8_O5n79nUZEFTQ4E-6A5j9fJ0TeMWLCpnA0RkUZQpx8RraFZc2Bc_8Y1D6xK_-eSOC8B2YSk22TQcvUFPdPJJ/s1600/pp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla5BwjCYF4AVmmh2nS9VLoZ2rLfiF39aQ1vUMNb3Nx-mRCgNmwFZ8N3w8_O5n79nUZEFTQ4E-6A5j9fJ0TeMWLCpnA0RkUZQpx8RraFZc2Bc_8Y1D6xK_-eSOC8B2YSk22TQcvUFPdPJJ/s320/pp1.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1SIEpP1Gtxh5PsQZGkbpxZPtdzKpUQv9IbIVf9y-WVFa3uz0yKgwQGy1ldZNBq3MLHGJ9smLs74vzlC-kLLtXqjtU07Dg0_A0OYMJYXTEcIgWjK1EJOSlE2AZTDQjh4-bByg0Z6oppeh/s1600/pp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1SIEpP1Gtxh5PsQZGkbpxZPtdzKpUQv9IbIVf9y-WVFa3uz0yKgwQGy1ldZNBq3MLHGJ9smLs74vzlC-kLLtXqjtU07Dg0_A0OYMJYXTEcIgWjK1EJOSlE2AZTDQjh4-bByg0Z6oppeh/s320/pp3.jpg" width="210" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspCZ87vPflRCjq8HH1tZWZK0rr5Gc8seHuSXjvQSzPh069nQDABY0YxEgbnX97U2CoiZQY8Lka_zS82vOy-aU8ji9yFUe42CcPa2AKGsfFZLVYyo-CSLcYVdrRXEljkf6Qut-KTM99ig/s1600/pp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspCZ87vPflRCjq8HH1tZWZK0rr5Gc8seHuSXjvQSzPh069nQDABY0YxEgbnX97U2CoiZQY8Lka_zS82vOy-aU8ji9yFUe42CcPa2AKGsfFZLVYyo-CSLcYVdrRXEljkf6Qut-KTM99ig/s320/pp2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><i><span style="font-size: large;">These Royals will ruin you…</span></i><br /><i>--------</i><br /><i><b>PAPER PRINCESS</b></i><br /><i>Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. </i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>He might be right.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees. </i><br /><i>----------</i><br /><i><b>BROKEN PRINCE</b></i><br /><i>Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>She might be right.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.</i><br /><i>--------</i><br /><i><b>TWISTED PALACE</b></i><br /><i>Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>They may be right.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>With everything and everyone conspiring to keep them apart, Ella and Reed must find a way to beat the law, save their families, and unravel all the secrets in their Twisted Palace.</i><br /><i>--------</i><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">REVIEW</span></b><br />'These Royals will ruin you' - YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!<br /><br />Yes these books are trashy and far fetched but they are beyond addictive and I literally could not put them down! I read the trilogy every spare minute that I found for five days straight and now that it's over I don't know what to do with my life!<br /><br />Enter Ella Harper. Stereotypically down on her luck, headstrong and fiercely independent heroine who finds herself plucked from a life in the gutter by her fairy godfather of sorts Callum Royal. Only she has to share his fairytale palace with his five sons, none of whom want her there and all of whom have dark secrets to bear. I hated all five of them at first, and by the end of the trilogy I was in varying states of love with them all. Reed, obviously, is my new book boyfriend, but Easton turned out to be all kinds of adorable and possibly my favourite character of them all. The twins Sawyer and Sebastian were hilarious, and Gideon was so absent and mysterious that I'd love to know more about him. In fact I'm hoping and praying that all of the brothers (but especially Easton) get their own spin off stories!<br /><br />The plot gets more and more ridiculous and unbelievable as it goes along, but suspend your disbelief and just go with it. I'm thanking my lucky stars that I found Paper Princess once the whole trilogy was out - I don't know how I'd have coped if I'd had to wait for the next installment!Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-80240623764301333542017-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.701-07:00Review: Pengelly's Daughter by Nicola Pryce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KYrfwHmRkEMV94M1lKQPqH3Z5i0ZNb1swx0N04MABA9vkL3r8tDwnhJ17BfT4N8O7OcqQRP-8ZW9TMe-TeyTrrfpQjYX3MTUVIFLf4wgxPYfrMYYmYppDKzN1jpqwGk6jnzhhbySJbAD/s1600/30167593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KYrfwHmRkEMV94M1lKQPqH3Z5i0ZNb1swx0N04MABA9vkL3r8tDwnhJ17BfT4N8O7OcqQRP-8ZW9TMe-TeyTrrfpQjYX3MTUVIFLf4wgxPYfrMYYmYppDKzN1jpqwGk6jnzhhbySJbAD/s320/30167593.jpg" width="208" /></a><i> </i><br /><i>Cornwall, 1793: Rose Pengelly's father has been ruined—he has lost his boat yard and his fortune, plunging Rose and her mother into poverty and debt. There appears to be only one way out of their terrible circumstances; for Rose to marry Mr Tregellas, a powerful timber merchant and the man Rose believes is responsible for her father's downfall. He has made his terms clear; either she marries him or faces homelessness and destitution. Desperate, Rose sets out to find evidence of Mr Tregellas's wrongdoing. In her search, she encounters a mysterious young sailor called Jim, who refuses to disclose his identity. Even as she falls in love with him, she questions who he really is. He may help her restore her fortune and her good name, but does he ever tell her the truth?</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review </span><i><br /></i><br />From the cover of this novel I got a Catherine Cookson/family saga vibe that I have to admit almost put me off. But the blurb and the comparisons with Poldark had me sold. For a debut novel this has all the makings of a great historical adventure. I actually looked up the author expecting a back catalogue of similar novels so well established was her style, characterisation, and vivid descriptions of the sights and smells of Cornwall.<br /><br />Rose, true to form in this genre of novel, was a feisty and headstrong heroine, fighting to make her own way in what was very much a man's world.She was ahead of her time in her thinking, with ideas that many of the other characters found shocking. As for Jim, well... I only wish that we saw more of him. The relationship he had with Rose was my favourite part of the novel and I would have loved more of an ending to their story. Hopefully this is just the beginning for them and a sequel of some kind is in the works - there are so many brilliant characters that there is easily scope for more stories set in this particular fictional community.<br /><br />4/5 stars: With a hero who is more than a match for Ross Poldark, this is a fast paced and fun historical romp through Cornwall.Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-86087756767644413262017-01-16T12:28:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.717-07:00Review: Everything You Told Me by Lucy Dawson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WXycMLB_5_zQbenIgCF5QBNB4RMpVDJSc7JdiOXPGPCsJ8a2JS6WnYhl0xR9jYiqrRtLGXe4aIaW_36cz2vaeF6V5mcQwD_QDR0qRFnSXOtBrCBzQY2n2SDWTiOj4gGQXx7Qq2wDMK0G/s1600/32506637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WXycMLB_5_zQbenIgCF5QBNB4RMpVDJSc7JdiOXPGPCsJ8a2JS6WnYhl0xR9jYiqrRtLGXe4aIaW_36cz2vaeF6V5mcQwD_QDR0qRFnSXOtBrCBzQY2n2SDWTiOj4gGQXx7Qq2wDMK0G/s320/32506637.jpg" width="208" /></a><i> </i><br /><i>You went to bed at home, just like every other night.<br />You woke up in the back of a taxi, over 250 miles away.<br />You have no idea how you got there and no memory of the last ten hours.<br />You have no phone, no money; just a suicide note in your coat pocket, in your own writing.<br />You know you weren’t planning to kill yourself.<br />Your family and friends think you are lying.<br /><br />Someone knows exactly what happened to you.<br />But they’re not telling…</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review </span> <br />Thanks to Corvus Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Thanks also to them for sending me an anonymous fake taxi receipt - a cheeky nod to the plot of this novel that left me massivey confused and accusing my long suffering boyfriend of pranking me! As to the book itself, it has all the ingredients for a good psychological thriller , and the opening was really strong. The central character I found really annoying and difficult to like - but that really isn't uncommon for me in novels of this genre! It is a little drawn out in places, but it contains enough drama to keep you interested . No-one is entirely trustworthy, and I was kept guessing until the very end as to what actually happened to Sally that night. A twisty and unpredictable read that's sure to satisfy thriller fans. Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-5382742370115309332017-01-11T12:28:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.734-07:00Review: The Book of Mirrors by E.O Chirovici<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was lucky enough to snag one of the gorgeous proof copies of this book. Massive thanks to Francesca Russell at Cornerstone! </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-eC9D7rFPD04aqfBiLFkDTds-Vp5gOAgqQo28SE77KYzqPF97g3nr5FeVI21PQtyHwwqvUrLrUZ5Y9lYVyntP36Xih1fzIgkEdY6lktaZ4L7Lq7y-d8g6GAGvPOo0ejbXdl9M0hSs5q/s1600/Cx9H4kAXcAA8fF3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-eC9D7rFPD04aqfBiLFkDTds-Vp5gOAgqQo28SE77KYzqPF97g3nr5FeVI21PQtyHwwqvUrLrUZ5Y9lYVyntP36Xih1fzIgkEdY6lktaZ4L7Lq7y-d8g6GAGvPOo0ejbXdl9M0hSs5q/s320/Cx9H4kAXcAA8fF3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>When big-shot literary agent Peter Katz receives an unfinished manuscript entitled The Book of Mirrors, he is intrigued.<br /><br />The author, Richard Flynn is writing a memoir about his time at Princeton in the late 80s, documenting his relationship with the famous Professor Joseph Wieder.<br /><br />One night in 1987, Wieder was brutally murdered in his home and the case was never solved.<br /><br />Peter Katz is hell-bent on getting to the bottom of what happened that night twenty-five years ago and is convinced the full manuscript will reveal who committed the violent crime.<br /><br />But other people's recollections are dangerous weapons to play with, and this might be one memory that is best kept buried.</i><br /><br /><h2>Review</h2><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEoOSzRO8aHn6DKfA_iVJA7S3Ctex3f-QCv4KPYsyMmSyY_d9eEP5GAyN7ohsD-n1mYBCo0prsuYav12wmqg6AF-NyC4VxiinNRUC4Gm9hbh4Fhv1EPySsWJQka3Cn0yK7psVc9n5r7P4/s1600/Cx9H4kKWQAEOClj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEoOSzRO8aHn6DKfA_iVJA7S3Ctex3f-QCv4KPYsyMmSyY_d9eEP5GAyN7ohsD-n1mYBCo0prsuYav12wmqg6AF-NyC4VxiinNRUC4Gm9hbh4Fhv1EPySsWJQka3Cn0yK7psVc9n5r7P4/s320/Cx9H4kKWQAEOClj.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">There is a lot of hype surrounding this book-although I have to admit that I hadn't heard of it or the author before-so I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. On the face of it we have a 25 year old cold case, a murder brought back to light by a mysterious manuscript. As the literary agent begins to dig, the case gets passed on to a local reporter, then on to an ex-cop who was involved with the original case. It is from the perspective of these three men that we as readers try and piece together what happened on the night of the crime. The ending actually isn't that surprising, but it's the getting there with this case that's interesting. What makes this whodunit different is its focus on psychology and the power of the mind - how it can be manipulated but also how it can manipulate itself. The tag line - 'one man's truth is another man's lie' - is entirely apt at summing up this novel. Is memory fact or fiction? Is a wrongly recollected truth a lie? How reliable exactly is the human mind? As all the witness statements begin to contradict each other, are any of the suspects actually telling the truth? The plot of the murder case is relatively straightforward when the truth is revealed, but it throws up a lot of questions that leave you questioning even your own mind. The Book of Mirrors is a very clever and well written novel (very well written considering that English is not the author's first language). I'm interested to read the inevitable translations of Chiovici's other works. </span>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-56458016633582686532016-12-31T08:01:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.756-07:00End of Year Book Survey 2016First of all, an apology. I haven't posted anywhere near as often as I'd have liked to this year, and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read as much either! At least my New Year's resolutions are easily decided this time. Anyway, as the New Year rolls around it's time to look back on my year of reading, and although my stats aren't as high as I'd like them to be, I have read some great books!