#BookReview: Verity by Colleen Hoover

 I am determined to keep up with my local book club this year, and today I share my review for Verity by Colleen Hoover.

 

My Review

This was my first Colleen Hoover novel and I read it for my local book club. Yes, I enjoyed it! The book deals with the dark side of the human mind and the nature of obsession and love, but you never quite know what is "real" and what is not. It kept me hooked but I didn't get too emotionally involved. Perhaps as a writer I managed to stay detached, knowing that the protagonists were also writers (apart from Jeremy, and I still can't decide what to think about him). Still, it was an entertaining read, and it gave me something new to think about.

About the Book

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Buy the book: Amazon; Waterstones; WH Smith.

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#BookReview: The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze

I am learning about investing and the potential of cryptocurrency thanks to influence from my brother (a crypto miner) and my sister (Mindfully Trading). Here’s a review for a book I discovered that I need to share with the world.

 

My Review
 
I loved reading this book! Being new to cryptocurrency and wanting to learn more, I found a podcast with Laura Shin and decided to order her book. The Cryptopians is a comprehensive introduction to the new history of cryptocurrency, explaining jargon, key people in the industry, and explaining how this all came about as a movement and how it continues to grow.
 
I really think that we all need to read this book if we have children because it will be relevant to them as they grow up, so we might as well learn about cryptocurrency too!
 
About the Book
 
In their short history, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have gone through booms, busts, and internecine wars, recently reaching a market valuation of more than $2 trillion. The central promise of crypto endures-vast fortunes made from decentralized networks not controlled by any single entity and not yet regulated by many governments.
 
The recent growth of crypto would have been all but impossible if not for a brilliant young man named Vitalik Buterin and his creation: Ethereum. In this book, Laura Shin takes readers inside the founding of this novel cryptocurrency network, which enabled users to launch their own new coins, thus creating a new crypto fever. She introduces readers to larger-than-life characters like Buterin, the Web3 wunderkind; his short-lived CEO, Charles Hoskinson; and Joe Lubin, a former Goldman Sachs VP who became one of crypto's most well-known billionaires. Sparks fly as these outsized personalities fight for their piece of a seemingly limitless new business opportunity.
 
This fascinating book shows the crypto market for what it really is: a deeply personal struggle to influence the coming revolution in money, culture, and power. Buy the book here.

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#BookReview A Bridge to Forever by N. Dune

I follow this author on social media and was attracted to the book, so I bought my copy and added it to my summer reading list. I was not disappointed! Read on to see my review.

My Review

Reading this story had me drawing comparisons with my own life, and I really felt for Ben and Raz. The book is sweet, dramatic and I think it offers a great example of 21st Century literature. I describe this book as beautiful, emotional, and sweet!

The book was well written and carefully edited.

About the Book

Raz

Left with a sense of guilt at his failure to protect his childhood friend, Raz has lost his way in the darkness that consumes him.

A chance meeting with another man allows him to regain some control of his life… Will he take it?

How could this affect his relationship with the one man who has always stood by him?

Ben

Faced with his own heartbreak, Ben struggles to continue supporting his boyfriend in the way he knows that Raz needs. He wants to move forward, pull away from the despair that has surrounded them for months and give them both time to heal and make a future together, but is that what Raz still wants?

A friend’s kidnapping and the loss of a family member has left Raz and Ben in immense pain, but with no physical wound to show for it. The size of the chasm between them has continued to grow as they attempt to live side by side but not together. How will they begin to build a bridge and heal the gaping wound between them?

Is it too late for these two lovers to reconnect and overcome the darkness that threatens to pull them apart forever?

A Bridge To Forever is a standalone steamy MM romance set in the Beyond the Tide world. Get your copy now.

#BookReview The Real Thing by Felicity Rose

I follow this author on social media and was attracted to the book, so I bought my copy and added it to my summer reading list. I was not disappointed! Read on to see my review.

My Review

I really enjoyed this story! There are elements that I personally relate to when Saskia and James begin to explore each other intimately. It was nice to see sex described in more detail that the vanilla portrayal we are used to seeing in literature. And it was steamy! There was a huge twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, much like so many events in real life, and while it left me feeling a bit disgruntled, the author has left it wide open for a sequel, so I look forward to reading that.

