Becoming! Michelle Obama...The First Lady from her perspective

Title: Becoming!
Author: Michelle Obama
ISBN: 978-0-241-33414-0
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Autobiography, Life, Fact
Type: Hardcover

"More intriguing was my early discovery that there was such a thing as an African Amerian elite. Most of my new high school friends were plack, but that didn't necessarily translate, it turned out, to any sort of uniformity in our experience. A number of them had parents who were lawyers or doctors and seemed to know one another through an African American social club called Jack and Jill. They'd been on ski vacations and trips that required passport. They talked about things that were foreign to me, like summer internships and historically black colleges. One of my black classmates, a nerdy boy who was always kind to everyone, had parents who'd founded a big beauty-supply company and lived in one of the ritziest high-rises downtown.
This was my new world. It's not to say that everyone at the school was rich or overly sophisticated, because that wasn't the case. There were plenty of kids who came from neighbourhoods just like mine, who struggled with far more than I ever would. But my first months at Whitney Young gave me a glimpse of something that had previously been invisible - the apparatus of privilege and connection, what seemed like a network of half-hidden ladders and guide ropes that lay suspended overhead, ready to connect some but not all of us to the sky."

To Find My Own...An amazing first book! Absolutely loved it

Title: To Find My Own
Author: Beth Cooper
Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Humour
Type: Kindle

I was scrolling through Facebook one day last summer and I am a member of several different and varied book clubs when I stumbled across a post by Beth Cooper asking if anyone would like to review her book. I jumped on the chance and sent her a message. We exchanged messages backwards and forwards for a little and then I went to Nice on my holidays for a week in summer 2019. I started this book whilst sat in the airport waiting to fly out and it did not disappoint. For the first book, it was absolutely amazing! I loved it from start to finish. I read it in 4 days whilst away. My boyfriend had to keep asking me to put it down so we could go somewhere for the day and I just didn't want to. As it was on my Kindle I was able to carry it with me all the time. I have a Kindle Paperwhite so used that when in the apartment.

Death By Curiosity...Armitage is at it again

Title: Death By Curiosity (formally Spellbound)
Author: Lisa Matthews (formally Laurie Elisabeth Ashcroft)
ASIN: B083C2HBLC
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Fiction, Crime, Murder, Mystery
Type: Kindle

"'Angie, just leave it' Hadaway told her flatly, taking a couple of steps after her as she scurried into the kitchen without waiting for either of us to say anything. 'I don't need any meat, I'm alright.'
'You are not alright,' I blurted out, staring at him incredulously. 'You're not.' I insisted when he turned and shot me a half-irritated, half-exasperated look. 'Have you seen the state of you?'
'It looks worse than it feels.'
'How can you say that if you haven't seen it...Look at it...Are you really telling us that doesn't hurt?'
His good eye slid towards me. 'Leave it. I'm fine.'
I shook my head at him in disbelief, crossing my arms at him and coming dangerously close to stamping my foot in frustration. Did he think I was blind? Did he think I hadn't seen the tiny wince he'd made when he saw the state of his face? Or did he think I was too deaf to pick p on the tiny halting note to his voice, the type that people only get when they're in a hell of a lot of pain?
Please
I've had cramps.
I've had toothache.
Sometimes I've been lucky enough to have them both together.
So, yeah.
I think I can tell when someone's in pain.
'Jesus, Hadaway. We get it, you've got big balls. Can you just take a break from the whole macho thing and admit that having your face smashed in bloody hurts?'"

The Writer...I have never cheered for a character, before now

Title: The Writer
Author: J. C. Maetis
Rating: 8/10
Genre: Holocaust, World War Two, Nazi, Jews
Type: E-Book (PDF)

"Then there was the minefield of what could be written about. People didn't want war stories, because it was too much of a reminder of what was going on outside their doors - no possible escapism. And it was perilous territory in any case because any Nazi had to be painted in a positive or sympathetic light. There were endless Nazi propaganda pamphlets, book and films for that - so no point in going into that territory. Same too for the perceived enemies of the Reich: the Jews, gypsies, Communists, Bolsheviks and dissidents; they had to be painted in a negative light. In the end, there was little safe ground in-between - so better to avoid the area altogether."