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JIa1bsgaAKVfV7XexbAVx0ysuXxfl29I4hlODKp6r4b3GgCexiNbX0XQmm2Zs7Z_OZWVao06Fq5kKhIMrn-lyt2PVFClQNdQ5ftgd3vossKr6VQ4ZL8duKgFBh2E3_j4ZlAx_ivLUczI/s1600/2016-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984-768x738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JIa1bsgaAKVfV7XexbAVx0ysuXxfl29I4hlODKp6r4b3GgCexiNbX0XQmm2Zs7Z_OZWVao06Fq5kKhIMrn-lyt2PVFClQNdQ5ftgd3vossKr6VQ4ZL8duKgFBh2E3_j4ZlAx_ivLUczI/s320/2016-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984-768x738.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">2016 Reading Stats</span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Number of books you read</b>: 32</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Number of re-reads</b>: 0</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Genre you read the most from</b>: Historical Fiction</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Shortest<i> </i>Book</b>:<i> The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight </i>by Jennifer E Smith (215 pages)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Longest Book</b>:<i> Florence Grace </i>by Tracy Rees (544 pages) </span></span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Best in Books</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best Book You Read In 2016?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Florence Grace by Tracy Rees. I just adored it. You can find my review <a href="http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-florence-grace-by-tracy-rees.html">here</a>. </i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEJkEY8qPXKfm7QlXyzxb25ID3RdCdneUxm7u9MC1yAa2r7FW2ZIfKVjIAUFbbMTgo6Ac7IbqJdaCS9EbiH5xGOeao7VtkanhcZOeYbb4l40QrKJIa9_w_nR11luOLgEM4ixzL0jYUUik/s1600/florrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEJkEY8qPXKfm7QlXyzxb25ID3RdCdneUxm7u9MC1yAa2r7FW2ZIfKVjIAUFbbMTgo6Ac7IbqJdaCS9EbiH5xGOeao7VtkanhcZOeYbb4l40QrKJIa9_w_nR11luOLgEM4ixzL0jYUUik/s320/florrie.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I was hugely exited about Kate Williams' novels about the de Witt family during the First World War, but the first two books of the trilogy took some getting through. I'll still read the third though!</i></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjA7YFmhO9lMmViM_gD_La44-M24k5N1z44idDkxQqLE4oVgPhYUQLSa-FnPz86ZIoLAonf_wajDQGUpaYbnJmnu7Mr-z1efsdimeukJXI-eEqAvbt7eHxTMl2PeZTUf5Z1koWu8iOkRX/s1600/storms+of+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjA7YFmhO9lMmViM_gD_La44-M24k5N1z44idDkxQqLE4oVgPhYUQLSa-FnPz86ZIoLAonf_wajDQGUpaYbnJmnu7Mr-z1efsdimeukJXI-eEqAvbt7eHxTMl2PeZTUf5Z1koWu8iOkRX/s320/storms+of+war.jpg" width="209" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmfEMeFQZjDZfITEZ1y9sJapsFN_ff-I0sOGJ1YTAZwD-fPTSqENHf0Er46zGiVxTGWvy_vm_tUQ3_JAfRPI7ubnSpFUScNuadhzRQ5kjHeC2MczK0JzS-5yIvZnnH5bBqAY-xUbZkjWQ/s1600/edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmfEMeFQZjDZfITEZ1y9sJapsFN_ff-I0sOGJ1YTAZwD-fPTSqENHf0Er46zGiVxTGWvy_vm_tUQ3_JAfRPI7ubnSpFUScNuadhzRQ5kjHeC2MczK0JzS-5yIvZnnH5bBqAY-xUbZkjWQ/s320/edge.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Best series you started in 2016? </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Easy. Outlander! I'm around halfway through it now and totally get what all the fuss is about!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYvvjFa8oF-vs0QzE03j9XK3rY627G6Z_r_MJdZmYMVBwntm8XF7i2RP1fjPtv4gsuHfpJMVtRYFN3Wm4I316_wNHduCl2Ik6v0sc-hBPADNynnp3cX096Bmh2HEVw90SFVOgiQ97mS7q/s1600/Outlander-blue-cover-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYvvjFa8oF-vs0QzE03j9XK3rY627G6Z_r_MJdZmYMVBwntm8XF7i2RP1fjPtv4gsuHfpJMVtRYFN3Wm4I316_wNHduCl2Ik6v0sc-hBPADNynnp3cX096Bmh2HEVw90SFVOgiQ97mS7q/s320/Outlander-blue-cover-198x300.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Kate Riordan. Both The Girl in the Photograph and The Shadow Hour are gripping!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8ikGF0rxvyCY1LcehOS6zwyEpSjFLED2lTGc9mXGeFIqyzuxnNBAeFT9v9fWb88wcUTli_D1vcZSJ8gtqv7dgxRX5A06VWjXuaNWTrWNk7EnrhGhbJNB-X9y20ljox0smyOlcj2uhdNR/s1600/photograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8ikGF0rxvyCY1LcehOS6zwyEpSjFLED2lTGc9mXGeFIqyzuxnNBAeFT9v9fWb88wcUTli_D1vcZSJ8gtqv7dgxRX5A06VWjXuaNWTrWNk7EnrhGhbJNB-X9y20ljox0smyOlcj2uhdNR/s320/photograph.jpg" width="207" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuRQVhPUDxMgMh2GIbJrYUZirwuWmPKkxqVHimoKGCOc8yLHy07jqNHSWyqWsYNjLLTyqY82Xshs5h2PFXmpiLAyytx5M5MdRaYmr3kzbzK6l4MtczUW-ZZg__qeX3kOgPU1oRx6nWgN2/s1600/shadowhour.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuRQVhPUDxMgMh2GIbJrYUZirwuWmPKkxqVHimoKGCOc8yLHy07jqNHSWyqWsYNjLLTyqY82Xshs5h2PFXmpiLAyytx5M5MdRaYmr3kzbzK6l4MtczUW-ZZg__qeX3kOgPU1oRx6nWgN2/s320/shadowhour.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Maestra by LS Hilton. Weirdly compelling - and be warned it is explicit! </i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgjD9_RDA7UQt5_nkZvr6YuWbc0JxbHi3Q7uUDEj2XVHkCffWYf-cfkiKvB-PHoB6YTR3vlT6oviYKlDBODi4zE4XLh4jz0gQns1aK6-DbaOHFkvBsolxHri3qW25FAVp94vKR3kVx_q8/s1600/Maestra_book_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgjD9_RDA7UQt5_nkZvr6YuWbc0JxbHi3Q7uUDEj2XVHkCffWYf-cfkiKvB-PHoB6YTR3vlT6oviYKlDBODi4zE4XLh4jz0gQns1aK6-DbaOHFkvBsolxHri3qW25FAVp94vKR3kVx_q8/s320/Maestra_book_cover.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Girl on the Train. I read it pretty much in one sitting! Worth the hype!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvplEMH0m6Hvfi8OEdi5eUG3ch-3rrykxQio2-FxwLKZqqOGoHeS9Sotv8JYZn_Ikc4XfcRY8nl1Lm62_To-4VKsuzQSpPFO10tYGD8qsSlkTLKtHIsF2EhDe38PE69trlfBJ0QNzqlEqQ/s1600/Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvplEMH0m6Hvfi8OEdi5eUG3ch-3rrykxQio2-FxwLKZqqOGoHeS9Sotv8JYZn_Ikc4XfcRY8nl1Lm62_To-4VKsuzQSpPFO10tYGD8qsSlkTLKtHIsF2EhDe38PE69trlfBJ0QNzqlEqQ/s320/Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I don't generally re-read so probably none of them!</i><br /><br /><b>Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?</b></span></span><br /><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Victoria by Daisy Goodwin. I was obsessed with the TV series and the companion novel is gorgeous!</span></span></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXw3ZeaUNMfSxej6LoBocdA9LSPK3WnsX6qqzi4mtHkfd5vUx0bp3m7L6N2CkAoQpv2MDE0CFzsMU0gWCkBbK61wMknbCWpOEJj9_WjEppXJJ9J7vDWS_KIILTfmgvd4l3LmyDxMUljxX/s1600/victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXw3ZeaUNMfSxej6LoBocdA9LSPK3WnsX6qqzi4mtHkfd5vUx0bp3m7L6N2CkAoQpv2MDE0CFzsMU0gWCkBbK61wMknbCWpOEJj9_WjEppXJJ9J7vDWS_KIILTfmgvd4l3LmyDxMUljxX/s320/victoria.