The book could have done with a bit more editing, and I got confused part-way through when the writing style randomly switched for a few paragraphs. I think maybe the author got so caught up in the story that they just wrote and maybe didn’t pick it up during the editing phase. Despite this I read the book very quickly which is always a sign I enjoyed it, and the story stayed with me.

 

About the Book

Saskia Matthews has been everywhere and done it all. She’s been in love more times than she could even count. The problem is, this is only in her book world.

James Edwards, the hottie at the local deli, is the kind of eye candy everyone needs while ordering their lunch. Gorgeous as he is, he’s out of her reach until, one day, she plucks up the courage to talk to him.

Is he what she really wants though?

He’s certainly not her usual type.

Quickly she begins to realise that you should never judge a book by its cover as he takes her deep into her darkest fantasies, awakening her body and opening her eyes to a world she has never seen before.

Surely this is the real thing…isn’t it? Buy the book now.

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#BookReview Presents from the Past: Poetic Memories from Times Gone By – Elliot Stanton

Presents from the Past: Nostalgic and wistful – new humour-infused poetry anthology makes the perfect rose-tinted spectacle read.

Elliot Stanton's Presents from the Past takes a light-hearted and sentimental trip down memory lane as he shares fifty poems that have milestones and those all-important smaller moments from his life at their heart.

 

My Review

I enjoyed reading these poems and they did indeed take me down a nostalgic path. While I wasn’t as keen on the poems about attending football matches and collecting football stickers, I favoured the poems about sweet snacks and candy from the old days (1980s and 1990s), the reminiscence of computer games, VHS, taping songs from the radio and all those little things we did as children. This book certainly appeals to the older age group, 40 and up. I really liked a short poem called Coins from a Bygone Europe, with a clever little twist at the end. There is humour and nostalgia in abundance in these poems and they will make you smile and nod agreement as you read them.

 

Visit the author’s website here.

Buy the book from Amazon.  

 

Elliot Stanton's Presents from the Past is a package of poetical delight.

As the 51-year-old author shares some of the milestone moments and the smaller details of his life growing up in the seventies and eighties, this poetry anthology reminds us that our history is being created every day, but sometimes we need to stop and cherish what has gone before.

From the last day of term and school dinners to favourite snacks and eighties must-watch TV, these are eloquent memories that will strike a chord with all.

A perfect gift for all those embracing their sixth decade, Presents from the Past is a pertinent reminder to actually cherish the moment (and not just post it on social media) and to embrace the minutiae that make us whole.

Synopsis:

We all love a bit of nostalgia, and even unfortunate or infuriating events can become fond and well-loved memories over time. Presents From the Past is a humour-infused collection of fifty poems that I have created from such memories. Many of them are from childhood and have lived long in my consciousness, but some are a little more recent and have only just laid down roots in my mind.

This book features poetic reminiscences of such subjects as favourite bygone snacks and old TV programmes, the thrill of the last day of school and attending your first football match, teenage trips to the local cinema and memories of treasured family vacations.

I am confident that every reader will find something that resonates deeply, thus providing that warm, satisfying glow of nostalgia we often long for.

 

The author says:

"Presents From the Past is a collection of 50 poems emerging from fond memories of my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood.

"Of course, my memories are not your memories, but I know each reader will find something that resonates with their own formative years. The theme is affectionate nostalgia, and the compositions project unabashed sentimentality, wistfulness, and touching humour.

"Whilst there are a couple of poems with 'messages,' my aim is purely to entertain and remind people of a more innocent and gentler time."

 

About the author

Presents From the Past is Elliot Stanton's seventh book and his second book of poetry, following, It Can't Just Be Me.

Four of his previous books are humorous novels that all include various aspects of true-life events, but he decided he wanted to try something different this time. So, in the spring of 2019, he decided to write a series of Tales of the Unexpected–type stories and twelve months later, he'd written enough tales to create The Crimson Scarf and Other Short Stories.

During the pandemic lockdown in early 2021, he started writing short, humorous poems on the things seen and experienced. They culminated in two collections; It Can't Just Be Me - Poetic Observations on Modern Life and Presents from The Past - Poetic Memories from Times Gone By.

 

 

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#BookReview Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

Sometimes it takes a stranger to really know who you are.

My Review

I loved this book, and it has to be my most favourite of the year so far!

I was a little confused when I began reading and realised that the whole story is told in the form of letters between two people. How could you write a whole book based on that format? Quite easily, as it turns out. We learn about Tina and Anders through their correspondence, and we learn about their families, their social circles, the world and the cultures that they grew up in, all wrapped up in reference to archaeology and the nature of what makes us human.