I Owe You One...Not the usual Sophie Kinsella that I love

Title: I Owe You One
Author: Sophie Kinsella
ISBN: 978-1784163570
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Chick Flick, Romance, Fiction
Type: Audiobook

"I learnt that failure doesn't mean you are a failure; it just means you're a human being...But what can you do about mistakes except thinking, Won't do that again, and move forward?... The trouble with me is, I can't let things go."

The Hunger Games Mockingjay...Finally finished the series

Title: Hunger Games Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 978-1-407132-10-5

Rating: 6/10
Series Rating: 8/10 (first time seen on this blog)
Genre: Thriller, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Drama
Type: Paperback

“I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather. This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood. Over there was the kitchen table. The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a point of reference for the rest of the house. How else could I orient myself in this sea of grey?”

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit...Still fascinates me

Title: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Author: Judith Kerr
ISBN:
Rating: 8/10
Genre: History, War, WWII, Autobiographical
Type: Kindle

"They spelled out the name under the photograph.
Adolf Hitler.
'He wants everybody to vote for him in the elections and then he's going to stop the Jews,' said Elsbeth. 'Do you think he's going to stop Rachel Lowenstein?'
'Nobody can stop Rachel Lowenstein,' said Anna. 'She's form captain. Perhaps he'll stop me. I'm Jewish too.'
'You're not!'
'I am! My father was talking to us about it only last week. He said we were Jews and no matter what happened my brother and I must never forget it.'
'But you don't go to a special church on Saturdays like Rachel Lowenstein.'
'That's because we're not religious. We don't go to church at all.'
'I wish my father wasn't religious,' said Elsbeth. 'We have to go every Sunday and I get cramp in my seat.' She looked at Anna curiously. 'I thought Jews were supposed to have bent noses, but your nose is quite ordinary. Has your brother got a bent nose?'
'No,' said Anna. 'The only person in our house with a bent nose is Bertha the maid, and hers only got like that because she broke it falling off a tram.'

I See You...I wonder what is next

Title: I See You
Author: Clare Mackintosh
ISBN: 978-0-7515-5412
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Crime
Type: Kindle

"There had been no violence, which meant the theft of Cathy's keys was a theft, not a robbery, but Kelly decided to gloss over the fact, in case the severity of the crime was directly proportionate to Tamir's level of cooperation. Besides, if Cathy was right and the offender had followed her home, and had since been using her key to gain access to her house, there was something far more serious going on. A shudder ran through Kelly at the thought of someone creeping around Cathy's house. What had he been doing? Touching her make-up? Taking her underwear? Cathy had said she thought someone had been in her house when she was at work, but what if that wasn't the only time? Kelly imagined an intruder moving quietly around Cathy's kitchen in the dead of night; creeping upstairs to stand by her bed and watch her sleep."

The House of Special Purpose...What Really Happened to the Romanov Family?

Title: The House of Special Purpose
Author: John Boyne
ISBN: 978-0-7531-4491-6
Rating: 8/10
Genre: History, Fiction
Type: Audiobook

The House of Special Purpose is a book which I absolutely loved. Georgy Jachmenev is a gentleman who was born in Russia leading up to World War One. He is kind, generous, considerate and hard working. I absolutely loved him. He is married to Zoya who when we meet is suffering from cancer. They have been together since they were 18 and now in their 80s Georgy is having to come to terms with living his adult life for the first time without Zoya once her illness becomes too much.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine...What a let down

Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
ISBN: 978-0-0081-7211-4
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Fiction, England, Grief
Type: Paperback

"I have always enjoyed reading, but I've never been sure how to select the appropriate material. There are so many books in the world - how do you tell them apart? How do you know which one will match your tastes and interests? That's why I just pick the first book I see. There's no point in trying to choose. The covers are of very little help, because they always say only good things, and I've found out to my cost that they are rarely accurate. Exhilarating. Dazzling. Hilarious. No!"