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /><b>Most memorable character of 2016?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Florence 'Florrie' Grace. I just loved her.</i><br /><b><br />Most beautifully written book read in 2016?</b></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>If I Forget You by T.C Greene. It's practically poetic.</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0X8-f_ksV_d-NO15o5tyHukpxKGe7Ii88voXP_fBz5vrGmzIxtegtf_leTfifybKShGHApygs6kesqnIsgSsBQFVcZ7q_XOU7TLeEaQeDh9O4olathUjFoVprMuqeJqamsrpzNyMQsx5/s1600/forget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0X8-f_ksV_d-NO15o5tyHukpxKGe7Ii88voXP_fBz5vrGmzIxtegtf_leTfifybKShGHApygs6kesqnIsgSsBQFVcZ7q_XOU7TLeEaQeDh9O4olathUjFoVprMuqeJqamsrpzNyMQsx5/s320/forget.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /><br /><b>Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. It's inspirational.</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmumxp_N_0_J01Rd5UCCXlOS1jNEgSmsZXRGNeamk2NdPnuDv1teaPKz_RLVYLbfhsk_KdQDmap6BPZKTjAMIFFMVUGPkGWPqAe8GLo-TIt-M_-GiIVmfc-31wXutkZafqGlPcrmV4PRps/s1600/71pV9PPv-ML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmumxp_N_0_J01Rd5UCCXlOS1jNEgSmsZXRGNeamk2NdPnuDv1teaPKz_RLVYLbfhsk_KdQDmap6BPZKTjAMIFFMVUGPkGWPqAe8GLo-TIt-M_-GiIVmfc-31wXutkZafqGlPcrmV4PRps/s320/71pV9PPv-ML.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /><b>Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I've been brought up on the TV adaptations but have never read one of her novels until now - and I loved it!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAI_1evv1dHCD0evOHWYrV3qXO7kZiwAtBz3neYF_d0SRmUzD5hiOoObtLq_qjRZboNObvyfx9EnHTb9uqU5oWuHxjMKfyKniocCDrH-rtsX2lMS6vK40FzIkHFJlOBO-qcIl3sjXKJJt/s1600/The-Mysterious-Affair-at-Styles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAI_1evv1dHCD0evOHWYrV3qXO7kZiwAtBz3neYF_d0SRmUzD5hiOoObtLq_qjRZboNObvyfx9EnHTb9uqU5oWuHxjMKfyKniocCDrH-rtsX2lMS6vK40FzIkHFJlOBO-qcIl3sjXKJJt/s320/The-Mysterious-Affair-at-Styles.JPG" width="198" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Book That Shocked You The Most</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We Were Liars by E Lockhart. This one floored me!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9b5FrHcX07n4RYYv8RXrS3mojj0XDp2vfctfegK3GSzydfB7AONid7mU3ffjIdcqUDGJnmNANw1c7vDbLLaiDl47dwJw1Ax7-JXCoxQjc6R1Q78lvyoDavYYVuCSECezcpq1oq8_kZb8/s1600/liars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9b5FrHcX07n4RYYv8RXrS3mojj0XDp2vfctfegK3GSzydfB7AONid7mU3ffjIdcqUDGJnmNANw1c7vDbLLaiDl47dwJw1Ax7-JXCoxQjc6R1Q78lvyoDavYYVuCSECezcpq1oq8_kZb8/s320/liars.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i> </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year</b><br /><i>Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne. As much as I ship them I know it isn't to be.</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DTAOXe9EbxK2wZvXtTphgZn4vjTeLJ5B5A59_GpzDc0ZHVRd7r9gF9hIVIj1NLg3OwdovA5RDq4ok8tX2Yxd6SJysW47MwmmFzDkOxuFKVS_E6zRbE4UBFDtcX7zBtKd6ycIOPYU9XuK/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DTAOXe9EbxK2wZvXtTphgZn4vjTeLJ5B5A59_GpzDc0ZHVRd7r9gF9hIVIj1NLg3OwdovA5RDq4ok8tX2Yxd6SJysW47MwmmFzDkOxuFKVS_E6zRbE4UBFDtcX7zBtKd6ycIOPYU9XuK/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /> </span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Florence Grace. I loved Tracy Rees' debut novel Amy Snow, and I adored this one even more!</i><br /> </span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Murder at The Brighwell. My mum adored it and pestered me about it until I read it. I bought her the sequel for her birthday!</i></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IOEGoVPPByS9wQf7suv2ufdeozPOQLcWUVHiIQrr6G-Qlmqxmye6zDWsxOf1Nx-9Nndrxsx5S8p-JMvGdn5j5g5SZVt_YrB2bOAjCrk9FGzTHfz-6G30QIP6YfrUlIfAhONTql95_3Iq/s1600/81O8ydeI-5L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IOEGoVPPByS9wQf7suv2ufdeozPOQLcWUVHiIQrr6G-Qlmqxmye6zDWsxOf1Nx-9Nndrxsx5S8p-JMvGdn5j5g5SZVt_YrB2bOAjCrk9FGzTHfz-6G30QIP6YfrUlIfAhONTql95_3Iq/s320/81O8ydeI-5L.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Jamie Fraser...</i></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ToE8sZJxq67yLJ6H0gRkEvRq4FCSOiDczDJUOitkPV5DCMuZXxpOJ25uRhtxHEW6CzEN63nHxpgmdhgWFYXrddHVIEU-C9Xr9Hv9UYKox9p19spkrE8HkoJ8_pLyx8MFF_RrrTkROQJX/s1600/jamie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ToE8sZJxq67yLJ6H0gRkEvRq4FCSOiDczDJUOitkPV5DCMuZXxpOJ25uRhtxHEW6CzEN63nHxpgmdhgWFYXrddHVIEU-C9Xr9Hv9UYKox9p19spkrE8HkoJ8_pLyx8MFF_RrrTkROQJX/s1600/jamie.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /> </span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best 2016 debut you read?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Pengelly's Daughter by Nicola Pryce. If you're missing Poldark I would heartily recommend it!</i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdno__H-6z1m1ivj446dmgVXW29IPIkS9mzIxeH_qS99PWIbdeErxbMLUozl1G6KCW6McskMkqxmieF8rL2THVUADpS7FrJ9_dtRVcZhsP3XDi8bDQJrMpsAO-LTESKJ5zKwDgn9_FUTY6/s1600/51-udiFcFrL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdno__H-6z1m1ivj446dmgVXW29IPIkS9mzIxeH_qS99PWIbdeErxbMLUozl1G6KCW6McskMkqxmieF8rL2THVUADpS7FrJ9_dtRVcZhsP3XDi8bDQJrMpsAO-LTESKJ5zKwDgn9_FUTY6/s320/51-udiFcFrL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rebel Warrior and King's Knight by Regan Walker bring Medieval Britain gloriously alive.</i></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrvtLtv4on1Y1ewoeVRTid1bXN2WIn9UlktH0PvqAnMGYCc6qC_yiy7ofEG5W_x_BZGMr6brJidm_mMvp0Ldw7Pqyv9qHb__T3Pv94c8nhVAapcs8okv8kUS3DBSNM5bk4K03BbQBvrYa/s1600/rebel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrvtLtv4on1Y1ewoeVRTid1bXN2WIn9UlktH0PvqAnMGYCc6qC_yiy7ofEG5W_x_BZGMr6brJidm_mMvp0Ldw7Pqyv9qHb__T3Pv94c8nhVAapcs8okv8kUS3DBSNM5bk4K03BbQBvrYa/s320/rebel.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjMZPHxikNigzzz6I9zfgWFGAtdzpxIAFqG8iHicovhQDJUWOsYNkcO9Vuw1d1IH2ASYKcF0XfqxcrfoTFDFRVz_1aAP2aIsiUgqQnUtN8Om9DtkSkzSqBnsOMTQHBEzGQx6adsVtI0QU/s1600/king%2527s+knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjMZPHxikNigzzz6I9zfgWFGAtdzpxIAFqG8iHicovhQDJUWOsYNkcO9Vuw1d1IH2ASYKcF0XfqxcrfoTFDFRVz_1aAP2aIsiUgqQnUtN8Om9DtkSkzSqBnsOMTQHBEzGQx6adsVtI0QU/s320/king%2527s+knight.