Gemma's Not Sure by Gil Stewart

Gemma is facing tough decisions, go and play piano professionally as a performer despite her shyness, or persue a different career altogether despite her work playing.

Jamie has tough decisions to make too, after finding uni more of a chore only enjoying rhe social aspects and his refereeing.

However as the two get friendlier, they discover they have more in common than they thought, as they start a bad, Gemma helps a piano student she takes on called Rosie to have a better time at school and of course Jamie is Lily's ex, her best friend.

There's plenty of drama but this book is utterly relatable for the issues it raises throughout from tough life work choices and following your heart and your true passion. I loved that Jamie and Gemma came together in a very quick yet natural way and feel like this book was even better than Lily's story! I truly can't wait for more from Gil about these characters lives!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

One Too Many Lies by L A Bowen

Paige along with Kate and Abby her best friends skip school where she meets Morgan at a party where they take part in drinking, trying drugs and playing party games while still having a crush at school on Alex.

Am while lying to their parents about w where they're going and staying out late after sneaking out first...

Told in verse this is a powerful tale of growing up and struggling to fit in and find love as well as acceptance with their friends about their lifestyle. As the lies build up we see how they have to deal with the consequences which teaches us the lesson about karma and never assume everything will be fine. It was hard hitting and real dealing with issues teens will probably come across.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Dramas Of A Teenage Heiress: Hotel Royale Book 2 by Katy Birchall

Flick the hotel heiress is back with her fashionably dressed dachshund Fritz in the second book all about their foray into the vlogging and television world thanks to an unfortunate run in with a famous vlogger and reporter Nancy.

We see Flick struggle with enemy Ella, reuniting with friend and superstar singer Sky, getting her auntie moving in with her and her mum as well as struggle with Cal and Olly and their friendship as she tries to keep them happy while filming her new reality show, only best friend Grace is fully on side to help.

Showing the drama of life in the spotlight and how enemies can cause trouble and friends can show up when most needed. The joys of this book come from many situations that Flick gets herself into but also her fun dachshund Fritz whom is even more popular now it seems! Light hearted fun and joy from the second book in this series so far!

Jaq Hazell author Q and A!

So for this afternoon's post, a special Q and A with an author who's book                              I reviewed a little while ago now! 

The book has been released today and below is the interview with author, Jaw and links to purchase her lovely book too, enjoy!

What made you think of the main idea of a character who is 'living' as a bench?

I was out walking with my dog and as we passed a line of benches I imagined hearing a bench complain about being a bench. It was a teenage voice, someone with a bit of attitude who wanted to be elsewhere with her friends having fun. Initially I wrote a 300-word story and eventually it grew into a novel.

Do you believe we could, after we pass away, become like the character Ren and be a voice in our surroundings, or do you think it's wishful thinking the end is never the end?

My rational side thinks the end is the end and that’s it but at the same time there is so much we don’t understand so who knows what is possible. A few times I’ve thought I may have seen a ghost (while staying in old buildings while travelling), and have woken up feeling confused, but I assume I’ve imagined it because I’m overtired or half-asleep and dreaming.

How did you choose the setting for the book?

As the benches are located in quite an area that isn't in for example, a busy street in the centre of town.
Ren’s bench is close to where I had the initial idea for the novel. There are many benches all along the river and one or two are dedicated to young people who have passed and they are particularly sad. I deliberately chose a position where there is a lot to see (the bridge in one direction and in the other a café and restaurant), and yet at the same time it’s not buzzy enough for Ren. She’s young and would rather be in the centre of town.

Is there a character who stands out for you in the book now reading it through which didn't necessarily when the book was just in planning?

I’m really fond of Lionel, the old bench next to Ren’s. I didn’t know he was there until he started talking and it was a pleasant surprise. He’s a kind and thoughtful presence who reminds me of my Irish and English grandads.

The ending was very tragic – especially the lost love and future between Ren and Gabe – how do you think his life will play out?

That’s difficult to say without any spoilers. I would like to think that justice is served in the end and that the good characters in the novel go on to eventually find the right path in life, while those that are not so good receive their comeuppance at some point.

Did you already know how you wanted Ren to have died when you began writing?

From the start, I knew that Ren’s death was traumatic but I didn’t know the details. It does help to have a rough idea of an ending but I don’t like to plan too much because I find it’s more exciting to leave room for a few unexpected developments along the way.

One of the characters treats Ren very badly. Do you think that character will ever see the error of his/her ways in how he/she acted and treated Ren?