This is Going to Hurt...The true life of a junior doctor

Title: This is Going to Hurt
Author: Adam Kay
ISBN: 978-1-5098-5863-7
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Adult, Medical, Biography, Non-Fiction
Type: Paperback

"A few of my colleagues had kids by this point and lived their lives in constant childcare hell, adding 'guilt' to the psychology textbook of emotions that a career in medicine bequeaths you. I don't have kids, but I could understand what a gut-wrench it was for my colleagues to settle for a goodnight phone call with their children rather than tucking them in and reading them The Gruffalo. Or, more often than not, they'd miss the call altogether because labour ward was in meltdown. A friend who worked in general surgery once couldn't go along to his own son's emergency surgery because he was performing non-emergency surgery on someone else's son and no one could cover for him."

The Last Straw...I just wanted them all to be okay

Title: The Last Straw
Author: Ed Duncan
ISBN: 978-1-97344400-8
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Type: Paperback

"It was a pleasant morning and all seemed right with the world. The sun shone brightly and there was a gentle breeze. As Rico and Jean strolled down a neighbourhood street, a rubber ball that had gotten away from some kids playing stick ball in the street bounced in front of them. Rico reflexively caught it on the fly and held it for a second before lobbing it back to them. He thought back to a time almost twenty-five years earlier when he had played the same game on the other side of town. Those were halycon times - until they weren't. But the thought passed quickly. Those days were gone and he seldom dwelled on them. Life was different now - more complicated and more dangerous - but not worse. He did what he wanted, came and went as he pleased, and controlled his own destiny. What more could he ask for?"

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows...A great read for a teenager

Title: Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows
Author: J. M. Bergen
ISBN: 978-1-732-45780-5
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Magic, Teen Fiction, Young Adult
Type: Paperback due for release on 2nd February

"Hey! Hey! Wait!' shouted Thomas. He rushed forward as the door swung shut. The lock clicked just as his fingers reached the doorknob. He pounded on the door, fiery anger flooding his body. 'HEY!!!! Let me out of here!'
Nothing. He hammered more and met with the same result. He hit the door with his fist. Pain shot through his hand and up his arm. He hit is again, harder than the first time. The jolt ached all the way to his shoulder. A trickle of blood escaped from a thin cut on the knuckle of his second finger. He leaned against the door, hurt and frustrated.
His stomach growled, loudly. He looked down, suddenly aware of the smells wafting into his nostrils. The domed lid lifted easily, revealing a plate of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and seasoned green beans. A piece of chocolate cake with white frosting was resting on a side platter. The cake was loaded with chocolate chips and layers of fudge, just the way he liked it.
For a brief moment, Thomas forgot his surroundings. He had a drumstick in his hand and was about to take a bite when it hit him. Aside from the silver platter, it was the exact meal his mom cooked on special occasions. How was that possible? He stared suspiciously at the chicken. Was it laced with poison? A sleeping potion? Something worse?"

Gazelle in the shadows...What a fantastic book

Title: Gazelle in the Shadows
Author: Michelle Peach
ISBN: 978-0-692-11276-2
Rating: 8/10
Genre: Crime, Travel, Thriller
Type: Paperback

"Oh, I'm a student. I'm studying at Durham University. This year is the year all the students get sent to the Middle East to learn the language more fluently.'
'Are there more of you?' he smiled.
'No just me.' I giggled.
'So, you are travelling alone?' He raised his thick eyebrows."

Pros and Cons of Physical book v digital book Jan

There has been a number of debates about what people prefer, a physical book or an electronic book? A traditional paper book or a Kindle? A hardback or reading your Ipad? It has been such a difficult decision since electronic readers became a thing. There has been a huge influx in people buying e-readers.