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i><br /> </span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Love From Paris by Alexandra Potter. Cheesy Chick-Lit at it's finest!</i></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_CRFKgRs2ir1s-tbIyAZQS-u8G3a1q1UD8jtD8F1St80_0uS065Un3vZ0BAli5nMDmBSw8Af-8bAuxImvcXM0nZYqfWjko8cOJ14DX5r2hJw6Dcq_E9BsaK52mk5TCkzZBLhOYPxvnXk/s1600/51TkFBBa5rL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_CRFKgRs2ir1s-tbIyAZQS-u8G3a1q1UD8jtD8F1St80_0uS065Un3vZ0BAli5nMDmBSw8Af-8bAuxImvcXM0nZYqfWjko8cOJ14DX5r2hJw6Dcq_E9BsaK52mk5TCkzZBLhOYPxvnXk/s320/51TkFBBa5rL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We Were Liars. It's rare for me to cry at books and this one killed me.</i><br /><br /><b>Hidden Gem Of The Year?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Florence Grace. More people need to read this so I can fangirl with them about it!</i><br /><br /><b>Book That Crushed Your Soul?</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We Were Liars. Enough said.</i><br /> </span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?</span></span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We Were Liars. The plot, the writing style, it's everything.</i><br /><b><br />Book That Made You The Most Mad?</b> </span></span><br /><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Girl With a Clock for a Heart. Because that ending was not an ending. Gah.</span></span></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADS-a424ZUZ8aUxv39zlROpAWzUvkiNPmLfk5-uV-gamHmISyA2EPVC6zVMe3Wbi5rXur9TjD2GXVr8otSzvmxMEoo-lRUFiPiyc-NivO36juoYwOWTCngaTcTYENAAFoslguzPZRxygq/s1600/clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADS-a424ZUZ8aUxv39zlROpAWzUvkiNPmLfk5-uV-gamHmISyA2EPVC6zVMe3Wbi5rXur9TjD2GXVr8otSzvmxMEoo-lRUFiPiyc-NivO36juoYwOWTCngaTcTYENAAFoslguzPZRxygq/s320/clock.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span><br />So there you have it, my year in books! Here's to another great year of reading!<br /><br /><b>HAPPY NEW YEAR!</b>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-4871521933295398882016-11-25T13:10:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.791-07:00Blog Revamp... and Bookstagram!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nAHyZQpDICdXMNcR4hAdUqrJwzM66Im5LkIqTz6eRkXl7UvgATnY4TQUU6XOrkPT3FlZ0zlfYA75ZLLaHjKnR_QLRwyWTPmL6xQIVbN_aITmJDUDYKGkjYQMzqbRnbVW7eEgrJWfY72P/s1600/WP_006047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nAHyZQpDICdXMNcR4hAdUqrJwzM66Im5LkIqTz6eRkXl7UvgATnY4TQUU6XOrkPT3FlZ0zlfYA75ZLLaHjKnR_QLRwyWTPmL6xQIVbN_aITmJDUDYKGkjYQMzqbRnbVW7eEgrJWfY72P/s400/WP_006047.jpg" width="300" /></a>There's been a few subtle changes going on here over the past few weeks. '<i>Good Friends, Good Books and a Sleepy Conscience</i>' is no more! I'd never actually intended on keeping the name anyway, it was a sort of stop-gap until I decided what I actually wanted to call it - a stop-gap that ended up lasting over two years!<br /><br />After much deliberation my sister came up with the idea of <i>Reading in Wellies</i> (like Running in Heels but with farmers and books, geddit?)<br /><br />The url is staying as lilmissvixreads for now - if anyone has any expertise on changing urls on over 200+ posts I would greatly appreciate it. Do I need to make custom redirects for all of them? Technology is hard.<br /><br />________________________________<br /><br />In other news, I've finally joined the wonderous world of instagram. You can find me there <a href="https://www.instagram.com/readinginwellies/">@readinginwellies. </a><br />I had no idea how many amazing bookstagrammers there are out there, and while I'm still very much a novice I'm loving all the beautiful book photography!<br /><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNCFe-vA2Cw/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Cosy Crime Sunday ☕️ #bookstagram #books #instabooks #crime #crimefiction #bookworm #bookblogger #weekend #weekendreading #poirot #agathachristie #jumper #cosy #starbucks</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2016-11-20T12:50:46+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 20, 2016 at 4:50am PST</time></div></div></blockquote><br /><br /><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_gBhYgvVD/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">'Gatsby? What Gatsby?' #bookstagram #instabooks #books #bookblogger #bookworm #greatgatsby #gatsby #penguinbooks #bookswag #bookbag #classic</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2016-11-19T12:44:57+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 19, 2016 at 4:44am PST</time></div></div></blockquote><br /><br /><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_z69bg7yD/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Did anyone else watch the TV series Victoria? Such a great show, and the companion novel is brilliant too! My review has just gone up on my blog - link is in my bio! 👑 #bookstagram #books #instabooks #victoria #vicbourne #coverlove #bookporn #bookworm #historicalfiction</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2016-11-19T15:38:49+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 19, 2016 at 7:38am PST</time></div></div></blockquote><br /><br /><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMrNafggWy0/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">❤️#quoteoftheday #winniethepooh #childhoodmemories #instabooks #books #bookblogger</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Vicki 🇬🇧 📚🐄 (@readinginwellies) on <time datetime="2016-11-11T15:37:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2016 at 7:37am PST</time></div></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-46747108945424373092016-11-19T07:27:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.809-07:00Review: Victoria by Daisy Goodwin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9p173jsYsl342aozZaQiwG1K7LaQRjdZmsxXlQ_xtDoZxevK_ncCA88Ae8Xwlo6kKdw9iDIppM30V3pGzOXf_zjralTGWcygkxe2eZhfKONA7nEn4qwu68igg_IPqiPjgQktHUHD5koT/s1600/victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9p173jsYsl342aozZaQiwG1K7LaQRjdZmsxXlQ_xtDoZxevK_ncCA88Ae8Xwlo6kKdw9iDIppM30V3pGzOXf_zjralTGWcygkxe2eZhfKONA7nEn4qwu68igg_IPqiPjgQktHUHD5koT/s400/victoria.jpg" width="260" /></a><br />I've always been very interested in the life of Queen Victoria. It's hard not to be when you're named after her! So it was with some delight that I discovered ITV were making a television series all about her early years, penned by the wonderful Daisy Goodwin. Despite my initial frustration to discover that the majority of the series was filmed within an hour's drive of my house and I knew nothing of it, I was glued to my screen every night for the eight week duration (Captain Poldark had to wait for iPlayer).