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?'"

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."

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.

Secrets of the Tides...All families have a secret

Title: Secrets of the Tides
Author: Hannah Richell
ISBN: 978-1-4450-2200-0
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Family
Book: Audiobook

"Every family has its secrets. Some are small, like telling a white lie or snooping through a private drawer. Others are more serious, like infidelity and betrayal. And some secrets are so terrible they must be hidden away in a deep, dark place, for if they ever came to light, they would surely tear a family apart...
The Tides are a family full of secrets. Returning to Clifftops, the rambling family house high on the Dorset coastline, youngest daughter Dora hopes for a fresh start, for herself and the new life she carries. But can long-held secrets ever really be forgiven? And then if you can forgive, can you ever really learn to love again?"

The Saturday Supper Club...A really good read

Title: The Saturday Supper Club
Author: Amy Bratley
ISBN: 987-0330519687
Rating: 8/10
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fiction
Book: Audiobook

This is an audiobook which I have actually enjoyed. It has been a little while since I have enjoyed an audiobook which I have received from the library for a while. I was in two minds about whether to read it because I had not enjoyed the last couple of books I had as an audiobook.

Brown Owl's Guide to Life...Not what I expected

Title: Brown Owl's Guide to Life
Author: Kate Harrison
ISBN: 978-0-7528-8097-6
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, Women's Fiction,
Book: Paperback

"I pick the dress up. I was so small. And the dress was so horribly unflattering, the cut emphasizing my round shoulders and chubby legs. There are a few more badges sewn into the arm: a pair of scissors, for the Needlework badge...Next to the scissors is a globe, for Brownie Friendship, gained by finding a penpal called Sheree who lived in the Australian Outback...Finally, there's the embroidered treble clef. The Musician."

Coming Home...Seriously, is that it?

Title: Coming Home
Author: Patricia Scanlan
ISBN:
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Fiction, Christmas, Audiobook, Family
Book: Audiobook

I can only apologise for how long it has taken for me to write this review. I finished Coming Home on 12th Septemeber and I just have not had the time to write a successful review so I can only apologise. I have recently started a new job in a Secondary School and I am absolutely loving it! It is so different to the usual Primary School routines that I am used too that I have been so exhausted and tired when I have come home that I just chill. I am sure you can appreciate that.

Love Hunt...Erm...Too much going on

Title: Love Hunt
Author: Fiona Walker
ISBN: 9780753143872
Rating: 4/10
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Woman's Fiction, Chick Lit
Book: Audiobook

I found this audiobook really difficult to follow. I only realised once I had withdrawn it from the library that it is 20 hour and 55 minutes long. This took me nearly two months to complete in the car. Each chapter is about 40 minutes long and there are that many different characters to follow I found it really hard to follow who was who and why they were doing the things they were.

"I'd love to read but I just don't have the time!"

Really? Really? I mean come on! How can you not have time? Do you really, honestly, find yourself busy 24/7? You honestly don't have any time to yourself where you could find 10 or 20 minutes to just chill out with a book and do nothing but think about your fiction world? I mean I am a primary school teacher, if anyone can understand about the time their day job takes up it is me! I work during the day, I work from 8 till 6 quite often and come home and continue to work some nights and continue nearly all day Sunday. I still read. I read and have a blog.

The Hunger Games...Left me wanting to read more

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 978-1-407109-08-4
Rating: 9/10
Genre: Thriller, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Drama
Book: Paperback

"...I know that Rue must have set the first campfire. We'd make sure to gather enough green wood to make the smoke noticeable. The Careers begin to arm themselves at once.
An argument breaks out. It's loud enough for me to hear that it concerns whether or not the boy from District 3 should stay or accompany them.
'He's coming. We need him in the woods, and his job's done here anyway. No one can touch these supplies.' says Cato.
'What about Lover Boy?' says the boy from District 1.
'I keep telling you, forget about him. I know where I cut him. It's a miracle he hasn't bled to death yet. At any rate, he's in no shape to raid us,' says Cato."

Dream a Little Dream...can I fall asleep more often please?

Title: Dream a Little Dream

Author: Giovanna Fletcher

ISBN: 978-1-405-91916-6

Rating: 7/10

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Adult, Love

"Even though Real Brett was right in telling me not to act without thinking in the heat of the moment. I'm ashamed that I slid back into the role of Jonathan's doting PA so quickly. That I was there making him coffee, replying to his emails and booking his car in for an MOT the very afternoon that he trampled all over my loyalty.

Do I really have no self-respect? No dignity?

Do I really place my own fulfilment so low down on my scale of priorities? After all, it's not the first time I've put someone's needs and happiness before my own. I did the same with Dan all those years ago.

Perhaps I'm someone that people take for a pushover.

A total mug.