There is a certain character who lacks empathy and is only out for what suits him/her, and I would think it unlikely he/she would change as I think that character has little or no conscience.

Did you have any vices when writing, a specific place, song etc?

Like most writers, I drink a lot of coffee and can be easily distracted by biscuits, chocolate and social media. My desk is messy (a sign of creativity) and I sometimes shift my work to the kitchen table for a little more space. If I’m out and about, I can write pretty much anywhere – trains are good and I often write in the car if I’m waiting for one of my daughters.

Do you have any actors in mind for if the book was adapted into TV or film one day?

As the main characters are so young, they’d probably have to be newcomers, but if I was picking well-known actors I’d say someone like Maisie Williams or Chloe Moretz (if she can do an English accent) or Saoirse Ronan would be good for Ren and Jacob Anderson/Raleigh Ritchie has the looks for Gabe. Michael Gambon as Lionel would be amazing (and he’s the right age), or maybe Jim Broadbent or Bill Nighy.

Finally, do you have a playlist that's based around the book and events?

Like Ren, I’m an Amy Winehouse fan and I listened to Amy’s music while writing and also to the singers that influenced her. It was fun to research the music she liked and to imagine how Ren would react to these earlier artists. When it came to the party scenes, it was a case of checking out the tunes that were big a few years ago (when the novel is set) to work out a party playlist.


A huge thank you to Jaq for allowing me to interview her for the blog and you guys!


Links:

Amazon US
https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Bench-Jaq-Hazell-ebook/dp/B01MYEI2XL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493734668&sr=8-1&keywords=My+life+as+a+bench

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Life-Bench-Jaq-Hazell-ebook/dp/B01MYEI2XL

The Little Teashop of Lost and Found by Tricia Ashley

Wow, okay so I'm a huge Tricia Ashley fan, as I think most people who've ever picked a book of hers up are! They're always a great chick lit read and never let's you down. This one for me was even better that normal though, because Haworth in Yorkshire is one of our family's favourite places to visit.

In this book, Alice has grown up knowing she's adopted, we see a flashback and know Liz her real mum, had had to give up her baby. Her adoptive dad passed away when she was eighteen and her adoptive mum changed toward her but she still had her best friend Lottie there for her.

Over the years, a move to Cornwall and later Scotland, losing a fiancée and being left a small but comfortable sum of money, she returns back to her Yorkshire roots and continues her love for cooking and baking in the form of her Teashop she transforms from a mess of dust balls and disarray, into a flourishing business. She also fits into the Giddings family, taken in and made sure she's treated like family by them as she's new back to the area and their family goes back a long way living there.
They may not be her true parents, family etc but they do care for her and help her unravel the mystery around her birth mother.

I really loved this book and I liked the fact Alice wrote and that the genre she writes is fantasy horror retellings!
As always, a delightful read by Tricia, thanks to her publishers for allowing me a copy to review!

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

A group of four boys, the Sauce Crew as they were known are now made of one sole member, Carver.

The other three, Eli, Mars and Blake tragically died when colliding with a truck.
Carver blames himself as he was texting them when they crashed.

However, Blake's gran is the only relative not to blame Carver, but to celebrate the life her grandson had with him. Carver's guilt also means he takes over Blake's chores he did at his gran's as she can't get down and weed to garden or now the lawns.
They also celebrate Blake's life by having a Goodbye Day for Blake together.

Carver bottles up a lot of his emotion but does open up to Jesmyn and Blake's gran about how he feels. He does suffer anxiety as the threat of possible jail time rests undecided over his head and see's Dr Mendez about his panic attacks in order to try and handle his emotions better and grieve. He and Jesmyn are talented students, Jesmyn in piano and Carver with his creative writing. They both appreciate and support each other's talents encouraging each other they do have a future to hope for.

This book shows the true horror of losing those closest to you but the flip side as well, showing who stands by you when you need them most. We see Carver go through a true rollercoaster effect of up's and down's throughout the book, love and loss play huge roles in this book. We also see Carver imagine his friends still with him throughout scenes in the book as he can't let them go at first. I really enjoyed it as it wasn't all solely focused on death, there are times of friendship flashbacks and happy moments for Carver with his sister and Jesmyn too.

Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review it for them!

Happy World Book Day! Geek Girl 6: Forever Geek by Holly Smale

So I am so excited to review this book! Thanks to the publishers, for sending me a copy, I have finished reading the whole Geek Girl series including the two specials Holly also released.