<br /><br /><br />So when I heard that Daisy had written a novel to accompany the series, complete with extra scenes, well I headed straight online to pre-order it. The cover is beautiful and perfectly fitting, and I dived right in as soon as it arrived.<br /><br /><i><br /></i><i>"In June 1837, the eighteen-year-old Victoria wakes up to find that she is Queen of the most powerful nation in the world. But will she be queen in her own right, or a puppet controlled by her mother and the sinister Sir John Conroy? Can this tiny girl prevail against the men who believe that women are too hysterical to rule?</i><br /><br /><i><br /></i><i>Everyone wants her to get married, but Victoria has no intention of entering into a marriage of convenience with her cousin Albert, a shy bookworm who didn't know how to dance the last time she met him. She would much rather reign alone with a little help from her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. He may be old enough to be her father, but he is the only man who believes that she will be a great Queen, and he knows how to make her laugh. A husband would only get in the way..."</i><br /><br /><br />From the very first page it is clear that Victoria is a headstrong and stubborn character, determined to rule the country her way. Despite her incredibly sheltered upbringing and her naivety she quickly adapts to her role as Queen, with her loyal aide and advisor Lord Melbourne by her side. There are constant comparisons between herself and Elizabeth I, and it seems to me that she would have been perfectly capable of ruling without a husband, despite all that her interfering family thought of her. She has a tendency to be childish at times, but that's to be expected, and as she grows into her role as Queen, she also matures into an adult.<br /><br />The revelation in both TV series and novel for me was Lord M. Having only previously encountered Paul Bettany's portrayal of him in the 2009 film The Young Victoria, I didn't think much of his character. I knew Victoria depended on him more than others deemed proper, and the film seems to suggest that he uses her to gain and retain power. Daisy Goodwin's interpretation of his character shows him in an entirely new light, as a man conflicted between emotion and duty, as a man devoted to his Queen. The moment Rufus Sewell appeared on screen I knew I was a goner. Full of wit and one liners, with a painful vulnerability below the surface, the novel portrays him in a similar fashion, and whilst the description differs from Rufus (the real Lord M was blonde), you get an even deeper sense of his and Victoria's inner turmoil and their confused feelings towards one another. Indeed, it is no surprise that some people have dismissed the novel as 'Vicbourne' fanfiction, as Albert doesn't actually appear until page 360. Like in the TV series Victoria and Albert's relationship feels rushed somehow, and whilst the insta-love trope may well be true for the real Queen Victoria, for fictional Victoria to transfer her affections from Melbourne to Albert in a matter of pages is a little unbelievable.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiAxTFEMI3WG3xZVe12xdgzYKYuYMoNDQPSE_G84WvPcPtQCq0Y6O1D8kWMb5W8opfubpz-KsZK_she_u-85Lp5GLXu3izxe4OBNaWED5EtfxN_T4RIdt4ouBcM-0v6KXuQYJbXcDs78g/s1600/VictoriaITVPix7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiAxTFEMI3WG3xZVe12xdgzYKYuYMoNDQPSE_G84WvPcPtQCq0Y6O1D8kWMb5W8opfubpz-KsZK_she_u-85Lp5GLXu3izxe4OBNaWED5EtfxN_T4RIdt4ouBcM-0v6KXuQYJbXcDs78g/s400/VictoriaITVPix7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Although it is written as a companion piece to the TV series, there are some significant differences in the novel. The servants for example are given a lot less attention, and whilst I may be in the minority here I preferred it that way. They still have names, and all their major storylines feature, but I do feel as if their role was amplified unnecessarily in the TV series to give it that Downton/Upstairs Downstairs vibe that proves popular with audiences. Another major difference is that the novel ends -potential spoiler ahead- with Victoria's proposal to Albert. There's no wedding, and therefore, most regrettably to me, there is no goodbye scene between Victoria and Lord M - a moment in the TV series which broke my heart.<br /><br />That being said, it is still a book that I would heartily recommend, to historical fiction and period <br />drama fans alike. Those who frown on anachronism may want to steer clear, although alongside the dramatic licence there are also some surprising truths to be found - Albert actually did slice his shirt open at the ball to wear Victoria's gardenias close to his heart!<br /><br />If, like me, you're interested in how much is true, I would have a trawl through Daisy Goodwin's Twitter feed; she live-tweeted some of the TV episodes when they aired and has answered many viewer/reader questions about Victoria.<br /><br />I'm very much looking forward to the second series of Victoria (even though I fear that Lord M is gone for good), and to what I hope will be the second novel to accompany it!<br /><div><br /></div>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-45328394525819409042016-11-06T10:50:00.000-08:002017-08-18T13:18:19.846-07:00Review: Maestra by L.S Hilton<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3T8faGKbj7HF3-zz_X5-p7ACul1pmfv4EIQR9Gl6NNb9_YrBFtwUC-W1SQTw_fpdXaPKwX1zU2VxkvPnP0yCN2kGFJD3onlI-DrEnJU2BDmoWzrR8mmG8nKOt8EDZuOqkFKkqjiYzspXJ/s1600/Maestra_book_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3T8faGKbj7HF3-zz_X5-p7ACul1pmfv4EIQR9Gl6NNb9_YrBFtwUC-W1SQTw_fpdXaPKwX1zU2VxkvPnP0yCN2kGFJD3onlI-DrEnJU2BDmoWzrR8mmG8nKOt8EDZuOqkFKkqjiYzspXJ/s320/Maestra_book_cover.jpg" width="209" /></a><i> </i><br /><br /><i>A spectacular fraud in a London auction house. </i><br /><br /><i>A barefoot lover running through the Paris streets. </i><br /><br /><i>A colossal theft from a billionaire's yacht. </i><br /><br /><i>A vicious murder under a bridge in Rome. </i><br /><br /><i>They started it. she'll end it. </i><br /><br /><i>WHO IS THE MAESTRA? </i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br />The simple yet deceptive blurb on the back of this novel is what drew me to read it.I had no idea what to expect, and it was nothing like I could ever have imagined.