It was nice to read something from characters that are older than we usually find, because they can talk from experience, and we can relate to it. I could easily see Tina in people that I have known and do know and understand how her life happened around her almost by accident.

The book left me feeling warm and fuzzy, but also gave me some serious subjects to think about and apply to my own life as I grow older.

You must read this book!

Get the book

I borrowed this book from my local library, but if you want to read it now, click here.

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#BookReview Leave the World Behind by by Rumaan Alam

A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.

My Review

I found the first chapter of this book a little boring since it talked about an average family and their road trip to a secluded holiday destination. I stuck with it and gradually the pace picked up a little, although it never really reached a point where I couldn't put it down. I like what the author was trying to convey, and the prose was appealing to me, but the abrupt ending left me feeling short-changed. I realise this was planned and intended, but still, it left me a bit disgruntled! I would recommend this book if you like something completely modern that talks about your average US family and their life experiences.

Get the book

I borrowed this book from my local library, but if you want to read it now, click here.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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#BookReview Incy Wincy (Mal & Jackie Book 2) by R.J. Dark

Malachite Jones is a pretend psychic medium and an unwilling detective.
He certainly doesn't want anyone bringing him a missing persons case.
Definitely not two.
When a body turns up he knows life is only going to get harder.

 
My Review
 
Yorkshire meets Hollywood with a dash of British cynicism thrown in for good measure.
 
This was a very interesting book and not my usual choice. It is the second in a series, but I had no difficulty recognising the characters as they were introduced. I think the story was set in Leeds or Sheffield, but it was never properly confirmed, and I don't know either of those cities well enough to recognise some of the estates and areas that featured in the book. I did enjoy reading a book set in the North of England that was modern, that I could relate to, and that managed to combine Hollywood action with British reservedness, if that makes sense.
 
Jackie was an interesting character, who at first I disliked but in the end grew quite fond of, even recognising and understanding why he behaved the way that he did. Mal was a fairly regular character, and my one disappointment was that he didn't display any obvious psychic skills during the story. I know he is faking it and that is made clear from the start, but still, he must have something that made him set up the business, surely?
 
Generally, I am glad I read this book, it had me gripped when the action kicked in, and it left me thinking about what happened for a while afterwards.
 
Get the book – click here.
 
 

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*I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review
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Book Review: Dear Boobs by Claire Foskett

Dear Boobs: A book of poems about the love, leaks and let-downs of breastfeeding by Claire Foskett.

 

I was excited to receive a copy of Claire’s new book for review, since I am a former breastfeeding mother myself. It is several years since I breastfed my second child, but I still remember those crazy days and all the mood swings and mess.

Poems are a great way to represent our feelings, and Claire approaches her observations with humour and emotion mixed together. Her style of writing reminds me of Roald Dahl, and I love the illustrations in this book, and especially the Recipe for Breastfeeding Mums. There are some laugh-out-loud funny poems including A Cautionary Tale and Flashing, and there are more serious thought-provoking ones including Tired and Day Three.

Claire has included her own breastfeeding experiences in these poems, and her husband wrote a lovely poem to finish the book as well, which I thought was a nice touch. We often get so involved in supporting the mother that we forget about the father standing helplessly watching. Husbands and partners do take an active role, but it may not always be recognised.

I would recommend this book if you are a breastfeeding mum, if you are pregnant, or if you still remember those days and want to chuckle and reminisce. I will pass the book on to my sister who just had her first baby, and then to my friend who is pregnant, and I know they will relate to the poems and enjoy reading them.

 

You can find Claire on social media and you can buy the book here.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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#BookReview: Psychic Spellcraft: A Modern-Day Wiccapedia of Divination & Intuition Rituals

I received a copy of this beautiful book for review, and I think it is a great addition to any modern witch’s bookshelf.

There is a lot of useful information inside, lovely illustrations and suggested exercises to improve your psychic spellcraft practice and deepen your knowledge of the occult.

Psychic Spellcraft

A Modern-Day Wiccapedia of Divination & Intuition Rituals

By Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway – Click here to get your copy.

For this volume in the best-selling Modern-Day Witch series, Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway explore how to harness nature’s magick to tap into your psychic intuition and hone your divination abilities.  They cover everything from sharpening your psychic skills and intuition; ESP training; psychic meditation techniques; astral projection; and connecting with spirits and the cosmos.