In this book, we are taken with sixteen year old Harriet, her best friend Nat and her grandma Bunty, to the sunny side of the world; Australia! After a funny scene at the airport upon arrival in Sydney involving Harriet and a way too heavy suitcase for any girl to lift, they find themselves staying in a stunning hotel much to their surprise after who booked it and what it's called.

With promises of time to relax and enjoy the culture, as per Harriet's love of facts, as well as allowing her time to partake in modelling jobs of which there are some surprises in store as another modelling job includes some unexpected events!

Whilst in Australia, Harriet also hatches plans with Nat to help her get her big fashion breakthrough by ensuring team JINTH, aka all their usual friends back home in England have set up social media accounts for Nat and her fashion business and after a slow start, a chance meeting and full fashion flair outfits on display to many open mouthed witnesses, Nat may just get her fashions out there. Possibly after a Harriet based disaster first!

This book features the usual Harriet facts about the random and amazing world, hilarious scenes unimaginable before reading the book and just who will Harriet end up with? Lion boy Nick or Jasper from home?

It's sad to say goodbye to such a brilliant series but whatever Holly writes next is sure to be as crazily fun and addictive, never mind as stunningly successful as this glittering, adventure filled series has been!

Happy world book day everyone, hope you read today!

On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

What a great novel from a great YouTube personality and west end actress Carrie Hope Fletcher! As a fan of Carrie's, thank you to the publishers allowing me to review her first novel and I have indeed previously read her debut All I know Now which was a book by Carrie about her life so far and the lessons learned.

Now, Evie Snow has ended up in a middle ground, back at her old flat, number 72 and aged just 27 again. She is still dead but stranded in a limbo between heaven and back to life.

With the help of her old friend Lieffe, who works the flats lift, she attempts to settle her past secrets to allow her to advance on to the other side.

Throughout the book we learn of strict parents with old fashioned ideas and tales of forbidden love as well as forced marriages. The ideas are both still old fashioned and yet still modern day problems which makes the book stand out as one of the best at challenging people's views who shall read this book.

There is a fairytale style to aspects of the book aside from the previous as there is an intriguing scene with a rather humongous cat and a messenger dove of which reminded me of Snow White and Alice In Wonderland by Disney and of course, Evie's surname is Snow as well as Vincent, her forbidden love's surname being Winters and alas both to do with the white, snowy season of the year.

Goose By Dawn O'Porter

I am a huge fan of Dawn from reading her debut novel, Paper Aeroplanes when it came out originally to her regular columns she writes for Glamour magazine. She has a really open way of describing the world and the realness makes to me the appeal of reading her books and columns so great.

In Goose, we catch up with Renée and Flo once again after the events of Paper Aeroplanes (go buy it and read it!).
In this book, Flo is heavily trying to find herself through God after realising she may not be able to rely on Renée being there for her as Flo has applied to university in Nottingham, however we learn later in the book about how Renée feels around university herself. The book also features many serious issues, losing a friend, finding love or friendship, worthless relationships and drug use. Even though the book has an old time feel to it, the oissues raised still matter and will continue to matter in modern day society now and to come.

Goose was an intense read and hit home with a lot of emotions in me, a great follow up to Dawn's debut novel.

Grieving by Ruth Coughlin

Ruth is a widow unfortunately to her husband William who sadly passed away from cancer. At the beginning of the book, we learn about how Ruth is coping with everything which is plain and obviously coated with sadness.  They had a life together in a marriage for over three decades, having that one person there for you everyday to going to having the other partners belongings everywhere but not them, not their physical presence, is a totally relatable and honest situation.

Ruth describes her husbands battle as he went through chemotherapy to help prolong his life and how it did shrink the liver tumor at first. It's unfortunate that liver cancer alike many other cancer forms often comes with a bleak diagnosis, however heartbreaking for the family and friends to accept.

Ruth and Bill went through so much together and in the book there are anniversaries remembered and happy times such as when Bill had his next novel published and celebrated with a party. Always managing to have as good a time as can be possible even when time is limited and unknown how long is left, Bill is an icon in the sense that the diagnosis didn't hold him back in his final months which is very admirable.

Heart wrenching and emotional, if you have been close to someone with terminal cancer as well, I hope you will read this book as well. I have had many family members in the past and currently fighting this horrible disease which takes so many from us each year. Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to review this book, its been emotional but worth it.