<br /><br /><i>Maestra</i> comes with the tagline 'The Most Shocking Thriller You'll Read This Year'. I'll admit that I haven't read that many thrillers, but this is certainly true for me. <i>Maestra</i> is unpredictable, graphic in every sense of the word and left me feeling very uneasy. I couldn't put it down. So I suppose that makes it a success.<br /><br />Having looked at the reader reviews I'm surprised how many negative ones there are. Yes it's explicit, designed to shock, but <i>Maestra</i> is reflective of the baser aspects of human nature - lust and greed. Although the gratuitous use of the 'c' word did lose its impact after a while. The book has been described as <i>The Talented Mr Ripley</i> crossed with <i>Gone Girl</i>, and whilst I haven't read either of the works, I have seen the film adaptation of the former and can easily see where the comparisons come from. Judith isn't a character you can relate to, which is perhaps why some readers detest her so much. Driven by 'rage' and determination to work her way up in the world she finds herself resorting to increasingly desperate measures, measures which soon become habits. Yet despite her dangerous flaws, her appalling language and her skewed morals you can't help but want her to get away with her actions. I'm very curious to read the sequel.<br /> <br /><br />Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-90348971782902649782016-10-14T13:33:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.885-07:00Review: The Girl on the Train<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIBjtQ2283leE7kGgWEWdcEYqZiM5AeEbWaUnhZwJfceqpyjFcWYauKOZyf_qqIYn66Bu675BhDnQkfuxpv20n00nVh3H6nK4UlwLs63TzTkMqvybBlpBMb7cIJyhRYBkq5ouIIYg_INi/s1600/Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIBjtQ2283leE7kGgWEWdcEYqZiM5AeEbWaUnhZwJfceqpyjFcWYauKOZyf_qqIYn66Bu675BhDnQkfuxpv20n00nVh3H6nK4UlwLs63TzTkMqvybBlpBMb7cIJyhRYBkq5ouIIYg_INi/s400/Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" width="256" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis</span><br /><i>Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. 'Jess and Jason', she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar. Now they'll see; she's much more than just the girl on the train...</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Review</span><br />Last weekend I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. Less than 48 hours later and I knew. I daren't say too much for fear of giving anything away. True to form it's a thriller packed with twists and turns, and although I predicted pretty early on what the big twist was going to be, I was gripped to see how it would play out. I finished reading at 1.30am- when a book keeps you up that late you know it's a good one! What makes this different from other thrillers is its narrative. It's told from the viewpoints of three women, all of whom are connected and none of whom are reliable narrators. Rachel, an alcoholic, takes the train every day past the homes of Anna and Megan. Then, one day, she sees something she shouldn't. A few days later Megan has gone missing and Rachel wakes up bruised and covered in blood, with no memory of what happened the night before. It's fast paced, intense, and you can't trust a single character. Compulsive reading at its best.<br /><br />As for the film adaptation - I'm yet to see it but I have some reservations. I'm interested to see how they get the multiple viewpoints across without causing confusion. I had seen the trailer before I read the book, so in my mind Rachel looked like Emily Blunt and Megan looked like an actress who looks like Jennifer Lawrence but isn't Jennifer Lawrence. I do wonder how they would have looked had I been imagining them for myself, especially as having googled the rest of the cast Tom and Scott in the film look nothing like I pictured them in the book. Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-86286055233387170252016-10-02T06:21:00.000-07:002017-08-18T13:18:19.901-07:00Film Review: Bridget Jones's Baby<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96jeLW6goSZJxBx6OWV9JKedtRCtDgYofYp6aIUMqMsoEnr9GlSTBWxrfCODdqLwijPHJCSELZvOavHllYOY2x9WM0Pyy8TxNZeimHvhyrPb-cgZFaEx-BbFo8QoP2qvz9P6d8KIW5hyphenhyphenW/s1600/Bridget_Jones%2527s_Baby_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96jeLW6goSZJxBx6OWV9JKedtRCtDgYofYp6aIUMqMsoEnr9GlSTBWxrfCODdqLwijPHJCSELZvOavHllYOY2x9WM0Pyy8TxNZeimHvhyrPb-cgZFaEx-BbFo8QoP2qvz9P6d8KIW5hyphenhyphenW/s320/Bridget_Jones%2527s_Baby_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was with some trepidation that I went to see <i>Bridget Jones's Baby</i>. In fact, and friend and I had previously written off the idea, as it surely couldn't come close to the cosy charm of the original (I tend not to think about<i> Edge of Reason</i>). However, as the positive reviews poured in curiosity won out and it was time to see for myself what the writers had come up with.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was saddened not to see Richard Curtis' name on the credits, but equally delighted to spot Emma Thompson's. Her role in the film - which she may well have written with herself in mind - as Bridget's brilliantly deadpan doctor is a great addition to an already top notch cast. Aside from Hugh Grant's conspicuous absence it's lovely to see the whole original gang back together; Bridget's trio of best friends are all in check, with husbands and children in tow, and her parents - and her auntie Una - are all thankfully still alive and kicking. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you've seen the trailer you'll know the plot; after a couple of drink infused one-night-stands - a festival hook-up with American love guru Jack Qwant and a one-off reunion with her ex Mark Darcy - Bridget Jones is pregnant. And doesn't know who the father is. Colin Firth is on familiar <i>Mamma Mia</i> territory here.