Poor Phoebe...poor Molly

Title: The Wrong Girl
Author: Laura Wilson
ISBN: 978-1-4450-5108-6
Rating: 6/10
Genre: Thriller, Murder, Mystery, Adult Fiction

Following my first audiobook which I took out from the local library, I wanted another. I selected this audiobook because I was interested in the thriller aspect. I wanted to know if 10-year-old Molly was, in fact, the missing Phoebe Piper who had disappeared 7 years previously at the age of 3.

The Book Thief...Wow!

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
ISBN: 978-0-5527-7389-8
Rating: 9.5/10
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Historic, Fascism

"What's that little saukerl up to this time? All that running out there.' Liesel would move to the window, 'At least he hasn't painted himself black again.' 'Well that's something isn't it?' 'Four gold medals,' he said to Liesel one afternoon, when she did laps with him at Hubert Oval. 'Like Jesse Owens back in thirty-six.' 'You're not still obsessed with him, are you?' Rudy's feet rhymed with his breathing. 'Not really, but it would be nice, wouldn't it? It would show all those b******s who said I was crazy. They'd see that I wasn't so stupid after all.' 'But can you really win all four events?' 'They slowed to a stop at the end of the track, and Rudy placed his hands on his hips. 'I have to."

Dead Man's Cove and Poppy Loves Book Club

The last time I wrote to you all, I was just starting Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John. I am now approximately half way through the book, check out my progress at Goodreads .

What are you currently reading?

In the last post I wrote, I specifically said I would be reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I am reading this book and I am happy to announce I am currently at page...27! Woo, I've got far. book before your kids.

However, I have had to, yet again, read a book for work. As you are aware I work in a school as a primary school teacher. I am an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) and as anyone will understand you need to read the book before you start teaching from it.

Spellbound...Twists and turns throughout

Title: Spellbound
Author: Laurie Elisabeth Ashcroft
ASIN: B012J0 KAAS
ISBN: 978-0-9933604-0-4
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Fiction, Crime

"I have to admit, Cloaky took the whole tunnel thing better than I'd have expected him to. Instead of bursting into loud, hysterical, mildly-psychotic tears at the revelation that his 'Mistress' wasn't quite as witchy as she'd have him believe, he'd just stood at the edge of the cavern in almost a daze, frowning down at the entrance to the tunnel and putting so much effort into working out what it meant that he didn't even seem to notice me and Angie tying his hands together with the red, felt belt from my coat, which, by the way, made getting him back through the tunnel very easy and fun. It also made it nicely possible for me to accidently let go of him as I was helping him to climb down the rungs towards Angie, since obviously he could only use them as stairs rather than the ladder-type thing that they actually were. But that was OK. I mean, he broke the fal with his nose, so it all worked out really well."

Stephen King, Jill Mansell, Agatha Christie, Harper Lee and half term!

I have very nearly completed my first half term as a full time employed teacher of my very own class of delights. 25 children who I am responsible for and who I enjoy working with every day. I spent my first half term catching up on appointments and meeting up with old friends.

It was great! We talked about past memories, we went out together and created new memories and I even met up with a friend I haven't seen in nearly 2 years as he's been spending his time jet setting around the world! I also bought a range of books! Of course I did! I am still reading Spellbound by Laurie Elisabeth Ashcroft, which I am still really enjoying, but I did buy a range of new and exciting books.

Dark Sun, Bright Moon...Can't do it!

Title: Dark Sun, Bright Moon
Author: Oliver Sparrow
ISBN: 978-1500432010


Sorry about my lack of posting recently. I have just recently started a new job so it has been very busy here! I have started working in a primary school and I really do hope I will be able to post on here more often and regular. Especially as I have a fortnight off over Christmas! I have been reading Dark Sun, Bright Moon for about a month. However, no matter how much I have tried to read it over and over and I just can not get into it. 

Grey...Mr Grey will see you now! Oh my...

Title: Grey
Author: E. L. James
ISBN: 978-1784753252
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Erotic


"Ana's reproachful eyes are on me, and for a moment I don't know if it's because of Elliot and Kate's lascivious display or -
Hell! This is what she wants. To be courted and wooed.
I don't do romance, sweetheart.
A lock of her hair has broken free, and without thinking, I tuck it behind her ear. She leans her face into my fingers, the tender gesture surprising me. My thumb strays to her soft bottom lip, which I'd like to kiss again. But I can't. Not until I have her consent.
'Laters, baby,' I whisper, and her face softens with a smile. 'I'll pick you up at eight.' Reluctantly, I turn away and open the front door, Elliot behind me."


I have read the original Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James and although everyone who I know was not impressed with them, I really enjoyed them. A lot of my friends just believed it was full of sex and no story. Yes, there is a lot of sex in the books, sometimes a little too much, but I thoroughly enjoyed the background story to the first three books.