I do own a Kindle Paperwhite and I love it. I enjoy the ease of being able to travel with it. I love how simple it is to use and how I can just carry it from place to place without thinking. I am able to go anywhere and take a huge library of books with me. I can read an array of books in a short space of time because I can use the books I have already downloaded and just get lost in a world wherever I am.

A book ban...Did it work?

At the beginning of this year, I put myself on a book buying ban. It was pointed out to me numerous times by my boyfriend that there is such a thing as "too many books". I still don't believe him but there was a time when I had to call a stop to book buying for a little while. This was the time. January 1st 2018 was when I had to put a stop to buying books.

The Only Way...I love a local book!

Title: The Only Way
Author: Victor W. Watton
ISBN: 978-1-98-334447-3
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Murder, Crime, Thriller, Religion
Type: Paperback

"After more chat and signing away a fair bit of money on the credit card (none of these firms seemed to like cash), we loaded the van and I set off for Redcar with Pete following in the car. The A66 goes through what is still, despite media moans that we no longer make anything, an industrial heartland. A haze of pollution, fuelled by vast columns of smoke and steam from what is left of the steelworks, covered the horizon making the clear blue sky grey and forbidding as we headed eastwards to the coast. As grey as my spirits, and as forbidding as the task ahead of us."

Frank Skinner...Completely changed my perspective

Title: Frank Skinner
Author: Frank Skinner
ISBN: 978-0-09-942687-5
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction, True, Fact, Comedy, Humour
Type: Paperback

"Sunday. 13th May 2001. I arrive at the Hawthorne with Phil. He's producing and directing a documentary about Japanese and Korean football which is my next work-project after this book. Outside the ground, a middle-aged woman is selling Baggies Bonanza tickets. There's a draw at halftime and you can win a grand or so on a good week. She tries to sell me one. 'I don't need the money,' I explain. It's a slightly dodgy response, I know, but she takes it in the spirit it's intended and smiles. We get inside the ground and I bump into another mate, Lee, who's an Albion fanatic. His friend is explaining how his little boy came home in a Manchester United shirt and wanted to go and play football in it. In the end, Lee's mate had to pull the shirt off the kid, who then headed for the football in tears. Lee's mate said he felt like a heel. I told him he was a hero. He hesitated, then agreed...I won't bore you with a match report. We are two goals up with ten minutes to go. The crowd are loud and joyous. It's like old days when we were a top club. No one can stop us now. Final score: 2-2...'Congratulations,' she blurts out excitedly. I'm stunned. We've obviously won the BAFTA. 'What for?' I say, trying to remain calm. 'Two-nil,' she says. Women have no concept of the phrase 'Latest Score."

Glitz...Money isn't everything

Title: Glitz
Author: Louise Bagshawe
ISBN: 978-0-7531-3993-6
Rating: 8/10
Genre: Money, Rich, Glamour, Chick Lit
Type: Audiobook

It is a long time since I last listen to an audiobook. I have been to my local library looking for a new audiobook and found I feel there isn't a lot of choices, hence why it has been a little while since I last listened to an audiobook, however, I thought I would give it another chance and found Glitz by Louise Bagshawe.

Stockton Library Fright Night and Bryony Pearce

For the second year in a row, I went to the Fright Night at Stockton Library. This year we were lucky again! We visit to celebrate everything spooky and we were visited by fantastic young adult author Bryony Pearce. Bryony had visited the school I work at earlier that day and I had the pleasure of meeting her. For a horror writer, she is a lovely lady! By her own admission, "After meeting me people are often surprised about how dark my work is, I am deceptively happy." The kids loved her! Her outfit, her boots, her amazing outlook on life. There was definitely a buzz around the school coming from the Year 7s and 8s after they had met her. I was then invited to the Fright Night at Stockton Library and was able to meet Bryony again and buy her books for myself.