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mJsvmscPY9w/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mJsvmscPY9w?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was a little concerned about Patrick Dempsey's character on paper - an American in a quintessentially British film!? But I needn't have worried. Rather than the nice guy/bad boy dynamic that Mark and Daniel Cleaver shared, Jack is so kind, lovable even, that it's impossible to dislike him. I'd almost go as far as to say that he is actually a better man than Mark Darcy, and so I genuinely didn't know which man Bridget would end up with, if either of them. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the other two <i>Bridget Jones</i> films came out over a decade ago (let's not dwell on that), this third installment doesn't feel dated in the slightest. It's brought bang up to date with jokes about modern technology, and how the world has changed since we last saw Bridget and co. The characters themselves have grown up too. Bridget gets up to make a speech, we watch through our fingers, waiting for her to make a fool of herself, and yet miraculously she doesn't. Tension and anger mounts up between Mark and Jack, they take it outside, only for Jack to say 'I don't want to fight'. It is these breaks from the formula of the first two films that refresh the franchise completely (although a comic fight scene wouldn't have gone amiss for old time's sake!)</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As for the rumours about a fourth, maybe even a fifth and sixth film, I'd say leave well alone. This film was perfect in its own way - like a one off reunion episode of your favourite TV show, but to treat it as a reboot to the <i>Bridget Jones</i> franchise would be a mistake. Bridget gets her happy ending, every box has been ticked, and it would fast become stale should they start churning out more films. Leave it be, please.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the credits rolled, my sister turned to me and said that of all three <i>Bridget Jones</i> films, this one is her favourite. I can see why - it's more relatable to today and the humour is more current, less cringeworthy. But for me there is no movie scene more iconic than Bridget Jones chasing after Mark Darcy through snowy London in her pants. The coat, the kiss, and the final lines that look so vulgar written down, yet somehow sound breathlessly romantic on screen. 'Wait a minute, nice boys don't kiss like that...'. It's everything.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Bridget Jones's Baby</i> is so much funnier and lovelier than I was expecting. Well worth seeing in the cinema too - that's an experience I never had with the first two films (I was too young), and you get the feeling of sharing something special. Like the first film, this will leave you smiling and feeling stupidly sentimental - job well done. </span>Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047543713423313497.post-39234935815156989172016-09-12T13:05:00.000-07:002017-08-31T14:04:05.111-07:00Review: King's Knight by Regan Walker<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOJjt_8i3YznDuL0hyphenhyphenVUUm3qbCUGzDdU7r81svfLwkg4xsC8uqBfSQZxRWnDyTfjmvuPmeX-9h4Cb6GVkEB-sPQBCg5-m5TvNjHuHk2MsrTSIZzwQwT21zHD8dZoVISSt70WQvRqIWqkV/s1600/knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOJjt_8i3YznDuL0hyphenhyphenVUUm3qbCUGzDdU7r81svfLwkg4xsC8uqBfSQZxRWnDyTfjmvuPmeX-9h4Cb6GVkEB-sPQBCg5-m5TvNjHuHk2MsrTSIZzwQwT21zHD8dZoVISSt70WQvRqIWqkV/s400/knight.jpg" width="266" /></a><i>HE SEIZED LIFE BY THE THROAT<br /><br />Dubbed the Black Wolf for his raven hair, his fierceness in battle and his way with women, Sir Alexander of Talisand attacked life as he did the king’s enemies. But acclaim on the battlefield and his lusty escapades did not satisfy. King William Rufus would bind him to Normandy through marriage to one of its noblewomen, but the only woman Alexander wanted was a commoner he had saved from a terrible fate.<br /><br />SHE KEPT MEN AT BAY WITH HER BOW<br /><br />The shame of being the child of a Norman’s rape dogged Merewyn’s steps from her youth. Determined never to be a victim of a man’s lust like her mother, in Wales she donned the garb of an archer and developed extraordinary skill with a bow. Despite her fair beauty, men now keep their distance. No longer in need of protection from other men, can Merewyn protect herself from Alexander when he holds her heart yet can never be hers?</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Review </span><br />
Regan Walker's novels never fail to capture my imagination, to transport me to another time and place, and her Medieval Warriors series is definitely up there with the best of her work!<br />
<br />
Alex is a young man fulfilling his destiny as the famous Red Wolf's 'cub'. He has a fearsome repuation to live up to, and is more than capable of the job. With his flowing black locks and striking grey eyes he is every inch the perfect warrior. Yet the moment he sets eyes on Merewyn we begin to see his softer, protective side, and I fell for him the moment he rode through the gates of Talisand.<br />
<br />
Merewyn was a lovely character. Determined to shake off the 'damsel in distress' label and to defend herself from unwanted advances she takes up archery, and amazes everyone with her skill. She is fearless, unconventional, and yet vulnerable in that she can't seem to get past the circumstances of her birth. Her constant worrying that she wasn't worthy of Alex, and that he must marry a bride chosen by the King, really frustrated me - I just wanted her to see how great she is!<br />
<br />
Whilst each novel in the series can be read as a standalone, it's lovely to see some familiar faces appearing now and again. Main protagonists aside, Regan has created a medieval world full of wonderful characters, all of whom are worthy of having their stories told, and some of which I'm sure we'll be reading more about in the future.<br />
<br />
Wonderfully researched historical fiction, filled with romance, danger and intrigue. What more could you ask for?<br />
<br />
*Thanks to Regan Walker for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review!* Reading in Wellieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10550132448613198303noreply@blogger.com1