Numerous divination methods are covered: tarot; scrying (crystal ball gazing); crystal divination; numerology; palmistry; pendulums; reading tea leaves; lucid dreaming; psychic plant power ― even how to read clouds and candle wax. Included throughout are spells and rituals to help you purposefully utilise your abilities and help enrich your life and the lives of those around you.

 

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Book Review: This is What You’ll Get by Bobbie Collings

 “Let’s face it, even when it’s an accident, someone must take the blame.” – from This is What You’ll Get by Bobbie Collings.

I really enjoyed this book! It appears to be a cheerful romance novel, something not too heavy that will take you away from the stresses of daily life for a while. Featuring older characters (30-something), some with children, some without, and the protagonists being wealthy and carefree, there are elements of this story that I can relate to and some that I aspire to. I did identify with a few of the characters, although some of the younger ones did come across perhaps more self-aware than I think young people generally are. However, I speak from the experience of a woman who grew up before social media became the norm, so maybe I’m out of touch myself.
 
This book is definitely one for 21^st century attitudes but featuring older characters that I could relate to. It is a hefty tome at 533 pages, and it could benefit from another proofread and editing session to tighten it up and correct some grammatical errors, but I don’t think that detracts from the overall story. I was a little irritated that the female characters were described as “girls” throughout the novel, even though for the most part they were mature women. That might just be my attitude, however, or maybe it was intentional by the author, I don’t know.
 
There is a lot of sex in this book so be warned if that is not your thing. I enjoyed it, but there were a few scenes that left me feeling squeamish. I suppose it depends on what your kink is. The characters did seem overly mature and understanding with each other and I would have expected more animosity or conflict in some of the scenarios. That said, I also find it refreshing to read a book where people are not immediately judging each other for their lifestyle choices, and it is made clear throughout the story that all characters are consenting adults. There are no nasty games here, only adult fun.
 
The ending is not what I expected and does provide an interesting twist that will leave you pondering about social norms, morals and our attitudes towards love and relationships. I am open-minded myself and do not conform to traditional marriage norms, so I enjoyed reading this book for that reason. It is nice to know that there are people who can integrate a healthy sex life into their world without it being taboo or hidden. We all do it, we just don’t like to talk about it! Well, in this book, they do talk about it a lot and while it was a bit much sometimes, generally I enjoyed the subject and the way it was described.
 
Find Bobbie Collings on Instagram and order the book here: This is What You’ll Get.

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Book Review: Paranormal Warwickshire by SC Skillman

Here is my review of Paranormal Warwickshire by S.C. Skillman:

This is a delightful book that mixes local history with paranormal stories. The author describes local places of interest and includes snippets from Shakespeare plays at the beginning of each chapter as she connects the area with the famous playwright. There are eyewitness accounts of ghostly sightings, strange phenomena and other paranormal occurrences that leaves me wanting to visit the area again soon. This book belongs in every ghost hunter's personal library!

 

(I received a copy of the book for review purposes, views are my own)

 Warwickshire is a county stepped in the supernatural, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits that he conjured up in his works.

 The towns and village of Warwickshire, its castles, house, churches, theatres, inns and many other places both grand and everyday have rich and complex stories to tell of paranormal presences.

 In this book author SC Skillman investigates the rich supernatural heritage of this county at the heart of England in places such as Guy’s Cliffe House, the Saxon Mill, Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle, St Mary’s Church in Warwick, Nash’s House in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Stoneleigh Abbey, as well as in the towns of Rugby, Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.

 She explores the spiritual resonance of each location, recounting the tales of paranormal activity associated with it and examining the reasons for this within the history of the place. 

Paranormal Warwickshire takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and shadowy presences will delight the ghost hunters and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Warwickshire.

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Book Review: A Menu of Death by Lucy Pireel

Today I share my review of A Menu of Death by Lucy Pireel.

A haunting, gruesome, good read!

I really enjoyed this book, and because it is small, it only took me a few hours to read. It is an anthology of short stories that explore themes of domestic abuse, murder, psychopathic tendencies, and good old-fashioned ghost stories. My favourites were A Dollar’s Worth and Reunion. I also quite enjoyed Bloodwork, although that did disturb me quite a bit! If you enjoy classic horror then I recommend you read this book, and it is certainly a great addition to a Halloween book club…

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