My Life As A Bench by Jaq Hazell

The title of the book made me wonder just how this book was going to be. It was amazing in my opinion! A totally different and wild out there title that viewing now I realise combines life and death in one.

When someone passes away often a bench is left dedicated to them in a certain place, people living will still us the bench. That happens in the book certainly, just with our main character Lauren or best referred to as Ren being a soul like presence at her bench dedicated to her from her family after she has died.
Ren moves from Devon to find her dad in London after her boyfriend has moved on from her and Ren sees a video of him together with another girl. Upon finding her dad, she enters his life and is eventually accepted into his family now with a young daughter and step-mum for Ren to get to know.
Ren settles into school well with a group of friends and catches the eye of a boy called Gabe, she and Gabe become close but watch out when you read for her friends reactions to the drama that ensues.
I don't want to spoil the book, but a terrible incident occurs and a wrongly placed blame means Ren must break through to someone living to get the wrongly accused set free again.

This book is a stunner in my opinion and is definitely one that will always remain in my top ten easily! Enjoy!

Stronger Than BPD by Debbie Corso

I have reviewed this book as it was sent to me for review kindly from the publishers.

I have to say firstly, I recommend this book if you or someone you know has Borderline Personality Disorder. I personally have a friend who has been diagnosed with BPD and she wants to read this book now too after me telling her about it.

In the book the author describes how the condition can cause such intense emotions that lead to uncontrollable situations. The author describes how she ended up in accident and emergency most times as no one else could help to keep her calm as often is the way with people with BPD, my friend is the same.

BPD can be triggered by traumatic events, suppressed memory can also lead to PTSD and that often coincides with BPD.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is used to treat suicidal patients with a BPD diagnosis. Obviously the overall aim is to prevent the situation of suicide but also teaching skills to be able to cope more with the BPD and running emotions.

The basic breakdown of DBT comes into four categories;

Personal relationships, coping with distress, paying attention to your life, coping with your emotions.

The activities in the book are capable for BPD sufferers and others alike with mental health issues such as bipolar disorder.
For example the most common technique mentioned in the book is mindfulness which is very popular anyway, focusing on living in the moment and not focussing on the past you.

This book has been a very eye opening read into the world of Borderline Personality Disorder. I am definitely more aware of how others with the condition must feel in certain situations now too.

Quick Read 2017 A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan

This book arrived at my door yesterday thank you to Amazon for remembering I'd ordered this quick read book back at Christmas.

Now, I love Jenny Colgan and currently own all of her books she has written to date and have tonight added this one to that dedicated shelf. This book didn't disappoint, I wanted it to go on and on!

In this book, Saif is a doctor and Lorna is a resident on Mure a little Island off of Scotland. The two meet after Saif is sent to the island from a refugee camp. His arrival causes a stir in the village and for him too as he doesn't know where his family or friends are. Lorna however meets Saif under unfortunate circumstances of her father being seriously ill with unexplained headache's.

I wont spoil the book as it is so quick to read and is a heart warming but tear drawing read, a real bundle of emotions were felt through relatable circumstances in one case. 

Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi

I have had this book on my wishlist for so long when I randomly found this novel in my local Poundshop with its gorgeously dark angel cover, I picked it up and was super happy.

Upon reading the whole book, I did enjoy it but as I always find with most fantasy novels, I can't ever a hundred percent feel engaged with the story.

With this book, we join Serafina who is an angel sent to collect the souls of the dying and can for see the events occurring. Upon going to earth to collect one soul in particular, from a young gangsta character called Marcus, its a classic case of love at first sight. Though we don't quite know what she sees in him fully. Serafina can't let Marcus die and so takes out a contract with Larry the devil which is unknown to her at first, to keep Marcus alive to allow her time to try to save his soul.

After seeing Marcus tempted by crime again after a threat to his family's safety Serafina fall from heaven to hell and finally to Earth in an attempt to become human and show Marcus love is more powerful in a last attempt to get him to repent his ways and send his soul to heaven.

Overall this novel focusses on the lessons of love and loss, how both can effect us and how our lives can change from having and giving it. It was a good read but the once was enough for me as often is with books of the fantasy genre.

Thief! by Malorie Blackman

The first book I ever picked up by Malorie Blackman was not like most people who usually have read the Noughts and Crosses series. Instead, I read Boys Don't Cry and I was hooked into reading her books that way.

In this book, we meet Lydia who is in a new school and unsure whether to fit in, which any teen wants, but means risking getting into trouble as the group she wants to join requires her to steal to get in. Immediately I didn't like the character of Anne who is a bully towards Lydia as she is a tgret to Anne and her best friends, Frankie's friendship.

After a lot of action I'm not going to spoil here for you, we find ourselves in an almost sc-fi, dystopian event of what has become of the town, the group of children Lydia wanted to fit in with and what happened to Lydia and her family after the main events of the book.

Overall Malorie explores the events of peer pressure and fitting in extremely well and shows us how events can make life altering decisions for us and how every action we take sets off a trail of future events.

Storm in a C cup by Caroline Flack

So, I love the X Factor and found a gorgeous white hardback copy of this book in a charity shop, upon reading it, I was so right to buy it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography and found out so much about Caroline. The book let’s us view her life and see her dedication to her passions, family and friends from her little home town and from her immediate family to her celebrity family and friends such as Olly Murs and the rest of the X Factor family.

I had no idea the smiley and upbeat television presenter we see on TV had trained in the performance industry nor the plain fact she has a twin! (I could’ve googled that fact I’m guessing but in the book of course there are stories about the two and their family.)

Throughout the book I felt like she was open and honest about everything and laid her emotions bare for us to feel and we can commiserate or celebrate each moment she depicts with us from a terrible heartbreak, moving out and going to university and of course, being on stage. She has lived so far an amazing and interesting life of highs and lows with advice for how to cope with situations after they've happed and she can reflect with a more clear, open mind.

This book is an eye opening and honest look back on Caroline’s life so far, tear jerking and laughable in seperate parts, I sincerely hope you pick it up too!

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Candy by kevin Brooks

What a book!

The story opens us to life of Joe. 

A teen whom is on his way to a doctor’s appointment on a pretty normal day, that is until he catches the eye of Candy.                             Joe is smitten, the feelings so strong he stumbles over his words and ends up buying her a meal in McDonald’s, like most teenagers do.   But no teenager is like Candy in that she is known by Iggy.                     A large man whom ‘owns’ Candy as she fu ds her drug habit with prostition thanks to Iggy. Iggy could easily kill Joe as he so threatens in the McDonald’s and take him away from Candy. Joe perseveres despite the threat to his life and so we further intsee his struggles at home with his parents dating again, his mum hasn’t visited him or his older sister, Gina in years. As well as his dad hating the fact his daughter is dating a black man. This hilights quite a severe problem which society still suffers with unfortunately. 

Throughout the story we see Joe and Candy still being friends and at times more than friends a but never quite a couple. Joe tracks Candy down and tries to help her get away from Iggy and the squat she’s living in which creates a suspenseful and thrilling end to the novel as Iggy tracks them down as well as having Gina held hostage.

Its a page turner, well worth a read and is definitely one book full of dramatic twists that you won’t forget about!

Bliss By Shay Mitchell & Michaela Blaney

This book is more adult fiction I believe so please bare that in mind!

I was hoping for a more juicy, twisted plot but was let down.
This story I found unfortunately predictable and over done before.

The main characters, Demi, Leandra and Sophia are a privileged, party girl trio looking for a good time with an enforcement on trying to each find their Bliss.

In parts the book made me laugh and yet in others it made me cringe too as the girls hooked up with guys and yet they also made me angry strangely as I wanted them to make wiser choices and care for themselves better and not settling for being 'kept by a guy' and sponging off him and his success as a certain character repeatedly does. To me I personally feel that over steps the mark as Shay has a younger following due to Pretty Little Liars, if I was say fifteen and picked up this book, I would feel like I needed a guy to feel happy and secure when modern day we women van achieve success ourselves.

Overall it was a feeble attempt at what with more work could've been a stunning, sparkling celebrity debut novel.

Welcome every reader!

Hello!

I'm Eve, twenty and from the Midlands in England. It's a pleasure to be writing to whomever shall read this blog. I love to read, was brought up surrounded by books and now I have a huge, forever growing day by day collection of books.

My favourite genres tend to be autobiographies, biographies, women's chick-lit and young adult fiction ranging from contemporary to murder and crime mysteries. I do tend to stick to these categories but from time to time challenge myself to read a different genre too.

I find myself reading a book everyday pretty much cover to cover, they tend to suck me in and immerse me in a world I get so easily lost in when I eventually realise the time in reality, you can guarantee its been a few hours and I've probably forgotten to do something!

Anyone relate?!

Anyway, I'm off to read some more and I'll update here soon,

Till then!

Enjoy your reading and recommend me books too if you want to 📚